Collage

Just thought I would make a collage of my home seeing as though I had pictures everywhere. My home is far from being finished in terms of decorating as I am forever changing things! My outdoor area is my next target for a make-over!

Don't forget to enter my Giveaway if you haven't already.
Click HERE.

Long Weekend

This weekend in my State (New South Wales) we have Monday as a public holiday (Labour Day). I am looking forward to the long weekend. I am off to my Mum & Dad's house to have a night with my family. My sister (due to have her first baby Xmas Eve) and my brother also live in the same town as my mum and dad (in their own houses of course!). So I am really looking forward to it! I will try to remember to take the camera and show you some pictures of my sister's gorgeous house. Nothing but the best for my darling little sis so everything is immaculate and lovely! I am taking my 2 little boys with me as my eldest and his Dad are camping (again!). Anyway, keeps them busy and active so I am not complaining.

This Friday we also have school holidays for 2 weeks. Not that school holidays really effect me as I only have 1 at preschool, but I will still have to find some fun things to do!

Been at the hairdressers today getting a make-over (was sooo needing that), did the groceries AGAIN and now I am off to pick the kids up.

Please don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY here.

Here are a few pictures courtesy bhg.com to drool over.
They are fresh, modern and gorgeous!

What I love about my home!

I am participating in Karla's Cottage "What I love about my Home" Party. So please pop on over to her blog to grab more links to look at lots more inspiring homes.

Today, I am loving my kitchen.

It's big and we can spread out. My 3 boys LOVE food and I spend a lot of time in here. You may laugh at the locks on the fridge and pantry, but seriously you have NO IDEA what my kids will eat (especially when they are bored!!). And they will grab ice blocks at 8am if I am not watching haha.

I have lots of storage and can put all their school bags in the cupboards. I also love the neutral colours. I would not change this at all. This space is busy enough!

I also love that to the left is a door, which is to my garage, so I can walk straight in with groceries. Plus I just love my polished floorboards and their colours. It doesn't show every spec of dirt.

That's it! Sorry about the dark and glarey photos, but I took them at a silly time of day and don't have time to take them again. Also, Natasha thinks I must not be messy, but to prove that I can be I left dishes on the sink!!!

Please don't forget to enter into my giveaway . Have a great day!

GIVEAWAY

Ok, so I thought I would try my hand at a giveaway! I thought, hey why not? I have a garage packed with goodies, so let's be generous and give something lovely away!!!
This one is so very easy...

Just leave a comment on THIS particular post and you are in the draw. I will close the draw Monday 1st October 5pm Australian EST . I will remind you each blog entry about leaving a comment on this post.

I am giving away this cute clock on a stand (measures 17cm in diameter).



Please tell everyone about it!
Send this particular link
http://littlelalas.blogspot.com/2007/09/giveaway.html
to everyone so they can be in the draw!!!

Good luck!!

Neither Here Nor There

So here is what I have done with the bird cage stand for now. I have painted and roughed it up, added a newer bird cage and popped it in my red lounge room (as we like to call it). The reason why I called this post "Neither Her Nor There" is because I will probably move this in the next few weeks as I am slowing doing up my out door area and this will go lovely outside. I really am happy with it!

Below is the actual birdcage that came with the stand. This is my family room area where we spend most of our time. My kitchen faces this tv and on my left is out dining area. I have popped it on a table for now as this one too may end up outside. I am on the hunt for a mirrored tray and will sit this birdcage over the top of it on the center of my out door table (I think!). I am waiting to get a new top made for my outdoor table but this could take a while!! Oh, and the urn on the right of the tv will also end up outside.






Also I have added some pictures of my kids playroom (and I guess my blogging area!). I realised that the last pictures I took where in a different room, and after I had taken those pictures I moved rooms (again) 2 days later. I am not satisfied with things until I at least try them!!! So now they have a heaps bigger room with lots of storage. We have a 5 bedroom house so I am pretty lucky to be able to have the room to spread out a bit.

Here are the pictures of where I put my paper dresses! They are so cute and I have popped them on a mirror and I am so happy with them.

Too much to handle... Can someone please pour me a vodka??

This post could be a lot of rambling so I don't blame you if you give up early!

We have been having trouble with our phone lines in our area as houses are being built around me and I am sure someone has messed up while installing new lines. We keep losing our phone lines and sometimes we are out for days. Usually my broadband is ok so I can still use my computer, but last night it completely went! I don't know if this ever happens to you, but I was having heart palpitations and was feeling extremely stressed out. I couldn't believe it!! What... no computer??? This is my sanctuary, this is my fun! And who the hell did this to my bleeping phone lines? Then I started to get angry hurling abuse all over the house. In this day and age why don't the telephone technicians at the phone company work over the weekend?? Ludicrous, I say. So I am lying in bed last night dreaming on and off about it. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I tend to do that when something is on my mind.

I got up very early this morning to go for a walk with my sister-in-law and thought I would check my computer beforehand - still nothing. I was stressed and it was silly! I kept thinking, what if I sold something on ebay, what if someone emails me important??? So I get through most of the day, with the help of a coffee and a big piece of peppermint slice down the street with my gorgeous friend Ange.

The whole thing gets too much late this afternoon, so I get in the car and head to the printery to use the computers to check up on ebay primarily. While nothing life threatening had happened, I felt much much much better!

And then later tonight, I looked in at my computer with a sad face and I see the envelope meaning I have email!!! Hooray, the stress is over! How this is suddenly working I have no idea as my house phone still isn't, but who bloody cares? I have 46 emails too by the way hahaha. Nothing that needed attention, but it made me feel important nonetheless!!!



On to another note.
Recently, I was looking at Penny's post about RATE MY SPACE and I wanted to commend her on being so brave. If you haven't seen it, you must check it out. If nothing else there is heaps of inspiration.
Anyway, the reason why I am writing about this because Penny is doing so well with her pictures and is receiving fabulous reviews for her home. I have done this and I had thousands of hits on my house pictures, but the stress of it all got too much for me personally!

So what happens is - you put pictures of rooms on there and people rate and comment on your rooms. While 99% of the comments are positive and encouraging, it is the other 1% that got a little bit too stressful. Nobody says anything nasty, and while the criticism is constructive, I started to feel a little bit exposed and inadequate. Like for example, someone would comment on my clock being too high or my lounges needed angling a bit more. In my mind I was becoming defensive saying "it's the bad photo, my clock is not too high, or, the lounge would look too funny in the room angled". So I withdrew the photos. I am usually very tough and know that criticism is important and I am not going to please everyone every time. But I think it's because it is my house, my taste and my own creativity.
So Penny, congrats to you as I know you have been receiving some fabulous comments and you deserve it as your house is lovely!

*****

Sorry this one was so long, but I am feeling like a bit of a chatterbox tonight! Gee won't my husband hate it when I get off here and start chewing his ear off about something? He is trying to watch the footy so maybe I better do the ironing instead....

Oh What Shall I Do? Swap & Things

"Oh What Shall I Do?" is what I have labeled this post because I need some help! I found this today and I have a little friend who runs a huge junk shop and when I asked him how much he had on it, he said "you have it (then he giggled - he always giggles), but tell your husband I had nothing to do with this one...."!!!! Ha Ha hilarious! So, we jam it into my car (3 kids in the back too I might add) and off I head back into town. I drive straight to Andrew at work and he looks in the car and yells "NO MORE", but I had a smile on my face and then he started laughing and says "what the hell do you think you are doing with that??". I said well, I am going to use it of course. I asked him for some paint stripper, a scrapper and a brush, but of course he was far too busy to find it for me so I drive off yelling "thanks for your help" (sarcastic and smiling).

So now I have it out of my car and on the lawn. I have intentions of using it outside, but my outdoor area is not as I would like it, so for now I will use it inside.

The dilemma is... will i clean it up and roughly paint it so I have the chippy and aged feel, or will I completely strip and start all over?? I want to keep the original birdcage in it, but this will need a new bottom and a bit if a fix-up. But then again, I own lots of wire bird cages (white, cream, brown, black), so will I pop a new cage on it?






Next I have to post the pictures of the paper dresses I received from the lovely Becky at Hand In My Heart (you must visit her!). These are the most gorgeous things I have ever seen!! I am still wandering around with them, not sure where to put them. I don't want to hide them anywhere, I am pondering the perfect spot. The attention to detail is magnificent. And look at the card she made me with the letter K on it. I love layers (I like to layer everything - from bedding to clothes), so I was very impressed with that one!! When I finally get around to doing Becky's paper dresses I will post some pictures (boy and do I have big shoes to live up to hehehe). Swap closes in about 2 weeks so I promise I will have them to you soon Becky!










Just a couple of random pics here of me still washing (I don't know why I say "still" because I have to get over it and realise it ain't gonna end EVER), and here is a picture of my new outdoor candelabra I bought a couple of weeks ago. I love it!!!