various unrelated things

Skulls are everywhere at the moment aren't they? So hot right now. I've amassed this collection of grinning Tim Burton-esque spectres from bargain shops and eBay. Love them.

Here they are making an appearance with some more summer wardrobe staples. Many long, lazy layers are key.

My current favourite bed linens with His and Her embroidered pillowcases. Baby pulled the blue gingham curtains down this morning. I'm not sure if I should put them back up or if it's time to hang the mosquito nets for summer already. I've been pretending not to hear the first whines of nocturnal buzzing but I can't ignore them forever.

Is it weird that I sometimes photograph the food I make for Baby? I can't help it. I just think it looks so beautiful and appetising in its separate compartments. I know it's popular to deride the modern obsession with documenting tiny fragments of the mundane, especially if you blog about it. I think it's all feels very human though and I don't think it's anything new. History is littered with obsessive diarists, leaving lifetime long records of meals and weather reports and I've always been drawn to those stories. Blogging to me feels the same as my slavish teenage diary keeping. Like a summation, or a soundtrack.

Right now, whenever I lock the front door to go out with Baby in my arms we have to stop so he can ring the doorbell. It's just about the cutest thing ever and I want to eat his head when I watch how happy it makes him. I took this photo because he won't do it for very long and then I'll forget he ever did it at all.

I'm posting it online because, why not? There are millions of voices out there now in this vast empty space, why not murmur with them? I think that's rather beautiful too, and also very human.

I got quite introspective for a minute there, didn't I? Here's a photo of the Baby wearing funny glasses to restore the equilibrium.

Home rearrangements

The threat of impending visitors for Baby's birthday party last weekend was a wonderful motivator to have a good reorganise of some neglected corners of the house. Some of these projects have been on my 'do' list for ages so I'm feeling pretty happy with the way things look right now.

I painted this lamp base flouro pink and hung this red macrame hanger from the op-shop.

I'm a bit in love with this corner now.

I re-cushioned this lounge too.

New cushions and a slip cover for the chairs in this little ante room outside the kitchen. I did have a lot of neutral in here but I'm loving all the clashing patterns now.

New gingham bed curtains (op shop) and spotty linen cushion covers from Ikea for the bed. The tapestry pillows are both op shop too. I love a tapestry pillow, I'm always on the look out for more.

This is my office. I haven't done anything major in here but just generally shifted things about and reorganised. The whole room was turning into a tip with piles of paper and books everywhere. Tidy office, tidy mind.

I need to do something about desk my chair. That yellow fabric is just tied and stapled onto the chairs to disguise the ragged upholstery underneath and Baby tears it to pieces on a daily basis. Desk chairs are one of those pieces that feel like a big commitment though, so I become racked with indecision and cannot choose anything new.

More bed linen

After all that trendy nonsense in my last post here is the bed in the guest room. I like to stretch the limits of good taste in here by layering granny linens and patchwork until the bed can take no more pattern.

Keeping it classy. Don't you want to come and stay here?

Why yes, those are handmade chenille pillowcases.

Everything is op-shopped here except the lamp, which is from Target and the quilt on the wall, which is vintage but was acquired from Ebay.

Suzani bedspread

I've had this gorgeous Meicaxan suzani from Table Tonic for months now. It's been lurking in the cupboard, collecting dust and calling to me to get around to sewing borders on it so it would be large enough to use as a bedspread on our king sized monster.

I do think it looks extra gorgeous on the bed. Look at those colours.

Inspiration for the custom bedspread came from the Table Tonic blog. One of my faves.

Tablecloth bed linen

I've mentioned my love of bed linen, no?

The thing is, we have this completely ridiculous bed at the moment and it's very difficult to dress. There is a princess and the pea scenario that involves a tall, Indonesian, four poster bed frame with mosquito nets, with a King Sealy Posturepedic pillow top perched on top. Now, the netting is entirely necessary for summer nights in an old Queenslander sans flyscreens, and the mattress is heaven, but together they make for a very high, very wide bed that involves much clambering.

I had pretty much despaired of finding anything up to the task of disguising all the laptop cords and flashlights Husband insists on keeping bedside (why?) when I decided to throw my luxuriously large new tablecloth from Absolutely Beautiful Things on there.

Perfect, no?

I'm not sure if it will ever make it back to the table.

Op shop treasure

A peek at a few new op-shopping treasures from the Christmas / New Year break. Vintage manchester is a growing obsession of mine. It started out with the odd brocade bedspread and now my linen cupboard is overflowing with faxed florals and gingham. There's something about mismatched, old linens that gives me shivers of delight and making beds is one of my favourite things to do. Is that weird? Similarly, I'm all about blue and white crockery at the moment. This serving plate and jug have seen better days but I just love them to pieces.

Fading colours

Adore, adore, love the fading pinks on the cover of Jan/Feb 2012 Vogue Living. And that painted brick wall, and that green… so perfect. I want everything in that room. Matching up paint swatches of colour is something I've been playing with around the house lately.

This is our bed at the moment with op-shopped pillow slips.

This is the change table in Baby's room. I took this photo just before he was born, when I had the nursery all set up but before it was actually being used for anything. Which is why it looks so neat.

I did the paint swatch thing on the front of these ikea drawers using fabric, some thin quilt batting and my trusty staple gun.