I mentioned before wanting to give my home a refresher restyle, make sure everthing is shown off to the best possible advantage.
So I had a big game of shift the furniture in the living room.  Ended up pushing the sofa closer into the corner and collecting all my pillows in one place.  I like the way it all looks with the painting.

I totally adore my antique bronze West Elm lamp, favourite purchase for 2012!  It sets off the gold framed animal lithographs perfectly, and is masculine enough to satisfy the Voice of Reason. Love all things West Elm as you know, was blown away by their store in Salt Lake City, great designs, great quality, and great price point.

Kelim rug is still lovely but a bit to small, what I really want is an oversized white cow skin rug but its definitely not in the budget.

Still love the Schumacher Chiang Mai Dragon fabric cushions I made too.  A great contrast against the kuba cloth from Cape Town, craft vs fine weaving.  Now that all the cushions are on the couch the chairs need some love.   Luckily I still have some lovely fabric so its time to get the sewing machine out again.

Hmmm not liking how the rest of it looks just yet, this is clearly a work in progress.  Please let me know if you have any great open plan living room lay outs, I need inspiration!!

I wonder if interior stylists move the furniture around all the time or if they just get it perfect first time.  Perhaps they are more ruthless at editing,something that doesn't come naturally to me.  Yet again I am wishing for a stylist to come and play in my house, and then teach me how to photograph it well.  
Lots to learn in 2013.
(All images by Eva of Build House Home)

I was thinking of peonies this morning and then I spotted this arrangement on Mo+Mo Living.  I am hoping to find some so that I can style up my gorgeous new West Elm lamp.  
Yes its arrived and its totally gorgeous and now I wish I had two.  

Sigh...I guess I can't have everything.

I will have to see if peonies are in season yet.

I am slightly obsessed with finding interesting light fittings at the moment. Australian retailers seem to offer lighting that is cheap and nasty, not so cheap but still nasty, boring, or beautiful and boy it must be gold plated to justify that price.  

I have been impressed by West Elm's style, quality and delivery, would highly recommend them to other Aussies.  We still have to put up the long arm chandelier that I ordered a month ago but its going to look gorgeous.   I love this pendant below (spotted in Pinterest but I can't find a credit).  Looks almost like a laundry hamper that has been turned upside down.  I think it might be this bamboo and cotton lamp from Dutch Ay Illuminate.

These pendants remind me of prayer lanterns.  These are Schooley Lamps by Mark Eden and I am determined to try and make one.  Will let you know if it works or if its a pinstrosity.  

Please let me know where you find your lights.

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.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that this house is only 9 months old and we have achieved a lot already.  So many projects still to do, finishing touches to find, and tasks to finish.   With a limitless budget this would all be done in a flash(note to self "buy lottery ticket").  Failing the lottery we are doing a lot of the work ourselves, making our dollars stretch where they can.  It can be frustrating because it takes longer, but it is satisfying to do something ourselves.    

This is some of what is on my to do and dream lists at the moment:
- order these hooks for hanging towels at the poolside (via abodent)
- look out for long narrow table for bedroom, love the oversize mirrors (via Etcekodeco)
- plant wisteria to catch the season as it turns
- could this (finally) be the light for our dining room or entrance? (via Shelterholic)
- find reasonably priced cobbles so we can finish the driveway

Setting realistic goals:
With Little Miss J in tow things take longer than I would like and its easy to get frustrated.  Ashley from She Makes a Home wrote a brilliant post this week on the importance of setting realistic goals, of coming to terms with the interruptions that come with having a young family.  Ashley was talking about working from home, but it resonates strongly with my desire to get things done, and the frustration of not being able to do everything I want to.  

I would make long to do lists and then get so frustrated when a week went by with nothing accomplished.  The length of the lists were overwhelming, seeing the same tasks week after week demoralising.

I had an epiphany:

• make a list but divide tasks into necessary, urgent, important & nice to do (yes yes you have heard it before)
• do the necessary and urgent first and as soon in the week as possible.  Once they are done you get to move onto the fun stuff.
• schedule in the important, like bills and emails, so you don't get behind.
• choose one nice to do task each week, yes only one, and focus on getting it done.

On my list above, only the wisteria and the cobbles are important, all the rest are nice to have's or dreams.  It takes the pressure off knowing I only have two things to focus on, and if things go pear shaped this week neither are even important and I can let them go.
Sharing my dreams here helps too, putting the thoughts and images into a post stops them racing around my head.  Also I won't lose track of my ideas and thoughts.

One week I focused on getting the washing line set up.  Sounds crazy but it's a lot of little jobs: finding the drill, two trips to the hardware to get the right size drill bits and screws, finding the position of the wall supports, measuring the correct height, assembling the thing from the pathetic instructions.  At the end of the week the line was up, task firmly crossed off the list forever.  I had to laugh when I read Mia's post at Number-Nineteen on Monday, she is also celebrating the convenience of a new washing line.

This week it has been all about getting the children's clothes sorted as the seasons change.
I have done the sorting but the neatly labeled bundles are still sitting on the table until I buy a new plastic crate to store them in.  It all takes time, it will be done by Sunday.

I was thinking of the beach, driftwood and seaweed.  Birds, a hint of green.  Sepia, a hint of horns.

Have a lovely weekend, sip some wine, laugh a lot, snooze a little, love those dear ones, life is to short.

Deer print by Nan Lawson, Bird vase designed by Gemma Orkin from West Elm, Seaweed botanicalsI found this restful desk space on Father Rabbit, and was wondering what I would put in the shelves if they were mine.   If you could see my desk right now you would know why this appeals!  I am going to get it clear and enjoy this lovely spring sunshine with my family.