Reflecting.....

Christmas has been and gone... I didnt have a chance to post before now.. But here are a few pics of our Christmas Day...

sparkles..

 Our Christmas table where we stuffed our bellies as full as they could go..

a Christmas corner.

Crafting on Christmas Day, inspired by Soule Mama

playing dress ups with uncle dion

Christmas Twister with nan.

lots of baby Alice lovin..

and a big Boxing Day family bash

Since Christmas we have been taking time out to do alot of this.... swimming, planting, unpacking - still..., playing, rediscovering toys that have been packed away, building the clothes line and spending time with friends..

Tonight we will bring in 2012 with friends on the deck of White Verandah..I am usually well organised with some resolutions and plans for the new year, but I have not had too much time to even comprehend this year ending let alone whats in store for next year.....but here goes off the top of my head:

* Project manage the completion of the outside of the house, White Verandah...The two most important parts to come so she can live up to her name - the verandah and painting the exterior

* exercise more - wasn't very successful at that this year, but just unpacking all our gym equipment over the past couple of days has me inspired - its a start!

* live in and speak my truth

* read an inspiring book - any suggestions?

* try to repurpose & reuse instead of want and need more things

* create my new veggie patch

* take a family and friends camping trip to central Australia and experience the red dirt

*use the caravan alot more when the weather is fine.

* be organised enough that I can walk the girlies to school and enjoy the sunny mornings together
 * love more (this one's for you Therese...) You know that love is the key to happiness... more love = more happiness.. spread the love...x

* make this house more into our home aka fluffing the nest..

* continue to blog our journey...
 

I am sure there are more...I'll have to let you know any others I think of...

So my friends, Happy New Year to you all...May it be safe and filled with fun, laughter and good friends.

Thank you for your friendships, blog love and comments you have freely given over the past 12 months..I look forward to your comments and thank you for continuing to share our journey that is White Verandah....

Until 2012...Melissa xxx

We are in!

Sitting at the computer in the study..

I am still pinching myself - when I wake up , when I eat at the table, when I cook in my new kitchen and when I tuck my babies in at night....

We are finally here... After a huge weekend of moving, I am still unpacking and finding things but on the whole, we have basically everything moved and unpacked..

A huge thankyou to my ever helpful mumma for spending the weekend with us and most of all making my butlers the pantry and kitchen the most organised spaces ever!! Thanks for the depths of our hearts mummy - I can assure you we will not be going anywhere in a hurry - no more moving!!

The builders are still banging away outside and will be for some time but I am at peace...

The verandah deck has three sides on it and the boys will be back just after Christmas to start building the actual verandah... And then paint time..

The garage is complete - roller doors being installed Thursday..

I still have not started Christmas shopping, etc but I am strangely at peace... I cant even bring myself to go to the supermarket yet, I just want to be here, breathing it in, sorting, fluffing, placing bunches of flowers and being together....

Be warned Christmas guests - we may not have any food Christmas day but we will have a completed deck, an amazing view and sunshine to enjoy!

Thankyou so much for all the well wishes for the move... It was as painless as it possibly could have have been..

I hope you all have an incredibly Merry Christmas - enjoying good food & company...

Take care - Melissa xxx

moooooving day .....

Well, it is almost upon us...moving day..

White Verandah has had tradies all over the place during the last week finishing off:

* lights, hot water services, heating and cooling, cladding the garage, VERANDAH.... yes, it has started and by Saturday I will have half the deck down, just in the nick of time for moving, plumbers, painters...again, etc..

I'm not sure how much time I will have for posting here over the next hectic week or so, so thought i'd post some pics of the finished floor... I'm super dooper happy with the finish..

Here's the kitchen pendants... Not complete in this picture..but you get the idea. I snuck down to the house last night just to turn them on - delighted!!

I had some help in the form of my gorgeous aunty yesterday, two like minded Sadie the cleaning ladies hard at work, making the new abode sparkle... No more building and sanding dust... Thanks for your help my sweet pea x

Thanks to all for your well wishes for the move, must be off to keep stuffing boxes....

My mumma is packing up her bags and heading our way Friday to roll up her sleeves for the weekend and join in the excitement ( and terror) of moving... Thanks mumma x

Will be back as soon as I can manage...have not even attempted to think about Christmas.. Shopping from scratch and organising the Christmas Day feast and big family sleepover at White Verandah will just have to wait until next week... Bring on the vino's and full belly of plum pudding in our new home.....pinch me now.

Melissa xx

wordless weekending...

sweet words

I just had to share....for a number of reasons...

Charlotte came home from school last week with this letter from one of her friends and it made me smile broadly and reflect on those very very sweet words. 

So here's my reflection:

* I would be a super proud mama of the little girl that wrote the letter.. This little girl thought to put these lovely sentiments in a sweet little letter to her friend - sharing some positives,  nurturing her friendship, celebrating her friendship and showing her appreciation...

* How often do we do this, us girls, to each other? It is something that I try exceptionally hard to teach my girls, the next generation of big girls.. To love, nurture and celebrate other girls in their lives. I personally could not live without "my girls" - my friends, my family, and I love to embrace new "girls" that find their way into my life....

* I beamed with pride when i read that letter too, about my big girl...

She is listening , she is watching, she is learning..

About loving, nurturing, supporting, celebrating and enjoying other girls. 

I think we as mama's have a responsibility today and everyday to ensure that our girls know how to do this, when bullying in schools and cyber bullying is a major problem in our society...

Spread the love peeps....don't get me started on our responsibilities to little boys, that's a whole other post...

So a challenge for you ladies....

spread some love to the little and big girls in your life,  perhaps in a little glitter pen hand written note, a few spoken words, a little something special, flower from your garden..

and when you do so, tell your little girl what your doing and why and how much you value the women in your life and why..

GIRL POWER xxx

Melissa

floor progress..

 I snuck into the house on friday and snapped a couple of pics on my i phone as the floor sander/polisher was putting some undercoat kind of stuff on the floors. 

This is the girls lounge/rumpus room...

( the french doors are still a gorgeous yellow undercoat as the door furniture needs to be fitted before they can be glossed up in white)

 He was literally still rolling them as I snapped as you can see this is a half finished Amelia's room

We decided to go the all natural and low allergy option of tung oil rather than polyurethane. This will ensure we have a very low gloss, environmentally and allergy friendly,  easy to maintain floor. We really love the matt look timber floor and would have even left it natural if that was allowed... With the tung oil, if it scratches you can apparently sand back the scratch by hand and just touch up one spot or even one room and it easily blends back in with the rest of the floor without having to sand and re lacquer the entire house - sounds good to me.. Even though we are really not precious about timber floors - the more knocks and scrapes the better...character we say!

The floor sander will be in the house for the next few days finishing off...

I really should be packing.... but i just cant pry myself away from Pinterest at the moment...

Planning, dreaming & gathering inspiration for each room...

Melissa xx

proud mama

We were amazed and entertained again this year by the girls schools musical. 

For such a tiny little school, the school musical production really is amazing. 

As I mentioned the children write, sing and produce all the songs for the musical and on the night the school sells the CD. I now know every song well enough to sing along to, they really are catchy...

With only parent help, some small donations from local community groups and the hard work of the kids and teachers, stage props and costumes are put together.

 Little emus shaking their tail feathers .... bless..

 the kids made all their masks and they all looked gorgeous...

I had a big kangaroo....

and a little chicken....

What an amazing experience, great confidence builder, the stuff childhood memories are made of really... All packaged up with an important message about sustainability...

It left my heart swollen with pride and some catchy little tunes stuck in my head...

Before I go - thanks so much for all your lovely lovely comments & continuing to come past White Verandah :) And a very big warm welcome to our new followers...

Melissa xx

busy days

Were getting there! 

The floor sander is busy sanding away today and the floors with be coated and finished by next week..

The kitchen tiling needs to be completed in the next week or so...

The electrician is hopefully finishing today..

 painters all finished...

The windows, doors, architraves and skirts are all glossed up in Wattyl White Delight

Window coverings ordered and being made ready for install just before we move..

Wardrobes and shelves all fitted out...

This is the store room/linen cupboard

Tiling complete and plumbing almost done...The bath and basin plugs just needs to be finished...

Still making a decision on the mirrors... Perhaps a standard large mirror or perhaps a feature mirror...?? Mmmmm, what would you do?

Verandah has started and if the weather behaves we could have deck in less than 2 weeks just in time for the plumber to put the hot water service on before we move in... Yes, moving in-fingers crossed within the next couple of weeks...

The boys will continue to work on the verandah, man cave will be clad next week and painters working outside but this little chicken is not that patient - so in we move for Christmas...

Oh and we have a new addition to our family. Meet Scout....An innocent trip to the pet shop, a car trip home that involved two little girls crying and begging, puppy eyes from the three girls of the house when we got home, and the daddy agreed... 

Back we went to the pet shop....

Sorry about the lack of posts - naughty computer just would not cooperate..

More photos to come...

Oh and Christmas is coming so I've heard....my heart just races at the thought of the next four weeks...but in a good way..... *sigh* Its here, moving day is nearly here...

Melissa xx

Our Kitchen

White Verandah has been a hub of activity in the last week....

Tiling, painting, electrical work, plumbing ( I have toilets and showers!), wardrobe fitout, window covering measure.......

I have not taken many photos because there have been lots of tradies in and out and it has been a mess..

I have been feeling a little edgy with so many tradies coming in and out, now that she is all painted up and the kitchen is ready to go, a few dings can happen here and there - which i am sure is completely normal but nevertheless hard to watch...nail biting...

So in the mean time here are the kitchen pictures I took the other day to tide us over until I can get in over the next couple of days to snap the progress...

Oh.. the urges one must fight not to grab a chux and give that baby a wipe over....

kitchen light fitting sneak peak, it snuck into the photo....
They are not hanging yet, but should be suspended by the end of this week....Squuueeelllll.

mmm. dead blow flies aplenty on window sills - it's killing me..

The daddy and I unwrapped all the floors tonight and vacuumed the whole house..It was joy to see the floor again...probably the only time I will EVER say that vacuuming this floor was a joy.. There is little dust left, all ready for the crew of painters required tomorrow to gloss up all my favourite bits- skirts, archs, doors, mud room cabintry...

The trees... *sigh*

Thanks again Simon and Co for delivering what I had envisaged - there is just so much love for it...


 Grateful much xxx

Oh and a warm welcome to White Verandah's newest likers and thanks for being here to the ol' faithfuls x

Melissa x

loving....