Tick that off the list...

I'm tired from painting and doing several loads of washing... so I'll keep this one brief. Basically our front door is a dumping zone for shoes, rubbish bags, buckets and other such items and isn't too inviting. As summer approaches, the shoe collection by the front door begins to grow as more guests descend upon our house at the beach and forget to take their jandals home.

This was the process.

1. Retrieve an old wooden book case in the garage.
2. Find some white outdoor paint in the garage.
3. Re-home all of the daddy long legged spiders into the garden (I felt like they were family, all living in           this bookcase... and couldn't bring myself to squash them. Besides, they're nothing compared to the large black spiders I sometimes find in the bath that I have to re-home.
4. Lightly sand half of the bookcase. I only did half because I am lazy.
5. Wipe down the shelves with a damp cloth.
6. Paint the shelves white.
7. Put on another load of washing and watch snippets of the All Blacks parade (Yay All Blacks), while  waiting for each coat to dry.
8. Lightly sand again to remove the paint brush strokes and add some distressing to the edges of the shelf.
9. Place shoes on the shelf and collect some items from around the house to make it a more inviting entrance way.
10. Stand back and admire the improvement. A more functional, welcoming front door.

For once I think my DIY project worked, and didn't cost anything. Success!

Confessions of a striped sheet addict

I can't help myself. I love striped sheets.

So when I received an email saying "homeware sale" and caught a glimpse of the striped sheets on offer, I couldn't help myself. I already owned one set of the sheets in a preppy blue and white stripe, so I knew they were pretty decent quality for the price, and at $45 for a set of 100% cotton queen sized sheets, in striped grey and white, well, that's what I refer to as a 'no brainer'.

Today my striped sheet collection welcomes a new member to the family. Flannelette sheet season is nearing the end, so these sheets arrived just in time for the summer months to come.

Poor photo - and upside down, but you get the idea. Grey and white striped sheets.

 

I also threw this herringbone throw into the basket (don't you love online shopping)... , it looked soft, and thanks to my mother, I have a thing about cosy blankets on couches. At $20 on sale it was an easy purchase, so I now have a taupe and white thruuuuuu for the coooooch.

 

Some inspirational images to give any other striped linen addicts their fix...

Source: cologneandcotton.com via Victoria on Pinterest

Source: sundayinbed.tumblr.com via Victoria on Pinterest

Source: westelm.com via Victoria on Pinterest

Source: westelm.com via Victoria on Pinterest

Source: serenaandlily.com via Victoria on Pinterest

Source: store.alderandcoshop.com via Victoria on Pinterest

Boys can bake

I knew he could cook, but I didn't know he could bake!

When he suggested baking a birthday cake for his brother I was sceptical. Did he want me to make a cake? Surely he knew I couldn't bake.. surely he was there to witness the hokey pokey choking cookie disaster? We spent the weekend at a friend's farm and she made a delicious carrot cake, which I'm sure was the basis of his motivation.

It turns out he was quite aware of my lack of baking ability, and was willing to take matters into his own hands. I landed the role as his assistant , which basically means I follow him around the kitchen washing used bowls, stacking the dishwasher, putting ingredients away and wiping surfaces. I was a great assistant.

So apart from the fact that he forgot carrot cake was his brother's most hated cake, it was a huge success. Fortunately his mum had whipped up a delicious pavlova, so he still had some cake to celebrate. 

And now for the evidence.

Part of me almost wanted the cake to be a disaster so I could go "See! It's not as easy as you'd think".. but, he proved me wrong. Some people can bake. He has inherited the baking gene from his mother, who is a fantastic baker.

I'd like to point out that I made the vanilla bean and cream cheese frosting. Thank you, yes it was amazing. 


The end.

Number 36

 I went to a farm in the weekend to spend time with our friends. He is a dairy farmer, so naturally there were a lot of cows around. I'm usually scared of cows, I find them unpredictable, but the calves were rather friendly. Especially number 36, who liked to chew your clothes.

I will definitely be making more visits to the farm, it's a great break away from the city (even though I live at the beach), but getting away from it all feels so good sometimes.

Food on your face

My goddaughter LOVES food, just like her Mum. She just gets so into it, I couldn't help but pick up the camera and capture the moment.

Excuse me, you have food on your face....

 

What? You don't eat like this?....you're missing out.

 

 Thanks Aunty, but I don't need the spoon...

 

What's for dessert?

 

 

x x