Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Tuesday Tutorial - Pomegranate Fro-Yo Bites

I saw this quick tutorial on Pinterest the other day and it caught my eye as it includes 2 of my favourite things. 
Fro- yo and pomegranate.



It looks so simple and delicious. 
These would be great for the boy's afternoon snack.
You could really substitute the pomegranate for other fruit if you preferred.

Are you a Fro-Yo fan?

Recipe and photos by Ziploc

Monday, September 29, 2014

Around here....

We've just finished up the first week of the school holidays and we are loving the relaxed pace and great weather. 

The sun has been shining and we have been taking advantage of getting out and about and enjoying it. 

Here's a look at our week in photos -

We popped into the Farmers Market at Fox Studios. The kids loved the kindifarm and jumping castle and I picked up some fruit and flowers.


We drove over to Bondi and enjoyed the sun at Icebergs. 
I love that building!



 I bought an inflatable flamingo from My Messy Room
We tried it out today and loved it!


We had a little chocolate fix from San Churro. Yum!

We've loved being back at the beach even though the water is still a little chilly!

School holidays always means the boys want to do some baking.
Chocolate cupcakes were their choice.


Adairs were having a sale and I snapped up this quilt cover, sheets & pillowcases.


We've also been doing a bit of gardening and getting the outdoors ready for Spring/Summer and more outdoor living.

How has your week been?

Monday, September 22, 2014

37/52

A portrait of my sons, once a week, every week in 2014

Noah - his latest obsession, Thomas and friends

Jasper - picking me a daisy on his last day of school before the holidays

Finn - enjoying a wrestle on the grass with Dash. Also loving his new skateboard deck.


Thursday, September 18, 2014

A project with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

I've had this project on the cards for about 3 years. I remember buying knobs for these drawers from Anthropologie in New York. I've been meaning to update them for so long.

For some reason it has taken me this long to get around to revamping them. I knew I wanted something fast and easy to use and Annie Sloan Chalk Paint came to mind. I knew it would be perfect for this job. You can see my previous use of this product here
Chalk Paint® is a unique decorative paint developed by Annie Sloan in 30 colours made specifically for painting furniture, painting floors, and for giving walls a completely matt, velvety finish.

Chalk Paint® sticks to just about any surface... wood, concrete, metal, matt plastic, earthenware and much more, inside and outside the home. It dries fast too so you can add second or third coats quickly. 

This was perfect for me as I knew I didn't want to sand, prime or prep the drawers. I just wanted to get straight to painting!


These are drawers in our bedroom that have seen better days. Some handles were missing, one drawer had fallen off and needed to be nailed back on, the colour didn't match anything else.

I wanted to keep them though as they are the perfect size for the space and the drawers are deep and hold lots of clothes.
They desperately needed a revamp though!

Please excuse the quality of the my photos. I got my paint in the afternoon and I was motivated to start straight away. So the light was fading as I took my shots.

While Simon did the dinner and bath routine I slapped on the first coat of paint. I used the Annie Sloan paint brush which spread the paint easily and covered lots of surface. 
It left an ever so slightly rustic finish.

As I was after a smoother finish I did my second coat of paint with a roller. It was perfect! I loved the shade of white.
 I chose Pure White. So clean and fresh.

I finished up for the night having painted the dresser with it's 6 drawers and the matching mirror. With 2 coats on each this used up 3/4 of the 1 litre tin.
In the morning I moved the drawers and mirror back in place and finished off with the clear Annie Sloan Soft Wax. This added a little bit of sheen, protection and durability. I just rubbed it with a soft cloth in the direction of the wood grain.

I was so happy with the finish! The drawers came up so well. 
The whole space feels so lovely and fresh and really light. 

Also the mirror came up fantastically. 
I taped the edges to protect the glass while I was painting. 
The tape came off easily. A quick clean and it was good as new.

I just needed to add new knobs and style up the top of the drawers. There's not much I could do to glam up the tv. 
Even though it's a bit controversial we love to watch a little bit of late night tv in bed.
I am ecstatic with the result. They are like new!




My favourite bit about using the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint was that I could get straight to it with no sanding or priming as the original colour and finish of the drawers worked perfectly with this product. 

If you have darker or varnished furniture you want to revamp, you may have to give the piece a quick sand before painting.

If you want a more rustic, worn finish you can add water to the paint to make a lighter wash/colour. You can also sand down the piece afterwards to add a little bit of shabbiness.

I really recommend the paint, it was so easy to use.
You can check for Australian stockists here

Have you used the Annie Sloan Chalk paint?

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

The Liebster Award

I was tagged  by two of my friends for The Liebster Award, thank you Tessa & Claire!
Basically I have to answer 10 questions about myself and then tag 10 other blogs.

I thought I would combine all of my answers in one post :)
Questions from Tessa

1.If you were given an extra hour in the day to do what you wanted with what would you do?
Absolutely nothing! Revel in the luxury and sit down, flick through some magazines, call a friend etc.

2.Have you changed much in the last 5 years and if so how and why?
Definitely. I only surround myself with true friends and people who I like spending time with rather than spread myself thin trying to fit in everyone. I put myself and my family first.

3.What is the best thing you have ever bought?
Our house, it was the start of our dream life together, having babies and it is our favourite place to be.

4.What is your favourite animal and why?
A monkey, there is something so cute and cheeky about them. 
They're my favourites at the zoo.

5.If you could start your career all over again would you change it?
No, as I met Simon at work (we worked at The Renaissance Hotel together) he was my supervisor. I'm happy with how things have panned out.

6.Do you have a mantra/affirmation/saying? What is it or what are they?
I love getting inspired by various quotes I see and I love popping up ones on my lightbox. My favourite at the moment is "Good vibes only" or "The grass is greener where you water it"

7.Which restaurant would you most like to dine at – anywhere in the world?
No particular restaurant but I would love to go back to Paris. Steak and frites anywhere with a glass of champagne would be perfect!

8.Name one luxury item you would love to own?
A private jet, flying with the kids would be a breeze ;)

9.Flowers for life or Chocolate?
Oooh a toughie but I'll go with flowers. Much healthier for me.

10.What 4 words would your best mate use to describe you?
Kind, fun, trustworthy, loyal


Questions from Claire

1. Favourite drink?
Water is always my first choice every day (ice cold not from the tap!) but I also love iced coffee, champagne, vodka lime and soda or a diet coke. Depending on the occasion.

2. Happiest moment?
Right now. Life is good! I have lots of happy memories and can't wait to make many more.

3. Song you never want to hear again?
I can't think of one at the moment, probably one of the kid's songs. Or Finn is always trying to get me to listen to the latest dub step. Some of them are ok but not all too my taste! 

4. Favourite part about blogging?
The community, so many lovely generous people. And the inspiration. I always love the creative buzz of blogs.
5. Most prized possession? (not family members or pets or friends!)
My photos. I still have my old photo albums has well as thousands on my hard drive. I would be devastated if I lost them. 

6. If you could pick a dream job, what would yours be?
Travel writer/blogger. Travelling the world, taking photos, recommending luxury hotels and resorts, dining at the best restaurants. Sounds like a dream! Of course I would have to take my family with me as I'd get homesick.

7. Signature scent?
I love sweet scents like vanilla. One of my favourite day time perfumes is MOR Marshmallow. I also choose vanilla and caramel scents for my candles. Although I will pop on a spritz of Chanel No.5 for a date night.

8. Ocean or mountains?
Ocean always. The cure for everything is salt water.

9. Dream holiday destination?
I really want to go back to Paris as I only had 3 days there 15 years ago. I want to take the time to wander the streets. I also want to plan a family trip in the next year or so to L.A. We want to take the boys to Disneyland. The only thing stopping us is the killer flight!

10. Describe yourself in 3 words.
Fulfilled, happy, loved.
Hopefully you learnt something new about me :)
I'd like to pass this on to
 
Jody - Lemon Rhodes
 Son - Tied with a Bouw
Amanda - Homely One
Sal - Once Daily Chic
Tahnee - Milk Please Mum
Lenya - Raising Miss Matilda
Yvette - The Stylist Splash
Julie - All for Love
  
Choose any 10 questions from above.
Anyone else who would like to play please join in xx

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

GIVEAWAY! - Win a Bisou Bisou Cheese Set from Salt&Pepper


I'm running a GIVEAWAY with Salt&Pepper to give you a chance to win this amazing Bisou Bisou package. 

It includes:
- Salt&Pepper EDGE Rectangular Snack Plate x 4
- Salt&Pepper FROMAGE 40cm Board with Glass Dome x 1
- Salt&Pepper FROMAGE Set of 4 Cheese Knives x 1
- Salt&Pepper FROMAGE 22x30cm Wooden Cheese Board with Stainless Steel Cutter x1 

The total prize value is $202.65

To enter, leave me a comment below to be in the running. 
Winner drawn on Monday 22nd September by Random Number Generator


***UPDATE - COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED***
Winner drawn randomly - Sara Donohue.
Congratulations Sara and thank you to everyone for entering x

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Link Love - my favourite blog articles this week


As I've been housebound with sickness all of this week, I've had lots of time to browse the web.

Here are a few of my favourite links this week -

The Tale of Zoe Foster Blake & Sonny Blake
from The Grace Tales

A Vintage Planter DIY from Oh Joy

The Perfect Foundation Application from The Joey


This free Printable Sunnyside Up Egg Wrapping Paper
 from Studio DIY


This Loaded Power Salad from What's Gaby Cooking


How has your week been?
Read anything that grabbed your attention?

Friday, September 12, 2014

Home Tour - Dominique Brammah & Ashley Ryan

I came across a photo of this home on Pinterest this week. I loved it so much I had to click through and see the whole house. It was a shoot from The Design Files.

There is something so serene about it. I love a fresh white room with a pop of colour.
 
The composition is so calm and interesting.

Take a look








These gorgeous photos were taken by Eve Wilson and the shoot was orchestrated by Lucy Feagins of The Design Files.

Isn't it lovely?
I think those b&w striped chairs are my favourite, along with the Bondi Beach photos on the wall.

How about you? 
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