Monday 31 October 2011

Orchards



I have had a long obsession with orchards but I am a fairly uneducated devotee. I know that I adore white ones. I put them in pots, submerge them into large vases, float single flowers in a bowl, any way I do it I get satisfaction from them.



I think that they are such a classic beauty and I am grateful that this little delicate plant can sustain its beauty for as long as it does. I have them displayed throughout my home for our open houses and they never let me down. Thank you orchards.




Happy Halloween to you all. My children are beside themselves. I hope they are good at school today. I am bracing myself for the sugar rush tonight.



Have fun.

GJ











Saturday 29 October 2011

Boys bedrooms - Where do I start?????

The boys current room

My boys are aged 9 and 4. My 9 year old knows what he likes. Unfortunately for me (or you could argue for him) he has a deep love for anything black and that looks more at home in a skateboard catalogue than in Vogue Living.

I have fallen in love with a bedroom that is featured on the pages of Serena and Lily. It is named the Fisherman's Quarters go to http://www.serenaandlily.com/Bedding/Boys-Bedding

Photo courtesy of Serena and Lily


You can just see the lights above the beds which are a real feature. Also love the paint colour. Serena and Lily supply paints and the colour that they have used behind the bed is called Wharf.



I like the nautical look of this bed linen.





 Clever use of space in a room that offers angles and ceiling height variances.


















Photo courtesy of Serena and Lily



Photo via VT Interiors Blog



Photo via VT Interiors Blog


There is no black in any of these photos but I thought that darker coloured walls will make it more masculine and a little older. At the moment my boys share so it is hard to create a room that suits the taste of a 4 and 9 year old.


So glad it is Saturday. Hope you all have a lovely day and that you are not too busy!

GJ


Friday 28 October 2011

Halloween Inspiration



My little ones are looking forward to Halloween. We always get pumpkins and some other limited forms of decoration. We stroll the lovely streets of this area in search of the best trick or treat house. This year we are thinking that we may get a little bit more serious about trick or treat. We are going to do drinks on our front veranda and the kids can play, trick or treat and then come back for a swim.

I found a few photos that I thought were more "tasteful" Halloween decorations. I might draw some inspiration from these to do something a little different at home.




If you look closely you can see some mice and a black crow on the book shelf.















The children are spending a lot of time working out what they are going to wear. A lot of collaboration with friends to make sure they all have a unique and wonderful costume.

I have not been able to blog for the last couple of days as my poor mum fell and broke a rib and has been pretty sore. She was meant to be in Melbourne for the Cup but will have to stay in bed.

So glad it is Friday. This week has been crazy and I am really looking forward to the weekend. My little ones went off to school looking exhausted. My daughter swam over  1km yesterday afternoon and is so tired. Bring on the weekend and a very cold glass of champagne (did I tell you that I am very serious about champagne? I just love bubbles).

Hope you all have a lovely day.

GJ



Tuesday 25 October 2011

Beautiful bedrooms for tween/teen girls





For those of us lucky enough to have a little girl we understand how important their bedroom decor is to them. As they get older they seem to develop their own taste and style. The girls know what they like and what they don't. I am happy to listen to my daughters ideas of what she likes in her room. Notice the ceiling colour in the first photo. I really love it but my daughter would think that it was too much pink!!!!!!


I have fallen in love with the beautiful range of bedlinen form Serena and Lily. It is classic in style with a modern twist that still allows for it be incredibly stylish and pretty.

 Photos courtesy of Serena and Lily
Photos courtesy of Serena and Lily 






My daughter has had bunk beds in her room to help solve the issue of space. I want to get rid of these and turn her room into her own haven. My research uncovered a few rooms that offer different colour and style solutions. I will let you know what my daughter likes.




The geometric bedhead is a real statement in this room. They have used a number of colours that all work. This would be too modern in my house but I do like the statement the bedhead makes.




My daughter said that blue and green were her favourite colours. The colours work well in this room. I would give it a younger look to suit her but nice to see that these colours in the right tone are very pretty. I love the check in the bedskirt and sheer curtains.





This room is bold and fun. The hammock is a nice touch. I can imagine my girl curling up with a book or her ipad.



Clever use of colour in this room. The bold rug and wallpaper are softened by everything else in the room. It still remains feminine in essence.


This bedhead is amazing in style and colour. It is a great blue. The clear Louis Ghost chair by Phillippe Starck is well thought of as it does not allow for the room to get overcrowded. There is a lot in this room and I personally would like to see less furniture but the simpleness of the bed really draws the eye.


Hope you all have a lovely Tuesday. I am off to the Gold Coast. My poor mother had a fall and broken a couple of ribs. I think some soup and lots of love is required.

GJ

Monday 24 October 2011

New Starts - Monday




I wanted to start this week with something inspirational. I wanted to shake off the cob webs and look ahead to what this week will bring.

I like this quote:


I am going to think about that and run with it. I found some incredibly inspiring quotes and quotes that can get the brain ticking. I find that some days this can help and keep you focused.

Hope you have a lovely start to the week. The Queen is visiting Brisbane today and the weather is perfect for a royal visit.
GJ

Saturday 22 October 2011

Beautiful Staircases







Image courtesy of Dulux



I love staircases that are functional, stylish and sometimes a little quirky. I thought I would share a few pictures with you of my favourites.


We were contemplating putting another level on our house and I started to really study the staircase. There is a lot to consider with the number of treads, whether to have wood or carpet or both, and the balustrades.



If we do decide to stay then we may go ahead and place another level on part of the house. This will provide another two bedrooms and a study. I think I might do my kitchen first. I cant wait to get stuck into that. I think I have found my lights thanks to Cape Cod Designs, and I know who I will use to do the kitchen. I have a fairly large space so it will be fun to see what we can do with it. I was thinking that a fireplace might be nice in this room. We spend our time doing homework and socialising here so I want it to be very comfortable and beautiful.


Image courtesy of Decor Pad



 Image via LouLou

Love the colour variation on the balustrades. It is not only beautiful but plays on the eye.



Its all about the detail.





You can see from the different pictures that staircases really give you a sense of style about the house.




I love these. Not child friendly.


I love the staircase that features in the US tv show, Brothers and Sisters. I was trying to find a photo of it but couldn't. Again being new to blogging I need to work out how to get every photo I want in my blogs. Sorry.

We have a very busy Saturday. We are going to look at an Auction at 11 then we have to get ready for my mother in laws 70th which is on tonight. My sister in law is having it at her beautiful home. It is going to be a really lovely evening. Yesterday we went to the Flower Markets at Rocklea to source our flowers then the rest of the day was preparing the arrangements. They look very pretty.

Hope you all have a lovely day and a big thank you for the girls who wrote comments. It is very encouraging and I am grateful that you took the time to write.

GJ


Friday 21 October 2011

My Califonian Bungalow







During the year we decided that we would sell and find something that suited our work and family lifestyle. Unfortunately for us it turns out that there could not be a worse time to sell. Potential buyers are feeling very cheeky and we are not prepared to throw away this beautiful home.

I have to say I wasn't prepared for the invasion of privacy when you put a property on the market. To think people open cupboards and look in your walk-in is a bit much for me not to mention the discussions on what people think your property is worth. After 13 open houses you start to get pretty worn down and I hate having to tell the kids not to touch this and that. For a while we all camped in our room and used one bathroom to make it easier. Not sure if it did, but it felt right at the time. If anyone is selling and wants a really good whinge I promise to listen and sympathise.













Maybe we need to rethink our plans. If we stay we will then go through a renovation and put in a new kitchen, laundry, study and one or two more bedrooms. We are lucky that we have a lot of possibilities with the current floor plan to either stay on one level or go up. The other thing we have found out after talking to builders is that we are fortunate to be about a meter of the ground so there is easy access for plumbing etc. We have already gone through the design process and have been thrilled with what our draughtsman presented us. Ascot Living consulted to him on some of the functional areas of the house to make sure we really got the plans right. The plans are up to elevation stage.

I have posted a few photos to look at.  We live in an incredible street with wonderful neighbours and enough kids to keep everyone entertained for hours.

I guess we will wait and see what happens. I will keep you posted.

Last day of the week. Father/daughter disco at school tonight so the girls have been planning all week what they are going to wear. Very cute!


GJ