Hi, I'm Coll, Welcome. I have a few passions in life, the first is my family. I have two gorgeous daughters and a gorgeous step-daughter, their hubbies aren't too bad either. I also have five beautiful granddaughters and two wonderful grandsons, all of whom are special joys in my life.
I have a great husband who tolerates the "mess" in my workroom and around the rest of the house as well, when I'm in lamp-makeover mode, or painting something pretty, be it an old frame, a lamp base, or something I've had for years that needs a makeover, or just pulling a lamp from overseas to bits to rewire it.
I am passionate about my gorgeous garden here in the beatiful Blue Mountains, it is an inspiration (as well as hard work) and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else now.
I love my two dogs, Maddie, who is my "bubbie" (and the boss), a 14 yr old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Emma, a 9 yr old Rotweiler (a total sook). She doesn't know she has a "reputation" to uphold.
I also have a huge passion for Vintage Lamps, all shapes, sizes and styles and I love to buy something old and battered and restore it to life, whether it's with just a paint job, a clean-up, some gorgeous crystals from my dear friend Marie at **purest**obsession**, or a total revamp with a gorgeous new shade, which I spend many painstaking hours working on, using gorgeous fabrics purchased from here & the States.
I've been doing this for years now, but my daughters convinced me to sell them on ebay and now it, too, has become a bit of a passion. I just love selling and buying and have met so many wonderful people and made some very special friends, both here and in the States.
I have always adored pink roses, vintage china & lamps, antique or vintage furniture, old rugs, gorgeous fabrics, flowers on anything & everything, old lace, vintage silverware, candles, cherubs, crystals etc., etc, so I guess I have always been "Shabby Chic" without even knowing it. I love to haunt some of the great Antique stores here in the Mountains, go Garage Sale-ing & to local markets, looking for treasures for you and, of course, the odd one-or-two for myself.
I also have a real job as a Support Worker for people with disabilities. I work 24hr shifts and it can be hard work and very tiring, but I love it and wouldn't want to do anything else.
Well, maybe spend more time with my grandkids, & on ebay :)
I hope you enjoy browsing through some of my pretty things and that you will love them as much as I do.
Coll :-}
NOTE: We lost our darling Maddie (bubbie) in September last year & were broken-hearted. Only now have I been able to write this, but with tears in my eyes. We now have a little cross Maltese/Shihtzu called Roxie, who we "adopted" from the RSPCA shelter. She is 6yrs old & had been very cruelly treated. She has become my shadow & I believe Maddie sent her to me so that I wouldn't miss her quite so much. Maddie waits for me at Rainbow Bridge....Coll
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