photo from Ciel l d' Orage

photo from Ciel d'Orage

photo from Ciel d' Orage

Yesterday i spent the day revamping an old pigeon hole cupboard; which i sanded and painted cream. I plan to use in on top of my work table with fabrics and jars of buttons and threads so it is all there in front of me...well thats the plan. So i thought these photos would inspire me and maybe you to get into some winter sewing. Beautiful fabric and textures are more than inspirational, i love the combinations and also the burlap printed cushions..

These photos feature in my favourite book ever called 'A French Country Home' by Jocelyne Sibuet, the Martha Stewart of France. Her style exudes french simplicity at its finest with impeccable charm and refinement. Jocelyne attention for detail is not lost in any of the rooms at her French guest house in Provence. The combination of soft muted tones and textural contrasts is only accented by the appointment of beautiful french antiques which have been carefully selected for each individual area. The thing about her style that really becomes apparent in this book is that the rooms are all timeless; they are classical yet elegant, opulent but still very comfortable. I hope you enjoy these few photos as much as i do and if you are still intrigued then pop out and buy the book. You wont regret it. While we are on purchasing interior books i will express how sad i am that blogging is becoming the demise of many magazines. I would hate to see this be the end of certain mags so please get out there and buy your mag each week and reserve that time for a cuppa and a read of your favourite magazine, don't let computers completely take over.

Our shelves are full of a good selection of Durance from France and also Est from Australia. Both products sell really well.

The tripods in the front are great for the garden; climbing a clematis or delicate plant around.

The rattan placemats are always a great seller in store; not only are they used for the dining table at meal times but they also make a great platter tray when you are entertaining with guests with some cheeses grapes and lovely crackers. The food covers are also handy expecially in the summer months

The recycled shelf would be handy in any kitchen or bathroom. Imagine storage baskets holding things that you didn't want everyone to see.

These are some photos of a heritage building in Tasmania called 'The Grange', situated in Campbell Town. I have always had a fascination with this building and have loved the simplicity of the gables. The pitch of the roof line is only highlighted by the height of the chimneys.

I am so happy that we endeavour to preserve our heritage buildings in Tasmania i only wish we would apply the same conservation to our natural bush. Any way i wont start or else this post could go on and on and on....i wont put you all through it....i promise. What i will promise are some future posts on more of Tasmania's heritage for you all to enjoy. We are so lucky to be surrounded by so much natural beauty in our wilderness, our beautiful old buildings and such fresh yummy food and wine for everyone to enjoy

Here are a few of our new items to show; a herb holder/carrier with the pots. Really handy for say nuts and dried fruit at a dinner party or simply bits and pieces in your work area, e.g. buttons, threads or paper clips and pencils. It is up to your imagination, you dont have to use utility items for their said use.

These gorgeous scissors are a must have for in the office, cutting string or paper.

I love these bird finials; i have gone a bit bird mad....oh well it could be worse. These are the small ones which i am going to use at home on top of some garden posts...will show you later when the project is completed. The large ones are also beautiful, great gift or simply a must have for the home....very french.

This antique set of scales i picked up at market on the weekend and will go quickly in store, things like this always sell well.

Just a few picks to inspire. I have been a bit busy doing bits and pieces at home so sorry i havent posted. Freezing down in Tassie at the moment, snow falling on the mountains, quite low. So inside today doing things around the house. Just cooked some banana bread for the girls as school is going back tomorrow. The sign above is an old shop box with advertising on it.

The vintage dress form is an adjustable one that we use for display in the shop. People ask me all the time if i will sell them but i know if i do they will be hard for me to replace.

These are some of our new baskets that we have in store; great for storage or dirty laundry. Baskets are handy for a variey of uses. Today we were busy cleaning out the store room ready for new shelves to put in tomorrow; so we have some storage room bargains; our Stoneleigh range has been slashed, the roses that were 15 dollars are now selling for a mere 5 dollars each......bargain. Emma has been busy doing up bouquets for the market on Sunday and she will also be sellling flowers for cost on Saturday in store. Some will be 10,15 and 20 dollars, another bargain..... Well enough of bargains and some quality time at home with family. Do you like my new background; not sure tell me what you think, this one or the old one?

Est Australia is one of my main bath and body lines that i carry in the store; it has consistantly sold well, especially at Christmas time. The handmade soap balls are beautiful with a high concentration of olive oil and other natural ingredient. The great thing about the product apart from the fact that it is organic is that it lasts for such a long time; especially if you keep it in a well drained place in the bathroom.

They come in lovely range of scents enriched with beautiful essential oils; some even have poppy seeds as an exfoliant.

These soaps are from France and are 72 % olive oil. Great for next to the kitchen sink.

You are looking at photos of one of the most pristine beaches in the world. Even in the middle of Winter i am still amazed at how beautiful this beach at Binnalong Bay really is. This is just around the corner at Swim Cart.......beautiful. I think my youngest daughter is turning out to be an amazing photographer. Tell us what you think ? I will post you later about the French tables that i bought and show you the before and after shots. Happy blogging.

Hi everyone been busy laying on the beach at Binnalong; yes it is the middle of winter and the weather was superb.....we fished, ate drank, read mags and books and listened to my youngest daughter play the guitar. It was very relaxing, i will post some photos soon as i download them onto the computer....i think my daughter Amy, is a bit of a budding photographer. So back to the grind in store with more new stock arriving. I bought 3 original french tables which should be in store in the next couple of weeks....nice to find something directly imported from France. I also have a huge amount of stock arriving from New Zealand.

I thought i would post you some photos of the bags that i make; usually i use handmade laces and braids, and vintage photos copied onto cloth,and vintage buttons.

Flowers from our instore florist, Life is a Bird.

Tagged; i have been tagged by Ness from Marley and Lockyer to tell you of 6 uninteresting things that make me happy.........1)Eating a whole packet of Oreo biscuits even though i know it is naughty,2) Going to bed with wet hair and waking up with a new hairstyle that i didnt even pay for, 3)Being in the garden when its raining, then hopping into a hot steamy bath, 4) Going into a secondhand shop and finding a bargain ,5)Standing back and looking at a newly decorated room 6)Watching my girls sitting chatting giggling being sisters and finding that common ground.

Now i have to tag another 6 blogsites 1)Cote de Texas,2)French Garden House,3)Vosges Paris,4)

French Essence,5)The Beautiful Life Blog,6)Modern Country.