The Easter long weekend and school holidays make me dream of a little getaway of our own.  Something small and simple and surrounded by lots and lots of nature and not many people.
With a sweet sunny small room for my girls to share.  

A favourite room of mine by House Beautiful; fabric from Raoul Textiles.
I had fun pairing pretty fabrics with my shared room inspirations.  A tiny bit of fabric goes a really long way with simple furniture and white walls.

Gorgeous shared room by Caitlin Wilson via Design Sponge, fabric from Raoul Textiles. 
Although I love the quality and designs, the Raoul Textiles are extremely frustrating.  You can only find them at the agent in Australia, and then you must buy through a designer, even worse you can't even view the range online.  Its the worst business plan I have ever heard of: "lets design the most gorgeous fabric range that comes in ever shade and tint of colour, and then lets not market it! Lets hope some interior designer will think to promote them to their clients."
Anybody else confused?


Fresh blue and white room from Coastal Decorating, fabric from Raoul Textiles.
I almost didn't include these frustratingly gorgeous fabrics because of this nonsense but they are so right for these projects that I couldn't leave them out.  Lets hope the company catch up to this century soon.

Left - my favourite attic room again; Right - pretty vintage feel bedroom via Shared Design
Whinge session over, back to dreaming about gorgeous shared rooms with matching wooden beds, simple linen and gorgeous cushion covers, and finding the perfect piece of furniture to go between them.
Gorgeous white and purple via Bloom.  Indian Pear cotton by Robert Kime
How cute is this tiny attic room.  Miss E would love it, and Miss J would love it because her sister is in it.

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Don't laugh, but part of my new years clean up has been reorganising my Pinterest boards.  I have been busy pinning for UrbanBaby (and I think they look great) but mine were looking a little sad and out of date.  Some boards had ideas I no longer need or am tired of, some were inspiration for our build which I want to keep but am not adding to much anymore, and ofcourse the Christmas boards can be put away for another year.  I wanted boards that suit my current goals for house, home and blog.  An inspiration spring clean was just what I needed to make me focus on the projects I want to get underway in this new year.

Storage Storage Storage -  A place for everything and everything in its place

I talked about 2013 being our year to edit, and part of editing is storage.  A place for everything and everything in its place as the old saying goes.  

Top of the list is sorting out the playroom.  I was feeling overwhelmed by the toys before Christmas, now the storage I have is quite simply bursting at the seams.  

I want the toys to be hidden from view when packed away, but easy to get at.  And I would like an open shelf where we can display pretty toys, art and books.  

Riikka Kantinkoski at Weekday Carnival has organised her playroom so well (all images above).  I have lots of these Ikea white boxes in the pantry but I never thought about them for toys.  And that amazing white cupboard - they made it out of different sized Ikea kitchen cabinets.  Super creative.

Next on the list is the garage.  We have made a start but we still need to get a lot of things off the floor.  Easier said than done, yesterday I went out there, looked around, and walked back into the house in defeat.  Not sure where to start.

Finally, the garden shed.  We need to move the potting bench and all the garden equipment out of the garage and into the shed.  But we need a strong friend to pop by and help since I am ten pound weakling.  I am looking forward to that one, its been in my head for months.

Entertaining more

So many lovely ideas on my entertaining board that I want to try.  Lots of little styling tips to make things pretty, like these gorgeous tins with individual drinks and cutlery.  If I do it once they can be reused every time we have an informal get together.  First on my list is going to be courtyard movie nights, the weather has been perfect for sitting outdoors the past few weeks.  Have popcorn, will pop, and lots of other great movie ideas here too.  
(Images from left: fridge tins from a pretty cool life, cutlery tins via Patchwork Harmony, bucket & hose from Martha Stewart

Let me know what projects you are planning, and I will give you updates on mine as they come along. Lets hope that this time next year they are not still on my list.

I am always a fan of white rooms with a zip of fresh colour.  These rooms are so zesty I thought they were the perfect way to start a new year.  Makes me want to paint everything white and start all over again.

Pallet day bed with bright colour via Table Tonic, gorgeous bunting photo

Aged pale blues 

Duck egg country: Gild and Grace (left), Better Homes & Gardens (right)

Turquise and white via mmh artsy!

Rainbow and white myparadissi

Rainbow tolix and white white white via inspired-design

Don't you love a fresh start - lets hope 2013 has all this energy and fun for us all.

I am thrilled with the Christmas tree pinatas I made for our Christmas lunch table.  They turned out a little larger than I had imagined but they look fabulous as centrepieces.
I did a little mock up of our table to give you the picture.  

Miss E and Miss J don't know yet but I am going to stuff one pinata with chocolates and a few small toys.  Imagine their faces when I tell them there are hidden treats.

I made tasseled ornaments for the plates, for a little extra vavavoom. 

After lunch we will punch through the bottom for a final bit of festive fun.  

Its not to late for you to make one too.
One evening crafting as you watch Christmas movies should do it.  

- Make a cone out of cardboard
- Cut strips of fringe in the tissue paper colours that catch your fancy
- Glue the fringe layers, starting from the bottom and over lapping so that all layers are visible
- turn over and fill with treats
- glue layers of tissue paper over base to seal treats in

For inspiration visit this lovely tissue tassle diy at Linen Lace & Love.
I love the soft gold and pinks, seems I am still feeling in the pink.
Merry Christmas to one and all!

Christmas is less than a week away and we only have one Christmas stocking.  Miss E has a lovely giant knitted sock, but ofcourse when I bought it Miss J was not even a distant twinkle in her parents eyes.  
The question is will Miss J notice that her sock is a rather colourful pillowcase or do I need to do a last minute stocking DIY.
My gut feel is she won't notice, I think I have a years grace.  But in a rather fraught search for Santa Sack DIY's I did come across a marvelous idea.  

Each child should have two Santa sacks.  
- One sock is put out on Christmas Eve and will magically fill with presents by dawn.
- Another the child fills with toys they no longer need, puts at the tree before bedtime, and is collected by Santa for other children who may need them more.  

Lots of good lessons there.  Our children need to understood how lucky they are, and that giving is just as much of a gift as receiving.    

I wish I had this beautiful cranberry ginger fizz to fortify myself with while I am deciding to diy or not to diy.  Ginger ale, gin, cranberries, lemon & orange slices sounds like a great combination.

Find the recipe at Creative Culinary.  I think it will taste just as nice without the gin, a perfect drink for all on Christmas day.

Three bowls - no ice cream machine required.  The best homemade ice cream you ever tasted - I guarantee it!  This is an old favourite, a recipe that I loved as a child when my granny made it.  

I believe in sharing recipes, especially special ones.  That's the way they live on after all.  Every time you make it, my granny's memory lives on in your kitchen.  Isn't that great!

So I share it gladly and hope you and your family enjoy it, if you do - pass it on.  This year I have revamped the original coffee flavour with Christmas inspired flavours, but if you want, I will pass on the original coffee recipe too.

Bowl 1:  
- 600ml cream
- stick of cinnamon
- 5 cloves
- 5 cardamom seeds
- ground all spice 
- ground cinnamon 

Pour half cream and whole spices into a pot.  
Add a few healthy shakes of both ground spices. 
Infuse the flavours by heating cream without boiling for about 20 minutes.

Cool in pot and then chill in fridge before beginning the rest of the recipe.

When completely cooled mix spiced and unspiced cream.  Whip until it forms soft peaks.  


Bowl 2:
- 2 tins condensed milk
- ground all spice 
- ground cinnamon
- vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons of rum or whiskey (30 ml)

Mix condensed milk, a few shakes of the ground spices, rum and vanilla.  
Stir until well combined.

Now fold whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture.  Fold gently, a whisk lets you combine well without taking out the lightness.








Bowl 3:
- 2 separated egg whites

Separating the egg whites is the most important step in the recipe.  If the yolks break just start over or the whites will not whip.

Whip the egg whites until they are glossy and make firm peaks.  The consistency is right when you can hold the bowl upside down over your head without getting egg on your face. (ha ha) 










Fold the whipped egg whites gently into the cream and condensed milk mixture.  
Don't over stir, stop when everything is mixed through.

Pour immediately into a freezer container, place in freezer over night.
When you wake up you will have silky ice cream, enjoy.














We will be having this recipe for our Christmas lunch, my beloved granny will be there at the table with us in memory.
Let me know what you think.  And please share your memory recipes with me too.

Yesterday I met up with a lovely blog friend - in real life.  

The funny thing is we have been friends since we met in antenatal classes 10 years ago in Cape Town, but here we are both in Sydney and both enthusiastic bloggers.  It has forged a new connection between us, instead of catching up once a year we now talk often online.  
Robyn (far left) writes Every Bit Counts, a fitness blog where she shares her passion for the outdoors, making the most of life, her family and her German Shepherd, and lots of information I should be using to get into shape.

Yesterday our families caught up at our house and Robyn and I enjoyed a lovely chat of all things blog, sharing tips and tricks and our favourite blog reads.  Robyn commented "there is a fitness blog I read and I just know I could be friends with the author.  I would love to go for a run with her" and I know just what she means.

Through Alt Summit lectures I have discovered many bloggers I feel that way about.  

The gorgeous Ashley Pahl (center) of She Makes a Home is one.  
Ashley styles her blog creative homemaking for the workaholic-at-home-mum.  We have a lot in common: a constant desire to be creative, 2 children, a previous career, a quest for balance between family and work, we even both listen to talk radio.  I would love to meet her in person one day and catch up over one of her delicious coffees (another thing we have in common).  

Ashley is not only a creative juggernaut, she is also a deep thinker and she shares her thoughts on life and family with great honesty.  I am often struck by her insights, she has a knack of putting clearly into words issues that I feel.

Haeley (far right) of Design Improvised is another Alt friend.  Again lots in common: two girls (aren't hers gorgeous), a compulsive crafter and improviser, a fellow design magazine and Pinterest tragic, a previous career in consulting.  I love that she tweaks ideas that inspire her to make them her own, I love trying that too.
Haeley not only has a gorgeous blog, she will give your home a virtual redesign.  Talented lady.

But Haeley I am actually going to meet in person in January.  We are both going to Alt Salt Lake City and we are roomies.  My friends cannot get their heads around it, a stranger they say, but I reply - I know her.  That's how you feel about your blog friends.

Pop in and visit, you can get to know them too.
That's the beauty of the blog community, it really does open up a world of like minded people that you had no chance of meeting any other way.

So I did warn you it would be slow on the blog front for a few weeks.  We have been relaxing and having fun but I thought I would give you a sneak peak at a little of what we have been up to.

The base of one of my Christmas tree pinata's which are going to be centrepieces for the Christmas table.  I am really pleased with how they are turning out.  They are huge so the rest of the table won't need much aside from lots and lots of white.   I plan to stuff them with chocolates, candy canes and a few little treats for the children, more details soon.

This is what real mini gingerbread houses look like made in real homes.   See the tutorial and some much more polished versions at Kelly Moore.

Tip 1: Making a firm royal icing
When you are making the royal icing beat the egg white really stiff.  This was our first attempt, it was to soft and drippy.
Tip 2: Substitute for Graham crackers
All the American tutorials recommend Graham crackers which are not available in Australia. We used Coles "Nice" biscuits and they worked well.

Miss E and I took a drive around the neighbourhood to admire all the Christmas lights.

There is a totally over the top house which we drive by on the way to school.  They have been getting ready for months.  Every day we tried to spot what had changed the day before - a new polar bear on the roof, Santa going down the chimney, several fairy light trees popped up in the garden.  It has been very entertaining.  Last night there were tons of people admiring the house on the pavement, it was festive and friendly and made us feel full of Christmas fun.

Yes, that I Santa on a fishing boat on top of the garage (bottom left) and next to him another Santa appears to have borrowed Cinderella's coach.

Hope you are having fun too.

Its been lovely and lazy without the school run this week.  I have almost finished the Christmas shopping, we have been firing up the BBQ and enjoying the long sunny summer evenings, & Miss E and I made a start on the Christmas tree pinatas for our Christmas tree table.  I still haven't actually posted the presents to far away family and friends, oh dear they are going to be late...again.  But I have been planning how they will look.
Thought I would share some of my inspiration with you all.   I am loving plain paper with interesting ribbons or butchers twine, and vintage styled or home made decorations.  

Brown paper and butchers string: download these free vintage mountain gift tags at fellowfellow, mini pine wreath and lots of other ideas at Say Yes to Hoboken

ho ho ho....

Pompoms and wool with brown paper from Sugar and Cloth, and old paper with oyster ribbons (Pinterest - sorry can't find original source)

falalala...... 

Vintage style brooches, white paper and pretty pastel ribbons: The Glitter Guide

tralala..... 

Brown paper, white pen and greenery via Babble, brown paper and blue velvet via Stipje
merry Christmas to one and all...

Gorgeous vintage fabric parcels via Merriment blog
Mince pies anyone?

It is going to be a very week on the home front.  I am going to spend some time with Miss E & Miss J, we are going to make a gingerbread house, perhaps a wreath for the door, a Christmas tree pinata for a Xmas day table centrepiece, do some Christmas shopping, and just generally slow down a little.  Less pinning, more doing.  So keep popping in but if I am little slow with new posts its because I making memories with my family and friends.  Enjoy yours too...

The lovely Dear Miss Modern will be offering free downloads of holiday gift tags tomorrow only.  A good excuse to pop into her site and browse all her pretty festive things.

Not sure I have the energy to make my own marshmallows, but if I did it would be these snowflake ones for Christmas morning cocoa.  You can always count on Martha.

This year the Voice of Reason and Miss E put up the tree.  They did a great job and had lots of fun, watch out for a little Gang Nam Style in the middle there. 

Miss J and the cat did a good job taking the decorations off.  It looks very pretty now from toddler height up!!

The past few weeks I have been building beautiful inspiration Pinterest Boards with UrbanBaby.  There is so much inspiration out there!  I love these vintage style finds, kids rooms that suit girls and boys and style they won't grow out of to quickly.  Its the mix of old and new, found and designed, hand made and high tech that makes these spaces magical.
Love the oversize camel and mint cupboard, do you think the colour match was just lucky chance?  Miss E just said she would love a room like this with a little bed on the floor...and a camel of course.


One day I will stumble on some vintage botanical prints via Hide Sleep.  They are just so pretty.
They all have white walls in common, grey tones and earthy greens, pinks and blues.    

Just shows you that art in children's room doesn't have to be too saccharine, but then I have always been a sucker for maps.  Leopard photo via Sisters Agency 

Left via Pinjacolada , right via Petit Sweet.
OK one question, where are all the toys hiding and how do I hide ours?

Which is your favourite?  I think the camel wins my heart.

I often see this type of vintage mirror on eBay or at the auction house and always wonder how you use them.  They tend to be smaller than I would usually choose.  Love the styling below via Number Nineteen.  I would normally detest that basin but somehow everything looks wonderful together.

A pretty wall of vintage mirrors via Petits Papier.  I do like how this looks and it looks like a great refurb of an older bathroom, but I am not sure I could love with it myself.  

Peonies would make them both better.

I bid on an enormous standing mirror for our entrance hall on Friday and the auction results list everything except that one item!  How frustrating!  Maybe it broke.

I guess it wasn't meant to be.

It was a hot summer day yesterday and I was feeling fabulous in my gorgeous Siren, the New Classic in green spot that I had my eye on since the new range was launched.   Sal and Margie of Sirens Swimwear have outdone themselves this year, the colours are vibrant, the cuts are fresh, and the New Classic fit is even more flattering than the old one (which I still love).  Look how teeny my waist looks with all that hidden help. Red lippy, sunnies, and that vavavoom feeling. More about them all here.

West Elm I am in love (and they aren't paying me to say this so it will have to be unrequited love).  Hello industrial beauty, just when I thought I would never find a lamp that I like and can also afford, up you popped.

50% off shipping, sigh... can I resist.

It kind of reminds me of these lamps in this Adam Rolston designed living room which are ugly, but good ugly. (an Elle Decor image via The Artful Shopper)

Love this lamp and love this room.  That tree framed in the window...just gorgeous. (via When my eyes light up)

Could this oversize floor lamp from Ikea be a reasonable proxy?  Will have to see what it looks like up close next time I am in the store.  Sometimes they are nice from far but far from nice, but at $70 it sure suits my pocket.

I still love this pendant rusted metal pendant made by Joost (via Aibigail Ahern).  I made a similar one for our previous home but it didn't survive the move.  All you need is a roll of chicken wire, rust spray paint, and some pliers and you can make one too.  Effective, cheap and easy to make, you should give it a go.