simple living: turn back time

Last night I started watching a BBC series from a couple of years ago called Turn Back Time - The High Street. I love it! The series is about the birth of the high street in Britain and the changes it underwent over the course of a century. Each week a group of shop keepers have to run their store as it would have been in a particular era, starting in the Victorian era and moving through the Edwardian era, the 1930's, 1940's, 1960's and finally the 1970's.  

Image Credit: BBC

It's so interesting to see the reaction of modern society to the ways of the past. Some things are probably best left in the past - such as the sneaky techniques some shop keepers used to make their produce go further, like baking bread with plaster of paris to bulk it up! But other things we could learn a lot from. Shop keepers would often greet their customers by name and doing the shopping was not just a necessity but also a social experience where you would catch up with neighbours and friends in the main street.

Image Credit: BBC

I've only watched the first 2 episodes so far, tonight I'll be tuning in to the 1930's. And I can't wait to see the 1960's - how cute is that outfit and apron above? Oh, and the glass milk bottles delivered to your door - I remember this still happening in Australia in the early 1980's. I would go and visit my grandma and it was always a favourite thing to bring in the milk caddy filled with bottles of milk. And then to make various crafty things using the silver milk bottle caps.

It's so sad to see the decline of many main streets in towns across Australia, as people head to the big shopping centres where convenience, one stop shopping, and lower prices are often big draw cards. What do you think? Do you see a place for the main street in modern society? Do you try to shop local? What aspects of the past do you think we could learn from today? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

the lucky dip to end all lucky dips

We're getting ready to introduce some new fabrics and hopefully a new product line or two so it's time for the biggest lucky dip we've had to date!

Up for grabs are end of line phone pouches, snap wallets, zip purses, pencil cases, journal covers, and clutch purses. Phew!

The lucky dips are divided into 3 price categories:

$10 will get you a mystery phone pouch;
$12 will get you a mystery snap wallet, zip purse, or pencil case;
$15 will get you a mystery journal cover or clutch purse.

Shipping is additional.

Also, the first 10 lucky dips will get an extra bonus in their parcel, hooray!

Pop over to our online store to grab yourself a bargain!

simple living: what gets you up in the morning?

Oh dear, it's been awhile since I've posted something for Simple Living Friday, what can I say, I've been making my life more complicated than it needs to be lately hehe.
Today I just wanted to share this little video, it gave me a giggle as I remember doing most of those things when I worked my 9-5 office job. I may not be a farmer, but I love that I get to spend my days doing something I love. And that I can step outside to my garden whenever I like : )
Today I'm in Adelaide and in a few hours I'll head off to set up my stand for Bowerbird Bazaar. I managed to be super efficient in packing the car this time around, so managed to fit in my 2 big baskets of sale stock and fabric remnant packs - hooray! Bowerbird Bazaar kicks off at 4pm today and then runs from 9-5 both Saturday and Sunday at the Stirling Angas Pavilion, Adelaide Showgrounds. 

diary date: bowerbird bazaar

Oh boy, where does the year go? It seems like only yesterday that I made the drive from Melbourne to Adelaide for Bowerbird Bazaar, yet here we are, about to embark on yet another road trip.

I will have a hot thermos of tea, and cookies at the ready. I am looking forward to the wide open spaces of the countryside, and spending time at the really lovely warehouse I stayed in last time, which has a swing hanging from the rafters inside. Such fun : )

If you're in Adelaide next weekend, please do stop by and say hello, we've been busy making lots of pretty things and will also have 2 big baskets of sale items, the result of a recent studio clean up. Hooray!   

say hello to &able

We're excited today to tell you about our newest online store, hosted by the lovely folk at Andable and just launched this week! We were lucky enough to speak with Andable creator Rupal Amin, who was more than happy to answer all our questions about his new venture.

Here we go!

Andable is quite an exciting concept. Tell us a bit about how it works.

Andable is a marketplace for independent merchants. We differ from the increasing masses of ecommerce platforms in two important ways:

1. Every product on Andable is FRESH, which is an acronym for:

a. Fair trade or better business practices
b. Reborn– recycled, antique, reused
c. Eco-friendly
d. Supports local business
e. Handmade

These are tools that we give our sellers to tell their stories. We believe every product has a story.

2. Micro Loans: Every time you buy or sell a product on Andable, 10% goes to a micro loan to help a person in need in a developing country. Because this is a loan, it gets repaid, and we can repay our sellers the 10% after three months. You also get to see the individual and the business that your 10% helps. Micro loans are small lines of credit, giving people in poverty access to finance to help pull themselves out of poverty. We work with Kiva.org to facilitate these loans.

Our mission is to support small business, both here and abroad.

How Kiva Works from Kiva on Vimeo.

What is your background? What motivated you to start Andable?

My grandpa’s outlook on life and giving is deeply ingrained in me. He grew up as an impoverished boy in India – so poor that he couldn’t afford to put shoes on his feet. From the day he earned any income though, he donated 10% of any income he earned to charity. To him, giving wasn’t a luxury, it was a duty. That 10% always stuck in my head. When you buy on Andable, 10% of the sales price goes to fund a micro loan to a person in need.

Micro loans, to me, are an amazingly innovative yet totally obvious (the best ideas are!) approach to helping people pull themselves out of poverty. Borrowers choose what they feel is the best business for their community. They maintain a sense of empowerment and dignity. And best of all, the micro loans get repaid so the money comes back and can be reused for good.

What are you looking forward to?

Personally, I am looking forward to continuing to meet our shop owners. I love Andable because it allows me to be amongst amazing, proactive, inspired and inspiring entrepreneurs every day.

I’m also looking forward to the first loans we make to borrowers, and for our community to see the impact that they have made on these individuals.

Thank you Rupal! Rabbit & the Duck had their first sale at Andable today, and are so happy to be part of such an innovative and inspiring story.

Check it out at &Able.com. You can go direct to our store by clicking here.

hey maker!

Have you heard of Hey Maker!?

Hey Maker! is a collective of 5 local creative gals based in Murwillumbah in the beautiful northern NSW hinterland. These crafty ladies have joined together to revitalise their town and create a great space for locals and creative peeps to come together. They would love to move into one of the currently empty shopfronts in the town centre (of which there are many, Murwillumbah is seeing more and more local businesses close down as shoppers head to the larger towns) and establish a retail, gallery and 'making' space.

But they need your help! The girls need funding to get started on their vision, and to raise money they have set up a funding campaign on Pozible. You can donate as little as $1 or as much as you like.

Here's a cute video about the Hey Maker! Creative Collective:

This is a wonderful opportunity to support handmade, to support independent businesses, and to get a warm fuzzy feeling inside, I guarantee it will brighten up your day!