One Lucky Lady...

Tonight I am lucky enough to be (what we call in our household)collecting a wee little leave pass and heading out with my fabulous mother and sister to one of the Westfield Style Workshop being held here. I was luck enough back in 2009, 18months after having Mr J, to experience a one on one stylist session. It was amazing and I would even go as far to say as life changing. It is amazing what a few tweaks to a wardrobe can do to bring our your assets and hide those little imperfections. I am supper excited about tonight not just for the session (which I assure you will include no real shopping on my part due to the lovely shoe box!) but for a night out with just mum and Kylie, child free.

Really loving these right now, maybe they will be in our goodie bag... one can dream! 7.5 please!

Home is a relction of YOU.

Tonight in a moment of rare uninterrupted quietness as I sat sipping my calming green tea out of my very sunny jumbo T2 mug, I stumbled across this post from Live Creating Yourself. It really got me thinking about something that really is obvious, yet often people in the decorating process, completely forget. One's home is a true reflection of you and your family... duh!

Right now as I look around the lounge, dining/ kitchen space (remembering that tonight maybe my Friday night or it may be my Thursday of my working week which means kids bags still packed, lunch boxes half packed ready for tomorrow, folding needing to be put away), I see chaos. Is this a reflection of me and my family? Is this how we live our lives? Really? And the answer is... yes! Now it is not a bad chaos, more what I like to call an organised, relaxed chaos. (We are renting our gem house off my husbands business and it to is in much need of a major reno hence the boxes not unpacked thing put places because no real home a been made for them.)

So my point here is, how do I want the shoe box to refect me and my family? For me there are a few vital things it must do,

1. Be warm and inviting. I can't wait to finally be able to have those play dates we have been yearning or the family gatherings.

2. Lend itself to be treated a little rough at times, (remember I have two fast paced boys and one adult male child who all at some point cannot resist the urge to kick/throw/dribble or hurl a ball indoors.)

3. Provide hidden sanctuaries for each of us to retreat and recharge. ( I am a firm believer that even the kids need this!!!)

4. Be bright, airy and have a relaxed flow. Nothing worse then a boxy home that is suffocating!!!

5. Be outdoorsy and cater for the many lazy BBQ's with firends and family.

6. Be a place full of Superman adventures


7. Have roads to drive our wash basket cars



8.Deal with a whole lot a mess

9.House very cheeky boys.

10. Provide a stage for our regular dancing and singing showcases.

I think that should reflect my family and I perfectly.

Tuesday = Polyvore

I have been a massive fan of Polyvore since being introduced to it last year.
Definitely worth checking out for wardrobe inspiration!
x

Decisions, decisions...

This colour as a feature wall in my entrance and kitchen.

What do we think?
The rest of the house is going a very pale stone colour, Taubmans- Stonefish.

Really if it fails, looks terrible, what is the worst that could happen...
we have to paint over it... so be it!

PS- Could be in the house as early as Easter!

Colours, colours, everywhere!

Ok, the time has finally come to pick our paint colour. I wish I was adventurous with it, I really, really do. But... my practical side really kicks in and the thought of resale down the track has always lead me to live on the safe side. So today I am all about choosing the perfect not so white, with a hint of grey, no tinge yellow or green.

One day, I would love to get some balls and have a cherry apple red wall, maybe even a very sunny yellow... but like I said that damn practical side just keeps kicking in!

Any suggestions on the perfect colour?

Wednesday = Loving these....

As seen at Table Tonic

Scissors Paper Rock

Made By Girl

Table Tonic

For a little while now, I have been loving all things typography.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!
Can't wait to put some of these in the shoe box!!!
x

I can finally see it...

Monday of this week is a day that I have safely locked away in a box never to be opened. It was awful, so very, very awful.

Tuesday however, saw me take a little visit to the shoe box to check on the progress and chat with my dad who also doubles as my builder. A wee little dilemma with my much anticipated laundry schute was resolved and the foul mood that had lingered since the dreaded day before was lifted and for the first time in a very long time, I saw the bigger picture. As I walked up the stairs and looked around, for the first time I could actually SEE our family living in our house. I could see the retreat that Brad and I will enjoy, I could see the cherubs bedrooms full of life and energy. I could see the kitchen and living areas and the many moments we will spend living our everyday lives. Finally, I could see it.

On that note I thought it was time to share a little more pics. Enjoy!

Side of house where driveway will be

Entrance

Main bedroom balcony

Main bathroom
(not a shower screen in the entire house)

View from Brodie's bedroom

Living area

My Dad!!!

Love at first sight...

Loving this Tom Binns’ Hand Painted Crystal Messai Necklace.
Even Rachel Zoe is in love... it must be good!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE... no other words needed.

As seen here.

Yay for Friday!

Today, it is all about organisation. Not just with tackling the mammoth to do list with two little boys in tow but with the entire household. I am pretty 'free' is how I like to see it, with my linen cupboard and my pantry. I dream of the day I can have a perfectly organised house where everything has its place and even my husband know where it all goes!

All images from a fabulous little blog I just discovered One Sydney Road.

I absolutely love this idea! I am off to buy some colored post it today to start organising my million 'To Do' lists. This looks so much prettier then my scribble on random bits of paper.

Happy Friday!
x

Wishing Upon a Star Wednesday...

I know I keep saying it... but really.... if I am not excited, who will be!!! With my birthday in a one weeks time, I thought I would share a few little things that I am wishing for. I am not aiming for all my wishes (I am certainly not greedy!) but just one and a lovely pampering facial is all I am truly dreaming of. (Oh and of course I am dreaming of the wonderful birthday cuddles and help blowing of the candles that I will receive from my two beautiful boys!!!)

Happy Hump Day Lovelies.
x

Now, if only I could somehow discreetly email the link of this post to my husband with out him know it is from me so he very discretely gets a hint or two.... cheeky I know!

A Wee Little Trip to The Mountain

AU Winery- Mt Tamborine

As I mentioned in my last post, March is a magically chaotic month in our household with both my husband and I sharing birthdays. Mine is in little over a week away and after returning on the weekend from a little pre birthday celebration with some gorgeous ladies and my very lovely (but sick) sister it got me thinking about how much my life has changed in the past 10 years.
This year I celebrated with the girlies at a little winery followed by dinner at my favourite resturant on the /clubs. Mountain. A couple of bottles of vino and bubbles were consumed but this time at a very reasonable hour we shifted from champagne to coffee and green tea (I cannot drink coffee and have not done for at least the last 9 years!). 10 years ago had someone of said this would be how I would celebrate with the ladies, I would have laughed in their face!!! No way would I have ever admitted that one day I would choose a night in over a raging bacradi fuelled dance off at one of my favorite pubs/clubs! But Saturday afternoon and night followed by a spontaneous breakfast was exactly what I craved. It was heaven! So bring on the years I say, maybe in 10 years time I will escape with the ladies on a shopping adventure in another city to celebrate my last 30 something birthday.

Next week when the true celebrations are in full swing, I will be spending it with my three delicately handsome boys and my family. Would I trade this to turn back the clock 10 years and be heading out to who knows where... hell no!!!! My body is getting way to old for that!

Who ever said that birthday celebration can only last one day!

My Kitchen Table

Marching into Bathrooms

March image from Anna Spiro

Can you believe we are in March already! March in our house hold is all about birthdays!!!! With mine in the middle of the month and my dearly beloved at the end it is cake and candles all month long!

This March also signifies lock up stage of the reno and a need for me to make the final decisions on the 3 bathrooms. I am excited and terrified all at the same time and really, if money was no object it would be all about free standing baths, semi recessed his and hers separate floating vanities and mosaic tiles from floor to ceiling in clean whites and accessorised with Missoni bath towels. One can dream!

Instead is is all about function, non dating fixtures/colours and zero shower screens. ( I hate shower screen and with a concreter husband one can only imagine the amount of dirt and grime builds up on those hated glass panels)

Here are some of my inspirations for the en suite, kids bathroom and guest downstairs bathroom.

Bathrooms from
H&G
Homelife
Reece Plumbing