My Baby Is Turning 4 !

I do not know where the last four years have gone......

He was the best baby , so quite & gentle. 

While the quiteness may of changed,

 he is now full of energy & his own opinions that need to be heard.

We always called him from birth ' the worlds littlest man'

he certainly is growing into that.

He loves dirt , diggers , insects & bugs , building his lego , riding his scooter 

oh & tormenting his older sister (sigh)

I hope as he grows he will be grounded in a world of uncertainty, considerate of others & the earth,

 intellegent in whatever way his path may take him,

keep his sense of humour 

& above all know how much he is loved.

Happy Birthday

Sweetheart

LOve Mummy

xxxx

Presenting Fluffy Towells

I would love to present fluffy towells .......

to my family everday !

  Recently I have needed to use my dryer a few times to dry the towells on our rare overcast days

I had forgotten how luxurious they could be ........

They looked as fluffy as the clouds in the sky......

and felt as soft as a kitten....

So I have a dilemma that I need help with. 

What is the secret to keeping towells looking new & fresh for longer ?

Is there a way.....

 

Without harming our world......

I have always line dried since living in a sunny state, but now there is the guilt of using too much water, using electricity when not required or being aware of the type of washing detergent going into our waterways.

Is it the thickness of the pile , the type of cotton , the water quality , the temperature they dry at , the detergent , probably all of these factors. 

I always purchase thick 100% cotton , soft to the touch , fluffy towells.

Can I maintain these in an enviromentally friendly way ? 

I would love to hear how you maintain the fluffiness in your towells.

Karyn x

  

A Winters Day At The Beach - For Sharon @myfrenchcountryhome

Main Beach - Gold Coast Queensland

We went for a long walk this morning on this beautiful winters day.

 The sun was warm , the sky stunning & the water crisp & sparkling.

He is only three but we often catch him when we are at the beach , pondering while looking out to sea.

He seems to have some connection to it , even when he was crawling in nappies he would crawl straight out into the water . 

Beach Fisherman, what a way to spend the morning

 

Untouched ripples in the sand

We brought our beach football with us ( daddy teaching how to make a mound kick off.)

It was the best idea bringing the ball, usually we wouldnt get very far without complaining of being tired. When you kick a ball up the beach & see who gets there first , its amazing how they dont notice the distance. 

"Look mum , pink & purple jellyfish" , my daughter insisted on taking a photo. I havent seen this colour before myself.

The beaches received a battering last summer , I was surprised at the erosion. This used to be a walkway to the beach , now it is a sudden drop to the beach. We had to find a safer place for them to climb , fortunately not far along some sand seems to have been brought in (of course, right behind here is the Sheraton Mirage )

There he goes , he had to climb it ! 

Very clever , he used a plant root to pull himself up the last bit.

" Look mum I did it , can I jump down ?" many times they climbed up & jumped down.

While mummy stood at the top in the shade watching , Daddy was down the bottom in case of any misshapes.

  

There were a lot of boats at on horizon today , how lovely that would be also.

No the fisherman wasnt washed away , when we were walking back I loved the look of the rod standing there by itself , now I can look at this picture & imagine myself standing there.

My daughter called me over to see what she had written , caps our thoughts off perfectly.

Karyn x

I am dedicating this weeks water pictures to Sharon from My French Country Home. A few weeks ago she invited bloggers to show water images from around there home. At the time I was going to do this , but was unable to join in. She also left a comment today saying she felt like being near the water. I have a little collection after this week of different places we have been. I know this is a long post , but we had such a lovely morning I wanted to share.

Images by - me

Outdoor Winter Warmers

Loving these winter spaces......

Karyn x

Colour In The Bathroom

Karyn x

Images Canadian House & Home

www.houseandhome.com

Dramatic Bathrooms

    Clean , crisp , pretty with a touch of glamour

Marble galore with some dark drama

Rustic mixed with elegance

& again

Curves 

I like this idea with the frames , they could be changed to suit your mood or the seasons,

an inexpensive way to change your look. Add some sea pictures & blue towells instant lift .

Yes it was in my last post , just had to include it in this group.

Hope you are inspired , enjoy your weekend.

Karyn x

Images Canadian House & Home

www.houseandhome.com

Powder Room Inspiration ?

The ottoman couldnt stay there , can you imagine the kids climbing on it before washing their hands. Yikes ! I dont have that space with a glorious fireplace opposite. This is my space......

                

Only 1.2 meters wide. The bathroom opposite is a two way bathroom that reflects back my daughters pink bedroom when both the sliding doors are open. 

I havent decided on an exact style as yet , because I feel what I choose sets the tone for the whole house. I know it wont be contempary but  casual , elegant, carribean or hamptons style. Classic lines for sure , I dont want it to date. The floor tiles are already down (they arent shiny like this picture looks , I think I had just washed the floor). The room will mostly be used by the kids & any guests. 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  

Karyn x

                                                                                                   

                                    

I need this man !

Is this the only man on the planet who can get 

a job 'COMPLETED" . I am being held to ransom

by men at the moment. 

I thought I was going to finish the bathroom, laundry, concrete the courtyard

 & the kitchen/family room lighting these holidays.

NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE !

(sorry for shouting)

That is the short story of this post today if you want the unedited version keep reading........

Is 6 weeks to long to wait for a quote on a lovely

marble offcut big enough to surround my bath with

 a lovely feature panel also on the front. Well its not actually 

a quote I told them 6 weeks ago I would like it (as they

offered any marble offcut in the yard at the same price as ceasar

stone offcuts. So I am hanging in there , normally I wouldnt 

be this patient but as soon as I saw this piece of marble it had my

name all over it. This bathroom has bben striped down since last Nov

with the new bath sitting in a frame & the old taps on with a cooper pipe spout

just so the kids can have a bath. We do have the floor tiles down & I could do 

the shower & vanity on the other side but the tile choice for that rests on wether the marble goes in.

I have waited this long should I hang in there ?

Twice now the electrician hasnt arrived when he said. I rushed out last week to 

purchase the downlights for the family room (given up on finding my dream kitchen lights)

power points for the laundry & waited all day on Saturday for him to do a no show. We

cancelled our weekend away because that was the day he was free (hubby wasnt to excited as he 

was looking forward to a break) and I havent been able to contact the electrician since. He was great

when the builder was here. Why do they say they are coming & then not let you know otherwise ?

I cannot finish the laundry splashback & shelving until the power points are in. I know I should

find another one but he has done all the new wiring in the ceiling for this job & I thought it would be easier.

Some light at the end of the tunnel is the concreter is coming on the 20th July for the courtyard.  

My darling hubby , I know works hard (he would say to bankroll this reno) bless him , but I just need him to put seven knobs on in the new laundry & drill four holes in a kitchen cupboard to install our new slide out bin & its just not happening. 

So if Tara Dennis on Better Homes & Gardens can get her drill out , its about time I learn !

Then I can also put up those new curtain rods I will be purchasing next week.

 I dont think I am  ready to cut & install marble or climb in the ceiling to wire up lighting.

Maybe if I do a shout out to the delicious (did I say that out loud) talented Nate Berkus , do you think he 

might fly half way around the world to finish this renovation for us ?

I have lost my mojo 

Karyn x

Breathe in , Breathe out......

Book 'Tilt'

Browsing in the library with the last week I came across this unusual 

book. I thought it was sitting crooked on the shelf & tried to

straighten it up. 

Thats how it is, leaning like the tower it holds the history of inside.

It tells a story of the history of the tower right up to 2001 after

the restoration work was completed. A very interesting read.

Of course I had to photograph it with the only 'touristy' item 

I brought back from Italy. A leaning mug that I just had to have

I actually loved the pictures on it & it was in my fav colour.

 When we visited Pisa in 2001 we 

were pleasantly surprised with this town. We somehow missed the 

hoards of tourists & had a wonderful day admiring all the 

buildings in this town. The tower still had scaffolding around it 

but was still amazing to see. I had know idea of the other impressive

buildings surrounding it until we arrived, as it always seems to be 

photographed alone by itself.

Karyn x

Inviting Food Presentation

Dreamy.........

Vintage pedestals........

 Simplicity.....

Aahhh....

 

 Elegance.....

Playful colours...... (not sure if anything is edible ?)

Inviting .......

Imagine a cheese & wine night with friends,

flickering candles , music & laughter......

Care to join me ?

Karyn x

Images Pottery Barn