Under the Pepper Tree

Pack your bags kids, we're moving...

2010-08-27T22:26:00.004+09:30

Yep, head here to find out what has been happening...

the end

Who knew

2010-02-22T11:40:00.001+10:30

I liked yellow?

At least when it is paired with some scrubby blue and grey-green.

And I had heard indoor plants were back in. And I like them in some wicker.

And Miss Chooken has taken a liking to pears (thanks to the school fruit policy and influence of her classmates ;) ). One more healthy option for the lunchbox each morning.

Source: Molly Frey Design

5 little pretty birds all in a row

2010-01-15T10:18:00.001+10:30

It had been some time since I logged onto Lori’s blog, so when I wandered over there yesterday and saw these images – wow!

Love!

So simple, so elegant in a rustic way. I desperately want some enamel pitchers now!

But I love Maria’s philosophy of not decorating over night. Save you pennies for the important items and keep you eye out for bargains along the way. Would love Maria to start a blog ;), but I think 5 kids means she is busy enough!

There are a lot more images from Maria’s home, Lori’s home and many other gorgeous spaces. If you haven’t been over there before or maybe just not in a while, head over to Lori’s blog Frugal Farmhouse Design, it is gorgeous!

More? Yes please!

2009-08-23T09:22:00.001+09:30

No doubt most of us have seen the gorgeous images of Anna Spiro's home featured in Vogue Living and read of the launch of Anna’s website Black and Spiro.

Imagine my delight when I noted that Catherine Shields has posted additional images from Anna’s home and shop! Here and here!

Thankyou Catherine and thanks Anna for more inspiration!

Romana xx

Lordy, Lordy!

2009-07-30T10:50:00.003+09:30

I am a busy little bee!
I have not even taken the photos that I have intended to post this past week.....lots of things on the go!
This weekend I turn 30 (!!!) and have a large family meal happening, and then on Sunday we are hosting my sister's engagement party - at our house! Aahhh! What was I thinking??!! Equal thoughts of excitement and panic trying to get the place looking respectable right now. Not helped my the rainy weather.

OK bloggers, I will be back with some pics of the little projects I have been up to, but right now, I am off to freshen-up the spare room linens and work out where to hide two clothes airers.....

xx

Busy as a bee

2009-07-22T10:01:00.000+09:30

Got some projects on the go.

Pics to come in next day or so!

xx

Care to curl up here?

2009-07-16T14:03:00.004+09:30

I utterly adore this nook from Reese Witherspoon's home.

It is red and green (but certainly not Christmas-y), rustic and contemporary, grounded....I could on and on!

I could snuggle up there for a afternoon of book reading, or perhaps put my girls down for a nap while I wrote some letters at that scrubby table. Gorgeous.

Spotted over here (with more yummy rooms from the home) and sourced here.

Beautiful Life Friday

2009-07-10T23:09:00.006+09:30

It is cold, wet and VERY windy here at the moment, so we have spent a lot of time inside. Not so flash for a 4 and 2 yo, their Dad on night shift, the ran-out-of-ideas-two-days-ago mummy or the poor harassed dog.

Solution - get out some craft paint and let htme get into it!

Miss Sunshine did start out with a paint brush, but finger painting is much more appealing!

So, a mid-day bath and a lot of table scrubbing later, we are all a lot more satisfied.

And this picture makes me smile a whole lot :)

Hope you also had a beautiful day today.

xx Romana

Blogged for The Inspired Room - Beautiful Life

Thrifty Thursday

2009-07-09T10:22:00.002+09:30

Latest op-shop buy:

daggy cane magazine rack.

Quick DIY:

-spray paint

+ colourful ribbon

= “Rainbow Book Holder” for Miss Chooken.

She requested rainbow paint for her bedroom, but I was not feeling that, so a rainbow book holder it is!

To prep it, I just gave it a quick clean to get rid of dust build-up. The spray paint adhered very well even over the roughed-up bits of worn cane. This project cost around $10 in total (magazine rack+paint+ribbon) and could be much cheaper if you already had spray paint and ribbon in your stash. Another idea is to weave through skinny strips of material left over from quilt or other craft projects.

Lots of fun, Miss Chooken loved helping make her own book holder, so definitely a project you can do with a pre-schooler.

Have fun!

xx Romana

Ditto

2009-06-17T12:24:00.002+09:30

Right up there with Free Hugs....

As seen via Sarah's Fab Day :)

Mirror, mirror, on the wall…

2009-06-16T10:29:00.001+09:30

Gorgeous arrangement of mirrors.

*Heart* them all!

A local thrift shop has a couple at reasonable prices, I hope they are still there when I visit soon!

Do you have an antique or vintage mirror or even a collection of them? Such lovely shapes, edges and patterns, I look forward to collecting a few over the years!

Romana

1. InsideOut Decorating&Renovating Vol. 3

2. InsideOut May-June 2008

3. David Coote via Pure Style Home

Steal the blue

2009-05-28T10:05:00.001+09:30

I have already shared some of the gorgeous images from Country Living, but I have to post some recent inspiration along the blue lines.

From Brown Button… stunning hydrangeas, one of my favourite flowers. I could put a few uses to that cute shed too!

The Lettered Cottage… coffee table repurposed from an old school desk. Love it Layla!

From a lovely post by Catherine at Simply Natural (via Absolutely Beautiful Things).

Via Sarah’s Fab Day (source unknown), reminds me of Layla’s redo (above), with a great rustic mirror above the table.

And from the Country Living coffee-table book:

A perfect tone of dirty pale blue. Would look great with a brighter splash of red in it to set off the colour.

I had recently been thinking of cinnamon when I came across this one,

One of my favourite images from the book, all similar toned drawers, wooden pails, utensil crate and even the rolling-pin. Love that dirty blue colour!

The scrubby cabinet was on a porch, stocked ready for afternoon teas – how nice! Great wicker basket holding dried hydrangeas too.

The door and console both were painted with milk paint, the console with a black undercoat.

And it doesn’t get much more loved than this little fella,

So, what is your favourite image? Does a bit of blue do it for you?

Romana

Ideas from the past

2009-05-26T18:08:00.001+09:30

While out op-shopping I stumbled across a copy of a late 1980’s Country Living hard-cover. Wow! What inspiring photos! Sure, there is plenty that is either quite dated or just not really my taste, but there are plenty of images that just sing to me. Here are just a few:

So many of the elements appeal to me, worn timber, scrubby paint, texture from woven baskets. I guess the styling is dated, but apart from that, I can see many of these images in Country Style today!

What do you think? Too dated, or something to inspire?

Romana

These look gorgeous!

2009-05-26T11:13:00.004+09:30

Want to have a chance to win one? Head over here. Livs Lyst is a stunning blog, great images.

Good luck!

“Mum, I need a dangle”. “Huh? What?”

2009-05-14T15:01:00.001+09:30

Can you guess what Miss Chooken wanted?

Yes, that’s right. She wanted to be a student graduate with a cap and tassel. (The black thing is a cardboard cut-out, the blue feather is her tassel.

I hope Miss Chooken doesn’t pose like this in any graduation photos!

Miss Sunshine wanted to join in and put a tea-towel on her head.

Yes, this is my entertainment in the evenings :)

Bi-lingual?

2009-05-08T21:26:00.001+09:30

By rights, I really should be bi-lingual. My father is Dutch and still speaks Dutch with my Oma and other rellies. I loved studying Indonesian at school (Selamat datang!) and would enjoy taking up the challenge again. (At least it is cheap to visit Indonesia and get some practical application of the language). I have Chinese (Mandarin) speaking family members who would be chuffed if someone else in the family could join the convo.

But, alas, I am not fluent in anything but Australian-English. My favourite Dutch word is “lakker”, always directed at the deliciously guilt-ridden butter-cookies my Oma makes. It means “yum”, lol. Probably a good thing she lives 500km away.

However, there is hope!

Miss Chooken appears to be taking a shine to Spanish! And we all know how much in demand that is in Australia :s

I can not take the credit however. It is all because of this girl. Thank you Dora!

Unfortunately, Miss Chooken also has a very good imagination and now believes she can put an “ico” or “aa” sound on the end of any English word and insist it is Spanish.

We may need to also work on eliminating some Aussie slang. A recent conversation went something like this:

(Miss Chooken is walking our pet dog Zam, I am walking with Miss Sunshine to the park).

“Mum, stop a minute.”

(I turn to look at what caused the tenth stop in the 50 meters we have travelled from our front door).

Pet dog is having a squat in the road verge. Then Miss Chooken pipes up a very serious look on her face:

“Mum, Zam is doing a piss. That’s Spanish for wee”.

Oh, sooo wrong. Oh, sooo funny.

Anyone for early English tutoring?

Please wipe your feet

2009-05-08T21:06:00.001+09:30

I love this idea for its obviousness……gumboot cubbies with in-built coir mat. I’m surprised I have not seen something like this before! The perfect spot for gumboots, riding boots, footy boots, gardening shoes….all those little beauties that need an extra clean, but you usually come in wet/cold and need to get warmed up first.

The built-in dog beg is cute, with the perfect place for leads and toys in the drawers.

Image Country Homes and Interiors, spotted at This is Glamorous.

Memory Lane

2009-04-23T16:35:00.001+09:30

Sometime ago my mum passed on old copies of various magazines for me to peruse. It is great to see when trends first came on the scene, what trends are still around and what have disappeared. I thought I would share some of my favourite images from Australian Country Style ala June 2005. I guess for me, these are the sort of images that are classic and timeless.

A simple palette of cream, white and grey allow the simplicity of a cast-iron bed and wooden chair acting as a bedside to shine through. And so it is in all the images- simple palettes of colour, texture through wood and simple furniture = bliss for me.

Enjoy!

Don’t forget to close the gate!

Romana

source: Aus Country Style June 2005

This is nice...

2009-04-19T09:07:00.006+09:30

I am loving two things about this image (spotted on Camilla At Home).

Firstly, it is nice to see black wooden chairs with the traditional table. I have gotten a bit over seeing white chairs (either a traditional chair or juxtoposition with a contemporary chair) with every wooden dining table. Set against the fresh white walls keeps the feeling light and airy but there is more depth to the room.

Secondly, I think the overall feel of the room is helped by the two-tone wooden floors. I have been loving either painted white floors or ebonized flooring lately, but this image has reminded me how nice natural tones can be.

I also like the general nautical fell to the room, although it does not feel at all"themey". I'd lose the whales on the wall though :s (are they whales??).

xx

Give me a slap on the back of the head...

2009-04-18T16:36:00.008+09:30

Seriously, I feel like a twit.

Please picture one slightly frazzled mama chasing her two year old and four year old around the supermarket, trying to keep them on task.

"Miss Chooken, you grab the bread. Miss Sunshine, help me grab a cucumber. Remember girls, we are only here to grab 4 things! OK, let's grab the milk and paper and we are out of here!"

(Said girls are running up and down aisles, Miss Sunshine laughing at random old men, Miss Chooken walking backwards and singing at the top of her lungs).

We make it to the newly installed self-serve check-out area and as a reward for nearly getting through my housework I grab the nearest copy of Real Living.

Miss Chooken starts scanning our items while I try to restrain Miss Sunshine from taking them out of the bright orange re-usable bag,

"Please replace item in the bagging shelf"

says the automated register chick, thinking I am trying to pinch something.

(note to self: make some nicer looking shopping bags soon).

OK, all good, we get out of there with my sanity surviving, collect our trusty Jack Russell from her veranda post and we head home.

Poor dog is going blind and gets scared half-way across the road and just stops.

She wont. move. an. inch.

Frantic shouts at Miss Chooken to wait on the over side of the road while I desperately try to shield the stroller and Miss Sunshine from on-coming traffic and work out how to pick up the dog, not drop the shopping and push the stroller to safety.

Car stops for me to pick up dog, we make it across safely. I think dog may need to see a chiropractor as my initial frantic attempts to pull her across the road surely dislocated some vertebrae...or maybe just her ear (lucky the collar wasn't too tight).

We get through the front door and after sorting the girls out with a drink and snack, I sit down to peruse my little literary reward.

Then it hits me....

This magazine looks a little familiar.

A little too familiar.

Like I bought it a few weeks ago familiar.

There goes my $6.75.

There goes my hour of guilt-free relaxation time.

So, sorry April edition of Real Living, you are off to the spare room closet along with the two County Living November editions I bought last year (yes, this is not the first time I have done this).

So another magazine I will hide from hubby....and I don't have that many hidey spots left.

But that is a post for another day.

xx

Hey good lookin', What ya got cookin'???

2009-04-17T13:35:00.009+09:30

Ok, mine was not quite so good looking, so I am using the published image...

Slow-cooked beef duabe....mmmm, and it was nice!

I actually prepared all the ingredients in a pan and then transferred to my slow-cooker to give it the extra long coking treatment. The recipe calls for a bottle of red wine, and I used a shiraz, but next time I will use something milder or maybe 1/2 wine and 1/2 stock.

So thank you Country Style! Even Miss Chooken ate some!

What good recipes have you tried out lately? I'd love some more ideas :)

xx

The Easter Hunt

2009-04-17T13:34:00.010+09:30

Miss Chooken was very concerned that the Easter Bunny would not know where she was for Easter, or that Miss Sunshine could only eat nut-free eggs.

After many reassurances, and a long count-down to Easter ("How many more nights mummy??), Easter Sunday arrived. Luckily, the Easter Bunny knew that we would be doing an egg-hunt at my sister's apartment. Here is Miss Chooken on the trail. She spied a bunny footprint (he sure has big feet ;) ).

Miss Chooken brought her hand-made bunny ears all the way from Adelaide to wear on the egg-hunt, along with the egg basket she decorated at my sister's (thanks Jess!).

Miss Sunshine needed a little extra help to find her eggs, but luckily Easter Bunny had left some on the lawn.

Many thanks to Uncle Ray for helping Miss Sunshine decorate her basket! (He has a great eye for colour combo's, no??? :)

The girls got to show-off their findings to their Opa (my dad) and his partner Annie.

The egg baskets even made it home on the plane. The girls got lots of looks boarding the plane with their baskets in hand, but I had nowhere else to put them! So carry-on luggage it was!

Thanks to Jessi, Ray and the Easter Bunny for making such an excellent egg hunt!

Check out this inspiration!

2009-04-17T13:15:00.007+09:30

The inspiration:

The resources:

The result:

Seriously, what a great looking ottoman??? I really want to give this a go... I wonder if I am up to the task?! Full credit to Jenny at Little Green Notebook for this one! Another great blog to check out :)

Cottage Appeal

2009-04-17T09:04:00.020+09:30

I have a little crush at the moment. Yes, the cute appeal of a symmetrical cottage has me totally under it's guile. Seriously, aren't they sweet to look at?

The bullnose veranda is always stylish in my book.

I love the idea of the four main rooms and then discovering what, where and how past owners have added on further rooms.

It seems the kitchen lean-to at the rear has sometimes been more recently renovated (sometimes not!). Some have lovingly established gardens.

Some are all stone, some bluestone, some part brick.

And some are weatherboard.
Some have iron roofs, some tiled.

I like them all, I do have to admit.

(I'd get rid of the aluminium windows in this cutie though and replace with the 12-pane sash window).

I know contemporary house design had lead floor plans in more open direction, but the symmetrical cottage still has something going on, don't you think?

Maybe it is the chance of finding an original fireplace and mantle, just ripe for a little TLC?

Or other features like chunky skirting, architraves and lead light windows?

Have you ever noticed in older homes how the light switches are often located behind a door? Apparently it is because in older design it was common for doors to open so you walked towards the nearest wall within the room, rather than opening to face into the room itself (does that make sense???). This was to provide more privacy (when rooms did not often have locks, too expensive etc) and also to help prevent draughts from entering the room/heat from quickly leaving the room. As times have changed and doors have been re-hung to open leaving more space to enter a room, often the light switches have stayed on the other side of the architrave (hence, behind the door). Another thing to assess if you ever get the chance to reno a gorgeous cottage like these ones!

One of my favourite renovations on a similar cottage was spied in Aus. Home Beautiful (Feb 2009).

Apologies for my scanning technique here! What I love about this reno/addition is the T-shape addition at the rear of the property. The four main rooms were retained, but an open-plan living area was built across the back of the home. Although done in a contemporary style with vintage furnishings, I really adore how the owners were able to get the best of both worlds with this design. The curb-appeal was not lost, but modern living is achieved. The long hallway is retained with the bonus of a great view through to the stylish dining room. I particularly like the study nook behind the kitchen and the parent's retreat off the main bedroom. Great design.

So, do cottages hold any appeal for you? Would you take on a cottage renovation project?? If you need more inspiration, head over to The Lettered Cottage. Layla and her husband are doing the most gorgeous job of their renovation. I am really taken with their latest efforts in restructuring the fireplace. It is a must to check out!

xx

Images via realestate.com.au and Australian Home Beautiful.

We're Back!

2009-04-16T09:20:00.009+09:30

Wow! Holidays can be hard work! hehe, not really, we had a lovely time visiting my sister and brother-in-law with their new baby. But it is always nice to fall into your own bed.

Our trip to Canberra began with a gorgeous walk around Lake Burley Griffen. Miss Chooken loved feeding the swans and ducks. On another occasion, a very cheeky swan ate some Jatz biscuit right out of her fingers and gave Miss Chooken a bit of a fright. They really are the biscuit for all occasions!

The bike and walk-ways around the lake are stunning. It was fabulous to see so many people out walking, running and riding. Great infra-structure that many cities could learn from, and we loved it. I urge anyone who visits to have a look around the lake, it has a lovely relaxed vibe to it.

Ofcourse one of the main reasons to visit the nation's capital was to see my sister and her newly arrived daughter. Here she is at 3 1/2 weeks, a long and lean gorgeous girl (and my sister too, lol).

Along our walk we enjoyed a mini-picnic, complete with a early treat of some Easter eggs. It was the first egg my girls had enjoyed this year and we got lots of chocolate-smiles.

Miss Sunshine loved getting out of the back-pack.

Just chillin-out :)

More pics to come as I adjust to being back home!

A wee break..

2009-03-23T14:04:00.010+10:30

Yes, I am taking a little break to focus on my girls and some other commitments that desperately need more attention than what they have been given lately.

I look forward to posting again after Easter. I hope it is filled with special time with your loved ones.

In the meantime, if you need a bloggy fix, check out some of my favourite links at the moment:

The House That AM Built - lots going on here, all action! It is wonderful to see a house being shaped in such loving hands.
The Lettered Cottage - always an inspirational home blog.
Simply Natural - great posts on interiors, compiled by the decerning eye of Catherine.
Pure Style Home - gorgeous blog!

See you all after the chocolate-rush!

xx

Latest purchase

2009-03-16T16:34:00.011+10:30

A painting.

I was lucky enough to recently purchase a large water-colour by Dutch artist Gerrit Zaagsma. Ger is my fathers cousin and Ger's brother brought some of Ger's works to Australia for my aunty to sell in her gift shop. Ger paints mostly landscapes, canal-scapes and villages, capturing the change of seasons in Holland and more recently Burgundy, France.

I particularly adore Ger's work for his moody skies. My dodgy photography skills do not do this painting justice, but the canal is a beautiful almost indigo colour, and I can't decide if the sky is threatening darkness or offering the hope of light.

Read more abour Ger here or see much more of Ger's work here.

Favourite Poladroid

2009-03-16T11:57:00.004+10:30

..so far...

Lots of fun to play with. You get different effects each time, I am loving it :)

Thanks Poladroid!

(This is my little sister Jessi, about 1982. She has her own little bundle of sweetness to hold now, with the birth of her first child, Abigail, last week. I am such a proud aunty!!!).

Metallic Monday

2009-03-16T09:24:00.006+10:30

Well this tub certainly takes the cake! Do you like or no?

Not actually sure if I like the look of it.....I am still undecided on the whole open bathroom fad. Sure, there is no shower screen to scrub and no getting accosted by a sticky shower curtain....but I just see a whole lot of mopping up to do. Even perfect drainage would not prevent me from spreading shower water from the back wall to the bathroom door.

I think it actually boils down to my fear of falling over on slippery surfaces.

I do not dive. Not because I can't (although there is not much dolphin-like style involved in my attempts). I just have a horrible fear of slipping at that crucial moment of transferring your momentum from a earth-based location into an air-based flight. Blame it on too many episodes of Funniest Home Videos, but the fear of slipping, cracking my head open or worse, getting my foot stuck in the hand-rail that surrounds most pools, stifles any inclination to launch myself at the flirting depths of blue.

My second fear is slipping over in the bathroom. You know, being found el-nudo after cracking your head on the sink/toilet/bath. There is no doubt I will be investing in all-round safety-rails in my bathroom once I turn 60...or 50...maybe even 40 (oh god, that is only 10 years away).

Don't laugh!

Bones get brittle as you get older you know!

So, tell me, have you got an open bathroom in your home or have you used one before? Is it as messy as it appears?

Jacon Termansen via Desire To Inspire

Testing, 1, 2, 3...

2009-03-14T12:18:00.000+10:30

Just playing around with Poladroid.....

xx

Happy Friday!

2009-03-13T15:28:00.006+10:30

Hooray for Friday!

A very quiet week here @ the Pepper Tree. We are finally recovering from a big day at the races on Monday (my uncle's horse ran 5th), Miss Chooken losing her voice for a few days, my sister finally welcomed her baby daughter to the world (more on that next week!), and the general running around after two young children that leaves you breathless and brain-fried by 9pm each day.

I love this photo for the light and colour. I have an area off my kitchen that would be perfect for a breakfast nook like this. I would ultimately love to convert it to be part of the kitchen -proper, by moving our fridge and pantry here and building an island bench. But, that is a bigger reno than we can take on at the moment, so maybe getting rid of our ugly computer desk (ie, finally converting part of our spare room to an office area) and making a gorgeous casual meals area would be a nice solution. Hmm, food for thought :)

See you next week!

Image: Wohnidee via Daisy Pink Cupcake

Did I mention she is walking???

2009-03-06T14:24:00.004+10:30

Oh yes she is!!!

Miss Sunshine turned two in February and decided to start walking in her birthday week!!

In the past week or so she has gained so much confidence and is now turning corners, doing 180's, even taking on some obstacles (read: toys spread all over the floor). Walking is the new black in Miss Sunshine's world, crawling is old-hat.

We are simply estatic.

We did not know when Miss Sunshine would walk, due to her Global Developmental Delay. Already it has changed her perspective on games to play, challenges to tackle and mischief to get into.

A pair of pants may even last longer than a few weeks now! Seriously, she was crawling the life out of her clothes and shoes!!! I am already planning her winter outfits - I think she will be wearing a lot of skirts and dresses, as I very rarely dressed her in them previously as it was just not suitable for a rolling and then crawling bubba. By winter 2010 she may be trying out potty training, so this is my chance! I see lots of cute tights, pretty shoes and bouncy skirts. Miss Sunshine already loves clips in her hair and a hand-bag on her arm, so I think we may have lots of fun this autumn and winter. Finally, my appreciation of sports photographers has grown ten-fold - I can't seem to get a good action shot of Miss Sunshine walking!

Friday already???

2009-03-06T12:10:00.006+10:30

I can not believe it is Friday already, when I just seem to have finally wrapped my head around the week!

My mum is visiting for a few days and it will be lovely to spend some time with her before she flies off to see my sister and her soon-to-be-here bubba.

Mum and I are planning a little outing on Monday to the Adelaide Cup, where we are very excited to see my uncle's horse run in the main race! Go Bradstar and go Uncle Vince!

I would love to pack the girls their snacks in a lunch box as cute as this one! First spotted on Precious Style, the 1950's tin lunch box would make my girl's day! Alas, the bright pink "Littlest Pet Shop" back-pack will have to suffice.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

He put in his thumb...

2009-03-04T18:15:00.013+10:30

And pulled out a plum,

And said "What a good boy am I!"

We had a lovely and unexpected visit from hubby's sister and her family earlier this week. Their youngest daughter is nearly 5 months old and I think I could just eat her up! Too cute, too cheeky, too chatty!! Simply gorgeous!

Lucky for us they came bearing gifts, namely a "small" bag of plums from hubby's mother's garden. Unreal! I love plums! She sent up a mixed bag of blood plums, prune plums and some other sort I don't know the name for. Now I need to spend a few minutes searching for good plum recipes, as I don't think we will get through them all and they are too good to waste. Plum muffins perhaps?? I need to give it some more thought.

Also, I stumbled across a vintage book of nursery rhymes that I had picked up along the way. I want to frame some with my sister for her new arrival. Well, she should have her baby by now, but her due date came and went over the weekend and now she is going simply stir-crazy. Planning some cute baby room decorating is a good way to distract her!

The artist of the book is Mabel Lucie Attwell, who was apparently well known in the late 1800's and early 1900's for her cherub-like illustrations. This book was one of her last before she passed in the 1960's. The pictures are simply gorgeous, but I only hesitated about pulling the book apart for a second, as some pages are already damaged and I don't read it to my girls as it is just too fragile.

Now I get to peruse and choose what nursery rhymes to frame!

Some are well known, but others I had not heard of previously, so it has been fun reading them. I will be sure to post the final framed results.

He's a good dog

2009-03-03T08:43:00.007+10:30

This is a tribute for my dearest friend who just had her beloved dog of twelve years put to sleep. Bundy was a gorgeous doberman, who was cheeky and had a great sense of fun. Bundy was gentle and loyal to his family and was a great mate for my friend for many years.

HE’S A GOOD DOG Fred Eaglesmith

He's a good dog.

I've had him for years.

He used to get up when I'd walk by,

Now he just lifts up his ears.

And he thumps his tail on the floor

When I talk to him.

When I talk too long,

he just ignores me,

And goes to sleep again.

He's a good dog.

I got him as a pup.

I tried to teach him all the tricks,

Then I just gave up.

'Cause he never acted very bright,

Though his eyes they've got this glow,

And I think he actually knows some things

That actually I don't.

And he never barks at strangers,

And he never barks at cars,

And he howls at the coyotes,

While they're howling at the stars.

And he scratches at the back door

Till someone lets him in,

Then he scratches at the other side

'Cause he wants back out again.

He's a good dog,

But one of these days

I'm gonna have to drive him into town,

And have him put away.

'Cause he don't hear that good no more

And he can't hardly walk,

But until then I look at him

And I say to him

He's a good dog.

xxx

Metallic Monday

2009-03-03T08:39:00.010+10:30

Yes, I know it is two days late :)

Here is a metal (tin or zinc maybe?) trunk I picked up a while ago...for the mighty sum of $10.

I thought it would make a good toy box, but it is a little deadly on fingers. Hubby plans to install a gas-hinge to make it safer. The quilts in the background hanging over the girls sofa were made by an aunt and a long-time family friend - perfect for afternoon naps :)

At the moment I set up some toys on it each night for the girls to play with in the morning so that the toys boxes don't get tipped out totally before 8am ;). Little People are the favourite recently.

Cute hey?

Room for the weekend...

2009-02-27T21:02:00.010+10:30

Morgan Harrison Home via Desire To Inspire

I originally saved this image for the gorgeous console display, the collection of silver candlesticks is simply stunning without being all up in your face.

After a second look, I love the entire look of this little corner - the white and grey palette, simple curtains.....yummy!

I hope you get to snuggle up somewhere this pretty over the weekend!

Joke of the day

2009-02-22T18:05:00.009+10:30

Finding Nemo is a big hit around this household and in particular I love how Marlin (the dad clown fish) finally finds his sense of humour by the end.....this is his piece de resistance near the movie close...

Marlin: "So, just then, the sea cucumber looks over at the mollusc and says "With fronds like these, who needs anemones?"

Miss Chooken has her own version...

Miss Chooken: "So a sea urchin goes up to a mollusc and says "Why do you eat poo?" (insert hysterics of laughter here).

No idea where she got that from...scary really :)

And just for fun, coming soon to a cinema near you, Nemo 2:

Train them young...

2009-02-20T17:56:00.009+10:30

Me: "Guess what is on television tonight?"

Miss Chooken: "What Mummy?"

Me: "Better Homes and Gardens."

Miss Chooken: "Ah! Mum, that warms my heart! It makes my heart beat with love!"

(Where do they get this stuff from???)

So, it got me thinking...I may have hope yet.....

Better Homes & Gardens reader by 5,

Real Living contributor by 15,

Vogue Living Editor by 25?????

hehehe ;)

Better stop transferring my own fantasies onto my children (Parenting 101, right here @ Under the Pepper Tree, lol).

Weekend Rest

2009-02-20T15:53:00.005+10:30

Cig Harvey Photography

Have a lovely weekend all!

I am taking a couple of days off to spend some quality family time (and catch up with some house work, yawn) before the new semester starts.

See you in a few days!

xxx

Lounge Room Dreams

2009-02-19T15:44:00.065+10:30

Image source unknown

I dream of refreshing our lounge room and have been collecting inspirational images to try and define what I want to achieve. I still have some decisions to make, but here are some of my ideas.

Colour Scheme

Image source unknown

I would love a fresh yet cosy palette of colours. I am leaning towards combing my two favourites, blue and green. Currently our lounge consists of two sofas, a 2 1/2 seater and 3 seater, covered in a dark blue. I dream of white or off-white slip covers, but am worried that my children are not yet at the "white sofa stage".

Lauren Liess - Pure Style Home

I guess there are two trains of thought with this: if you have white covers, you will always see the dirty finger marks etc, but if they are slip covers you can clean them to keep that fresh look. If anyone has any advice in regards to having slip covers made for their sofa (what material, choosing an upholsterer etc), I would love to hear from you! The main accents would certainly be blue and green - I think they look fab together. I would have to have some pattern in the cushions and possibly be a bit bolder and get an armchair covered in a more eye catching fabric.

Absolutely Beautiful Things

These from ABT are gorgeous, although I would search for one with more blue/green accents (with just splashes of other colours for fun).

I desire an ottoman for our coffee table, preferably with some magazine storage underneath. Covered in either a solid green or green dominated pattern, it would offer another chance to add some colour if I go for white slip covers on the sofas.
Image source unknown

This was the first image I found of an ottoman that would suit our needs. A firmly padded top with room for magazines or books underneath. This size and shape would also work well in our room - slightly rectangular and not very high.

Mary McDonald

Although Mary has positioned these as more stools than coffee tables, the same idea could be applied to a centred main table. I like the button tufting and am more taken with the white base than the dark wood in the first image. Mary's ottoman just needs to be the size and height of the coffee table behind it and I would be happy! I am also loving her choice of cushions - the color and patterns.

If I went down the bespoke route for our ottoman, I would certainly consider this fabric. I have quite the obsession with it. Could you see it as a large ottoman cover or would it be too much???

Configuration

Our lounge room is entered immediately within the front entrance. In hindsight, I never knew how much this would annoy me - it gives you very little room to create either a) a welcoming and decorative entrance, or b) a practical utilitarian space, with room to dump keys, bags, mail, etc. However, one must work with what one has! The front door and a large window dominate the northern side of the room, with walls on the eastern and southern sides, and a short wall on the western side. The short wall is also along the main path from front door to the rest of the house, so I don't want too much protruding furniture in this area. If we planned on staying in the home for the long term, I would place a decorative fireplace here as it is the perfect position and size for a character adding fire. However, while we debate that possible addition, it will make a great transition area, with room for an attractive console table.

Chinese butcher's table, Wisteria

The advantages of a console table in the position are two fold. Initially it can act as a spot for a catch-all. I would choose a console with drawers, perhaps a drawer for each family member?

Interiors

Catherine compiled a fantastic post on console options, here is my favourite:

Home Beautiful via Simply Natural

Alas, no drawers in a trestle table.

Secondly, it would provide the perfect vignette location, offering a chance to create a welcoming display of either mementos and props, a photograph wall or perhaps a great mirror to help reflect some light around the room.

We currently have our sofas positioned in front of the northern window and against the eastern wall, and due to the gorgeous northern sunlight we receive, we are happy with this layout.

Pottery Barn

What do need is a corner table between the sofas, in addition to the ottoman I described above. I am also loving the rug. I guess I would be thinking green or blue stripes or possibly a white and tea combination. This rug of course would be wonderful...

Something's Gotta Give house via Cote De Texas (one of the definitive posts on this house!).

We definitely need to review our options to house the television though. It sits against the southern wall,so is visible from the front door. I want something I can close the doors on, but that is not too bulky or awkward to use. I know hubby will not like the idea of covering the TV, but there are times when I just want it hidden away, so you can truly focus on the company and conversation ;).

Stanley Furniture for Coastal Living via Daisy Pink Cupcake

I am open to either white or possibly green dresser-type cabinet/armoire. If I went white, I would be after something with a slight country feel to it, without it getting cutesy. If we went with a colour instead, I would be interested in assessing some more eclectic options, maybe a slight Asian feel?

Michael Smith

To help create a cosy feeling, I want to find some low and open sitting options to fit on the western side of the ottoman/coffee table. Possibly two stools - not the first choice of seating, but an option that provides some extra seating without physically or visually encumbering entering the sofa area.

There is also a corner near the front door which could provide an area to sit and remove shoes or hang a school bag/hat. It would have to be small, so I am thinking a small bench seat with either a lift-up lid or drawers underneath for storage. Above would be some hooks and shelf.

Skona Hem via Shannon Fricke

This shelf with hooks would be great and would be straight forward to recreate.

Atlanta Bartlett via Pure Style Home

So there you have - a whole heap of ideas that I would love to incorporate into our lounge room given the time and resources. Like most things, it is a project best achieved over time. If I manage to achieve any of these elements, I will be sure to share with you all!

(Also, there were a few images I didn't record a source for - if anyone knows those sources, please speak up as I would appreciate acknowledging the owners/stylists etc).

Knock, knock...

2009-02-17T21:03:00.004+10:30

Hubby returned home at nearly midnight and said I had a friend waiting to come inside. I looked out and saw this waiting on my front door mat!

Eww!

I am a country girl and have seen/shooed/caught/squashed my fair share of creep-crawlies, but this one was freaky!! I know it is hard to gauge the scale, but those wood chips that had blown in from the garden are nearly as large as a 50 cent piece...so this mama is about as large a spider as I have ever seen.

If anyone knows what species of spider it is, I would love to know. It is definitely not a Huntsman, as I am quite familiar with them.

Another way to help

2009-02-16T15:27:00.006+10:30

The clean-up is only just beginning, the grief and loss still to be dealt with. With 100% of all funds raised through the Red Cross Victorian Bush Fire Appeal to go to the victims of this tragedy, it is certainly a worthwhile and trustworthy means to make a difference to those affected.

Check out the latest way to show your support - the Chesty Bonds Singlet with the Red Cross slogan The Power of Humanity.

Only 2000 have been made, with 1000 available on-line and the other 1000 available through NSW and Vic. stores. Money well spent I say.

Go Here to purchase yours now.

Metallic Monday

2009-02-16T08:49:00.012+10:30

Image Michael Alberstat for Canadian Family magazine via PoppyTalk.

I love this idea for a whimsical note-board!

How cute to finally make use of a family piece or turn an op-shop find into something decorative and practical!

No need to alter the tray, simply string wire tightly behind both handles. Plain silver magnets and magnetic bull-clips let the tray and miscellaneous notes take pride of place.

I think this would look great in a country kitchen or could add a touch of character to a contemporary stainless steel dominated kitchen. Also a great idea for an office area or bedroom. What do you think?

Cute!

Sunday Soak

2009-02-15T07:42:00.008+10:30

Cig Harvey Photography

This most certainly looks like a way to soak away a couple of hours!

I have not been blogging this week - the Victorian bush fires left me feeling sad, disappointed, despondent...certainly struggling to find the funny side of things or beauty in the home images that I normally do.

But, I had a lovely Valentine's Day - we did nothing! Cue hubby helping with extra housework, being cheeky all day and then giving me a gorgeous massage....heaven for this mama!

So I will be back revitalised this week - I hope to see you around!

How to help

2009-02-09T23:05:00.006+10:30

blankets

If you live in Adelaide, please visit the 5aa website for details of how and what to donate to the Victoria Bushfire Appeal. All goods will be going to those affected by the fires - practical goods that are needed immediately to provide clothes, bedding, toiletries and toys for those who have lost everything.

5aa Bushfire Appeal

There are lots of drop-off points across the city.

Tune into Amanda Blair's 5aa (1395AM) 1-4pm weekday slot for more details.

A pretty garden

2009-02-06T08:42:00.012+10:30

I am fortunate enough to still have a grandmother in good health, who absolutely enjoys having a social life. Every year she hosts a large gathering of family and friends, many of whom are musicians. It becomes an absolute music extravaganza that I adore attending. These are some shots of the garden that Miss Chooken took while we were at the most recent gathering.

The "music party" lasts for 3 days, with guests coming from all over South Australia, Victoria and usually some from overseas each year. At any one time, there are about 80-100 people floating around and relaxing in the shade.

I told you that my Opa owned the Gnome book - well here are the two main characters from the beautiful illustrations. The best sort of garden gnome!

Everyone sits under the veranda, pergola and in the garden to enjoy the food, wine, music and company for the weekend.

Most of the musicians are fold musicians, playing everything from Celtic, bluegrass, country and bush music. We either camp in the large back yard, stay with family and friends in the town or book out the local motels.

Looking back towards the pergola. This year was the 19th year my Oma has hosted the party. The weekend began as a 40th wedding anniversary for my Oma and Opa, and they thought they would invite some of their folkie friends. We are hoping that she has the stamina to hold just one more, to mark the 20th anniversary of her wedding day and the memory of her husband, my Opa, who we lost a few years ago. Before he passed away, Opa told Oma that "The music must go on".

Love you Oma!

The Haircutter's Equation...

2009-02-05T23:01:00.008+10:30

One 4 year old girl

one pair of scissors

Lots of locks found on the bathroom floor,

and

an emergency trip to the hairdresser,

who could only salvage so much.....

I really thought her bob haircut was short enough...apparently not.

But Miss Chooken likes it...kinda.

I should have seen it coming - many a doll lately has been to the "beautician".

I have two distinct memories of hair cutting at the same age.
1. Hiding behind the brown couch with my sister, "trimming" her hair.
2. Getting the Barbie curler stuck in the hair of my neighbour and cutting out a chunk from the top of her head. Her mum was furious with me. Sorry Sarah.

I hope Miss Chooken does not have similar aspirations ;).

When a tree just does not suffice...

2009-02-03T19:38:00.008+10:30

I received this email today and it was too cute not to share. I believe it originates from a family in Maude (Victoria?) an area which has been experiencing a heat wave like us in Adelaide. They just offered the little fella a bucket of water and he couldn't resist a dip!

For any overseas reader - this is not normal koala behaviour!! I have personally seen one koala drink from a creek when I was working in a very isolated area of the Adelaide Hills,but this little guy obviously needed a bigger cool down :). I hope it survived the heat.

Thanks Trudy for the email, I loved it :)

Sunday Soak

2009-02-01T08:31:00.005+10:30

Country Living

I adore the simplicity of this bathroom. Lovely shaped tub, simple planter stand for more texture and colour, telephone faucet, the sash windows and simple window treatment.

My soak may have to be in tepid water - I'm not sure I could handle any hot baths right now. As I speak it is a cooler morning than the past week, but I can feel the temperature rising. Oh well, it can not last forever...I hope!

We struggled with the first back at Kindy for Miss Chooken, and Miss Sunshine has not been impressed at having to play so much inside. Very restrictive for a near-2 year old!

Wherever you are, I hope you are coping as best you can with the heat (or storms in northern Australia). Have a lovely Sunday :)

Sunday Sleep-in

2009-01-23T20:33:00.004+10:30

May the morning light be gentle on your eyes and warm your soul.

May the first sounds bring a smile to your lips.

Have a lovely Sunday (and Monday if you love in Australia!).

Image: Bolig via Simply Grove

Does your partner cook?

2009-01-23T09:46:00.004+10:30

For the 1st time in their 3 year marriage, a wife asked if her husband would mind making the next day's lunches for them both.

Obligingly he agrees.

The next morning, the young wife asks her loving husband, 'Where is our lunch honey?'

He replied, 'I placed it on the second shelf of the fridge. My lunch is the one on the left, and yours is on the right'

Have a look at the photo... LOVE IT!!!

(from the email folder)

A giggle for Friday...

2009-01-23T09:33:00.007+10:30

As someone studying Human Resources, I have been paying more and more attention to how people prepare a successful resume - but the blunders can be far more entertaining! Perhaps you have sent off a resume with one or two mistakes (or maybe you are a good proof-reader!), but there are plenty of examples of candidates who missed the mark....some of my favourites:

Candidate explained an arrest by stating, “We stole a pig, but it was a really small pig.”

Candidate specified that his availability was limited because Friday, Saturday and Sunday was "drinking time."

Candidate explained that he works well nude.

Homer Simpson maybe???

Resume Mistakes

Surfs Up!

2009-01-19T12:12:00.007+10:30

Miss Chooken showing her style.

We spent a glorious afternoon at Goolwa beach on the weekend. It was simply fantastic to get out of the house and have some time as a family. Both our girls enjoy the beach and it was too nice a day to waste!

Miss Sunshine loves the water.

Hubby and the girls jumping waves.

I got to try out my new wet-suit (Christmas pressie from hubby) and had lots of fun doing some boogie-boarding. I caught some great rides right into shore and on one ride I was really having an epic (lol) moment, when I looked up to see no-one on shore had seen my skills (ha!) at catching such a great wave. Oh well, hubby reassured me that often our best work goes unnoticed - can anyone relate to that? It was actually quite hard work trying to get past the little breakers and the sets were coming very tight and fast. I will definitely be doing more though - it is a refreshing way to exercise and my legs feel like that have done a session on a StairMaster ;).

How is your summer (or winter!) going?

Happy, happy new year!

2009-01-19T08:49:00.003+10:30

The new year is well and truely off and running. I for one am glad to welcome in a new year, new energy, new optimism....lots of beginnings!

My new year kicked off with a unplanned trip back to our home town, camping with the in-laws, staying at my mum's property a few days, and then a long weekend spent at music party held by my Oma every year.

My dreams for the coming year include:

-my Miss Sunshine walking independently. She turns two in February and has Global Developmental Delay caused by a band heterotopia. If anyone has any experience with this condition (or other neuronal conditions), I would sincerely love to hear from you.

- Miss Chooken have a fulfilling year at kindy.

- hubby finding the time to take up a hobby he has been coveting for a while now.

- fulfilling my resolutions and plans.

What dreams do you have for 2009?

Image from here.

Metallic Monday

2009-01-16T15:25:00.007+10:30

Anyone for tea? A gorgeous collection of these teapots would be a nice start!

Now the hard part - what cake to serve alongside......mmmmmm :).

Silver teapots via Country Living.

While we were away...

2009-01-16T15:11:00.015+10:30

...the kids did play!

Miss Sunshine and Millie, my mother's Jack Russell puppy.

I took photos of mum's shed - it is made from flattened 40 gallon metal drums (and a variety of other materials). I love the colours of the faded plank door and the passion fruit vine against the oxidised metal.

Look at the colours of the passion fruit flower - simply gorgeous! I hope mum gets some fruit off them this year. (And I am having fun with the macro function - can you tell??)

But just to keep it real folks, I have to share my bee encounter of that day. When the sunshine struck the fresh clover on mum's lawn (please refer to photograph of Miss Sunshine above), the bees came out for a taste. All was fine until I felt something crawling up my jeans. I didn't at first think of a bee - who would? After all, I was feeling the bug somewhere on my upper thigh-hip area and surely I would have felt it crawl the whole length of my leg?!?!

Worried that I may have an earwig or something equally disturbing about to greet me by poking it's little head out from under the waist band of my favourite Sass&Bide jeans, I grabbed what material I could and squashed the unknown bug before unceremoniously dropping my dacks on mum's lawn. Only as I attempted to delicately roll out the still unidentified bug did I realise it was a bee. Just as I thought I was in the clear and the now squished bee was out of my pants, his little stinger just jabbed me! The little bugger!

Luckily I am not allergic and a few minutes with some ice kept the swelling to a minimum (if not the itchiness the following day after I scratched it in my sleep).

Lesson here people: wear a bee-suit when playing on a clover-filled lawn. It will have all the kids looking at you like you are their favourite clown.

Friday Fun!

2009-01-16T08:58:00.007+10:30

Seriously, how fun would it be to fill this baby up and just soak and soak and soak? No answering the phone, knocks at the door for cable tv you don't want, no requests for more play-doh, chocolate biscuits or every toy seen in the latest catalogue.....sigh.

My hot water service would probably never recover. The tub definately rivals this one.

You would end up the cleanest little prune ever, but what bliss!!!

Have a lovely weekend all - I will see you next week!

xx

Image: Darryl Carter via the gorgeous Pure Style Home

Desk Inspiration

2009-01-15T15:22:00.018+10:30

Blog land has been inundated with images of office and work spaces recently - I guess the beginning of a new year has many of us renovating and looking for inspirational spaces. I guess I have been looking for ideas for not just a desk, rather inspiration for an area in which I can study, file, write letters etc. I don't have a whole room to devote to a study unfortunately, rather a nook in our guest bedroom. We need to keep it a guest room as we often have hubby's parents and my mum stay for weekends. So a neat, presentable study area in the guest room will have to suffice.

Here are my inspiration images so far.

I have about this much room to work with (!!!) so I have to fit as much workspace and storage in as possible, without it being cluttered. Impossible -hmm, maybe. I am hoping uniform colours etc will help minimise the cluttered look.

An antique secretary like this would be lovely (something you can shut the lid on!), but my budget wont go this far. I actually inherited one off my dad, but in my foolish youth (oh, about 3 years ago, lol), I gave it back to him. Silly, silly me. Maybe he doesn't need it after all????

Love the old school feel of this set-up. Almost looks like someones father rigged-up the shelf between two cupboards, but the set of small drawers match the timber of the cupboards, so maybe that is how it came?? I guess the modern equivalent of the small drawers are cardboard photo boxes, which I am sure I will be making use of to hold study paraphernalia.

Love the idea of utilising filing cabinets as a desk base under a desk. The turquoise colour is gorgeous too, although it wouldn't co-ordinate with my room. A soft pink or white would look great, but I am hoping to have a go at something more like this:

Obviously the effect wouldn't be quite as fabulous as this 4 drawer stack, but it would liven up even a small filing cabinet. I believe Mary covered her set in an enlarged photocopy, but I have seen the same idea achieved with wallpaper and also painting a stencil. Not sure which route I will take yet.

Images via

Emma's Designblogg

source unknown

Laurie Reynolds via Habitually Chic

Domino

The kind of treat you wear...

2009-01-15T13:22:00.010+10:30

... all over your face. Well, you do if you are nearly two!

Miss Sunshine had a hard morning at physiotherapy, so I thought a nice chocolate biccies was in order. All good, except the melting all over the place part.

I would be worried about getting a kiss too...

I managed to get these shots before having a little chocolate hand wiped over my lap - thanks lovie!

Miss Chooken then used the distraction to pinch the camera and take some shots outside - what a sky!

And yesterday in the heat Miss Chooken washed her face and brushed her teeth especially for me to take a pic of her without any grot on her cute cheeks. I think she had heard me recently complain about not being able to get a photograph of the girls with clean faces. Miss Chooken dressed herself - she is loving choosing her own clothes lately. I just have to make sure she remembers her underwear and it is all good!!

Resolution #7 - Drink more water

2009-01-14T13:30:00.006+10:30

Well, I am trying, really, I am.

It is just that a coffee in the morning helps me get going, and then during the day I just forget to drink...much of anything.

Not good for the body, I know.

So in order to actually achieve a fairly simple resolution, I am filling a pitcher of water each day and placing it with a glass on the kitchen bench where I walk past countless times a day. A pretty in your face reminder, no??

I am also carrying around a drink bottle as I play with the girls and do my chores. Between the two of them, it is really the minimum I should be drinking each day, but it is better than what I was drinking :).

How are your resolutions going?

Birthday Inspiration!

2009-01-13T10:16:00.013+10:30

My little Miss Sunshine is turning two (!!!) in February - I am not sure where those two years have gone exactly, but I know it is time for me to get planning for a special little birthday party! Miss Sunshine loves all of the following...

Balloons

Hand-bags and purses

(Oh yes, she is obsessed with handbags - will load up a bag with keys and cards, blow me a kiss and go to the front door :)).

And baby dolls.

So, what am I going to do for Miss Sunshine's 2nd Birthday? I am not sure yet...any ideas are welcome, so don't be shy, drop me a comment!

Metallic Monday

2009-01-12T22:45:00.007+10:30

Well, I am back from 10 days away - whoa, it is hard to get back to normality! I need to do a huge re-organise of our living areas....the clutter left over from Christmas etc etc has not miraculously found itself a home while I was away. I guess it is up to me! Some of these cute zinc baskets would be a nice start :)

Serenity

2009-01-01T12:16:00.006+10:30

Well, we are off for another unplanned week away and I am so looking forward to it! Here is my Sleep-in Sunday just a few days early - what a retreat this room would be! A few too many pillows for me personally, but I love the large trunk giving a hit of colour and a rustic quality to the refined room, the bed frame has lovely proportions and I could just sink into the couches for an afternoon read of a long ignored novel....sigh!

I hope you got a sleep-in on New Year's Day - I was awoken by Miss Chooken who had already "packed" her bags for our trip, so cute. So I am now off to do some real packing and organising. Will pop in if I can while I am away from home.

2008-12-31T09:33:00.009+10:30

Great list from Jorjah-B via The Vintage Chair.

RULES: There are 100 statements and you bold the ones you have done.
(I have altered a few to make it a little more applicable for Aussies, excuse my parochialism).

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band {sang}
4. Visited Bali
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo {lots!}
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept in an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (solar)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a 6 in cricket
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Uluru in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (definitely want to do this)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Had a photo taken at any "big/"giant" tourist spot (eg. Big Banana, Lobster, Golden Guitar)
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (McDonald's counts right?)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (apart from Miss Chooken's portraits)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (in my daughter's room)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (well, had a poem published in a book)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House/Parliament House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (helped mum pluck a duck and chook)
88. Had chicken pox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake (lol, not the "Great Salt Lake", but Beachport's Salt Lake)
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Lots of things that are on my to-do life list.

2009 Resolutions and Plans

2008-12-30T11:22:00.012+10:30

(Image)

Hmmm, time to think about resolutions and plans for the coming year. We certainly have some plans we will be working towards - resolutions are a bit harder for me, lol.

I have decided to keep the resolutions simple.

#1. Complete 4 more subjects of my second Bachelor Degree.
#2. Consistently plan meals for each week and stick to it.
#3. Have a 15 minute clutter-bust each night once the girls are in bed.
#4. Ensure dishes are done each night (I hate waking up to a benchload of dishes, ugghhh!).
#5. Make more couple time for me and hubby.
#6. Make more time for me to spend how I want.

#7. Drink more water.

#8. Get more than 4-5 hours sleep a night.

All pretty self-explanatory. #5&6 will require me finding a trustworthy baby-sitter and budgetting for them. We don't have much family in our city, certainly not many in a position to help with baby-sitting duties. So, it is time for me to find someone outside of the family who I can trust with my girls. Any advice re. looking for a babysitter is very welcome, so leave me a comment :)

As for plans for 2009...

#1. Sort out my laundry (re-paint, replace washing machine, hang tumble-drier on wall, install some shelving, maybe change internal door to a bi-fold to create space, change external door with a window in improve ventilation).

#2. Redecorate Miss Sunshine's bedroom. Miss Sunshine will be moving out of her cot soon, and I am planning to redecorate her room to co-incide with the bed-move. I want another power-point installed in her room also. Apart from that, it will be cosmetic changes.

#3. Finally get our walk-in-robe organised. Some sort of shelving, please!

#4. Shelves put in half the girls robes.

#5. Put veranda out the back of our living room. Probably the biggest job to do....

#6. Move computer/office into the spare room. Will need desk, shelves and drawers. Definately got some inspiration for this room, but will take some hunting around. Computer-desk currently in living room near our kitchen, but I would love this space converted to a walk-in pantry-fridge area. Will see what happens with that, but definately achievable to move office area into spare-room.

#7. Hubby will finish a small retaining wall, which I can then plant out to cover a very ugly fence. Will also get a water tank put there (maybe by winter?!!??).

#8. Paint our living room.

This list will be refered back to throughout the year to remind me to keep focused on what we want to achieve!!!

Metallic Monday

2008-12-21T10:41:00.004+10:30

What an awesome sink! Brushed nickle sink with chrome faucets spied on Country Living. I think this take on a farm-house sink would be at home in both country, industrial and contemporary styled kitchens. I love it here contrasting with the sash windows, dark timber cupboards and ceramic jug holding beautiful hydrangeas - *heart* it!

Christmas Tree!

2008-12-21T10:24:00.007+10:30

So after the unplanned trip to my hometown, I have been slow in sharing a pic of our Christmas tree. Here it is - lots of simple hand-made decorations that Miss Chooken and I created together. Miss Sunshine loves pulling them off, so luckily they are fairly indestructible. My favourites are the dough-craft ornaments, and the general idea is so applicable to other occasions through the year, I am sure we may do some more before next Christmas. Miss Chooken loved gluing the paper patty-pans too. Only a few presents have been placed under the tree, as the girls can't quite resist opening them, and we have said that Father Christmas leaves presents under the tree and gifts from mummy and daddy will be in a stocking for each of them. Next year I plan to make the girls a slightly larger stocking each, with a monogram of their initials.

(And sorry about the flashed-out shot of the tree, lighting technician I am not ;) ).

Sunday Soak

2008-12-20T22:55:00.007+10:30

After all your hard work getting ready for Christmas, I hope you may be able to find time before the big day to unwind in a tub full of bubbles/bath salts/rose petals, maybe with a book, a candle flickering and even a nice beverage. Sounds good to me!

image courtesy Phoebe Howard

Surprise trip!

2008-12-19T22:09:00.026+10:30

After some quick juggling of plans, I decided on Monday to take the girls for a short trip back to my home town, particularly as we wont be going there next week for Christmas. We stayed at my mum's house and had a great time catching up with a lot of my family and it was so worth the effort! I was hoping to take some photos of mum's home, but after three battery changes, my camera was still playing up.....will be going to the camera shop to get it sorted out before Christmas. I did manage to get some nice shots in the vegetable garden, so here are some more pics of flowers and vegetables!

As you walk down to mum's garden, you are greeted by a gorgeous row of sunflowers lined up along a fence made of old galvanised iron sheets...

Mum (otherwise known as Ma Ma) follows the rambling garden pattern - ie. no set pattern, which she believes helps to confuse pests (she does not use sprays at all). Here is mum with Miss Chooken. The poor scarecrow is face-down in the strawberry patch, he needs a bit of work :)

Mum with a handful of strawberries...

Red cabbages all in a row...

Spring onion flower, such a gorgeous form. The flower head is nearly as big as an orange.

The shard or rainbow silverbeet.

More rainbow shard, yellow variety too.

Cornflower...

Artichoke...

A squash flower...such a pretty star shape.

Bean flowers...

Some of our bounty, a basket of strawberries and Miss Chooken pulling some carrots.... I need to get her into the garden more - when I asked her to pick some carrots, she was rifling through the carrot tops saying "Where?? Where are they mummy? I can't see them!" "Yes, you have to pull them out of the ground".

Miss Chooken and I also solved the mystery of Ma Ma's plucked radishes. Mum had been finding her radishes pulled up sans the leaf-tops. Miss Chooken spied the neighbours' horse reaching over the fence and helping himself to the radishes, but he was actually knocking the radishes on the fence so they dropped onto the ground, leaving the young leaves for the horse to eat. Clever horse!

Mum's farm cat Tom Tom. Yes, a cat on a hot tin roof :)

Miss Sunshine liked feeding the chooks and ducks...

Some of the old girls.

What a great time we had, family, sunshine, fresh air. It was hard to come home, but we were missing hubby/daddy and it is always good to sleep in your own bed. Now I have the weekend to catch-up on Christmas preparations and some laundry. What are your last minutes jobs to do before the holidays?

One Pretty Thing mention!

2008-12-15T08:18:00.005+10:30

Thank you to One Pretty Thing for giving our dough-craft a mention in today's post on "Fun Christmas and winter themed projects for kids". Miss Chooken and I had so much fun making them, I hope someone else does too :).

Flowers in my garden

2008-12-14T00:51:00.013+10:30

A male zucchini flower.

We don't have a big flowering garden...but Miss Chooken has been growing some vegetables and fruits in pots (with the help of her dad, Nanny and myself).

Female zucchini flower.

Strawberry - so pretty.

There is one hiding - not for long though!

Cucumber flower - no fruits yet.

Tomato flowers.

Not quite ripe, but a nice size.

Will probably pick this one tomorrow!

Finally- the neighbours' geranium that grows over our fence - and I don't mind one little bit! The fence is so ugly and the geranium looks so sweet forcing it's way through and over it. I keep meaning to take some cuttings as apparently they strike very easily. And Miss Chooken loves to pick the flowers :).

Sunday Sleep-in

2008-12-13T15:52:00.006+10:30

Yes, I am feeling very romantic and girly at the moment....I love the take on the canopy (hung close to the ceiling and actually made of two lengths of cloth - a cute photo in the space on the wall between would be sweet), the slightly imperfect-fitting headboard covers (although I would have a single large bedhead), and finally the fresh blooms in a soft apricot colour.

Image of a French apartment from Oliveaux.

Keeping it real - it's Friday!

2008-12-12T09:19:00.008+10:30

Well we have had a great week - got some Christmas decorating time with the girls (although not finished yet), Miss Chooken finished her first term of kindergarten, then got hit by a gastro-bug and is still recovering. After a very restless night (where I couldn't sleep as I jumped every time she groaned, fearing a mess from one end of the other covering me in my sleep), we were up nice and early to find our summer weather gone, replaced by some showers and subsequent puddles. Didn't think too much about it until Miss Sunshine's presence was noted missing...here she is outside playing in the puddles and wet furniture,

Her pyjamas soaking and certainly not too clean anymore. Note the pile of wet chalk that Miss Chooken will have fun with once she picks up a bit today -wet chalk always draws easier.

And while I am keeping it real, I need to confess about our Christmas tree.....Hubby did a trip to our home town (some 500km away) last weekend to pick-up some stored furniture we had there. Seeing as the town is surrounded by pine trees, he thought it a great opportunity to cut his own tree and lug it all the way back to the city (well, he had a trailer-full anyway!). All good, except in true dad style, the tree was huge and required some doctoring to fit in the house ("It really didn't look that big out in the paddock...").

The tree then required a little more doctoring when we got it inside only to smell realise that a visiting canine had used said tree to mark his territory while tree was outside waiting to be doctored to fit through the door. Luckily, it was only some lower branches (easily cut off) and the smell no longer permeates our lounge room. Yes, I was more than willing to ditch the whole tree (even after travelling 500km!) if the smell did not disappear....it was not the authentic Christmas pine perfume I was after!!! But all is now good in Christmas tree land, and we should have the decorating finished over the weekend. More pics then!

Have a great weekend everyone, and keep it real out there!

Summer Holiday

2008-12-11T12:15:00.024+10:30

Well, we aren't having one. I know, sigh. Hubby will be working apart from the public holidays, so I am dreaming of a beach holiday in a beautiful beach house, with lots of warm days, a fresh breeze, lots of yummy fruit......maybe in a place a bit like these......a girl can dream!

Have a breakfast of fresh fruit, croissants and brewed coffee, before grabbing your beach towel as you head out the door... (also loving the collection of glassware and agapanthas blooms)...

Head out the door, look out over your pool to the beach just a short stroll away... (ah, pool vs. beach...hard choices)...

Maybe you need to pedal down to the beach...this is a nice way to get there.

And then you would need a gorgeous umbrella to lie under...(a bit awkward to carry on the bike, I know).

Or maybe a deckchair is your preference over the sun-lounge (I'll pass on the pebble beach though, sorry UK!).

Come home and clean-up in totally over-the-top shell-inlaid bathroom...

Before having a scrummy meal of seafood, salad and light wine on pretty place-setting like this one..

And retiring to a serene living room to finish your wine and plan your next hectic day of beach-bumming...

Feeling nostalgic

2008-12-11T09:06:00.013+10:30

This year is one of only two in 13 years that hubby and I have not returned to our childhood home to spend Christmas with our extended families. I was feeling OK about it, excited even, as I now have the opportunity to plan my own menu for a small gathering on Christmas Day......but I have just seen a few images around that are bringing back memories of "home" (yes, I still call it home after more than a decade).

Gnome book - both my dad and Opa had this book and I loved it as a child.....there is one particularly gruesome picture in it of a troll and a gnome....and a nearly nude-shot of a female gnome that I thought was so racy as a kid (!!!!). Book spotted over at A Cup of Jo.

This fireplace.....where do I start? It has so many memories for me. My family has one exactly the same. It began life in my Oma and Opa's lounge room and my Oma would heat a kettle on the hotplate. It has gorgeous little windows to watch the flames and I love the chrome coal-bar at the front and the curved legs it sits on. It also has a side-door (not visible in this pic) that you can use to place any extra-long logs in the firebox. When my family built our own home in the early 1990's, my grandparents replaced their fire with a new one, and my dad and I restored their old one......it took some elbow-grease with a wire brush, a coat of pot-black, new fire-bricks and a new flue, but it still goes today. Our beautiful family home was bought by my cousin a few years ago, and he still lives there with his family, so I occasionally get to visit my most special childhood home. Hopefully I will get there in the next couple of months and take some photos to share my memories. Image found here.

All the Christmas posts with pine cones and pine trees has me missing the tree hunt we would have as children each December. Our home was nearly surrounded by pine forests and our block of land used to have a plantation also. There are still a few stands of pines from the 1970's standing, and there are always some young pines to choose for our Christmas tree. It was always a joke that dad and us kids would come back, dragging a tree that ended up being 12 ft tall and barely able to fit through the french doors.....even with fairly generous ceilings, the tip would be bent over and dad would have to chop a couple of feet off to make it fit in the house. Which reminds me, I need to take some photos of our Christmas tree....post to come in next couple of days :).

Christmas Craft for the Craftless #1

2008-12-10T14:15:00.022+10:30

I love hand-crafted goodies, be it ornaments, food, furniture - you name it. However, I am not that crafty.....love the idea of it, just not so good at the application of it, lol. But this year, I was determined to do some fun, easy Christmas craft with my daughters, that did not cost the earth. I have a great children's activity book from the late 1970's that had a recipe for modelling dough and it brought back very fond memories of my mother making us dough dolls. They were beautiful - I believe mine had a red ribbon and a white dress. I have been inspired by gorgeous white ceramic ornaments, some of which I mentioned here.

I have also been inspired by paper-craft, especially the "use-what-you-have-around-the-house" kind, as demonstrated by stylist Megan Morton in the Christmas edition of Australian House and Garden. Although my attempts are base-line basic, it looks good on the tree and has been fun to do with my children :)

Here is Miss Chooken gluing paper patty-pans together to form a cute white chain for our Christmas tree...

Note the patty-pan chain forming in the background.

Next we had a go at the modelling-dough:
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup salt
1/2 cup water
Mix till smooth, roll out and cut desired shapes, remember to make a hole with a skewer if you want to hang them.
Let dry in a slow oven or at room temperature for a few days.
Once completely dry, paint, decorate, varnish...whatever is your fancy!

Above - the uncooked ornaments. Once dried, they are a slightly whiter colour. We decided to paint ours as that is more fun for a 4 year old, but I think they would also look great spray varnished and adorned with red ribbon.

Patty-pan chain nestled in the tree also.

I also had a go at making some simple paper ornaments. Cut out 4-5 strips of paper of your choosing. Join each strip end-to-end. Loop each circle through each other and join with a decorative pin. On the opposite side to the pin, thread through cotton or ribbon to secure and to hang. I used some of the dough-beads Miss Chooken and I made out of the left-over modelling-dough. Cute as.

These decorations don't get much cheaper and were lots of fun to make together. I hope to do a similar paper-ball for the place-settings or Christmas day, but if you had letter stamps, you could have a go at stamping someones name on a dough-tag as a place-setting, would look really sweet. They probably wont last for next Christmas....the paper will get squashed, the dough will eventually go mouldy.....but I love the proud look on a child's face when they see something they have made on display - priceless :).

xxx

A little sunshine, a little breeze...

2008-12-08T15:37:00.007+10:30

....makes for great drying on the clothes line! I just love seeing my line full of clean clothes, waving in the breeze.....it is the baskets full of washing waiting to be folded or (even worse) ironed that I am not keen on. I am not sure how families who live in areas where it is illegal to dry clothes outside, are able to cope...the electricity costs must be amazing :(.

While I still have lots to organise for Christmas, I caught up with a few things on the home front today, which has left me feeling somewhat accomplished! I hope you had a productive start to the week too.

image from here.

Metallic Monday

2008-12-08T08:57:00.005+10:30

I'm not usually one for over-doing the whole heart motif, but I think this food cover would be so cute at summer-time, having afternoon tea on your verandah or out in the garden/patio with some friends.

Wire food cover found here.

Just around the corner...

2008-12-04T13:02:00.001+10:30

Christmas is calling!

2008-12-04T08:18:00.012+10:30

Yes, believe it or not, Christmas is getting a little closer every day....I know, it is unbelievable, lol. How are your preparations going? Do you have to plan a meal? a trip away? We are having a small Christmas lunch at our place this year, with my mum, brother and sister-in-law. So far I have decided on the menu for the day.... and that is about all! I still have not done the present shopping, although I do have a list. We have not finished our decorations yet, I need to buy some paper. I did buy some cute vintage napkins the other day, so my table setting idea is coming together slowly. So still plenty for me to do in the next few weeks.

To get more inspiration I like to peruse magazines.....I think I have every Christmas edition of every magazine in the country (am I sounding like Sarah Palin???). I also find it really hard to throw away Christmas editions....so some of my ideas come from the last few years. I just change the colour schemes etc, to suit what I have planned for this year. My favourite magazines include ideas for table settings, decorations and meals that are achievable in a family home :). Tomorrow I will post me favourite Christmas ideas from the latest editions so you know which magazines to purchase (if you haven't already!). Where do you get Christmas inspiration from?

image from here.

Bubbas, bubbly, beautiful!

2008-11-24T21:46:00.023+10:30

Wow, what a gorgeous weekend! It was busy, it was fun, it was relaxing, it was memorable... all the things you like a few days with your sister and mother to be. Jess's baby shower was ssooooo much fun! Jess had a great group of friends who were into having a good time together even though we didn't all know each other previously.....it is great when a new crowd get along so easily at parties, isn't it?

Miss Chooken keeping an eye on the cupcakes.

Party favours on the left.

Close-up of the party favours, which held a small bottle of cocoa-butter, a small soap, a blue and pink pen and also a pattern for a softie Jess made - all wrapped up in a face-cloth "nappy".

Playing the "spit-the-dummy" game (there were a few very good spitters!).

Our mum's turn at "Stick-the-dummy-on-the-baby" game.

Miss Chooken made great friends with little Sarah for the day!

Jess having a blast opening the gifts for her and baby.

Lisa showing one of the prizes we made or each game. Each prize was a baby's bottle filled with lollies and tied to a little bottle of bubbly.

Miss Sunshine had a great time.

Mum, Miss Chooken, Jess, Miss Sunshine - all recovering well from a busy weekend.

Metallic Monday

2008-11-23T23:26:00.001+10:30

A lovely grape gathering bucket from Wisteria. I can also picture it being used to collect blooms from your own garden (or your neighbours' maybe!) and to display flowers in your own home. Wood collections can look a little strange during Australia's hot summers, but a weathered bucket holding a gorgeous bunch of flowers is a simple way to add texture and colour to a hearth in the warm weather. What else would you use this cute bucket for?

Sunday Sleep-in...

2008-11-22T22:50:00.001+10:30

...and hopefully someone to bring you breakfast too :)

Loving the masculine blacks and greys combined with the pink blush in the throw and roses, the casual yet romantic part-canopy and the simple bedside - beautiful combination.

image - Country Living - House of the Year 2008, just gorgeous!

Gotta fly darl!

2008-11-21T17:43:00.008+10:30

I'm off to Sydney for a few days! Have a fabulous weekend and I will catch you early next week!

carved wood, tin and glass plane here.

Real quick - some nice finds!

2008-11-21T13:44:00.023+10:30

ok, so I am meant to be packing etc for the weekend trip, but I stopped in at the local op-shops this morning on the way back from one of Miss Sunshine's many medical appointments. Picked up a few nice things and quickly wanted to share! Nothing has been cleaned up, but you get the idea...

First up, inspired by Eddie Ross' recent adventure, I rummaged (seriously, it is two ramshackle sheds behind a church!) and found the collection of silver and wooden spoons. Also a pink hand-bag for Miss Sunshine (not shown). The silver ones are pretty beat-up (not sure yet if they will be ok to serve with) but I will give them a good polish and see how they come up. Now I need to learn more about silver marks/stamps. The wooden ones I grabbed because I love wooden spoons! I like to wonder what recipes they have contributed to, who's kitchen they lived in, who's bottom they may have smacked (lol)...etc. I want a nice white ceramic pot to display them all in. If you have any ideas of how else to display wooden spoons, let me know! The $3 total I paid there also included the mid-60's edition of an Australian vernacular book. I am a bit obsessed with Aussie slang, so I have been keeping an eye out for an older book like this.

The second stop was at the Salvation Army where they are far more aware of how to display and what to charge for the goods. However, I just couldn't go past the white and cream queen sized heavy woven cotton bed spread. I love these old things and this one was in great condition so for $10 I snapped it up! The brass candle-stick matches one I already own, so it was too good an opportunity to not grab it and make a pair (and it was only $1).

I was also thinking of Christmas time and my "green theme", and I could picture the (rather ugly) green cocktail glass, put to much prettier use as a dish to hold sweets on my Christmas table. I also grabbed the little silver cake (maybe cheese?) server and the (not so vintage) glass cloche. I think it was a cheese cloche (?) and I am not keen on the two-tone wooden base, but thought I could either paint the base (white or charcoal maybe?) or use the glass dome on a white ceramic plate stand to present Christmas tarts or similar. Or maybe leave the wood plain? It is about the diameter of a large bread/side plate. Any other ideas? I would love to hear your thoughts! So all up I spent $20 - I think my favourite purchase is actually the retro bedspread :)

A touch of green...

2008-11-20T16:05:00.002+10:30

I mentioned here my burgeoning love affair with this shade of green, but I am really starting to find a lot of inspiration for how to include it in my home. It sure doesn't hurt when the images include my sort of styling too! Yay! for Nibs for sharing this one, it made my day :)

Seriously, how supremo is that bathroom??? Probably too "rustic" (read "ridiculous") for the hubby and I am sure my ole granddad would have ask why I was bathing the children in a cattle trough, but I *heart* it muchly!

The little kitchen nook is so sweet and rang a bell after reading about Kimberlee's penchant for indoor plants this summer over at the gorgeous Brown Button. I like the pots sitting in an old crate too, would look nice on a patio courtyard or veranda.

from designer Gudrum Sjoden via Nibs

The busy-ness of babies...

2008-11-19T17:39:00.015+10:30

...and baby showers.

So I am chasing up the last of my preparations for my sister's baby shower this weekend. It is very exciting for me to be sharing this new stage in her life, and Jess has gone to many lengths to include me in her pregnancy experience. Here is a hint of one of the extra contributions to the party favours bag. I am really looking forward to a great afternoon with Jess, our mother, Jess's in-laws and her many friends who are attending.... it should be lovely time.

It is always hectic trying to get the girls and myself organised for even a brief visit away, so I have lined-up a few posts to tick over till early next week. When I return I hope to share some of the fun we got up to celebrating the pending arrival of my little sisters' first bubba :) Bub isn't due to early next year, but due to having to move interstate in a few weeks, Jess decided to have some fun in the city she has called home for the last few years. The next time I visit Sydney it will be strictly for shopping purposes (although I will miss the gracious hospitality and free accommodation, lol).

Weekend Forecast: sunny and mild with a chance of babies

2008-11-18T22:43:00.010+10:30

Well, hopefully no babies - yet! On Saturday morning Miss Chooken, Miss Sunshine and I fly out to Sydney with Ma Ma (my mother) to spend a few days with my gorgeous sister Jessica. Hopefully our flight will be on time as I hope to help put the finishing touches together for her baby shower that afternoon! I am so excited to see my little sis again and her ever growing belly. I just feel for her partner who has been working overseas for an extended period and only returns this Thursday - less than two days at home and he will be over-run by chatting, giggling females playing absurd baby games like Sweep-stakes (guess the sex, date and weight), spit the dummy (ie. contest for longest distance dummy spit) and a nappy change race (who can get a cloth nappy on the "baby" - ie. Miss Chooken's Baby Born - the fastest). I definitely will not win that one...two little munchkins of my own, but I never attempted the whole cloth-nappy-and-pins mountain! Wish me luck!

It will also be Miss Sunshine's inaugural aeroplane flight! I decided she would be best sitting on may lap (oh god, did I make the right decision??!!), but I am desperately hoping there is a spare seat next to us in case she wants to wriggle a bit.....but that is unlikely on a Saturday flight I guess. We will see... Miss Chooken swears she remembers when she last flew, but that was nearly 2 years ago, so I doubt it. It was also traumatic for her as I flew alone (as in no other adults with us) and we lost her then favourite teddy at a stop-over at Melbourne. She hasn't mentioned that part of the journey, so I do not think she actually remembers the flight. More likely that Playschool's "What's through the window..." has left flight images with her! In readiness I have organised a "flight survival" bag, including new pencils, colour-in books, a couple of favourite stories and room for both girl's beloved teddies. It is a pretty short flight to Sydney from Adelaide, but I know young children just do not like to be told to sit still, don't talk so loudly, don't comment on each person sitting within eyesight.....and please, no fighting! So any distractions I can offer them to get through it uneventfully will be a good thing me thinks!

Ok, I am off to purchase the last of what I need to take over for the baby shower. It should be a lot of fun, great to see my sister and lovely to see her fella home safe!

Tuesday chores

2008-11-16T13:33:00.007+10:30

So Tuesday is shopping day in our house, so trying to actually put some thought into what meals to offer up this week. It is getting depressing trying to accomodate everyones varying culinary preferences....Miss Sunshine wont eat vegetables, meat or pasta, Miss Chooken wont eat vegetables, sandwiches or much red meat, hubby requires meals that he can either take to work or are not too heavy as he is on nightshift and so has his "breakfast" at evening meal time (try stomaching meat and veg as your first meal of the day). My preferences don't often get a look-in....but I am trying!

Plus, paperwork!!! For a SAHM I find it very difficult to find time to do my paperwork! If I get it out when the girls are around, they either distract me and I end up filling out the wrong information (lost count of the amount of times I have written our surname in the "given name" box and I recently checked the "female" box on hubby's info), or they just want to "help" (please note: do NOT let a 4 yo do your filing).

Anyway, whinge over, time to get onto it!

I found a frog in the washing machine!

2008-11-16T10:19:00.004+10:30

Luckily it was only a chocolate one....

Even more lucky, it went through on the cold cycle...hot wash and I may have had chocolate coated clothes to deal with...

Metallic Monday

2008-11-15T15:16:00.011+10:30

A new feature I hope to add to every Monday - something for the metal collectors out there. Whether it is an awesome number of letter, vase or urn, chair or table, or something more random!

First offering, more random.....

I love finding things on the beach, and wondering where and who they came from....no idea what this is, but it looks cool. I used to collect bits of tumbled glass when I was a kid....the waves and sand wear the sharp edges all smooth and it looks beautiful. Now my local beach doesn't produce that kind of find, but the girls and I like looking for other things. Do you collect anything metal or from the beach? Tell me about it :)

image via flickr.

Sleep-in Sunday

2008-11-15T15:15:00.009+10:30

For anyone who got to have an extra bit of snooze time today.... and for those who didn't, I understand your disappointment ;).

image via Domino.

Just a little bit of bianco-blanc-blanco-wit

2008-11-14T14:32:00.025+10:30

I have seen a lot of lovely white ceramics lately, and although it has never really gone out of style, it sure seems to be enjoying a revival. Here are some of my fav's, both elegant and more rustic...

1. bone china angel wings, spotted at renovate and decorate.
2. tiny owl vase
3. beautiful pears
4. chirp bowl (so cute, this one pic does not do it justice, check the link!)
5. white button, blue bird
6. butterfly-dragonfly dish
7. porcelain and ceramic necklace
8. white porcelain ammonite sculpture
9. bone china feathers
10. crumpled votive bag
11. antlers (for those put-off by actual skull and horns)

"The sun is sooo hot, it is melting the cool breeze!...

2008-11-11T15:32:00.034+10:30

...I think an ice-cream will help my bones cool down mummy".

Such were the words of wisdom offered by Miss Chooken as we walked home from kindy yesterday afternoon. Sure, it was pretty warm, probably around 33-ish C. Yes, the lilly-white pins finally got to see a little sunshine today *gasp*, and I realised I have no shorts that fit. It got me thinking about preparing for the hot spell to come (because surely no-one in Aus. thinks we are going to have a cool, short summer???). Things I need for the coming hot season:

A new hat...

(Is the Kim Catrell too flamboyant for kindy drop-off and pick-up??)

A new blouse - I love that word nearly as much as "frock" :)

New shorts...

New sandles.... I love the look of good ole thongs, but my toes hate it...

Stock-up one ice-cream cones...

So what are your favourite Summer accessories? Leave me a comment on your Summer essentials, I'd love to know!

Rainbow brights for your little lights of life...

2008-11-10T09:53:00.026+10:30

Every child needs a collection of colourful crayons or pencils!

Go on a rainbow hunt together...

Read as many beautiful books together as you can beg/borrow/buy.

Hold hands whenever you get the chance (soon they will be a teenager and wont walk next to you!)

Let them colour in a door/wall of their cubby house (chalk is a good washable option).

Let them bring home their pebble collection, and tell them they can tell each pebble a special secret or that each pebble has a story to tell your child.

Let your little freckle wear a rainbow dress AND a rainbow hat to kindergarten at least once!

1. image source unknown, sorry.

2. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaqian/4412273/
3. http://www.flickr.com/photos/eccentricscholar/1912488787/
4. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajawin/2544504831/

5. http://www.flickr.com/photos/twoblueday/442641397/

6.http://www.flickr.com/photos/jef/62026440/

Thanks to Miss Chooken for the inspiration xx

Lunch or Love? All about making and consuming, non?

2008-11-08T17:56:00.015+10:30

I was going to post images of my dream kitchen when I stumbled onto Heidi Claire's blog and see that she has found just about the closest I have seen yet, it is gorgeous!

Unfortunately it is one of the few images that Heidi does not have a source for, but wow! what an inspiration! I love the farmhouse sink, the different hardware that still gels together, the pendants, marble island, copper pots hanging on the utensil rack, some dark wicker to break-up the white cupboards and match the flooring...very nice! I even like the fish tea-towels! And finally, wall-cupboards that actually extend to the ceiling! I really do not understand why so many leave a space of 10-20 centimeters between the top of the cupboard and the ceiling - such a space is useless for storing or displaying items and a pain to dust and clean. Even if the top shelves aren't "handy" enough for every day items, they are perfect for displaying other collectibles!

Now don't get excited, our kitchen reno is probably years away (definitely other rooms need more work), but a girl can dream! And plan!!! So no long list of kitchen images today, just one beautiful one that has gone into my kitchen inspiration folder :).

So many thanks to Heidi for the image and the great heading!

And......it's Friday!

2008-11-06T23:21:00.004+10:30

Where did the week go??? My plans for this weekend involve some housework, breaking out the text books, watching the Christmas pageant, planting some pretty flowers with Miss Chooken and trying to get Miss Sunshine to a) stay clean and b) stay still long enough for me to get a decent photo of her!!! Going through my overloaded picture file recently, I realised that decent pics of Miss Sunshine are few and far between....and the days with her at such a gorgeous age are too fleeting, so I had better snap some moments for prosperity!

Have a great weekend!

Time to hit the books!

2008-11-06T15:19:00.011+10:30

Well, after taking this past semester off from study (I thought we would be moving), I have signed up for a couple of subjects over the summer semester in the hopes of catching up a little. Some years ago I completed a degree in Environmental Management and worked in native vegetation management for a few years before becoming a mama. For a new challenge I am undertaking a degree in Commerce (maj. in Human Resources). I have really enjoyed it so far, and I love the idea of combining the two fields and working in recruitment or training/devlopment for environmentally orientated companies. I am not sure how the study will go over the crazy Christmas season about to begin, but it will be great to tick off a couple of more subjects and get myself that much closer to returning to the (paid) workforce.

(And I wish my text books were as enjoyable as some of the classic tales Lucy Tartan has compiled above, but Law and Business texts just aren't that exciting!)

Pic from Flickr

When I grow up....

2008-11-06T11:05:00.004+10:30

Mummy works at Home Depot and was selling a shovel......yeah, I thought something else too! With two little girls, I am really curious as to what they will want to "be" when they grow up. So far, Miss Chooken has only mentioned wanting to have a baby :) So we'll see!