This post is sponsored by Target.

So we haven’t painted the bedroom as discussed (yet) but I did do a mini update on the weekend.

It’s always nice to freshen up your linens with the change of season, don’t you think? Not only are you likely to be nesting down for the cooler months but the stocktake sales are on so it’s the perfect time to update those faded, threadbare sheets.

We still love our quilt cover,  but the mattress protector was literally falling to pieces so I picked up a nice thick Target mattress protector to replace it. The previous one had the elastic straps at the corners which never kept it in place so the new one is fitted so it doesn’t bunch up underneath the sheets.

The sheets, which had been purchased to go with a different quilt cover, were off-white so I also grabbed a crisp white Target Essentials sheet set. Such a simple update but I feel like I’m staying in a swanky hotel!

The nights have been getting very chilly (just ask The Man who has to deal with my freezing cold feet) so a colourful chenille throw rug was a much-needed addition to cosy up the bed. I love the bright aqua which ties into the colour of the existing quilt cover and cushion.

Finally, I had my eye on Betsy’s retro style but when I spotted this funky lamp (sorry, no link available) I changed my mind. The Man loves it too and he couldn’t believe it when I told him it wasn’t from some trendy designer boutique.

Next weekend I think I need to schedule some me time curling up in bed with a good book and a cup of tea.

I adore fresh, clean bedding as a little everyday feeling of indulgence. How about you?

What are your tips for small changes that seem much more luxurious than they cost? Share them in the comments!

I went to a couple of my favourite antique shops recently – oh my, how I have missed it!

Granted, I was actually shopping for props for a photo shoot, but it was still lovely to browse the gorgeous vintage wares.

Naturally, I found all kinds of other things apart from the props I was supposed to be looking for. I was very restrained and only brought one of my finds home with me: this unusual bottle with a marble stopper. It is embossed with ‘J.D. Murphy Crystalworks Wellington’. Since my maiden name is Murphy I had to have it!

My friend brought over the amber jar with flowers when we had her over for dinner (so thoughtful!). I love how the flowers pick up the yellow and oranges of the print behind it.

Do you have any fun decor items with your name or initials on it?

I picked up these gorgeous branches from Poppies Flowers for my recent pie buffet photo shoot (more photos of that coming soon). One of the bonuses of doing shoots like these is keeping the flowers (and food!). With the leftover pie well and truly taken care of, I turned my attention to the florals (using that term loosely in this case of course).

I love how the rusty red berries set off against the very neutral (for me) setting. Then I realised it reminded me a bit of something…

My Marimekko cushion! What a funny coincidence.

I don’t normally do a lot of seasonal decorating (people who do: you must tell me where you store everything the rest of the year!) but I think this is the perfect low-key and no-clutter display for what is the final week of Autumn (Fall) here.

Do you switch up your decor according to seasons or a you more of a perennial decorator?

This post is sponsored by Target.

In yesterday’s post I showed you how we The Man installed some new picture ledges. Now onto the fun part – selecting and framing some happy faces!

I wanted to go for a monochrome palette, partly because some of the photos were black & white already but also for a more simple and sophisticated look. I’ve mentioned before how much I dig Target photo frames because the quality is so much higher than their price tag. Prices ranged from $2 to $15 originally, but I picked them up for even less than that at their winter Home Sale.

I used some with regular mats, some with large mats and some without, plus used a variety of sizes and cropping to vary up the look. I mixed three different styles from the Target Essentials range but kept them all simple and white to tie it all together.

I still need to add a couple more family members who are missing from the display – it’s looking rather narcissistic at the moment! But that’s the great thing about using picture ledges and a mix’n'match of frames: it’s easy to add to and rearrange the wall at any time.

It’s so nice enjoying a daily reminder of our favourite memories instead of having them hidden in albums (or worse, on a harddrive) . It’s making me want to print out and frame so many more of our happy snaps.

What’s your favourite way to display family photos?

How are you this fine Monday? I have to admit I’m struggling a little this morning after a very busy weekend. We picked up our new car and went for a couple of nice drives, enjoyed some family time and a concert, plus someone from the newspaper came to take photos of me for an article!

Somehow, we also managed to squeeze in a small project that I’d been wanting to do for some time.

I still like this framed lotus embroidery that I bought in Vietnam but I really wanted to put up some more photos and this spot (the landing at the top of the stairs) was the logical place for them.

I loved the idea of using picture ledges instead of a gallery wall so that I can switch it up. Ikea has some cheap ledges but the smaller size was discontinued in South Australia (grr!) but I ended up finding some on sale at Freedom. While they were more expensive (even on sale) I do love the fact that they’re all in one solid piece and they have a high-end glossy finish.

Anyway, so on to how to install them. (This is all The Man’s domain so I can’t take any credit for these instructions.)

The wall in question is only plasterboard (drywall) so we used a studfinder to locate the one and only stud and used that as the centre point for the bracket. For the screws at either end where there was no stud, we used anchor screws which expand and lock into the plasterboard so there’s a solid place to screw into.

Hey presto, one shelf…

…and two.

Meanwhile, I was selecting some photos to print. Tomorrow I will show the finished result with the framed photos.

Tea print by Handz

Brr! The temperature is dropping by the day as we head into winter next week. I’m on my third hot drink of the day just to try to warm up a bit.

With tea and coffee on the brain I’ve chosen to round up some of my favourite tea time essentials for you kitchen.

Click over to see all 20 picks over on Houzz.

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Tomorrow morning we are picking up a new car (!!) which is a tad exciting. We are planning to drive to the coast tomorrow and the hills on Sunday to take it for a spin.

Do you have any fun adventures planned for the weekend?

I have wanted a bar cart for the longest time. I was picturing a gorgeous rounded art deco or mid-century piece, but – even if the budget stretched to an antique – we simply would have nowhere to put it.

My brother-in-law’s partner is a keen painter and when we were admiring the latest piece in her studio recently I spotted the cute Ikea Råskog cart she used for her art supplies.

Not long after, I spotted it on the Ikea website for a steal ($49 down from $79) and immediately raced down to snap one up.

It makes a great bar cart for a small space. The middle shelf is adjustable so we could fit the tall bottles on the bottom shelf and glasses on the middle shelf.

We certainly don’t need hard liquor on hand on a daily basis (we’re mainly wine/beer drinkers) but it has freed up almost an entire cupboard in the kitchen. And you know how excited I get about additional storage space!

I’m also happy that the original mid-century anodised ice bucket that I inherited from my late great-auntie now has a suitable place to be displayed out in the open instead of shoved at the back of a cupboard.

I would still love an antique bar cart one day, but I didn’t hesitate about buying this for the same purpose as it’s such as versatile piece I know we’ll always find a use for it. We’ve already discussed an artists’ trolley and a bar cart, but how about a mobile craft station, bedside table, bathroom storage, cleaning supplies storage or perhaps its advertised use: extra kitchen storage?

Til then, I think I can feel a cocktail party coming on…

What do you think about bar carts? Do you have one?

I’ve mentioned my big weekend at Bowerbird Bazaar a couple of times this week so I think it’s high time I showed you some photos!

Last time my stall setup was pretty basic as I was just trialling the market to see if it would work for my business. Thankfully it did so this time around I put a fair bit more effort into my display. It still has a way to go but I am quite happy with it.

I launched some new products including these screenprinted white on kraft cards which were a hit so I’m very happy with that! (Coming to the online shop soon.)

Thank you SO much to my friends and family for their support, especially my Dad for helping set up and The Man for being there helping all weekend.

And a HUGE shout out to all you lovely readers who came along and said hello! It’s so nice to put faces to the blog stats

I’d recently been suffering a case of the decorating blahs.

There are only so many times you can rearrange the same ol’ pieces after all, so I’m delighted to be working with Target to freshen up my decor for the new season.

It was time to send the hurricane lamp to the bench for a break and bring in a new player for the dining table centrepiece.

I’d been wanting to try out a cloche for ages, but they were always too boring, or too formal or too expensive, so I was pleased to find this quirky one with a metal base. At the moment it is housing a stunning faux giant peony from Lotus Flowers but I can imagine it will be a really versatile piece that I’ll be able to change up with the seasons and holidays.

Flowers are the ultimate decorating accessory, of course, so I paired it with some supermarket tulips for a really fresh, happy centrepiece.

I picked up this sweet artwork by Peach Patrol a few weeks ago at a market and it had been sitting waiting for the perfect frame. I’ve bought frames like these from Target before and I keep coming back to them as the double mat gives it a way higher-end look than the nine bucks they cost!

I then turned my attention to the laundry. I am terrible at keeping indoor plants alive so it makes sense for me to go faux. There was a great selection but I ultimately decided on this cracked glaze potted succulent. I think it’s rather charming!

I also spotted this cute gardening tool kit (green! in a tin!) and knew it would be the perfect practical accessory for the laundry shelving, which is adjacent to the door into the courtyard. (Sorry, I can’t find the link online but check your local store.)

So there you have it! A mini freshen up of our downstairs was just the thing to get me out of my decorating funk.

How about you? What have you been tweaking at home lately?

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Target. They provided me with shopping vouchers to buy product. Opinions are my own.

This post is sponsored by Target.

Plain white servingware is versatile and classic of course. But you know I’m a colour girl (and am partial to themed meals) so when I saw the Ching He Huang home decor range at Target I knew it was going to be a new essential in my kitchen collection.

The bowl with bamboo tongs is going to be really versatile for stirfries, noodles, veggies and salads, but my fave item is the soy sauce jug. I’ve decided that I need to set up permanent stash of sauces and oils beside the stove just so I can have it on display all the time.

I can feel a Chinese dinner party in my fortunes.