an old friend...

with a new face! I have had this mini commode for 3 years now. It moved with me to several flats, in different parts of Austria. Now that I got a nice flat, with massive ferroconcrete walls, I decided to drill some holes and mount it. Of course I had to upgrade it's look! Here's a pic of the original mini commode!

It was clear painted so I grabbed my sanding machine and started sanding it down. Afterwards I painted the whole thing with "Behnandla" Antique glazing paint which I bought at IKEA. I had some old knobs flying round in my toolbox so I turned the drawers around, drilled holes and used them instead. Take a look on how it turned out. I simply love it.

So long, 

 C.

One Pearl at a Time!

If you are into jewelry and lack inspiration sometime, go check out Chic & Kitch! Ana Ventura is the brain behind these really creative and unique pieces. I came across her page whilst clicking through the Vimeo channel forest! After I've seen the video I just had to find out more.

You can't buy the necklaces directly on the homepage but you can send her an email and ask for prices or if she will custom make you one. I have to say, I really like the homepage appearance, it's simple and clean. Why can't more pages look like that. Anyhow. I'm not much of a jewelry person but my friends are, and they went nuts when they saw this amazing ideas! I hope you enjoy it as well.

So long,

C.

From Australia ...

with love! A few weeks ago I saw a Documentary about Melbourne and it's city live. In the film they showed you that the vintage scene drip's with creative people and do-it-yourselfer's. This morning I stumbled across this lovely homepage. It's from a Magazine called "Frankie" which is sold in some of the biggest countries in the world. Im sure they will inspire you like they did me! If you have a foible for vintage designs, cute cross stitches' and amazing designs you should deff spent some time on this page!

So long,

C.

A Sense for Community!

The online world offers you an endless list of patterns and instructions to crochet and knit whatever you want. One of my favorite homepage's is Crochetme. They somehow manage to sort out the trash and with over five hundred thousand users, hundreds of free patterns and a forum where you can share your work or ask questions this is the place to be. The page is managed in a clearly laid out manner. It's fun to click around and find yourself some inspiration. You can also download instructions and patterns for free! This year, I know for sure, will be a very merry 

So long,

C.

A Good Point!

This commercial shows you how warmth spreads through your house! I wish I had the time to cover every item with wool!

So long,

C.

Knock Knock...

Autumn has been creeping around in the shadows at night, waiting to take over summer. For the past week degrees are dropping and the sun won't show her face as strong as it did then. When I leave the house to walk the dog one last time before we go to bed I feel the cold breathing down my neck. Cousco is a southerner so he won't grow a winter coat. Which means knitting season has kicked in. In preparation to winter I sat myself down and finished off this cute purple jumper for him. One of many to come. 

If you like or need to dress your dog then this tutorial might come in handy.

I started from bottom to top with 2 double pointed needles.

Start and Row1: Cast on 42 stitches and for the next 14 rows knit 2k 2p

Row15 to 30: knit one row k and the other p so that you will get an even back piece. when your at the last row divide the stitches onto 2 needles and cast on 16 a needle on 2 needles. We will knit Rnd now. 

Rnd 31: Knit your last row and the casted on loops together

Rnd 32: Start with the first round by knitting the back piece as usual and the 2 new needles 2k 2p. Knit f25 Rnds.

Rnd 57&58: Holes for the front feet. When you are on needle 3 knit the first 2 as you did and start casting off 10 st then continue 6 st (2k 2p) start with the second hole by casting off another 10. finish this rnd. When you get to the point where you casted off you will simply have to add on those 10 st again.

Rnd 59 to 72: This part can get a little bit tricky if you never knitted socks before. On needle on cast of 6 st and continue knitting until you reached the middle of needle 2. Count 6 stitches from the end and knit until you have reached the first of the 6 then start casting off.

Rnd 72 to 78: Now you will only knit with needle 3 and 4. Keep the pattern of 2k 2p and every time you get to the end of one needle you will add on one of the loops that you casted off before. Knit tight otherwise you might get holes.

Rnd 78 to 90: Now that the tricky part is over you will go in regular Rnds again. I decided on a 2k2p pattern for the last 7 rows so the collar wont curl.

If your pup is not as slim and long as mine measure him and try to cast on enough stitches. I always start knitting without measurements which bothers the dog a bit, cause I have to use him like a display dummy.

So long,

C.

Personal Oasis

Even the smallest room has the potential of becoming just the place you needed after a hard day of work. A place where you can hide from reality and relax. If the bedroom or the living room won't do the trick anymore then it's time to find a new spot. We always had a paned balcony which we used as a storeroom for all kinds of appliances and of course lots of plants. In summer when the plants were moved t o their summer residence in a family friends garden we dusted off the pots and gardening utilities but never enjoyed a nice breakfast or lunch out there. This summer I decided to renovate it so that we could actually use it to have breakfast or enjoy a cup of coffee in the sun.

15 years ago we put wood panels over the bare concrete walls but as the years went by the wood changed color and shape.

There is no quick fix for a thing like that. So I bought a hand-held grinder with P120 sanding paper. I chose the P120 because it is perfect for sanding off bare wood. TIP: If you plan on sanding off wood or wooden furniture and you're not sure what kind of sandpaper to use either ask someone at your trusted hardware store or check with this list.

After you have removed the old water stains and the old glaze or paint you should make sure that the surface is free of dust and smooth. Now you can start to amplify the new glaze. Depending on the product you will use to paint the wood you need to pick the right brushes or paint rollers. Also make sure that you get enough fresh air so you won't have a headache or other aches and pains from the fumes of the paint. Drying time depends on the kind of glaze paint you use. So do yourself a favor and read the instructions carefully.

We need a lot of space due to the many pots of plants, flowers and cactuses we own. So I bought some uprights, brackets and shelfs at IKEA and began with the installation after the wood panels where dry. Behind the panels are bare concrete walls, which are the best for shelfs. It takes a lot of effort to drill holes but once you have the right machinery it's a cakewalk. I used regular plastic anchors to screw the uprights on the wall.

  

Now I've got a place where I can leave my cares behind and simply enjoy a good book.

So long,

C.