Procrastinating

Firstly may I say thank you to everyones lovely comments concerning my upcoming trip to New York. I appreciate the excitement you feel for me and it is lovely to be able to share this news with you. Now the most pressing thing on my mind, of course, is packing. I have my wardrobe and shoes mostly sorted but am in a dilemma about whether to pack boots. Would this be overkill for October? I am taking super comfortable Merrill walking shoes, a low heeled mary jane for dining out and am also debating whether to pack a pair of sandals. Will it be warm enough for sandals during fall in NY?? I stalk the weather reports and read trip advisers for recommendations but am getting mixed signals about what the weather can do during October. I have decided to take my light wool coat just in case. Any suggestions would be appreciated as I'm trying to stick to my usual three pairs of shoes limit. While I sat this morning in my pretty room deliberating world peace and which shoes to take I snapped some instagram photos and wasted time playing with filters because isn't this just the best thing to do when procrastinating? And writing blog posts when I should be actioning all sorts of jobs and errands!! Annie xx

Am I the only one having trouble with the new blogger interface layout? My draft is written with appropriate spacing then preview and published post is bunched together plus I can only enable the large size photo and I prefer the extra-large option plus the photo is no longer displayed in the draft, only codes? :-(

The Art of Pottering About

Saturday morning is one of my favourite times to cruise through my home..pottering about.
I adore rearranging, sorting, plumping up cushions, flower arranging, admiring my surroundings and snapping photos.
I can spend an incredible amount of time pottering about my home and seeing the beauty in everyday things. Even a glance through a window screen from our upper storey to the blue sky and towering trees.

Might be classed as wasting time to some folk but I argue it is good for the soul.
Enjoy your weekend and spend time just pottering about, you will benefit .. I promise.

Annie xx

Screens are common in Australia for keeping out flies, mosquitoes, birds, snakes, lizards, spiders, beetles and any other pesky fauna which would like to invade a household.

Blue

 

My daughter gifted me this lovely blue bottle which she bought in Bali on her recent holiday.
There is something about blue...calming, serene, happy and a worthwhile addition to any home decor.

How about you..do you like blue too?

Annie xx

Fathers Day

Father's Day was celebrated today in Australia. This year it was just Mr red roses, our son and myself, our daughter is overseas. The emphasis was on super casual for lunch so I threw a cloth on the outside table, threw smoked salmon, chicken, Brie cheese and fresh bread on a platter and we then proceeded to wash it all down with cold beer and chilled white wine.
The beloved grandfathers are now in heaven so we raised a glass to them then sat on our deck and listened to birdsong and gazed up into the treetops.

Chocolate dipped strawberries and coffee finished off our fare and now I am dashing off this post before I collapse on the sofa from overindulging in good food and maybe one too many glasses of good wine.

And here is a thought for a wee giggle...hmm yes haven't most women encountered this!

Annie xx

A Bon Voyage Soirée

I had the pleasure of hosting a little gathering of blog friends to raise a glass and farewell our friend A-M who is venturing to New York next week to attend a blog conference and take in the sites of this grand city along with a side trip to the Hampton's...swoon.
So...between myself, Faux Fuchsia, The Distressed Mother and A-M of The House that A-M Built (these beautiful ladies are on my blog roll over yonder) we ate for the nation, sipped mellow French bubbles and chatted and laughed until long after the cows came home.

I love to entertain family and friends in my home. Plus it gives me the chance to serve tasty/naughty delectables. A sure fire winner is Baked Brie served with toasted sourdough bread, quince paste, cranberry sauce and flaked almonds. To die for!

I dashed off a few quick photos on my phone during festivities and here they are. Even my precious little pooch likes to participate and glam up.

A truly lovely evening....

Annie xx

A Quick Tidy Up

My house has a little nook under the stairs which is one of those little nooks that often ends up in the too hard category when deciding how to fill in a space. After much debate and consultation with our cabinet maker (the banister and stairs have a slight curve making it problematic to fill in) we decided to, for the time being at least, erect some Ikea tables with several cane baskets which hold odds and bods like my sewing, the dog's stuff and sun hats. Instinctively I knew if this space was left without a semblance of order it would become a dumping ground for everyone's junk.
Yesterday I had a little tidy up and declutter. After one year in the house I couldn't believe how crammed the baskets were becoming.




While sorting through my vast collection of cottons from the sewing pile I rediscovered many which were passed to me from my mother who was a beautiful sewer. I have about eight containers of different colours.




Some of the reels are decades old. I'm not a hoarder and I declutter regularly but when it comes to cotton reels and buttons I find it difficult to let go. One never knows when one will need bright red thread or an odd shaped button.




During the tidy up I was reminded of an intricate cross stitch I started twenty five years ago. What are the chances of me ever completing it?
A new pair of eyes would help!

Annie xx

A Few New Pretties

Don't you love finding a few little additions for your home?

I do! 

A few blog friends and I recently enjoyed morning tea at Thea and Sami's screen printing studio and these beautiful linen place mats and fish design tea towels came home with me. 

Many thanks for your wonderful hospitality Thea.

Then this morning I popped into the sale at du Monde and found this gorgeous Buddha which will enhance our outdoor entertaining area (when it's finally completed!) plus a lovely floral cushion which jumped into my arms. A home can never have too many cushions.
It was a real pleasure to visit your store again Daryl.

Adding a new pretty into my abode gives me great pleasure and I just know I will be very happy with these latest finds from two very talented Brisbane based designers.

Annie xx

Kitchen Love

Gosh it's been a week since my last post..time does fly.
To kick off this gloomy winter Monday in my neck of the woods I'm sharing photos of my kitchen. Those of you who've been following this blog since the early days (a year this August!) will know my family commenced a major renovation on our little piece of paradise set in the trees. A few of my blog friends have suggested I show more of my home and so here we are, the kitchen was a major exercise and I think it deserves to make an appearance on this little blog.
I was intending to share before pics then realised they're stored on the desktop and if I shut down the laptop to start again etc etc this post will never get up darlinks, so you will just have to use your imaginations.
So imagine an original 1990 kitchen in varying shades of blue with a servery bench top the size of a airport runway. We totally gutted the space in February 2011. The result is a design which Mr red roses and I conjured up. We'd renovated the kitchen in our last house using white cupboards and black bench tops and found that aesthetic suited us brilliantly so it was a no brainer to run with that scheme again. I can't see myself ever getting tired of black and white contrast. Clean, clutter free surfaces in my kitchen make my heart sing..
All in all I am beyond happy with the design and functionality. I hope you enjoy taking a wander through these photos I took on the iPhone soon after we moved in after the renovations.

I am very proud of my house because Mr red roses and I toiled extremely hard and extraordinary effort was poured into transforming this house.
You've surely heard the saying..'Blood Sweat and Tears', well it applied to us!

Entertaining is figuring in our lives once more since the dust has settled (figuratively speaking).
There's still a laundry to build and exciting plans for the outside entertaining area. All the fun and joy of major works (fingers crossed) are to commence in the not too distant future and the testament to our optimism is the cement mixer has been uncovered and hauled out to be press ganged into earning it's keep once again.

Wishing you happy tidings this week and stay safe.

Annie xx

Morning Tea and a Pretty Chair

Today a friend and I enjoyed a lovely morning at the WAC.

Coffee, tea and cakes in the retro cafe were consumed after wandering through the myriad of shops looking for treasures.

 I purchased a sweet chair from Sandy's shop 'Paint me White'. 

I spied this telephone on my wanderings through the antique centre and remember when my parents bought one of these trendy (at the time) telephones when I was a child. I thought I had the grooviest parents!

And here is the quaint fold-up chair in the shade I'm loving right now. I placed it in my living room for now but do feel it is the perfect size and design to be situated anywhere in my home.

Much fun was had playing around with cushions and books and best of all it will be a versatile addition to my home.
Thanks Sandy, your wares are lovely and so very reasonably priced.

Isn't it fun bringing a new furniture addition into one's abode?

Annie xx

My Secret Little Man

Introducing the new addition in my home. A secret little man that my family have yet to discover.

I found him waiting for me at the antique centre. I spied him on one of my visits a week ago and knew just where he would fit in my house.

But I wasn't convinced so did about six laps of the centre to make up my mind. He was reasonably priced so I figured I had nothing to lose. 

He fits brilliantly in the wall cut out near the entry. I believe we will be very happy co-habitating

A secret little nook to display pretties

Lately I'm drawn to subtle blue hues for calm and serenity

He does look wise

I suppose I'm easily amused because I'm filled with mirth that my family haven't discovered my little man who stands in his little nook.
How long I wonder before the cat is out of the bag?

Annie xx