Boxing Day Shenanigans

Today I was fortunate to be driven to the Boxing Day Sales at DFO a.k.a. a husbands worst nightmare.

Originally we were heading there to buy a pair of sunnies for me which really would have only taken 20mins but there were some winning sales… so our spree took a little longer. A couple of hours later we took our purchasers to the car and shot through. Our loot included 3 pairs of sunnies for under $100 for me, a pair of sunnies for Richie, 50% off Sheridan quilt cover and fitted sheets, Wittner ballet flats, a Berlei bra, Mimco beanie-hat thing for Chicago… and I think that’s the lot. We didn’t really get each other Chritmas presents so this was it without the trimungs and at 50% off!

Afterwards we decided to keep the ball rolling so we headed to Westfield Chermside, on the north side of Brisbane. After we parked the car, I made a bet with Richie that we would end up bumping into 5 people he knew. “Nah Bec, we’re not at Mt Gravatt.” We saw 2 people we knew.

Again the sales were awesome and I was able to pick up a few half-price running shirts and a 2XU running visor.

It was a winner of a day!

Richie snuck off to Timezone for a while to play pinball while I finished with the last few shops. It was great to beat him at Daytona USA when he thought he would totally smash me :)

Once the shops started closing up we headed up to the camp ground where the World Changers Youth Congress is to be held. This will be our home for the next few weeks.

So far there are about 80 staff there and come New Years Day, there will be about 1600 youth from around the South Pacific Division who will be staying onsite.

Can you pray for us as a staff that the set-up will go smoothly, and we will all stay safe. Also we ask that you pray for for the delegates who are coming, that the Holy Spirit begin to work on their hearts and minds, so that their relationship with Jesus will be deepened.

Do you think…

…the world would be a happy place with rubbish bins like these?

Courtesy of More Design Please

I think it’s a major – YES!

P.S. You must visit the link above and see the other cool stuff on their website.

(Note – I think we might have rubbish bins like this in heaven. Will there be a need for rubbish bins in heaven?)

Tiles, tiles, tiles…

Do you love a unrenovated bathroom and kitchen?

Heck, I do!

I mean for me when I hear someone’s home is unrenovated, I do a little dance (in my head!) and start dreaming of the tiles their home. It’s like Christmas when I walk through and discover the gorgeous orange tiles in the kitchen and the flower tiles in the bathroom.

I’ve been collecting pictures of tiles over the last month and last week my friend Brooke, over at Skapa Create pushed me over the edge with her really schmick tile blog post called ”A night on the tiles”. It was time to get these beauties out of my iPhone to show off to the world.

Wet bar tiles in a grannyflat (within a house) we are selling.

Laundry tiles in a house we have just sold and settled.

Bathroom floor tiles in the same house we have just sold and settled.

Kitchen wall tiles in the same house as the two above.

Floortiles in the ladies bathroom at Narromine United Services Memorial Club.

Bathroom floor tiles in the Farmhouse at Currawah Adventist Aboriginal College.

MY FAVOURITE!!! Porch tiles at the farmhouse at Currawah.

Life in a Cream Fibro

Soon my sister and her husband will be moving into my Ma and Pa’s house. It’s a fabulous fifties fibro.

It was a total mess but Marcus and VP (with help from Marcus’ parents and our Parentals) have given it a massive facelift – it’s really had dramatic plastic surgery a la Joan Rivers, except it’s really pretty, unlike Joan Rivers.

Soon they will begin their new life in a cream fibro. Have you ever read Alison Taits ”Life in a Pink Fibro”? It’s a great blog and now I’ve suggested to VP to start herself a new blog called “Life in a Cream Fibro”. Original, hey?

Check out the nice Baltic Pine floors. (They are Baltic right Dad?) They were wet when we were there on Good Friday. Hence the top photo and this one below which I had to lean in through the door. My Grandfather built this home with his own two hands in the late 40′s – early 50′s. Dad was telling us that they lived in a tent on the land until Pa & Ma had enough money to build the garage. Then they moved into the garage and began the house. There was a massive shortage of building supplies at the time due to the war and the finish date of the home was extended. Finally Ma had her own kitchen and Pa had his own lounge room to one day watch man walk on the moon.

Gabba Goodness – Woolloongabba Antique Centre – Take 2 for 2011

Everytime we visit Brisbane, I sneak in a trip to WAC. Can’t help it, I love it. A few weeks ago, Karyn and I decided to check out what was happening down there and on this day, candle-sticks seemed to be on the brain…

I love walking the aisles checking all the stores for the perfect purchase to shove in my luggage. The above candlesticks were OUT OF MY BUDGET, although I wish they weren’t.

Would have loved to grab a few of these frames, but I think they may have been too big for my bag…

Like I said, candlesticks were on the brain and as I turned a corner, there she was – it was like an antique store fairy tale.

Yep, $24 bucks people. Love it and my dining room table loves it too.

 These old newspaper adverts were classics.

      

I wanted to get the Johnson’s Baby Powder picture and frame it, until I thought of my future kids. They are going to be half Indigenous Australian and half Anglo Australian and I thought the crowned kiddies are going to be a little out-of-place in my household - so I ditched em.

These boots were hot, but the Indian feathers were amazing. I just couldn’t work out where I could wear them and store them, so I passed on those.

Often I can walk into this store and find something to buy. Besides the pink wall paper, it screams “Bec and Richie”. Except the big fork on the right. And the clock, I don’t like the clock on the wall on the right.

Hello lovely cake stand. If Karyn doesn’t buy you next time we are there, I’m buying you and taking you home to Sydney.

Does anyone know of a place as cool as Woolloongabba Antique Centre here in Sydney??? There is definitely a business opportunity for someone!

My “NEW” Study

This is the new place I’m going to be blogging from.

I was working on it last night after I got home from the gym, until I went to bed!

It was a total mess and I know I could have done a Young House Love or Bower Power before and after shot, but to be honest, I was too embarrassed to take a photo.

I’m excited to be able to work from a nice cleared space AND look at that view!

Pitty about the dodgy desk eh?

Chairs in progress

Late Sunday afternoon after the massive bushwalk, I took the next few steps in getting my e-Bay chairs prepared to be covered. I figured, there was no better time like the present to squeeze another task off the old “To Do List”.

The steps were:

1. Go to Bunnings

2. Talk to the lovely lads there who are in the paint department

3. Buy Interior varnish

4. Carry chairs into garage

5. Whack out my paint-brush and get my varnish on

I’m hoping to have them finished in the next few weekends with the help of my friend Lin, who is Tamsin’s Mum. 

They are going to look hot!

When I finish Oxfam – #6

6. I’m going to finish my chairs. 

 Just call me the Chair Lady. 

This is my inspiration: 

Oooo Nice!

Oooo Nice!

This is my canvas: 

25 Bucks each on e-Bay. Bargain!

Tad holy, but all good for Grandma Chairs

  

My work room = our garage

Meet my new best friend, Ozito.

Richie was upset that I was using a knife from the kitchen to get the existing material off the chairs. He'll be right.

This chair has a story. I sold a unit in Hornsby and I saw this near the block bins. I did the double take as I drove past it, then reversed back up. I chucked it in my back-seat and haven't looked back. Richie wanted to sterilise it. I figured someone just didn't have the foresight to see the massive potential it had.

Again, appreciate the lovely Grandma pattern...

This is the lovely lady, who is in fact the mother of Miss T – Advenutres of an Undomesticated Goddess, who is going to help me. 

Dr Lin Lock - World-renowned Nursing Guru and World Authority in Nursing Care (in the red) and perfect teacher of Refurb-wannabes like me!

Also Ribbon-tying extraordinaire!

  

The list so far: 

1. I’m going to weed the garden and plant my camellias. 

2. I’m getting a pedicure. 

3. I’m going to hang out more with my girlfriends. 

4. I’m going to hang out with the little people in my life. 

5. I’m going to make home-made pasta with my Pastor husband - You are what you eat! 

Be still my beating heart! – Part deux

Restoration Hardware is a store I found at Lenox Square on an adventure with Ruth Bews.

It was the second shop, after Steve Madden, at Lenox Square we went into and I honestly could have spent the whole day there. My dream home would be filled with all this stuff. I call it “A little vintage, a little country”.

If this store was in Australia, we would be broke.

Picture courtesy of http://www.restorationhardware.com

Picture courtesy of http://www.restorationhardware.com

Picture courtesy of http://www.restorationhardware.com

Picture courtesy of http://www.restorationhardware.com

Picture courtesy of http://www.restorationhardware.com

Picture courtesy of http://www.restorationhardware.com

Be still my beating heart!

I LOVE shops like this!

“The Paris Market” is one of the stores on Broughton Street , just a few blocks from where we are staying at The Marshall House.

Before I die, I want to own and run a Post Office. Now, I’ve decided that adjacent to that dream Post Office, I want to have a store like this one. Antiques, knick-knacks, cards, soaps, ornaments, jewellery, furniture, books, coffee – the list goes on. If it doesn’t happen here on earth, I’ll have it or something bigger and better in heaven.

The owners tour the world looking for pieces and bring them back to Savannah to re-sell. What a dream! A 1950’s black telephone was for sale for $2500 and I was keen on it till I saw the price.

Ah, that’s a neg.

I hope that these pictures can tell the story well enough for you to feel the excitement that I experienced while walking through. Remember people, it’s a Point-and-Shoot! My sister would have done a way better job.

Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup

Oh my, how I love this!

Look on the left! That's the $2500 black phone