Sunday 29 April 2012

crossing the ocean


'You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.' Christopher Columbus

I think for the first time I can see the new shore! This weekend we started plaster-boarding the walls - and now we can see some of the walls in place for the first time.

Survival through this journey has meant I've needed to be incredibly detail and task focussed, because if I ever looked too closely at the big picture I became entirely overwhelmed and quickly got back to 'one step at a time' mode. So it's been a big leap for me to finally step back and take it all in - to really see just what a big project it has been for a tight-budget mostly DIY - and I feel really, really amazed, really surprised, really happy and really quite courageous.

Wednesday 25 April 2012

poppies to remember


... just how fortunate we are.

Saturday 21 April 2012

cellar door awards

Our very special friends Pete and Hannah Logan's Cellar Door has been nominated as one of four finalists in the very prestigious 2012 Gourmet Traveller Awards. If you'd like to lend your support you can add your Vote Here or find out more about delicious Logan wines at their website. Good luck lovelies, we have our fingers and toes crossed.

Thursday 19 April 2012

drawstring purse


Simple and lovely. See how to create these sweet little purses over at Between the Lines.

Tuesday 17 April 2012

unexpected surprises


There is much of the renovation journey that can be predicted. I have imagined this extension for several years so much of it is about realising the vision of the spaces, the structure, the furnishings, the light. There is also much about renovating that is unpredictable and annoying, like rock where you want to excavate and sand where you want to lay a concrete slab, dodgy steel frames that and need to be constantly worked around, rain and more rain slowing the whole process down.

...and then there are the unexpected surprises...

Monday 16 April 2012

more timber floors

A few friends have asked me to expand on the finding a timber floor adventure so some thoughts follow...

I have already waxed lyrical about Tongue n Groove - Sydney in a previous post, however another discovery is a  beautiful supplier in Melbourne - Royal Oak Floors by Harper & Sandilands (pic above). I particularly love their smoked floors and they have gorgeous stair nosing (if stair nosings are your thing?!).

Another incredibly helpful supplier is Havwoods, they have a comprehensive website and can deliver direct. They have a huge range from pale to dark and their Europlank collection is a more affordable option.

Of course already familiar to most is Porter's Paints who also have a range of wide boards in lots of new colours from white, through natural and grey to black. Always beautiful.

Monday 2 April 2012

quiet hearts


'There is always music amongst the trees in the garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it' Minnie Aumonier

I have let life get too noisy lately... or was that the power tools? So today as I rather deliriously roughed in the electrical cables (only 5 hours sleep as Babe2 was up half the night vomiting) I looked beyond the construction site and realised that the Magnolias and Gardenias have not noticed the chaos, the scheduling and the dust... they are in glorious lemon-scented bloom all over the garden and I have been too lost in the noise to notice.

Hello garden, I miss you.

Sunday 1 April 2012

easter eggs


I think the Babes and I might get out the paints and decorate these beautiful wooden eggs for Easter this year. Check them out with some other Easter ideas over at Blank.