She's Crafty

I made these for the bedroom which really needs some more spashes of red.

They were super cheap and easy to make. Just picked up some shiny silver card and cut it to fit the frames, stuck on the chipboard buttons and whola! Doesn't really matter what's in the frames you can't stop looking at that high gloss red it just screams LOOK AT ME when you walk past. The hard part is finding a spot for them. Got the drill out all ready to put them on the wall beside the wardrobe but they just didn't look right. Think they're a bit too small for a big wall, plus being on the side makes the wall look out of balance. So they're displayed on top of the tallboy for now.

Now what to put on the wall .... I'm thinking a large mirror. Black frame or Chrome. Hmmmmm it definately needs something! Ideas?

Cost breakdown:

Silver paper Spotlight    40c

Love square buttons Spotlight    $4

S&P Patent Frames Myer    $22

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It's got to be P.E.R.F.E.C.T

The study/craft room is finished!
Horray!!
Horrah!!!

Its all freshly painted and waiting patiently to be filled with furniture odds n bobs. I’m pretty sure we’re getting more fussy with each room. It had to be P.E.R.F.E.C.T. The ceiling was sanded and painted, the window and door frames were sanded and got an undercoat and 3 coats of white (see what I mean), the walls were painted with 2 thick coats of Mountain Peak and the floorboards got filled, sanded and coated with Tung Oil and then recoated again in the places that the oil didn't take to until it was P.E.R.F.E.C.T! Hung up some shiny silver blinds and we are done and done.

Now just to wait for the floors to completely harden so can move the furniture in. Takes a few days but better than to scratch the now P.E.R.F.E.C.T floorboards. Will show some before and afters once I've set it up nice n pretty. For now will share some of our tricks of the trade ...

This is the lazy mans paint stirrer - you just attach it to a drill and let it do the work. Yes that colour did turn into grey eventually! Cost about $5 from Bunnings

And this is what you do when you have to paint again in a few hours or even the next day. Bugger washing out the roller, just wrap it in gladwrap and stick it in the fridge and it stops the paint from drying out. Cool hey!

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Hot Tip

If your varnishing the floorboards in the freshly painted study with super stinky Tung Oil and then shut the door and windows so no dust falls onto said glistening wet floorboards then DO NOT turn on your gas heater! Why?

 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 

We couldn't work out why our brand new heater was letting off a strong kerosene smell each time it was turned on. So making use of the 5 year warranty we rang the friendly folk at Rinnai and spoke to 3 people who all asked the same question "Have you been renovating, using paints etc". Turns out the gas heater will emphasise any chemical smells in the house and as we'd been painting all weekend + doing the floors = yes this combination was definately a problem.

So the solution? Open all the windows and doors for the cold wintery winds to blow through and let the fresh air in and the chemicals out. Problem solved after about 3 days. Now back to cranking up that heater even more to warm the now freezing house back up again!

Probably common sense, but these little things seem to stump you at the time. Just another misadventure in the Jarrah Jungle!

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Real Living

On the same date every month I race home and check the mailbox. Excited like a kid waiting for a letter from Santa. I eagerly walk towards the little white mailbox straining to see whether that glossy plastic wrapper sticking out is just junk mail or ... wait ... opens lid ... YES my Real Living magazine has arrived!

I cannot wait to race inside, rip off the wrapper, pour a wine, put my feet up and drool over this months glossy pages. A magazine subscription is a great gift for someone (or yourself). It's the gift that keeps on giving!

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Flowers

 

Wouldn't this be nice to wake up to on your bedside table?

Wouldn't this be nice to walk out to on your dining table?

 Yes, I thought so too!

Images via Melanie Acevedo for Domino and House Beautiful Pin It Now!

It's Raining

Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain ~ Author Unknown

Image via Photobucket

Life is like a rainbow. You need both the sun and the rain to make its colors appear ~ Author Unknown

Image via Photobucket

  

Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby ~ Langston Hughes

Image via LayoutSparks

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Feng Shui Money Plant

Let me introduce my latest addition that's going to make me rich I tell ya rich!

My fav Kiwi friend gave me this Feng Shui Money Plant so if it helps me win lotto I'll owe her a shopping spree to Supre! Ok so back to the plant. Feng Shui says put it near the front door to draw in the positive energy for good luck, wealth and happiness.

It's sitting pretty now, but I do have a history of suicidal house plants so hopefully Feng Shui looks after this one.

Grow my pretty grow!

[Image my own]
 

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MYO Oil

Ever choose wine by the look of the bottle? I do! This one I got from Dan Murphy's for $10 and it had a Spanish Sangria (party punch) in it. Mum and I share a liking for sweet and fruity so didn't hesitate to bring it out when my folks were over for dinner this week. 

The bottle was too nice to throw away so decided it'd make a good oil bottle. Cleaned off the label, rinsed it with white vinegar (the other white spirit!), threw in some peeled cloves of garlic, shiny red chillis and sprigs of thyme and topped it up with some good quality olive oil.

Give it a few days and the flavours will come together nicely AND it looks good too. It'll be tasty in stir frys ... What else would you cook with it?

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Motivate me Yellow

To motivate me to start prepping the craft/study room so we can paint I'm looking at all the gorgeous yellow things I'd like to fill it with ... Some practical and some just for fun!
 

Yes ok that worked will be filling and sanding this weekend no excuses!

[Images via Real Simple, Anthropologie &  Etsy ]

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