I'm moving on.....

Well what a strange few weeks I've had!
Firstly, and most importantly (and all consumingly!) we have been told that the lease on the house we have rented for the last 2 years will not be renewed come the end of October.  We have been looking for a house to buy, thinking we would buy around Christmas time, which would give us plenty of time to get everything organised and settled and fit in with our wedding quite comfortably before our next lease would have been due at the end of March, however, the owner of our house has decided to move back in, so we have to pack up our lives and wedding by October 28, giving us around 5 weeks to clear on out!! We are very sad to be leaving, and packing is such a daunting task considering the amount of teacups I have collected over the last few months!! We started doing some packing today, filling 9 boxes with books and dvds, and then running out of boxes :(
At this stage we definitely want to buy, rather than find somewhere else to rent, so we have spent the last week trawling the internet and open homes in the hopes of fi
Fnding something perfect.  We have managed to find a place in Somerset that we really love, and are very excited about, however being first home buyers the amount of paperwork and time is greater than the time we have, so we are going to have to end up moving twice :( Putting most of our furniture into storage, and living with my parents until we can complete negotiations on a property, then finally moving into the property.  We have been to lots of open homes, and have 2 more tomorrow afternoon, but, we both seem to have our hearts set on the Somerset house, probably not a good thing, as you should never count your chickens before they hatch!! But we both can't seem to stop discussing ideas and developments for the house :( so fingers crossed everything goes well, as I think we will be slightly devastated if it all falls through :( 
This week, as well as property hunting, I had a birthday.  I turned 25 on Wednesday, and I was determined to do everything in my power to avoid celebrating this day, as I had just found out that we were being 'evicted' and was feeling pretty down about this, but, it came to my attention, that I have some pretty amazing friends in my life, and they were not going to let this day go uncelebrated, protestations, and 'FML'S' aside!
Firstly, my lovely friend Jess made me cupcakes and bought them to work, as well as an amazing Paris themed pinboard, and Cath Kidston tissues- obviously she knows me pretty well!

We went out for dinner that night with my parents, who bought me a benchtop mixmaster- but feeling bad that they had bought me a gift that as a soon-to-be homeless bum I would be unable to use, I also recieved a cute little clutch bag and necklace from one of my favourite stores, Chile.  The following day the lovely and thoughtful Allana (http://www.highmaintenancehippy.blogspot.com/) bought me the most amazing and thoughtful gift- It arrived in a gorgeous handmade drawstring vintage linen and crochet bag, with an amazing bunting card, which I think has just inspired our wedding invitations- and upon opening the bag I found a beautiful That Vintage Tea Party necklace.  The thoughtfulness and appropriateness of this gift touched me, and having had quite an emotional week, almost brought on tears!!  I wore my beautiful new necklace out for dinner to Rialto's with some lovely friends, and drank too much wine, ate too much bread and pasta, and thoroughly enjoyed myself!

Before our house-hunting issues began, I made the envelopes to send out our save the dates, but have been a little bit slack in getting them out, due to a wandering mind- but i'm hoping to have them out by the end of this week!!

We have also had some lovely friends home from Sydney for a visit, Adam and Lucy, who have just had a gorgeous baby girl Miss Elsie Grace.  She is so placid and lovely, and definitely makes the clucky genes kick in!! We had some wonderful visits with them all, and can't wait to see them again at Christmas time!

Have been feeling somewhat down for the last few weeks- think it definitely has something to do with the fact that this time last year I was having the most amazing time in England and Paris, and I think that the wet and cold weather, combined with losing our house, and the uncertainty of it all have got the best of me.  Can't wait for the sunshine, and for all our moving problems to be over so that we can concentrate on getting the fine details of our wedding sorted, as it will certainly be busy, as all progressions are going to be put on hold, at least for 2 months.  How will I ever catch up on my September/October checklist jobs?  We have been to discuss our menu with our caterers, and we are pretty happy with the way it seems to be developing. 
The big thing at the moment seems to be dessert and candy bars with pretty glass containers holding sweets and desserts, but rather than doing this, we wanted to do something a little bit different.  For our entree, rather than having a formal sitdown meal, or a roving fingerfood option, we have decided to adapt the candy-bar idea to an 'Antipasto Buffet' and utilise the pretty jars, platters etc, but fill them with deli meats, crackers, delicious breads, dips, cheesewheels and raw vegetables.  This means that people will eat from the buffet, and mingle, giving us time to arrive at our reception and greet guests in an informal and relaxed way, while enjoying yummy savoury food without feeling sick from too many sweet things!!
Our mains will be a sit-down meal, with a selection of rack of lamb, chicken breast wrapped in proscuitto, or a thai-marinated calamari (which is sooooooo yummy!!).  Dessert will be a choice of wedding cake or one other option which we are yet to decide upon. 
Hopefully this week my brain will start functioning again- and I can be productive not only on the house hunting front, but also on the house-packing front, and on the wedding-planning front!  Have to say, I am VERY much looking forward to the long weekend for the Burnie Show- 3 days off will be extremely welcomed!!
Yours in house-hunting frenzy,
Emma xx

absence makes the heart grow fonder?

Forgive me readers, for I have sinned! It has been 2 weeks since my last blog post........I am the slackest blogger around!!

So what do I need to fill you in on? Well, I have recently discovered Pintrest, which is only the most amazingly, addictively wonderful site getting around! Pintrest is basically virtual inspiration boards, to which you 'pin' images.  You create your own inspiration boards, and I have found endless wedding and crafty ideas from Pintrest. 

I managed to get a box of around 40 saucers in a recent oppie visit, which was great!! I also managed to find a lovely teacup (minus it's saucer unfortunately) with a daffodil print, perfect for spring!!  All of the daffodil and jonquil bulbs popping up everywhere are helping to chase my winter blues away, and the smell of daphne in our kitchen makes me swoon!

A recent magazine discovery Mollie Makes, a crafty magazine from England that is just divine featured a book review on this book, and I just had to have it after reading that it featured a wedding with teacup centrepieces!! I jumped on ebay,and got it for just $23 brand new, and free postage! ahhh do love me a bargain!!

I recently purchased a vintage 1952 pattern from Spotlight, for a cute little girl's basic pinafore dress, which I haven't yet attempted, but I did make this sweet little bib from cotton.  Think if I were to make another one I would use flannelette and fleecy back, and make the neckline a little wider and add snaps to do it up,  a cotton and ribbon bib on a vomity, milky, messy baby does not for a happy mummy make!!

I had a lovely day off work last week and managed to have a lovely long lunch with Allana, who has some fantastic ideas up her sleeve for a major project for next year, and has made me very excited!! I was getting a bit worried that after our wedding is over, I might be a bit lost without a project, but if all goes well, and Allana decides to go ahead with her fantastic ideas, I will be one happy lady! Allana and I have been exchanging treasures, with her gifting me an amazing box of teacups and vintage crockery and a Cath Kidston 'MAKE' book, I had to whip up something special to say thankyou!!

My crafty specialty is origami flower balls, so I made a smaller version from vintage little golden books for Allana's gorgeous little girl Ella

and this flowerball made from vintage atlas pages for the lovely Allana :)

Having chosen my wedding dress, my thoughts this week have to turned to the groom and groomsmen, and we are so happy and excited that Jimmy's cousin Dean will be travelling from England to be in our bridal party.  Keeping with the vintage/casual feel that we hope to achieve, this image from Style Me Pretty 

 and this image from The Knot

tie in perfectly with our vision and theme, and are my inspiration for the 'look' of the boys.  We have booked our wedding accommodation, and all thats left now is to find a caterer!! A not-so-easy task it would seem!!

One of my lovely bridesmaids, who has spent almost 2 years in England returns home in around 6 weeks time, and I cannot wait to see her!

This Friday I have a day off, and I am sooooo looking forward to having a long weekend!! We are going away for the weekend and staying in a Manor Suite at the Country Club Casino in Launceston as a little treat, can't wait to peruse my favourite book shop Petrarch's. 

Busy wedding week next week, as I will hopefully be meeting up with our cakemaker, arranging a meeting with our amazing photographer (stay tuned for a blog post on her breathtaking work), going to measure up the Town Hall for our decorations, aaaaand finalising a caterer!

Yours in weddingy anticipation,

 Em xx

Monday I've got Friday on my Mind.........

So I've been completely slack this last week and a half on the bloggy front.  You have heard not a peep from me, but never fear, dear readers, this does not mean that I have abandoned vintage shopping or that I have not done any weddingy goodness this past week, it just means that I have been run off my feet with the afore-mentioned tasks!!
First things first- Last Thursday I had the day off work and planned a full day of vintage misadventures- however- the allure of sleeping in got the better of me, and I didn't start my vintage shopping until almost lunchtime.  I headed Wynyard way with the plan of doing Vinnies, Mother Hubbard's and Save-a-buck, and Somerset Vinnies on the way home.  Wynyard proved to be a bit of an epic fail on the vintage front, there was either nothing there, or it was far too expensive.  I ended up wandering into Chile and stumbled across these:

These are original 1930's French lucky dips.  They contain little handpainted toys and games, and I had the idea of doing little goodie bags with colouring books, pencils etc for any children attending our wedding, and these will go perfectly with our theme, AND they were half price!  I also found an awesome burlap union jack print cushion that lookst great in our red leather armchair in our loungeroom. 

On the way home I called in to Somerset Vinnies, where I found 2 gorgeous candelabras for our guest book table

I spent last week finalising our guest list (which was one of the most horrific tasks I've ever had to do! The dream wedding list contained 50 of our nearest and dearest, however this soon blew far out of proportion to 70, which soon inflated to 102. Yes. 102. *sigh*. )and writing check lists for a month-by-month to-do list, and doing sketches of our ceremony and reception set-ups so that all the ideas and pictures I have in my head can be seen and shared via pen and page. 

Jimmy and I went to Hobart for the weekend, and while Jimmy was watching soccer, I shopped (shocker).  I was excited to find some glass drink dispensers in Habitat, I had been searching online for some, but had had no luck finding any under $80 in Australia, and then with the prospect of postage for them, I was looking at over $300 just for 3 jars.  Habitat's dispensers? $60 marked down to $25!!

Thinking I will fill one with punch, one with iced water, and one with lemon-lime bitters for our reception.  What a bargain!!

I found the most perfectly perfect cake stand, and ordered our cake topper this week also, so stay tuned for a post when it arrives from the US, I also ordered a beautiful book called 'Handmade Weddings' that I saw reviewed in my new favourite magazine 'Mollie Makes'.  There is a vintage wedding section that features teacup centrepieces :)

Feeling a bit under the weather today- I seem to have picked up someones germs and have spent my day sneezing and sniffing, and could quite happily curl up for a nanny nap, but I need to go get ready as we are going out for tea to test out a caterer tonight, we have eaten there before, and loved it, so hopefully tonight is just as good, and all going well we will have ticked catering off the checklist by the end of the week!

Wish me luck!!

Yours in sniffs and sneezes,

Em xx

Dear Cath Kidston, I heart you!!

Received my Cath Kidston order in the mail this week. Was so excited that it finally arrived!!  I only had 2 items, but they were items that I had had my eye on for quite some time, one being a 'doctors bag', and the other a quilt.  Nanny napping is one of my favourite passtimes, and I have been excited about having one under my new Cath quilt all cosy on the couch with the winter rain beating down outside.  I LOVE my new bag, and have had heaps of comments on it already, and the fact that it was 50% off makes it all the better!! And while Jimmy doesn't love my new quilt, as it is very, very floral, he did admit it was cosy and warm! :)

Wedding dresses and tea trolleys...........

I had an appointment at the beautiful StudioWhite on Friday night, and tried some amazing wedding gowns on.  Very excited to say that I found THE dress at last!! As soon as I had it on I loved it, but was a bit worried as it is a little bit different, and not particularly 'traditional', especially for somewhere like the place in which I live, but it is definitely me,and I adore it! Can't wait for the next 7 months to fly now!! Emily and Sharon at Studio White were so lovely, and so helpful, and even gave us the champagne treatment!

Jiminy had soccer in Launceston today, and I couldn't go as I had to work this morning, so while at work wondering whether I could have a nanny nap this afternoon, or if I should do some crafting, or some ironing (boo hiss), I suddenly decided that I should head over to Ulverstone and browse the antique shops, of which there are 4 in a tiny little town.  Emily at Studio White revealed a new treasure trove in Ulvy to me last night, and I was pretty keen to have a look. I ended up coming home 4 and a half hours later with my backseat folded down, and the car loaded up with an old wooden tea trolley, an antique frame, a vintage hatbox, and 4 vintage teacup trio sets.
Yes.
I am vintage-shopping obsessed. 

all styled up and currently residing in our spare room. That is, until I decide where it might look better and move it fifty times, before eventually moving it back into the spare room!!  This little baby will be at our wedding reception for sure! :)

****

This week, I got 2 special parcels in the mail (but stiiiiiiiiillllll waiting on my Cath Kidston order!! :( better be here monday, can't wait to have a nanny nap under my Cath quilt!!).  My first parcel contained a photo book I made on Snapfish of our beautiful 'Save The Date' photos by Megan Bourn Photography....

and the second lovely parcel was the sample pack of our 'Save The Date' postcards.  It's all becoming very real!!  I am making envelopes for our postcards from vintage book pages, and using little pretend airmail labels on the fronts.  Can't wait to get my full set!

Wishing you all lots of love, weddingy thoughts, and vintage shopping trips,

Em x

mirror mirror on the wall.........

This weeks misadventure?
A vintage mirror!! Not much to look at at the moment, but eventually, it will be our drinks menu sitting on the bar at our wedding. Think I'm crazy? Well, maybe just a little!

It's a mirror from an old dresser, and cost me$10.  The general idea for it's extreme makeover is this:

image courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings

Currently wondering where I can find some large rub on letters to write 'Drinks' across the top!!



operation crafty weekend project revealed...

So this is what I have been up to today, pretty happy with how it turned out, the photos don't show the colours very well, but it looks great in person!!

brownies and doilies unite

This weeks misadventure features a Kodak Brownie, and a heap of vintage doilies!
I have been hunting for a vintage brownie to use as a prop for our wedding for months, without luck.  But this week, bizarrely, I stumbled across one in the main street of Somerset while I was supposed to be working!! Pays to keep your eyes open!! It was just sitting in a new little second-hand shop, amongst junk and clutter and general crap.  I was so excited, I made my bridesmaid Jess, who also happens to be my workmate, go and pick it up for me on her lunchbreak, as I couldn't wait for it any longer!!

***

On a completely different note, Jimmy had soccer in Launceston today, and he and a few of the boys are staying the night in Launceston to celebrate a mate's birthday, so today and tonight I am a soccer widow.  Perfect timing for me to begin some of the crafty projects I have had my eye on for some time now.  My newest obsession, Pintrest, has provided me with much inspiration for new projects!!

Operation Crafty Weekend project #1 completed- My friend Debbie and I went Vinnies shopping for vintage doilies for a couple of projects, the first of which is this table runner, made from vintage crocheted and lace doilies, hand stitched together by moi! This could be a cute wedding project!!

Currently in the throes of project #2

But what will it be? Stay tuned to find out!!

Saving the Date....

After seeing an amazing 'Save The Date' postcard on Martha Stewart's wedding site, I had my heart set on a photoshoot with Jimmy and I holding vintage-styled gilt frames with 'save the date' and '11.02.12' in them... and then my brain began to tick...........I had already begun collecting teacups as flower vessels for our wedding, and thought this might be just the opportunity to bust out my creativity bone and style a vintage tea party styled shoot, along the lines of an english high tea.  Jimmy's parents are English, and all his family still live in England. Jimmy lived in England after he left college for 12 months, and came home to Australia to earn some money and move back to England with his aunt and uncle for good.  3 months after returning to Australia, he met me, and the rest, as they say, is history!! We have been together for 6 years, and we travelled to England last year together, spending a weekend in Paris where Jimmy proposed. I loved England, and although it sounds strange, it felt like home, and I dream of moving there to live for a few years.  Whilst there, my love affair with Cath Kidston began, and has been steadily growing ever since! 
So I figured that a high-tea photoshoot would be not only something that I would love, but in a way, pay homage to Jimmy's past and family. 
The lovely and amazing Megan Bourn from Megan Bourn Photography  agreed to photograph our shoot, and the end result was beyond my wildest dreams!!  I was so amazed at what Megan created out of Jimmy and I mucking about and being silly.  The photos turned out so beautifully, and she interpreted what must have seemed like crazy ideas into stunning images that I will treasure forever. I have designed postcards with several of the images, and will receive my samples in the mail on Wednesday!!Can't wait to get them!!
Here is a little sample of Megan's amazing and beautiful work....

Easy Like Sunday Morning....

I love bunting in every way, shape and form, and this weekend, I have attempted it for myself!!  Friday afternoon was pink, today was blue!
This bunting is for my friend Meg's little boy Ryley's bedroom :) and is one of my very first major attempts at sewing!

Why is Sunday such an amazing day?  Theres just something about Sunday that makes you wish it would go on forever..... sleepins, cooked breakfast, staying in your pyjamas all day, crafting, cooking, lazing about.  Perhaps it's because we know tomorrow is the dreaded beast also known as Monday. *sigh* Back to work, early mornings, and structure. 

The Beginning.... which will appear at the end.....?

So how does one start off on a blog? I know very little to nothing about blogging or blogs, other than I love to look at other people's crafty creations, and weddingy goodness on them! A recent friend, Allana Parker aka 'High Maintenance Hippy', has encouraged me to start a blog, after seeing my Instagram profile.  And upon further investigation into the blogosphere, it appears that I have, in fact, been using my Instagram profile as a makeshift blog! So here I am, blogging. 

So who am I?  Well, My name is Emma Gleeson, I live in Somerset, Tasmania, and I love to craft.  I have a teaching degree in early childhood education, taught for 12 months, and decided that at this stage of my life, after being at school for all but 4 of my 24 years, teaching is not for me.  Last year, I went to Europe, where my now fiancee proposed in Paris, and this year, after working there part time for almost 8 years, I am working full time in a newsagency, which I completely (suprisingly!!) enjoy!  I now spend half my life explaining why I have chosen not to teach, as people can't understand why I would spend 4 years at uni only to not use my degree.  I loved teaching, and I loved the classroom and the kids, but I felt that I needed to be away from the school environment for a few years, and in the long run, I think it will make me a far better teacher for getting out and getting some true life experience to apply to my teaching. 

As far as my crafting goes, I have had my finger in many, many pies.  I started out as a stamper and cardmaker, changed to a scrapbooker, became sick of scrapbooking and evolved into 'off the page' scrapbook work, and my current passions are kusudama flower balls, cross-stitching and learning to sew.

My fiancee Jimmy and I are getting married on Feb 11, 2012, at Highfield House in Stanley.  Our wedding theme is 'vintage tea party', teacups being my current love, which sends me to the dusty, dank, musty, corners of second-hand stores on the hunt for gorgeous vintage teacups filled with flowers to use as part of my table centrepieces, set amonsgt stacks of vintage hardcover books, and vintage candlesticks and various other vintage props. Hence, my blog name. 

Today's misadventure occured when I filled in for one of the work girls this morning, and a regular customer came in for her regular Saturday lotto.  She told me that she was going to help at a local charity garage sale organised by the Soroptimist's.  I casually asked (with hope in my heart and bated breath!!) whether there were any teacups there, to which her reply was 'oh yes! heaps!' She must have seen the flash of 'omggetmethererightnow' in my eyes, as she offered to put them aside for me until I finished work. They say that a watched clock goes slowly............ Never has a half-day shift taken so long to pass!!  My bridesmaid Jess also happens to be my workmate, so she had to listen to me whinge half the morning about how much I wanted to go.... poor Jess!! When I arrived there, she proudly showed me the Royal Doulton trio treasures that she had set aside for me and carefully wrapped and placed in a box.  Some were marked $8 and $10, and there were 10 sets in the box, which she told me I could have for $20. I almost died and went to heaven then and there!! I also managed to find a box of 22 old hardcover books, a silver tea tray, a serving plate, 2 little vases, a small leaf-shaped plate, and 2 silver serving baskets..... total haul cost? $41.50. Ahhhh how I love being a vintage shopper!
Emma xx