Monday, October 31, 2011

Floor Sanding

You know when you start something and really wish you hadn't... in the midst of celebrating the book launch of 'Little bit of this, Little bit of that' over the weekend, Timothy O and I decided it would be a great idea to get a start on sanding the floors before Christmas.

I wish I had some 'after' shots to share, unfortunately we are a loong way off the 'after' shots. For the first time ever I really wish we had a smaller house!

Happy Monday!

K c

Friday, October 28, 2011

Book Launch 'A little bit of this, a little bit of that'

Happy Friday! Im excited about tomorrow's cook book launch of 'Little bit of this, little bit of that' by Isabella the Junior Masterchef winner and her family, that I recently styled!

Come along to the Mary Ryan's bookstore from 1pm tomorrow to meet the girls and to get your book signed! Merthyr Village, New Farm, Brisbane!

Buon Appetito!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Crazy Crazing

©Kara Rosenlund

I have such a weakness for faults; if it is chipped and broken I undoubtedly will love it. However, if it is crazed then that is just another story!

Crazing is generally a fault that occurs in old glazed ceramics. Over time the elements such as heat cause crazing, which has a similar pattern to the Arctic ice floor melting or spider webs - lots of graphic lines and milky patterns.

Keep an eye out for crazed ware!

K xx

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

In the Details

I have just had a rather busy couple of weeks doing both event styling and arranging prop hire for some lovely brides to be and also mothers to be. All I can say is what a difference the details make on the day! Everybody gets so excited to see something different!

From setting the tables with old engraved silver cutlery for a wedding reception to eclectic missed matched English teacups for a baby shower, to sourcing an old piano, all of these small additions help personalise and add a dash of you to the day!

If for some reason you don't have cupboards full of old silver, shipping trunks full of preserving jars (they make great vases!), boxes full of vintage china, stacks of vintage silver trays or the time to find an old Russian piano..... well, let me know... you can borrow mine... or I can find it for you!

K xx


Friday, October 21, 2011

Market Reminder!

See you all tomorrow!

K xx

Purple Haze....or is it maroon?

©Kara Rosenlund

Do you find that once you are attracted to a colour it just starts popping up all over the place? Last year I was mad about burnt orange (I still am), before that it was duck egg blue...just as a high lighting colour, nothing mad, just a dash.

I think I have entered a new chapter. It seems this purple / magenta hue has found me, otherwise known as maroon. (Doesn't sound very exciting does it, echoes of school uniforms and football teams).

This has come as a complete surprise. I was having some quiet time last night reading Keith Richards' autobiography (gotta love Keef) and I was admiring the purple/magenta flowers on the coffee table, when I jolted and looked down at my new trousers... yup... you guessed it, maroon! It has started! (Thank goodness football season is over).

Hope to see you tomorrow at Travelling Wares at the Powerhouse Farmers Market! Ill be the one wearing the maroon... what colour will you be wearing?

K xx

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Crafting

Im getting crafty today.... don't want to reveal too much, hopefully you will be able to see my debut crafting efforts on the trestle tables on Saturday at the market. Ill give you a clue... it in involves CHRISTMAS! Yup, Christmas and Crafting, ohmy...

Can you believe Christmas in only something like 9 weeks away! I love Christmas!

K xx

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Hoarders

©Kara Rosenlund

As many of you know, part of what I do is to seek out unusual and old world objects and bring them to you each Travelling Wares market - a modern hunter and gatherer if you like.

Sometimes this is what happens.... I recently had the pleasure of having a chat with someone who knew someone who had a great aunt... who had a mother who was a hoarder... follow ?.. the hoarder in question (the great grandmother) had a great grandson who had inherited the 'hoard' and was eager to release it.... **heart starts to beat very fast**......

So, this Saturday I give you the 'hoard' - jars full of curated shell collections, piles of sailors linen, old tools, empty old thick glass jars, cooling racks, plates, chopping boards, baking tins, silver cutlery, messes and masses of tangled twine, books and more.

See you Saturday.
K xx

P.S. the word hoarder is such a nasty word.... 'Fine Collector of All' is what I much prefer.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Market This Saturday!

That's right! We will be at the Jan Power's Farmers Market this Saturday with our beautiful wares! Lots of new and exciting things...... I have been sourcing up a storm! Come and say hello!

K xx

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Stamp Collections

Growing up I loved my stamp collection. Hours on end archiving these little pieces of art from all over the world, stamped with inky text bound for its destination.

I think I got my love of stamp collecting from my father; he had a large file drawer in his desk dedicated to stamps, nothing fancy or ordered, just a drawer full of tiny pieces of colourful paper. I would often open the drawer and run my fingers through the mass of torn edges... digging down deep to retrieve a special one... just like a luck dip!

I still use my stamp collection when I need reference and inspiration for fonts and layouts, they really are quite exceptional once you take the time to appreciate them.

K xx
Im off to Bikram Yoga today...

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Cover Me

Being s visual person I am highly prone to being a touch impractical; I choose a book by its cover, I choose wine by the label, I choose spices by the packaging (we have way to0 many tins of smoked paprika in the pantry)..... I find details to be extremely important.

One thing I love to do is to decorate and rearrange spaces using the covers of books. Even though I appreciate the graphic fonts and repetition of the spines of books in shelves, I love book covers.... especially old ones. A bundle of inexpensive books on an armchair or a randomly placed book on a side table gives a space a hint of activity and purpose.

Gotta dash!
Talk to you tomorrow!

K xx


Friday, October 7, 2011

"A little bit of this, A little bit of that"

©Kara Rosenlund

Well, well, well... it has finally ARRIVED!

Yes, after all of the hints over the past couple of weeks I can finally share with you the book I worked on earlier in the year for Penguin Publishing. Styled by me and shot by Nikole Furnari, which will be available on the 31st of October.

'A little bit of this, A little bit of that' is the debut cook book from the Junior Masterchef winner Isabella and her twin sister Sofia, with their mother Sylvana and grandmother Nonna Rosa.

Best played out in the kitchen, the book captures their much loved family life in Brisbane through the language of food, love and laughter. Accompanied by touching personal stories, the girls share traditional Sicilian recipes have been past down from mother to daughter over the generations.

I absolutely loved working on this project. In amongst the devastating Queensland floods I would regularly visit the girls mother Sylvana for shoot prep. What would start off as a simple props appointment would turn into an all day expresso fuelled laughter marathon, with a delicious 'take home' bundle of Sicilian food!

If you are looking for that extra bit of inspiration in the kitchen or even that little bit of perspective in terms of family life, you will find it in this book... I guarantee.

I'll be sharing some of my favouite recipes in a couple of weeks!

K xx

Brisbane People!
Come along with me to the Merthyr Village in New Farm to meet the girls on Saturday the 29th of October from 1pm, where they will be signing their book and also judging the 'Cupcakes for a Cure' Competition! For our interstate friends you can find out when the girls will be coming to your neck of the woods here.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Blooming Glory

©Kara Rosenlund

I always like to keep this blog upbeat and push it as a little 'sanctuary' of happiness and inspiration, however as real life goes, some days are better than others

Above are some wonderful original medicinal bottles that I have recently sourced for 'Travelling Wares' which I have placed a beautiful garden rose in all it's blooming glory. The rose belongs to our older neighbour Dot, who it seems has the onsets of dementia and is currently in hospital.

Since arriving back from London and moving into our cottage, Timothy O and I have often enjoyed having an 'over the garden fence' yarn with Dot. We are always working on a project and she likes to see progress and activity. She lives alone and never married or had children. She keeps a stunning garden and everything runs like clockwork. I always keep an eye out for Dot, I know her schedule as though it was my own. Mondays are for cleaning and washing, Tuesdays are golf (weather permitting), Wednesdays are spent in the garden and so on... her weekly high lights are mass on Saturdays and watching the rugby league in winter.

Naturally with age our conversations together are repetitive, always about her childhood on the farm, though Timothy O and I are patient and ask questions, already knowing the answers.

I have been to the hospital to see Dot and even in her smiling charm I can tell she doesn't really know who I am. I keep looking out my kitchen window hoping that her front door will soon be open, though I don't think Dot is coming back home.

K xx



K xx

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Old Girls

© Kara Rosenlund

It is always a good day when I come across a dependable favourite.

Sourcing these large old white mixing bowls is always exhilarating! Seriously - I get so excited! Don't let that high stack fool you though, they aren't common and can be rather difficult to find!

Naturally these old heavy girls know cake batter like no one else...however I use mine for all sorts of things, most regularly for salads and pastas... and she looks very pretty filled with cherries come Christmas time too!

If you want one, you know where we will be on Saturday!

K xx

Monday, October 3, 2011

::: Market This Saturday :::

Market - this Saturday at the Jan Power's Powerhouse Farmers Markets!
Fabulous floral platters, mixing bowls galore, beautiful sets of English and French plates and that unexpected object you never knew you needed... you will find it at our Travelling Wares caravan pop up!

See you there!

K xx

Like the new artwork? Same, but different!

Shoes That Last

© Kara Rosenlund

I love it when old utilitarian pieces slowly become less of an object of practicality and industry and shift more into an object of beauty.

This can be said about this bundle of old french metal shoe lasts I recently acquired for 'Travelling Wares'. I have always been a fan of the 'last' - in both metal and wood, they make great paperweights, door stops and I have even been known to turn one into a door knocker once. Yet above all I find them strikingly beautiful.

Every house needs a piece of French industry, no?

K xx

P.S. - Its a market week!! How exciting! Saturday here we come!
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