Makeover Time!

I snapped up this little beauty the other day (yes, eBay, yes, bargain!) - it's a 1930s scallop-back settee in great condition. It's dainty, at 125cm wide.

Whilst there's nothing wrong with the upholstery, it's not exactly "me". A little bit tapestry, you know? I have it in mind for my bedroom (blue/white/red), but would like to be able to shift it around between rooms when my mood dictates. So, what colour to do? My first thought is Old Faithful, white. But I do have two small children and a cat that likes to both laze about on couches AND laze about in dust baths. Besides, it may get lost against the wall. So I unearthed my stash of pics of couchy goodness.

Image via Belle Maison

Image via ebay (no longer visible)

 

What would you do?

 

 

Speaking of makeovers, check out my beautiful sister!!

Before...

 

And After...

You can see her here... I reckon she deserves a vote! Well, when the voting starts in mid May, that is.

 

 

 

(Missing photo credits will be added as I find them.)

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Big Smoke (a self-indulgent post).

We're baaa-aaack! I could blather on ad nauseum about the weekend, it was great,but I'll spare you. Here it is, snapshot style.

 

The view from the hotel was lovely. Great view of the storm, 18 floors up.

Harry was exhausted after having a sleepover with his cousins. I put him down on his feet, turned away for about 20 seconds to talk to the valet, and turned back to find this. Imagine my surprise!

Comfy, yes?

Shops, shops, shops. Need I say more? I spent most of Saturday in Kitten D'Amour.... just gorgeous. Other shops seemed boring afterwards. No photo... too busy shopping! But let's just say I went from this:

To this. I was so happy to find something to wear!

Legally Blonde. "OMG, you guys!!" Hilarious. Best musical I ever saw. The company was brilliant, the show was amazing, the seats were fantastic, the cocktails were delicious - I can't say a bad thing. I wish I could have filmed the lot!

Here are some of "my" girls...

 

Carla, Mum and I. Well, they need no introduction! Love a night out with these girls.

Kay and Beth, also rocking pin-up style dresses. They're sisters, can you tell?

 

Sasha and I. Sasha is awesome, what can I say? Everyone loves her.

 

Beth. Actually my oldest friend. Not oldest oldest, longest known. You know what I mean! I may call her spooky and weird, but actually I love her to bits. And she's not weird at all. Or spooky.

 

The road home was long.

But with some tasty stops...

 

And when I jumped in the shower, I knew I was Home Sweet Home.

 

 

 

Sweet Nothings

Harry loves his little sister. I adore hearing him gush and goo at her. Every time she wakes from a nap, he's there, nuzzling her, saying in a high-pitched baby voice..."hello cheeky little darling", or similar. Always "cheeky little", followed by either princess, cupcake, sweetie, tiger, baby, girl... you get the idea.

 

So you can imagine my dismay when this afternoon it was nuzzle and cuddle, accompanied with a "hello cheeky little ball bag..."

 

Yes. Ball Bag. That kind.

 

Boys will be boys, even when they're two.

 

 

 

Action!

Oh Me Oh My Oh Golly Gosh... I actually did it. Painted. No, it's not finished yet, but what a difference already! I do forget how the simple things like a lick of paint can make a world of difference. I still have the ceiling and the gloss trims and doors to do, and I started the feature wall but my colour just isn't right, so I'll find something else in the Big Smoke, but it was so good to actually get stuck in! I can't wait to get the kitchen finished off, so that I can do my before and after photos. It's going to be spiffy. I'm experimenting with painting wallpaper to put in the back of the glass-fronted cupboards and open shelves. I've combed the internet looking for the "right" wallpaper, but anything I like is horrendously expensive and samples have to be sent from the UK and frankly, it's all too hard. So I have some embossed paper from Bunnings, and will try it with just the one colour, or will paint the raised parts in a slightly different colour. DIY wallpaper.

 

The original:.

After one coat.

Two coats. I like that you can still see the pattern coming through. Just got to get the right colour, now.

 

One step closer to hanging up the Big Clock and setting up the coffee bar. Can't wait!

 

Life and stuff.

It seems like weeks since I visited blogland. I seem to have been so busy... mind you if you asked me what I've been doing, I'd be hard-pressed to tell you. Apparently it's called "Life". Where you do all the things you have to do, whilst actually achieving nothing. Anyway, (at the urging and the lure of a shot for every wall I paint ... thanks Beth!) I plan to actually put brush to wall today in the kitchen. It's only been about 5 months. Well. After this coffee, anyway. And once the girl goes to sleep. And if I can distract Harry from "helping" me.

We have a new toy! At our last muster I was raving about the gyrocopter we contracted to help us... well we were so impressed that we decided to get one ourselves, learn to fly, and hopefully contract out to others for their mustering. I reckon if they try it once, they'll never go without one again. Tricky thing around here is getting the old-timers to try it the first time. Hubby is away learning to fly as we speak. My turn next! One of my New Year resolutions was to be licenced for every vehicle/piece of equipment we have. If I own it, I should be able to use it, right?

I reckon she'll be a natural!

Other happenings out here? I did an interview with the Royal Flying Doctor Service for their newsletter, hopefully to help them raise funds. Mainly telling our story, really, about the birth of Vicki. I can't wait for it to come out, I'll keep a copy for her photo album. It's not every kid that is born at home and delivered solely by their Dad and little brother! So I thought that was quite neat. Love the RFDS, they are amazing. I had to supply a photo of the two kids, and it needed to be that day. No chance to snap a new one, as Harry was at childcare. Wouldn't you know it, in every semi-recent photo we have, Harry is naked, and Vicki is topless. They'll think we run a nudist colony out here! Needless to say, Harry got cropped.

***********

Ok, so it's now an hour later... I got lost in blogland again. Kitchen painted? Nope. Plaster patches sanded? Nope. Anything achieved? Nope. But I did find this great blog with this great furniture redo, which is exactly what I want to do, except that I'm sitting reading about other people doing it instead! Like this amazing transformation, right here. And I need easy access to, like, paint! Which unfortunately doesn't grow on trees out here. I wonder if Dulux would set up a paint mixer here, I could just mix my own as I need it! I reckon that would be Fun with a capital F.

 

Ok. Off to sand. NOW!!

 

 

 

Round...and round...and round...

You know, I am still struggling with the guest bedroom. When you have free reign to do whatever you like (budget permitting), and you're like me and like lots of looks and ideas, settling on just one thing is downright tricky. They're all variations on a theme, but coming up with something that is just right is kinda doing my head in. This is meant to be fun, right? Oh, I know what my problem is. Looking at everything on the internet. I'm a tactile kind of girl, I need to see, touch, stroke, feel, ooh and ahh. Which is not as satisfying on the net. As much as I love Mr Google, I find myself questioning every nearly-decision, just because I can't touch things.

Oh dear, if you've had a couple of wines (no no no, not me...it's 10:45am, you know), some of that paragraph could read a little risque.... oops!

So my latest (which is still probably the same as the plan before, and similar to the plan before that, and the one before that...) is...*drumroll*...

 

shabby white & colour

White walls, maybe whitewashed floor? If not, polished wood. White ceiling. Keep the bed frame we have, which is very like the above but with a footer as well, and paint it white. I'd love to add some wood panelling on the bottom half of the walls, or wainscotting, but that will be something for down the track.

 

Furniture? Either duck egg blue, or the equivalent sort of shade in pink or green, with white stencilling on some of them. Or vice versa. Or white with pretty coloured knobs. Or just the palest of pale hint of colour. Undecided. What do you think? So far I've collected the white chair and the ebay french-style chest of drawers (unpainted) mentioned in an earlier post, and a teeny tiny shabby white wooden desk with matching chair, which I already had. Possibly the white ebay chair will go in Vicki's room, and the pale pink velvet armchair I already have will go in the guest room, depending on which works better.

 

Ottoman or bench for the end of the bed.

Image courtesy of Sweet Pea & Willow

 

And then colour in the soft furnishings. I have an unwavering desire for the patchwork quilt. At least there is one constant! I would love some more quilts/toppers/throws folded up on a chair, not necessarily all patchwork.

Photo snapped in a magazine www.dearseptember.com.au

Colour in the curtains or blind. Maybe? Colour in the bits and bobs about the room... I am rather partial to pretty coloured glass. Another uncertainty is the light. I'm pretty keen on a sparkly chandelier. This is a love that will never die. But should it be clear crystal and vintagey? Or a little bit out there and colourful? Or is there another alternative, non-chandelier-like, that would work better that I haven't thought of? Any suggestions very gratefully received!

Or...

photo courtesy of Charlotte's Interiors UK

In a mostly white space, this could look lovely. Or... it could look tacky. Once again, undecided.

If you've gotten this far, and your eyes haven't glazed over and you're not thinking... make a bloody decision already... then I applaud you. And even if you made it this far and you do have glazed over eyes, then I'm impressed. Because even I am bored of the subject. I want to get on with it!

 

 

I don't have photo credits for all pics I'm afraid. I've been collecting for a loooong time, long before I ever thought I'd blog with them. If they're yours, I apologise and will update if you send me the details!

 

You say potato, I say...

I do have a giggle sometimes, as I sit up in the dead of night feeding my baby and scrolling through hundreds of eBay auctions. Some of the descriptions are just begging for a comment page of their own. It may seem a little narky, but spend as much time as I do on there and you too will soon be snorting into your porridge... "tell 'em they're dreaming!"

 

Like the ad for the "rare yellow Review dress"... Honey, Review is as chain store as they get, it is never going to be rare.

Or the multitude of ads for items that are "New, Vintage, Antique!" Which one? can't be all three at once! Choose a description, yes?

Or the "black sexy see-thru nipple-play top one size". Just... No.

 

 

I've been called many things in my time...

But I've never been called an adze before!

Nothing makes me giggle more than auto-correct bugger-ups. And my Dad is rather good at having them happen.

(Still giggling)

 

 

Coffee

I've been toying with the idea of a "coffee bar" area in the kitchen. At the moment the coffee machine is set up on the kitchen bench (pride of place, of course!) and while it was always planned to go there, I find that although my kitchen is huge (about 5 x 7 metres), we don't actually have loads of bench space. We have a wood stove, a 90cm gas/electric stove, 2 large farmhouse sinks, and two overhead cabinets that actually sit on the bench, so when you take all that away, and add things like your toaster, kettle, canisters, coffee machine etc, well, it actually does get squeezy at times. Not really an issue, but hey, I like the idea of the coffee bar, so why not?

It would go under the Really Big Clock.

I'm thinking something like this (on a smaller scale)...

But perhaps more in this shabby style...

 

So now for the fun bit... searching for the right cabinet/buffet/table to do the job. Found a beauty on ebay but bidding is already wild... don't think I will be throwing my hat into that ring unless things settle down. People do love to bid early and push those prices up! Plus it may be a little deep for the spot. Hmmm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bitch & Moan

I think I know how bears waking up from hibernation feel. It's such a beautiful morning, and looking outside I spy flushes of green all over the paddock beyond the yard fence. We need a hell of a lot more rain, but it's truly amazing how much the country responds to even an inch. As for the hibernation... I've had the mother of a migraine the last three days, which coincided beautifully with hubby being away learning to fly gyrocopters. Note the sarcasm. Two children + home alone with them + migraine = very very bad. But today I woke up to find it gone... yes!!

See the green? Out past what will one day once again be a tennis court? Lovely.

Needless to say, not a lot has happened around here. I had grand plans to start painting the kitchen ceiling and walls... didn't quite get there. Thought I'd cook and freeze a few meals so we could have "take away" night once in a while...didn't happen. Well, there's always tomorrow.

Now, I didn't ever intend this to be a "bitch and moan" blog. But really, I have to say... what's with customer service (or the lack thereof) in some places these days? Mind you, there are places where it's great... IGA at the Ridge comes to mind - there are some lovely ladies there who will cart your trolley out to the car when you've got a baby to juggle as well, and they'll even do your shopping for you if you fax through an order, at no extra charge. You've gotta love that. But boo to the place at the Ridge whose employee felt that he couldn't help me load a piece of furniture into the back of the car, as he was alone in the shop. The shop was empty, the car was in the shop's yard not 15 metres away. It was a piece of furniture, a bit bigger than the size of 2 large bedside tables together, and as I struggled to get it into the car myself, I fell into a hole in their driveway, dropped it, fell on top of it, bruised and cut my leg, and in the end, thankfully, a man who happened to be driving a truck past when it happened pulled over and came in to help me. I couldn't believe that the worker couldn't be bothered to get off his butt and help, though I shouldn't be surprised. The same man watched me carry great big tins of paint out to the car when I was 8 months pregnant. As a result, I won't feel at all guilty shopping at Bunnings instead of locally for certain things.

 

 

 

 

Short and Sweet

Ahh busy busy day. A "wading through mud" kind of day, culminating in being vomitted on, twice, by my baby girl. Poor little lassie can't catch a break - crook, then two teeth, one right after the other, and now she's feeling a bit poorly again tonight. Don't you just want to wrap them up in a big cuddle and not let go?

One day I will catch on with the country tradition of having a meal on hand for anyone that stops by. I'm still not with the program, and then before I know it people are staying for lunch (they're more than welcome of course, it's just me being unprepared), and I am frantically pulling my hair out, mentally calculating what's in the fridge, and what I can make with it. In the space of 30 mins today I devised, built and served individual zucchini slice/quiche arrangements in big muffin wrappers and a fancy-pants salad with green peppercorn brie and chargrilled capsicums all over the top. Was bloody good, if I do say so myself, and even looked a little bit posh, even if it was made from scraps in the fridge. Disaster averted. Phew. One day I'll learn! Maybe. I mean it's not like you can pop out and get a BBQ chook and a fresh lettuce out here.

Oh bugger. Blogland and email answering will just have to wait till tomorrow. My baby girl beckons.

Just one thing. Master Harry called me a "cheeky old girl" today. Specifically "I love you, cheeky old girl", partnered with a kiss on the knee. Love it, but what's with the old? Humphhhh!

This is the "sweet" in "short and sweet" xo

 

 

Serpent

Did I mention I swam with a snake today? It was only a little one ...BUT IT WAS STILL A SNAKE! So thus far I've swum with a snake and had one slither over my foot.

These rural places are an adventure a minute!

 

 

 

Seek and ye shall find...

All year I've been daydreaming about an app on my iPad which I could use to make moodboards. Well, sit down, and hang on to your hats, folks, because guess what. There actually is such an app, and wouldn't you know it? It's called Moodboard! The universe delivered...and so did the app designers. I think it's awesome, intuitive and does just what you need it to without being at all complicated. Oh, and nope, I wasn't paid to say so... lol. (I'm still not used to seeing ads and endorsements in blogs, and just quietly I'm not sure I like it.)

Anyway, I had a quick play tonight, check it out!

I know I'm going to use this so much - great for photo collages too. You can save to your camera roll, email as a PDF, print... yes, I'm feeling rather enthused!

We've been enjoying the cooler weather so much, it's been such a relief after those long hot summer months. I took the kids out onto the lawn for a picnic for dinner tonight - Harry had tacos for the first time and I think he thinks the taco itself is the "picpic". He loved his taco and managed it as well as most adults, I think... minimal mess. He was actually very concerned about getting mess onto the quilt and ate most of it on the grass, bless him. Vicki had no such problem and now we have a smattering of pumpkin, peas and barley adorning it, so it's off to the wash. Luckily Mum is of the "use it and love it" camp, rather than the "look but don't touch" camp!

Like the carefully positioned dish? As usual, Harry dropped his drawers and left them. We find little pairs of undies in the strangest of places. There are two pairs in the wool shed as we speak.

Moodboard is calling me... goodnight!

 

Milestones

Do you ever have those times where you just want to be alone for a time, even a few hours, to immerse yourself in whatever it is that you want to do (even if that thing is absolutely nothing)? Well that was me this weekend. An impossible dream, given that I have two young 'uns. So you can imagine my excitement when my absolutely wonderful sister offered to take them both...not just one, but both... for a whole night in a few weeks' time? We're off to Brisbane, hubby to go to the footy with the boys, and me to go see "Legally Blonde", (the musical) with the girls. Mum and Sis included, of course. And then... kid-free night! I am giddy with excitement!

I figured out today that gives me 3 weeks to fit into one of my pre-pregnancy dresses. Hmmm. Good incentive, I guess, to lay off the gingernut bickies. Or, good excuse to buy something new? Now there's a dilemma....not! So... what to wear? I'm thinking of rocking a fifties inspired number, which doesn't narrow things down much as most of my dresses would fit that description. I also have my eye on some patent leather boots, which wouldn't go at all...

See what I mean? Not very "fifties-inspired pretty dress-like" at all. So I may need to find some shoes to go with this:

Shoe shopping. Shouldn't be too much of a hardship!

 

Check out this little cutie!

I bought her off ebay for an absolute steal. I may take the tasselled braid off, im not sure about it, but other than that she's perfect. She will go beautifully in the guest bedroom with the other ebay piece, which I think will be a blue with a pattern stencilled on the front, something like this:

Oh. The milestone heading. Well... Harry counted to 10 today, all the way, all by himself. Little legend! And even more excitingly, Vicki crawled! Yep, it's all happening around here, folks!

I saw a neat idea on Pinterest where you scan your kids' artwork, reduce them and make a poster. I'm so doing it. Below may well be number one in Harry's collection. It has a certain joi de vivre, does it not?

A sample of the end result:

 

Love it!