Bathroom make over -part 1

How can it be the middle of October already?
Well what have I been up to lately, besides recuperating from post viral/chronic fatigue, having friends stay, catching up with others after hibernating most of the winter? Continuing the mission of doing up the bathroom of course!


This shower curtain has been my inspiration for a vintage beach cottage bathroom.
It has bright colours and vintage beach huts.
I purchased it several years ago on sale and later some towels to match its colours.



Then one day I came across a pair of old wooden oars and thought about how to incorporate them in the decor with a functional purpose....towel rack - bit too long, do I want the cut them? No.... then one rainy day I said to my husband, "We could hang one off that beam and it could double as an airing rack to dry clothes on hangers during inclement weather." "What about all the moisture?" he replied. "We can put the oil coloumn heater on and the exhaust fan," I countered. Soon after he added a pedestal fan to stir the warm air around and voila the clothes were dry!



The next project was to paint the 'useful' cupboard, I purchased second hand one day, stored in a shed and then cleaned and declared to be the bathroom cupboard when we moved to this current house a few years back. It sat in the end of the family room next to the bathroom for a few years as I wanted it painted before moving it into a sometimes moist and damp environment. We were both too busy or too tired to ever get around to it. So one day recently I suggested that the long weekend would be a good time to tackle it and my husband agreed. The doors aren't finnished yet, perhaps this weekend.



The towel rack, (wooden quilt rack) with everyday towels, now in situ.



A little clutter on the vintage porcelain sink that has cream paint peeling off (house paint my husband thinks, that lifted off when I filled the sink with hot water one day. For now it can stay shabby, chippy and not so chic.

Tea Mug Tuesday

Today I am showing you one of my everyday Maxwell Williams Tea Mugs. The pattern on this one is called 'Rosebery' and I have teamed it up with a tea plate from my set of Queen Anne 'Princess Rose' Tea set.
The first photo shows where I keep my bone china tea mugs, together with some of my tea tins that hold loose leaf varieties such as Australian Madura Earl Grey, Bushells Australian Breakfast Tea, Dilmah extra strength variety and Tetley tea. You can also see a small pot for one (holds one and a half mugs) in the centre of the set.

Painting the dresser PINK!!

During the Winter 'down under' I got tired of looking at my kitchen dresser, don't get me wrong, I love all the pretty pink rose china. I just was sad that I didn't have a window facing north to the sunlight (yes it's north down under). So I thought I'd paint the dresser pink to brighten the kitchen and compensate for the lack of sunlight.


It all started with a few paint chips- what shade of pink? mmm...

Decided on Dulux -Ballet Slipper pink

and couldn't wait to get the china back on to see it 'pop' against the pink background.



WHAT DO YOU THINK?


Ah... now I can have a 'cuppa'.

Tea, toast and Spring flowers

On Monday morning I took my Royal Albert 'sweet violets' cup and matched it up with a mauve 'op shop find' $3 Royal Albert 'rainbow' mauve 'tennis' plate. I find tennis plates very convenient for tea and toast, or tea and biscuit. It was warm enough to sit on the verandah by 11am for morning tea and then I couldn't help but wander around the garden and take some photos of the garden. Enjoy your virtual cuppa and stroll around my garden!

Do you remember?

Do you remember helping your mother or grandma use a mixmaster to mix a cake or cupcakes?


Do you remember setting the table with the sugar bowl and milk jug?

Do you remember the tea measuring scoop that was used to make a pot of tea and the cosy placed on the teapot to keep the tea hot for the second cup?



Do you remember getting out 'the best china' and making the table 'special'?



Perhaps your Aunts arrived wearing hats like these?


I'd love to hear your stories of 'taking tea' when you were young.

Satin Rose by Royal Albert

Remember to click on the title to visit this item on Etsy!





Tea and Toast on a "silver" tray. I love the juxtaposition of elegance like this trio and the lacy crocheted doily with an old brass teapot, chunky homemade bread (and yes that is Vegemite-not congealed axle grease), a touch of pink in the rose tea-light candleholder.



This 'Satin Rose' tea trio has a platinum or silver ring rather than the usual gold gilding seen on most Royal Albert sets. It has delicate colours of soft blue and aqua and a slightly browny-grey to the leaves. I wasn't at all taken with it at first, but it has kind of grown on me, but I am willingly selling it on Etsy to someone who will appreciate its delicate hues even more than me, as vintage and used- slight wear on the cup gilding, only washed by hand.