The Beach House Kitchen Reveal

And so the kitchen came about...

And I love it more than Christmas.

It's become the total centre of our home.

Every part of it makes me smile.

There's been a lot of planning, hoping, drawing and love gone into this kitchen...and this renovation.

I'm no renovator (that's been made clear...LOUD & CLEAR!)- I don't like dust, or time changes, or cooking on a camp stove...or dust.

But I am a decorator with endless idea's and a need for changing it up a bit.

This space, with it's beautiful light, wonderful louvre windows, simple dark floors and large white walls, has proved already, to be the most gorgeous blank canvas for me to *play upon*.

Did I mention the subway tiles?

If you follow me on Instagram, you will know I'm a little obsessed with subway tiles.
And totally obsessed with dark grey grouting.

Our Irish tiler, not quite so, but they grew on him...

I'm ok with others not being ok with our renovating decisions.

I've learnt that no-one does anything better than a professional.
I've also learnt it doesn't mean they have similar tastes, your tastes, or any taste.

It just means that they put your taste, into a building just as you see it in your head.

That's renovation 101 with the guidance of an Architect.

I still hate dust.

It's been a wonderful journey to get to this point...I'll share the kitchen details next post, as I've a coffee brewing and a chocolate slice in that oven there!

Happy Days!

Mxx

Are you one of those people?

I read this post from one of my all time favourite bloggers this afternoon...and it sums me up on many occasions, and my husband would vow that I am *one of those* people.

'Are you chronically late?'

I'm not one to aim for punctuality, as I'm almost positive I can squeeze one more job in before I head anywhere.
I'm not necessarily aiming to be late either...I'm probably aiming for that just right time!?

This year- being more present and more available is top of my list of daily life choices!

To be more present, may also mean I'm more on time...less distracted...and just hopefully less late.

I've been practising this each morning.

With three kids in three different schools, (this is not a new thing for our family, but my approach is!)
I've decided that I do not have a quick look at my phone or laptop in the mornings, until all three have eaten with me, all three have lunches packed and are dressed and out the door on various buses and I have dropped the youngest to school.

Is there such a thing as a quick look on social media?
If I hit IG sadly there is not!

The time I have found to do other jobs, and stuff, and to drink another tea...and just be with my kids before they disappear for the day has been phenomenal!!

And, I've not been late to anything- in fact, I've almost had to fill in that last 15 minutes that I usually race around shouting orders to anyone home, with a toothbrush in my mouth, looking for my car keys!.

Check out Jo's post...you may well be nodding your head!

x Melissa x

Summer holidays roll into School Days

The reality of this Summer break drawing to an end, is that I can allow myself to embrace the structure that a new year brings, like never before.

I think we all go periods of our lives, where structure and routine really do need to become the backbone of getting on with our day to day.

I'm not an overtly religious person- though I'm sure if I was, I'd have leant on the beliefs and structure of a church...or escaped to sit on a mountain and to contemplate life like never before.

Things are sent our way because we can cope with them.
They are thrown at those who need to learn something.
It's been a big year end for us...but the blessings from this have been ten-fold.
Inner strength and love is medicine for life.

So, with nourishing my heart and our family, I'm bidding a farewell to the Summer break, but not Summer.

I'm still hoping to bask in it's endless gifts of light, vitamins and feel-good vibes...

Happy Days to all who returned to school here this week after a wonderfully generous Australian Summer.

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Renovations are almost complete...and I cannot wait to share them all here....

x Melissa x

Nourish is the way for 2015.

The word for my life in 2015

It's the thing to find direction as each new year begins, don't you think?

I've seen in New Year's past with a resolution list, a bettering-myself list, the what I hope to achieve list and just plain ignored the whole thing.

But this year, I've found direction in just one word.

NOURISH

We've had a big few months here, and I'm really embracing everyone's health with a renewed passion.

And by health- I mean happiness, emotional wellbeing, diet, environment and  everything in between.

I think as mother's we watch out for our families in every way possible.
We cover everything we can, whilst encouraging our children to learn, grow and then to make wise and wonderful decisions for themselves.

As partner's we do the same, but we do it on a more even playing field.
As we parent together, we grow as a family.
Nourishing all of this is my aim for 2015.

Nourishing our hearts, our souls, our beliefs and our bodies.

Nourishing a true sense of our individual selves and truly embracing that.

I know this word will guide me through 2015, and remind me of my true role in our family- to be present and to nourish us all.

Do you have a word for 2015?

Hello January 2015.

Hello January 2015!

It's been a long few months for us here....

Life is like that- just when you're thinking I've so nailed this thing, it throws you a few curve balls.
I'm all up for curve balls.
I truly believe it makes you a better person, but I'd not say no to a week in the Maldives either...

Or a month in a garden chair with a pile of books, and an endless jug of lemon, lime and bitters.
Just sharing it all...

We've been renovating the beach house here since September last year.
I love architectural drawings.
I love architects.
I love our home.
I love our builders.

But...

I'm not a renovator!
This shocked me a little a lot!

I'm a decorating, mooching, styling, moving furniture, finding spaces kinda girl.
I'm up for making a wonderful home- rearranging spaces endlessly and embracing our days in them.
I'm not a renovator.

We've renovated 'small time' before.
This was bigger.
My favourite elements to the whole process hands down, were designing the kitchen, and drinking a glass of red once a week with our wonderful architect over the plans and drawings.

I'm OK with that.
The spaces we've designed and had built are incredible.
Our three kids are in heaven.
Our family is in heaven.

Now that we're at the really lovely part of just making the space ours I'm crazy happy!
I've promised not to hammer nails into new walls. 
And I'm a big believer in the simple nail.

It's good to be back here.

Hoping your having a wonderful start to your year....x

Melissa 

Beach house & winter...Instagram & Iphone love

Morning from the Ark that has become our home here by the Coast...!

It seems the weather God's have blessed us well enough for one Winter.

{Manly Ferry- Manly Wharf}

Damn, I should have kept my "oh it's freezing and I'm still wearing sunscreen in winter" mouth firmly shut!

As it's now raining- as in bucketing down- and will continue to do so till at least the end of the week!

Kid's Athletics Carnivals and Book Week Parade's have been postponed till next week...
and the dryer is my new bestie...

I've also been hit with this dreaded head cold thingy that has been sweeping through Sydney all winter.

I'm dragging my feet to all things kids and extra-curricular.
Dragging through the supermarket.
And looking at piles of Christmas stockings ready to sew up for my IG pop-up shop, with a seriously I feel so sorry for myself, God I'm bad at doing nothing, grumpy face.

Lots of tea being made here.

{Beach House Sitting Room- Pre Reno's!!}

So...what to do whilst doing nothing productively...?

Sort photos.
Good idea now.
We'll see in an hour.

Here's the past few days of life here via my new Iphone 5C.
I know, everyone's apparently waiting for the 6.
Which is apparently being released in September.
But I'm no follower.
I'm a stickler when it comes to phones.
I love Apple.
Anything.
But I'm not a chronic phone *up-grader*.

My brother is.
That's his thing apparently.
Go him, I say.
Smugly hugging my sweet blue 5C.

So...life by the Coast via my super loved up, blue as the sky, Iphone 5C...

{Shopping for tropical plants for the soon-to-be renovated garden beds} 

{Divine cafe- *SUB~STATION No.152*  McEvoy Street, Sydney.}

{Spoon Swoon- two from a sweet IG friend *thesnailmailcollective}

{A little Sunday morning Disco lighting thanks to moving stuff again & winter sun}

{Can I just say: I LOVE WEEKENDS}

{I shopped the house for front door wall art- a fresh wall- c'mon Spring!}

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There's a FB giveaway in the making for the *Change of season* that we're all waiting for.

A little bunting love.

Head over & like the *MISS SEW & SO* Face book Page 

to be in it to win it!

Hope you're happy, healthy and love ya phone no matter what numero it has behind it's name!

{just for the record I love my bro BIG!}

Melissa

xox

Cool Ten-Minute D.I.Y Artwork

A quick...cool...fab looking D.I.Y for any room!

We are on the edge of leaping into the renovating pit...well an awesome big extension I hope!
And the house is being cleared of any *extra* stuff that apparently we can live without...hmmm!?

Can I really live without *stuff*?
This will be the making, or perhaps the undoing, of my Bower Bird ways.

We'll see.
So far I'm loving the empty walls.
But I'm keeping one feature wall of *stuff* above the sofa's. {I can't do total cold turkey decorating...}

You know empty walls reflect sooooooo much lovely light!
Yeah so did I...but I've been choosing to ignore that!
I'm loving that light!

Anyway...

As the sitting room and kitchen are starting to be stripped bare- I'm sorting all the bedrooms so the kids can spend more time in there, doing things they may have done at the dining table or kitchen bench- seeing as we'll be a few months without either.

We spent a very wet Sydney weekend re-aranging rooms, and completing quick little cool projects we'd been putting aside with the warm winter weather.
A weekend inside was just what we needed to do all our pre-reno *jobs*, and the rain sorted that!

So...

Here's a D.I.Y that takes little time for lotsa punch!

A graphic print like artwork- two seconds with a spray can and a quick break in the weather!

What you need: D.I.Y Artwork

-Ikea frame - we used a poster sized frame from the NYTTJA range in black.

-Spray paint in black- we used Rust-Oleum in Canyon Black as we had a stash in the shed.

-Large sheet of paper- torn slightly smaller that the size of your chosen frame.
 We use sheets from the MALA  roll of kids paper, again from IKEA.

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Simply unwrap the frame, and use the sheet of paper in the frame, to measure your *torn off sheet* of artwork paper from the MALA roll.

In an open area, spray a huge heart, or shape of your choice, onto the MALA paper and leave to dry.

Attach the artwork to the white side of the paper that came in the NYTTJA frame.

Put the frame back together. Bung a nail in the wall. And hang.

D.O.N.E

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Happy D.I.Y-ing on a shoestring budget with no time!

This one is lotsa bang for your buck

&

as individual as you choose to make it!

The options are endless...

Melissa xx