Going Potty...Again.

I must admit I do enjoy the "nesting" phase of pregnancy, as it's a chance for me to get everything in order before bub comes. I went nuts last time labelling and sorting, this time hasn't been much different.

One of today's little tasks has been to pot up some indoor plant babies which as you can see, are the little spider thingies that have grown on the bottom of the stems of this spider plant.

Whilst I was at it I decided to pot up a few succulents out of this already very full outdoor pot. This outdoor pot is actually entirely full of cuttings and didn't cost me a cent. The yucca was a baby plant that grew on the side of another mature plant I had and the succulents were four measly little plants I'd taken out of my Grandma's garden which spread into a million of the little buggers. It's looks good though doesn't it.

My sister's cactus also needed a bit of TLC.

First, I gathered as many empty pots I could find which were living at the back of the garden shed. I also used the left over seed raising mix that I used when I seeded my own tomatoes. If I had have had regular potting mix I could have used that instead but this was all I had. I figured it was best to use what I had and save myself the cost of a new bag of potting mix.

The dirt went in, then the plant "babies" and voila, new pots of plants and they didn't cost a thing. 

The succulent has gone to my front door and the indoor plants have a new home in the laundry. When they mature a bit more (and I can be sure they aren't going to die straight away), I'll find new homes for them.

It's only a little job but it was satisfying that I've been able to cross another little job off my list.

Progress Report On My Sister's Renovation - Lounge and Dining Room

A while ago I did a blog showing you my sister's new house. It's a 60's, brick and tile delight but despite the tired interior, it had loads of potential. We started with a budget of $3000 and I'll admit we have chosen to exceed that (we're only over by about $1000) but I still think we've done exceptionally well for that little amount of money.

So far all the rooms are mostly completed bar a bit of painting but the lounge room and dining room are as good as done and this is the result:

In this room we have ripped up the carpet, polished the floor boards, exposed the fireplace which had been covered over and installed a new wood heater which we had pulled out of another house (so it was a freebie - that's always good for the budget!) 

The old venetian blinds have been removed and new sun shade blinds put in. Curtains will be put up in the next few weeks but we're waiting for some brackets that we've ordered to arrive. The old fashioned light fittings have been removed and now only one simple pendant light exists in the middle of the ceiling. The walls were already painted by the previous owners but we have painted all the wooden skirting boards/architraves in a gloss white to further freshen it up.

The carpet mat is a end of roll from the local carpet shop which means we got it extra cheap ($90) and had it bound for an extra $70. It's a huge 3.2m by 3.2m and makes the lounge really cosy. The wall art is simply a piece of Cloth fabric (and Aussie designer) material covering a canvas. Big impact for a  minimal price.

This is a before shot of the corner of the lounge room. In the next photo, you can see that we have removed the old cupboards and lighting.

It really doesn't look like the same room does it!?

Off the lounge room is the dining room which used to be really really pokey as it had an old fire place which dominated it. Again we removed old light fittings and replaced them with a simple drop pendant and a Bunnings Hardware light shade for $22. 

This is a before picture looking at the dining room from the kitchen. You can see the old fireplace, it was really gross eh!

Now it looks completely different. We still have to replace a small bit of plaster cornice at the ceiling but otherwise it's now completed. 

There you have it, by stripping back the carpets, blinds etc as well as getting rid of the old mis-mash of light fittings, the house is feeling a lot more spacious and light. So many beautiful windows, I can't understand why the previous owner would have them covered up with ugly, heavy blinds and curtains.

My sister has cleverly chosen a main colour (red) to brighten the otherwise neutral canvas of the rooms. By using the same colour primarily through all the rooms, it makes the house all "flow" and tie together really nicely.

Once we've finished a bit more painting and final touches, I'll show you what we've done with the kitchen and bathroom. They no longer look like this, I can assure you!

Make Way For New Baby

I'm expecting a new baby in 3.5 weeks and thought it about time I put together some sort of "area" for it to reside! That said, I've had most of the stuff it needs from when Ewan was little (all stuffed in cupboards) but I have purchased a few new things for him (yes, a boy) to call his own.

The other thing you probably need to know is that we are a two bedroom household and until the new baby is big enough to reside with his big brother, he will be bunking in with us. That means, I have decided not to create a really "cute baby" kind of set up, but more of a "you'll fit in with Mum and Dad's bedroom" kind of look.

Now, I have a very earthy kind of style and not wanting to compromise too much on how my bedroom looks, I've fit the baby's decor in to suit us, which means it's a lot more neutral and less "baby" than what I would probably create for him if he had his own room. That said, I actually really love how it's come up and how the baby stuff has blended in quite well with the adult room. It doesn't hit you that this is an adult bedroom with a baby stuffed in the corner!

I have decided to put the new bassinet next to the bed so I barely have to move in the middle of the night when he wakes! I didn't have a bassinet when we had Ewan so the Seed Organic cradle is a new addition to our baby items. I purchased it second hand from the local classifieds, Gumtree for $140 which was a really good buy considering these RRP for $350 new. I knew it was the bassinet I wanted through a bit of research so I put an add on Gumtree, asking if anyone had one they wanted to sell and sure enough, had a response. I think this is a really good way to see if you can get what you want without having to wait months, hoping one becomes available (or going out and buying one new). The chest of drawers is one I already had, it used to house photo albums but I've found a new home for them and now it is the new babies. Last addition was a few Autumn leaves which I've stuck onto the wall with Blu-tack. 

In the cradle I have purchased a few new blankets. The one with cute little pictures is by an Austrian designer called David Fussenegger. They usually retail for a fortune in the really fancy home wares stores but I found a few cheap through an eBay seller for $53 each. It sounds expensive but these are organic cotton and actually not a lot more expensive than your average blanket purchased at a baby store. 

The little grey one at the end of the bed is from Waverley woollen mills in Launceston. Since we are having a winter baby, I figure you can never have enough blankets.

Under the cradle I have a large basket, found at an op shop for $4 which I have all the extra linen and warm blankets. It is in great condition and only needed a wash before I was able to put it to use.

I already had these picture frames on the wall but I have now placed a few different pictures in them. The birds are a print a dear friend gave me by an artist called Leah Brown.

The smaller frames have cut out pictures from a Little Golden book in them and a photo of the new baby when he was only 19 weeks in utero. On top of each frame I have stuck some Crayola crayons to again "kiddify" the frames a bit more (subtly)!

Over the other side of the room I have placed a comfortable rocking chair which I purchased off Gumtree for $50. The table was one I had, as is the lamp. 

The blanket is another by David Fussenegger and the cushion by designers Pony Rider (which I already had). I think this spot will be lovely for sunny Winter days when I need a quiet place to relax with bub (rather than out in the hustle and bustle of the main living area).

I've been having so much fun washing all the clothes and putting them away, ready for the arrival. Fortunately I didn't need a thing clothes wise as I had it all from Ewan and it's all still in perfect condition.

So there you have it, my non conventional baby space. I'm pleased with the results and the small amount of money I've had to spend to create it. Most of all, I had lots of fun putting it together whilst Ewan napped today. Now for the baby to come and try it out...

My Favourite Birthday Gift

If you're a regular reader of my blog you will know that I'm into cooking scones. I've been making lots of different ones in an attempt to find (and master) the perfect scone.

My bestie, Liv has obviously been paying attention because on my birthday last week, she turned up with a few home made gifts (not that you could tell). They are custom made "make your own scone" packages!

I'm so impressed with how she's done it. Lovely little labels and recipes all typed up (apparently you can download online pretty fonts like these if you want something different than your run of the mill ones.) All the dry ingredients have been pre mixed, all that needs to be added is written on the label (ie cream etc).

She's packaged it all in recycled brown paper and cardboard packages, tied together with some simple jute string. She even made those string tassels on the bag which I'm totally in love with.

Such a clever concept and they look far more expensive than what they would actually be to make. This is a great idea for a gift and you can adapt the idea to any type of baking treat. For example if you're friend likes rocky road, you could do the same thing, have all the ingredients ready and package it all lovely, only for them to put together.

The packaging itself is the cool bit. Liv has used regular bits and pieces that you would probably consider to be rubbish; a small brown box left over from a mug she purchased, the old string bag from buying a bag of mandarins etc. It's really the ultimate in recycling.

Today I made the apple and spice sweet scones and they're just lovely. I'm looking forward to trying the traditional lemonade ones next. Apparently the recipe has come from Livvys Nanna who has been baking scones using that method for decades.

Above is the pretty "styled" pic of my scones, below is the "real" picture of my scones....going into my tummy at a rapid rate (smothered in my home made apricot jam)! Haha, they were awesome and I especially liked the cinnamon and sugar topping, sooooo good.

The "Nesting" Starts Again - Sorting Out My Spice Box

I'm always looking for better storage and organisation, that's just me (a little bit of a tidy freak). I remembered from a TV interview AGES ago, Donna Hay (celebrity chef) saying that she organises her spices in alphabetical order. Considering my spice box looked like a HUGE mess, I stored her little tip upstairs for "ron".

When I went to the op shop earlier this week, I found an old plastic file which had all the alphabetical tabs for a whole $2...bargain! 

Unfortunately I got about 4 packets of spice filed in the former office box before I realised it wasn't going to be big enough to hold all of them. Instead I decided to use an old CD box I had along with the alphabetical tabs.

The sandwich bags are to put the opened packet of spices into so they don't spill everywhere.

I chose to tip some of the jars of spices into the sandwich bags too as it was less bulky that way.

Voila, a perfectly sorted spice box. Now I don't have to rummage through my old box looking for the spice I need.

I'd recommend you check the dates on your spices if you decide to do this too. I found that almost half of mine were well out of date. Guess what is on my shopping list this week, a whole lot of new spice packets!

It only took a few minutes to sort out my spices into perfect order which has given me that good old feng shui feeling. Four more weeks until this baby arrives, I wonder what else I can find to organise...

Blue Cafe, Launceston Tasmania

Blue cafe is a foodies delight that most of Launceston residents would have sampled before (more than once I suspect) so I have exciting news...Blue cafe has recently got a new menu and it's AWESOME! That said, I've only sampled the breakfast (twice) in the last month but both times it's been amazing. I'm keen to get back for lunch and try what is on offer.

Blue for those who are not familiar with it, is a cafe set on the Old Inveresk Tram site which is home to part of the University Tasmania campus and Launceston museum. It backs onto the show-grounds, the Mowbray cricket club and Aurora stadium to name another few major community hot spots that reside on the site.

It's a cafe that has always been consistent for good food and coffee but I have to say, this latest menu is my favourite so far. You see, when I go out for breckie, I want to eat something that I can't make at home. Blue has delivered on this front.

The decor is also a favourite of mine. The building is layers of old concrete but with the polished floors and loads of timber furniture, it has a warmth that you wouldn't expect.

Not only has the decor been carefully and perfectly put together, I love, love, love the platters that the meals arrive on, made from Tassie specialty timbers. Additionally they use lovely rustic ceramics to hold the sugar, salt and pepper which are from the local Tin Shed Pottery which is just a few streets over. It sells pottery from a bunch of talented locals and at really reasonable prices.

Today Roger had the loveliest jaffle/toastie stuffed with spicy beans and the eggs are soft boiled before being deep fried with a side of hollandaise sauce. YUM

I had a calzone stuffed with local Tassie ham and cheese (a calzone is like a soft pizza dough shaped into a pastie like shape), which had a fried egg and chilli relish on the side. It was to die for and so good that I have had it both times I've gone there from breakfast this month, I can't bring myself to try something else!

Overall, Blue cafe is the type of place that you don't feel like you have to cram into like sardines because there is plenty of space. It's sunny all day, the decor is gorgeous, there's always a newspaper to read but most importantly, you will ALWAYS have a really quality meal and not for an excessive price.

Blue cafe menu can be viewed at http://www.bluecafebar.com.au/ and the business is open 7 days for breakfast and lunch. Open twice a week for dinner (Friday and Saturday) and has a special drinks n nibbles menu for visitors after 3pm.

Locals, it's time to sample the new menu so get your butts down to the Inveresk precinct, you can thank me later. Visitors to Tassie, you won't be disappointed. Go discover why Tassie is considered one of the food wonders of the world!

Ewan's Bedroom Makeover, For the Third Time!

Once again, for the third time in the last 22 months, I've had to give Ewan's room a semi makeover. Kids grow so quickly I'm realising, there's this constant requirement to evolve in some way or other!

Recently Ewan decided he didn't want to sleep in his cot any more (and was waking me in the night as a result) so after a quick trip to the local sleep shop, we had a new mattress but not a bed. The reason for this is that I'd like a really nice set of bunk beds which will be suitable for both Ewan and the new baby (when he's big enough) but after a bit of research I've realised the shops don't stock what I envisage in my head and it's possible that Roge is going to have to make me what I want (sorry honey, another job to add to the list!).

So with that in mind, but still lacking a bed (to use temporarily until bunks come into fruition), I did my usual ask around the family and search in the free classifieds. I came up with a very boring, entirely daggy but completely suitable (for now), single pipe-line bed.

The reason I wasn't entirely worried about having a less than fashionable bed (given that I tend to like nice home wares and furniture) is that I knew that the doona cover I wanted for Ewan would totally steal the show and no one would even notice the ho hum bed it was on. Yet again, I made a purchase from one of my favourite designers, Orla Kiely, a UK home wares designer and creator of the bedding I have on my own bed as well as numerous bags I own.

At approx. $100 and a 2-3 week wait for arrival from the UK, it was totally worth it in my mind. It is fun and colourful, just as a child's environment should be but not tacky or covered in children's cartoon figures (which I personally can not stand).

After a quick re shuffle of things he/we already had, Ewan's room now looks like a little boys room at a cost of $225 for the new mattress (an important investment), the bed was free, the linen was $100. It wasn't a total overhaul but still looks quite a bit different than before (baby room here and toddler set up here).

Ewan thinks he's pretty special being in a "big boy bed" now but more importantly (to me) is that he's sleeping through the night again, phew!

I'd also like to show you something which is related to this post. I originally was given this bed, a more traditional Queen Anne style set up which I could see had potential but I personally couldn't be bothered doing anything with.

I gave it away through the free classifieds and the lovely lady who picked it up sent me this "after picture" of what she had done with it for her Paris obsessed daughter. It looks fantastic and I was so chuffed that 1, she sent me a pic and 2, she had used her creativity to make such a wonderful bed for her daughter. It goes to show, you don't need a lot of money, just some love and imagination.