The Storeyard

Last week I brought a friend to one of my favourite haunts; The Storeyard. 

It's an antique shop/salvage yard with an amazing tea room right in the middle that serve the best desserts and cakes! We spent about three hours mooching around. It's not exactly cheap but I have never left without picking up something. It's a bit like being in a museum. Admittedly, I had to look at the tags on several occasions to determine what exactly I was looking at! It's essentially a big warehouse but is designed really well with lots of little roomsets and areas of interest. Here are a few sneaky pics from inside...

Have my eye on 'The Abbey' metal sign for a while now. The Abbey Theatre is the national theatre of Ireland. Can't understand why no-one has snapped this up already. 

On this table is a Victorian gentleman's travelling suitcase with lots of the original glass bottles inside with cologne, etc. On the outside are stickers from Dublin hotels which have long since closed. I can't help but wonder about the gentleman who owned this. This is what I love about vintage pieces.

These were being sold separately strangely enough. So cute! They were quite large pieces and had lots of lovely details, made mostly of wood.

Loved this little garden vignette. I'm thinking it's a vintage saddle rack!? Bought some of these mini terracotta pots on my last visit.

Love this royal blue upholstery. And the trumpet. I've always kinda wanted one, I don't play or anything!

My friend purchased one of these vintage watering cans. I bought one of these on my very first visit. Behind them is an amazing piece with eight drawers all hand labelled; Ironmongery, Screws, Brushes, Show-Maker...

And my all time favourites, vintage suitcases!!

This was one corner of an amazing Chinese inspired bedroom. The detail in the fabrics and the furniture pieces was astounding. Sorry it was a bit dark in this room.

Love that gorgeous wooden panelling and that feather/down filled sofa was so comfy.

And this sofa with it's lovely cushions.

So what did I buy???

This cute little book on Birds Eggs....

And this vintage wooden golf club. 

This was for Mr. Auburn as he's a golfer but I have a plan for this one... 

 

Twit Twoo!

I have always had a grá for Owls...

 

Our house has an owl window; it perfectly frames a beautiful horse chestnut tree to the front of the house...

 

 While on honeymoon in Bali, we went to a craft village where one of the villagers carved this little guy from wood...

 

It's even creeping into my clothes from Swamp...
 

 

 I think they are such amazing creatures. 

I have only ever seen a real life owl once. It flew over my head one evening at dusk in the middle of a woodland area. It was an amazing sight.
 

 

Sadly, my husband recently informed me that their numbers are dwindling. In fact barn owl numbers have plummeted by 50% in the last 25 years. There may be just 450 pairs left in Ireland. The severe winter weather hasn't helped in recent years. Also their natural habitats are disappearing and the use of rodenticides has increased.

 

For the last number of weeks I have been following a series called Living The Wildlife which follows Emmy award winning cinematographer Colin Stafford-Johnson as he travels across Ireland in search of our most fascinating fauna. Episode 5 featured the barn owl. Colin travelled around Ireland with owl expert John Lusby who each summer monitors the barn owl chick population.

Look at Colin with this beautiful baby barn owl...

So I thought, what can I do to help this precious creature??

Well, it seems I could sponsor a Barn Owl Nest Box here...

 

Or as that costs €200, maybe I could make my own???

From what I read, it seems nest boxes should be erected around mid-March to allow for the nesting season to take place from April to July. Maybe I am too late for this year but I could be early for next year! Watch this space!

Have you ever erected a nest box?
Or are you lucky enough to have these beauties nesting nearby?
 

Easter Eggcessories!

Well, I made it, just in time! The Easter decorating ran a little late this year. I just finished last night!

 

 

This was because I have been a little under the weather but also as some of my new decorations were handmade. Most of my new tree decorations were made using my craft du jour...Decoupage!

 

It sure is time consuming. I'm a newbie and self-thought so please be kind!

First off, I decoupaged some eggs...

 

 

These were made from Polystyrene. The one on the left was decoupaged using old stamps, the other two with paper napkins. To finish, I added a ribbon from my stash using a pearl topped straight pin.
 

Then, I decoupaged some cute little paper mache bird houses...

 

 

These were made using a combination of coloured paper and little flowers cut from paper napkins.
 

These decorations went on my Easter tree...

 

 As Mr. Auburn was away, I had to call on my father-in-law for assistance. I had more a branch in mind but this is what I got and now it's in I really like it!

 

Of course I had to do an egg and a birdhouse to match the downstairs loo...
 

 

It took all I had to cut up this vintage sheet music! It was 'The Seasons' by Haydn too!!

I think they look nice though with the cream and black decor, as does this birdhouse; quite fitting with my wallpaper...

 

Then I made some nests; this one with the help of a tutorial from Perpetual Plum.

It was made using a wire coat hanger and the offcuts from my Easter tree. The moss and feathers I gathered on a walk, the quail eggs; I blew out a couple of years back. This was a little fiddly but the most natural looking nest I think.
 

 

This one in the fishbowl; I made using just moss and little pieces of hay and leaves...

 

 

 This one I made using shredded paper and some more of that moss...

 

 

 I then popped it inside the birdcage, added some hen eggs, some feathers and this little straw chick...

 

This chalk egg I got from the Euro shop, I sprayed it gold and aged it a bit with some antique brown...

 

 

It accompanies these gold fellows on my mantle...

 

 

I made some little pics for my kitchen notice board with some die cuts I had left over from an Easter project a couple of years back...

 

 

I think the vintage bunny scenes are really cute...

 

 

You've already met the March Hare...who dressed up for Easter...

 

 

He has joined old favourites like Rascally Rabbit who came all the way from America...

 

 

Here are some more old reliables from around the house...

 

To welcome you in; a Gisela Graham egg wreath embellished with a little chick...

 

 

Some Peter Rabbit Wedgewood...

 

 

An Easter postcard from 1909...
 

 

Some painted eggs with more of those die cuts...

 

 

Don't these look like bunnies??

 

The goose that laid the golden egg??

 

More birds' nests...

 

A lovely hare painted by my mother...

 

 

An old Easter project inspired by Bhg...

 

 

Some ceramic chicks painted in eau de nil to match the kitchen...

I love hyacinths and tulips for Easter...

 

A little gift from my mother...

Eggs, eggs, eggs...

 

Well, it wouldn't be Easter without some chocolate ones too...

Hope you're having an eggcellent Easter!!!