One Girls' Style: Woven Basket

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Symmetric Living...

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I have a thing for symmetry. In college, my art professor told me, when she reviewed my portfolio, that I had the most symmetrical pieces of art she'd ever seen. Odd, but true. My eye just loves balance.

Today I wanted to share a living room I designed, intentionally, symmetric. Actually it incorporates most of my loves...Symmetry, ethnic style and an eclectic mix. I'll take two of everything, please...

if you see any pieces you like, you can find everything on my pinterest boards (look under lighting, art, furnishings, pillow love and home accessories/decor).

Monday, April 2, 2012

Purchases and Projects...

PURCHASES

I had to share some exciting news! I found a great flea market!...and by great, I mean one that actually sells used/antique/vintage stuff. All I can ever seem to find are ones that sell new, cheap, imported items and souvenirs. The one I found is located in Blacktown, NSW and is held every Sunday at a drive-in theater. Just found my new Sunday outing spot!

There were so many things I was dieing to buy, but we drive a small convertible, which is good in that we can put the top down to fit some things, but bad in that it doesn't hold much at all! So need an SUV again! However, I did manage to find a couple items on the list of things I'm always keeping an eye out for and scored some great deals!

Here are the finds:

I've been casually searching for more geodes to add to my stone collection and found the reddish-brown one on the far left, yesterday, for $5. (if anyone knows what it is, let me know in the comment section bellow! Thanks!)

The gray one in the center, I've had since I was in 2nd grade. I picked it out at a yard sale for $1. The piece on the far right is called a desert rose and my husband brought it back from Saudi Arabia almost seventeen years ago (we actually have a few of them).

The wood tray was not a flea market find, but is something I found at our local thrift store last week. I thought it was pretty cool and picked it up for $6. Instantly I thought I'd like to display little geodes on it and was picturing small amethyst, citrine and various quartz displayed on it.

The first item (or rather two items) I found were a pair of ikat throw pillows. When I walked up, the vendor said that I could have anything on the table for fifty cents. Of course, I'd already spotted the pillows from a distance and was walking over to inquire as to the price and when he said that (before I could even ask about them). I immediately swooped them up and deposited a dollar coin in his hand. On a side note, for all the non-Aussie readers, they only have coins for $1 and $2 currency, the first bill is $5.

What do you think of them? When I arrived home, I unzipped the covers and found a Freedom tag inside. Freedom is nice home furnishings/decor store in Australia that I've blog about before. So, that was a nice surprise. Also, I think they complement the Indian bedspread in my guest room nicely.

But, the best find of the day had to be this huge woven basket! Last week I posted about wanting a fiddle leaf fig tree for the living room and about wanting to find a big woven basket to sit it in. I posted a photo of a basket from Freedom that sold for around $80 that I liked. This one cost me $15 at the flea market and is in perfect condition. The vendor had it filled with clothes and I asked if the basket happened to be for sale and she said it was, so I bought it and I apologized for the mess that was created when she dumped out all the clothes, but was doing a little victory dance inside!

On the way home we stopped at a very nice nursery, in an attempt to find a fiddle leaf fig, but he just sold the only two he had the day before. So, I'm still on the hunt, but at least I found a local place that does in fact carry them. We would have been quite the site, with the top down and a giant basket in the backseat, next to our son in his car seat and a giant tree, probably on my lap or on the floor board between my feet, getting destroyed in the wind. Yeah, I think that we'll have to borrow a van or something.

PROJECTS

You may recall that my husband bought me the two large recycled glass African necklaces (below) for Christmas. I loved them so much and of course wanted more, but they're a bit pricey! So, I sourced some recycled glass African beads (although I couldn't find any that were as huge) and made two more. I strung them on hemp string and I'm actually loving the size difference and the great cobalt blue and the brown glass. Such an easy and inexpensive project and it adds great color and impact!

and just to give you an idea of the cost savings...These beads below are from Eco Chic and cost $40 for the small, $50 for medium and $80 for large. The ones I made are the same diameter as their medium size and cost me about $12 each to make.