she's made a list and checked it twice

Tomorrow is December 1st! Eek! Time to get cracking on the Christmas shopping. 

Rabbit & the Duck will be appearing at Magnolia Square from Thursday through Sunday to help you get some things ticked off your Christmas list. You will find us at the beautiful St Kilda Town Hall on Brighton Road. 

Hope to see you there!

it's all about balance

Something pretty to balance out my previous thought provoking post : )
This rain cloud pillow from Donna Wilson is too perfect for words!

hello good morning

I've been thinking a lot lately about life. Why we do what we do. Who we are. What does it all mean. Are we just individuals walking our own path or is there something greater, something that connects us all. 

Most mornings, or at least a few times a week, I like to take a walk along the beach. There are always lots of other people out doing the same thing. I've always been interested in the way that complete strangers interact with each other. For as long as I can remember I've been one of those people who will happily walk with my head held high, until I see someone approaching from the opposite direction. On a suburban street I would often find myself crossing the road so that I wouldn't have to cross paths with that person. But on the beach, on a narrow path, you do not have that option. So what to do? For me it's been a head down, do not make eye contact type of thing. But why? It certainly didn't make me feel anymore at ease, and I'm sure the other person didn't feel that happy about it either. 

Last week I decided to try a new approach. I would keep my head high, and I would look at the other person as they approached me. If they made eye contact, I would say hello. I was surprised at the results. Almost every single person I passed said hello or good morning back. With a smile. For a moment, there was a sense of connection, even though these were people I'd never met and may never see again. It was a good feeling. I still don't know what the meaning of life is (if anyone does, please share!) but I do know that there is a bigger picture - and I've just completed another piece in the puzzle. 

I would love to hear your thoughts on this! 

a weekend getaway

This weekend we are headed out of Melbourne for two lovely markets. 

On Saturday you will find us at the Daylesford Makers Market. 

And on Sunday, unless my sense of direction goes out the window, we will be in Geelong for the Piccadilly Market. 

I'm getting a tad excited about packing up the car for a roadtrip (or two!).

catch up day

Sunday. The day of rest. Or in my case, the day of laundry - groceries - blog post writing - a bit of gardening - a bit of cleaning - plus a few other random things. Lucky I have written a list. 

This past week just flew by, it was all a bit of a blur really. I remember there was lots of sewing. And a photo shoot (very exciting, more to share on this later!) and a road trip up to Olinda and then down to Mornington. In Olinda I visited the lovely Heaton & May, who are now restocked with lots of Rabbit & the Duck goodies.

Christmas is coming! I love this display in a vintage suitcase. 

Every time I visit Heaton & May there are pretty flowers on the front verandah to welcome customers.

Now, I've always thought myself to possess some ability when it comes to reading a map, as well as a good sense of direction. But driving from the Dandenongs to Mornington was an adventure that made me reassess those thoughts. Five minutes into my journey I was already lost and travelling along a windy gravel road deep in the forest. It was quite pretty though, all misty and quiet and peaceful. Anyhow, what should have been a 1 to 1.5 hour drive took me just over 2.5 hours, there were wrong turns aplenty (I lost count when I ran out of fingers) and long stretches of highway where I knew I was going the wrong way but couldn't do a u-turn (and boy oh boy, sometimes freeway exits are so far apart!).

Next week I'm heading to Geelong for the Piccadilly Market, I think I will be adding an extra hour to my estimated drive time just in case! And if I'm early, well, that's just more time to make my stall look pretty. Win win.

Happy Sunday x

one week to go!

Until our first market of the festive season...

And only 6 weeks to go until Christmas! Eek!

it's a wide open road

Yesterday I decided I needed an 'inspiration' day. I think the pot holders started it. When R called at lunch time to suggest a bike ride down the Mornington Peninsula followed by a walk along the beach all my good intentions of doing a full day of sewing went out the window. 

It was the perfect day for getting outside - warm, not too sunny, a nice breeze. There are lots of fun things about being a bikie chick for the afternoon - getting to wear a leather jacket and shiny red motorcycle helmet, cruising down country roads at speeds too fast to mention, and feeling the wind rushing past you. The not so fun things - helmet hair, and riding past piles and piles of hard rubbish on the return trip and knowing you can't stop to pick anything up. Though I did entertain the idea of balancing a vintage suitcase on my lap. 

Our destination for the afternoon was Bushranger's Bay - this is the view from the walking track before you descend down the stairs to the beach.

The ocean was so blue! And the water was freezing - I had contemplated going for a bit of a swim but as soon as the first wave washed over my feet that idea disappeared.

I always have to take a picture of my feet. It's become a strange habit of mine. 

Today things are back to normal - a big pile of cushion covers are waiting for zips to be sewn in. Some tote bags need handles. And there is a trip to the post office later this afternoon. 

Happy weekend xx

vintage inspired

I'm so very excited today as something special arrived in the post this morning - a big package from my newest coworker, my Mum! 

Inside were these absolutely stunning pot holders, each one hand crocheted from a vintage pattern.

I'm not quite ready to reveal the intended purpose of these.... but stay tuned! I've been busily working away behind the scenes putting plans in place for something new (well, old really, you'll soon see why) and hope to reveal all in January after the Christmas craziness has subsided. Oooo I like a good mystery!

babushka babushka

Babushka Zip Purse on Made It.

The popular babushka doll print is now available in black and white! I love it, and have matched it with a black and white pin spot for the lining.

Availability: Phone Pouch, Snap to It! Wallet, Zip Purse or Pencil Case.

a day in the life

When they're not sewing, the Rabbit & the Duck like to get out of the studio and visit lovely people all over town. Yesterday was one of those days, and here is how it went:

7am. Wake up. Slowly. Head down the beach for a walk.

8am. Eat breakfast and answer emails. 

8.30am. Try to decide what summer frock to wear for the day - it's warm and sunny outside! 

9.00am. Change outfit once again. Pack car full of stock for shop visits.

10.30am. Stop at Shop for Shops in Collingwood to stock up on carry bags for the market. Also sneak in some wooden coat hangers (I might one day decide to sew clothes, so of course I'll need hangers. Until then I'll use them in my personal wardrobe.... ).

11.00am. Visit Wilkins and Kent on Brunswick Street and spend some time browsing the store and chatting to the lovely Jenny. If you're in the neighbourhood do pop in - they have lots of gorgeous things from heaps of talented designers!

12pm. Stop at The Vegie Bar for lunch. Cannot resist ducking in to the vintage clothing store next door - a big mistake - an hour later I leave with a new (old) dress and a pair of white peep-toe heels. 

1pm. Stop by The Thread Den in Fitzroy to drop off some journals. Almost try on more dresses but manage to restrain myself.

new cameras journal!

1.30pm. It's now off to East Brunswick and Five Boroughs to restock some phone pouches - there are lots of new designs to choose from!

2.00pm. Detour through North Melbourne to catch up with another lovely lady before heading home.

4.00pm. The day's not over! More emails to answer, some admin to do, and then I pack the car again (this time with fun things like dinner ingredients) and head to R's place to make a delicious roast pumpkin salad and relax in front of a good movie. 

Phew!

in the kitchen again

Perhaps this is a sign that I've been working at home too long.... I just did the dishes and thought to myself 'Gee, how pretty do my red polka dot mug, yellow pyrex mixing bowl, and floral vintage plate all look sitting together on the drying rack in the afternoon sun, with a bit of stainless steel and white china thrown in for good measure'.

I'm off now to find the same magic from cleaning my bathroom....