The Guest Bedroom is Ready For Visitors

Today is very exciting for me.  My sister and her 3 children arrive in a few hours.  I can't wait to pick them up from the airport.  It's also exciting because I have finally finished painting the guest bedroom and have the room all ready for her stay.

When I started blogging in May, I set myself the task of completing the guest bedroom for my sister's visit.  I may have only finished painting yesterday, but it's done and I feel such a sense of achievement.

It's so lovely to walk into a room and appreciate how all my individual efforts have come together to produce what I think is a pretty and peaceful room.

I put some pretty white roses in the recycled vase I made.

I added a gardenia and tea-died muslin ribbon to a vintage book my mother gave me.  It's a book on Donald Bradman (famous Australian cricketer).  It still has the hand written library code sticker on the spine.

I like that I have homemade things in the room like my heart button tissue cover

and the crystal beads I added to the curtain tie-backs.

I think even my vintage Rome pictures look better on a freshly painted wall.

The colours in this cheap Target print work so well with the rest of the room.

I still love my hydrangea lampshades

and my Pottery Barn inspired valance (bed skirt)

I'm so glad I painted the French Bed head

 and bedside tables (nightstands)

and call me silly, but seeing a freshly painted ceiling fan instead of a dirty old one, makes me feel better too.

So after all this hard work, I am spending the next 7 days sitting by the pool with my sister having a quiet champagne or two, while the kids and the dog play together madly and wear themselves out.

To all my Australian friends, enjoy the September school holidays.  We only have 9 weeks of school left for the year!!!!

Sharing with:
A Beach Cottage - Good Life Wednesdays
French Country Cottage - Feathered Nest Friday
My Romantic Home - Show & Tell Friday

The Cliveas are Blooming

Spring is definitely in the air as the cliveas have started to bloom.

These are the cliveas planted under a row of Emerald Lustre's along the western boundary of our house.

Cliveas like the shade so they do well here under the trees.

I like their strappy foliage.

and the bright burst of orange

They are just beautiful

Sharing at

French Country Cottage - Feathered Nest Friday

A Delightful Distraction

I had all sorts of plans to show you all the little jobs and projects I've been working on, but nothing's finished.  Why?  Well I've been a little distracted these past few weeks with this ...

This is Gus.  He's a 10 week old Schnoodle (Schnauzer - poodle cross).  He's the black ball of fluff on the right, the toy is in the middle, and the white is the stuffing he has pulled out of my son's favourite red chair.

He distracts all of us.  This is my daughter playing with him rather than getting ready for school.

Even when he's asleep we find ourselves just watching him.

With so much energy, there is plenty of playtime.

What a delightful waste of time.

Remembering 9/11

Coming home from school this morning I heard this song.  I cried all the way home.

source

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr1pwZXf65w

Hug your loved ones today.  Tell them you love them.

Linked at
Five Minutes Just For Me - Pinning & Singing

Pinning Flowers

Like many people, I have joined the pinterest wagon.  It's a great way to collate all your ideas and inspirations and to remember where you found them.  How often have you thought, now which blog/web page did I see that?

I really love flower arrangements and have been pinning photos to my Flowers to Cheer board.  What is interesting is when I look at the pictures a very clear pattern emerges.  I am obviously drawn to very simple arrangements in equally simple vases.  Not one picture I pinned features multiple types of flowers in a complicated florist style arrangement.  No need to waste my money on a flower arranging course then.

Here are some of my pins from that board.

flowers on my table via pinterest

a beach cottage via pinterest

Jitta Jack homewares via pinterest

Air Kiss via pinterest

sea cottage via pinterest

sweet young journey via pinterest

the fishermans cottage via pinterest

style me pretty via pinterest

paint me white via pinterest

The other great thing about pinning all these pictures is that I copied and pasted them into an email and sent two of my London girlfriends 'virtual flowers' to cheer them up.

Linked up to Natasha at 5 Minutes Just For Me - Singing & Pinning Friday

French Country Cottage - Feathered Nest Friday
My Romantic Home - Show & Tell Friday
The DIY Show Off - Pinterest PinFest Link Party

Paris Box of Cards

Recently I found this pretty Paris box in the discount store for $2.

I bought it, but I wasn't really sure what I was going to use it for.  It is the perfect size for C6 folded cards so I thought I'd make a set of note cards and envelopes as a present.

I went to The Graphic Fairy's site and chose a selection of simple black and white images.  I made a template in Word for the cards, dropped the images in, and ran them through the printer.  It was that easy.  I also sprayed the printed images with a coat of matt acrylic sealer so the ink wouldn't run if it got wet.

I like to give (and receive) cards as a present.  It's always handy to have blank cards on hand.

I also bought this box.

I think I'll make some coloured cards using images of tea cups, cup cakes, handbags and shoes.

Tips - I used white linen textured cards from Riot Art & Craft - 25 for $10

Sharing at The Graphics Fairy - Brag Monday

A Beach Cottage - Good Life Wednesday

Brisbane - Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Censational Girl is hosting a party to show and tell a favourite thing in your home town.  Brisbane has many great things but once place I really like to go, especially when we have international visitors is The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.

How cute in this koala?

In February this year some friends from London came to stay with us for a week during their 9 month holiday around the world.  They wanted to see a koala so we took them to Lone Pine. 

I like Lone Pine.  It's a little old and dated, but it is simply charming.  It's not over commercialised like some of the more famous zoos in south-east Queensland.  Whilst you do have to pay to have your photo taken with a koala it is not ridiculously over-priced like some other venues.

My husband and I holding a koala

You can also buy a bag of food for $1 and hand feed kangaroos. 

I love that you can get up close and personal with the animals.

They don't just have koalas and kangaroos.  They also have other Aussie animals:

and a cattle dog show with live sheep shearing demonstration



They have built a new platypus enclosure so you can see these cute billed marsupials in action.  They even have a live web-cam. 

Throughout the park there are birds and native water-dragons everywhere, especially along the banks of the Brisbane River.

So if you are ever in Brisbane, The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary would be one of my favourite places to visit.

For more information on The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary visit here

Victoria and Steve (our friends from London) went on a 9 month worldwide adventure with their 3 kids.  You can read all about their gap year trip at Victoria's blog - It's A Small World After All.