My Very Own Artist

A very funny and lovely thing happened to me today.  As it was a public holiday here, most of our day was spent pottering around the house enjoying some time with our boys.  I cooked a chocolate cake with Harry and Roast Chicken this afternoon for dinner.  I picked some flowers and herbs out of our garden and I tidied up the house.  Brad and I finally sat down in the lounge room tonight after we had fed the boys and bathed them and I looked over my shoulder and spotted Harry on the floor drawing.  I went over to see what he was drawing and I was so surprised and excited to see him drawing the vignette on our entry chest of drawers as pictured above.  You might think that I am making this up after my post yesterday in which I discussed my mother's entry vignette and Cressida's Campbell's artwork but I am not.

At one point he asked me to pass him down the orange vase so that he could examine it's details up-close.  I was even asked to sharpen pencils.  Of course I didn't argue as I was so excited to see him drawing the things I had arranged on our entry table.

This is the end result.  After looking over it and discussing it, he said he made a mistake with the placement of the pink chair and he said he might add the picture frames which hang on the wall behind the vignette but that's for another night.  On the back he has written a special note to me...I think my Mother's Day happened one week early!

PS...Did you notice Harry's fluoro pencils?!  They are the BEST pencils as the colour is just so vivid and bright.  They can be purchased from Toyworld if anyone is interested.

PPS...I must thank my beautiful friend and client Jules for the Phoebe Stephens yellow roses as pictured above which she delivered to me on Friday afternoon along with the big tub of potent Vitamin C which has done me the world of good...my awful flu has pretty much gone!!xx

A Perfect Flower Stall

When I was a little girl I was as obsessed with flowers as I am these days. 

I think I might have been around 8 years old when we lived in an old Queenslander at Wellington Point with a beautiful garden which my mother absolutely loved.  I would collaborate with my neighbour Angela who was about a year younger than I was.  We would pick flowers {mostly the daisies} out of mum's very large garden and we would set up a flower stall in front of my parent's house and sell the flowers on the roadside. 

I would never let my children do that these days but back then it was different.  When I spotted these little stalls by Mouta over on Poppy Talk earlier this week memories of these fun times came flooding back.  I wish I had one of these back then.  I think if I did it might have improved sales!! 

Flowers, Vases, Baskets, Fabric, Plates & Pots

I've had a busy few days fossicking around the garden, the markets and local Antique shops. 

In my travels I stumbled across these vintage vases which I couldn't resist.  They now sit on our chest of drawers in our entry hallway.  The vibrant orange of the larger vase makes me happy every time I see it and I just love the quirky bird clinging to the other vase/jug....it certainly is something you either love or hate.

I fell in-love with these little yellow flowers at the markets but I can't remember the name of them so please do tell if you know.  

I also picked up one of these baskets which I have been coveting along with this piece of fabric which I am thinking of making into table napkins for an upcoming event I have planned.



On Saturday I potted up 12 little pots with Succulents for my brother as he was having a lunch at his house over the weekend and needed something wonderful to place down the centre of his dining table. I kept a few for myself to add to my growing collection of pot plants.  {Correction to my post last week the little pots sell for approx. $1.20 at Bunnings and the succulents came from there too}.

It seems I wasn't the only one playing with flowers on the weekend. Mum just sent me this picture of the fresh Banksias she collected from the trees on their property at the beach.  I am hoping she might deliver some over to me this week.



And finally I added 18 mismatched vintage dinner plates to my blue and white collection.  We never have enough plates when we have the family here for lunch or dinner so now we will. NB. Mismatched vintage is so much less expensive than heading out to buy a complete set and so much more interesting I think and the best thing is that I can keep on adding to them as I see them.

My Wonderful Weekend

My plans for a weekend in the garden had to be slightly altered due to the weather.  However, despite the rain I did achieve some gardening goals.  I went to my favourite nursery at Wellington Point yesterday.  If I could put their garden surrounding their nursery onto a truck and deliver it to our house I'd be one happy girl.  I just love wandering around the little pathways through their beautiful established garden. 

My aunty and my grandma {the one I photographed here on the blog last week} dropped in for morning tea this morning.  Aunty Jane brought me these pretty roses from her garden.  I love garden roses.  They are my favourite.

As you can see I did go a little crazy at the nursery.  I love the mix of plants I chose.  I really want to add lots of different colours into our garden.

I can't believe our little Max turned 10 months old yesterday.  He is almost walking.  Time really flies...



This morning my brother Sam and my mum, Harry, Max and I went to the Chandler Markets.  I hadn't been before and was so excited by what they had.  I found some beautiful orchids and fresh flowers and a few little vintage surprises too.



Yesterday I collected this bundle of fresh lettuce, beans and tomatoes from our kitchen garden.  I placed them into a basket and took them down to my mum's house.  Today she and Sam made an amazing salad which you will probably find the recipe for over at Sams' Table this week. 

Weekends at home are my favourite.  I always feel so inspired and rested and ready to go back to work on a Monday when I have been pottering around the house all weekend.

Today

Today I received pretty pink and orange flowers for Valentines Day from my husband which I arranged in a vintage blue and white willow patterned teapot.

Today I obsessed over this fabric and contemplated it for a new project.

Today I cooked Spaghetti for dinner.

Today I did a guest post on my brother's new blog HERE...

My Decorating Life

You know what? I need to be really honest with you all. I would imagine that you would think my job is so glamorous and amazing. Am I right?

Well, I have to tell you that it is the most amazing job and I absolutely ADORE what I do but I also have to tell you that it is one of the hardest jobs in the whole wide world.

On a daily basis I attempt to please every single one of my clients. On a daily basis I am disappointed by goods not arriving on time, manufacturers and suppliers breaking their promises and goods being delivered faulty or completely and utterly wrong and not how we ordered them.

I just need to make it clear that even though this job is my lifelong passion I just wish that I could do it better and no matter how hard I try sometimes it's just not good enough.

I'm sure this is the same in every profession but relying on others in this profession is so disappointing and so embarrassing at times and no matter what you do, sometimes it all just ends up wrong!

I don't want your sympathy. That's not what this post is about. I just thought I'd tell you that it really isn't as glamorous as it sounds.

Tomorrow will be better. I know it will be.

Images via Vi.sualize.us