new year resolution & my dressing table finished...

Every new year I make some sort of new year's resolution.. and not long after it's totally forgotten about.

So this year I'm still making a new year's resolution and I'm going to try my damn hardest to stick to it!

So what is it? you may ask.. well it's actually something I read on Houzz.com
....... to follow your heart.... not trends, when it comes to decorating.

So this year I'm not going to waste time worrying if this style goes with that style.. or if this goes with that etc...etc...etc...!  Nope, THIS year if I like it...and it MAKES ME SMILE ... then it's good enough for me!

and THAT is why I ended up painting my dressing table pink! I followed my heart and I'm so glad I did...

I added the applique's either side and painted them gold with a little white wash over the top to match the handles (which I think I've put on upside down!) I think gold and pink look so pretty together and gives it more of a grown up feel...

please excuse the reflection of my wardrobe.. we still have to put doors on that..

I had purchased this little silver set to resell but I think it's definately a keeper  now!

well that's it..not for everyone but I just love it and it's the first thing I see every morning.... this is just the start of my bedroom makeover so I'll post about it as I go as it may take a while.

take care, maryann

ps.. if you scroll down you'll see the before!

joining Kim at Savvy Southern Style for 'wow us wednesday'

and Cindy at My Romantic Home for 'show and tell friday'

getting my mojo back... finally!

Firstly I just want to wish you all the best for 2013! I had a great Christmas and new year visiting family .. it's always so nice when we all get together.

So the new year has started and I feel that I am ready to get started too!

.....on projects that have been sitting in the shed for way too many years...
the first of which is this dressing table in all its glory, filth and all.. which I purchased from vinnies (goodwill shop) 6 yrs ago..

this will be going in my bedroom..which I want to be all shabby and romantic...

but... I can't decide whether to play it safe and stick to white or go for pink ..(which is what I really wan't to do)... here it is all undercoated,primed and sealed and will post pics as soon as it's finished.

I am also making a girl's bedroom set for a lovely lady who is expecting her 2nd little girl in April. I made a set for her first daughter a few years ago and was delighted that she contacted me again.  Here are some of the fabrics I will be using as she wanted me to throw in some raspberry/red into the mix of greens and pinks.

You know, it has been a very long time that I have felt a desire to do anything creative.. I am coming out of the other side of menopause and cannot believe how it has affected my moods for the last few years. Looking back now I wish I had taken steps into looking for some sort of relief, as I can handle the hot flashes and crying at the drop of a hat, and the silly mood swings... but for it to affect my passion for creating and doing what I love... was more than what I expected.

Thankfully, that is nearly all behind me now and I am excited to get back into it and catch up on everything that has been sitting there waiting for me to finish.

Hopefully 2013 will be a good year, full of creativity and surprises... I can only hope!!

take care ladies.... Maryann

colour my kitchen..

Well Christmas is just round the corner. Decorations are up and most of the shopping is done.  However, ever since finding these curtains (here) most of my focus seems to be on my kitchen!

I  love the pretty colours and the vintage/retro look they have about them but after putting them up I took them down again as I was undecided whether I wanted to keep them or not. I was already in the process of trying to frenchify my kitchen so keeping these curtains would mean more changes...

But... I have decided to keep them as the colours just make me happy. Even Lisa said the kitchen looks pretty with them, so that coming from a 19 yr old means a lot.

Lisa with her phone, ofcourse. This is what she wears these days to preschool! 

 Here I was playing around with odd lace curtains and trying to get a french theme happening with what I had to help me decide which way to go. I removed alot of the pink.

But this is what it looks like now....with all the colour back..PLUS a little more..

  I added this blue pie dish  (on special from hs home) and blue striped teatowel and as luck would have it that weekend I went to a local market and came across this vintage fan in.. would you believe..... blue!  perfect to mix in with all my pinks and greens. 

As you can see I am going for a very colourful kitchen in lots of pastels and some bolder colours too, in a mix of vintage, retro, shabby or whatever else comes my way.



I threw in a raspberry teatowel too (which I happened to have) to pick up the colour in the curtains and so as not to just have baby pinks.

I took the kettle out of this pic but left the base..(couldn't be bothered unpugging it!) all the wires are behind the bread box and the topiary hides the power outlet. (otherwise called bad planning of where you want the power outlet so now we have to hide it!)

 It's pretty old too.. think it's time to get a new one and with all the pretty colours on the market these days and the retro look making a come back, I don't think it will be hard to find one.

Hey, who's been eating my biscuits!! wink! wink!

I put some of my pretty cups and saucers back on the shelf. I love my vintage fan and it works brilliantly too!

Ofcourse I still have a lot of tweaking to do, especially in the shelves above the stove. I can never seem to find something I really like to put in there. I was on the lookout for wicker baskets but trying to find the right sized ones is impossible. 

Anyway, my dining room is looking a little bland and unbalanced now ( which is what happens when you start changing things!!) so I am seriously thinking of painting either the hutch itself or the wall behind it in a pale blue/torquoise colour.

You know even though I've changed my kitchen for now it doesn't mean I won't change it again! I suppose when you love decorating you can't help it. They say variety is the spice of life and I love variety!

take care,

Maryann

a little hutch redo...

Well call me crazy but I changed a few things round in my kitchen (which you will see very soon) which led to a few changes on my hutch.
this is how it was in  my last post....

I ended up moving my urns into the kitchen and replaced them with pink ones and now it looks like this...

I added a vintage crocheted runner, a silvery mirror, a ribbed bird cloche and some vintage salt and pepper shakers.. changed over the pines to faux flowers.. and to add to the xmas cheer just a handful of pink baubles.... quite a different look but much softer which I'm lovin' and sort of goes better with what's on my sideboard.

ok Ill be showing you my kitchen once I upload all the pics,

bye for now

Maryann

senseless....

We were on our way to hubby's work xmas party when I heard on the radio. I couldn't believe it, not again, not another senseless massacre.
I literally felt sick in the stomach. I couldn't help but imagine.. what if that had been my daughter trying to save those poor innocent young children? She works in a childcare centre and even though we are across the other side of the world... it was too close to home.

If there is ONE THING that I cannot stand and literally LOATH is the victimisation of children in any shape or form.

My heart weeps for these children and brave teachers who went to their aid.
My heart goes out to their parents, family and friends.

I ask myself why did this happen? It makes me so bloody angry! What triggered this 20yr old to kill his mother?  What son would shoot his mother for no reason? Was she the bitch from hell?  Maybe yes, maybe no.  Either way, I don't care.
Innocent lives should not have been taken.

Unfortunately we live in a world where there is evil amongst the good. I pray to God to help these families get through this tragedy and to give them the strength to carry on.

  

Vanilla Kipferl...

Thought I'd do a little baking today and I had been wanting to do this biscuit recipe for ages. I tried it the other week and promised myself never to make them again... as they are waaay to yummy to stop at just one....but being Christmas and all ya'know .. you never know who might pop in!
This biscuit is light and has a lovely vanilla and almondy flavour with the sweetness of icing sugar on top. They look so lovely as it looks like snow! Shame it's the middle of summer here!  anyhow...this is what they look like in my book...

now you can follow the above method or...

you can just throw all your ingredients in the mixer like I did.. too easy!

now we're not looking for perfection here.. thank goodness they get dusted with icing sugar!

picked up this cookie jar a couple of weeks ago for just $8.





how fancy do they look in the jar.. nice enough to give as a gift..

I cut the ribbon a little shorter here so you can see the biscuits better.

ENJOY!

take care,

Maryann

ps. I doubled the quantity to fill up the jar.