from somewhere in my imagination

A Homemade Christmas With Real Living Magazine

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang Australia, but I can't help adding that I was sent the brief the same day I had been looking for a copy of Real Living Magazine in the newsagent.  It was kind of freaky, made me wonder whether there really is some big brother keeping an eye on me. Unfortunately, it was mid-month between issues and I was told I needed to wait a couple of weeks. I was searching for the magazine for a few reasons.  First of all, I need to convince Steven that wallpaper really is okay and it won’t make our bedroom in our new house look like a reject from the 70’s.  I am also on the hunt for our perfect dining chairs and, to be honest, when it comes to finding inspiration for furnishing and decorating our house, Home Improvement Magazines are still my first port of call. A few weeks later I returned for my copy of Real Living and came home with an issue bursting with ideas for a homemade Christmas.  Right up my alley. After flicking through it over a quiet coffee (while hiding out in my bedroom) one afternoon at home, I took it with me to Adelaide over the weekend for closer read in the car.  I ended up with a list of ideas for homemade decorations and gifts, plenty of extra gift ideas for friends and family, plus I have suggested to my sister that we give the bacon, sage and almond turkey stuffing a whirl for our Christmas lunch. My favourite thing about every issue of Real Living is the way it gives an insight into real homes.  I am a bit voyeuristic in that respect.  I love pouring over house layouts and design ideas in every single issue. Unfortunately there was no compelling argument for the use of wallpaper in our bedroom this time around, leaving me with a perfect reason to buy myself a subscription for Christmas, I'll convince him yet!  A couple of things that I especially love about magazine subscriptions are… No more aimless wandering in the newsagent looking for the issue followed by a round-up of the children from the toy area and quick departure. The dollars you save. Who doesn't love saving money, and at a 46% saving on the cover price of Real Living...well, that's pretty much free by my calculations. Right now there is a third great reason for subscribing...you will be eligible to win one of 10 fabulous Hawaiian holiday packages valued at over $12,000 each with Magshop’s Christmas competition. Simply subscribe, renew or treat family and friends to any of the 35 participating titles including The Australian Women’s Weekly, Top Gear Australia, Australian House & Garden, Shop Til You Drop, UFC, Money, and many more.

Going Home.

I am an Adelaide girl at heart.  Mind you I can find plenty of good reasons about why I'd like to live in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney too.  Not Melbourne so much.  Melbourne isn't really me.

Back in late July we went on a site visit to NSW, Steven didn't get the job but it prompted alot of thought and discussion about where we wanted to move.  We really wanted to move to Perth but house prices freaked us out a bit and there was a pretty strong desire to stay close to family for now so the decision was pretty much made that we would move to Adelaide.

Mid August we were in Adelaide for the weekend.  Woody bought the Saturday paper and had a pretty close look at the property section.  So close that he found a text add somewhere at the back for a house that sounded pretty much ideal for us.

I found it on the internet and had a look.  It was open the next afternoon but I told Steven we couldn't go and look at it unless he was actually serious about possibly buying it.

When I sat down and brainstormed blog topics back in late July 'househunting' is one of the topics I wrote down.  It was going to be a series of posts but I didn't even get a chance to post my wishlist before we found something that actually ticked every box, and probably more.

My House Hunting Wishlist

• A kitchen/dining/living area that opens on to the backyard.  The house we live in how has no access to the backyard from anywhere near the main living area and only a tiny kitchen window on to it.  Consequently the children can't move freely between inside and outside and I can't keep an eye on them from inside.
• 4-5 Bedrooms.  With 6 of us 4 really is the minimum
• 2 living areas
• Plenty of inbuilt storage
• A decent sized kitchen, preferably open to the dining area
• A separate studio, clearly not essential but I needed a crafty space somewhere and have been fantasising about a separate studio for a while.

Not much really ;)  We weren't too fussy about whether we needed to do work or not and we had a search area from Seacliff and Seaview etc at one end down to Henley Beach at the other, kind of looking along the beach.  We had been looking on line and hadn't found anything that remotely appealed when Steven found the little ad.

So, we went and looked at the house.  By the time we were halfway up the hallway I was close to tears.  I know that you are supposed to keep emotion out of things when buying real estate but we had found our new home.

Tuesday morning we visited the bank to get and idea as to whether it was doable $ wise, it pretty much sat right near the top end of what we could afford.  They said to make an offer and we did.  And the vendors accepted it.  First offer.  Done.

The following week we went back to the bank to do our proper loan application, the offer was subject to finance, with a date 2 weeks later we thought there would be plenty of time...

...not so much.  What followed was an absolute through the wringer of an experience as the credit managers couldn't agree on one aspect of our loan.  I really want to thank everyone for their words of support and advice when I had my little explosion the other week.

Thankfully our loans adviser and bank manager were fantastic and backed us 110% taking things higher up, our approval came through about 11am on Thursday and I have been busy making plans and organising things ever since.

I had school enrolment forms on their way to me by Thursday afternoon.  I'd organised daycare for next year for J and had her on kindy waitlists for 2013 (I kid you not!).  I'd spoken to my potential new boss about the job I'm potentially going to be doing part time.  I am excited by that.  I've never worked in the city before.  How grown up.

So as of December 16th, which is also our 11th wedding anniversary, we are going home.

In my head I'm planning how each room will look.  It will take time to find furniture and things that are the right things but I am looking forward to the treasure hunting.  There isn't much to do, we will probably paint a few walls here and there over time and I'll mostly have to keep my furniture buying, house decorating dreams in check until at least February next year.  It is a fairly blank canvas and I am really looking forward to giving it a bit of a personality injection.

So 12 years after we left...8 years in Mount Isa and 4 years here...we are going home.  Looking forward to this brand new adventure.

To help me out with my decorator dreaming tell me your favourite magazines, blogs and websites where I should head for inspiration.  I am going to have to cave in and start my own pinterest aren't I?  Do I still need and invite?

I'll be back later today to catch up on the Sew A Long!

Tatum xx

Planning Charlotte's Room

We are planning on making the big move from country to city sometime before school starts in 2012.  Where we will end up is yet to be decided (we do have a short shortlist of personal faves) but it will mean that we will be purchasing our own home again and I can't wait to get started styling that home!

I have enrolled in Rachel Denbow's new e-course, style your space, to get some tips, help me start planning and filing ideas (and finds) away.  Hopefully it should help give me some direction when we start looking for new pieces and culling 'stuff' over the coming months.

I have blog hopping as part of the Indie Biz Launch and came across this totally awesome new print from The Odd Girl.

I quickly snaffled one to pop in the cupboard for Charlotte for her birthday and it got me thinking on how we might style her 'new' room.

For her 8th birthday last year Charlotte got a new red+white doona and sheet set.  I also bought a fat quarter bundle of Oz by Sanae to make her a quilt, I'm putting that job high on the to do list so it is ready for her birthday this year.  I just have to decide on the perfect pattern.

I'd love to replace her white Ikea desk with something a bit more funky...isn't this vintage school desk awesome!

source

A (small) framed Harry Potter post will be essential

I should probably try and track down the perfect shadow box for her HP figurines...and I'd love to get her a set with these covers

I don't think that the Harry obsession will be gone anytime soon so better to embrace it with some subtle additions!

Another thing I want to make her (from upcycled textiles) is a beanbag chair for her to curl up and read in.  I found some instructions here.  I loved the one that was made in this episode of Kirstie's Homemade Home last year.

So many cool Ideas in this bedroom...am definitely planning on having red as the main 'pop' colour in her room.

Source

Charlotte will be getting a new bed when we move.  Love the idea of the daybed/couch under the loft bed.

Scrolling through those images they look a bit eclectic, but that is probably a good way to describe my big girl!  Have a few other girlie touches in mind...like a sweet mobile of music notes...and some fabric filled embroidery hoops.

I'd love to see some of your kids bedroom inspiration links if you have any to share!

Tatum xx