An update....

Davey took this pic of The Tree; 2013. He fooled around with camera settings and I think it looks much more realistic in this shot. Fairy lights are difficult to snap!

In exciting news, the stone top for the entertainment unit is being delivered tomorrow! Woo Hoo!

and the glazed, guest en suite shaving cabinet doors are ready for collection. Yay!

Desperate for Christmas gift ideas? I found this yesterday....

...at Adairs. The most DIVINE scent, and exquisite  crystal refillable bottle...

Yup. One for a gift, One for me. LOL!

The whole house has been 'pimped' with Christmas words & phrases that delight the children with the  opportunity to rearrange and generally pi** me off.

 

Lovin' my li'l gold accents...the lounge is old and tired but this CR cushion looks very festive to me!

Finally got to do a sweet little Guest en suite vignette.  So much more to do in this room though, looking forward to the mirrored shaving cabinet doors the most! They're ready for collection...guess what I'll be doing tomorrow?

 Even Bindi has received some Christmas decoration! I bought the paper garland from the U.S via Etsy. LOVE it! And the 'Emperor' cap is a recent pressie for J, from my elder sister who has recently returned from China.Very in. Very now. 

I don't know about you, but for the first time in....

Y O N K S

I'm feeling POSITIVE about the year ahead... 

Whatchathunk?

x KL

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The travelers return!

Tonight my middle daughter A, (in red jacket) boards for home from Japan! Yay!!!!

On Wednesday, The nest leavers, S (in black coat) & M (the long haired boy) return with M's mate Q. Snitched these pics from their Facebook pages, he he! Amazing the technology that allows us to view near instant pics and have free mobile conversations (Viber) with children on the other side of the world!

Thought you'd enjoy these pics Nana!

x KL

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旅行計画：大阪

Travel Plans: Osaka, Japan!

My eldest daughter, S and her boyfriend M (the nest leavers) have been busy planning for the last four months, another trip to Japan. This will be S' third trip to the country and M's second. M's best mate Quinn is going with them too and .....as of two days ago, so is my second daughter, A!

 They leave on November 22 - nothing like a last minute decision! Yikes!

Organising a passport for A (this is her first overseas trip) was the least of our problems.

I'm madly running round trying to purchase a merino spencer out-of-season and trying to get her travel insurance sorted. Adding one extra to the already booked hotels has been the biggest nightmare, with A at this point staying in a different hotel, some distance away, for the first two days in Osaka. Definitely NOT ideal and hopefully this can be resolved soon.

It will be the most amazing experience for my girls; an incredible opportunity to create shared lifelong memories. I am so happy to see them choosing to travel, their organisational and negotiating skills, independence and confidence all blow me away!

Am so very proud of them both!

x KL

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Family Time...

 After 'losing' the first week of the school holidays with David back and forth to hospital, we decided to take some 'family time' with a brief trip to the Hunter Valley. Another family came with us which was great as J had some same-age company.

Thought I'd share a trip synopsis!

We stayed at the Mecure Resort which had the most gorgeous open fires and a terrific pool table which kept J and his mates occupied for hours.

It is a stone's throw from the Hunter Valley Gardens which has been on a planned destination 'wish list' for quite some time. The gardens feature a 'Snow Time' event at this time of year and it was great fun! Snow ball fights, ice-skating, tobogganing and 'snow-boarding'; all courtesy of faux snow!

Amazingly, we didn't get to spend time in the magnificent themed gardens as it started to rain heavily after we finished up in the snow garden. Another trip definitely needed!

J and David squeezed in some fun at the Aqua Golf driving range though. One of our friend's won a free lunch so we headed to Harrigan's Irish Pub for some tummy warming fare and a roof!

 Of course no trip to The Hunter would be complete without a few wine tastings. We visited McGuigans, Tempus Two and Brokenwood (3 out of 120 Cellar Doors available) before the children called a halt with cries of boredom!

(But not before they each consumed their own body-weight in sampled cheese and sorbet!)

I think an adults only Hunter weekend will be added to that 'get-away' wish list too!

I fell in love with the architecture and facilities at Tempus Two, pictured above and below.

We spent a beautiful winter morning checking out the cute shops in the HVG village. The British Lolly Shop was a universal favourite with everyone!

And we popped into the Potters Brewery for lunch on the scenic tour home. Great food and atmosphere! It is on the site of the Hertiage listed Brickworks which are still standing within the grounds and had another welcoming mammoth fireplace!

I really enjoyed our mini break. I spied a gazillion stunning country cottages which has reignited my love of this very Australian and heart warming architecture style.

The 'Farm' dream is definitely growing legs!

J is back to school next week and I only have days before The Terrigal Project is due for handover. I'll take some snaps to share. Carpets are in, Spotted Gum floor sealed and bathroom fit-outs complete! Count down commencing!

x KL

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Decisions, decisions!

David's got his heart set on a holiday to Bali. OK.  

Destination decided.

Have you ever googled 5* Bali? Talk about choice!!!! Need decorating inspiration? Check out all the gob-smacking gorgeousness on travel sites! 

The stunning pictures I've posted above are all places on our 'short list':

W Retreat and Spa Seminyak

The Padma Resort Legian

Alila Villas (Soori & Uluwatu)

We're considering splitting our time (10 days? between two hotels)

Still waiting for David's passport to arrive and we're good to go!

Anyone been there - done that and got advice to share?

All views / advice / opinions, welcome!!!

x KL 

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!

General Update...

 I'm back at home after two days in Sydney to take my daughter and BF to his final university art function and to then see them off on their Japanese holiday. 

Their flight left at 6:10 am (3:30 am start!) so we stayed in the Mercure Airport Hotel the night before and J and I were back asleep in the hotel by 7:30 am. Gotta love the airport shuttle to take the stress out of driving, half asleep on unfamiliar, busy roads at dawn!

I love hotels and of course took snaps of all the good design bits like bedhead, bar and ensuite!

(as you do!)

I was really impressed with the way they'd mounted the plasma. (See above) Obviously a room re-fit and restricted by what was existing, instead of recessing the TV into the wall (as you would a new home / reno) they made a very swish little box for it to reside in. It included space for remotes, TV guides and hotel paraphernalia too but I thought it was a great retro fit idea for residential homes. What do you think?

 The rain was unfortunately, relentlessly depressing and J was upset by his sister and pseudo 'big brother's' departure, so we skipped our city Christmas shopping plan and headed home.

Mini KL quiches; smoked salmon, sun dried tomato, bacon and mushroom varieties

I've  made 4 dozen mini quiches for J's school staff's Christmas lunch tomorrow after a two hour 'Nanna nap' and at  11:30 pm (our time) I received an email to say my sweet S and BF, M had arrived at their hotel in Osaka. Yay! 

My poor 22 year old baby suffers from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and is ill already... her few alcoholic drinks from M's Design party causing her havoc. (The same exhibition I might add that caused all the travel re-scheduling.... really UTS; get your annual events timetable sorted earlier that a month before!) Grrrr...

 Anyhoo.... also in my busy week...

 I accompanied J and his Year Three class to The Australian Museum Sydney to see the Dinosaur exhibition and then to watch  'Flying Monsters 3D' at IMAX.

We've been to the museum quite recently but to watch the 'first timer's faces' was wonderful! J hadn't been to IMAX before and just LOVED it! Such a great experience!
I got this today too:

Jan Logan's 2012 Collection

The cover features my favourite piece; the  'Honey Quartz Gatsby ring'. (seen above and below)
I might need to adjust my Santa wish-list again....LOL!!!

And yes, that's my heater on in the background... it was packed away but brought out to dry woollies for Japan and we needed its warmth tonight! WT?

Drool!!!!!

We've had a couple of free 'wins' for the house too. A client ordered black marble for his bathrooms from a Sydney discounter only to be delivered tiles that were chipped, glued together or with extreme cracks running through them. When the company got the complaint they credited him immediately and told us to 'bin' the offensive material. (I think they knew it was crap in the first place.) My resourceful hubby salvaged 21 tiles out of the whole lot that if cut carefully and resurfaced will be OK for our upstairs powder room floor.Yay! On another job we scored some excess Oak Uniwood. Not much, but enough for the study floor. The colour is wrong but my hubby assures me he can sand off the finish and stain it black before resealing it again. Woo Hoo!

The price is right for these flooring materials!

That pretty much sums up my week. I haven't had much time to catch up with my favourite blogs but plan to over the weekend! 

x KL

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Off to the Land of the Rising Sun...

 

My little boy J and I are going to Sydney to see daughter No. 1 and BF off to Japan. I am so excited for them. This much planned trip celebrating the conclusion of their University studies has been postponed and booking dates changed twice with much emotional and financial distress.

Along with completing stressful and very time consuming assignments, presentations and exams they have planned this trip so very thoroughly.....three times over!  I am so very proud of them!

I hope the trip exceeds their expectations and wish them the best health and safety.

この両方が大好きです

 Mum

KL

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Guest Bed

My darling eldest daughter and BF decided to cancel their trip to Japan and now have lots of moolah to play with in terms of other ideas for travel. I'm fairly limited in this area. I was born in and revisited Papua New Guinea, traveled with work to Thailand and otherwise have stayed within Australia.
Any suggestions for a couple of inexperienced travelers? (Don't quote me, as I'll be shot down in flames; he's been to France & she's been to Japan - but as chaperoned school students)

I also need ideas with bedheads / beds. We will have a guest bedroom with ensuite and until our bedroom is ready upstairs, we are using this. My problem is that it looks so... dull.(See pic above.) I think it needs a bed head. Our king ensemble will stay in this room if finances allow us to buy a new one. It's a super comfy bed for me but hubby needs something firmer- we'll upgrade as we move upstairs! I was thinking upholstered linen. Any thoughts? I'd prefer to get rid of the ensemble bottom and have a matching upholstered bed base. Any ideas or recommendations? Below are some pictures that are far more interesting!