la maison sur la colline

lightly

2009-12-10T07:02:00.005+10:00

a haven't had a chance to tell you more about my recent work trip to Melbourne and I have been dying to share the most exciting bits with you.

Things came full circle for me when visiting a market on my trip I caught out of the corner of my eye, these gorgeous butterflies. I knew I had seen them before, and I quickly dropped what I was looking at, by passed 6 stalls to make my way over to them displayed on a wall. My mouth was wide open! I could not believe my luck! I had spied them in a design magazine ages ago, and had fallen in LOVE! I had even posted about them back here. And there they were, on the wall in front of me...calling my name.

so I bought some, these ones above in the picture, aren't they just lovely, and my image doesn't do them justice. I have to wait now for the Reno to be complete, as I have just the perfect wall for these guys to frolic on. made from vintage teacup saucers, each is unique and individual and just darn right gorgeous!

more from the range - swallows

I am so excited by my purchase, one of those real shopping buzzes you get when you find something you love, and think that you will never get a chance to buy one, and then suddenly when you've forgotten all about it....it comes fluttering past and takes your breath away all over again.

on the wharf....beneath the stars

2009-12-09T06:00:00.006+10:00

after months of planning it's finally here - a christmas market weekend like Brisbane has never seen before. It starts with the twilight markets this friday night.....in an intimate setting the twilight markets will feature 36 retailers along the plaza and by the waterfront on the wharf, as well as Christmas carols and modern songs from a singing duet from Voice Works, with musical accompaniment for the course of the evening.

“The Twilight Markets is a special event where visitors to Portside Wharf can take in the market atmosphere as the sun sets and then later, beneath the stars."
then we do it all again on Sunday with are first ever Boutique Christmas Market - this weekend is going to be fabulous!

2 men and an allen key

2009-12-08T07:17:00.003+10:00

well it was all systems go here on the weekend with the Christmas tree going up, my Christmas lights hung along the veranda and rotunda at the front of the house and the assembly of these gorgeous white chairs by my husband and a family friend. All I had to do was keep the beer cold and the food coming and they would have done any job they were presented with!

now i shouldn't laugh, but listening to them discuss the assembly of the chairs was just hilarious considering that they shared the load of assembly of the remaining 4, after I had put together the first 2 in half the speed and all by myself!

so what do you think?
aren't they gorgeous! my Christmas present to me......Merry Christmas Rach!

our christmas tree

2009-12-07T09:25:00.002+10:00

thankfully we had a friend stay over on the weekend, and I roped him into helped bring up the Christmas tree from downstairs. Our Christmas tree is massive and literally needs to grown men to carry it up from downstairs. We splurged last Christmas on a new tree, and my philosophy on the tree I picked was that it was going to be with us for the next 20 years. It almost touches the roof and my husband had to stand on a chair, with my son on his shoulders to get the star on the top of the tree. Scary I know....

we have moved away from light s on the tree, and towards adding lighting to the house - and these gorgeous star chain lights I found yesterday at ikea....love it, they bathed the living room last night in a gorgeous amber glow!

almost a big boy

2009-12-04T07:14:00.005+10:00

last night was my little one's end of year kindy concert - full of cheerful Christmas songs, tears and the realization that in less than 2 months he will be at 'big school'! how did that happen so quickly...almost in the blink of an eye...

i find myself pulled between the notion that he is all grown up, not my baby anymore.
last night I saw these cute little hands in the kindy room that they'd placed on paper to make a Christmas tree and i immediately picked him up and cradled him and kissed him like he was still 1 year old....

we were presented with a gorgeous memory album filled with all the photos and artwork of the year, and of course the obligatory slide show set to tearful music that you race home to watch knowing full well it's going to bring on the water works.. which of course it did.

and finally some time to spend with my big girl, who happily sat beside me through the whole concert, holding my hand, singing along to the songs. Such a happy family night, and the weekend will bring the xmas tree and the christmas lights....i love christmas!

melbourne - day 1

2009-12-01T06:41:00.005+10:00

so we started off our Melbourne adventure right here, just a hop skip and a short walk from our apartment in south Melbourne. This little cafe had me at 'hello".....pressed tin panel counter - tick, old world charm and atmosphere - tick, smell of coffee - tick

thirsty from the flight - i enjoyed one of these

and a little peckish - had to have one of these...

then a wander down the street to find a little gallery with the most amazing
Melbourne crafted goodies...

one thing i did notice straight away was how green the trees were - so different to Brisbane. Mind you is was cool and raining which is the total opposite of what Brisbane is at the moment.

and my favourite thing in the gallery this gorgeous mirror, only the size of a dinner plate but with thick chunky edging - stunning! Now Melbourne wasn't all coffee and galleries - it was actually a work trip and the remainder of the day was spent with laptop, pens and folders in our apartment with a bottle of wine and some fabulous company! Stay tuned for day 2 tomorrow!

i can't wait!

2009-11-24T06:55:00.004+10:00

i'm off to Melbourne on friday for3 days for a bit of work and a bit of play and I can't wait. We keep talking about what we are going to do when we get there....ok, the work stuff we know about, visiting a few markets here and there, but just as important is the 'me' time I am so looking forward to. Coupled with the thought that the weekend will be child and husband free, I don't think it really matters what we do. For me the thought of a plane ride without children and packed food and dvd players is just the beginning of what will be a fabulous weekend!

white, white, white

2009-11-23T06:02:00.004+10:00

image courtesy of pale and interesting

I'm looking for sheets and a matching quilt cover set, I'd love a marching sham and European pillowcases too.... but I want it in all white. I don't want grey fine stripes through it, or a red trim or anything else I have seen. All I want is plain white, nothing more, just white.
But do you think I can find it?

my clever friend

2009-11-20T07:24:00.002+10:00

glass blown paper weights - taryn newland

yesterday I spent the day with my clever friend Taryn, and we enjoyed a belated birthday lunch, some stress free "just because shopping" and some lovely girly chit chat....thank you Taryn, I had the most wonderful day. Now yesterday was to celebrate Taryn's birthday, but last month for mine Taryn presented me with one of her gorgeous glass blown paper weights like the ones above. The weights are either filled with one of Taryn's stunning photographic images or gorgeous boutique paper. If you want one, you can visit her in a few weeks at the Boutique Christmas Markets on Sunday December 13th down at Portside Wharf.

uh oh!

2009-11-18T06:51:00.004+10:00

my house - road at the bottom of the shot peeking through the shrubs

i had a tradie round yesterday afternoon and things almost turned disastrous.... i had done the usual be home between 12 and 5pm because they cannot give you an exact time they will arrive thing. He arrived promptly at 5.15pm, as a big storm was rolling in. For some reason he reversed 3/4 of the way up my drive and then said to me "hmmm, it's steep driveway you've got here!" Well of course it's made worse when you reverse up it????? he got up on the roof, got down and called out "looks like there's a storm coming!" I'll have to come back. No worries, I will schedule another afternoon in.... So I proceeded to show him the best way down the hill as he had bought his truck all the way to the top of the drive, incredibly maneuvering it past our front stairs. He gave that usual I'm a bloke kind of look I don't need help getting down lovey look at me. I'm used to it in relation to the driveway, so i went inside. Then an almighty screech, a few choice words from the tradie and one Ute teetering so close to being over the edge of the top of our drive....somehow i don't think he will be back for the appointment we made for Friday....

i've got plans!!!

2009-11-17T05:38:00.001+10:00

existing upstairs plans

yes, you heard me, Santa answered my prayers early in the form of an email complete with plans attached. now, not as good as plans in the hand, but I will settle for a PDF file any day, as long as it means that we are finally on the right track... so let me quickly walk through our Reno with you. above is the existing house plans, our house is double story 4 bedroom home with external front stairs, and just 2 carport slabs underneath and a laundry. Currently my kitchen is in the middle of the house, which is just silly as their is the most gorgeous view off the front veranda to the state Forrest across the road, and it gets no breeze at all.

proposed upstairs plans

so here is how it will look when completed. The kitchen is moving from the centre of the house to the front, to catch the view and the cool breezes we get from the bay. Bedroom 2 (my son's room) is being knocked right through to create a passage to the soon to constructed rear deck which will house a 6 metre half sunken swim spa and outdoor built in BBQ and dining area. Bedroom 4 will be removed and will house our new internal staircase...can you see me jumping for joy!!! No more mad dashes down the front stairs in my PJ's with the washing basket! The front living room will become my daughters bedroom, as she moves out of bedroom 3 to make room for my son who lost his room to a passage. note to self...must repaint that purple wall in bedroom 3 or all hell will break loose! So that is upstairs, now follow me downstairs.

proposed downstairs plans

So as I said, currently downstairs we have 2 single carports slabs, one housing at the end, my laundry. We also have a resident possum in our roller door and a bush turkey, plus a trio of swallows that have set up house. So once complete, we will have a lower level entry (no more front stairs...takers anyone??) a gorgeous new study for me, with a door...that i can close! A gorgeous foyer leading to the rumpus room on the left with french doors leading out to the yard, and the internal stair case to the left. Behind the scenes downstairs will be another 2 bedroom, one of which will be my studio, a large galley style laundry and an additional bathroom and toilet. We are also building a stand alone carport at the front of the house and completely redoing the top level of driveway to lessen the steepness of the slope, which you can see from the contour drawings below....the closer the lines are together, the steeper it is! the big winding thing at the front would be our driveway!

contour plans

and finally an image of the side elevation. our block when we first built was cut flat in the centre and we have large retaining walls in front of the house and behind. The master bedroom at the top left of the house, our en suite will connect to the rear deck, so that light night dips in the spa, will be made easier with a warm shower only a few steps away! The room directly below, which is my studio, will be perfect fro keeping one eye on the kids whilst they play in the garden.
Oh, I am SO excited!!!

all i want for christmas....

2009-11-16T06:15:00.003+10:00

image pale and interesting

my husband asked me last night what i wanted for Christmas...... a heaved a huge sigh and then continued to scroll down in my mind the huge list of things that I can't purchase until our Reno is complete. I am an impatient person by nature, if I see something, I want it, and I want it NOW! (Sound a little like Veruka Salt don't I!) This last few weeks has been ups and downs with the reno, our plans went into the certifiers, and you couldn't wipe the smile off my face that day. Then after a real life viewing (and swim in) the intended size spa for our back deck, we realised a rethink was in order and have had to go back to the drawing board to have our back deck completely redrafted, to accommodate the new larger spa. I emailed them a few days ago, and it's not all smooth sailing....new walls, new roof size, new footings layout..... I'm hoping an email arrives in my inbox today with the subject heading..."all complete"!
so back to answering my husband question...what do I want for Christmas.... completed and submitted plans with suffice for now. I promise Santa i will be good!

weekend unwind

2009-11-13T06:31:00.004+10:00

With the weekend all but a day away, I am compiling my list of jobs, and it's growing quickly. The builder said that any room that is having work done, needs to be completely cleared out. YIKES! That means my spare bedroom, which will house the stair case and currently there's no room in there for even a 3 rung stair case. One question has me stumped...where ever will I put everything?

pretty things

2009-11-12T06:29:00.003+10:00

i have had in my cupboard for nearly 10 years a set of gorgeous green and gold drinking glasses, which I have struggled to use, as they always look odd when placed in a table setting. my husband had picked them up in an antique store in Canberra years earlier, and they have been filling space in my cupboard ever since.

so i was thrilled the other day when I spotted the most gorgeous green tinted glass jug, perfect for my lonely glasses, complete with 'bumpy bits' (as the kids named them).

i could hear my glasses shrieking with delight at the thought of getting out and about for the day, and since my purchase, those lonely glasses have not been put away!

my jug now sits pretty with it's new friend on the centre of my dining table, filled with Ice cold water and lemon, perfect for the summer weather!

in love with...

2009-11-11T06:00:00.000+10:00

originally used in France, the glass cloche, or bell jar, was a solid piece of glass formed in a dome shape. The purpose was to protect an early garden from bleak cold and frost. today, i can' think of less useful, but much prettier uses for the cloche..... i recently bought a cloche, and have been searching for ideas on how to present it. currently it covers a collection of shells, but here are a few more ideas....

this gorgeous wire cloche shaped cover above is a favourite.

a version of the original use for the cloche

bleached white coral, saturated with lovely warm sunlight...just gorgeous.

friends....

2009-11-10T06:47:00.003+10:00

so nice in this crazy time in my life to have such good friends. when the days are filled with kids and work and husbands and washing and homework and everything else in between, it's my friends that look past all the chaos and see me for me. offering a cup of coffee, a chat, a yummy lunch like the one above...
So thank you to my friends, you are comfort food for my soul.

if only...

2009-11-09T06:12:00.004+10:00

if only my work space was as calm and serene as this! mine a miss match of piles of paperwork, cables and everything else in between. Today I am going to attempt to make it pretty. i will be back with more images soon.... I love a good DE-clutter, it's so good for the soul!

image - martha stewart

silly season

2009-11-06T07:08:00.003+10:00

alas, it will not be me this weekend, curled up in a chair reading a magazine.... and why would it be when the silly season is all but upon us! So let's begin the season with my pick of the best range of boutique handmade products and designers Brisbane has to offer - with this sunday's, November Boutique Market down at Portside Wharf. Our designers have already begun filling their marquees with beautiful product for your Christmas shopping delight! You can read more about the market here, and more about the designers here.

old things

2009-11-05T06:32:00.004+10:00

as I mentioned a few days ago, the kids and have just returned from a little holiday to my mums in central qld for her 60th birthday. As mum is generally in Brisbane for work once a month it has been almost 7 years since we last were at her house. It was lovely to return and again find all those little things that make your mum's home, really feel like home. I spent many hours just photographing things in her house, but mainly the 'old things'. my dad has a beautiful collection of his great grandfathers books (below), many in German and the gorgeous old ruler from primary school above. The books are housed in his great grandfathers writing bureau and i wish wish wish I could have got a good picture of it - it is just divine! these things are such beautiful old treasures that will always be kept!

On our trip we also visited the Mt Isa underground Hospital and I must say some old thing just should be thrown out! There with my sisters, one a GP, one a paramedic the other a dietitian, I had to walk away as they happily had a frank and open discussion about the following two items - both now class as 'old' and used in the 50's.

yes ladies, above is a placenta grinding machine and below the most medieval looking breast pump I have ever seen! (Why people do you have this on display?)

some old things just need to be thrown out!

yes please

2009-11-04T08:06:00.003+10:00

image - country style
I love eat in kitchens, the thought of having everyone gathered in one room relaxing and enjoying a meal is such a lovely thought. My husband is the cook in our home and he is forever complaining that everyone sits at the dining table (which is currently away from our kitchen) whilst he slaves in the kitchen...hmm, where have I heard that before? Our new kitchen will kind of be eat-in, with a very large island bench for informal family dining, but our outdoor kitchen on the back deck will be similar in set-up to the one above and I'm so excited.

baking....

2009-11-03T06:46:00.003+10:00

i have been on holidays up north spending time with my family for my mothers 60Th birthday. we stayed a few beautiful days with my eldest sister in tropical north Queensland (balmy hot was more like it though), and I watched her each day create the most amazing gourmet food I've ever seen. A busy mother of 2, a university lecturer and doctor, she still managed to come home each day and whip up (from scratch I might add) home made breads, filled with everything bit of goodness from her gorgeous veggie garden.

so this weekend I am going to take a leaf out of her book and make myself some home made bread (I wonder if they sell it pre-done in the frozen section) and as I don't have the veggie garden she does, I am going to get some lovely fillings to pop inside instead. Thinking of something similar to the recipe over here using baby spinach, basil and macadamia pate from Dish and Spoon.

good morning monday!

2009-10-12T05:44:00.004+10:00

image - coutry living

today, after a monster weekend, I've woken feeling refreshed and ready to start the week! We headed out to the Brisbane home show on Saturday, which was great, got some great ideas and have eagerly added them to "the list". Then yesterday was the October Boutique Markets down at Portside Wharf, which started off grey and gloomy, and we thought we had been lucky to miss the rain until a downpour 20 minutes before packdown ruined the day. 60 White and very wet marquees later.... to say it was a long day wouldn't be a stretch! Anyway, it's a new day and I'm feeling as happy as the gorgeous green on the walls of this image.

and one for the trees....

2009-10-05T15:37:00.003+10:00

image courtesy of evergreen memories

today I dropped all of our paperwork off to the bank, and when I say 'all of' I really do mean that there was loads. from bank copies, customer copies, solicitors copies and of course all in duplicates as they stupidly send a copy of each to both parties - even though we are married. I had them all inside my bag, which hung precariously over my shoulder and I think I still bear the remains of the indent it left from the weight of it all in my bag.

Seriously, I felt sick at the thought of how many trees had to be felled to in order to produce such a ghastly, completely unnecessary amount of paperwork! So tonight as my husband and I drink to celebrate the next stage of our Reno, I will raise my glass to the little trees that helped us along the way....

a cup of tea and something for me....

2009-10-02T07:13:00.003+10:00

yesterday I visited a friend and we sat down and enjoyed a lovey cup of tea whilst the kids ran around their house, chasing their kitten and generally being noisy.... we caught up on house plans, drawn on scrap bits of paper the kids had left on the table - our upcoming Reno, and her plans to add a couple of extra rooms to the house.

and whilst I was their I purchased a piece I have been eying off for a while, and then another little something to go with it. the top image, a gorgeous white framed, sparrow and bird cage paper lined, photographic print in my favourite red and green and white. and then second, a cute little print of a picture she took at a family photo shoot she did with us, edged in handwritten blue script of the Paris subway stations..... Thanks Taryn

breathe in...breathe out....

2009-09-17T12:54:00.004+10:00

with the school holidays less than a day away, I am dreaming of a simple escape to the a quite secluded place, with no T.V, no mobile phones, no Internet...no noise...... Fond child memories of morning swims at the beach, afternoon naps, and ice cream cones that always melt before you get a chance to eat them... what more could you want.
Alas this is not to be..... we are not headed anywhere special these holidays, but a girl can dream can't she??? what is your dream holiday?