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

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!! FINALLY FOUND MY EASTER DAISIES!!

Hi ladies....HAPPY EASTER to ALL...and especially those with YOUNG ONES!!

I kind of MISS the JOY of having young children re easter/christmas etc..

SOO ENJOY IT ALL WHILST you can!!

ANYWAY...with BOTH MY BOYS in their 20's...and EASTER being a bit of a bygone thingey...

I have done a LITTLE table...with some goodies...JUST FOR MYSELF!!

AND I know i go on & on about cleaning...BUT BOY!! figured i would clean out my "SUMMER" wardrobe...and replace with "winter" goodies.

WELL that got me started..!!!

my wardrobe...was JUST SOO FULL of dust...it was horrid...!!

as it is next to our en suite...it was full of dust/powder..etc..SOOO I have HAD A BIG BIG CLEAN OUT.

gone through the wardrobe...

gone through the chest of drawers..(full of stuff I havent worn in years.)..

AND TRYING TO DUST/VACUUM BEHIND THE BED HEAD...OH MY GOSH...THE DUST IS PATHETIC!!)...

SOO I AM STILL cleaning the bedroom...& I have several BAGS full of quite nice clothing for the op shop)...

BUT just LOOK at the table tennis table in the middle room...FULL of mags/other bits & pieces to sort through...

NO wonder Christian says he cannot ever use this table with his mates...FULL of MY stuff!!

I literaly HAVE tooooo much stuff...which i am trying to plough through!!

SOOTY is just sitting there wondering what is GOING ON???

AND with easter just a few days away....I have been wondering where are the EASTER DAISIES?? I LOVE THESE FLOWERS OVER EASTER..

found them today..and was told that they had been available MUCH earlier this year?? I hadnt seen them anywhere...

anyway...bought two bunches....& love them//

happy easter...xx andrea

NZ HOUSE & GARDEN MAG IS A GEM!! PLUS CLEANING..LISTING EBAY STUFF..WHATS NEW??

Hi ladies..

Well it is sad that Byron has gone back to queensland...BUT for a CHANGE i have my Hubby home this weekend!! so that is a nice change!!

But he has had to go to his office to do work today...so guess what I am doing??

YES cleaning!! BUT changing things around.. sick & tired of it all!!...IN between LISTING some yummy goodies on ebay..

It is kind of a vicious circle...As said before..I photo things upstairs..then bring them to my front room to list...(so this room is a MESS)...room next door with TV....I have cleaned...changed photos on the piano...changed cushions...and the landing...I have put it place different vases etc with my complete love of my DRIED ROSES...

Soo that makes it all feel better...

BUT regular readers of my blog would know that I am a magazine FREAK...I buy HUNDREDS of dollars worth of HOME DECOR mags every month...(ssshhhh!! my average bill is about $150.00)...this is REALLY secret womens business!!

I love them...& re sell quite a few on ebay...BUT...do you girls buy NZ HOUSE & GARDEN??

I have years & years worth of these stacked in my bookcase...

JUST look at the photos in the latest issue...GORGEOUS GORGEOUS!!

THEY ARE WELL WORTH PURCHASING...

I also have a wonderful FRENCH chic flea market book listed...as well as some other YUMMY goodies..

It is nice to do a bit of cleaning...a BIT of ebaying...a BIT of BLOG surfing..

I am quite enjoying my life with BOTH boys BEING ADULTS & at UNI!!

I Can do what i want??!! whenever!!

YEAH!! RIGHT!! SORT OF??!! TRYING TO MAKE MYSELF FEEL BETTER HAVING NO DEPENDANTS TO RELY UPON ME!!

XX ANDREA

MAKING SOME "CRAFTY CARDS"?? & ENJOYING BYRONS LAST DAY HOME..

Hi ladies...

I just have to begin with the fact that the weather is still just SOOOO gorgeous in Melbourne..

about 30 degrees...no wind...sunshine..early morning fog/dew...

nice serene evenings..(the only downside is STILL NO RAIN...dams are at JUST 29.00% capacity...so that is quite distressing... and my garden is virtually NON existant!!....it is LITERALLY CACTUS!!

Anwyay...I have had my eldest son home for some 2 weeks TODAY!! YEAH..OH but he is now going back to queensland tomorrow...he would love to stay longer with his mums pampering!! BUT he has all his stuff in storage (boxes & boxes from his stay in japan)...and He needs to pick it up..otherwise the cost of customs storing it becomes just tooo expensive..

SOO he is off....hubby away again...so just Christian..sooty & me!!

I have been quite slack re my EBAY listings whilst Byron has been home..

BUT intend to make up for this over the weekend..as I have SOO much stuff to photo/list...

BUT I have also been experimenting with making some different gift cards...using old bits of lace...buttons...stamps..doilies etc..

WHAT DO YOU THINK??

BUT I am such a MESSY crafter...it kinds of gets all over the place...and YET I hate MESS!!! MMM!! how does that work??

I think i am an ENIGMA!!

anyway....hope you all have a lovely end of week...and a great EASTER..(if i dont post before then...but knowing me..i am sure i will find something irrelevant to talk about!!)....

xx andrea