Stop to smell the roses........

    A few days ago , I glanced out the window & saw my (neglected of late) standard roses had a lovely display of roses on them , off I went with my basket & scissors to pick an amazing arrangement to bring inside . Sadly as gorgeous as they looked as soon as they were touched the petals fell to the ground.
   Except this one beauty , so perfect , the scent so sweet , the petals, perfection. It made me think how all week I had been rushing around & hadnt noticed the rose buds or when they had opened. What else are we missing out on in this crazy busy world ?
  I am giving you permission this weekend to take some time out, slow down & 'stop to smell the roses'

                                                               Happy Weekend
                                                                   Karyn x



                                                            

Kitchen re-model- Canadian house & home

Gorgeous marble tops , mirrored Mooi pendant lighting , low back chairs not interfering with the line of site , open shelves , artwork ........ what more could a girl want !

Glass doors to clearly see beautiful servingware

Practical slide out shelves for ease when cooking  (next time !)

Customised stainless steel farmhouse sink , great for hiding all those dishes during a dinner party.

Marble bench space great multi purpose for elegant dining

 Simple but stylish workspace

Loving the glass panel doors that give a view of the courtyard & gives a lovely open feeling to the kitchen.  I am starting to love dark doors with white walls , what do you think ?

                                                                Karyn x

                                                  Images Canadian House & Home

Laundry Sneak Peek....

Due to the long wait for tradesmen , the finished laundry unveil will  not be happening today :(

So I decided to do a little sneak peek update instead.

The stone benches & sink went in yesterday , the electrician is coming on Tuesday , no day from the plumber as yet on his arrival aahhhh. 

The idea was to have a laundry that was white with bursts of colour my favourite blue. I want to create a fresh & fun feel.

So this is where we are up to..... 

Old dryer will be replaced with a  new shiny white ( hubby dosent understand why I need to replace the dryer we have had for 18 years & very rarely use ) call me vain but the reason is it just looks dreadful with all the new shiny things & its a good excuse to give it to a lady I know who dosent have one & is having trouble hanging her sheets & towells on the line due to arthritis.
 Cupboard door still to go on & handles to be choosen & I am painting the walls white & the door a lovely glossy white .The tap is just sitting there , waiting for me to decide if I am happy with it. I keep saying its just the laundry you dont need the tap that you love at 4 times the price of this one. I was going to put overhead cupboards up but I am now thinking a nice thick white shelf.
Then there is the splashback , It will be 600mm high & I cant decide weather to end it at the bench or continue it behind the washing machine  ? I think it will make the laundry look longer along the wall if I continue it along. But then where do I end the overhead shelf ? Opinions on that issue would be greatly appreciated.
I have had all kinds of ideas from white subway tiles with a bevelled edge to wallpaper with a sheet of glass over it (been advised against this) or have a laser print like a floral design in blue to attach behind glass , beadboard painted milk blue or white ( I do have another small bench in the laundry that I think I will add the beadboard too.

So I quickly popped into The Tile Mart  this morning as Jnr son just wanted to go home !  But I did manage to get a few samples. Did I mention I have decided I am going to attempt tiling the splashback myself , how difficult could it be ??? she says with nervous trepidation. The white tiles  just seemed a bit bland with the white bench top , even though I love white.

I keep going past the laundry today & every time I look in these glass tiles get me excited. Not sure if its
because it is the only colour in there or because I just love them. I always go the safe route , but Im feeling a little cheeky today........

                                                      Enjoy your weekend
                                                              Karyn x

Quote of the week

Be grateful for the home you have,

knowing at this moment,

all you have

is all you need.

Sarah Ban Breathnach

Renovating -Look what I found

I came across this  blog this morning , and since a lot of you seem to be renovating in some form

I thought you might get some helpful information from it , and its Australian ! It is written by Alex Brooks 

author of Planning Your Perfect Home Renovation. (I will now have to purchase a copy)

It has inside & outside planning , eco planning, quotes , a website & so much more. But my favourite article is titled 'Outdoor Kids' getting kids off the couch & active in the great outdoors , which is something I strive towards with a 7 & 3 year old. I feel sometimes I am frowned upon by other mothers by my 'TV limits' , so it was lovely to read an article that reinforced MY beliefs . 

www.renovationplanning.com.au

Thankyou Alex you are going to be a big help in my renovating process.

Organising catch up

I havent gone awol , just trying to get some organisation back into my life. So much going on at the moment with renovating , buisness tax returns , kids  activities etc etc . I just needed to take a little breather.
                     Breathe in , Breathe out , Breathe in , Breath out..........

       Hopefully the laundry renovation will be finished by the end of next week. Bench top is being made while we speak, basin arrived yesterday , going to buy tapware & power points tommorow , fingers crossed all the tradies are available . And I am deciding for the splashback whether to tile in white or my favourite blue or I read on a blog how to paint the back of glass for a splash back. ( I cant remember where I read this, so if anyone else has read about this technique could you let me know please. I remember them saying you had to be careful not to scratch the paint during installation) I also thought of maybe using wall paper & putting a sheet of glass over it , that way I can change my look if I tire of it. I think I would like to finish the laundry with a splash of colour because I cant find the right blue in accesories . What are your thoughts ?
I finally got my new camera yesterday after a month without one , I have felt utterly lost like I had my right arm cut off. I even bought a disposable one on Sunday just to get some mothers day photos. Tommorow I am taking some time out in the morning to test it out. I am going to one of my favourite spots for relaxing with my Home Beautiful to finally read A-Ms article. I took a sneak peek at the pics .....I will post tommorow my shots with the new camera. See you then.
Karyn  x
Image Pottery Barn

Happy Mothers Day

Hope your day starts like this........

or this.....

or maybe..... 

  

& you get some of these .....

& a thoughtful gift ......

lots of hugs from the kids......

this would be my wish this year.....

maybe you could relax on this......

while someone is 

  baking you this......

 & finish the day with this......

Happy Mothers Day to all the 

wonderful mums 

around the

world.

(to many to name you all individually) 

Karyn x

Images from Martha Stewart & Kikki K

View from the kitchen

No not my kitchen ....

About 10 minutes from my home , you can have this view from the kitchen for just a few million dollars

on Soverign Islands at the Gold Coast.( Even after paying that amount I would still need to get the white paint out or change the benchtop , I cant help myself , I love white in the kitchen). 

Now step out the door.......

Take a step down......

There you go wasnt so hard , now imagine relaxing in this pool with a glass of bubbly watching the sun set .......

My inspiration, its sunny & warm again today after yesterdays downpour !

Karyn x

A cosy corner.....

It is pouring with rain this morning , cool & dark ,which is a lovely change
 from our usual hot glare in the sunshine state (just yesterday I was building
sand castles on the beach).
This is the room I would love to be in today curled up in that gorgeous chair
 reading a book infront off the fireplace.
 Or maybe I would be distracted by all the beautiful details in the room.
 From the  copper light , the stunning archway (look at the thickness of the wall),
the rug , the scent of the flowers on the oval coffee table..... ahhh back to reality.
Just think Karyn, when the renovations are complete you will be able to do this,
so stop pondering & get on with it !!
 Im so easily distracted these days , but good news the laundry is having a template
 done for the benchtop today, fingers crossed in two weeks time it should be complete !

Karyn x
Image Sarah Richardson

Queensland Labour Day Public Holiday

To all my fellow Queensland bloggers , enjoy your day off !
We are off to the beach while the warm sun is still shining. Yippee ...
Karyn x

Checking in to the Viceroy Hotel Santa Monica

I wish.......
While these colours used in this hotel are not normally something I would inspire to in my own space.
I would be compelled to stay here next time I was holidaying in Santa Monica. There are so many details

to admire , I would thoroughly enjoy the experience & my favourite location across from the beach !

                                 Checking in.....

                                The Foyer......

                                I lost count  how many different chair styles
                                they have used in the last 3 images.

                                If you cant decide , use them all, Fabulous !

                                                                

                                The Library .......      Not sure if I could read in this room

                                  Inside Dining.....

                                A touch of blue (my favourite) outdoor dining.......

                                 Evening dining.......

                                 Bedroom Styling......

                                 Room with a view......

                                 Elegant cabanas by the pool......

                                 Massage by the pool , who could say no.....

                                                      Enjoy your weekend
                                                             Karyn x