Creativitea..

Isn't this just the sweetest print! It made me giggle indeed! I would love someone to create a tea with a dash of creativity in every sip. How lovely! Check out more cute and quirky prints by Eva Juliet in her little shop.

xxx

Illustration by Eva Juliet available via Etsy

My Creative Space..

This week my little studio is full to the brim with my collection of pretty vintage scarves.  I've found so many lovely patterns lately, I thought I'd get a little creative and share the scarf love.

So after quite a bit of playing, knotting and folding.. I created a pretty vintage scarf bow.

 

To wear in your hair, feature on a dress, brighten up a jacket or add to a little cushion.

Polka dots and bows, my favourite! I can't wait to make some more of these versatile vintage bows and would love to stock some in my shop very soon. 

I hope you are having a wonderfully creative Thursday! 

For more lovely creative spaces pop over the Kirsty's always creative space.

Much Love

xxx

The Book Journal..

How precious is this book journal? The perfect spot for making notes about all the books you've read and perhaps the ones you want to read. I think my to read list would almost fill every pages. 

For more lovely journals and beautiful works of art, check out the very talented Oh My Cavalier.

xxx

Image by Julianna Swaney from Oh My Cavalier.

  

Homes I Adore..

 

Today I have the pleasure of featuring the home of my favourite thrifter and all round fabulous, creative printmaker Dabito.  Dabito and I share a common passion for thrifting, oh and for Paris, which is what initially drew me to his wonderful blog, Old Brand New.  After pottering around his stylish home, I soon realised this was no ordinary thrifter.  Dabito, or Dab as he is known, creates the most perfect, crazy, eclectic world from pieces he finds.  The colours, patterns and overall style of his mid-century modern Los Angeles loft, capture all the perfect elements of thrifting the perfect finds. My favourite moments of Dab's home are the tiny details, cameras, shoes and stray artworks lovingly placed in poignant vignettes.     

Be sure to stop by Dab's print shop Toss and Turn and check out his beautiful photos of Paris.  

Much Love

xxx

All images by Dabito from Old Brand New (used with permission)

Collection.. Type

Today's Collection..

Words and I, we have a certain understanding. We always have.. By night I breath words in, by day I exhale as my ink stained hands touch the page and somewhere inbetween I create my world.  My love for words draws me to the implements of their construction.  Each prolific mark, etching its path upon the page, one inky letter at a time.

Find out more about the Collections series here.

xxx

  

Decorated Nooks..

Be still, beating my heart.. Little nooks are my favourite places to hide out.  If I'm not careful, I'll be restyling my whole house any moment.. oh Anthropologie you just continue to create such amazing spaces.

I'm sure you can pick my favourite, any image with not one but two typewriters, always captures this girl's heart. Playful pops of colour, decadent wall paper, cosy cushions and the perfect placement of vintage delights create the ultimate nooks, for playing or lounging.

Do pop over to Anthropologie for more perfect spots to just be.

Much Love

xxx

All beautiful images from Anthropologie

Crochet Capers..

As promised on Friday, I thought I'd share some photos from our very first Curious Crafters Collective adventure. Held at Fine and Sunny, organised by the fabulous Renea, Annie and Shell and taught by yours truly, our first 'how to crochet a granny square' night was a big hit and so much fun!

The store ready for the evening and Shell busily preparing one last granny square..

The all important tea cart.. just waiting for a few teapots

Everyone busily at work..

  The end of the night.. 

Can't wait for the next one! If you live in Mildura and would love to learn to crochet, come and join us! Just email Fine and Sunny for details.

xxx

PS. Make sure you check out my favourite crafty girls Renea, Annie and Shell catching up with Pip at Finders Keepers.

Happy Birthday little Blog..

Today Her Library Adventures celebrates it's third birthday! I can't quite believe it's been three years since I began my ramblings.  It's been such a wonderful journey and I'm so thankful to you all for sharing it with me.  Your love, support, emails and comments make my day and have truly helped me to find my inner writer and creator.  Thank you so much! Here's to many more years of blogging to come!

I thought I celebrate by holding a little Q & A on my blog next week.  So if you have any questions you would like to ask me, I'd love to hear them.  Just email me at sophieisobeldesigns(at)hotmail(dot)com. 

Happy Monday!

Much Love

xxx

Inspired Pages..

So I'm creating new little weekly feature for Her Library Adventures and I'd love your help.  It's called Inspired Pages and each week it will feature a few pages from lovely journals, scrapbooks and sketchbooks around the world.  My journal is a little part of me, a place for me to explore, imagine and create and I really enjoyed sharing a few pages with you last week.  So I thought about how lovely it would be to share others creative pages too. I'm always inspired by seeing others journal pages and I hope you will be too.

Would you like to be featured on Inspired Pages? Do you have a journal, scrapbook, sketchbook you might like to share a page or two from?  If so, just send an email to me, sophieisobeldesigns(at)hotmail(dot)com with a few pictures and a little paragraph about what your pages mean to you.

Look forward to seeing some lovely inspired pages!

xxx

Flea Market Finds..

Happy Sunday! I hope it's a lovely Sunday wherever you are.  It's a perfect Autumn day here and I'm looking forward to enjoying some time in the sun later this afternoon.  But first to the finds! Thanks so much for playing along every week.  It's so nice to see some new faces and also some returning from last year.  Wonderful finds last week everyone! To check them all out just pop over here.

So this week, I thought I might have been left a little empty handed after a few boring searches earlier in the week. But yesterday just as I thought I'd searched high and low at the tip shop, I spied a little case on the ground just begging to be opened.

Inside was the sweetest 1958 Singer sewing machine.  I just love the mushroom colour and the original little box that was still store with it. My other find for the week was this crochet blanket, my second in two weeks! 

Oh and I can't forget this little find, which certainly put a smile on my face.  A 1932 Royal Doulton tea cup, beautifully painted in this Art Nouveau pattern.  I would love to find a matching saucer.

I can't wait to see your finds from the week.  To play along just leave a comment and add your flea market blog post link in the Linky below so we can all check out your goodies. It would be just so sweet of you to link back here from your blog too, so that others can play along.  Remember you can play any time during the week! Oh and pop over to Apron Thrift Girl for Thrift Share Monday.  Please feel free to upload your fabulous finds to the Flea Market Finds flickr pool too.   If the Linky disappears, just refresh your browser.

Happy Thrifting!

xxx

Born in the Wrong Era..

I was born in the wrong era, I just know I was. Where I should be, I'm not quite sure.  Some days I feel like strolling the moors with Elizabeth Bennett and others I'd love to be wearing strands of long peals and dancing the night away in the 1920's.  But today after stumbling across the amazing Vassar College Archives via the lovely Miss Moss I'm sure I belong in the 1950's.  This images resonate with me somehow, I just feel like I was there.  They remind me of the film Mona Lisa Smile.

I feel a little like the girl in the bottom image tonight, running a  low on energy and falling asleep surrounding by books. So I'm thrown my to do list out the window and instead I'm enjoying a super relaxing Saturday reading some lovely blogs and watching a sweet Australian TV series, Dance Academy on  ABC iView.  

Hope you are having a lovely Saturday too.

xxx

Images from the Vassar College Archives via Miss Moss

Happy Weekend..

Happy Weekend!

It seems that every weekend lately I've been making a crazy to do list and this one is no exception.  So many lovely things to do and never quite enough time, but this weekend I'm certainly going to try to squeeze them all in.  I especially can't wait to go the an Art themed 2nd birthday party this afternoon, I think there will be some fabulous finger painting happening!  What are you delightful weekend plans? I'd love to hear all about them.  Here are some of my favourite links from the week for you to enjoy.

I'm in love with this bag 

A beautiful wedding 

These very pretty sheets

This fabulous and inspiring woman

A pretty little flapper girl

The cutest mug

These gorgeous outfits

Much Love

xxx

Gorgeous artwork by Love Sugar Design available on Etsy

Friday Afternoon..

A quiet moment, a new book - Flea Market Style from Fine and Sunny and a lovely cup of tea.

The perfect Friday afternoon... 

xxx

Crochet Mania..

Wouldn't you just love to ride around town on a vintage bike just brimming with crochet.  Perfect for a picnic and certainly guaranteed to grab the attention of passers by.

The Curious Crafters enjoyed a fabulous evening of crochet last night at Fine and Sunny and everyone walked away with a little complete granny square.  The were come very proud moments indeed.  We used the little crochet bike to promote the class and it is just so much fun, I'm very inspired to go hunting for a vintage bike of my own this weekend.

Pop by tomorrow for some photos of our crocheting capers and if you're feeling inspired, drop by Pip's for some instructions for creating the perfect granny square or if you are in Mildura, stay tuned because we will be announcing our next class soon.

Happy Friday!

Much Love

xxx

Outside the Box..

Now this is how to think outside the box.  Check out this ingenious and totally cute bracelet made out of plumbing supplies. So easy and totally chic.  Looks like I'll be making a trip to the hardware store this weekend.

Check out the DIY over at Style Hurricane.

xxx

Image by Style Hurricane via Bleubird Vintage

My Creative Space..

This week, in an attempt to organise my life just a little bit, I decided to rearrange my desk.  Since I moved my studio outside, I had a desk free, which for the last few weeks just seemed to be the perfect space for everything that didn't have a home.  So yesterday, I decided to get a little order happening and added a few of my favourite vintage items, to entice me to sit, write, read and catch up on a little admin.

My desk, featuring my new inspiration board and a few lovely vintage images.

Some quirky bookends and a few of my favourite books close by.

And a stash of desk must haves, including a lovely black 'noir' style telephone.

I just lovely having a tidy desk, although I'm sure it will be messy again all too soon. But isn't that half the fun!

To see many more lovely creative spaces pop over and visit Kirsty.

PS. I'm so excited, I'm teaching a crochet class for our first Curious Crafters class at Fine and Sunny.  Can't wait to be making loads of pretty granny squares and meeting some lovely curious crafters.

Much love

xxx

To Do List..

It's that time of the school term when all the marking piles up, reports need to be written and my lists take on a life of their own.  So I thought I'd make a list of all the lovely things I need to do in my day, to balance out the not quite so pretty work list.  I feel a little more relaxed already.  

Are you a list maker? I'd love to know how you keep track of life.

xxx

Homes I Adore..

This week's home inspires me in so many ways.  I've been following Amanda'a gorgeous blog, Here's looking at me kid for a little while, but it was just the other day as I was flicking through the well worn pages of Spaces that I realised Amanda's eclectic Ohio home, graces the very last pages.  Amanda's fabulous use of thrifted finds and accessories to decorate, give her home the sweetest personal touches.  Her recent corner (image four) includes some beautiful 'meaningful' artworks and lovely old photographs.  And her collection of hats speak for themselves.  With a wardrobe and shop filled to the brim with vintage delights, Amanda likes to rotate her pretty vintage dresses onto her walls.  Warm and inviting, this little home just feels like the perfect place for entertaining, crafting and spending relaxing Sunday mornings.

You can see more of Amanda's lovely home on her blog and be sure to check out her amazing vintage shop Fine and Dandy, for a vintage dress or quirky hat.

Much Love

xxx

Beautiful Images by Here's Looking at me kid (used with permission)

Wise Words..

Wonderful words to remember.. and in the moments when you are doing exactly that, take a deep breath, exhale and remember why you love it so much.  Even if there aren't quite enough hours in day and your lists are beginning to need lists.  

xxx

Great Print by Heartfish Press available from Etsy

Guest Post - This Little Port..

Today I have the pleasure of guest posting over at This Little Port.  Gaby has the sweetest creative blog, so I thought it would be fun to write a little 'how to' post about styling thrifted finds, featuring a vintage sewing theme. Pop over here to check it out.

Much Love

xxx

Ruby Red..

As I was browsing the lovely pages of Modcloth this evening I stumbled upon this beautiful pair of little red shoes.  I stopped, stared, checked a photo in my childhood album and realised.. when I was five I had a pair just the same.  

Perfectly Dorothy and suitable for all adventures, these ruby reds have just made my day, because in my world, there almost nothing more fun than wearing red shoes.

xxx

Image via Modcloth

Inside Worn Pages..

My life is a series of well worn pages, carried in bags on buses and trains, through wind and rain, to far off lands and back to my bedside table.  After many years, my journal has become an extension of who I am, a place to keep all the pieces that in a moment in time, I never want to forget. After having a conversation yesterday about my journaling habits with some lovely friends, I thought I might share with you a few of my favourite journal pages over the last seven years.

I chose these pages, because today they spoke to me, of a particular moments captured in time.  They leap from four different, well worn journals, one which currently never leaves my side.  They tell tales of travels, inspiration and much about me finding my place in the creative world.

I would love to know if you keep a journal of sorts and if so what is your creative process?

Happy Monday

Much Love

xxx

Flea Market Finds..

Happy Sunday! I hope it is a lovely day wherever you are and I'm so glad you have popped by to join the thrifting fun. I hope your found yourself something sweet and quirky this week or perhaps you have even hit the thrifting jackpot! Thanks so much for playing along last week, you can check out all the finds right here.

I had one of those thrifting weeks, where everything was perfect.  I dashed out one afternoon after work to two of my favourite thift shops just wandered around for an hour, with no one else around.  I poked in corners, searched through boxes and had a marvelous time.   Here are the results of my adventure.

A pretty blue suitcase, vintage shoes, a lovely crochet blanket, a few scarves, a cute milk jug, a handmade tote bag in the most gorgeous fabric and my favourite find.. a little flower cross stitch in the most lovely colours.  The searching really did pay off!

I can't wait to see your finds from the week.  To play along just leave a comment and add your flea market blog post link in the Linky below so we can all check out your goodies. It would be just so sweet of you to link back here from your blog too, so that others can play along.  Remember you can play any time during the week! Oh and pop over to Apron Thrift Girl for Thrift Share Monday.  Please feel free to upload your fabulous finds to the Flea Market Finds flickr pool too.   If the Linky disappears, just refresh your browser.

Happy Thrifting!

xxx

Straw Styling - Royal Wedding..

So here is my entry for Tea For Joy's Straw Styling competition.. the theme Royal Wedding.  I played with a few ideas but decided in the end that the straws were so pretty, why couldn't they be used in a flower arrangement.  So, after raiding my garden for the last of the roses, I set to work creating a bouquet with a twist. I'm thinking it could be used as a quirky table centre piece, or perhaps even for the bride herself.  Check out the previous Straw Styling competition here. Thanks to Lynn from Tea For Joy for creating this super fun competition.

xxx

Happy Weekend..

Happy Weekend everyone! It's lovely to have a few days to relax, create and catch up with some lovely people.  What are your plans this weekend?  I seem to have a list of things to do, but before I get to any of them, I think a lovely cup of tea (like the one above) and a little magazine reading is in order.  Have a wonderful weekend whatever you are up to and don't forget to make time for a few things you love. Here are a few of my favorite links for the week for you to enjoy.

This wonderful cause

This must-read book

Oh and this one

A very sweet little pouch

Lobster & Swan's ever inspiring little house

This wonderful blog for list lovers

A beautiful heartfelt blog post here and here

Much Love

xxx

Beautiful Image by Karinvivar available from Etsy - Be sure to check out her lovely photography.

The Perfect Lamp..

Is this not the most perfect lamp, made of course from recycled teaware.  Love it? Why not make it this weekend? Step by step instructions are available on Design*Sponge.  Just pop out to your local thrift store, pick up a few sweet cups and a teapot or two and you are ready to begin.  

It really is the perfect weekend project, just remember to leave yourself and extra cup for that all important afternoon tea break.

xxx

Image from Design*Sponge via Daisies and Pearls

My Favourite Colour..

It's not hard to pick my favrourite colour, it features daily on my blog and I've recently purchased two lovely arm chairs in the perfect shade.. yes, mustard yellow has stolen my heart.  I literally ran into Dangerfield on Saturday in search of the perfect mustard cardigan, at the moment this little item is at the very top of my must have list.  I've even made a Pintrest board devoted to all things mustard.

Here are some fabulous girls who also love this perfect shade of yellow.. A Beautiful Mess, Here's Looking at me Kid, Bleubird Vintage and Keiko Lynn.

What colours are you loving right now?

Much Love

xxx

Images - 1. Me Too Shoes, 2. The Satorialist, 3. The Daybook, 4. Nathan Furniture 

Outfit Love..

  

Just a little bit of outfit love for the afternoon. I just adore Bleubird Vintage and Miss James' most recent ensembles are so sweet and inspiring.   Who needs to buy fashion magazines with amazing bloggers like Bleubird Vintage creating wonderful daily delights.  On my to find list.. a mustard skirt for Autumn, a lovely black hat and some much needed opaque tights. That first outfit makes my heart race a little faster. 

Which bloggers inspire your wardrobe?

xxx

Images by Bleubird Vintage