Day to Day

Storage

Because our house is relatively small I've been finding it increasingly difficult to manage storage over the last year or so.  A couple of weeks ago I decided to start a big spring clean of all our cupboards, sorting out everything I could and giving away what wasn't needed anymore.  I came to realise that even with the clean out we still needed more storage! This sounds a little strange, but the cupboards were all so jam squished before - as in sideways squished so that if you opened certain cupboards you had to be quick at retrieving what you needed before the contents fell to the floor.  What I wanted to achieve were nice/easy to manage shelves that could be easily accessed (James and Bella haven't quite learnt the concept that if you pull something out from the bottom the whole thing is going to come tumbling down).

So the plan was that Rich would build us some new cupboards in the lounge room, but in the meantime we found this old wardrobe at a second hand/thrift store that we both fell in love with.  Once we added some shelves (only some of the shelves are shown in the photo here) it has been transformed into the perfect storage solution for all of our board games, jigsaw puzzles, playdough, etc..  I love that everything is easily accessible for James and Bella without them needing to ask me to carefully lift something out for them!

I still have quite a bit of sorting out to do in the house - so tell me, what is your perfect storage solution idea?  Take a photo and pop on your blog too if you like (I'd love to see!).

Well better go and prepare tonight's meal - chicken enchilidas and vegies.  We've been out in the garden for a bit today (ouch those rose thorns hurt when they get jabbed in your arm) so I've got some cleaning up to do.  I'm really excited that a few of you are going to try soap making - let me know how you go, I'd love to know.

One last photo before I go - today's biscuits - Raspberry Jam Biscuits - I'll pop the recipe on my recipe blog later tonight (link on the left in my side bar).  They are seriously easy (4 ingredients) and yummo :)

Thanks for stopping by.

Bella's room

Sue asked to see some more photos of Bella's room, so I took a few this morning.  It's only a small room - I'd love more space for her one day.  Despite the dreary photos all of the walls and door (except the green feature wall) are a nice crisp white colour.

My new favourite thing.

My new favourite thing at the moment would have to be this slimline bookshelf that Rich built for James' room.  I found a couple of them on flickr that I fell in love with and I knew that it would be just perfect to sit behind James' bedroom door - and it is!

I want one for Bella's room now!

James' room

James' room is finally finished and he's wrapped with it, so much nicer than his old room.

The green feature wall colour was chosen by James and he decided on two shelves - one for some of his Star Wars toys to be displayed and the other for his models that he's been making.

We still need to put up a few things on the walls in plain black frames and he needs a door, but overall it's pretty finished. Now I just need to remove the remaining plaster dust that seems to be covering our entire house....yuck.

Oh and he's 99% a neat freak too, so it should stay nice and tidy :O)

Pillows and rocky road

Yesterday's rocky road didn't last long at all.  Do you ever cook something and then it's gone in a flash leaving you wondering why you sometimes go to all that bother in the first place?  When I make pikelets I have a rule now that nobody is allowed to touch the pikelets until they are all cooked...seriously this is the only way that I can feel some satisfaction from cooking them.  The little fingers (and big) try their best to steal some along the way, fluttering eyes come out followed by the sweetest little "pleaseeeee, just one, I promise only one".  But no, it's a rule now - simply no eating until they are all cooked. I'm tired (getting a little old and grumpy perhaps too) of having everything gobbled up all in one go before it's even out of the pan. 

Another layout share, not one of my favourite layouts but Bella thinks it's fabulous and it was her idea to part with her dance ribbon to go on the layout, which I think is sweet. You should be able to click on the layout to enlarge it.

I'm developing a pillow obsession.  I have a real fondness for pillows lately (although these pillows in Bella's room have been around for a while now).  What I'm really dreaming of is to one day have a window seat full of soft comfy pillows, somwhere to lie down, snuggle and look out at the water.  Here's a pic of Bella's pillows - combined with her toys this little bundle takes up a quarter of the bed, but I have visions of bringing them a good third of the way down when I find a few more that I love!

{Little Finds}

Here are my little finds that I picked up at my sister's shop today.

A rice paper ball to hang up in the corner of Bella's room.

A green felt table runner - how cool is that - it reminds me of the queen and co felt, only it's huge!

A layout share and two more of my 52 week challenge cards (these were all in this month's Tarisota Talk).

The layout is an  old polaroid of myself (on the left) and my niece Della (yep, there is only two years between us, so weird growing up and being an Auntie so young).

In other news, I had foils and my hair all cut off today.....it feels short, but I think I like it.

Better fly, kids are tired as they had swimming tonight.

RAK winner, butterfly kisses & soup making

Thankyou to my lovely assistant for drawing out the RAK winner from her pretty little bling bag - Siobhan Jefferson.

"Mummy can we do this prize thing all the time because it's so fun pulling the names out" - Bella loves it and spent ages playing with everyone's names after the draw was finished. Siobhan, if you could please email me your address (goodsellmx@internode.on.net) that would be lovely.

Next up, my little Indian making soup today in her new soup dish that Daddy made her.  This girl has been making garden soup for over a year now so Rich thought it was about time she had her own little stone dish - and she loves it.

Last thing for tonight..I've been busy working on a new Limited Edition for Tarisota Collections - butterfly kisses - sneak peak below of my first project. This kit is seriously delightful :O)  Tamar is taking preorders - tarisota@optusnet.com.au

More happy bits {Day 6}

I love this one, Bella stretched out on the outdoor beanbags. Exhausted from running around with James and his friend in the backyard. Her orange tic-tacs clutched in her hand and her little dirt covered tootsies wiggling around in the air.

Photo two - although you can't really see it in the photo, I've been working my way up this side garden pulling the weeds out and let me tell you there were a LOT of weeds in there. I love that I'm slowly making progress and hope to get around the whole of the backyard in the next week and put down fresh mulch too.

Last happy snap for today is the pic I found on the chalk board as I was coming inside - a pic Bella drew of herself on the skateboard. Too cute.

Lissy - the pink bedlinen is by Sheridan.

Megan - the alphas in the layout are part of this month's Tarisota kit, they are by delish designs. They come raw so I painted them for the layout. You get HEAPS {i am talking HEAPS} in the packet.

Lastly a couple of layout shares.  The books one was for Tarisota Collections and Big Fish I did for the Aussie Scrap Source Blog, for the Everyday Moments Comp.

Thanks for dropping by :O)

Happiness {Day 5}

Another layout share from this month's Tarisota Collection.  This photo was taken on Bella's birthday when her little cousins Oscar and Bonnie came to visit.  I especially love the look on Oscar's face - he was loving the whole big squish 'em up thing.  I love these four little people soooo much.

Happy snaps - to be honest I actually thought I'd have run out of things to photograph that make me happy at home by now.  But, the more I look the more I see that really tickles my fancy, which has got to be a good thing right :O)

First photo - some of my scrapbook albums in my side cabinet that Rich made me especially to store them in - only I've run out of room there now, can't possible jam any more in there - so not sure exactly where the next album is going to live, eek.  Excuse the plant that is wiltering from lack of water :O)

Second photo is my girly pink doona cover and pillows that Rich gave in and let me buy last year just because I loved it.  I usually get bored with doona covers after a few months and wish I'd never bought them, but I still love my pink one.

The last photo is my girl searching through my jewellery box this morning for her clip on earrings - not sure why they were in my jewellery box.

Thanks to everyone again for posting such lovely comments on my blog, it's so nice to wake up and read your comments. I love that some people have joined in and are posting happy photos on their blog too.  Sharmaine has even gone one step further in some posts and has colour coded her pictures (happy blue photos/happy green photos) - i love that idea. 

Well, happy Sunday everyone.  I'm off to attack the weeds in the back garden again, it's a beautiful day here for it.

Happy things {day 4}

A layout share from this month's Tarisota Collection.  I especially love that swatch of fabric, so bright and funky.  This is my good friend/niece Kama and her little Bonnie.

Today's first happy photo is a pic of our quilts that live around in various parts of our home.  James and Bella LOVE their quilts and always have them draped around them in the morning, for t.v. watching, in the Winter months etc..

The second pic is James' beloved hippo on his bed. He loves his little hippo and knowing that makes me happy :O)

The last photo is my laundry.  I love my laundry and it's the one room in the house that I always like to be really tidy.

Thankyou for the lovely comments again girls, you are so sweet to be taking the time to comment on my little old blog.

Jahnava - I picked the buttons up from a lady that was having a garage sale :O) 

Mel D - if you read this can you please email me, I can't find your email and I can't seem to leave a comment on your blog :O(