Dog days and bus rolls

Summer is lingering in my part of the world but a chill in the evening air is a reminder that winter is coming. I was up early this morning to attend the local farmers market. Shopping and sampling fresh local produce is so tiring. Time to relax in my new thrifted garden chairs. I love Colin at my favourite thrift store. "How much for these two chairs Colin?" "$5 the lot." A generous drink of marine grade teak oil and they're ready for the last dog days of summer. I'm lounging comfortably drinking guava cordial from the markets thumbing through magazines. Bliss!

What else is new? I managed to score some vintage bus rolls on eBay. Lots of numbers and letters. These are destined for a series of large collages. Can't wait to get started. Biggest news at Casa Jo is the imminent arrival of a peacock chair. Yes my four step plan is complete. Where did my not so little lovely come from? Curb side collection, the ultimate in community recycling. Thank you to whoever threw out the chair for council rubbish collection in New Farm because it now is heading my way. Thanks to Ron my regular delivery guy who spied it and nabbed it for me. With slight damage to the seat it's spending the week at the restorer but fingers crossed it's here next week.

Jo's place and an ugly duckling

1st dibs

My rattan obsession has lead to an unhealthy amount of time stalking eBay. It has paid off though. I bought the ottoman above. In actual fact I was the only bidder on this ugly duckling but I knew it would one day be a beautiful swan. This poor little "50s bamboo and jaguar retro footstool" is a Franco Albini ottoman. One sold recently in the States on eBay for $315 and if you don't want to hunt for your own here it is on 1stdibs ($495 small and $695 large). After checking the photos of the interior and exterior and cross referencing with every photo I could find of Franco Albini ottomans I was ready to bid. My little ducking was a steal at $75 AUD ($69 USD). I'm waiting for its arrival to lovingly clean and perhaps shellac it and probably to kindly dispose of the mangy REAL fur pillow. Still on the hunt for a peacock chair but there may be a development there as well. Can't say too much might jinx myself.

From this to this

Do you have any weekend projects on the go? I planned to spray this thrift shop frame a bright sunny yellow and ditch the shell "painting" inside. I changed my mind after a coat of white paint. If the easter eggs are making you hyper then a little weekend project might be just what the doctor (or more importantly the nutritionist) ordered.

Shameless plug part 3062

Not much happening this week on the decorating front at Casa Jo. Our organic vege garden is starting to reward us for all the hard work (not really, it's only organic because we do nothing to look after it except hand water it) but that doesn't leave me with any "projects round the house" pictures. I have however added 2 new hand watercoloured prints to my etsy store. I call them snippets of suzani. I'm experimenting with patterns as part of a larger piece for my living room wall and these are a very casual interpretation of traditional suzani pieces. (And yes I know that suzanis are so passé but I like ethnic textiles and refuse to give up what I like because design "taste makers" skittishly pounce on the next big thing.)

Where does the time go?

It's Sunday afternoon in Australia as I write this and my whole weekend has flown by. I could not honestly tell you what I have done but it involved lots of running around and not much achievement. I managed to finish the new covers for my rattan chairs but forgot to pick up the new foam cushions. I'm making do with the old foam base and a ticking cushion from another chair. I've tried them with a book and a cup of tea and they are surprisingly comfortable. I also spray painted my cane plant stand and entertained ideas of a jungle of ferns inside my living room. I chickened out (thoughts of water spills) and it now has a home on my patio with my other plants. I have heard a little rumor that Kim is busy painting her dressing room. Glad she is getting something constructive done this weekend. As for me, it's time for a nana nap. I'm exhausted!