Office...

This is part of my office. I can't show you the rest because it is also where I keep the washing to dry in bad weather and the Silver Fox has a new bike so it is stored in here too. Most of his new possessions are stored in the house until they are used enough to go into the garage. Until their 'newness' has worn off a little. I have had a mower, a compressor, numerous drills and power tools.... The bike lasted 2 rides until it was deemed 'garage material'. I don't complain. He was probably the sort of child who wore his soccer boots to bed. This photo shows my passion for storage. Chair needs recovering. Will get to that. 

On the far left of the picture you can just see the edge of one of our dining chairs needing fixing. I was vacuuming and had put it on the table as I gave the floor a good 'going over'. I knocked the chair off the table and a leg snapped clean off! Jeepers!!! Not happy Jan! 


Have done my first day at my course. Once upon a time I would have been dead nervous. Not any more. Don't know why. Actually the group are pretty nice. It is lovely to be surrounded by adult learners who have paid to be there. Very motivated to get the work done. I am supposed to be whipping up a 15 minute education session as we speak. Hmmmm, what to do? I am going to take in my snake bite kit and give a little session on first aid. Why not? I bet no one else does that AND a beach was closed over the weekend due to 3 brown snakes cavorting through the beach-goers. Now, best go and find that rubber snake so I can make it a bit realistic and adrenalin-filled. Should I throw the snake in the middle to get their attention? Maybe not in case I have to go some r-e-a-l first aid!!!!




Ciao for now

just Martha

PS: Haven't got a photo of t-h-e dress but I promise to take one next time I wear it!!

Loves: Media

Eastern wall with King Furniture couch

Media Room with decals

 We have some modern 'art' in our Media Room. This is the place designated for the TV. It was my master plan in building to only have the TV here so when we entertain and the children watch a movie, all are happy. They can hear the TV and we can hear the guests. AND, we can even play music from the Media Room that play to the designated speakers in different rooms! So we can set the mood for guests whilst all are happy and the kids don't need to listen to 'our' music. Not my idea that bit but bravo to the Silver Fox as it works very well. We can even have piped music in the shower! Aaaah, the joy of it all. The joy of planning and building. We have these modern decals in our Media Room. We did want a nice modern aboriginal painting but decided in the meantime to settle for these square decals in silver, chocolate and cardinal red. We got them from Dali Decals at a cost of $80A. Pretty good value for art we thought until we find what we want. So, one night we peeled them off the backing and sort of 'went for it'... Very liberating really, having faith in your own design. Not for everyone I know but removable and a bit of fun whilst giving the 'wow' factor. Nicely tying in our King Furniture lounge suite. I can move the lounge around and rearrange a few bits to turn it into a double bed!!! I love it. My style. Moving things around. "Change is as good as a holiday". The Silver Fox h-a-t-e-s moving furniture and will often refuse point blank not to be negotiated. Moved too much in his day I gather. But, what I can do with an old towel and a bit of elbow grease!!!! I can totally rearrange a room: beds, bookcases, chest of drawers, lounges.... It is one of my talents. Secret talents. When the Silver Fox asks me how I did it (after carefully inspecting the timber floor for scratches of which there is none!) I just smile. After all it is a s-e-c-r-e-t talent!!!......

Ciao for now




just Martha

Pantry

Pantry with glass doors, See the pull out pantry next to the fridge - good idea that!

Pantry at the end of the kitchen. Kikki K calendar on the wall. Family bible!

Pantry backlit at night

After spring cleaning pantry (I succumbed!)

I l-o-v-e my pantry. Girl's best friend a pantry. I like leaving the light on in the evening after all is done. It gives a soft glow. With some over bench lighting it is just enough to get things done without being too bright. Great lighting. Brings me pleasure. I am but a simple person. But after all is tidy and put away.... Aaaahhh. What do you like about your kitchen? We paid minimal attention to lighting last time. Sort of..... forgot. Soooo busy deciding where the power points should be. This time we paid attention to the lighting but could have paid more attention to the windows. Next time. Will there be a next time? Yes. There will be. Already planning the house. Smaller next time. More outdoor areas to sit in. More little nooks to sit...  I did succumb to the Spring fever!!! Knew I would. Was so pleased to start I even took a photo. Now, how to keep it tidy.......until Summer...........

Ciao for now

just Martha

Sleek Lines

From the stairs looking West. This is my neighbour's house but I love the clean lines...

The simple handrail

Looking up the stairs

Looking down the stairs

This one won't cooperate but looking to the window from upstairs. The wall on the right is awaiting a picture

Stairs. I love them. We have our bedrooms upstairs and our living downstairs. We did this in our last house too and when the kiddies were small it meant that days were spent downstairs and upstairs stayed tidy. Seemed important at the time. Now we still spend most of the day downstairs. We have an "Up Room" which is like a sitting room upstairs. Great for playstation and games. Bean bags etc. Informal area. These are our timber stairs. We have had timber before and I know some people think it is such hard work. Not me. Easy-peasy. Bit of vinegar in the water and done!!  Once per week. I lie to you not. We have timber upstairs and down. We have a few asthmatics in our family so decided long ago that carpet was out. My theory is (Hmmm, I seem to have lots of theories...) that there is no less dust or dirt but with timber you can see it and sweep it up. Not sure if you all think the same but there you go.  Timber. It give such a wonderful tone to everything. This timber is Australian Beech.

I love our bank of louvers. They are r-e-a-l-l-y big and give great light to the stairs. The stairs are in the middle of the house discretely off to the side. I employed a few Feng-shui principles so we did this so that the energy didn't come in the front door and whizz straight upstairs. (Bad apparently. It needs to be 'confused' and have no straight path). I also love the lighting on the wall of the stairs which can be dimmed to be subtle or be quite bright. Our last house had lighting over the stairs so to change a lightbulb was risking life and limb hanging over the ballastrade. Not this time. Wiser this time. Love the squareness of the lights and their even placement. See, girls, take pleasure in the small stuff. You will have to suffer with photos taken my moi until I can work out how to upload the groovier, professional ones. Still a bit techno-challenged.  So I will leave you with the sleek lines of my stairs and the Silver Fox will get around to replacing the last 2 wires(!). Still needing that big bit of art for the wall. Waiting, waiting, waiting, looking, looking, looking...


Ciao for now

just Martha

Favourite Room: The Good Room

Now, here is my favourite room. Actually, it isn't really a room. It is a corner. But, I can't say "Let's go to the Good Corner" now can I? But, I can, and do, direct my friends to the "Good Room". It is finished quite simply. I don't really like fuss or "dust collectors" as my Mum would say. It has a white square of shaggy carpet. Luxurious for bare feet. Clean, bare feet. 

You can just see a corner of my artwork on the wall. It is a 1meter x 1.5meter photo canvas of my little family. It is a photo but is also the art. It is h-u-g-e! My gorgeous brother-in-law took it for us one Christmas. It is set on the beach. It is a candid shot of when we were tired and just getting a tad hysterical... with sand everywhere. That's the beach for you. It is a shot we can hopefully look at for years and not get embarrassed. We are dressed in white Bonds singlets and blue jeans. Classical. My taste.  I like it. The dog came in and barked at it. Not sure if he approves or that because it is so big he might have thought it was strangers in the house.

The couch is a nice blue leather one. Very daring for me back then but has proven to be a good choice. It is now about 10 years old and still in pretty good nick. The Good Room is a quiet corner for reading, relaxing, drinking tea and entertaining friends. You can see my Maxwell and Williams "Tea for one" ready for me and peppermint tea. Aaaahhhh, the joy! It is part of my kitchen/dining open plan area. Not a TV in sight. That is in the Media Room. Good planning that. Very good planning. Do you have a favourite room?
(This was taken before the tulips arrived. You should see them now! Heavenly).

Ciao for now 

just Martha