Dear Little House

The nesting has totally kicked in!

2013-05-25T12:54:00.001+10:00

So right about the time we could start to feel out little 'Flicky Flicky' kicking in my belly the whole nesting urge kicked in for me in a HUGE way! In fact, it kind of popped in out of nowhere and has been an unstoppable force ever since. Seriously; quite unstoppable.

Before painting

After painting

We were out and about running a few errands and we weren't far from Ikea and I remembered that I needed to pick something up. Well, I saw a picture ledge while we were there and had a flash of inspiration. I went on a buying spree and before you know it it was all happening. I even convinced Michael that we needed to start painting as soon as we got home.

Between coats I went crazy filling up the picture frames that I had picked up. This is a progress pic; as you can see I haven't finish all the frames and I'm not yet 100% happy with all of the bits and pieces. I'm already in the process of changing stuff around. Typical!

I also started working on this little guy for one of the larger frames; I'm just giving my fingers a break from stitching while I post this! It really is all happening. I have a pile of fabric waiting for me to get started on a bunch of projects and more ideas keep on coming. The problem is choosing which ones to run with!

Start sewing!

2013-04-16T16:36:00.000+10:00

Due to a rather unfortunate incident earlier in the week we have had to replace our dog beds. Holy mother can I tell you that foam is unexpectedly expensive! It was going to cost us nearly $200 to get foam cut to fit our 2 dog beds. I figured there had to be a better way!

Indiana Jones isn't too sure about her new bed initially

Zac, however, takes to it straight away

Cue a little outing to Ikea that ended up costing LESS than having foam cut and included the bonus of getting me a new sewing machine as my vintage one kicked the bucket last year and was beyond repair.

I bought a foam mattress, some funky fabric to make a cover, and a sewing machine for less than $200. Can't go wrong! I brushed off my old sewing skills and whipped up the cover in an evening; I think it looks great and the dogs do too. Plus, now I have a sewing machine again! What to make next...

Our debut album.

2013-04-08T18:59:00.000+10:00

We are pleased to announce...

Michael and I are expecting our first baby in September! Might go some way towards explaining why I haven't been around so much lately; I am just so exhausted all the time. While I have been otherwise well I just about spend all my spare time asleep! So stay tuned...

Painted corkboard tutorial.

2013-03-30T15:51:00.000+11:00

This is a super easy project to jazz up a corkboard and make it a feature in any room. A great meeting of form and function, a funky addition to any interior, and a great way to help you stay organised. This project has been kicking around our dear little house for more than a year, how shameful! I bought the boards when I saw them at Ikea for about $10 and have been meaning to pretty them up ever since.

Finally got around to it! It is a super simple project and it looks phenomenal. Now that it is done I wish I hadn't waited so long! Once you have the corkboards you need painter's tape, some paint in your choice of colours (I used house paint and acrylic paint), and paint brushes.

Use the painter's tape to create shapes on your noticeboard. Where you put the tape will remain bare cork. If you didn't want bare cork you could wait for each section to dry before taping off the next section. I chose a series of rectangles for these boards. It is easiest if you choose to have a border of cork around the outside edge as it means it is less hassle to paint the timber frame.

You will likely need at least 2 coats of each colour to get even coverage. The cork is quite absorbent and therefore will be very 'thirsty' on the first coat. With the timber frame you can either simply do one coat or two light coats to let the grain show through, or several coats to cover it completely. Once the paint is touch dry carefully peel off your painter's tape. It is more difficult to remove if you leave it on for a long time and you risk damaging the cork.

So there you have it. Takes a few hours total if you include drying time and you have some very funky, very customised corkboards that you can match to your interior. I used the same paint we used on the wall so that it would tie in nicely, as well as some super contrasting neon coral and a pop of bronze.

Orange Crush.

2013-01-24T11:00:00.000+11:00

Nothing brightens up your day like a cheerful pop of orange. Today I have gathered together a few choice pieces of orange inspiration; I hope you have half as much fun looking at it as I did cruising around the internet and putting it together! Now I have that REM song seriously stuck in my head.

1. Hofdi cushion / 2. Retro alarm clock / 3. Pendant light / 4. Jute bowl

5. Penguin Classic "A Clockwork Orange" / 6. Map cushion / 7. Ripple throw

8. Kombie cushion / 9. 6ixty Sofa / 10. Moroccan leather pouffe / 11. Fairisle rug

I think you'd have to be pretty brave to go all out orange but it sure does sing, doesn't it! You certainly could go way over the top; there's a Thai restaurant near our house where every wall and the ceiling has been painted bright orange. I think it is especially nice paired with the teal splashes happening here. What do you think, would you go all out orange?

Beach weather inspiration.

2013-01-17T10:30:00.000+11:00

The mercury has been rising around here as it has across the rest of the country, and while we haven't had the heatwave as bad as many other areas and thankfully we have been spared from bushfires (touch wood), us Sydneysiders need to escape this heat! Heading to the beach is a perfect way to relax and cool down.

1. Cabana striped beach towel / 2. Beach rug / 3. Fuchsia cowboy hat / 4. Betty Pink retro sunnies 5. Sandbag / 6. MAC Lip Conditioner SPF15+ / 7. Le Tan Coconut SPF30+

8. Pixel beach umbrella / 9. Beach chair

I never leave the house without suncream on and this spray from Le Tan is my fave, it smells amazing, doesn't get greasy, and is easy to apply. What is on your 'must have' list for a trip to the beach?

The bathroom is going in!

2013-01-16T10:15:00.000+11:00

We're well under way with getting the main bathroom done (finally!) with the plumber here today installing all the important bits that make a bathroom work. This is awesomely exciting because our amazing bathtub has been sitting in our driveway waiting patiently for the last 2 months. I have been less patient and constantly lamenting the fact that I have been unable to use our beautiful bath.

Our tiling team hard at work

The plumber gets to work

I still need to go out and pick the little bits and pieces like a towel rack and toilet paper holder and whatnot, and the walls haven't been painted yet. I'm thinking we will go a soft grey on the walls with a white ceiling, I'm being terribly indecisive about the accent colour- with a backdrop of black and white I could choose just about anything! What would you choose?

Office inspiration.

2013-01-09T16:39:00.000+11:00

Our new his/her home office is a bit of a bombsite at the moment with stuff all just shoved in and totally disorganised. Rather than being inspired to sort it all out I surfed the 'net today looking at some cool stuff and put together a little inspiration board of home office style.

1. Chalkboard label stickers / 2. Burken jar / 3. String and pegs / 4. Aviation Art lamp

5. Kassett magazine file / 6. Kassett storage boxes / 7. Lab pendant light

8. Excelsior writing desk / 9. Custom cigar box speakers

So, now I'm back to looking at our bombsite, still without all its paint or any lighting or power points, and wishing that the organising fairy would swoop in and do it all for me. I have some good inspiration though...

Terrific Terrarium Tutorial

2013-01-02T11:00:00.000+11:00

New year, new beginnings, new... indoor plants? Bringing a bit of greenery in to your home is a great way to freshen up and add some life to your interiors. If you're like us and have cheeky pets that want to get in to all your indoor plants then a terrarium might just be your solution. Really, they can look completely stunning and they are easy to make and easy to maintain. What's not to love?

I bought this vintage jar on eBay about a billion years ago and have been meaning to turn it in to a terrarium for a long time. Finally when I got around to it, it only took me half an hour- why ever did I wait so long? I did mean to make a few (hence the other jars in the instructions) but it turns out my plants were too big, oops. I've never been good at estimating quantities... probably why we eat leftovers half the time.

YOU WILL NEED:
* A large glass jar
*Some suitably sized plants
*Activated charcoal (available at pet stores)
*Peat Moss
*Potting mix
*Pebbles

The charcoal provides some drainage opportunities and stops the roots of your plants getting too soggy. The peat moss absorbs and holds water for when the plants need it. As the terrarium is a contained environment these different substrates are important to maintain the right moisture level inside your jar.

Arrange your plants so that they aren't touching the sides of the glass and getting squished up. This is best achieved before you put the potting mix layer in otherwise you will end up accidentally mixing all your layers together when you try to add the plants. While this is not the end of the world, it works better when the layers are intact.

Simple as that! Give it a light water; you don't want to drown your plants. The amount of watering your terrarium requires will depend on the plants you have chosen, generally they don't require much attention. Give them a spritz with a spray bottle when there is a lack of any condensation near the soil line. If there is lots of condensation or visible droplets on the glass then take the lid off until it dries out a little. Make sure your terrarium isn't in direct light so you don't fry your new little plants.

So there you have it; a lovely addition to any interior. Because you can use just about any jar and a huge variety of plants and other embellishments such as pebbles or ornaments in different colours you can make it to suit your decor. Terrariums are also a great gift idea for those people who are notoriously tricky to buy for; prettier than socks and less maintenance than a puppy!

Relentless renovating!

2012-12-28T10:17:00.000+11:00

We've really really been pushing it the last few weeks so that we could get this dear little house ready for lots of Christmas guests! So busy, in fact, that I haven't had time to post about it. The three weeks leading up to Christmas were literally just coming home from work, rolling up our sleeves, and getting stuck in to it. Here are a few pics that I snapped during those mad weeks.

Front room looking in to new study, floors stripped

What used to be the lounge- dining room, now a sitting room and study thanks to a new wall

The old master bed with ugly 80s built in wardrobes removed and floors stripped

New bathroom with coils for floor heating installed

Thankfully, we did manage to get it to a vaguely presentable state- walls painted and furniture put back in- before we had a million relatives over for Christmas! I'll take some pics of that later in the week. There's still a bit to do though; in fact the tiler is here right now singing K-Pop songs at the top of his lungs as he works on the bathroom.

Honeymoon Highlights: Daily life.

2012-12-27T11:00:00.000+11:00

Here are a few snapshots of people going about their daily life in Cuba.

Farmers are allowed to sell any produce that is surplus to state requirements
In this case, plantains

Riding a bicitaxi

Selling surplus goods

Waiting for a fare

Taking a walk

Buying street pizza

Making repairs

Selling produce

A food market in the town centre

Waiting for the factory workers to transport them home

Ice cream shop

It is common to see farmers selling their produce from carts on the street and at all hours of the day and night you can hear them going up and down the streets announcing what they have for sale. A certain amount of what they grow goes to the state for redistribution, they are free to sell the rest at a fair market price.

Honeymoon Highlights: Art Deco influence.

2012-12-20T11:30:00.000+11:00

In Havana, Cuba there are many influences on the architecture but predominantly there is a mix of Spanish colonial buildings and the utilitarian style of Soviet high density housing. Every once in a while you can see bits of Art Deco here and there thanks to the American occupation.

Lots of restoration work is being carried out through Cuba, especially in Havana. There is even an entire university dedicated to education on the restoration of the country's amazing architecture.

Wedding Wednesday: The last dance.

2012-12-19T11:00:00.000+11:00

We chose 'April Sun in Cuba' by Dragon as our last dance song seeing as it was April and we were headed off to Cuba for our honeymoon. Made sense!

Photography by Matthew Mead

I love this photo; I think it is hilarious and it shows lots of character. I actually used it on the back of all our thank you cards because I think it is really 'us'.

Cherry Cinnamon Jam!

2012-12-14T16:41:00.000+11:00

It's that time of the year again; Christmas! I love to celebrate and spend time with friends and family, and I also love gift-giving. Last year I made sweet little jars of jellies for my colleagues, friends, and family. This year I decided to make an assortment of festive jams, this one is the first I made. It is easy, fun, and Christmassy!

Cherry Cinnamon Jam on crackers with Persian feta

INGREDIENTS
1kg prepared cherries (pitted and halved)
1kg CSR Jam Sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks

METHOD
Place the cherries in a large saucepan and mush them up a bit with a potato masher to release the juice and break up the fruit. Add the lemon juice and cinnamon scrolls and warm over a low heat for about 5 minutes or until the fruit has softened. Add the sugar and turn up the heat a little, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes until the fruit has completely dissolved.

Bring the pot to a rolling boil for 4 minutes. Test the 'set' of the jam by spooning 2 teaspoons onto a plate that has been in the freezer. If you can draw a line through the glob with your finger and it doesn't run back together then you're good to go, turn it off and jar it in hot, sterilised jars. If it's not setting then boil a little longer and try again.

If you have the right tools getting the jam in the jars is a lot easier, but it is possible to do with a tea towel and a ladle; just be prepared for mess and be careful not to burn yourself! I sterilise my jars in a baby-bottle steriliser that I bought at KMart for about $15, it saves so much time.Once filled, turn the jars upside-down and let sit for 2 minutes, then turn them right side up again and wait for them to cool before rinsing any escaped jam from the outside of the jars.

I decorated the jars with some fabric, twine, a gift tag and a bauble. The jam will keep for 12 months unopened and stored in a cool, dry place or up to three months after opening if it is kept refrigerated. As with any jam, signs of oxidisation (namely colour change) indicate that it's turned nasty.

This cherry cinnamon jam is a versatile delight- spread it straight on your toast for a sweet, tart treat or try it with cheese for a more savoury twist. I made wraps with chicken, spinach, coriander, goat's cheese, and cherry cinnamon jam that went down a treat. Yum!

Honeymoon Highlights: Strange street numbers.

2012-12-13T11:00:00.000+11:00

Something we saw a lot of in Cuba, street numbers that included fractions! In some places the street numbers went up by one or two, some places they seemed to go up in random increments, and in other places they had halves and quarters.

We asked one of the ladies whose home we were staying in why this was, her answer was that when they make another house they make another number! Also in some places a large home may have been split in to several smaller ones, or a building with several homes used to have just one address but the postal system couldn't cope with that.

Wedding Wednesday: Polaroid.

2012-12-12T11:00:00.001+11:00

I have a rather decent collection of old-school Polaroid cameras. I have a couple of packs of the original film left and decided there was probably no better occasion to use them!

Photography by Matthew Mead

The actual Polaroid that I took at that moment is hanging on the cork board in our kitchen.

Honeymoon Highlights: Windows and doors.

2012-12-06T11:00:00.000+11:00

I have a bit of an obsession with taking photos of doors and windows, and on our honeymoon in Cuba there was no exception to this rule. Here is just a small selection of the door and window pictures that I took.

I love all the ironwork in particular. Pretty, isn't it?

Wedding Wednesday: Cutting the cake.

2012-12-05T11:00:00.001+11:00

Our wedding cake was made by a friend of ours as a gift to us and it was amazing! Not only did it look funky but it tasted fantastic. There were three layers; chocolate mud, coconut cream, and traditional fruit cake.

Photography by Matthew Mead

The fruitcake layer was on top and it is sitting patiently in our freezer waiting for our first anniversary. What? We're following a tradition?

Honeymoon Highlights: Street art.

2012-11-29T11:00:00.000+11:00

Graffiti is a rarity in Cuba but we did see a few examples of street art in our travels. Much of it is political in nature but we did spot some art just for art's sake.

We also visited some artisan markets in Havana where there were many paintings for sale by local artists. There were so many that I wanted to bring home!

Wedding Wednesday: Send us a postcard.

2012-11-28T11:00:00.001+11:00

I woke up in the wee small hours of the morning one night with a fantastic idea for our guestbook. Rather than having the usual book for people to write in I hunted around the markets and second hand stores for months trying to find cool vintage postcards for our guests to write on.

Photography by Matthew Mead

I set the postcards up with a vintage camera case to 'post' them in to and made a garland out of felt that spelled out the words 'Send us a post card' to match with the garlands on our lolly bag bonboniere.

Why is it that I have these ideas in the middle of the night I wonder? I've taken to keeping a notepad and pen on my bedside table for just this reason!

Honeymoon Highlights: Rainbow streets.

2012-11-22T11:00:00.000+11:00

I've mentioned before that many of the homes in Cuba are painted bright, funky colours. This is a few great examples of how one street can be a rainbow of colour!

Now if only I could convince al the neighbours that we should all go hypercolour!

Wedding Wednesday: The place to party.

2012-11-21T11:00:00.001+11:00

Our reception venue, Aqua Dining, was fantastic. The food was amazing, the staff were perfect, and the view was drop dead stunning. During the planning stages the function coordinator asked me if we would be dropping off any table decorations, I told her that I didn't see the point because everyone would just be looking out the window!

The view from the restaurant

Right next door to Luna Park, what a photo op!
Photography by Matthew Mead

We had a cocktail style reception because they are the most fun! We made sure that there was more than enough food and that there was never a moment for people to get hungry. The seasonal food choices were varied and tasty and the staff really looked after us.

Oh, and the view!

Moroccan Lamb Salad

2012-11-20T20:25:00.000+11:00

Fast, fresh, fantastic. It's all about speed for weeknight dinners in this dear little house. When the weather is warming up and the daylight hours are lingering longer there's nothing that beats a crunchy salad. This is one of those salads that is a meal rather than a side dish.

Moroccan lamb salad

INGREDIENTS
500gm lamb steak, diced
Moroccan Lamb seasoning (if you can't find this some turmeric, cumin, and paprika will work well)
5 Tbsp Greek yoghurt
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 bunch fresh coriander (leaves only)
200gm baby spinach
200gm cherry tomatoes, halved
8-10 kalamata olives
1/2 a Lebanese cucumber, diced
50gm Persian feta, crumbled
Olive oil
6 tsp balsamic vinegar (regular or white, up to you!)
1 lemon's worth of juice
Salt and Pepper

METHOD
Put the diced lamb in a bowl, add enough olive oil to coat the lamb, about 3/4 of your crushed garlic, and stir through the seasoning (add to taste but you'll probably want about half of one of the smaller sized bottles). Place the bowl in the fridge to marinate for half an hour or so.

Meanwhile, take your yoghurt and add the rest of your garlic, squeeze in about a quarter of your lemon juice, and add salt and pepper to taste. Mix it all together and set aside for serving.

Once your lamb has marinated for a while you'll want to cook it on a fairly high heat in a large frying pan; ideally your lamb will have a crust from the spices on the outside and still be a little bit pink on the inside so you want to cook it fast and be able to move it around in the pan to prevent any burned bits.

In a large bowl combine your spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, coriander, and feta. Add a good glug of olive oil, your balsamic vinegar, the remainder of your lemon juice, and give it a toss. Serve the salad up as a bed to support your lamb and top it all off with a big dollop of yoghurt. Yum!

Honeymoon Highlights: Delicious Details.

2012-11-15T11:00:00.000+11:00

Sometimes I notice the strangest things. Things might strike me as beautiful, or at least worth taking a photo of, when other people will walk straight past them. Here are a few examples of little details that I just had to stop and take a photo of while we were in Cuba.

This house says No9 above the door, but its street number is 29

Ornate red gate

Flowers in a window

Lovely classic car that was our taxi on day

Carved wooden door

Taking a taxi

Door knocker on a church

Drain cover in Havana

Hanging around

Classic car dashboard

Sometimes it is worth holding everyone up to stop and capture some quirky detail in the world around you.

Wedding Wednesday: Under the Bridge.

2012-11-14T11:00:00.000+11:00

The Harbour Bridge is one of my favourite things. I must have over 100 photos of it in my own collection, I just think that it is an amazing piece of architecture. One of the things I really wanted for the reception was a view of the bridge and boy did we get one!

Photography by Matthew Mead

This is us standing under the Sydney Harbour Bridge just before the reception. What a beautiful part of the world.