My office

Just a little sneak peek into where I blog today. I'm so lucky to have a very large room with lovely old windows, french doors to a verandah and a fire place. Spoilt aren't I? It's presently set up as three areas. My desk where I blog, a space to paint and a sitting area. I love the light in the morning and the cool breezes in the afternoon. As always it is yet another work in progress! Must work on those shelves. That's half the fun of taking photos. It helps you focus in on areas that need work.

My husband and I found these framed 50s book covers in our favourite store The Vintage Advantage today. They'll be perfect in the room and I love the saturated colours and the melodramatic artwork. I just turned round now and took this shot of my architect plan drawers to show you the late afternoon light. I've been working on some ideas for a large painting for over the mantle. If I could only find the time to work some more on it! Must go now. I have to start thinking about what to cook for dinner. Bye!

My boys

Latest photos of Sunny and Mickey. I'm sure Sunny thinks he's human and I know that Mickey definitely is. No not a dog at all :) Just a big fur covered kid. Sunny is a ham. Strikes a pose anytime the camera is out. Mickey hates me taking his photo. Always has that "god mum not again" look on his face. Caught him by surprise this time when we were out shopping. Love the last photo. Looks like he was sniggering at the gossip we were sharing with the shop owner.

Progress report ... my bedroom

I was in a state of panic. My bedroom had been painted weeks ago and it was still in disarray. I had blog friends dropping in to visit and I knew they'd be going over everything with a fine tooth comb. Don't we all when we visit fellow bloggers? What if they opened the cupboard doors? Saw the mess?  OMG! Anyway back to the bedroom. I tidied, I hammered nails into walls and hung art, brought out knick knacks, put them away and found others, cursed that there were still two boxes in the big shed right at the back behind the old couch and I'm sure that's where the murano glass bowl was and I wanted it, needed it .... I was hyperventilating. Calm. A room in progress would have to do. My to do list includes sewing curtains, changing out the ugly fan lights on the ceiling, upholster that love seat not just drape a kilim, paint a large triptych for the wall above the bed, find that damn murano bowl and change the knick knacks over and over and over again :)  I can't believe that except for a couple of the larger pieces of art (two of which I didn't even get into shot), the screen (a student exhibition piece bought when I was at uni too many years ago) and the actual bed and basic bedding everything is thrifted, bought on eBay or Etsy. Oh the leather chairs were bought from a friend of a friend at a bargain price so does that count as a new buy? I needn't have worried. Anita and Katherine were too busy checking out my west german pottery and scandinavian bits and bobs to look in the cupboards.

Things I have learned from photographing my room? I'm going to paint those eye ball lamps. Not quite the right colour. Suggestions for new colour? Not sure if the fibreglass bedsides should stay white but my husband had them professionally sprayed for me and he'd kill me if I changed them. Need a better mirror cleaner if I'm going to do reverse mirror shots. Streaks!! And yes Kim I need a wide angle lens.

Morning sun

The painting is done ... sort of. The painter, after doing an excellent job with the rest of the house, painted the window trims in the living room, dining room and third bedroom the wrong colour. White not the same colours as each room. In this room then the windows were to be brown gloss. Going with my idea of matt and gloss in the same colour for each room. Painted, finished quickly, left the bill on the table and skedaddled to his next job. One more tradesman to sort out. Never mind. I now have 6 months off to repaint them. We decided to do it properly and sprang the sash windows from the frames, sanded smooth and now I need to paint. That's the reason I only took photos of this corner. I have no windows in any other shots. We also decided to seal the walls inside the old cedar cupboards. The painter did not do this. In all fairness we hadn't thought to ask him but now realise that if we have prepped all the rest of the walls for any future damp problems it was a little silly not to at least seal the insides of these cupboards as well. Hence no photos towards the fireplace as the cupboards are in pieces to reach the back walls within. They came apart surprisingly easily. Let's just hope they go back in just as easily.

The sofa is vintage. Fibreglass and leather designed by Robin Gibson for the Queensland Art Gallery in the late 70s, early 80s. (More about how I found it here.) The beni ouarain rug was a splurge but I love it. The tribal pieces are Papuan New Guinean and African that I have collected over the years. The hand chair is from Bali. At the moment these are lumped together in the corner until I figure out their final homes. The pine chest of drawers I got on eBay and must finish stripping the last paint off it. The cane drum table was another thrift store find. The kilim pillow is from eBay. Most of the accessories are thrift store finds. There is a long wooden bench running along the wall behind the sofa. Another eBay score (thanks Katherine). Soon it will hold stacks of books, a lamp, some large art leaning against the wall at the other end. Maybe I'll put one of my framed vintage bus rolls there. I need to paint a large colourful piece of art for the wall behind the hand. Something to bring in oranges and pinks, a touch of red. There will be linen curtains on the windows when I have windows again. Lots of things on the to-do list but I guess it will never be finished as I arrange and re-arrange. That's half the fun!

20% off

Did a quick run to IKEA today to check out some storage, buy a few things I didn't need, lust after a couple of kilims and hatch plans about how to use the goose feather pillow inserts. Saw this on the way and just had to take a snap. Or should that be snip. I wonder if you get 20% off the price or only 80% of the job done. Tickled my fancy anyway.