Christmas round up.......

Gee I love Christmas......always have; but especially being a Mum of two little angels makes it even more special!

This year was Lila's first Christmas and must admit I didn't go all out like I did with Noah's first - but it was just as special in my heart.

This year we tried a handmade Christmas, right down to the gorgeous Gingerbread Train Noah made and decorated, Brown paper packages tied up with string and a real tree!.  Here is our Christmas in pictures:

Here's hoping this is our last Christmas in our tiny tiny rental, and we get to celebrate the next one in our beautiful new home! I hope yours was as wonderful as mine!  xx

 

The Princess and the Pirate!

My gorgeous daughter will be turning 1 on Australia Day. I can't believe how quick this year has gone.  The day we found out we were pregnant - is the day we bought our block of land.  And now we are just about to start building.  It feels like a lifetime has passed in between.

I am looking forward to throwing her and my son a joint 1st and 4th birthday party.  I have decided on a Princess and Pirate theme  But anyone who has children born just after Christmas knows you have to plan their birthday parties early to make sure you're organised.  After Christmas it is hard to source just about everything.

I have decided to try my hand at making all the decorations, and today I practiced my first tissue paper pom pom.  Ohhhh they look fab! 

I can just imagine them all in pinks, white, red and black all dangling from the ceiling and above the gorgeous Lolly Buffet I have planned.

I am hoping it will all come together a little like this:

Keep you posted!

 

We have a permit!

Our Building Permit has been issued!  WOOOOOHOOOOO! Que an Elaine Dance!

We will have a meeting next week with our Site Supervisor Heath to sign off our Final Plans and hopefully talk a start date.  All systems are a go!

 

A Handmade Christmas!

Since my husband and I decided I would stay home with the kids until they go to school, we have understandably had to alter our lifestyle.  Gone is the ability to buy without thought, and discard without a care.  Although initially this concept terrified me - I have to say, I really believe it has been good for the soul.  I feel I have connected with a side of myself I may never have known.  I now make and bake constantly - I have become a real domestic godess! I re-use, re-purpose and recycle with some stunning results to my interior.

This year my son and I decided we would try our hand and the most home and handmade Christmas possible.  Our first venture has been Clay Gift Tags.  I adore them and they are so simple:

All they are is any air dry clay (you can buy from a $2 Shop), rolled out on baking paper and cut with cookie cutters or hand shaped.  I had some stamps at home and even rolled an old doily over some for texture.

I have decided our next step, is to stamp some brown craft paper with Christmas stamps (we might even try  making some from potatoes) to make our own personalised wrapping paper.

I can't wait to see all the kids presents tied up with these and some jute string or bakers twine - I think they will all look fabo!

I'll keep you posted with some picks.  By the way - Merry Christmas to all - even if I am a little early xx

 

How I love a little Vintage........

Gorgeous Melbourne Sunday it was - we decided to take a day trip with the kiddies down to Tyabb.  We happened upon the 'Vintage Shed;' a longtime favourite place to source a unique bargain.

I have been looking for a retro fan for a while but couldn't find one quite right, and then low and behold there it was. And just around the corner a cute milking stool for my daughters room and some awesome shoe lasts. I have developed a bit of a fondness for vintage shoe lasts and thinking I might continue to add to my small collection.  You have to agree they are all gorgeous!

 

Contracts Tick!

Last night we signed our contracts with the builder.  I didn't realise what a relief it would be!  It has been such a long time in the making; since we first decided to sell our home in April 2010 until October 2011; and we haven't even started building.  They are ready to apply for the permit - which could take a few weeks, and then ready to start a few weeks later.  Hopefully by the end of November we will start to turn some dirt!

 

It's been a while........

Well we finally have approval from the Developer and our 'Dream Home' can go ahead - at least a little ahead. 

Now we are in the process of finalising all the Working Drawings with the builder, the Energy Rating and Engineering - hopefully these will be completed by the end of the week and we can move onto final contracts.

After that - we go for our permit with a private surveyer (Thank God not the council!).

Everything is baby steps where this building business is concerned!  Just can't wait to turn some dirt!

 

The waiting game.........

It's been a while - we have been 'toing and froing' with the developer regarding our plans.  They want us to make a few changes.  Initially they wanted us to vastly alter the facade.  But after some good diplomatic work on my behalf we are able to use our original facade with some minimal changes.

The plans are with the architect at the moment for him to alter - once done we can resubmit and hopefully the approval process is smooth (and quick!).

Meanwhile, I went to my very first Magnolia Square market a few weeks ago.  How beautiful was everything!  It really inspired me to start getting creative again. I bought my daughter the most adorable prints for her new room from PrintSpace. Can't wait to decorate her room they are just gorgeous!

I've also bought her the most lovely Sheridan bedlinen from an outlet near us. What a bargain!



Here's hoping my next post is about the approval and when my builder can start!

 

Plans submitted to the developer and a change of exterior colours...........

Finally things seems to be moving - albeit very slowly!

We held the builder up a bit by having a sudden change of heart about our external colours.

We have decided that we are in lurve with the Austral Zinc Brick! We have decided to use the Zinc Brick to our front facade and then the Boral Storm Brick to the remainder of the house:

 

To go with the darker brick we have changed our downpipes to Colorbond Woodland Grey:

Our Roof, Gutter and Fascia will remain Colorbond Shale Grey:

We will behaving two contrasting renders to the porch fascia and columns on the facade in Haymes Night Moves and Phantom:

We have also changed our Garage Door to Colorbond Caoba Dawn:

 I love the new scheme! I was worried the old one was too brown (and I'm not a fan of brown!)

The new scheme and finalised plans have been submitted for the developer to approve.  Once this happens (hopefully quickly!) we can move onto working drawings and contracts.

Bring it on!!!!!

 

We finally own our little piece of Australia!

This is how I currently feel!

After 1 year and 15 days the land we bought at auction finally belongs to us!

Now to start building........

 

Inspiring rooms........

Now that settlement is almost here, I can't stop myself dreaming about bringing the dream into a reality.  I am now spending countless hours trolling through my Home Beautiful's and Vogue Living for inspiration.  Here are some rooms I just love:

Great news! We have a settlement date!

Finally we have been given a settlement date - June 20 we will finally own a little piece of Australia once again!

Can't wait - let's just hope it all starts falling into place quickly!

The knitted pouffe....how cool are these?

I love these! I don't know why, but I saw one on the cover of last months Home Beautiful and have fallen in love!  I think I might even start a collection - is that slightly mad?