Photo Challenge - Day 13

"Yourself with thirteen things"

Technically I am in the photo... there is a photo of me pregnant with the Captain in amongst those items!  All the items that I have chosen are cherished:

1. My bed (it somehow manages to look prisitne amongst the chaos of renovating!)

2.  Tolix stool (if only it was vintage... one day, some day I will have a set of vintage Tolix chairs and stools)

3. Fresh flowers in jam jars (they make me happy, look beautiful and remind me of my wedding day).

4. & 5.  I collect vintage children's books and I have way too many of these old Enid Blytons. Yes, I have some complete collections.  I started collecting them as a small child.

6.  See there I am... photo taken the day before I had The Captain.   Edited to keep things decent.

7.  iPad.  I used to loathe it, it's growing on me.

8. Current favourite sunglasses.  Husband gives me such a hard time about them, he reckons I am trying to relive my youth.  I asked him what he would like to do for his 50th.

9. My watch.  My father gave it to my mother for her 21st birthday, they in turn gave it to me.  It is 43 years old, doesn't need a battery and is still going strong. 

10. Frog.  Picked him up in a tiny little gallery outside Canberra when I was at university.  He has lived on the kitchen window sill in every house I have lived in over the past 18 years.  He even survived a break in.

11. & 12.The outfits the boys wore home from hospital. 

13.  A drawing the Captain did when he had just turned four.  It is of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, drawn from a photo.

Photo Challenge - Day 12

It has been raining in Sydney for days now.  The chance of my capturing a sunset on the camera is slim...  I had to improvise with this photo.  Taken on this night!

And a huge thank you to Julia for making my lovely new header!  I would never have been able to do it despite having a few people try and explain it to me!  Thanks Julia!

Bathroom vanity plans....

I am interrupting the photo challenge for a quick renovation update, more specifically a bathroom vanity update!  Hours of research have gone into the vanities which may help to explain why I am so excited about them!  Over the years I have saved many images, filed carefully away in my home inspiration folder.  Unfortunately, I neglected to save where I sourced them from. If any of the following images are yours (or if you know who they belong to) please, please let me know and I will credit those appropriate immediately! 

When husband and I went to look at bathroom supply places we found lots of sinks that we liked, some taps that we liked... but not a single vanity.  Even the ridiculously expensive, high end vanities left us cold.  We really wanted something that had a beach house feel and didn't look too modern, but there wasn't really anything in that bracket.  After looking through all the images that we had saved and flicking through our extensive home magazine collection we started to get a feel for exactly what it was we wanted, plus I found this vanity that another blogger had had her husband whip up:

As you do, what a handyman!

I wish I could find her blog again to credit her, as her gorgeous vanity and the vanity that she identified as being her inspiration:

became our inspiration and it was these images that we showed to the various cabinet makers.  I investigated wood vs stone benchtops, 120 year old Kauri Pine vs recycled hardwood and after much deliberation decided to go with a laboratory style basin on a recycled hardwood base.  I decided against a stone top as I love the look of the wood top:

 The basin is just balancing on top at the moment as the plumber hasn't done the waste yet or installed the taps but you can get an idea of how it will look.  I had intended to put a couple of small cane baskets on the shelf below to store towels/bathroom bits and pieces in but I grabbed one of my vintage wine press baskets, as it was close, and now I love the look of it on the bottom shelf. 

Many thanks to the lovely Rupert at Beachwood for making sense of a couple of photos and creating a vanity that we are beyond thrilled with!

`

Photo Challenge - Day 11

"Something blue"

Apologies for the interruption in service!  It has not stopped raining in Sydney for the duration of the long weekend and we have C.A.B.I.N.F.E.V.E.R!  Back to the photo challenge though, I found these gorgeous Eric Carle flash cards at an Op Shop the other day and I have been trying to decide what to do with them.  I am leaning towards framing them and hanging them in the new playroom...

or should I just leave them as flashcards and let the boys play with them?  

They are so pretty that either way they will be well loved!

Photo Challenge - Day 10

"Childhood Memory"

These photos were indeed a challenge.  It is very hard to photograph old photos in 1980s photo albums...

In 1983, I was 10 years old and we lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. During our time in KL we often went camping on the islands off the coast of Malaysia.  My absolute favourite trip was the time we camped on Pangkor Island.  On one side of the island there was a bunch of big resorts, the other side though just had a couple of thatched huts and was relatively untouched.  That's where we camped!  To get out to the island we loaded up a Malay fishing boat and hired the "Captain" to take us out to the island. Remember my fascination with pirates and how as kids we were all desperate to be attacked by "real" pirates... well, in the above photo, the pile of luggage you can see there, that is where we were supposed to hide ourselves if we were actually attacked!  Ha, those in charge (the parents) obviously had no idea!  Luckily, we never crossed paths with any real pirates, much to our bitter disappointment at the time though!

That is 10 year old me in the "kitchen" hut! 

Me, my brother and our friend Sean (his parents were with the American Embassy) exploring the lagoon set back from the beach.  We spent most of our holiday playing around this lagoon.

Fishing in the lagoon.  Tom (Sean's brother) at the front, my brother in the water and me at the back. Not sure where we got those rods from, I am guessing we made them.

There was a dead palm tree hanging over the water of the lagoon.  Somehow we scaled it and then dropped into the water.  I recall this as being fabulously fun, looking at this photo though I think I might have been a bit uncertain about the whole thing!

My brother looking much more confident!

We took a little inflatable Zodiac with us to explore and also to pick up fresh food and water.  I can remember snorkelling at this beach and finding lots of bits of old china that had washed up from shipwrecks.

A truly wonderful holiday and I am forever grateful to my parents that they had the courage and the trust to take us on a holiday like this and leave us to pretty much do as we pleased without any intervention.  Yes, we all nearly drowned... but I will save that story for another blog post.

Photo Challenge - Day 9

"Someone you love"

Most of the time they love each other...

Please boys, continue to love and care for each other...

it will make your mother happy.

Photo Challenge - Day 8

"A bad habit..."

As you can see by the current state of our kitchen husband and I have our priorities sorted out! 

Our beloved Vibienne Domobar Super is the one thing we have ensured is always available and operable throughout this renovation.  Mr Vibi produces superb coffee, often far superior to the rubbish served up in many cafes.  Our beans of choice vary (favourites include Campos and Caffe Di Gabriel) but they must be freshly ground in Mrs Pavoni, the coffee grinder.  There is a Mr Pavoni coffee machine, he was our first.  A gift from my parents for my 25th birthday, They purchased him from a tiny shop on the Cinque Terre and carried him back in their hand luggage.  Are they my enablers?  Anyway, he holds a special place in my heart and thus is still enjoying his retirement Chez Pirate. He lives in relative luxury, in his original box.  As much as I loathe clutter I can't quite bring myself to pass him on.  He still produces a very decent coffee! Our other past love, Mr Gaggia, is enjoying a sea change at the beach house.  As you can see we take our bad habit seriously.

Photo Challenge - Day 7

"Fruit"

I don't even know where to begin with how much I love fruit... I begin every day with coffee, which is a sort of fruit beverage, sort of... well the seeds of the fruit anyway!  I snack on fruit all day long.  My children adore it.  It is the main ingredient of some of my other favourite beverages... lemon tea, champagne and Pimms (gin based, so juniper berry!).  When I thought about today's challenge though, the first thing that came to mind was Richard Scarry.

His wonderful, brilliant and timeless illustrations heavily feature fruit... (as well as the anthropomorphic animals of course!)

 

Who can forget Mario, the Venetian Gondolier who has a melon boat? (Busy, Busy World)

or Bananas Gorilla?

Mr. Scarry, the world is a better place for your fabulous books.  You have inspired countless children to learn to read and generations of children adore the enchanting characters that you created.

All images are photos from books currently in the Chez Pirate Library, many of which date back to the 1960s.

Photo Challenge - Day 6

"From a low angle"

We stopped off at the playground on our way home.  He started  off dressed like this.  By the time he got to the top he had discarded his blazer and cap... Did anyone else read Richmal Crompton's brilliant William books? 

Clearly, the Captain's school uniform assists with the resemblance, but their personalities are uncannily similar as well.  I need to start doing yoga or something.

Photo Challenge - Day 5

"From a high angle"

Who am I kidding... I look at everything from a high angle!  At 180cm tall I tower over many.  I snapped this photo only minutes ago when I went in to check on the little man.  Poor wee chap is sick at the moment so am a bit worried about him. He is tucked in with "big Richard" his lion, named after Richard the Lion Heart.  We also have a small Richard, but he is on an extended holiday down at the beach house at the moment. (I know, bad parenting moment # 792).  The Wind in the Willows sheets are vintage, they date back to a family holiday to the UK in 1980.  I adore them and are so pleased that my mother saved them for me.  Get well soon little man. 

Photo Challenge - Day 4

"Something green"

Green, in particular depression green, is one of my most loved colours.  As I was wandering around the house and garden today I spotted literally dozens of green things that I found beautiful and struggled to make a decision about what to photograph today.  In the end I took a photo of the top of my dresser.

Top of my dresser!

It was too hard to choose, between the green Carlton Ware bowls that I use to store my jewellery and beauty odds and ends in.  The tea cup with a splash of green that I store my bobby pins and hair ties in.  The milk jug full of camellias from the garden with their glossy green leaves and the green detail in the tiles on the back of the dresser...

Green is a magical colour.  It is fresh and wholesome and makes me think of new beginnings, I associate it with both land and water and ultimately it is a lovely soothing colour. 

Photo Challenge - Day 3

"Clouds"

The Captain and I love lying back on the trampoline and looking up at the sky through the leaves of the jacaranda tree.  We spot the sea plane flying to Cottage Point or back to Rose Bay, kookaburras, lorikeets, butterflies and the occasional cockatoo. The little guy just likes to run round and round in circles on it!

We have had so much rain in Sydney recently that I was fortunate to capture some clouds dancing across a rare bright blue sky. Even as I type this it is raining again...

Photo Challenge - Day 2

"What I wore"

Cardigan,  possibly my favourite item of clothing, frequently worn in the evening on the couch - Country Road

Peasant Blouse - Country Road

Singlet top, I love layering, (not that you can really see the singlet top in this photo, but for accuracy thought that it's presence should be noted)  - Petit Bateau

Scarf (our house is freezing!) - Country Road (can you tell I love their basics?)

Jeans - GAP

Shoes - very dusty Campers (have had this pair since university and they are still favourites!)

Accessory - the Captain's scooter (these scooters are so cool they deserve a blog post of their own one day!)

Location - the new living room (perfect for scootering in)

"What he wore"

Cargo's - Country Road (love their kid's clothes too....)

Vest - Baby Gap

T-Shirt - Hand me down

Model's own scooter!

Photo Challenge - Day 1

Two of my blog friends, (well Pen and I know each other in real life as our big boys are good mates), are doing this photography challenge and as I am a joiner (FF 2010) I am giving it a shot.  Nevermind that I know nothing about photography and don't even have an SLR or a DSLR!

I think it will be an interesting journey, and educational.  Today I discovered how to turn the screen around on the camera so that you can see yourself in-order to take a self-portrait.  There you go. Thankfully, husband didn't charge me the equivalent of a small countries GDP for this most recent tech call out. 

So, without further ado, Day 1's photo:

I am 38 years old and am practically blind in my left eye (hence squinty, not quite looking in the same direction, unruly left eye).  I rarely wear make-up, save for the occasional evening out! Make-up was one of my former job requirements so I am quite enjoying not wearing it now.  I usually wear my hair up, but have recently been making a bit more effort to wear it long.  I am trying to decide whether to cut it all off.

As the other girls are one day ahead of me, I will try and catch up and post a photo of what I am wearing today... if I can master the self-timer thingy!  Starting to regret not reading the camera instruction manual now as don't think husband will appreciate another needy phone call. Wish me luck!