Living in a fairytale that's not too far to find...

In amongst work, work and more work (busy is good..!), searching for a new house (move in in two weeks, did I mention that it is right on the beach and just peeerrrffeecccttt for summer barbies), planning for my step-brother's wedding and sister's arrival from Aussie, gran's loose change has been ticking away slowly but surely. The unveiling was planned for Labour Weekend.

Labour Weekend has come and gone.

gran's loose change is coming, I promise. I know I have been saying it for a while, but it is. Sooner than you think. And it will be worth the wait.

I have a whole collection of dressers and furniture, denims, bombers, leathers, fur, lace, shoes galore and even a couple of Sara Moon's waiting to be uploaded and priced. Although now I have a new house to decorate the Sara Moon's may not make the cut for the shop.... I wish!

Watch this space....

Hug me til you drug me honey, kiss me til I'm in a coma...

The Swedes.... again. Seriously.

(Except perhaps the kid in tights. Boys + tights? NEVER ok).

No room for anything but sunshine...

Home inspiration....

Not often am I lost for words...

A recent buying trip to Auckland left me frazzled and overwhelmed. It probably didn't help that I had just driven up from the Mount, was late to meet my friends and then missioned over to New Lynn amongst the sporadic thundery weather whilst trying to plan a costume for that night's 'King St Carnival'... But, alas! We made it in one piece. Just.

Not often (if ever) will I share my hot spots for buying the best of the best, but I wanted to let you in on a little secret, you can count your lucky stars that Save Mart New Lynn UNDER-delivered because the entire experience was enough to make me forget all about launching gran's loose change. (Almost).


Picture this, four slightly tired, hungry and grumpy girls armed with credit cards and optimism whose hopes were dashed upon entry into one of the biggest warehouses I have ever seen. (Perhaps I haven't ventured abroad enough if this was the BIGGEST warehouse I have ever seen but I have to make it sound good, and saying it was an average sized warehouse doesn't have the same affect, nor does this pitiful pic unfortunately, but take my word for it, it was HUGE!!) Give me tiny towns filled with unnamed oppies and hidden St Vincent de Pauls any day...

Needless to say, the excursion lasted a whole nine minutes before two of the four piked and went next door to New Lynn Mall for Sooshi (check it out, the best thing since sliced bread! Seriously! http://www.sooshi.co.nz/) and a further four minutes before the remaining two threw their hands in the air in pure despair and went shopping for tutus and all things stripey (for the aforementioned carnival).

So, thank goodness for gran's loose change after all. Well, for you lot at least. It means we endure all of the anxiety and stress of finding the perfect wee dress or spiffy denim jacket and you simply click your mouse and 'buy now'!! Well..that's the plan anyway.......!!!

The killer for all that hurts in me...

Boy, boy, girl, girl. Winter, summer. Whatever the weather.

Take me to the place I love the most...

White, wood and vintage. Hello, hi. Yes please.

All the children are insane... waiting for the summer rain...

These tickled my fancy today. How about you?

The glamour and the bright lights and the politics of sin, the ghetto that you build for me is the one you end up in...

It seems swappa-crates aren't only for carrying your Double Brown in... Best idea ever, in fact, I'm off to make me one of my own :)

Distraction she wanted, to destruction she fell...

Pre- drugs, Pete Doherty, ciggies, too much coffee, late night partying and all those other things that kids these days seem to enjoy so much.
Idol.
That is all.

And this one, a little less angelic, but phenomenal all the same.

Can I have juice in my teacup?...

I don't care what goes in it, I'll take water, juice, even straight vodka if I have to, I just want to drink my days away with my pinky in the air sipping out of these pretty teacups. Happy Friday!!!

My baby said she wanted adventure...

I have to say, I am having the best time sourcing the stock for gran's loose change. I have been up at the crack of dawn the past few weekends to hit the garage sales (which haven't been the best of late to be honest); I have scoured the Bay's op shops and ventured across to Rotorua a couple of times where I have landed a few hidden gems! A road trip to Auckland this weekend should also provide a whole heap of newness, just. for. you.

I can't wait to show you all of the bits and bobs - clothing, shoes, furniture - and it's just the beginning. The hardest part is trying to part with some of the treasures! Leather jackets, lace dresses, fur and bombers for the boys...I want to keep it all!!

And just because she does it so well, I wanted to share one of my fave vintage dressers with you...Alexa Chung. Some days, I'd quite like to be her, unfortunately, she doesn't wear enough black!

Holy moly, me oh my, you're the apple of my eye...

She's 'old news', but she kills it...every.single.time. Erin Wasson, you are my number one.

Behind the scenes...

Just a few 'behind the scenes' shots of our soon-to-be first lookbook. Despite being a ridiculously dreary and rainy day, our team managed to pull off an amazing shoot (no thanks to a couple of wines to calm the nerves...) and we can't wait to show you the finished result! Keep checking back for the launch date of the website, it's coming...all will be revealed super soon!!

A HUGE thank you to the wonderfully talented, creative and cool, calm and collected, Julia Keddell, for her gorgeous shots and to one Bridie Fitzgerald for lending us her face and body as the first gran's loose change supermodel... nothing short of amazing girls, thank you so much!

I beat up my boyfriend coz I didn't like his jeans...

He should have paid more attention to these kids.

Check out http://stockholmstreetstyle.feber.se/ for more inspiration...

Just in time, in the right place, I will play my ace...

If someone builds me a kitchen similar to this one, I promise to love you forever...

Excuse me please, I'm so happy I could scream...

My gran has always had impeccable taste; an exquisite collection of vintage jewellery ("BAGS! It's mine"); and a penchant for a good bargain, so the love of the chase was instilled in me long before I even knew it. After inheriting my great grandmother's Cameo ring on my 21st birthday my love for all things vintage, second hand and / or a bit rough around the edges almost became an obsession.

A move to Sydney with its fruitful markets, abundant vintage stores and street-lined op-shops, and my fate was set. My eyes still light up remembering the day I nabbed a fully working record player, in immaculate condition for $5. I was so excited I didn't even check if it worked for a good six months! And I'm always up for the challenge of fighting Hambo for the Sara Moon's at the garage sales...

gran's loose change is an amalgamation of love and admiration for my gran - her style, her grace; my obsession with vintage finds; and the fact that weekly lunches with my gran undoubtedly involved a white-bread ham sandwich and a neenish tart from The Chalet, paid for, without fail, in her loose change.

So this is for her, as much it is for you.

It's coming...I promise...