Well it's been a long time between posts.  Spring is finally here and I am always motivated to 

spruce things up a bit after winter.

I love Hydrangeas but living in Qld is not the best place to grow them and I have failed every attempt.

Any fellow Queenlanders with handy hints please send them my way.

Images via Pintrest

I have a few projects under way.  New cushions for the pool chairs, a lounge

in my bedroom that is a recover in progress and a studio make over.

Happy Tuesday

Mekaela

Pottery Barn - Lucky Sydney

Finally Pottery Barn has arrived in Australia.

Just when I was getting used to living in Brisbane they

go and open a store in Sydney!!!!!!

I love Brisbane but we are in great need of 

some great retail outlets. 

There is a store in Melbourne planned.

I wonder if we will get one here.

In the mean time I am trying to come up

with a good excuse to go to Sydney for a weekend.

Images via Facebook

For now I will drool over the website and Facebook pics and 

maybe a lotto ticket or two so I can shop :-)

Hope you are enjoying your Thursday

Mekaela xx

Charli at the Beach

It has been a while since my last post.

I had planned to be more consistent with my

posts this year so not a very good start.

We spent a few days down at coff's harbour 

at my Mum and Dads during the school 

holidays and we took along our little Charli.

She had such a great time at the beach.

Not so brave, hiding behind the rock from the waves!

chewing sticks and drift wood

searching through the rock pools

Doing her best not to take off in the wind.

Back home for a big nap. 

She is such a sweet little dog and has brought such

joy back to our lives since loosing our beautiful Bronte

last year.

I love her little eyebrows, they give her a worried look on 

her face all of the time.  

Will be back soon

Mekaela & Charli xx

Wardrobe Dreaming

When we moved into the house we hadn't finished our

wardrobe fit out.  Now the novelty has well and truly 

worn off and it is my first must do this year.

The temporary hanging rack has buckled under the pressure 

and the lack of drawer space is just annoying.

I am dreaming of beautiful organisation 

It may not look quite as impressive as these 

but will be a major improvement.

Have a great Friday

Mekaela x

Butterfly Artwork

I am so lucky to have such a talented Mum who 

painted this lovely butterfly for our vacant wall in the 

stair well of our living room.

We have been doing a lot of work outside but I am now getting 

ready to start finishing off some of the inside things that were put on hold.

Hope you are having a great Friday

Mekaela x

Fresh Produce

One of the things I was hoping for when we 

moved on to our little piece of land was to be able to 

grow fruit trees, have vege's and herbs with fresh eggs.

We planted out first lot of fruit trees while the house

was being built and although they are still very young

we are already seeing some results

  

Our first season of limes

and strawberries from the herb  patch.

They are so worth home growing and so easy to grow.

The only problem with a small patch is we only get a couple  every 

day or two, so may need to make a bigger patch 

Fresh basil for my hubby's home made pesto, Yum!

We made home made pizza last night.

Fresh basil and tomato puree for the base, its the best.

The herb / strawberry  patch.

And our one and only olive from our two little trees.

We are going to marinate it just for fun, practice run

for the big crop, hopefully.

We have also been working on some landscaping.

Still work in progress but getting there.

Hope you are having a great Thursday.

Mekaela 

Charli

Just a few weeks to go till we pick up our

 little girl, Charli.

Isn't she just adorable

Hope you are keeping dry on this wet Qld day

Mekaela x

Christmas Wrap Up

I seem to be a little late with my posts lately 

But I am cleaning up from Christmas and getting ready to 

send the kids back to school next week...   

I thought I would share some pics of my Christmas decorating

My fire mantle.  We still have to put the surround

stone and hearth...On the list of to do's this year

Some Ruby & Belle Linen Christmas stockings

A little of my Christmas table.  I can't find a picture pre food

and with too many ladies in the house over Christmas my very

carefully planned out table didn't quite come together as I planned

But you can see a little of the linen table cloth I made.

Beautiful driftwood  star from Karma at Chermside.

My Gumtree coffee table purchase before Christmas.

I sanded it right back but the tannin from the wood is seeping through

my white paint.  Should have used an oil based under coat.

Still considering painting the top in a grey milk paint??

And a stunning Samford summer sunset.

Cleaning the studio as well and spending some time on my new

Christmas present.  My lovely hubby bought me one of these

for Christmas, no more fighting for computer time with the kids.

With my youngest starting school this year, I will be home alone

for the first time in 13 years, looking forward to some me time.

Hope you are having a lovely Friday

Mekaela x

New Family Member On The Way

After loosing our beautiful Bronte in October we

decided the house was too empty without a dog.

So I went on the hunt for a new little friend and 

stumbled upon this little precious.

She has grown a bit since our visit after Christmas.

(below)

A cute as can be English Cocker Spaniel

We have plenty of room at our place for her to run around.

We are all so excited and can't wait for her to come home

in February..   My daughter Ruby has called her Charli...

We get weekly updates from the breeder so will post more

pics when they come in

Mekaela 

My Chairs are Here !!

My chairs finally arrived last week from theporch.com.au

They are suitable for outdoor and are painted in an outdoor

acrylic paint rather than the 2 pac that many are painted in.

It has rained a few times and are sitting in hot sun, so far

so good, love them.  Much more comfortable than I thought

the curve in the back makes such a difference.

I made a few outdoor cushions in  some lovely fabric I got from the 

fabrictraders.com.au  They are based here in Brisbane 

and prices are very good.

This is a dark navy and off white.

One outside my studio, cushion on the way.

I ordered the wrong amount of fabric, so waiting for

some more to arrive.

Can sit here and watch the kids in the pool.

A late gift for my lovely friend Bridget.

I borrowed the wrapping idea from a picture on 

Pintrest I found, they had added some white Christmas 

balls, very simple and elegant.

My centrepiece for the Christmas table.

A driftwood tray that came with the glasses and pebbles

which I replaced with small pearly shells from Blake and Taylor

in Paddington ( Brisbane) .  I found the blue tea light holders 

in Bulimba yesterday.  Perfect, look lovely at night.

My next project is this old chair I have had for years.

I want to give it a coat of white paint but will have to start

with new seat cushions to start with, running out of time.

Hope you are having a creative weekend.

Time for something bubbly I think

Mekaela  x

Christmas Inspiration

It's hard to believe Christmas is just around the corner again.

I am always on the hunt for different and unique Christmas

inspiration, thank you Pintrest!

At our house there will be lots of champagne

Staircase garlands

I love the hurricane lamps on the stairs

but I have my own little hurricane that would send

them flying.

I love this Christmas tree on the wall,

I have an idea for a second tree in 

the Ruby & Belle House.

After growing up by the beach I can't help but

bring a little coastal with me to the country.

Love this wreath

This is so very cute

As always a bit of blue

Beautiful and creative wrapping ideas.

Love this

Another great Christmas Tree idea

With all the amazing solar lights

you could do this one on an outside wall

Simple and stunning - Love

And maybe if I am lucky I will fine a little

blue box under my tree this year.

Have a great Monday.

Keep tuned as I am doing up a coffee table I 

bought on Gumtree last week

Mekaela xx