A TikiBoo Life

So...that was a rather extended break!

2012-01-05T20:12:00.000+10:00

All those good intentions, all that trying to figure out how to blog via ipad. It all got a bit overwhelming and just didn't happen.

Our trip was awesome, amazing, fabulous. New York is all that and more.

We returned home to the last week of school, ballet concert, school holidays, Christmas...and all of a sudden it's been a very long time since I have blogged, or even read another blog. These days, with Miss TikiBoo home, I've been checking email and Facebook a few times a day (usually via phone) and that's about it. I downloaded our New York photos, but haven't even looked at them.

So. Let's just say that some time in early Feb, I hope to get back to regular blogging, including a proper travel report.

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Packing - my top tips

2011-11-17T07:37:00.001+10:00

People have been asking me for days, "are you ready for your trip?". Yes. I'm rather obsessive when it comes to packing, and tend to start weeks before it's time to go. I don't like to overpack, but then there is the fear of forgetting something essential, although that's not likely to be an issue when travelling to the States!

These are some of the little things I've learnt - especially when it's likely you'll be shopping!

1. Suitcase within a suitcase.
We have a large case which will easily hold a regular suitcase, so I pack the regular, then put it inside the large. There are 3 of us travelling, so it's no hassle to be taking 3 cases home, and perfect if you intend to shop! I've packed the hats and gloves around the sides.

2. An extra carry on bag, and a spacebag.
I bought this super light travel bag in Paris last year. It holds loads and is carry on compatible. It will be going in the suitcase as a "just in case". I'm also taking a spacebag to use with our coats on the way home. It's a roll up type as we may not have access to a vacuum.

3. Guide books.
These are a must for me! As is the little New York Moleskine. I've also loaded everything imaginable onto the iPad and iPhone, including tickets, itineraries etc. Dropbox is a really great application for this, you can drag any document from your computer to it.

4. Comfortable footwear!
I've had these boots for a few years now, and they are super comfortable. In a pinch they go with almost everything too. I tend to stick with black for travelling to make it easier as well.
Another tip - get extra soles put on before you go!

5. Snacks and water.
How cool is this Vapur drink bottle! When it's filled it stands up. When it's empty you can roll it up and stash in your bag. I also always take extra snacks on the plane, just in case I'm not liking what they're offering.

These are just a few of my tips, do you have any brilliant extras to add?

What sort of packer are you - last minute or weeks in advance?

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

{Home on Wednesday} - Spring is for planting

2011-11-16T07:00:00.002+10:00

A fun little weekend activity with my girl. She has the attention span of a... nearly six year old, so it's good to find things which don't take long and have a few different steps.

Step 1. Add seed raising mix to trays.
Step 2. Place one seed in each section.
Step 3. Cover with 5mm seed raising mix.
Step 4. Water regularly.

I wanted to grow something under the plants along our back fenceline. Nasturtiums are a great choice as they grow quickly and are quite hardy, PLUS the flowers can be added to salads for a pop of summer colour. They have a slightly peppery taste which I really enjoy.

image from Sheridan Rodgers (links to recipe!)

I planted some of them out yesterday evening, so hopefully they will do their thing and grow like wildfire!

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Tree time, already?!

2011-11-15T07:21:00.001+10:00

Still playing around with some iPad editing tools, I thought I'd share some photos of our tree and decorations.
Traditionally, we don't put the tree up until December 1st, but as we will be away, then crazy busy for the first week and weekend (ballet concert - yikes!) I made the executive decision that it should go up now.
We went out on Friday evening and bought a new bigger tree, given we have the space now, it felt like the right thing to do!

When do you put your tree up? Do you wait until December, or as soon as the kids start asking?

What about decorating? Do you have the same each year or change things?
We pick a new colour theme each year. This year is Red, Gold & Aqua. I wanted Red, Gold and Green but was out voted. No Karma Chameleon here! There are also some special decorations, each year since Miss TikiBoo was born I have bought something "precious", a Wedgewood or Royal Doulton type ornament. These will be her special heirlooms.

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Paris - A lady in rouge

2011-11-14T06:43:00.008+10:00

Parisians do love their splashes of red. The Moulin Rouge, potted geraniums, a gold embossed awning. Look around and you'll find it everywhere!

Another of my "Colourful France" series. To see the previous posts click HERE.

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

{Finding Beauty} - At the markets

2011-11-11T06:59:00.006+10:00

Yesterday I listed four of the things I love, that I am passionate about. One of them was "finding beauty", especially in unexpected places.
When I saw these little cloves of purple tinged garlic at the markets, they just had to come home with me to sit on my windowsill. It's the little things. Luscious ripe red strawberries (3 punnets for $5) didn't last long either, I kept eating them.

I'm not a photographer, but it was fun to play around with these and come up with some fun images.

What are some of the little things making you smile today?

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Congratulations...

2011-11-10T21:33:00.000+10:00

Veronica from MamaJots!

Congratulations!

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

What are your passions?

2011-11-10T07:51:00.000+10:00

A while ago, a wise person said to me that everyone needs to have five things they are passionate about. I never really thought much about it or sat down to consider mine, until recently when we were told to write them down for a course I was doing.

It took a little while, a few scribblings on the page, but I managed to come up with 4 passions, the 4 things I do that give me great joy. Number 5 I'm still narrowing down!

They aren't in any particular order, but here they are:

1. Being mama to Miss TikiBoo. That goes without saying really.

2. Travelling. Near or far, I love exploring new places and rediscovering old. In particular Paris and France, which could almost be listed as a passion in it's own right, but we're sticking to 5!

3. My home - living here, decorating, making it a place we love to spend time. Inside and out, furnishing it, gardening, I love this place.

4. Finding beauty - looking at the world through a camera lens, sewing a beautiful dress, restoring a piece of once ugly furniture. Creating a garden from bare earth. There is beauty all around us in everyday things. I want to find it.

I'll explore these further soon, but in the meantime there are links to the side, the ones that look like strips of masking tape, which take you to posts labeled with these themes, as these four things are really what my blog is all about!

Can you name 4 or 5 things in your life that you're truly passionate about?

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Giveaway reminder

2011-11-09T20:44:00.002+10:00

Just a quick reminder that our GIVEAWAY ends tomorrow evening.

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

{Home on Wednesday} - Bathroom beauty

2011-11-09T06:52:00.001+10:00

I have a collection of "pretty things", gifts given to me over the years. I discovered the perfect place to display them - in the bathroom.

Some of them have a history. The antique silver-topped crystal container was a gift from my Godmother. The pink antique perfume bottle set from Mum. The antique pink glass plate from my Grandmother and the pink glass bowl from a friend.
The mirror was originally in Miss TikiBoo's bedroom, however it looked so perfect here that she kindly let it remain.

I love to move these items around, sometimes adding new pieces and then moving them elsewhere. Sometimes a small vase of pink flowers joins the display.

Do you have any collections of special things?

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

The Paris Blues

2011-11-08T06:45:00.017+10:00

Exactly one year ago, I made my first solo trip to Paris. I didn't really post many images from the trip, so I thought I might share some now.

Paris is such a wonderful city, that when I'm not there, I do have the Paris blues. These were all taken in Le Marais area, my favourite part of Paris. I can't wait to get back there one day - hopefully soon.

This is part 2 of my "Colourful France" series. If you missed part 1, you can see it here - French Pink.

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

A typical week around here

2011-11-07T06:36:00.003+10:00

Hello friends! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

I've been playing around with some applications to work out how I can best blog when we go away. I won't have a computer, just an iPad. The blogger iPhone application is pretty awful for iPad, and the blogpress app has some errors and keeps crashing - hopefully they will sort that out soon.

These photos were all taken on my iPhone using Hipstamatic, and composed on the iPad.

It's a quick view of a typical week around here!

Have you ever successfully blogged (and added decent sized images) with a mobile device? Do you have any other hints and tips for photo manipulation with an IPad? Any favourite applications? I'd love to hear about them!

btw: Don't forget about the GIVEAWAY!

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

French Pink

2011-11-04T06:55:00.001+10:00

I've been slowly making a few changes to the blog, including adding a touch of pink. Anyone who knows me would be aware that it's my all time favourite colour - something I share with Miss TikiBoo. It's soothing, soft, fun and a little bit girly, so in order to make my blog represent "me" a bit more, the addition was required!

Something else I'm trying to do is to use original content whenever I can, which includes using my own photos. Now, obviously I'm no photographer, but I figure that if I'm making this commitment, then I shall set myself a challenge to improve my skills in this area. I will also need to make the effort to take my camera with me to places, and actually use it - the number of times I've missed a great photo opportunity because I have left the camera in the car! (It's really heavy!).
Somehow in the move I managed to lose the (expensive) head for my tripod, so that is a small restriction for taking indoor shots, but there is always a way around these things.

This afternoon I started looking back through some older photos, looking at them with a fresh perspective. Travel photos in particular. When you return from a trip you tend to view the images as a tourist and want to share them as places you explored and things you saw. Revisiting them years later you notice things you might not have expected would be something worth sharing - or in this case placing together in a montage. Colour is always a great one to start with.
There wasn't a lot of pink in my folder of images taken in France, but it was fun searching through them trying to spot glimpses! Miss TikiBoo was only 3 at the time these were taken - a chubby, giggly, curly haired little ratbag.

Next time you have the chance to sit and peruse your image folders, pick a colour and try and find 4-6 images featuring that colour - then share them with us!

Have a great weekend!

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

A November giveaway

2011-11-03T07:01:00.000+10:00

I do believe I promised another giveaway. So, here it is. Two sweet craft books - Pretty Little Potholders and Pretty Little Cosies. Plus some assorted fabric in some of my favourite patterns and colours to make one of these patchwork delights, and a handful on buttons to embellish.

If you're not in any way crafty inclined, this would make a lovely gift for a friend or family member who is.

All you need to do is leave a comment. If you also want to follow me, join my pinterest, like me on facebook, retweet the giveaway, pay my bills and do my ironing, I'd be thrilled as well. But the comment is the only prerequisite, otherwise how will I know you've entered?!

This package is all wrapped up and ready to post before I head off overseas...and because I'm heading over to the USA, I'm going to let this is open to anyone in either Australia OR the USA (providing I can figure out the postal system!).

Entries close next Thursday, November 10th. 5pm Brisbane time.

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

{Home on Wednesday} - Wallpapering Children's rooms

2011-11-02T06:56:00.001+10:00

The other day I decided to go and investigate one of the new Masters Home Improvement stores. It's not particularly close, but I love hardware and gardening stores so thought it could be worth the trek.
It was well worth the trip as I managed to score 3 white Camelia Japonica plants. I've been looking for ages and only ever locate the Sasquana variety, which prefer a sunnier spot than Japonica's.

While I was there I wandered around and happened to notice a nice little range of wallpaper, including some pretties from Laura Ashley. I haven't had wallpaper in a house since I lived in New Zealand, so I had never really considered it...until now!

Miss TikiBoo has been asking for pink walls in her bedroom, so it got me thinking that maybe a wallpaper feature wall would be nice. It's a very boring room with no windows, only a set of french doors out to the sleepout (my office). Wallpaper would certainly brighten it up!

Browsing the internet, I came up with the following, all found via Wallpaper Direct.

I have asked Miss TikiBoo which ones she likes best, and she picked the 3 brightest! None of which would really go with her current bedlinen, naturally! For that matter I'm not really convinced any of them would go, except possibly one of the stripe papers. The quilt fabrics are from Tanya's Whelan's French Hatbox collection, and we both really love them, so would prefer to work with them than replace.

Have any of my readers ever wallpapered a room? I'd love to hear from you if you have!
Opinions are also very welcome. Which would you choose?

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

A Sweet life - Agatha's Naming Day

2011-11-01T08:39:00.004+10:00

Here are some images of a lovely Naming Ceremony we attended this past weekend, for a very special little girl, Agatha.

Agatha's parents are British, so the party was based on a traditional Village Fete, with fairy floss and pink lemonade, pinwheels and peonies, bunting and babies. No detail was over looked in making this a day to remember!
We all had a grand time, especially the children, with all the delights of the sweet buffet. Sugar high!

Much love to Agatha and congratulations to her parents Rachel and Andy for creating such a special party.

I hope you enjoyed this snippet of weekend festivities! It's lovely when people can create such a memorable day for their little ones. Agatha won't remember the day, but her friends and family will be able to share images and stories when she's older, of the cupcakes, coconut shy and the love that surrounded her.

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Planning and packing, well, planning to pack!

2011-10-31T06:59:00.001+10:00

Hopefully everyone had a lovely weekend!

I had a really lovely post planned about the beautiful Naming Day ceremony we attended on the weekend. I took loads of photos...but they're still on my camera!

Instead, we spent several hours this evening sitting on the floor with laptops and sheets of paper, planning the New York itinerary. Given it's less than 3 weeks until we leave, it seemed about time. Yankee Stadium tour - booked. 9/11 Memorial - booked. Rockettes - booked.

I've been eagerly reading the Mummy Mayhem blog, as Jodie is over there right now.

Maybe we will even get snow! How crazy is that, snow in New York in October! Apparently it's a 140 year record. Regardless, I'll be taking my "Walking Doona" coat. When Miss TikiBoo first saw it she asked if it was a sleeping bag. Close!

Anyway, right now I'm concerned that the power will go out, so enjoy your week!

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Where are all my Bloggy friends...

2011-10-28T07:29:00.002+10:00

The other night I managed to accidentally delete my blogroll.
While trying to recall all the blogs I had listed, I thought I'd take the opportunity to categorise it, so if anyone happens to be looking around for other Australian bloggers, for example, they're right there, listed under Aussie Bloggers.

If you're one of my wonderful regular readers and you don't see your blog on the list, please drop me a line letting me know, and which category you thing you'd like to be pigeonholed into! Or if you ARE there, but think a different category would suit you better, then I'm open to that as well.

I'm also fond of those pretty little square banners, so if you happen to have one for your blog - please email me the code and I will add it to the page of pretty banners.

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

New York Shopping List

2011-10-27T07:01:00.002+10:00

We are heading off on our New York adventure in a few weeks. I've been putting together a "shopping list" to cover all my birthdays, mother's day and Christmases for the next year or so!

First on the list is to head to Tiffany & Co on 5th Avenue, I shall of course wear black and stand by the window eating my croissant and coffee. Although possibly not in a Givenchy evening gown and tiara.

I've been eyeing off the Tiffany Locks Bangle for a while now. Apparently Miss TikiBoo wants one too, but I don't think that will be happening!
I'm also keen to get a new cover for my iPhone, as the current one has been broken for a while and I haven't quite got around to looking for a replacement. Kate Spade seem to have some fun and colourful cases.
Jeans - apparently always cheaper in the USA!
Sunglasses - another on the "starting to break and need replacement list".
Miss TikiBoo is requesting I <3 NY merchandise. In particular underwear. Those who have seen "The Smurfs" movie will understand.
Sephora! And a Sephora where the staff will speak English! Heaven.
NYPD and
Yankees merchandise - I'm thinking this is what the family will be getting for Christmas!

Is there anything I've missed? What would you want to buy in New York?

This post inspired by Blogging Your Way!

{Home on Wednesday} - Potted Daisies

2011-10-26T06:45:00.050+10:00

Way back in 2009, we travelled to the south of France, along the French Riviera. Somewhere along the way, by a shop doorway in one of the many villages we wandered through, I saw a daisy plant in a galvanised iron tub. It's been an image that stayed with me the past few years, so I finally decided it was time I had my pot of daisies.

The Queenslander split front staircase at our home starts with two not particularly attractive concrete slabs. Completely uninspiring, and just begging for some attention and some sort of makeover. It was here I decided my potted daisy should go.

But, hey, why stop at one! I now have eight tubs and pots in various sizes, evoking those memories every time I walk up the stairs.

And what's the best thing about daisies? According to Miss TikiBoo, they are perfect for picking!

Here are some tips if you like this idea:

Look around for different sized pots and buckets. I visited several different nurseries and hardware stores to source mine. They cost $9 - $15 each. My large tubs are actually designed to be tubs to hold ice and drinks, the medium pots are actually buckets and the smaller pots are from Ikea, similar to this.
Make sure you drill holes for drainage in the base of each pot or bucket prior to planting.
I selected Federation Daisies (Yellow - "Surfer Girl"; Pink - "Summer Pink" and a traditional white). I also have a potted lavender in the arrangement. Herbs would suit as well, and would add to the "cottage garden" feel.
Daisies like a sunny spot, but will dry out quickly so don't forget to water regularly.
If you "dead-head" (ie: cut off the withering flowers) your daisy plants regularly, it encourages your plant to continue blooming.

What have you done in your garden recently?

This post is the first in a new series I'm introducing to my blog "Home on Wednesday". Look out for my At Home posts each week to see how things are progressing around our home and garden!

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Me - 10 things you may or may not want to know!

2011-10-25T06:45:00.004+10:00

Yesterday was an electricity free day here, thanks to eleventy-billion new powerpoints being put in. Somehow it managed to take all day, with the power being turned on briefly twice to make cups of tea!
Therefore I haven't managed to blog any pretty photos for you to view, you'll simply have to find out a little more about ME!

I have been tagged by Adalita from Fatty Fin to Skinny Minnie, to join in on 10 things you don't want to know about me.

1. I love gardening
I completed a short horticulture course when I was about 21, and then enrolled in a diploma but was offered a job that I didn't want to turn down so never started. I've been vaguely thinking that one day I'd like to revisit the idea.

2. I have a huge desire to go and live in France for 6 months
Not Paris, somewhere smaller. I'd dearly love for my daughter to attend school there and to immerse ourselves in the culture. Maybe a village, or a smaller town.

3. I was a writer, of sorts
Before I fell pregnant, I was a pretty good writer, in fact, part of my job was writing. I'm not sure what happened, but I am only now slowly regaining the ability, but it can be a struggle to get the words down.

4. I love lollies
Not so much chocolate, but give me a bag of party mix and I'll easily eat it all.

5. Fitness and I aren't good friends
Earlier this year I joined a gym for the first time in my life. I was going 3 times and week, and also at the point of running 5km. I was the fittest I've been in my life and I felt amazing. I got sick in the June school holidays and it lingered for too long...I haven't exercised since. Every day I say "this week...". Sigh.

6. I am deaf in my right ear
It happened when I was 12, and was probably the most life changing thing that has happened to me. I struggle socially in crowds or noisy places, but love to catch up in smaller groups.

7. I hate mess and untidiness
I'm not naturally a tidy person. It's something I have to work on constantly. I'm always leaving things on tables, chairs, the kitchen bench etc instead of putting them away, then racing around madly tidying up if people are coming over.

8. I have a dryer phobia
I refuse to put my clothes in the dryer, unless they are old things I wear in the garden. When I was about 14 I accidentally shrunk a brand new sweatshirt, and have been a dryer-phobe ever since.

9. I love old things
I'm still sad that my Grandmother gave away all her lovely old books. GAVE away, to some random charity person who knocked on the door.

10. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up!
Any suggestions?!

I haven't tagged anyone, but if you want to play along, leave a comment linking to your post.

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

A fabulous way to spend an afternoon

2011-10-24T09:00:00.002+10:00

We've done the kindy fetes. We've checked out a couple of school fetes. Nothing came close to the fantastic time Miss TikiBoo had on Saturday at her own school bushdance and fete.
She certainly got her money's worth of rides!

Plus loads of sugar...

And the night ended with a bang!

It's so lovely watching the kids enjoy themselves!

We spent today in the garden, then finished off the day watching the All Blacks win the World Cup - all in all, one of the best weekends!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend too!

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Freckles for the fete

2011-10-21T07:00:00.047+10:00

Tomorrow is our school fete. One of my favourite contributions is always Freckles as they are so easy and require minimal cooking, and can be made well in advance. Miss TikiBoo LOVES them, and because they're small I don't mind letting her have the occasional one - she tends to go a bit crazy when she has sugar.

INSTRUCTIONS

I'm not particularly exact when it comes to measuring for these.

- Choc Melts
- Copha
- Hundreds & Thousands (I like the natural coloured ones)

Melt about a cup of choc melts with a bit of copha. Around a teaspoon or so.
You can use regular chocolate, but it tends to melt faster. I like to do a combination of dark and milk.
Pour into moulds. I have Eiffel Tower chocolate moulds left over from Miss TikiBoo's Parisian birthday party, so I used those for some, then for the round freckles I use mini muffin tins and fill around 5mm deep.

Sprinkle Hundreds and Thousands on and put in the fridge to set.

Too easy!

What's your school fete standby? Do you make cupcakes galore, or are you more of a jams & pickles person?

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Start where you are

2011-10-20T06:41:00.003+10:00

Today I wish I were here...

or here...

However, I'm at home all day watching tradespeople work, and cooking for the school fete this weekend, so I'll have to take this advice instead!

What have you got planned for the day?

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

{Home on Wednesday} - Life is Beautiful

2011-10-19T06:33:00.004+10:00

I've been frantically trying to get my workspace in some sort of order. Going from using a bedroom with a large built in robe and loads of natural light, to a converted "sleep out" is proving to be a little bit of a challenge organisation wise, and it's been trial and error to find the right spot for things.
There are still piles of homeless items on the floor and plastic tubs everywhere.
My work table was in the corner, but I have moved it to under the window so I can use it for photographs - although those stained wood window frames are again annoying me! Unfortunately the neighbours have also planted sky high bamboo right outside as well. But there is always a way around these things, and in the end, as the print says, "La vie est belle"!

I also think the fabric pictured is rather "belle". These will be curtains on Miss TikiBoo's french doors (which open onto this workroom). Hopefully there will be enough left for a cushion as well.

Let's hope we all have a beautiful day!

By the way...if you look up in my pages bar, up there under the banner, you'll see a new tab "Blogroll". That's where I'm adding banners to blogs I love!

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Furniture makeover - What would you do with this piece?

2011-10-18T06:55:00.004+10:00

Here's a little piece I picked up on ebay a few weeks ago, a little maple side table. It's slightly rough at the moment.

It sits over here against a white wall. Oh, and the lamp finally has a new shade...yet to be photographed!

There are really three options I suppose.

A. Strip and varnish (or wax)
B. Paint it
C. Leave it and claim it's "rustic".

Decisions...what would you do?

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Baubling

2011-10-17T06:36:00.003+10:00

We've had such a busy weekend full of gardening, storm viewing, entertaining and watching the rugby! I hope yours was just as grand.

There was much excitement last week when the latest edition of Frankie magazine came out, with a little write up about my friend Rachel's gorgeous online store, Bauble. Rachel always finds the most divine pieces for her shop, and it's always fun to go over to her home and play with them!

In between tight deadlines, school drop offs, sick babies and overcast days with bad lighting, we managed to get a few snaps of her goodies to send to the magazine, just in time.
I've never taken photos for print before, so I was a bit nervous, but I think between us we did quite well, although next time I would try and source some lights rather than rely on the astronomical iso.

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Bay window inspiration

2011-10-14T06:43:00.010+10:00

Fabric sample images are from Ariadne Fabric

The bay window in our living area has so much potential, yet right now it's just there, looking all dark wood framed and dull!
As I've mentioned, I want to paint the whole frame white so it lets in more light. The twin window in the front bedroom (used as a family room at the moment) is white framed and the room is far lighter and fresher.
Neither of the windows have any type of curtain or blind, they just sit there, being uninspired windows.

I bought the couch and the chair for the living area and have been on the hunt for another chair or two, when I suddenly thought that maybe a window seat would be a better use of the area. (Actually, the fact the the cat was using my new couch as a climbing frame to look out the window was the inspiration!). Not only will it provide seating, but will also be some much needed extra storage.

So, I took to Pinterest for some inspiration.

1. This is so fresh and I love the colours...of course. This is perfect just as it is.

2. Are these linen holland blinds? I'm trying to decide if I love them, I think I do! I also love that the seat looks nicely padded and cosy.

3. Who can go past a crisp stripe! Roman blinds give a more contemporary look that the softer Holland in the picture above.

4. Storage! Either lift up like this, great for seasonal items like blankets and doonas.

5. Or for something a little fancier, these drawers are rather sweet.

Have a lovely weekend everyone - we have more gardening and socialising planned!

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Delightful or daggy?

2011-10-13T07:06:00.005+10:00

These little charmers are something we inherited from the previous owners.
They are really...very floral.

I really have no idea what to replace them with. Any suggestions?

This is the bathroom in it's entirety. We don't have that chair though, we have an enormous mahogany sideboard which wouldn't fit anywhere else! It doesn't really suit, but it's mighty useful for storage. We don't have a pretty gold mirror either.

Notice how the real estate photographer omitted the curtains? I wonder why...

What's your verdict? Delightful or Daggy?

By the way, I'm trying to make a little more effort with my photos. What do you think?

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Updated cushions...

2011-10-12T07:01:00.002+10:00

Remember this post where I was asking about the cushions on our back deck?
I gave mum the 3 cushions I had and asked if she could possibly make new covers "sometime", but before the weekend if at all possible (I still can't actually get to my sewing machine...). A couple of hours later I got a phone call telling me they were ready!

Before...

After...

What do you think? An improvement?
It's all still a bit too much yellow for me, but at least now the cushions match a bit better.
Thanks Mum!

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

What's happening out the back?

2011-10-11T06:23:00.002+10:00

Miss TikiBoo has wanted a trampoline for, well, forever.
The yard at our last house was a bit too small, as the pool took up most of it, with only a small patch of grass. We promised that the first thing we would do when we moved would be to get her a trampoline.

We certainly have the room. This is one of the real estate photos which I think were taken quite a while ago from the size of the trees!

So, somehow, we managed to end up with about the biggest trampoline one can buy. That's the same Jacaranda tree you can see the silhouette of. Really silly place for it and I'm considering moving or getting rid of it.

So, the "man with the digger" came and flattened out an area for the enormous trampoline, and 50 kids can quite possibly happily jump together.

I tend to have a bit of an obsession with lopping and pruning. We have a number of different loppers and secateurs, and spent a few hours clearing up this back corner using those with the longest handles! On the other side of the fence is a rampant bourganvillia. While I do enjoy the colourful display they can provide, I'm not so fond of the nasty, viscous thorns, so it had to go. We've now freed up another 3 square metres or so.

Some of the dirt was pushed down to this back corner. The mango tree will be hacked back a bit, and this area will be home to a raised vegetable garden.

And finally, a rather sad lemon tree in a rather silly position. I'm going to risk moving this as well, I have plans for this one! Stay tuned!

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Garden progess

2011-10-07T06:02:00.008+10:00

A little bit of a progress report!

As many of you know, I had originally planned to plant a row of Lillypillies along this front fenceline, although I'm not really that fond of them. I had rather a yearning to plant olive trees as I love the softer silvery grey of the foliage, rather than the dark glossy green.

Mum and went to a nursery earlier in the week, and these caught my eye! Any guesses as to what they are? Not the daisies, the bigger plants. Here's a clue - they grow to around 3 metres high, butterflies love the flowers.

I also had my heart set on potted daisies. We visited 5 different nurseries over the weekend, and could not find a single white. I begrudgingly bought some soft pink, and a yellow - then found white at the same place I bought the front plants! Hooray, shall go there first next time!

The Lavender will be going along the front here. I had planned it for along the entire front of the house, however, after being here a couple of weeks, we've noticed it doesn't get enough sun. I'm thinking about white camelias instead.

The "man with the digger" dug us some holes. Luckily he made them far too large, as the soil along the front is not actually soil - it's a nasty mix of clay and fill.
My driveway is currently covered in a cubic metre of garden soil, ready to fill these and the vegetable garden which will be out the back. I see a weekend behind the wheelbarrow...

Fun and games, I can't wait to get stuck into the planting and getting everything growing.

What are your weekend plans?

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Light up my life

2011-10-05T07:35:00.001+10:00

More housey stuff. It's really rather occupying my focus right now. Today we had a man with a digger come and carve up stage one of our yard makeover. That's another post though.

One thing I'm keen on sourcing are a few lamps. I haven't really looked for any in the stores yet, but did check Pinterest for some inspiration. Can't say I was too inspired by some of them!

Like this:

This is quite interesting...

My sort of colours, but probably fits in a bit too well...

Again with this one...

Typical of the era of our house...

Or maybe a Pineapple lamp, to suit a Queenslander?

I am rather fond of these Waterford crystal pretties. Light, bright, and work with all the gold accents we have inherited.

So, tell me...do any of these light up your world?

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Patterns and colour

2011-10-04T06:36:00.002+10:00

I'm a little bit afraid of adding patterns and colour. Anything more than some subtle stripes strikes fear into my colour coordinated heart! I'm sure I'm not the only one? Does anyone else suffer from colour/pattern-phobia, or are you all lovers of the bright and varied?

However, I do think I need to be brave and add something of interest to this very safe room! To the left of the couch is our front door, so this is the entry to our home and the first area you encounter.

Excusing the nasty flash photography, this is the new couch and cushions. It's in the main living area. I picked the duck egg/eau de nil shade Laura Ashley cushions, and made a bold move with the teal. These are Rapee, and they call the colour Mallard, how perfect is that?!

I added this rug, again, Laura Ashley, so it ties in with the couch and cushions, possibly too much. It also has some warm gold tones within the paisley like swirls. (These photos make me realise that it needs to be ironed or steamed to get that big crease out of the centre.)

This velvet chair is another one of my auction purchases. It's rather sweet and ladylike, and matches the cushions almost perfectly. The lamp in the background needs some TLC as well, definitely a new shade and quite possibly rewiring.

This is a really bad photo of this section of the room it it's entirety. Nothing on the walls, no curtains...nothing. Simply because I have NO idea what to put there. So, this is where I'm looking for inspiration, and suggestions from my readers.
I am tempted to paint these window frames white as we have a lot of dark wood trim in this room. A LOT of dark wood. With the wrap around verandah it makes the room quite dark.
I am also on the lookout for another chair or small couch to complete the seating, however I have no idea what I'm after. Possibly a wingchair, or two.
Do I need a coffee table? In that corner to the right is a little mahogany "nest" of tables and I'm not sure if that is quite enough or if it looks a bit bare without a central table.

So many questions, so much to do!

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Out the back

2011-09-29T07:42:00.001+10:00

This is where I'm currently loving to sit and relax. Well, ok, I've managed to sit and relax here precisely once, but it was lovely! I can see us spending a lot of time out here.

These couches were originally our inside couches, the cream in the living room and the blue in the family room, but neither really suited the house (and although still super comfortable, after 5 years of sticky fingers, the cream is now slightly more grey!). So, I'm slowly getting new living room furniture and these have found a new home where they will get a lot of use this summer!

Husband put the cream throw on the couch, but I'll probably move it onto the blue couch instead, and make new cushion covers. I have these two fabrics from Joel Dewberry's Ginseng collection which I'm thinking of using, but I can't decide whether just to use one, or both of them? Thoughts?

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Boxes of goodies

2011-09-28T07:52:00.002+10:00

We had another successful trip to the antique auctions on Monday night. I picked up a lovely chair, a nest of tables, a rug and a box of china. I'll show you the other things in another post, but I managed to find the camera cord today and took a few photos of my box of goodies!

I have been collecting old china on and off for around 10 years, particularly cup and saucer sets. The majority I have are in shades of pink, of course.

I'm pretty happy with this haul - $15 for the lot!

These are the teacups. No fancy brands, but sweet and pretty. We will probably use these regularly as they aren't 3 piece sets, so I won't be too bothered if little hands break them.

I'm not so fond of this 1950's dinner set. It's not really my taste at all, so I'll have to find a new home for it with a fan of the retro. We're planning a garage sale so this one might be boxed up until then.

This gorgeous Tuscan plate and saucer were the main reason I bid on the box, and they are in the display cupboard. Sadly no matching teacup, although there was a plain white with gold rim that will do nicely until I manage to find one.

I spend several hours disinfecting, then washing them. A few were still stained so I gave them a good polish with bicarb. Next time I must remember to wear gloves as my hands are horribly dry and rough tonight!

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

I can almost see the light!

2011-09-26T14:34:00.000+10:00

That one at the end of the tunnel!

It has been a long week. A very long week. So much more to do than we ever expected, especially in the way of cleaning. Right now I'm waiting for the oven cleaning folks to turn up as there was no way I was touching that filth. I've scrubbed walls and floors (3 bottles of sugar soap down) and there are still a couple of rooms I need to get to, but we're close!
So far I am loving the place. I'd post some photos, but I'm not quite sure where the camera cable is!

Stay tuned and hopefully over the next few days I'll be able to share a bit more.

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Suger Coat It

2011-09-20T09:00:00.004+10:00

While I'm stuck in a purgatory of unpacking boxes and cleaning, I thought I'd introduce a blogger friend or two.

There has been a lot of talk around recently about blogs needing to have a "niche". I have to say I'm not sure I agree with this as I much prefer blogs that are varied. I like to know about people, what they're up to, where they live, what they love. So, while I'm stuck in a purgatory of unpacking boxes and cleaning, I thought I'd introduce a blogger friend or two, that fit my favourite "non-niche" niche perfectly.

Meet Melissa, aka "Suger".

Who are you? Melissa Walker Horn. Blogger, business owner, wife, daughter, sister, friend, wannabe mum, social media addict - not necessarily in that order.

Your blog? Suger Coat It – www.sugercoatit.com

What do you blog about? I blog about life and the things that make it sweet. Family, fun, health and lifestyle and fashion. I also cover a lot of blogger and blogging type subjects. There is no constant topic on my blog. The only consistent is me.

What has been your most popular blog post? Hits wise it’s an offhanded one I wrote about My Family Stickers. Just a thought I had one day that I blogged. More recently my post about the phrase ‘real woman’ has been REALLY popular. And I love both for totally different reasons.

Do you read other people's blogs? Errr, yes. I have 726 currently in my reader. I visit most weekly. I have some favourites I visit daily or for every new post.

What do you like in a blog, and can you share two of your favourites? Just TWO! I couldn’t. But what makes me go back to a blog time after time is an easy to read layout, upbeat content {If I wanted to read constant complaining I’d stay on facebook} and a real insight into who the author is. Pretty pictures help too.

I asked Melissa for a random photo, and this is what she sent. Her sister's dog interrupting a photo shoot.

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

And the winner is...

2011-09-16T08:09:00.001+10:00

Commenter number 3, SALLY.

Sally, if you could please send me an email, I'll get your bag of goodies in the mail!

I'm not sure when I'll be back blogging, but it will be sometime next week. We collected the keys to our new house yesterday afternoon, so today Mum and I will be over there cleaning cupboards and washing walls, as they aren't quite as clean as I would have expected (we spent 3 days scrubbing every inch of our house when we moved out). Let's not even mention the state of the oven, or the fact that they didn't clean up the dog poo! Luckily we have organised end of tenancy professional cleaners to sort out this rental next week.
Saturday is move in day, and we are excited to get into this house and start our new life of verandahs, decorating and entertaining!
I look forward to sharing our journey with you all.

And if anyone wants to drop over cake and coffee while we clean...

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Giveaway Update - more goodies added!

2011-09-14T08:30:00.003+10:00

I'm too busy packing right now to write anything resembling a blog post, so this is just a quick reminder about the GIVEAWAY which will close tomorrow evening, 5pm Brisbane time, and the winner announced on Friday morning.

Please make sure you CLICK HERE TO COMMENT.

I've added a few more goodies, so now we have:

Cute pincushion from Bauble
A pack of pins
Two packets of sewing machine needles
Some elastic
A seam ripper/unpicker
Novelty buttons
Self cover buttons and tool
Several trims and lace
Thread

Quite a nifty little starter kit or addition to your current stash!

Don't forget, there will be more giveaways once we move and I go through all the boxes in storage! Make sure you bookmark, follow, like us on facebook or whichever way you find it easiest to stay in touch.

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Frisbee action

2011-09-13T07:27:00.011+10:00

Miss TikiBoo bought her daddy a frisbee for Father's Day, so the current favourite thing to do during the weekend is head to the park for some throwing. It's also a great opportunity to get some funny facial expressions on camera.
Here are a few from Sunday, possibly one of the last opportunities to wear jeans for a while!

Miss TikiBoo and her Daddy are both frisbee aces, while I'm still a wobbly throw, but it's fun, and a nice way to get some outdoor fun.

Don't forget our GIVEAWAY!

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Here's to You, New York.

2011-09-12T07:45:00.007+10:00

In around two months, we are heading to New York City. I can not wait. I have wanted to travel there since I was about 8 years old, and finally, I have my chance.

Although it is now September the 12th here, in the USA it is still the 11th.
9/11.
This year makes the 10th anniversary of the twin tower bombings.
I'm sure every one of us remembers where we were and what we were doing when we heard. I was getting ready for work when it came on the radio. We flicked on the television and stood there transfixed, eventually arriving at work around 11am. No work was done that day, most of us crowded into the boardroom to watch over and over in horror.

In the words of one of the city's own, Art Garfunkel, "So here's to you, New York"

Joining in the Pinterest Party with Down that Little Lane.

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

The week in review

2011-09-10T08:52:00.022+10:00

I don't usually blog during the weekend, but thought I'd start a Saturday recap of what has happened each week.

- Most importantly - The GIVEAWAY, which is open until Thursday. You don't have to join anything or link anything and run around with your underpants on your head - just leave a comment. New things have been added since I took the photo.

- I signed up to the decor8 "Blogging Your Way" e-course. Would love to hear from anyone else who is participating?

- Sewing - I made Miss TikiBoo a nightie, started sewing some pretty liberty blouses for the shop, and some ladies skirts. Coming soon, stay tuned!

- I've interviewed a couple of lovely ladies about blogging, these will be featured on the blog soon.

- Mum and I had coffee at Riverbend Books in Bulimba yesterday, and happened to sit at a table next to an author who was signing his children's book I Grow in Grandad's Garden. As a coincidence, the book is set at their home, about 500 metres from our new place.

- Some of the packing has been done, but there is so much more to go. The removalists turn up in a week...yikes! I'd better get back to it.

What have you been up to the past week?

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

{Giveaway} Haby Goodness!

2011-09-09T07:48:00.002+10:00

If you've been reading this blog for the past month, you would be aware that we are moving next week. To HERE. Right now, I'm trying to pack, and sew at the same time. Making more mess than I tidy.

As I go, I keep finding bits and pieces that probably need a new home. That new home could be yours. This is going to be Giveaway Number One. The next will be once we move and I unpack the storage container.

All you need to do is leave a comment below to be in the random draw for a bunch of haby goodies. The picture is just a sample of what you'll get, I will be adding to the pile as I go!

That sweet little toadstool is a pincushion, I bought it specifically for a blog giveaway from my lovely friend Rachel at Bauble. You'll hear more about Bauble soon as I'm off to check out her new arrivals and take some photos next week.

So, again - leave a comment, telling me what you would really like added to the pile of haberdashery...and if you happen to be the random winner, maybe I'll oblige! Random winner will be drawn next Thursday evening.

If you have stopped by, it would be lovely if you could leave a comment or just say hello so I know that you've been here. Thank you!

Nightie-nights or PJ girl?

2011-09-08T08:46:00.004+10:00

At the risk of asking a "too personal" question, what do you wear to bed?!

I'm a pyjama girl from way back, but they can't be just any PJs, they pretty much need to be Peter Alexander. Or at least the bottom half does. Happy to match the pants to a K-mart top. In winter I wear the brushed cotton long pants (love the new wide leg style) and in winter It's the 3/4 length. I can't wear the button up tops, I wear either a t-shirt or singlet, depending on the temperature. I have a couple of summer nightdresses that I'll wear if it's super hot, but I find them a bit annoying.
Oh, and everything must be cotton! I can't stand satiny or synthetic fabrics at night, they make my skin crawl.

Miss TikiBoo, however, is currently obsessed with the nightie. Grandma made her one, and at her request, I made her another yesterday, when she pointed out a pink floral lawn fabric in my collection (of which she already has a blouse) and mentioned that it would make a pretty nightie. It's going to be perfect for our warm summer nights. And brunch on the verandah at the new house.

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So, what's your preference? Nightie, PJ's...or nothing at all?!

**Edited to add - I've been informed that today is Pyjama Day. So, I have decided that for every response to the post question before Monday, I will donate $1 to The Pyjama Foundation. One comment per poster will be counted**

Sleeping room

2011-09-07T07:26:00.004+10:00

Inside our new house is also a "blank canvas". Creamy-white walls and polished floorboards throughout. At the moment I'm really quite clueless as to what I want to do. Hopefully when I see the house free of furniture it will be easier to picture.
One thing I am rather fond of is an opulent bedroom, although I'm not sure if that would suit the style of our home.

Here's some of my Pinterest master bedroom inspiration. I seem to be attracted to pale furniture, linens inshades of blue and grey, headboards and drapes.

What would your ideal bedroom look like?

How old is she?

2011-09-06T07:26:00.004+10:00

She spends hours staring at her reflection in the mirror.

If left unchecked, she would spend an hour in the shower.

She is obsessed with clothes and shoes, and leaves them scattered all around her room.

She answers back and thinks she knows absolutely everything.

I have to tell her not to wear makeup out.

She seems to have a new boyfriend every few weeks.

No, she isn't a teenager. She's five-and-a-half.

Heaven help me when she gets to fifteen.

Right now, the only difference seems to be that she still loves crawling into bed with me and giving me kisses and cuddles, and tells me constantly that she loves me to the moon and back. She's still my super cute baby girl. I hope it stays that way for a very long time!

Pinterest Party - Le Marais

2011-09-05T07:54:00.007+10:00

Today I am sharing images from my favourite area of Paris - Le Marais. Everything in Paris is wonderful, but there is something special about the 3rd and 4th arrondissements. In November last year I spend a wonderful week hanging out in this area by myself, (I was joined by a friend for the last two days, when we had loads of girly fun). I can't wait to do it again one day!

All images found on Pinterest.

My favourite museum - Musee de Carnavalet

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Tell me, where is your favourite place in the whole world? If you could go back to a place you've been before, and stay a month or so, where would it be?

If you're a "pinner", then join in the Pinterest Party at Down that Little Lane!

A morning off

2011-09-02T07:59:00.002+10:00

I have the morning "off" today. There is a Father's Day "fun day" at school, so Daddy gets to take Miss TikiBoo to school and spend the morning there. I'm not sure what is involved, there is talk of singing and dancing and possibly a "pick your portrait" competition.

Now, this post has been prewritten and scheduled, as I am taking advantage of the no school drop off to sleep in! I think I deserve it after the events of yesterday - up early to get hair braided, then a really busy morning having coffee with the school mummies (after a couple of us made a quick trip to Aldi to get raised vege gardens, love an Aldi catalogue sale) and back to school all afternoon for the Book Week parade. All lovely, however a little exhausting. We got home late after doing a few chores, to find the cat had not only thrown up on the laundry tiles (easy enough to clean up), but had decided to throw up all over my bed as well. Fabulous, washing doona and doona cover at 5pm. Thank goodness the weather has warmed up enough that a couple of cotton blankets will suffice! So, the cupcakes I had planned for the Father's Day morning tea will be replaced by the packet of hundreds and thousands biscuits I grabbed while waiting at the Aldi checkout!

This is my gorgeous girl all dressed for the parade, her favourite book character, Madeline. For that matter, she's probably my favourite children's book character too! Probably because her personality is so similar to that of Miss TikiBoo.

I made the costume, and the hat was given to us by a friend. It was a rushed spraypaint job, and although it's a little too small, it's still pretty cute. She was so proud today. Love this crazy girl to bits xxx.

What do you do with unexpected time off your day to day routine? Do you sleep it away, or spend it wisely?

Hello, September!

2011-09-01T07:51:00.001+10:00

I forgot to do my "Just a minute..." post yesterday. So, here's to Spring, farewell August, take winter with you. (It has been the coldest winter in Brisbane for 10 years!).

Here's a summary of my August...

Watching... Body of Proof. It makes Monday nights easier. Vaguely still watching The Renovators.

Listening... to Tina Arena. I found some CDs while I was packing, that was the top one, so I packed while singing along to Tina belting out her greatest hits, while Miss TikiBoo dances around getting in my way!

Reading... Sophie's Choice. This is our current book club pick. I'm not finding it easy to get into, especially as I have an idea of what's to come, and "the choice". It's going to be harrowing.

Making... Miss TikiBoo's costume for the Book Week parade tomorrow. Included sewing and spraypainting. Photos to come...

Loving... The fact that today is the FIRST DAY OF SPRING!

Completing... Packing...and more packing...

Planning... My garden, my house decor, all those fun things. Pinterest has been a great help!

Tell me about your August! The good, the bad and the ugly.

How does your garden grow?

2011-08-31T08:17:00.006+10:00

After yesterday's "woe is me, I have to pack boxes" post, I thought I should probably concentrate on all the awesome, positive aspects about the move. I absolute can't wait, this house is a dream and I can't wait to make it ours, and stamp some personal touches on it.
We have spent the past six months in a townhouse, and while it has been perfectly fine, and actually great in a way - low maintenance, small enough to keep (reasonably) clean - the biggest thing we have missed is a yard and a garden. Miss TikiBoo has been desperate for a trampoline for years, so we will be getting one delivered as soon as we move in, especially as move in day is the first day of school holidays!
As for me, I am itching to get into the blank canvas that is the current yard, and transforming into a beautiful garden where we can relax and spend time outdoors. I enjoy gardening, and have a lot of plans for our space, including a vege patch, loads of herbs as well as trees, flowers and restful spaces.

Does anyone else enjoy gardening? I'd love to hear about other people's gardens and what they have done, what they love about them. Please share, and if you have photos, even better!

Here's some of my inspiration. All sourced on Pinterest, which makes crediting the original source rather difficult.

Chez Fifi

Country Living

I love my tape gun

2011-08-30T08:42:00.000+10:00

While I am really starting to enjoying getting back into regular blogging, I may not be around that often over the next couple of weeks. There are boxes to be packed and a million things to be organised.

Moving isn't much fun, but the end result will be worth the hassle!

I can't wait!

Still not sure how Samson, the cat, will cope. He's been an indoor cat his entire life, however the new place has no screens or way to keep him contained, other than leaving all the windows and doors closed. It could be time for him to learn about the big wide world, or maybe a cat enclosure. Undecided at this point. Any suggestions?

Pinterest Party, week 2

2011-08-29T10:30:00.004+10:00

Playing along with Down that Little Lane's Pinterest Party again!

This week I've selected pins from my Colour My World pinboard.

Enjoy some bright moments!

Friday evening gratitude

2011-08-26T23:24:00.003+10:00

~ Everyone who made it possible for us to get our lovely new home. Our agent, the bank, and of course, my husband.

~ The new people I have encountered this week in blogland. I've been following more and commenting more, and have discovered some lovely new blogs and lovely ladies.

~ My parents and Miss TikiBoo's Friday night sleepover ritual. It means a Saturday sleep in for me, and she loves her Grandparents so much.

~ My girlfriends and our monthly dinner catchup. See you tomorrow night lovelies!

What are you grateful for? Link up at Maxabella Loves.

Seen and not heard?

2011-08-26T08:33:00.004+10:00

I read a comment on facebook from an acquaintance the other day. She was complaining in rather colourful language that she was in a first class airline lounge and there was a small child dancing around, disturbing the peace, while she was trying to relax and enjoy her French champers.
6 years ago, I would have been right there bitching with her. How DARE people take their child into such an environment, then refuse to control the child! Now I have a child of my own, I am completely aware that it is NOT always possible to make a child sit down and shut up. Not for lack of trying...be quiet, shhhhhh, and for the love of god would you please stop making noise are on constant rotation. I'm fully aware of trying not to disturb people, particularly if we are in a more adult environment, but it isn't as easy as those without children - or those with less spirited children - think it is.

Yesterday I had to take Miss TikiBoo to the GP. We were 10 minutes early, and were told there were a couple of patients before us. After 15 minutes of trying to sit quietly, or read the broken books with missing pages, she was starting to get bored. Knowing we had at least another 20 minutes waiting time, I gave her my iPhone to play with. Cue raised eyebrows from a few older patients. Huh. Sometimes the only thing that gives a parent 10 minutes of quiet, is to plug their child into an electronic device, thereby exposing ourselves to more judgement over parenting skills. And, what's the alternative? A smack? Threats? She tries hard, but she just finds it incredibly challenging to sit still and do nothing.

So, seriously, if you see a small child sitting quietly with an iPhone/Pad/Pod in a nice restaurant or airline lounge while the (probably exhausted) parents appear to be ignoring the child, do NOT tut or pass judgement, consider the alternative - that said parents take electronic device and put headphones on to drown out sound of the child - be happy that you can drink your wine in peace!

Have your children ever 'disturbed the peace'? Or has yours been rudely interrupted? Should children be seen and not heard?

(Image of Miss TikiBoo, June 2010)

Cheering up Miss TikiBoo

2011-08-25T11:22:00.004+10:00

Sometimes it's just the little things.

Miss TikiBoo wasn't feeling so great when I picked her up from school yesterday. She was grumpy. And whiney. She wanted this and that and to get something from the shop and to cry and whinge. I dragged her sobbing to the car, explaining that I had something for her at home.
Even though it was overcast and threatening to rain, I asked her to put out the picnic rug on our patch of grass, then I presented her with the sweet little teapot I found at our local antique store. Happy smiles, finally. She does love her cups of tea - basically a cup of milk with a dash of tea, but special to her and makes her feel grown up.
Tea always tastes better from a pot (even when it's just a squeeze of a teabag!).

Oh, and the Liberty print top she's wearing is a sneaky peek of our summer collection.

Indulging in Antiques

2011-08-24T08:06:00.002+10:00

Now that we have an old "character" home, I can finally indulge in my passion for antiques once more. My first real estate purchase was an art deco style unit in New Farm, a few years before marriage and babies. I was on a tiny budget, but managed to scrape together enough to buy a couple of old silky oak wardrobes and a sideboard. They were all in rather grim painted condition and I stripped them back and waxed them. I can't wait to get back into some restoration work, it is so satisfying, taking something ugly and neglected and turning into something beautiful. It may only be silky oak, once considered a common, everyday timber, but I love the warmth and the grain of the restored pieces - and it's the right era and style for our new home.

Our previous house, while still a Queenslander, was modernised to the 'inth' degree, so our current furniture reflects that. Streamlined, square, heavy. We won't be able to replace it all straight away, but will gradually add special pieces once we find them.

Number one on the list is replacing our big, dark mahogany dining table and leather chairs with a sweet silky oak setting. I'm on the hunt, people! Keep your eyes open and let me know if you spy one for sale, Brisbane and surrounds. The only one I've seen and liked so far was $1600, and I'm not paying that much!

PS - If you want to get a sneaky preview of our new house, head over to The House that A-M Built. She's featuring our new pad on a WWYD post! If you have any opinions, make sure you share them!

Sweet!

2011-08-23T08:35:00.000+10:00

Once a month I catch up with a lovely group of ladies for coffee and a chat. It's usually an open invite organised by Mrs Ah-Tissue, and we never really know who will turn up. Last week was just 4 of us. Mrs Ah-Tissue, Mrs Linkits and Mrs Bubble and Sweet.
Linda from Bubble and Sweet bought some fabulous Whoopie Pies she had made. Yum.

And the little thank you gift I gave her in return...

Pinterest Party

2011-08-22T20:00:00.004+10:00

Catching up on my blog reading this evening I came across this! A Pinterest Party over at Down that Little Lane. Why not!

Here's a few of my favourite images for this week. I've taken these from my pinboard entitled "Just Pretty".
Enjoy!

To join in, head over to Down that Little Lane.

To see more of my pins, check out my Pinterest Page.

Home, sweet, sweet home.

2011-08-19T08:47:00.001+10:00

After a week or so of sleepness nights, and some intense discussions, we are finally home owners once more!

We had been searching for our new home for months, almost a year. We found nothing that was even close, everything we found had a major flaw - mainly the style. I've had my heart set on an old colonial or queenslander for years.

Every weekend we looked unenthusiasticly looked at homes that were either falling apart, or without character, until I saw this house online. It's a colonial style house, with a pyramid roof and wide verandahs along the front and side, and a white picket fence. I have driven past it many times and wondered what the story was, as it's quite different from the houses in the area, so I was curious. Husband couldn't be bother going, so I took mum along.
The minute I walked through the gate, my heart started pounding. I walked inside, and just knew. THIS was it. The house I could love, the house we could call home. Wandering through, I mentally placed our furniture, figuring out then and there what would stay and what had to go.
I got home, with a huge grin on my face, and said to Husband - it's the one.

So, Tuesday night, with the help of an amazing buyers agent to bid on our behalf at the auction, we finally got my dream house!

We move in a month, so you can expect many home updates after that!

Remembering Daniel

2011-08-15T11:52:00.002+10:00

Today a nation is remembering a little boy, stolen from his family 8 years ago.

In support of his family, we are all wearing red. I am wearing a red scarf, and Miss TikiBoo, while in her navy uniform, is wearing a red ribbon in her hair.

Drinking tea from my favourite poppy mug, I can't even begin to imagine what his parents are going through. If a body is found, if a murderer is charged, it may bring closure, but with it, the loss of hope. I am certain that every day his parents pray that their son will walk back through their door.

Zip it.

2011-08-12T09:18:00.002+10:00

Yes. I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel with this one! I'm running out of inspiration, already. Hopefully we will have a lovely weekend and I can get out and about with the camera.

Mum and I went shopping yesterday, and picked up this lovely loot (please tell me I'm not the only one who gets excited about shopping for haberdashery?!). I guess I'm going to need to conquer my fear of sewing in zips!

I'm baaaaaccckkk...

2011-08-10T08:32:00.005+10:00

Phew. Blogging hiatus is hopefully over. Photos have been taken, and not only that, sewing has been started.

I'm stitching up a few pretty items for summer. Here's a sneak preview:

Lemons

2011-08-05T12:30:00.005+10:00

I haven't taken a photo today...or for the past three days, so this is an old one. I've been sick, again. Kids and their germs.

When life gives you lemons...what do you make?

Walk a mile...

2011-08-02T18:53:00.003+10:00

The August Break, Day 2.

In my Shoes

Recently, a couple of different friends have mentioned they were thinking of buying a pair of converse shoes, but wondered if they were too old to wear them. The thought had never crossed my mind!
I bought my first pair when I was 16. Red chuck taylor high tops. I wore them with everything. Jeans, shorts, even a white lacy dress. I'm not sure what happened to them, living in the tropics at the time they probably went mouldy.

Many years later I bought another pair. This is going to sound particularly ridiculous, but I bought a pair of pink baby cons and decided to get a matching pair for myself. My baby outgrew hers but I still have mine. I now own 4 pairs and wear them frequently...but not with lacy white dresses!

Is there an age limit on converse sneakers? I imagine I'll still be wearing mine when I'm 60!

What are your favourite shoes...are you a Louboutin heels type of girl or more of a Hush Puppy?

The August Break - Day 1

2011-08-01T19:08:00.006+10:00

Here is my first contribution to The August Break project.

Today my sweet girl was 'sick'. She was up half the night coughing, and didn't wake up until after 8am this morning, so we took a day off. Hmmmm...by 11am she was begging to go out for coffee.
This is her current favourite outfit. A TikiBoo Kids skirt, striped top from somewhere in Paris, and leggings. Must be finished off with a bow in the hair and sparkly shows.

A pinch and a punch

2011-08-01T09:26:00.001+10:00

Welcome to a new month...how did it get to August already?

First of all, hello and welcome to my new blog followers - lovely to meet you.

I've decided to participate in Susannah Conway's The August Break, which I discovered via The House of Hearts.

From Susannah Conway's blog:

Okay, here’s the plan for the August Break: you simply share one photo (or more!) per day on your blog – Monday to Friday, or every day. Or whenever you feel moved to share. Using any camera – DSLR, compact, Polaroid, Holga, iPhone (my choice), Instax, film or digital – with or without words – anything goes! – for the whole of August. No pressure – just looking at August through your camera lens as a way to be more present this summer. And to have a little break from the pressures and expectations of regular blogging.

There are NO RULES, people! Just sunshine (hopefully) and a bit of fun. And lots of lovely photos to look at.

So if you have any type of camera and a blog, why don't you join in?!

Just a minute in... JULY

2011-07-30T07:54:00.001+10:00

Over the past few weeks I've been cleaning up my blogger following list. Apparently you can only follow 300 blogs, so I've been deleting those I'm no longer interested in, and finding some new blogs to follow. While bopping around from blog to blog, I found this meme over at Kitty Litter and thought I'd join in.

Watching... The Renovators. I swore I wouldn't get sucked into another nightly reality show, but I'm enjoying this one. Possibly because I'm so desperate to find a house of my own!

Listening... to Simon and Garfunkel. Yes, I'm such a musical dag. S'n'G. Neil Diamond. Barbra Streisand. Love them all. Current number one played song on my iTunes is "Heart in New York".

Reading... Michael Connelly's latest - The Fifth Witness. I'm a bit of a sucker for a police/law thriller type of novel, and Connelly never fails to deliver. Also on the night stand is the Frommers guide to NYC.

Making... Pretty clothes out of pretty fabric. Hoping to get a small summer range in store soon. Lots of lovely Liberty.

Loving... The weather here in Brisbane right now. Crisp, yet sunny. Perfect for getting the washing dry.

Completing... Listing a bunch of stuff on ebay and getting rid of it! A pile of too big clothes, a few handbags, a ski jacket circa 1998. Gone! I wish we didn't have so much stuff in storage, or I'd be listing that too...I'm on a roll here folks!

Planning... the rest of my life! What to do...what to do? This or that? Study or get a job?

Anyway...if you have a really fabulous blog, and you're generous with your comments (there are a lot of people right now getting miffed about the lack of commenting love...so be a sport and leave your mark when you read a blog, ok?) then feel free to drop me a line and I'll see if I can fit you into my 300!

Tea for two

2011-07-29T10:00:00.004+10:00

One of the things I really miss at the moment is my collection of antique and vintage teacups and saucers. I have around 20 sets or so, unfortunately they are in storage right now.

I was certain I had blogged about them before, however all I can find are a few images with one cup featured, such as this post and this one.

After the failed antiquing (when I had hoped to find some pretty cup and saucer sets) I decided that maybe new would have to do...for now. After coffee with the lovely ladies from Bubble and Sweet and Ah Tissue, I found a little kitchenware store and picked up these sweet pink pretties. Not vintage, not porcelain...but dishwasher safe!

I shall keep searching for some fine old china, but in the meantime will enjoy these.

Antiquing attempt.

2011-07-27T08:15:00.001+10:00

It seemed like a really great idea at the time.
Ballet wasn't on this afternoon, and Miss TikiBoo really, really, really wanted to "go somewhere". After a night spent coughing, I was desperate for a coffee, so thought maybe we would go over to the Woolloongabba Antique Market.

Being tired and not thinking straight, I absentmindedly said "sure" to the cupcake and bottle of orange juice she asked for. Bad move. I KNOW she goes silly if she drinks juice, but I took the risk.

Who wants to guess how many times I said "Don't touch!", "Come BACK!", "Stay next to me", "For the love of... put that DOWN" and similar? Anyone? Any guesses what I bought? That's right - nothing.

Lesson learnt. Go looking at antiques sans child.

But we did get yummy cake, and the much needed coffee did the trick!

That thing I said about quilting...

2011-07-26T10:05:00.002+10:00

About how it skips a generation?

Here is proof. I cut and sewed these squares a long time ago. As in, somewhere around 1990, I think. I was living out west, working as a governess, and living in a cottage off the main house with no TV, let alone a computer! The kids I was teaching wanted to make cushions, then I got a bit carried away cutting up a pile of scraps and making squares. This is as far as I got, and they have sat in a bag for the past 20 odd years. Maybe now I'll sew them together and make something, even though I'm not really fond of them and would have preferred something a bit more random.

Look! Liberty! Why on earth did I cut up Liberty for this? I think I'll unpick those and use them for something else.

These are the absolute rejects. WHAT was I thinking?

Especially this one. The paisley was a pair of shorts I had in year 11. Really.

Does anyone else have extreme unfinished projects like this, that have been sitting around for more than 20 years? Do you ever think you will get them finished?

The birds and the bees chat

2011-07-25T11:05:00.006+10:00

aka - Why I'm glad I had a caesarian at a time like this!

For a very long time, Miss TikiBoo has said she wants to be a doctor when she grows up. Fantastic, great to have ambition and big dreams. She's had the occasional "actually, maybe I'll be a teacher" moments, mainly because she simply adores her wonderful Prep teacher.

We were sitting on the couch the other day and she mentioned it again, out of the blue, but elaborated a bit this time.

Miss TikiBoo: "I've decided I want to be a doctor in a hospital, not in an office".
Me: "That's great sweetheart. Do you want to perform operations on people?".
Miss TikiBoo: "Yes. I'll do operations and make people better".
Me: "Have you decided on your specialty yet?".
Miss TikiBoo: "Huh?"
Me: "Whether you want to fix broken legs, or operate on people's hearts, or eyes or brains!".
Miss TikiBoo: "Oh. Well, actually, I think I'd like to cut mummies open and take out their babies for them".
Me: "Wow, great! Then you want to be an Obstetrician, that's the doctor who does that".

Huh. So she thinks that all babies are born via a cut in their mother's stomach. Fabulous. When do I advise her that not all babies are born that way?! I'm sort of thinking that in the school holidays would be the better time, so she doesn't go to school and tell all her little friends how babies are born, just in case.
But what IS the right age? We've never had the question about "Where did I come from?" as she has seen my c-section scar and knows that's where the doctor, I mean Obstetrician, pulled her out, (this is the part where I mean I'm glad I had a caesar!), but she thinks that's how all babies are born.

So, there's my question. At what age should you tell your child about how babies are born?

And just because I always need a picture, a blurry photo of Miss TikiBoo in her doctor costume pre tonsilectomy, December 2009. She actually wore the outfit into surgery.

What's making you smile?

2011-07-22T13:35:00.002+10:00

It's not often that I blog more than once a day (and I'm only just starting to do that), but I read this post over at Poppy, Bean & Bloss and decided to participate.

What's making me smile at the moment...

- My little girl is being so delightful right now. She is giggly and funny and so sweet. She is also loving being able to read!

- I have a cold and it's a great excuse to drink lots of cups of tea, watch daytime TV and read blogs.

- I'm having lots of creative ideas at the moment. I haven't put them into action, but it does feel like I'm getting my 'sew-jo" back.

- The weather here is beautiful at the moment, so we should get a lovely weekend.

- Miss TikiBoo gets to spend the night with her Grandma tonight and I get to steep in tomorrow...and I'm glad it's not me who has to explain why Hayden is no longer on masterchef!

So, What's making YOU smile?

Daily Tea

2011-07-22T08:54:00.000+10:00

We have a trip planned later in the year...and it's going to be rather chilly at our destination.
Given she spends most of the week in a school uniform, I didn't buy Miss TikiBoo many winter clothes this year. She has several pairs of jeans and lots of blouses and long tees, however, I'm not fond of jeans for travelling, they just don't have that comfort factor required for long haul travel.

One of my favourite brands is Daily Tea, so now that the trip is booked, I hopped on over to Where Did You Get That? to see what they had! These dresses are a good quality cotton knit fabric. They are comfortable enough for a long international flight - and still look good at the destination!

I bought size 7, as I doubt a 6 will fit her next winter, but the sleeves are currently far too long, so I may have to see if we can put some elastic on the ends.

Miss TikiBoo was very happy with her new haul!

Toothfairy failings

2011-07-21T08:18:00.002+10:00

Miss TikiBoo lost her second tooth at school yesterday. Thank goodness. The damn thing had been wiggly for a few weeks now, and sitting at a really weird angle.

She put it safely in her lunchbox, then when she got home we rinsed it off and she put it in her toothfairy envelope.

At around 11pm, just as we were about to turn off the lights and go to sleep, a small person appeared at the side of the bed, blearily rubbing her eyes. "The Toothfairy hasn't been yet!". Uh Oh. Lucky reminder. We sent her back to bed, but half an hour later she was still awake, and coughing. I convinced Daddy to take her downstairs and give her some cough medicine, while I quickly raced in to switch tooth for money, which of course we didn't have! The only gold coins in the house were located in Miss TikiBoo's piggy bank, so I had to raid that for a $2 coin.

When they came back upstairs, she wanted to snuggle in our bed for a little while, but we all fell asleep.

In the morning she happily collected her loot and their were gappy smiles, and relieved parents.

I have no idea what excuse we would've managed to come up with if she hadn't come in and reminded us! Any suggestions?

Quilting - it must skip a generation!

2011-07-20T09:52:00.002+10:00

Grandma bought her old sewing machine on our little trip to the country...as you do.
The reason? So Miss TikiBoo could finish off the small pink quilt she had been making!

Miss TikiBoo cut almost all the pieces herself, and did most of the sewing, while Grandma put it together and quilted it.

She is super proud of herself! The quilting gene must skip a generation, as I'm certainly not a quilter.

Edited to say: Thank you so much to all those who have made lovely comments. I read them to Miss TikiBoo before she went to bed tonight and she was very chuffed. THANK YOU! xxx

Temporary solutions

2011-07-19T09:24:00.001+10:00

We are "between houses" at the moment. We sold our house in December, moved into a rental in March, but still haven't found anything we even slightly like. Not even something that we could compromise on. Any houses which have had even the slightest potential have had some major insurmountable fault, like backing onto an industrial site or located on a busy main road or were flooded in the January floods (not that we are anticipating a repeat flood, just major concerns about obtaining insurance).

The only house we've almost like had been recently renovated. Renovations so horrible and 'not in keeping' with a queenslander, that we would have to rip them out and start again. Which we would be happy to do, if the asking price wasn't that of a newly renovated home!

So, we're stuck in limbo. With 30% of our belongs in storage. Now that I'm starting to get back into my sewing, I discover more and more little things "must be in the pod". Like my roll of pattern making paper, which I want right now to draft some patterns! I have all these ideas buzzing around in my head and if I don't start on them, the momentum will be lost.

Plus, living in a place with white walls, beige carpet and aluminium windows...just isn't me.

Hey, universe! I'm putting it out there: Find me a new home! Thank you.

Home Sweet Home image from HERE

Lovely lawn - some stitchin'

2011-07-18T08:07:00.004+10:00

Lawn is my favourite fabric to sew with. It's light and lovely for children's clothing, and prefect for summer frocks for me too! While Liberty will remain my favourite, I do sometimes find some pretty pieces locally.
Here are a few I picked up during the week. The first two will be dresses for me, the other for Miss TikiBoo.

Speaking of Miss TikiBoo, and lawn, here are a few photos of a sweet outfit Grandma made. She made the gorgeous blouse, and I decided it needed a skirt, so located a small piece of pinwale cord. The pockets she made are adorable!

{Lusting after} Luggage

2011-07-15T09:09:00.000+10:00

We have a big trip planned for later in the year. Somewhere Miss TikiBoo has been wanting to go for a long time. Actually, it's somewhere I've been wanting to go for a long time too!

There is something wonderful about vintage luggage, although these wouldn't be that suitable to take on a long haul flight!

Home Shabby Home

The Light Fantastic (on Etsy)

cupcakes and cashmere

Dreamhouse

Inspired Design

A Country Break {part two}

2011-07-12T10:40:00.001+10:00

I love finding new places to eat or explore. This restaurant in the tiny village of Newrybar was a real winner. It's called "Harvest", and the food was fabulous.

My selection was the Goats Cheese tart. It was so delicious I was tempted to go back for more.

Mum loved the mussels.

Daddy & Miss TikiBoo started on their fish & chips too quickly for me to get a photo!

It was a delightful surprise to find Harvest, especially in such an out of the way place. Newrybar is tiny - there is a general store, a clothing shop, an antique shop and not much more. If you happen to be visiting Byon or surrounds, then it's well worth checking out!

A Country Break {part one}

2011-07-11T07:55:00.001+10:00

There is nothing better than getting away from it all. No computers, no phones, no foxtel. Last year we found this wonderful old house in Northern NSW to rent for holidays. We enjoyed it so much that we went back for a week these school holidays - and I'm sure we will return again!

It's so perfect for kids - loads of room to run around and big gardens to explore. It's gloriously peaceful and relaxing. There were several days we went exploring in the car - there are so many places within a close proximity. A morning in Byron Bay then down to Lennox Head for lunch. An afternoon in Bangalow. Coffee in Ballina. A day exploring local eateries. More on that to come!

Days at home started with a trip to the local shop for coffee and hot chocolate and the paper. Then sitting around reading the paper and Grandma doing the crossword. Then a little bike riding in the yard. Miss TikiBoo can proudly say she can now ride without training wheels.

Firewood was chopped by Daddy under close supervision to ensure he didn't lose a finger.

Then evenings were spent sitting around the open fire.

A perfect way to spend a winter week!

It's time to go...

2011-07-08T07:38:00.000+10:00

It's time to farewell my lovely Jill-e camera bag, and a few other handbags I have floating around. They just aren't being used. Well, the Jill-e bag is being used as just an expensive storage bag, I keep my camera in it but it hasn't left the house for well over a year.
Don't get me wrong, I still love my DSLR, but when I'm out I've discovered I'm more of a hipstamatic chick.

So, if you've been lusting over a Jill-e, now is your chance to pick up one in great condition for a way-less-than the $275 or so retail!

There are also a couple of Olga Berg bags and an Oroton handbag listed over on EBAY.

My Style - wardrobe staples.

2011-05-06T08:30:00.001+10:00

I was reading a blog the other day...one of those fashion blogs where they post what they are wearing every day. I would possibly get about two, maybe three posts and then I'd be out of ideas! You could probably say I have more of a uniform than a wardrobe full of fashion, particularly in winter. The staples are jeans and a striped shirt. Converse sneakers - or ankle boots if I'm 'dressing up'. Add a scarf and jacket if it's cool. Sunnies if I'm outside.
Maybe, just maybe, if I'm in a more vibrant mood, I'll add a bright statement piece like my new Kate Spade bag. This baby is bright! It was an online purchase and is rather more of a day-glo pink than the images. Miss TikiBoo claims it's the 'most beautiful handbag in the world'. Bless her little cotton socks!

Do you have a 'uniform', or are you more adventurous and creative and wear something different every day? I'd love you to share!

My Street Style by MissTikiBoo featuring a stripe tee

I feel the need...

2011-05-05T09:04:00.002+10:00

To get away from it all.

We sold the house. There is a little bit of money in the bank. Enough to just pack up and travel for a while, a year or two. Heart says "GO!" Head says "it's tempting". Husband says "don't be Ridiculous". Sigh.

Where would I go...what would I do? Buy a mustang and drive across America. Traipse around Europe, stay in a French village for a couple of months and live like locals. Go fruit picking. Work in a bar. Smile lots.

Here are just a few images I found on Pinterest of places I'd love to visit. Just a teeny, tiny glimpse as there are so many more!

Where would you go, if you had a year or two to take off and travel? Drive around Australia perhaps, or would you go overseas?

France...

viaFrench Essence

Norway...

via Pinterest

Prague...

Austria...

via Pinterest

San Francisco...

via Anderson Design Group

Vermont...

via Pinterest

Portugal...

via pinterest

Apologies - I have not correctly credited all these images. If you own one of these images and would like proper credit, please let me know!

{Mothers Day} You can never have too many...

2011-05-02T08:08:00.002+10:00

Apparently, I am notoriously difficult to buy for. Me? Never!
There are certain things I swear I could never have too many of, things that will always make me happy. Striped tops. Lip Gloss. Scarves. Cookbooks. Nail polish. China tea cups. Pearls. Macarons. And notebooks! Just to name a few.

The old stand by in our house is usually Peter Alexander Pajamas, it's the "Oh my goodness it's Christmas/birthday/Mother's Day, yikes!" gift to race out and buy, knowing it will always be well received. Well, all gifts are appreciated, but it's nice to know that it's something the recipient really does want.

What would be on your "Never have to many of" list? If you blog it, add a link in the comments so I can see.

Never too much by MissTikiBoo

Big girl bedding

2011-03-21T09:26:00.002+10:00

We recently moved out of our home, to a rental. It's just a temporary move until we find a house that we love, or at least has the potential to be something we love.

The place we are in is a brand new townhouse. A bit of a novelty for Miss TikiBoo, and for me to try and find places to fit all our "stuff". At the moment it's still a big adventure.

Grandma made a new quilt for her new bedroom. She needed something to counteract the white and beige, and now that she is a school girl, I thought she needed something a little nicer and not as garish as her doona cover. I've been saving these fabrics for this very purpose, it's one of my favourite collections. She made it reversible, pinks on one side and blues on the other. At this point in time I can't see the blue side getting much use!

Miss TikiBoo also pilfered my cushions for her "reading nook" as she calls it

TikiBoo Sample Sale

2011-02-24T08:34:00.000+10:00

We are moving to a rental VERY soon, and a great deal of our belongings will be in storage until we find a new house. As I've been slowly packing up, I came across a few dresses, originally planned to be part of the TikiBoo Kids range, but never quite got there. Maybe one day they will feature, but for now I'm selling these samples at super bargain prices!
They have been worn for photographs only.

Here are a couple...more in the "Sale" section of All You Need

The Pink Parisian Party

2011-02-21T08:00:00.006+10:00

My gorgeous girl turned 5 last week, and her request was a "Paris Party". How could I refuse!
It was a terribly hot day, so we were all inside in the air conditioning, although with 12 little girls and their mama's it was working overtime! Some of our chocolate eiffel towers started melting early on.

Unfortunately I was running a little late and didn't get as many photos as I would have liked, but here are a few. Lashings of pink, Eiffel Towers, macarons, mini baguettes...

Cupcakes & Macarons made by Bubble and Sweet. TimTam cake pop recipe also from Bubble and Sweet.

Cupcake wrappers from The Cupcake Wrapper Co

Tissue Poms from Ah Tissue

Pink Smarties from Candy Soirees

Candles & Cupcake Toppers from Details, Details

Candy Jars & Cake stand from Sharnel Dollar Designs

Paper Eskimo Lolly Bags & Baking cups, Pink Spotty Cupcake stand from Little Styles

Alannah Rose Invitations from Twiggi (not pictured).

Miss TikiBoo adored her Paris Party!

Happy Day of Love

2011-02-14T08:23:00.000+10:00

I know it's an advert, but it's still cute. Happy Valentine's Day.

Credit: Am I Collective

It's scary up here...

2011-01-12T17:41:00.003+10:00

It's hard to fathom what's happening here in Brisbane right now. A week ago we were complaining about the rain, wondering how we would amuse the kids and get our washing dry. Today we wait for news from friends and family to make sure they are safe, and wonder who will lose everything.
Looking at images and news footage is surreal, less than two weeks ago we were at Southbank on New Years Eve, the restaurant at Eagle Street pier where we ate dinner is completely under water. The pontoon where we caught the ferry is now gone. Where we stood to watch the fireworks, again, underwater.
Please stay safe and hold your loved ones tight.

Tea, anyone?

2011-01-11T08:39:00.000+10:00

What's your solve any problem, go-to item when things are a bit tough? Do you turn to chocolate, biscuits, ice cream, twisties or a good cup of tea?
While I love, love, love chocolate and ice cream, my body can't handle them very well! I'm trying to cut out dairy and gluten from my diet for a while, however coffee and tea will not be departing anytime soon!
I like to start my day with a fresh coffee (we love Merlo beans here) and the first thing I do once Miss TikiBoo is in bed, is relax with a nice cup of tea. I'm not sure it fixes everything, but it sure helps!

(I'd love to credit the creator, but really, who knows who it could be! I think I found it here: http://pinterest.com/pin/1150215/)

Up, up and away!

2011-01-10T08:26:00.001+10:00

I haven't had a photo session with Miss TikiBoo for ages. Usually because she complains and refuses to look at the camera so it's all too hard. Today she decided to cooperate. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the M&Ms I promised her. Maybe it's because she's growing up, off to school in two weeks! I'd better hurry up and organise some school shoes.

This is one of the cute appliqued Miss TikiBoo t-shirts we have over at All You Need. The balloons are in Liberty fabrics, of course. If you want a special discount, you might like to check out Frills in the Hills.

I made these linen capri length pants for her last year, however she refused to wear them. Today she didn't want to take them off. I love them!

Creativity

2011-01-08T08:55:00.000+10:00

Credit: Justin Poulter. Drawn by hand. Talented! Click on his name to see the rest of his portfolio.

Could you live without Photoshop?

2011-01-07T09:37:00.000+10:00

I love photoshop. Could I live without it? Probably, but my blog would be far less colourful!

This video over at World without Photoshop gave me a laugh, to see how things were done "back then", in the dark pre-PS ages. Glue! Scissors! Film cameras! Check it out and have a laugh, especially at the denim outfit and glasses.

worldwithoutphotoshop.com

If I was in London this week...

2011-01-06T08:55:00.000+10:00

This would be on my MUST SEE list. Dior Illustrated: René Gruau and the Line of Beauty at Somerset House. If you are in London and haven't seen it, be quick, it ends next week.

"A celebration of the renowned illustrator René Gruau (1909-2004), who created some of the most iconic fashion images of the 20th century. This exciting exhibition showcases groundbreaking artworks including original illustrations for Christian Dior Parfums, vintage perfume bottles, sketches and magazines, as well as a selection of Dior Haute Couture dresses personally chosen by John Galliano including a special dres designed by Galliano himself, in homage to Gruau.

René Gruau’s bold lines and fluid style were perfectly in tune with the spirit of Dior, capturing the energy, elegance and audacity of the brand. His illustrations also tell of a special understanding Gruau had of Christian Dior himself, born of a close friendship between the two men. Gruau influenced the graphic style of a whole generation of fashion illustrators and the exhibition features specially commissioned pieces from five UK based illustrators, whose works draws inspiration from the rich collaboration between Gruau and the House of Dior."

Water, water all around.

2011-01-05T08:33:00.000+10:00

How have you been spending your break?
It's summer here, so every spare sunny moment we can find we are in the pool. Miss TikiBoo seems to be part fish, she's super confident in the water and loves to dive, flip, swim under legs and be thrown in the air. Maybe it's that aquarian thing.

We've had our fair share of rain and storms here in Brisbane, but luckily we are not in a flood affected area here, my heart goes out to those in Rockhampton and other ravaged areas, in particular the farmers who have had crops, their livelihoods, destroyed.

And while we're on the topic - make sure you're drinking plenty of it over these hot months!

{I heart...} Pink Dresses

2011-01-04T09:09:00.001+10:00

I really want a beautiful pink dress...

Image credits where possible...
1. http://e-tells-tales.blogspot.com/
2. Somewhere on Tumblr
3. http://alifemorefabulous.blogspot.com/2009/06/at-last-its-peony-season.html
4. Somewhere on Tumblr
5. http://fakingfashion.tumblr.com/post/1468488567
6. Somewhere on Tumblr

Who wants to celebrate a silly holiday?

2011-01-03T09:04:00.001+10:00

I've become somewhat obsessed with calenders and diaries for 2011. Maybe it's because I'm planning for it to be a great year, so I want daily reminders to ensure it goes to plan!

This quirkly little beauty just happened to stumble into my etsy cart. 2011 Calendar of Silly Holidays. I wish I'd found these before Christmas! "April 7th, No Housework Day", happy to celebrate, thank you very much!

You can find this and other cute screenprinted goodness at Dirty Bandits on etsy.

And a new year begins...

2011-01-01T20:29:00.007+10:00

I'm not really into resolutions. Yeah, sure I want to drop a few kgs so I can fit some of my favourite skirts a little better and I want to get fitter and all those typical first-day-of-the-year goals, but I'm not going to make a list and discover I'm a failure for not keeping them.

I think what I will attempt is a list of things I want to do each month. Break the year into managable chunks. Hopefully I'll get around to blogging about them each month!

Please note that I haven't cheated and listed things like reading books, as I do enough of that anyway. I also haven't "keep my blog updated regularly" as I have no desire to fail before I even start - and if you've been around long enough you'll know that I always make that vow and never stick with it!

Do people make resolutions and keep them? I'm sure there are dedicated people who do...although they would be the types who probably don't need to.

What's on your list for January?

A Cookie Cutter Christmas

2010-12-03T16:21:00.003+10:00

I wanted to keep things simple this year, well, as much as possible. No glittery baubles, no tinsel, no lights...so far so good!

The other day I found some beautiful porcelain star shaped decorations, and decided to have a go making something more child friendly.These were so quick and easy to make. They're not "perfect", but when you're making them with a nearly-five-year-old, it's the love that counts, right?

What you need:
Air drying clay. We used DAS.
Ribbon or string
Stamp (optional)
Cookie Cutters
Rolling pin
Airing rack
Fine sand paper

Cut off a section of clay. We worked with a quarter of a pack at a time.
Roll to desired thickness. Anywhere between 3-5mm is best, the thicker they are the longer it takes to dry.Use your cookie cutters to press out shapes. Don't forget to cut out a hole for hanging.

If you like, use a stamp on the front. We used a merry christmas. I did try using red ink, however, I didn't really like the effect.

Leave to dry, at least 24 hours but could be longer in wet weather.

Once they are totally dry you can sand the edges smooth. They can then be painted, drawn on with Sharpie markers, varnished or left plain.

Attach your ribbon and hang, or give as gifts. (We gave a star to each of the kindy teachers, I wrote Love Alexandra 2010 in sharpie on the back.)

Here's one we prepared earlier...

PS - I just discovered my friend Simone blogged similar earlier this week, you can check out her decorated ornaments over at Life as a Goff.

If you decide to make some, please blog and leave a link!