Paint, wood and a few of my favorite things...

The weather here has been quite beautiful lately.  Spring has defintly arrived with a hint of summer that is soon to follow (yay).  This weekend we have out in the garden chopping back trees, clearing rubbish, giving everything a good wash and ready for the warmer months ahead.  The kids christened the pool by having their first swim for spring...its been great.
The past week Ive had a few *sad* days and when Im feeling this way I try to do somthing 'I' enjoy, somthing thats creative and somthing that makes me feel good.
Rememeber a few months back I wrote about my big clean out?  I mentioned there about a friend who did cleaning and organising as a job...well, it turns out she also does interior decorating etc {she realy is an amazing lady}.
I was chatting to her about styles and colours and ideas for my place as I know what I like but pulling it all together can at times be a bit challenging.
I explained to her that I actually realy like the american style of decorating as it can be so different to here in Australia.
When I explain that to others they go "huh?".  But when I explained that to my good friend she totaly got what I meant.
American homes seem to have a 'Pottery Barn' look.  You know what I mean? Very warm, family orientated, but also rustic and whimsical.
My friend told me that my style seems to be a look called 'nantuket'.  Hmm, after googling that I think she may be right.  She told be to gather a few pics of the 'look' I like and then it helps to pull it all together.  here are a few looks I like and came up with...

These are just a 'few' pics I found so here's hoping I can pull it all together.  I like white, white and more white. Cream with lots of textures...wood, glass, burlap, etc etc etc....I LOVE candles especially when in crystle clear glass and mayby a slight bit of silver.  I love white washed floorboards {this we plan on getting oneday} and french inspred items.  I also love the rustic look of of an old wooden swing chair out the back or near the front door.  Lots of potted plants...green, lush and a hint of white flowers {or Hydrangea's...another favorite of mine}.  I like the look of french doors and white shutters.  All of this at the same time as being kid friendly.  ♥I love it!

When talking to my friend about this she mentioned that in the U.S painted furniture is so big.  Here we are all so scared to paint anything that is bare wood.  I kind of agreed with her.  I wondered why my place was looking so 'brown'. 
So during my *sad* week last week I held my breath and just did it!  I have only started with out door items so far.  I have an old chair that I purchased of ebay about a year ago.  Its a realy nice outdoor bench seat style...again bare wood.  My first stroke of white...and I couldn't stop.  Im sooo happy I painted it.  It has given it a whole new lease on life.

I also had an old mirror that I got at The tender centre abot 2 years ago.  I plans to put it outside and it never happened.  It ended up sitting in our shed and then the mirror broke {ugh} so was just going to give it away.  {silly I know...what was I thinking??}

Sorry I dont have a better pic of the finished result.  I took this while it was drying.  Once I put it up I will try and get another shot of it.  I was going to just put it up out side near the front door.  Once our renovations are finished it will look nice there I think.
I also have plans for an old coffee table that we use outside, when I have done that I will put up a blog post about that.  Im starting outside with the furniture painting thing.  My husbands a little scared at the thought of painting out good inside furntiure...we'll work on that LOL.

So excitement! (reno's part 1)

Lately ive been indulging a little in my creative decorating side.
We are doing some major renovating on our nest and it has made me giddy with excitment. We've lived here for approx 3 years and only done the minimal in renovating..slow and steady.
However the last few weeks has been so exciting. Things are flying here.

We have built a fence (brick, rendered) out the front of our home and taken all our unclaimed land back. This means around our pool we have loads more room. we are planning to deck around our pool and pave the front entrance,new carport, level and re-turf the backyard....loads of work to do, but the end result will be amazing. I cant wait. We've been working around the clock to get it sorted for the school holidays in just a couple of short weeks away.
It will be so nice.
Inside our home it's quite small (but I like it)...outside is where we do most of our living especially in summer. So we will soon have a new room to our house...the ouside room.

We started back in October, however anyone living here in S.E Queensland would know how wet the weather has been this year, esp the last few months.  So the day hubby decided to start...the heavens opened up, still he kept going.  Here Little T decided it would be fun sticking on some diving flippers (???) and sludge thru the wet mud...It looked liked fun, I was tempted to join him.

Mmmmm, mud pies....

In the end we decided just to hose him off....LOL

Here are a few pics of our changing nest...

day 1...Poor guy.  He had his tractor,..bull dozer ...whatever thing they call that he's on, and he was determained to get it done.

UGH!  What a mess!  Damn that rain!  It doesnt make the job easy.

Success!!  He managed to to dig out, level and make a retaining wall!!

Day 2....the footings are laid.  Bricks arrived.

Finally...better weather....AND the pillars are built.

Since these pics were taken we have managed to have the entire wall built, rendered and painted. It is 95% finished. We still have to put hardwood in one section...then done.

I thought I had the latest pics on my camera...but i didnt. When I get a chance later I will put some more pics up.
Next we have the pool area and the front courtyard to pave.
Very exciting. I cant wait to sit out around the pool in summer late afternoon with hubby and the kids with a glass of wine, some yummy food, candles and music...ahhhh, dont you love QLD summers?
Bring it on...!

♥ On this day...

♥♥HaPpY AnNnIvErSaRy To Us!♥♥

8th november 2010.  12th wedding anniversary aboard a gondala...very romantic♥

Ive been MIA lately as Ive been a little pre-occupied.  On the 8th November 1998 at 1pm my husband and I became one.  We vowed to spend the rest of our life together forever and to care and cherish each other.  Little did I know that it would just keep getting better and better each day, each year.

I know, I know.....gush, gush {where's a bucket} but I have to say its true.   Im lucky to have met and spend the rest of my life with my sweetheart, my soulmate, the love of my life...how lucky am I?

Im going to get all pathetic here and just tell you how luck I am.  My husband is super romatic, loving, gentle, *naughty* fun, respectable, reliable, safe, beautiful, understanding, amazing, spiritual, deep and I cannot even begin to tell you how much I just love him.

He is my heart and soul.  An amazing man, wonderful husband and amazing daddy.

When our daughter was born he told me that I was the air he breathes and our daughter is the blood in his veins.

He has helped me with so much of my skeletons and baggage from my past {family stuff *UGH*} and he is my rock, my stability.

This anniversay we stayed away for 2 nights alone and had amazing time....just talking, talking, talking....we shared dinner on a private gondalah *swoon* and we just had a magic time *wink*wink*.

So On the 8th of November I dedicate this to 'us'....~{in my eyes} the most perfect couple ever!!