Last weekend I jetted up to Brisbane last minute to visit my family. Extremely last minute, as in booked flights at 2am the night before. I so rarely get to go up since I moved to Melbourne, and it was so lovely to just hang out. My mother’s house is actually a dream. She lives in Mount Crosby, about a 45 minute drive from the city in incredible mountainous ranges. The type of place where the houses are kilometres apart and there’s just green everywhere. The perfect kind of combination of both bush and forest.
It’s pretty clear to see where I get my love of antiques from when you look inside mum’s house. Everything is so picture perfect and brimming with fabulous 19th Century mahogany furniture, soft minty colours and ceramics. Her and my step-dad also collect antique clocks and oil lamps! Mum moved out to Mount Crosby the same time I moved to Melbourne, so it’s not the house I grew up in and more mum’s ‘dream house’. The only times I’ve really been up to Brisbane have been for events such as weddings/Christmas etc. and so it was so nice to be there and actually look in depth at the home she has built. There is something to look at everywhere you turn, and every piece has history to it.
This antique oil lamp is AMAZE
Spot the GRAMOPHONE in the corner!
Keeping bobs in the family
1920′s wedding amazingness (featuring awful photo of 20 year old me)
We didn’t venture too far from the house except for making a trip out to Paddington for lunch with my brothers and to visit the antique centre. Brisbane doesn’t have anywhere near as much vintage as Melbourne, but I do have to say what they do have is fantastic. The Paddington Antique Centre and the still relatively new Ipswich Antique Centre (which mum and I popped into on the way home from the pet store on Monday) are absolutely overflowing with to-die-for vintage and antiques. I was so depressed I only brought a small carry-on bag otherwise I would have gone crazy!
Those who follow me on instagram will have seen some snaps, but for those who don’t here are some photos from the weekend.
Siblings
Some sexy relatives
I’m still gutted I didn’t come home with this Edwardian collar from the Paddington Antique Centre
Paddington Antique Centre
Ipswich Antique Centre
Just Like A Prayer
This is my mum’s home phone!
Around the corner from Mum’s house
Only drinking coffee with a saucer from now on
On Sunday night mum took me up to her room and we looked through some family heirloom jewellery…which she passed onto me! I now have some amazing antique pieces that I am almost too scared to wear, they’re so beautiful. Amongst them are my great grandmother’s late 1800′s emerald and pearl necklace, a selection of 1920′s screw back earrings, early 1900′s paste necklaces, a ruby and diamond ring, sapphire and diamond bracelet and my mother’s rose gold and diamond ring (which I love wearing because I always remember when she used to wear it herself as I was growing up). I am one lucky lady!
On the Monday before I left, mum and I went down the back garden to visit her pet goat, Mary. I am soooo obsessed with Mary, Mum’s had her for about three years now and every time I come up she is more and more domesticated. Mum walks her around on a leash sometimes and she wags her tail like a puppy when she sees you coming down the hill. Her favourite thing to eat is flowers (according to my brother) and Mum pulls down the branches so she can have a cheeky little nibble. I never thought a fully grown goat could be adorable, but she is such a honey!
I was so sad I couldn’t stay any longer, but with work commitments I had to. I know I would never move back to Brisbane for many reasons, but this visit really reminded me of the things I do miss about it. The majority of my friends have moved to Melbourne, inter-state or overseas (as everyone who is from Brisbane does), so I only really go up to see my family or my best friend (who is about to move to Melbourne too). I think as well because now my family lives further out, when I do go I don’t have to go into the city or be around bogans in maxi dresses and gladiator sandals in the Queen St Mall, it’s also really changed my perspective of Brisbane and how much it really does have to offer.
My beautiful mumma
Now I’m back to the daily Melbourne grind, things are changing a lot. I started back at my old work, Kinki Gerlinki, this week and it’s been so fun sliding back into work there. The girls are massive dreamboats and it’s almost like I’ve rewound my life back to 2010, in a good way. I’m working in the Centre Place store off Flinders Lane, so do pop in if you’re around and say hi.
Jesse and I are also currently packing up ceramic miniature after vintage wall hanging and attempting to move the nest we’ve made in our house in North Melbourne to our new house with friend’s on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy. I’ll be sad to leave this place but excited to be back on the north side again and living with some total babes. Our new house is also directly across the road from Clara Fox (I’m not exaggerating, quite literally straight across the road!) so I’m super happy about that. Don’t know if my wallet will feel the same way…
Until next time, lovelies.
xx
