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Monday, December 24, 2012

A Very Gingham Christmas

 
As you can see, I like a touch of Australiana at Christmas. In fact, I quite like a touch of Australiana all year round. It makes me happy.
And happiness is exactly what I wish for everyone, especially my lovely ebay customers. If some of you are reading this, you know who you are. You have made this year my busiest ever. Thank you so very, very much.
No, we're not getting another puppy. I thought I'd share with you some pictures of Jewels, Sunny's beautiful doggy mummy, with a pup from her last litter. Jewels has now retired from having babies.
Sunny looks just like her mum now.
 
My ebay store is now closed and will remain so until the 7th January. I will also be taking a few weeks off from blogging and will be back around late January.
Wishing everyone a safe, peaceful and joyous Christmas.


 

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Amazing Alliums

I was excited this morning to receive the latest catalogue from Lambley Nursery.   But I'm finding it difficult to go past 'A' for alliums as they are such a good price.
Allium ‘Mount Everest’
Allium ‘Mount Everest’ 
Allium hollandicum ‘Purple Sensation’
Allium christophii 'Star of Persia'
Believe me, these bulbs can be very, very expensive, so at such great prices, I will be ordering some before they sell out, and if you like them, I suggest you do too!
 

Friday, December 14, 2012

In Flower Today...

 
LA lilies smelling gorgeous
 

in the driveway (perennial) border which is coming along nicely.

These are Asiatic lilies which don't have a perfume but are pretty none the less.


Dark purple clematis growing with the rose 'Crepuscule' which is currently having a little rest. The clematis will flower until March, so hopefully it and the rose will get their timing right at some stage. Plants don't always do what we want them to do when we want them to do it, but gardening teaches us patience.

 
A pink striped clematis has decided to climb through a Daphne bush. I'll leave it there because at best Daphne is a 2 week wonder and could use a bit of dressing up at this time of year.

 
Very long flowering (Nov to first frost) blue cranesbill.
 
 
And our neighbour's white Rhododendron which grows on the boundary so I get to see more of it than they do. Due to our house being painted, I can't photograph it now so this is a picture I took a few years ago. BTW, that little lattice structure, which is just outside our bedroom window, has proved to be a possum bridge. We hear the little darlings crossing it every night!
 
 
Happy Weekend

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Our Outdoor Christmas Tree

For the first time in years we're not going to be home for Christmas. With that in mind, the thought of dragging our not inconsiderable tree down the narrow stairs from the loft, and unpacking a lifetime's collection of decorations, was too much to contemplate.  
So this year we decided to just light up one of the conifers in the garden. 
 

And I'm glad we did. I mean, you have to have a tree don't you?
 

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Busy, busy, busy

 
 
getting ready for Christmas,
 
 
  replacing sold stock in my store + getting all my orders done
 
 
and attempting to baby proof our house ready to mind this little treasure 1 day a week.
 
  It's good to be busy, but it's even better to have the energy to get things done.
xxx

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

From Something Gorgeous

 
Look what the postman brought me this morning.
I won one of the tins of tea in a free giveaway from the girls at Something Gorgeous.
 
 
It smells divine and I haven't even opened it yet.
Thank you so much Toni and Giulia. xx
 
 

Friday, November 30, 2012

If You Wait...

I'm not normally a fan of so called "inspirational words" but this from Stacy Risenmay courtesy of Pink Wallpaper struck a cord.
Not only have I been guilty (in a minor way) of this sort of thing myself, but over the years I've watched as would be clients have divorced whilst waiting to make their dream home everything they dreamt it would be. And their children have grown up and left home before they got their own bedrooms, decorated the way they wanted, simply because they and their parents wanted way too much.
Sometimes the best decorating is achieved when you need to be extra creative by stretching a small budget as far as it will go. This is when you make do with what you have, re arrange, recover, remodel, and/or paint. And then you throw in a few recent purchases to give your space a new lease of life. And the best part? It feels fresh and new and it didn't cost much.
Happy Weekend.
 

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

A Bedroom Online

Earlier this year, I helped our eldest son Nigel and his wife Mel, decorate their study/guest room. Mel said she liked blue and white with a touch of turquoise. Never one to be fearful of colour, I added some orange!
I am completely addicted to online shopping so decided to source as much as I could this way.
I only just got around to photographing the room over the weekend so here are some pictures and a round up of what I bought and from where.
 
Nigel had already painted the room white and made the navy padded headboard for the double bed. The bedside tables came from Whiteport. I chose them because I love the funky shape and glossy finish. The white Montauk bedspread and perspex tissue box (on the desk) came from there as well. The orange, navy and magenta throw came from Black & Spiro.


The room, which was once part of the original living room, is quite small but has a large window facing the street. Privacy was essential, as was warmth (they live here in the mountains) so we decided on plain but heavy, off white curtains with a navy trimmed, soft pelmet. I organised the making of the curtains because Nigel and Mel are of a generation who think such things only come in packets!


The little silver birds came from Brown Button Trading.
The lamps, onto which I glued the turquoise ric rac, came from Ikea.


To hang above the bed, I chose 3 simple, but beautiful prints from Kerri Shipp's Driftwood Interiors. Kerri does gorgeous work and is soon to launch a new website.


The old timber desk was an ebay find for $235. It was stained dark brown so I had it painted white and replaced the brass handles with chrome.
Nigel chose the office chair from Matt Blatt.


The print of the Amalfi Coast, just above the desk, as well as the orange and blue ones on the wall came form Anne Harwell's Annechovie. Again, gorgeous stuff and very reasonable postage from the US. Square ginger jar came from Ada and Darcy and orange glass pieces are from my own collection.


The clock and mirrored frame (the latter containing a picture of  Nigel, aged 16, *meeting Nelson Mandela) came from The White Shed
Not surprisingly, the cushions came from My Cushion Covers.
 
*In 2000, when Nelson Mandela was visiting Sydney for the Olympics, Nigel was chosen as one of a dozen or so students from around NSW, to accompany NM on a private harbour cruise. Much to their delight, the students spent the whole time listening to and talking with the great man. Truly, an unforgettable experience.
 

My Assistant

Tess insisted on helping me with almost every shot!!!
 

 

Friday, November 23, 2012

Flowering Today

On a cold, wet and grey day....

David Austin's L.D. Braithwaite
(awkward to photograph)

Red Pierre

Yellow Knifophias

 
Caramello.
I am so loving this rose right now. It is healthy, spreading, hardly ever without blooms (unless I cut them all) and has a gorgeous perfume.

First Daylily

First Clematis.
This is one of those long flowering types, which if fed weekly, will flower through to March.
 
Happy weekend!

Thursday, November 22, 2012

New in My Store

I love these fabrics in reversible cushion covers. Available with
floral suzani pattern on one side and multi coloured chevron on the reverse

 trimmed with orange
 
or turquoise
 
Available from My Cushion Covers $32.95 each
Australian postage only.