Showing posts with label australia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label australia. Show all posts

10.10.13

Home- The Summer Room



Good morning from our hot hot hot little corner of the world!

The kids have just returned to school after two stunning weeks of weather...
Today, here in Sydney, we are expected to reach 39 degrees {102 degrees fahrenheit}!
Of course the kids have been bare foot for two weeks.

Today they are *soxed-and-school-shooed* to the eye-balls!
I am still in my thongs {flip flops}!
Does this make me a bad, uncaring, very hot mama?

Anyway...I've got that bug that many of us have hit, once the kiddos are back at school.
The *change-the-house-for-the-seasons* bug.
Out with all the school holidays crap gathered essentials...and into Summer with a sparkling clean cleaner slate!




It's all about moving things around here...fresh little vingettes...furniture shifting and some pretty serious dust bunny chasing!

Nothing like collapsing on the couch at the end of the day and knowing there is nothing...absolutely nothing underneath....no puppy's ball, school book or ball of wool from last winter's knitting attempts!

Small things make my life day!





With the temps going mad Down Under- and the state of NSW on a massive fire alert, I've drilled the kids with *drink all day...water...water...water* !
I always seem to drink more when it looks pretty- shallow I know- but true!

Of course the kids just have to drink it regardless of aesthetics- there's some preparation in dealing with these sorts of temperatures and being at school.
I recall doing the same as a child...although we wore sandals to school and no sunscreen {it was a long time ago in the defence of my wonderful parents!} ...
These days, sandals are a no-go due to health and safety- but they do slap on that sunscreen big time!

I'm hoping they are lounging around their classrooms, shoes kicked off, windows open watching some great new release educational film...


Nothing makes me grin quite so wide, in terms of mundane house work, as much as hanging out a line of white bed linen...
As I said- I'm pretty simple!

The lovely huge bedspread hanging in the centre there, I picked up at a proper old fashioned *jumble sale* on the weekend for $2!
Yes..I'm beside myself- and it was the first purchase of my little thrifting morning, coffee in hand!
Pretty fab start that continued- I'll post my finds this week.




So beautiful!
So old!
So heavy!
Linen love!

I also picked up a huge pile of cotton and linen table napkins...bleached and washed...drying in the sunshine...small things people!




A slight move around of furniture just freshens the house up...it never fails to inspire me to sort out our family life, and busy days, for the coming school term and lead up to Christmas.
Spring is pretty much my fave time of year.
I adore the lead up to six weeks hols for us all over the Summer.



I can just hear additional weather warnings over the kitchen radio...fire warnings and reminders to drink  till you can't drink any more.
I'm off to school Canteen duties- think there may be a run on iceblocks and frozen pineapple rings!

Just thought I'd share the view I end my day with from our kitchen window.
The sun sets here, giving us quite a few *love-boat-Hawaiian* evenings- I adore this end to my day.



And one of our beautiful city, to celebrate the *100 year Anniversary of the Royal Australian Navy*- complete with Prince Harry and all.
Sydney under a canopy of fireworks, that we watched from a boat on the Harbour this past weekend.

Like The Great Fire of London- but wonderfully beautiful, and with our iconic Harbour Bridge.
Incredibly moving...and so beautiful.



Happy Days...hope you are feeling a little cooler than us here in the beach house....

Melissa x


10.4.12

*virtual coffee* early on the beaches...


morning all from an *early start* on the coast today...
virtual coffee with Autumn sunshine...

i was up making coffee's & dropping the hubster off at the ferry earlier than i usually rise on the first day of school hols this morning...

{that's what Easter & all those eggs do for you...or don't do for you}

he was taking his coffee & paper on the morning ferry run from the beaches into the city...

i was doing the beaches only- coffee & iphone in hand to capture the early morning sunshine...


this is 7:45 on an Autumnal morning at ours...

not bad at all...although the air had a crispness to it this morning i'd not felt in Oz for a long time...

the last 4 years has seen all our Autumns being VERY crisp in the English countryside...

the Autumn salt air has been lovely- small moments like this keep surprising me...& i love it!

so...an after Easter coffee together, in the warmth of my beach mobile...sitting watching the early morning beach goers...i'm hoping you're feeling a little warmer wherever you are...


now...back home gals & lime collecting...

our tree is laden- to the point that one of it's branches snapped off & the puppy discovered her nonstop barking hatred dislike of rolling green fruit...

we managed another basket full this morning- which is proving to be a great *bag of loveliness* to take
with us to friends houses with a bottle of wine...or up to the neighbours to thank them for eggs!

i love having fruit trees in our back garden- & yep... i will be doing a little tour of our garden for those that have asked...

not today- as today is coffee & kids- school holiday extra's...& box unpacking...


we did manage to start the *vege garden*...we pulled down the cubby & sorted the timber hoping to up-cycle pieces for the sweet peas...garden peas, tomatoes & passionfruit vines...

it's been lovely reading up with the kiddos on the seasons in Australia- it's not all endless hot, perfect days of sunshine here...no matter what some people may lead you to think...

and it's been brilliant planning *what seeds* we're actually going to plant...

vege patch *guru's*~all tips sooo welcome..!


before you head off, fresh coffee in hand made with a bit of beach loving warmth from me...

i thought i's show you how little Miss.Audrey & i spent a gorgeous Autumn day in our big old 
country house, in the English countryside, last year...

i love that we've had seasons on both sides of the globe...

memories last forever...


happy day sweet gals

thanks for stopping by for a *virtual coffee*

love taking you down the beaches for an *early*

~~~~~

&

remember today is 10 on 10

ten photos for ten consecutive hours of one's day

on the tenth day of the month


see the low-down for it {here}

~~~~~

melissa 

xoxox


30.3.12

coastal views...life by the beach...

afternoon from the coast of Oz gals...


it's been the most gorgeous morning here...




i was going to show you Miss.Audrey's room but i'm thinking a little beach loving before the weekend...


we can continue the little beach house tour next week...today, as the clouds are starting to roll overhead let's just get some last rays of sunshine...


these pickies of endless blue were snapped, puppy & coffee in tow, on the iphone...


keeping it real gals...

& yep the beach is pretty empty mid-morning the week before Easter hols begin...jut the way i like it! :)


as you can see...there are mucho footsteps on the sand...


Australians are by nature verrrry early risers...by 6am this stretch of beach is almost at it's busiest!

after our 4 years in the English countyside...this took a little getting used to i have to admit...

i'd forgotten that our first two bambinos were always up at 5am & we spend many a morning watching
the sun rise over this very spot....!

our little miss.6 is a bit of an English lass when it comes to sleeping...let's just say she's been trained in
the countryside to sleep waaay past sunrise...bless her cotton socks...we got one!!




if you're blessed enough to work close by- this is pretty much what your morning tea break looks like...


surfboard in tow...




i'm thinking i need to talk to Apple about a zoom lens on the iphone...


don't know if i could walk, tow puppy & coffee, & zoom all at once though...!

~~~~
the weather on our beaches is a little rubbish on some days erratic at the moment...


so, i thought i'd head round to the Harbour side of our gorgeous coastline, whilst the sun is out & give you a little glimpse of what the local yachty's enjoy whilst working on their boats...




not exactly a bad spot to earn your dollars, working away on boats with views to die for...

this is our puppy beach spot...i'll do almost anything to stand in salt water & gaze out to sea...

so...

hope you got a little beach fix...

i'll take you out on a rainy day soon...it's equally lovely but wilder...

have a good one wherever you are...

love fridays...!

melissa

xoxox

~~~~

PS- welcome to all the new coastal loving friends who are popping by
i've got a giveaway coming up soon
as 
i've found the box that's brought my sewing machine across the waters!

stay tuned

xx




17.3.12

beachside rain makes for a lovely Saturday morning...



it's raining here on the beautiful beaches...


i'm having an English morning...coffee's...papers...kiddos wandering in & out...


BBC radio on the laptop...


thinking of our four years of travel & the life i want us to continue to lead...


memories of the world on the Australian Coast...


hope your weekend is divine...




see ya monday

lots to share this week

thanks for popping past

melissa

xoxox


13.3.12

beach house living down under...-the balance of life...

morning gals from the gorgeously beautiful beaches of Sydney...


i've been a little missing-in-action here for the last few days- it seems no matter how many *times* one

moves- i'ts never is really as simple as it may appear!


this is my current, & very needed mantra, this week...


we've had soo much to *restart* back here on the beaches...& yes it's all blessed by beautiful blue

skies & perfect beaches most days...but it's a balance at the moment ladies...


not that i'm remotely complaining about our beach house...garden...life...but it's currently a balance...


moving countries is not to be underestimated gals- even when one is moving *home*...




so...in between the boxes...& the balance i'm doing what makes me happiest...


hanging out with my beach babies & my i-phone...




i need to just stop & take in the beauty of where we've returned to...


i need to just stop & recharge from the *epic* journey home from the beautiful English countryside...

to our beautiful Australian beaches...


so...


if i'm missing in action for a few days at the moment...

i'm either in a box in the garage, or hanging out with the fam on one of the blessed beaches

we live beside...

feel free to join me at any moment...

blogging together on the beaches...toooo much fun!

love ya for being here for me...


melissa 
xoxox

3.2.12

friday pretties- vintage, beachy, country...love it all...

g'day from the beaches...sans sunshine...bikini's...coffee's on the sand...or sun kissed faces...

it is still raining...we have ducks in our street...truly...!

ducks & rabbits...

but that's a whole other *country-living-on-the-beaches-a-ferry-trip-from-the-city* post!

i feel like we've left the English countryside to live in the English countryside by the beach!

so...dressed in yes, a woolen vest...french scarf & birkenstocks...i'm trying to find my inner

summer beach girl...i'm trying to not put my toes in shoes again today...


so...all this rain means less walking the beaches taking photos...& more time dedicated to 

actually sorting out this house by the sea...

no kiddos today...my last chance before the weekend to unpack & sort a few more of our stored

bits...

i actually love the process of falling in love with all our collected things again...& i love

the process of finding a place for everything...always with the thought of the wonderful stash 

from ol'Blighty arriving soon in the back of my mind...




as i'm unpacking i'm trying to put a *name* to the pieces we have gathered around us...

from our very first days together- Ritchie & i have loved building a space that is ours...


financially, we have moved on from old crates covered in calico as bed side tables & the like...

but we still gather the old with the new...the modern with the vintage...the found with the *saved for*



i love that my treasured wedgewood china- after 4 years in storage is now used again each 

morning...

i love that it sits alongside my new frenchy striped tea towels & a *brought-back-from-

England-in-my hand-luggge-vintage-cotton-doilie*...

small things that make me smile big- despite feeling like we have moved home on the Ark...


i actually stashed a few things i didn't want to live without in our luggage back to the beaches...

a few special pieces that take me back to the English countryside & our little village instantly...


some of you may remember this wall hanging that i made for our Royal Wedding party last year in

our big old country house...

{you can see my post on that gorgeous day in the English sunshine here}

well i found it amongst a pile of fabrics i had thrown in stored in a basket on the bedroom floor whilst

moving back in here...

just having it over a chair makes me feel all contented & at home...


already our lives- the two sides of our life that sit in my heart- the country & the beach are 

beginning to come together...

eames chairs...city stuff with home made, vintage fabric, throws...heaven to me...

 

& see that stand there...i danced with happiness on re-discovering this in our storage crates...

wrought iron...curly & white- yeah i loooove that...

it's been many things in our many houses- from a plate stand...to a verandah stand potted with herbs...

as we have NO very little furniture, it's currently holding our treasured BUSH radio & my treasured

home mags...

chippy white vintage perfect...i'm home...
 

whilst some of you sweet friends are snow bound...

& some are living on hawaiian beaches...where the sun really is freckling your nose...

i'll be happy here, rain bound for at least the rest of the day...

unpacking our life from yet more boxes...

taking moments to create little visual moments for us to enjoy over the weekend...


have a good one!

see ya monday- i'm gonna be wearing a beach hat & sunscreen if it kills me!
xox

 

19.1.12

a moment to take stock- a beach house, life & all that *stuff*...

hello lovelies...it seems that y'all need to *see some beach house*...


i've had so many messages, emails, comments, & thoughts on *Face Book* about the house...

i love, that you will fall in love with our little space in the world, as we fall back in love with it all

over again...

so gals...images of our little beach house will be coming thick & fast this coming week...


so far...our daily life is full of the *stuff* we stored in two containers in Sydney 4 long years ago...


we seem to have done well...

we've all heard the stories..."sheet...i can't believe we've paid to store this stuff..."


but gals...we don't share this thought...we have done good...

i am a V.E.R.Y contented Cheshire cat by the sea...


what we will enjoy here together...the next step on this coming home journey...is the arrival of one 


very big, very special crate of goodies from ol'Blighty...


four years of collected...travelled for, very loved special pieces that will sit in our beach house by the

Australian coast...

i am crazy excited at the thought of mixing the two together...i love that old & new...

side by side...the sum of both sides of my heart...

coastal country...




this week has also been all consuming with preparing this little beach house for our new family 


member...the gorgeous Miss.Lola...






yep, moving 12,000 miles from the English countryside, back to the beautiful beaches of Oz alone,

was not enough to rock our family boat...we needed a little more chaos...

a challenge amongst all this sunshine & smiling...


there are books galore on puppy loving, rearing, parenting, disciplining, feeding & more loving

strewn across these gorgeous dark floorboards...

we're as ready as we'll ever be...& somehow it all reminds me of the way we approached becoming

parents...*we'll just take each day as it comes & love this next one like we have the others...*


leave me a comment with giggling if you think we're a little naive...as i'm sure we are...!




so...the plans here are to share as many beach house, beach life, sandy...salty...sea loving pickies


with some very wise, sharing words of wisdom ;-) as possible...


if there's anything you'd like to see...know about...share...or ask me about life Down Under, after four


years of living abroad...with three kiddos in tow-please do...


i'm home & being here with you just feels even more right... 




that's it from me surrounded by the beautiful beaches of Oz...& puppy *stuff* galore...


nothing like taking on *all* that coming home has to offer in the shortest period possible...


thanks for stopping by...i love ya for that...


xoxox




~~~~

a huge welcome & warm hug from *Down Under* to all the new gals here...thanks for joining our little beach house life...

drop me an email & say G'day...

xox




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