friday's flowers

If my house weren't in disarray, I'd totally have at least two vase-full's of flowers on display. Until it's back in order I'll have to content myself with this lovely collection I found over at Martha Stewart. Pretty non?

white out

I realised last night, as we put the final coat of white undercoat on the study walls, that while I like the concept of all-white interiors, the reality leaves me a little cold. Thankfully we've decided to go with a coat of Lavender Rose on the walls - a pale lavender with a hint of pink {shhh, don't tell Maxabella and Life In A Pink Fibro - a family that was scarred by the colour lavender if ever I've heard of one}. Combined with my massive white bookcase {in four pieces in my bedroom - and even in bits I'm still besotted with it}, white desk {in a box on the front veranda} and charcoal carpet I think the hint of colour will add a touch of glamour and warm up the room nicely.

Cannot wait to put the first coat on tonight. Squeeeeeeee!

phew, friday

Heya, sorry for my late posting but I've been waiting on deliveries and installing my new wireless modem {all by myself - yay me!}. We now have two new bookcases and one new desk all sitting in odd places awaiting their new homes. Last night we got in and painted. I had a migraine yesterday so spent most of the day sleeping, so by 8.30pm I was awake and ready to work. We've completed one coat on the ceiling and an undercoat which means I'm now in a completely white study. I'd take a photo to show you but, of course, my camera's dead. Typical.

This weekend does, of course, involve much painting. Our first coat of real paint on the walls and another coat on the ceiling and cornices. Tell you what, I do love my nine foot ceilings, except when it comes to climbing up and down a ladder to do the cutting in.

Enjoy your friday, and hope you're revving up for a fabulous weekend.

holidaze

The photos I treasure the most of our daughter are when she's on holiday. She's always so blissfully happy. The only time she looks any happier would be when she's with her cousins. So this photo, taken in a field in London, with her two English cousins, is just about the perfect picture.

I'm playing along with BellaMumma's beauty-full pics. You?

time flies

Oh, much to do, but where's the time to do it? I just started writing out a to-do list for the day but had to stop as it was giving me palpitations. See, much of my day requires me to make phone calls - and I loathe making phone calls. I'll do anything to avoid calling: email, text, dropping in - hell, I'd even write a letter if I thought it would help. All the calls are chase-ups too - my most dreaded kind.

In happy news, my beautiful bookshelf and ladder arrived yesterday. It's in four parts, in two different rooms, but oh my it's delicious. I cannot wait till next week to install it - and to finally pull all my books from boxes and place them on the shelves. Bliss.

Okay, I can't put it off any longer. I'm going to start making phone calls... I'll just make myself a cup of coffee first...

a cinderella moment

I have a black-tie ball to attend in September. Guess how much I'm craving something a little ruffly, something a smokey dove grey... Guess how much I wish I could sew...

what's cooking wednesday

It's a rainy old wednesday today, so much so that I'll cancel netball training if it's still raining at 11am. My gal's staying home for a rest today. She's getting a cold and is all chesty and feverish - so a day spent snuggled up inside is the best solution. She's also shaped tonight's meal:

Today: Chicken noodle soup - heavy on the garlic

Thursday: French lessons: Meatloaf, mash, corn on the cob and peas

Friday: Gal at a sleepover. Steak sandwiches on baguette with caramelised onion and a side salad.

Saturday: Fuel needed for painting: chicken curry in the slow cooker with rice, wilted greens and garlic naan.

Sunday: Probably still painting: Roast beef and all the trimmings.

Monday: Early game of netball for me, so late dinner: burritos it is.

Tuesday: Ballet: lamb shanks, creamy polenta and ratatouille.

perfectly pretty

I'm loving this image of Riley Keough in Vogue - although it does make me feel 900 years old - Elvis's little girl has a little girl this grown-up? Oh my!

Things from this shot I'll be needing? That bike, that garden, that skirt, that cardi, that hairstyle, those eyebrows, that cherry-red pout.

on the shelf

With my bookshelf due to arrive any moment now, I'm in full-on panic mode. Luckily I've sent of the article due today and have nothing pressing on the horizon - except for getting this house in order. I have a new motivation - the mortification index. If I'm trying to consider if something needs doing I consider how mortified I'd be if I didn't, and someone dropped by. At the moment I can safely say I'd be terminally mortified by the state of every single room in the house.

So I'm going to start in the hallway. As I've mentioned, everything that was on the bookshelves in the study is in piles in the hallway so I've been going through them, sorting out, tossing out, recyling, filing... I have managed to find all but one report card, school photo and santa photo {all from the same year mind - what was I doing that year?}. Once the hall's under control and cleared so the bookshelf can come through I'll clear some space in the bedroom for the shelf to sit for the next week - while we paint the study and wait for the carpet to be laid - next Wednesday afternoon. Woo hoo!

Okay, I'm off - wish me buckets of luck.

sweet treat

Oh my. Working when it's frosty really isn't my favourite thing. Because my study's now perfumed with the scent of eau de oil paint I'm keeping the air-con off so the fumes don't go through the whole house.

I'm close to finishing up my story that's due tomorrow - and oh boy, will I give myself a reward at the end. Maybe not a cake as enormous and gorgeous as the one here with Miss Kylie - but something lovely non-the-less. I have managed to pain my nails with a matte lavender shade {Orly Lollipop - love!} which has given me a glimmer of inspiration. Maybe I just need to pop on my iTunes and belt out a few Kylie tunes to get me through the next hour before school pick-up. Reckon that'll help me polish off a first-draft won't it?

miu miu for monday

Look at these shoes. Can you possibly bear to look at them and not feel like coming over all Mad Men. I'm in love.

So, were we happy with the finale of MasterChef last night? I was. Adam proved himself a worthy winner and Callum scrubbed up pretty well as runner-up {actually, every time they cut to that glorious Macaron Callum made in London I swooned...}. Adam, of course, had me at pork belly - and pork belly three ways? Hello, I think I love you. I was crying away when he won, and then when they wheeled in his nana in a wheelchair? Oh, I started blubbing like crazy. Much better than last year's finale when I was just incredulous at the result.

I have my last spurt of busyness today before I get a breather. I'll give myself a day to move all the stuff from the hallway and do a spot of work in the study and then Wednesday it'll be back into the usual freelancers life of pitching story ideas like a maniac.

Speaking of the study, husband and daughter set to work painting the trims gloss white while I had a sneaky nap yesterday {I know!} The trim was cream gloss, but looked more tired and dirty than antique. The white freshness is already zinging it up. Now we just need to make a decision on the wall colour. Paint samples are on the wall, and so far I have a fave, and my husband has a fave, let's see who's sample wins out shall we...

chop chop

So, who gets your vote in MasterChef tonight? I'm hoping for Adam, but won't be surprised if Callum romps home. I think Callum will end up becoming one of Australia's best chefs if some of his sweet sensations are anything to go by. I'd also happily snap up a copy of Adam's cookbook - I desperately need some guidance in the Asian cookery field.

put your feet up

There were a few moments yesterday when I had absolutely nothing to do. I'd dropped the gal at a birthday party, husband was at a boy's day, I'd pruned the lilly pillies and fertilised the roses so I sat on the couch and read the paper at a leisurely pace.

Bliss.

After I'd finished I started to get twitchy and look around for something to do: should I clean the bathroom, mop the kitchen floor? Something? Anything? Bueller? But I forced myself to chill and today I feel positively rejuvenated.

We've got a netball game in an hour - it's a rain make-up game. The sky's a delicate shade of blue, it's not too chilly and the gal's in a good mood. Hopefully we'll have a full team today - I was a player down yesterday which always makes for a tough game. Fingers crossed.

Enjoy your Sunday - hope you get to put your feet up - if only for 15 minutes {go on, make up a "Do Not Disturb" sign and give it a shot}.

sweet, it's saturday

Are you going to do something fabulous today? Paint your nails, have an afternoon nap, curl up in a comfy chair and read a book? Go on, you deserve it.

flowers for friday

fabulously friday

Hey there, how's tricks? I'm writing this in my study which only has a desk, chair, computer - and a helluva lot of dust in it! Last night while I was at French Lessons my lovely husband took every single thing from the room and slapped a test coat of paint on a patch of a wall. It needs a good vacuum, and then we'll have to get in and start washing down the walls and painting.

On a hectic deadline today - much chasing to do. So if I don't leave a comment on your blog, just know that I'd be either nodding my head in agreement, tsking in agreement, gaping my mouth in amazement or doing a little dance of joy in celebration {um, Beth, that's yours!}

Enjoy your day x

ladder love

You just know that I'm going to put things in daily use on the top shelf don't you?

essential ingredients

Morning {or afternoon, or evening...}. Hope you've got something fabulous planned for today. I'm finishing and sending off an article, then it's lunch with a gorgeous friend. This evening it's back into French lessons {praying I haven't forgotten everything from the past two semesters} and we're going to start on moving everything but the desk, chair and computer from the study in preparation for painting. Hurrah.

Now, MasterChef. I'm finding it hard to sustain interest at the pointy end. I hope Adam wins, but I'm guessing that Callum's popularity {he's consistently been a trending topic on twitter!} and the friendliness of his cookbook idea will see him slide through to victory. I do love some of his ideas - but oh my, Jimmy's chai latte brulee had my tastebuds buzzing last night.

I do have MasterChef to thank for the greater array of ingredients now available at Coles. Yesterday I bought Lilydale free-range chicken mince and was delighted to see a tray of Lilydale free-range chicken pieces. Bliss - chicken thighs with skin on! Nigella's St Tropez chicken here I come! Actually, might make that for dinner tonight. If you'll excuse me, I need to pop the chicken in a big zip-lock bag with a bottle of rosé, some honey, lime, garlic, olive oil and herbs de provence and marinated for 3 hours to overnight. Then it's taken out of the bag and tipped in a baking dish and baked slowly under alfoil for 1.5 hours, then the foil removed for the last 15 - 20 minutes to tan the skin deliciously. Mmmmm.

because i'm a lady

So, I have an article that needs to be sent off by tomorrow morning, dinner that needs to be cooked, a study that needs to have approximately 80 000 magazines and 10 000 books moved from it and what am I thinking "Gee, I don't think I've done a shoe of the week this week". So, despite the fact that nobody's sent me pining emails lamenting its absence - here you go.

This ladylike number by Lanvin would offset any frock - particularly a cream chiffon number. Now, when you hear the words "I'm a lady!" what pops in your head first? I'm hoping that like me, it's Marie from the Aristocats - and not those 'ladies' from Little Britain {although I think they'd love these too...}

bright idea

In exciting news {well, for me} my study renovation's underway. Yesterday hubby came home from lunch telling me he'd found the French Library I wanted - half price. So that wasn't to be sniffed at. So we bought it. Then we called about the desk I wanted. It was on sale. So we bought it. Then I realised we needed to get things moving before they were delivered and quickly called about the carpet. The measure's been done, the quote's on its way, and if the price is right I'll be ordering it to.

This is moving fast for us. Normally we start thinking about something, look into every possible avenue, look at a few more, think about it, look some more, think, look, think and then act. But with this it's a case of why not? I found the carpet I love, was able to afford the bookcase of my dreams {it comes with a LADDER people} and have found the perfect desk. Why wait? All we need to do is clean out, paint the room and then decorate.

Last thing's I'll need are a light fitting and a couple of blinds - but they can wait till everything else is in place {this wee light in the photo - how cute would that look in my butler's pantry?}

PS: It's my baby bro's birthday today. Not that I can ever imagine him delving into such pink, floral fluffiness as there is on this site, but anyway - Happy Birthday Jeff xxx

PS and by-the-way: How good is eBay? I bought a Cath Kidston iPhone case on Saturday night - and my iPhone is now happily snuggled inside. Happiness!

PS and an oh-my-gawd: This redecoration's going to be somewhat accelerated. When I first enquired about the carpet I was told there'd be a four-week-wait for laying. Upon ordering I'm told, 'we'll be there next week'. Eeep. So we need to move everything out, wash the walls and then paint them by this time next week. Guess I know what we're doing over the next few nights and days...