Fridays Letters - Dear Bus People

I'm playing along with Ashley from Adventures of Newlyweds and this week's Fridays Letters link up party, why don't you join in the fun and write some letters to! 

I'm going back in time this week and imagining I'm writing this weeks letters from this simple retro set up, tapping away on this blue typewriter and sipping from my fluro pink teacup
 

Dear Bus People - When there are empty seats on the bus why oh why do you feel the need to sit next to me? Grrrrrr.

Dear Yellow Shiny Things - I see you and I have to buy you. Espresso cups, a vase and rose stud earrings have made it home with me this week. 

Dear Interior Design Course - The course began this week and I'm so excited to be learning something I have such a passion for.

Dear Exterior Painting - Fourth weekend in a row we will be spending outside painting painting and painting some more. If only there was a classic cream nail polish I wouldn't have to keep reapplying my fluro pink nails!

Dear Lotto - $20 million up for grabs on Saturday! If I win it's my dream to get a round the world ticket flying business class ... Pick me Pick me!

[Image via my Pinterest]

 

 

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Holiday Fashion and Shopping Sprees

I'm about a month away from my cruise holiday and have found it a bit hard shopping for Summery outfits whilst the Winter and Spring fashion is in the shops here.

I did manage to find some cute yellow shorts from Forever New and I'm loving their new Tropical Paradise collection ... It would be a dream come true to win a shopping spree in this store!

Mainly my shopping list is for summery dresses and shorts and cute tops for the day time and cocktail dresses for the evening and I'm still on the hunt for ...

A pair of flat sparkly sandals

A hat to keep the sun off

A few more evening dresses

What is your dream store to win a shopping spree in?


[All images via Forever New]

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Picking An Interior Design Course

I've finally bitten the bullet and enrolled in an Interior Design Course 

I've just filled a new pencil case with my bits and pieces and getting excited about doing some study after 17 years ... I was always a nerd when it came to studying I love it!

Last year I went to a couple of 3 hour seminars at the Home Ideas Centre, one on Interior Design and the other on Kitchen Design which I found really useful (even though I haven't started on the kitchen renovation yet) I have all my notes ready to go!

Just last month I went to the School of Real Living / International School of Colour and Design colour masterclass I posted about here and here. This was the light bulb moment for me that I really do have a desire and passion for getting into Interior Design.

So I've been looking into a long course that I can do, rather than just short information sessions. I don't want to quit my day job of office management, but I do want to learn more about what I love to do in my renovating and decorating.

The International School of Colour and Design have an iStyle Colour Course that I was tempted by but as it's based in Sydney it would be by correspondence for me in Perth which I fear will be harder as I won't have the interaction with fellow home lovers and teachers and might lose the motivation to finish it.

The courses run by Tafe etc are a bit too full on for me, I don't want a degree from it or to make a living from it, I just want to learn some skills and get more confidence to renovate and decorate at home.

So the course I have chosen is run by Home Base Expo in Subiaco and is held 1 night a week over 6 weeks and the cost is $300. It covers all aspects of Interior Design - reading house plans, floors, lights, kitchen/bathroom/laundries, storage, colour, decorating etc.

I think it will give me a good insight into the different areas of Interior Design and help with my renovations as well as if I build a home from the ground up which may well be on the cards in the future.

The course starts tomorrow I'll let you know how it goes

[Images via my Pinterest here and here] 

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Recipe: Man Soup - Sausage and Barley Soup

I was determined to use the last of the shrivelling carrots I found in my fridge and whatever I could find in the cupboard and freezer to make a big pot of hearty soup this weekend. With Mr P and the electrician working outside and wanting lunch I thought I'd make a Man Soup and add some spicy Italian sausages I had in the freezer and lots of beef stock and red wine ... definitely more appealing for the men in the house!

This soup I whipped up is thick and hearty and full of flavour and was perfect paired with a loaf of freshly baked garlic and herb bread from my bread maker and slathered in butter .... yummo!

Sausage and Barley Soup
Prep: 30-45 minutes and Cooking time: 4 hours

1 onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
3-4 mild Italian sausages, thinly sliced (or any flavoured sausages you like)
1 large tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbs tomato paste
6 cups beef stock
1-2 cups of water
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup pearl barley

Handful of fresh oregano and parsley, chopped (or 1 tbs dried mixed herbs if you don't have fresh)

Put the pearl barley in a pot of water and boil for 30 minutes (or soak overnight if you're organised) rinse well in cold water until ready to use

Heat oil in large soup pot on low-medium heat

Cook onion, carrots and celery, stirring until soft

Add the chopped sausages and cook, stirring until brown

Add a tin of tomatoes and the tomato paste

Pour in approx 6 cups of beef stock, 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of red wine

Stir and season well with freshly cracked pepper and salt

Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to low and leave to cook for about 2.5-3 hours until it thickens and flavours

Add the pearl barley and cook for a further 30 minutes. The pearl barley will suck up the liquid so you may need to add more water or stock if it gets too thick

When ready, stir through fresh herbs and season to taste

Ladle into soup bowls, grate parmesan cheese on top and serve with some crusty buttered bread

[Images my own]

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Fridays Letters - Dear Black Leather Boots

I'm all out of energy as Friday rolls in this week and plan to relax as much as possible this weekend (ok between renovating cleaning and cooking of course!)

I'm playing along with this weeks Friday's letters with a big thanks to the host Ashley from Adventures of Newlyweds who is still hosting this fun link up on her holidays - now Ash, go have some fun! 

I'm imagining I'm writing this weeks letters curled up in this armchair surrounded by my love of books and sipping on a fruit smoothie

Dear Black Leather Boots - With you on I can jump through puddles and still look like a lady ... will kind of! Thanks for keeping my toes warm and dry this winter.

Dear Electrician - This is the 3rd weekend you're coming to put the lights and power into the garage. I'm pretty sure you keep coming back for my cordial and chocolate slice so please just finish the job already!

Dear Olympics - Doing jumping jacks while watching the Olympics on TV has definitely pushed me to do more than I thought I could! The athletes are so fit and toned the perfect inspiration to work out too.

Dear Body - I know your getting worn out so I've upped the vitamins and owe you a full body massage and sleep in this weekend.

Dear Miss C - Sending me flowers at work this week for 'no reason' just because you are a lovely friend. Thanks so much those bright pink flowers are just what me and my office needed for some brightening up.

Dear Liebster Blog Awards - It felt so good to give a shout out to my favourite newbie blogs ... there are so many wondering bloggers out there writing their little hearts out and it's nice for them to know they are appreciated and loved!

[Image via my Pinterest]

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Ideas For Decorating The Entrance Wall

My house has a small entrance wall as you walk in the front door that really needs to be decorated and I've been putting it off as I wasn't sure what to do with it

This is the wall in question

If you turn right you walk into the Living Room

If you turn left you head down the Hallway

On the back of the entrance wall is my shoe and linen cupboards that I have wallpapered

So I was trawling through Pinterest (where else!) looking for ideas on how to decorate and I want it to make a statement when you walk in but to still blend with the other areas .... so here's what I've come up with

I was thinking about adding some metal wall art to the wall something with copper tones to match the art in the Living Room

Otherwise I was thinking of painting stripes on the wall as I absolutely love stripes to the point of being obsessed, but yet I haven't painted any yet (I have a lot of striped clothes though!). But I'm worried stripes will clash with the pretty patterned wallpaper around the corner and the bright colours in the Living Room

So then I had the brainiac idea of doing both - I could paint just one thick stripe to set off some wall art. It won't be as in your face when you walk in as a complete wall of all stripes might be and small wall art would make a statement without being dominating as you walk in the front door

I really like the thick stripe idea and would most likely use the same paint as I used on the media wall which is a deep charcoal grey

That way I'm getting my stripe obsession taken care of in one big thick go!

How is your entrance wall decorated?
Is it painted? Does it have art?

I'd love to hear about it!


[First 5 house images my own 
All other images via my Pinterest and can be found here  Metal art 1 and Metal art 2  - Multi stripe 1 and Multi stripe 2 - Stripe wall 1 and Stripe wall 2]

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Book Club: The Garden Of Eden By Ernest Hemingway

My July Book Club read was The Garden Of Eden By Ernest Hemingway

Our book club like to mix up the old classic books and new modern books so it was refreshing to have this book to read by the renowned writer Ernest Hemingway

This book is about a happily married couple on their honeymoon and the wife turns into a bit of a nutter and invites another woman into their lives. It is as disturbing as it sounds and you know it is going to end badly. Three is always a crowd!

I found the writing in this book very description and other times very vague, I never felt a connection with any of the characters as I didn't feel they gave enough away about themselves to get to know them.

I have read Hemingways The Old Man And The Sea in High School and know he is a brilliant writer but this book? I'm sorry it's a shocker! I dare say this one may never have made it to print if Hemingway was alive at the time it was published - this book was put together from his notes, cut down dramatically, and published some years after his death.

I would recommend this book to Hemingway lovers to see the other side of his writing style. I give this book 2 stars.

Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:

1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again
2 Not Good - I'd rather watch re-runs of Neighbours than read this again
3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either
4 Good - I'd pass up a pack of tim tams for this read
5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Johnny Depp for this read 


[Image via Booktopia]

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