SOO COLD IN MELBOURNE?? WHAT THA?? JUST DAGGIN AROUND!!

HI ladies...well after OUR LONG HOT SUMMER here in Melbourne...CANNOT believe the weather today..

cold...raining...YES RAIN!! wind...

as much as I know we need rain...(dams are just at 28%...lowest ever!)...BUT YUKKY...dont want cold weather..having to wear long pants/boots/coats/scarves...

NOT USED to that!! OH well... I better get used to it!!

SOO with the cold weather...the UPSIDE is one can cook quite HEARTY meals and not feel guilty about eating it!!

sooo am cooking a nice STEW with mashed potato for dinner...

PLUS I have just been very very slack...sitting on the couch ALL day..cross stitching..

I found this half completed cross stitch I must have started years & years ago....so AM now going to finish it...

ALONG with other projects..

I have always been into Cross stitch....(per my photos)..as well as embroidery etc...

MMM!! also feels like the knitting needles have to surface again!!

BUT hopefully....I will actually finish a project this winter...!!

sick of starting stuff and never quite finishing things..

ps...bought sooty a cute?? maybe ugly?? new toy to keep him interested...amused...he hasnt stopped playing with it all day...(small things amuse small little poodles minds....OHH that is a horrible thing to say about my HIGHLY intelligent TOY POODLE!!!).........

have a lovely week..

xx andrea

MY MUM...THE 86 YO INTERIOR DESIGNER? LIKE MOTHER.LIKE DAUGHTER??

Hi ladies...thought i would do a blog featuring my gorgeous 86 yo (nearly 87 yo mums house...and DADS of course)...

Mum & I & DAD of course!!! built this CUTE little two storey replica VICTORIANA some 15 years ago??

Way back then...mum & I were right into "VICTORIANA"...ANTIQUES...& MORE ANTIQUES...

I had my gift shop...with all my yummy goodies displayed on LOTS of antique furniture..

MUM had her art gallery upstairs featuring her favourite artist of the time...(per the 5th / 6th photos..."GERARD LANTS"...he depicted Victoriana women in various styles.....I have a HOUSE with lots of his paintings...they are actually very calming...

plus MUM has her house kind of FULL of them!!...

Soo this house is decorated with quite OVER the TOP fixtures...

light fittings...chandeliers in the toilet...with the heavy rose featured wallpaper....matching curtains..

Even the laundry has a kind of over the top light fitting...floral curtains with cream lace either side...

Rooms feature heavy duty RICH RAW silk curtains...swags..

the kitchen has beautiful architecural detailing...with the cabinets FULL of mums gorgeous MARY GREGORY...& other goodies.

(this is just a tiny snippet of mums house...but i think you get the drift!!)...

I LOVE the fact that MUM at nearly 87 yo...LOVES her house....FULL of her treasures...which she is always changing around....

AND it has a style which is really JUST HER!!

soo have just shown some photos of my MUMS HOUSE...

SOO in effect....I was into ALL this...BUT have toned down my house to be a bit more Practical/user friendly....should i say???

a bit more modern...with a LOT more FRENCH influence....

SOO I love mums house....she LOVES mine...

and are we ever satisfied..??? NO!! Mum always wants to repaint/re arrange her stuff....

WELL maybe I am wrong...maybe daughter is like MUM after all??? MMMMM!!

have a lovely weekend everyone..

xx andrea

MY BABY IS 20 YRS OLD...TIME LITERALLY FLIES!!

Hi ladies... CANNOT believe my little younger baby is turning 20 tomorrow...(18th april)...

BOY time really does fly when having FUN!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTIAN...

have just shown some photos...(sorry if a bit blurry but most are under glass frames etc)....age order is from left to right....the final one was taken tonight (17th april)...my little baby is now a "cool uni dude"

PLUS I had to include a photo of SOOTY..as he was CHRISTIANS 10th birthday pressie...!! so he is celebrating 10 yrs living with us...

THE BEST PURCHASE I HAVE EVER EVER made in MY LIFE...I LUV SOOTY!!!

and CHRISTIAN LOVES HIM!!!

ps....i did list a blog the other day...and went to edit the photo and the whole blog disappeared!!?? i have done this twice now...so if you look at my blog..and you left a comment on one thing...then it has gone back to another blog...SORRY!!

xx andrea

happy 20th birthday my GORGEOUS BOY!!..

EASTER SUNDAY..BUSY BUSY LADY!! & MANDARINS..yes!!!

Hi ladies...well I have to say it is an absolutely MAGNIFICENT day here in OLD MELBOURNE TOWN!! perfect sunshine..no wind..clear blue skies...PERFECTO!!

Well with all my "clan" away & or working...I am home doing MY STUFF!! (which i do enjoy).

I have quite a few things to say/talk about...soo shall do it in POINT form..per my uni days!! (MMM well that was some 30 odd years ago...)..

1...went shopping last Thursday..found these TWO lovely cushions from TARGET...match my upstairs decor perfectly...my 85 yo dad sits in this chair every day..reads the paper...people he knows drive past & toot him!! I sit at my EBAY table at the opposite end of the room ...at my lap top..doing my thing!!

2...also bought this lovely shabby chic..very heavy...white scrolly gorgeous mirror from target...just had to have it to put somewhere....not sure where yet..

3...Gave SOOTY a lovely little bath today...& gave him a nice brush....BUT he does become a grumpy little you know what??? does try to bite me...but then he soon regrets his actions & licks my hands beyond belief.!!!

4...Taking ebay stuff from one end of the house to the other...I should literally BURN off heaps of calories..as I list stuff on my computer at ONE end of the house...and then have to traverse A LOT of stairs from one end to the other!

5...went to the nursery & bought soil/bark/plants etc to try to make my BBQ deck area look a little better after the horrid summer..

6...put another faux display floral goodie on the table outside our master bedroom...think it looks a little better...

7...and MANDARINS are BACK!! & they do taste YUMMY for the start of the season...I hate to say...BUT I also LUV the skin!!??? and they only get better with winter approaching...

8...MY FRENCH CHIC prints...bought from IKEA about a year ago...I have to get them framed..as I do LOVE THEM...

9...FORGOT TO MENTION...i washed my doona cover...AND I CAN NEVER get it back on to look good...I have TWO BIG creases sticking out from my actual doona...Is it just me trying to do it alone..?? or is their a secret to placing your doona cover BACK over your doona and it looking good?? HELP...

okay...that is it...probably more than enough...& if it is all out of sequence re photos/story...my apologies...I try...BUT it never seems to work...grrrrrrr

xx andrea

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YES!! I FOUND THIS FRENCH BOOK I WAS AFTER..LAST ONE..& SOME FAKE FLOWERS? WHAT DO U THINK??

Hi again ladies...

HONEST!!! i wasnt planning on doing another blog quite soo soon after my last one..

BUT I FOUND the book I have been looking for...

"MADE IN FRANCE...cross stitch & embroidery in red..white & blue"...

YES!!! AND it is GORGEOUS...

So when I purchased the one & only copy the bookstore had..

RUSHED home..& luckily..WE have the BEST craft store here in williamstown.

I actually only went into it the other day to buy some wool to knit a scarf...

she used to have a little shop up the road..BUT has moved further ALONG THE ROAD!! and it is amazing!!

FULL of tapestries...MORE WOOL than I could imagine (and a lot of designer wool)..cross stitch kits..quilting material..you name it..SHE HAS IT!!

anyway...I went there all excited with my book...and purchased some nice soft cross stitch fabric...threads etc..

SO that is what I am working on this weekend..

PLUS i went to another shopping centre this morning..."HIGHPOINT"...and visited one of my ALL TIME fav shops..."PROVINCIAL HOME LIVING"...

they have about 13 stores in victoria..& I actually know the owners..(friends from school days etc)...SOOO I have to be brave & ask if i can photo this shop for interstate viewers..to show it on my blog...YOU girls would LOVE IT!!

HONESTLY...it is JUST GORGEOUS FRENCH PROVINCIAL CHIC...

BUT with the drought etc here in melbourne...HEY I bought some FAKE flowers..put them on my front balcony...

FEEL a little awkward re fake...BUT I think they look pretty good/nice?? (have to remove the price tag on container!! was in a HURRY to see how it looked)..

AN old girl can get excited?? cant she??

NOW I am thinking i need to repaint the french vintage wrought iron set i have..

was originally white...painted it black..(but with those damned magpies sitting on the chairs and pooping...!! I MAY??? not sure..have to repaint it white again)..

Anyway....JUST want to wish MANDII from SHABBY DREAMING...xxx JUST had her 2nd baby!!

and a happy easter AGAIN!!

promise...will NOT post until after easter..

AND AS USUAL!! PHOTOS ARE OUT OF SEQUENCE RE STORY LINE!! grrrrrr!!!

xx andrea