Rainy Weather

The relentless rain has kept us indoors for the day so I decided to break the spine of a new Penguin book I purchased recently called Perfume: the Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind. I have to admit it is an intense read from the very first page and I needed a bit of respite from it after finishing Chapter 7.  Hence I put the book down and picked up and old road map I've had lying around for ages and decided to re-fashion a box of Redhead matches, I know, go figure!  I love maps and always end up holding onto them from road trips. Inspired by the cover of the holiday issue of Lonny I decided I would make a fun matchbox using some old brown card and a map of South East Queensland. Crafting respite over, now back to the book!

Apartment Therapy

I've decided a new year calls for a refreshing of our apartment.  With our trip to France looming large I am trying to be a bit thrifty so it's more of a shuffling around of bits and pieces rather than any major purchases. I am sure there will be lovely things I'll want to pick up while over there. However, I may have to sell a few things in order to make room!

Here is a collage of our apartment as it stands. I figured I would take a few snaps for our records before I reorgnised everything. Ron and Leonie, I am glad to let you know I will be taking inspiration from the beautiful book you gave me for Christmas! 

Rosebery House

We went across to West End today to try and source some materials for a new coat rack.  We had no luck but decided to take a look around the area.  I wanted to show James my favourite house in Brisbane but I couldn't remember the directions exactly as it is almost completely concealed from the road and it's been such a long time since I saw it last. I remembered it was at the end of a tiny street leading down towards the Brisbane River. Luckily we managed to stumble our way to it and it was well worth all the wrong turns in the end.  Rosebery House designed by Andresen O'Gorman and built in 1998 has stood its twelve years extraordinarily well.  I remember discovering it in 2003 and it looks even more beautiful today than it did then.  The greenery surrounding the house has grown and embraced it with all its lush foliage. It is like suddenly coming upon a secret treehouse set amongst a rare pocket of tropical rainforest right in the middle of inner Brisbane.  Both times I have been there the house has had a very surreal, suddenly deserted ambience both beautiful and intriguing.

Riding with the King

Riding with the King, the soundtrack to our morning.  My neighbour gave me this album when I was a teen.  I used to play my saxophone dayly and my bedroom was along side their house so they had no way of blocking out the sound.  Learning jazz and blues at the time it was a fitting present though I wasn't a big fan of the album until more recently.  A cruisy and polished blues record.

Vintage Cane Day Bed

I came across this vintage cane day bed on eBay last evening and am in love with it.  Oh, if only we had endless space I would bid on it without a doubt!  But as it is we have no room unless we sell another cane day bed we already have.  This one has great style, so lovely in the white with the pale blue linen. I happen to know that certain friends have the perfect vintage peacock chair to match this.  Please buy it A+O! That way I can come over to your lovely new home and claim it now and again!

Candles and Tea

I caught up with some friends this morning for brunch on James Street and was very lucky to have received a few more belated Christmas gifts which I just love, including a beautifully wrapped selection of T2 teas, a hand-stitched and beaded leather camel Natalie purchased in Egypt and an adorable set of Russian doll measuring cups from Tammy (for all my cupcake baking she says).

The Sohum candle in the background is a newly discovered favourite. It's subtly scented, made from natural vegetable wax and is poured into beautiful facetted glass jars.  I have to admit Sohum has some seriously cute products. I gave one to Tammy as it has become a bit of a tradition now to always give her a new candle from a range I find.  Last year it was Kakadu Water Lily from the range of soy wax Glasshouse candles which I continue to love.

Christmas Gifting

I know this is a somewhat delayed Christmas post but here are some brown paper packages tied up with string and a few of our favourite things we gifted and received.  Thank you Stuart for remembering the lovely reclaimed timber frames I posted about a year ago!  An old photo of James and Lachlan we had lying around happened to fit perfectly.  I am also enjoying a lazy Sunday browsing through this beautiful book on French interiors thanks to Ron and Leonie. The hydrangea is very happy thus far and James is enjoying his serious tome Wood Houses thanks to A+O.

Christmas at Caloundra

This year we spent some quiet days over Christmas at Caloundra to de-stress from what has been a very busy year.  Of course it rained almost the entire time but it didn't make the sea any less beautiful.  We managed to take a stroll along Shelly, Moffat and Bulcock Beach between bouts of rain and a swim at Golden Beach when the sun appeared for a brief moment. Many houses in the area though modest were very charming with their Australian beach shack authenticity preserved.  I hope they will all remain rather than being demolished and redeveloped.  One thing that has been an advantage of all the rain was how beautifully green and lush it was all around the coast as well as the fact it was so unusually quiet. It never ceases to amaze me how restorative spending time by the ocean is.

New Year's Eve

Another year has flown by so fast we could hardly believe it was coming to an end.  After a hectic year and a hectic new year's eve previous James and I decided to have a relaxed low key evening this year.  We invited a couple of friends over who were also happy to have a relaxed new year's eve for steamboat / shabu shabu. Anton picked up some fantastic seafood and I indulged my passion for mushrooms, yum!
Bubbly and sparklers on the balcony overlooking fireworks on the river was great but the best thing would have to have been the fact that there was a few brass players a couple of floors below who timed their rendition of The Final Countdown to perfection.  Geeky but soo much fun!  Happy New Year to everyone.

Sunny West Coast

I visited Fremantle while in WA last week.  It was a quiet Sunday morning in the historic town.  I suppose everyone was out on the water.  Beautiful sunny day, aqua coloured waters, who wouldn't be.  Next time I go back I will head out to Rottnest Island which is reportedly stunning.  Also pictured above, the Central Park Building and walk/cycle path alongside the Swan River in Perth.  Yay for sunny blue skies in Brisbane too!

Kings Park

I went for a stroll after work on Monday through Kings Park (Perth).  It was great having soo much late afternoon daylight to absorb.  Today is another wet day in Brisbane which makes these photos from last week look soo good to me.  Can't wait for the sun to come back...

Sparrow Music

I'm currently listening to Sam Sparrow. I've had his self titled album on my to-buy-list for a while now. Upbeat noughties fun music.

Crossing Australia

Great Australian Bight

South Australia

Western Australia

Never before had I fathomed just how scorched our continent is until my flight from Brisbane to Perth yesterday.  So beautiful... and dangerous with nowhere to hide from the hot sun.  I think I've just changed my mind about attempting to drive it.  Back in Subiaco now after having just been to Fremantle.  It's nice to get out in the beautiful sunny weather after the past month of rainy weather in Brisbane.

Christmas Inspiration

I am loving yellow at the moment.  Perhaps it's all this dreary rainy weather we've had over the past several weeks.  I can't remember when I last saw the sun! The colour in the images is so uplifting.  I would love to have a garden where all sorts of viney things grew to be able to grab a few cuttings and turn into a Christmas garland.  This rooftop garden in the middle of the city looks so surreal with its lushness against the urban backdrop.

http://shannonfricke.blogspot.com/
http://www.lonnymag.com/

Beach Shack

Did I mention that I would like my very own beach shack for Christmas?  In particular this one.  I wouldn't mind stepping across that lawn, up those steps, over the dunes to that pristine beach at all!  It is literally a shack but really, when you have a backyard like that who needs more?!  By the way, this was off the same real estate site and I can't believe how styled these property listings are these days.  As much as I like the cute "To Beach" sign and of course the coral, is it just me or is this last shot a bit superfluous... 

Pillar Valley

While seeing if there was the faint chance of any remaining holiday accommodation in the sleepy beachside town of Wooli, I stumbled across a real estate site which listed a property for sale in nearby Pillar Valley.  This was one of the photos on the listing and I just love it!  That shade of grey on those classic Adirondack chairs are perfect. The soft, velvety grass, the enormous shady tree with the rope swing and the timber ladder... so beautiful.  Nevermind the house though, it does not match up with it's lovely grounds I'm afraid.

Dinner Party

Last night we hosted a joint birthday dinner for James and Sandra.  We had to shift things around a little but managed to fit everyone in.  I love the hand printed tablecloths purchased from Oxfam combined with the bold red flowers.  It was the first sit-down dinner we've hosted in our new apartment for so many people.  A very enjoyable evening.