Out & About

The Pietra Grey marble for our staircase arrived last week 

and more than half of the tiles are damaged!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Not Happy Jan!!

The tiler found a bit of Prep work to do, 

but then we were on the phone asking for more tiles... 

Pleeeeeease!!! And tiles that aren't broken would be nice!

I have banned myself from going on site until Monday.

It's a good opportunity to chase up a few other things for the house 

although, as you know, I get very easily distracted...

'On my way' to ecc lighting, Majer tiles and eco outdoor 

I popped into Magnolia Interiors in the Valley (now next to Jocelyn's Provisions)

LOOK at this gorgeous cupboard

My mind was going tick, tick, tick... where could I put this?

 I'm desperate for bedding & throws and these are divine

I went to Cru Bar to have another look at their outdoor curtains

I think the rail should be attached to our Vegola roof like this.

It's a cantilever roof so it makes sense to do this rather than have blinds with cables

I think the fixings are a bit untidy.

I'm sure the Mr & I can come up with a more handsome solution

I went to eco-outdoor to get the names of good stonemasons 

and try & decide which rock wall we should have. 

I'm still not sure??

What do you think?? 

Keep in mind, it will have water running down it into the pool.

This morning I met my friend J at this gorgeous cafe

www.eggbistro.com.au/

It has great coffee &  feels European.

Next door there's a nursery with antiques.

I found these very cute pots

This one came home with me!

It was $20!! What a steal!

Now I just need to buy a plant to keep it company.

Street art always distracts me.

This one stands for anti-progress.... 

so NOT me, but I thought the picture was cool :)

Be Happy and Be Kind

(and please leave me a comment)

J

xx

A little birdie told me...

I've been trying to decide on a place to go for a little get together I'm having soon &

after the swallow incident at the house yesterday it came to me.....

Canvas!!!

See, everything happens for a reason!

www.canvasclub.com.au

If you know me, you will understand why this is perfect for me.

My friends also agree that the swallow was good luck

(Adam & the painter are yet to be convinced!)

You have to believe in happiness,
Or happiness never comes ...
Ah, that's the reason a bird can sing -
On his darkest day he believes in Spring.
Douglas Malloch
You Have To Believe.

J

xx

The Swallow

When you're building a house strange things happen and good and bad things happen.

When bad things happen you just have to deal it and move on.

When good things happen, you have a glass of Champagne!

Today most of the upstairs ceilings were painted.

Nothing like a nice, white freshly painted ceiling. 

Just when the painter had put down his roller and was marvelling at our lovely bedroom ceiling

a swallow flew into the room and couldn't find his way out!!

Frantically flying around the room, 

our feathered friend bumped his head on our lovely ceiling over & over again.

The painter will have to come back and re-paint the ceiling tomorrow.

I have always liked swallows so

perhaps he was actually Goodluck?!

Don't be surprised if you see a picture, 

or wallpaper or a ceramic swallow on my bedroom wall.

J

xx

The Exterior

With all of the Scaffolding gone (Hallelujah!!)

the exterior of the house can be seen.

It's a little out there Peeps and looks different from every angle, but I'm very smitten with it!

This one was taken from behind the pool wall.

It will be a rock wall with water running down the face.

The Pool Pumps & Filter, etc. will be hidden behind the wall. 

It will have a low roof and gates at either end and will also act as a storage area.

 The weeds will have to go!

We will plant something to cover this fence... 

I'd love some ideas of low allergy climbers or hedges please...

 The outside edges of the eyebrows are going to be painted in Resene 'Friar'.

We were going to leave them white, 

but our neighbour/client's eyebrows are white so we decided to be different

 Fresh Render!!! This will be painted Charcoal ('Zeus')

This is the frame for the Vergola roof system

(this was a necessity due to water-front west aspect)

It will look a little bit like this.

It opens and closes with the push of a button 

and also has an automatic rain sensor

The frame finishes in line with the frameless glass pool fencing

so I was considering having outdoor curtains.

I've been told by someone that this is a crazy idea 

because they'll blow all over the place...

sometimes I like to do things that people tell me I shouldn't do!

www.finegardening.com

 This is similar to our colour scheme and I love the mushroom/linen curtains

but not sure if they'd go well hanging IN the pool... tempting for (tarzan) children

 www.hahoy.com

Isn't it nice to see Blue Skies!!

J

xx

The Ivy & Retro-licious Plants

I haven't been on site this week.

I was there last week when someone (who didn't own up) smashed the front angle of the house. 

My heart sank when I saw it, then it sank even further when I saw the look on A's face.

So I'm focussing on other things.. 

like plants!!

Several weeks ago A & I visited Sydney and spent an afternoon at the Ivy.

I love that place.

I love the greenery and it gave us some great ideas for the house.

70's maiden hair ferns on a marble bar and attached the wall (has anyone sourced those lights yet??)

A. soaking up the happy hour atmosphere (Where's Wally?) 

Ivy Love

 You can never have too many pot plants!

This has inspired me to learn how to do macrame again!

I was quite good at it in the 70's.

 You know I'm a bit partial to a martini

I love this idea of the pots on the wall.

We are going to do this on our courtyard [charcoal] block wall. 

I saw it (more extreme) at a studio in Bangkok last year and it was love at first sight.

  We spent the day at Bribie on Saturday at my in-laws' retro beach house.

There are retro-licious treasures all over the house and the gardens are incredible.

Tell me, can I acquire a green thumb, or do you have to be born with it?

 My father in law is "looking after" the sideboard for me.

 Wouldn't it be great if we could take our children back to the 70's 

to show them what life was like...

I thought of you when I saw this German Pottery Miss K

 My mother in law is from the Phillipines. 

I'd love one of these in my house.

It'd have to be full of good-luck!

 This photo of A and his Sister is very cool.

 This is why I need Lola to teach me how to have a green thumb...

 I'm loving the hanging pots!

Perhaps I should start by getting some "cuttings" next time I visit.....

Any green thumb tips are greatly appreciated.

J

xx

PS. The flowers are for Miss Faux Fuchsia who is expecting her first Bambino.