Collections | Beetle Bug

Good evening!

It's been a few days since I came back from my Bosnia trip, and although I already said over twitter that I'll be posting all the interesting stories and photos the latest by today, I'm so sorry to tell you I didn't manage to get it all done. Sorry, sorry, sorry!

And for a month or something I wanted to share something with you. One of my biggest passions and love. The VW Beetle Bug!

Okay... Let me start from the very beginning. I got in touch with a beetle for the very first time when I was 5 or something. I don't remember how everything exactly happened, but I can clearly see myself sitting on the back seat of a silver beetle with some beige seats, and some nice jazz music playing on the radio and driving through the wonderful sceneries of Vojvodina. My mum was sitting near me, and my dad near the driver, but who the man behind the wheel was, I don't know anymore. Maybe some friend of theirs. Who knows. But that feeling! If somebody ever tells you that things cannot make you happy, well, they are lying! A beetle can! At least it worked perfectly well for me. Since I took that ride, I kept telling my parents that I want one when I grow up, and that a beetle is a perfect car match for me, but all they thought was that it's just a phase for me, and that I'll get over it. 

But well, more than 15 years have passed by, and I am surely NOT over it! I'm in love more than ever! Especially since so many things have changed in my life in the past six months, and I have so many new plans, ideas and dreams, and the beetle is still a huge part of it. Always will be. I truly cannot wait until I have such a cutie!

Here are some awesome examples and different models of it. Which one do you like the most? Oh, and what are you obsessing about? Tell me!

Aren't they amazing? I'm melting!

Sleep well and good night!

Love, Aleksandra.

Flowers, Vases, Baskets, Fabric, Plates & Pots

I've had a busy few days fossicking around the garden, the markets and local Antique shops. 

In my travels I stumbled across these vintage vases which I couldn't resist.  They now sit on our chest of drawers in our entry hallway.  The vibrant orange of the larger vase makes me happy every time I see it and I just love the quirky bird clinging to the other vase/jug....it certainly is something you either love or hate.

I fell in-love with these little yellow flowers at the markets but I can't remember the name of them so please do tell if you know.  

I also picked up one of these baskets which I have been coveting along with this piece of fabric which I am thinking of making into table napkins for an upcoming event I have planned.



On Saturday I potted up 12 little pots with Succulents for my brother as he was having a lunch at his house over the weekend and needed something wonderful to place down the centre of his dining table. I kept a few for myself to add to my growing collection of pot plants.  {Correction to my post last week the little pots sell for approx. $1.20 at Bunnings and the succulents came from there too}.

It seems I wasn't the only one playing with flowers on the weekend. Mum just sent me this picture of the fresh Banksias she collected from the trees on their property at the beach.  I am hoping she might deliver some over to me this week.



And finally I added 18 mismatched vintage dinner plates to my blue and white collection.  We never have enough plates when we have the family here for lunch or dinner so now we will. NB. Mismatched vintage is so much less expensive than heading out to buy a complete set and so much more interesting I think and the best thing is that I can keep on adding to them as I see them.

A Child's Favourite Thing

I was recently reminded how important it is, not only for an adult, but for a child to have one or numerous special favourite things. Over Easter I read a lovely paragraph in the book Home by Anita Kaushal;


You’ll never know which thing will become the best-loved, can’t-do-without, the night-time necessity. It might be a hand-stitched hand-me-down, a bright new soft toy, or a well-used blanket. Whatever they choose, it will mean security to your children and bring a sense of personal belonging and wellbeing. And you’ll end up treasuring it almost as much as they do.

Our Harry has a special ‘can’t-do-without’ friend he affectionately refers to as Duckie. Duckie was found on Harry’s first Easter Egg Hunt when he was 1 and has remained his most-loved and most treasured cuddly friend who {not so much these days now that he is a big brave 7 year old} would accompany us absolutely everywhere. There has been many a tear-filled night when we have driven onto the barge to go to our house at Stradbroke for the weekend and it was discovered that Duckie was not on board!

Due to major concerns from all that Duckie might one-day disintegrate, he has only had 3 baths in his lifetime - a drop into the washing machine and then a dash in the clothes dryer – always fearful that the opening up of the dryer door might just reveal the absolute end of Duckie. The slightest sign of wear and tear anywhere on Duckie signals Brad’s mother to quickly whip out the sewing basket. Complete relief is thankfully restored once she has worked her magic on our special duck.

We have all {my parents and my brothers and brad’s parents and of course Brad & I} loved Duckie just as much as Harry…well almost as much as Harry!

I think it is wonderful to encourage our children to embrace the love of a special thing. Just like we have special things which we keep and hold onto {something I have talked a great deal about here on ABT}, a child should feel the comfort and re-assurance of having their very own special things around them. With this in mind, I think we should decorate a child's room filled with the special things they love and encourage them to collect, collect, collect!!

It makes me wonder what it will be that our next child treasures. What special thing can’t your little one live without?

Here are some little cuddly creatures I placed into a nursery I decorated for some clients a while ago. I wonder whether their little boy now treasures any of these little friends we placed into his cot before he was born?!

An old photo of Harry with his treasured Duckie...

image 1,2,3 - via children's spaces from zero to ten and babies rooms zero to three by judith wilson, image 4 - via interior divine blog

Displaying Collections

I often talk about collections and how to display them. Here a few images to inspire...

All images via skona hem

More Pretty Vintage Style

Another great example of pretty vintage style above. So many lovely things in this photo. I adore the red and white stripe armchair with the floral cushions and the white cane table displaying lots of gorgeous things is divine.


Image - Country Homes & Interiors via Brambourne Farm

I Love...

I love this beautiful collection of things. Maybe I love it because there are some pretty blue and white pieces and pink and white pieces {my favourite} or maybe because the collection is just so imperfectly compiled. I'm not really into a big matching set of anything. Yes, that's why I think it appeals to me so much...it's mismatch heaven!!

Image via Brabourne Farm Blog

Friday Flowers

I just arranged these pretty flowers in a little blue and white delftware vase which was recently given to me by a lovely reader who came to Brisbane to visit Black & Spiro. What a lovely surprise it was to have received such a beautiful gift! Happy Weekend Everyone!!

xx
Anna

A Passion for Beach Hats

India Hicks has stacked a collection of beach hats on a shelf in her house in the Bahamas above.



Another trait my mother has passed onto me is collecting beach hats. She has always had a passion for beautiful straw/raffia beach hats. I remember her often popping on a new hat ready to head to the beach. Over the years she has collected many, many hats...favouring the designs of Helen Kaminski, Annabel Ingall & most recently Axel Mano.

In a similar way to using baskets as decoration, stacks of hats can also be a great look in a beach house. I often stack my hats on old hat blocks on tables and sideboards. I love the way India Hicks has placed her hats on a shelf in her bookcase as pictured above!!

If you look closely at the picture above you can see my small stack of hats on my sideboard at Straddie.

By incorporating usable, everyday things like hats and baskets into the decoration of our homes, whether they are at the beach, in the country or in the city, we are able to achieve a very personal, simple, cost effective yet stylish look.

Image 1 - via Shelter Blog, Image 2 - via Style Court, Image 3 - via Cote de Texas