Project 65 - My jobs for the year.

I sat down and made a list of the projects I want to do this year. There are 65 'must do' things on this list. Some projects are fairly straight forward like finish painting the kitchen hutch but there are other personal projects such as take my vitamins each day and try to reach my goal weight of 65 kg. I wanted a big visual prompt that I would see everyday to remind me to work on these goals. But I didn't want to spend a cent on the project, after all saving money is on the list as well.

I found these items in the shed and got to work. The old sign has scribble all over it and the numbers were old house street numbers (I had a 1, 5, 6 and 7).

I spray painted the sign with a white undercoat and then used 3 different shades of orange. A dark orange for the edge of the frame and different colours of orange for the numbers. This photo below is just to see which way I wanted the numbers to face before I started decorating.

I decided that I should add my list to the board as well. To make it all fit the numbers and sign got turned around. Now came the fun part of decorating the sign with what limited supplies I had. All I have used is 2 pages of scrapbooking paper, small stickers and flowers and Washi Tapes from Downtown Tape. The Washi Tape is so much fun to use and makes life easier for a hopeless crafter like myself. I struggle with any type of scrapbooking or card making, but this tape really helps jazz things up with minimal effort or talent on my behalf.
Drum roll please. TA DA!!!!! 

There are 2 pages of typed goals listed under that cover page. Hopefully I can start crossing some of them off soon. If I get all of them crossed off by the end of the year I will be very happy.

Play room TV cabinet sneak peak

I am nearly finished the TV cabinet that will go in the play room. I thought I would give you a sneak peak at it. The 'before' photo doesn't show half the dirt, grime and scratches on it.

 Mum helped my drill holes in the back for the power cords. This cabinet will hold a small TV on the top, and game consoles in the shelves area. I still need to tidy it up and seal it before it comes inside. The green is the same tin of paint that I have done a few other projects with. I only bought a small tin yet I still have more than half a tin left.

Happy New Year

I know I am few days late with my New Year well wishes but I have been busy cleaning up a trail of mess that can only happen when four little boys are on school holidays. For many people the dawning of a new year always prompts us to look at what we hope to achieve for the year. For me, this involved thinking of all the unfinished projects I have piled up in the shed. Today I sanded one door on my kitchen hutch before the heat drove me back into the house to stand in front of the air-con. It is a shame the shed doesn't have air-con because I might get more completed in summer if that was the case.

Seeing it is too hot to be outside I have been looking through my magazine stash. A favourite magazine I like is called Flea Market Style. It is an American publication and I order it online here.  I am currently waiting for the current edition to arrive in my letter box. The current issue has a Wedding theme but I bet I can still find lots of inspiration for decorating. (edit: I have the new edition and I am in love with a mirror display that is featured in one of the photos. There are a stack of old gold framed mirrors of different shapes and size grouped together. Love it.)












My Mum recently gave me a book which she knew I would love called New Country Colour - The Art of Living by Susan Sargent. It has some lovely pictures on how the author incorporated colour and texture in her home. It was interesting to read a passage in her book about sameness of modern decore due to people buying packaged looks from stores based on decorating magazine spreads. I have felt that way myself and it was refreshing to read that someone else shared this same view. I do not want to copy the looks featured in mainstream magazines. I do not want someone to walk into my house and say 'that looks like the front cover of this month's Freedom catalogue'. Though people are more likely to walk in and say 'wow you have a lot of toys on the floor'. I want a house to reflect me, though I am still in the transition of working out what that is. Though I know it isn't beige on beige.

My 'likes' board on Pinterest really highlight what I like. Quirky, bright, bold and fun. These are a few of the photos I love. I haven't been able to find the original sources for these photos yet. I always like to credit where things come from and also to go to the original sites and get more information.



The painted piano comes from www.savvyhousekeeping.com and they have a few other painted pianos including a stunning green one.

Enjoy the start of 2013 and I hope you all manage to keep cool in this heat wave.