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.