Home Sweet Home....Part 2....

Bonjour Home, Love and Life friends and how are we all on this fine chilly morning?? Now I know I've been lapse in keeping up with posts but when your unpacking one house and setting up another there really has been little time left to get on the computer. In fact I think this has got to be the most I've been off the computer for some time.....but with only a few more boxes to get unpacked today I'll be back in the swing of things before you know it.

Well we're still loving the house and I'd have to say there really is only two downsides to it and that is the owners have sealed the chimney off to a big open fireplace and put a gas heater in......now don't get me wrong I'm glad we've got heating but anyone who's ever had a wood fire knows that a gas heater just doesn't do the same job as a wood fire does......a wood fire not only warms the whole house but it gives the house a different feel, it's a lot cosier sitting in front of a nice fire than in front of a gas heater with a loud rattling fan.....and there's a lot of brown in this house..don't get me wrong I'm loving the hardwood floors but all the trim and doors are brown..it makes it a little overwhelming and what I wouldn't give to freshen it up with a coat of white paint....but we're not complaining because besides missing the warmth of a wood fire..and a lot of brown....there's too much else to love about this house and I'm decorating as I'm going so it's coming together quite nicely.....so on to the rest of the pictures I promised..

This is the full length of the back veranda/sleepout area...it's huge and the girls are having a ball with all this space to play in....thinking of putting some nice small cane chairs in here as it would make a great sunroom area too....

The lovely fireplace...sealed off and a gas heater in place....I finished decorating the mantle yesterday...

The lounge room finally set up properly...love the big window that lets in tonnes of light during the day..

The dining room finally clear of boxes....

One of the best things about our new location is the beach is only a few hundred meters from home and this is the track leading down to the water....

So there you have it that's the rest of the house and I hope you all like it as much as we do....we really only had one hiccup while moving and that was the trampoline.....we had terrible weather the weekend we moved and when we went back to get the trampoline we found it on it's side and over near the fence. Now our trampoline is a big 12 foot round trampoline with a net around it so you can imagine the sight we came too...we pulled it back on it's legs and this is what had happened to it....

As you can see the whole frame buckled and legs came off...this was after Chris and I took the net off as it was acting like a kite and blowing it over......We knew the wind was strong but never thought the trampoline would be blown over......I still can't believe the damage that was caused....we have promised Bec and Luke a new trampoline soon...

Well besides losing the trampoline it has been a great first week in the new house and I'm looking forward to doing a few projects I have in mind but more about those in a later post.....I want to name the house as I can't keep calling it 'the new house' so if you have any ideas leave a comment....til tomorrow...take care and Au revoir....xo

Home Sweet Home....Part 1...

Bonjour Home, Love and Life friends....Well after an extremely busy week moving house I can finally tell you all about it. As most of you know we moved last Saturday and into Sunday, Monday, Tuesday....you get the idea...we have been going all week. Saturday we had help from one of Chris' work mates but other than that it has been just the two of us moving everything across town by the trailer load and unpacking non stop, in fact I'm still unpacking but am just taking some time out to catch up with all of you and see how you all are.

I have to say I'm loving the house and the more I get put away and the house comes together I'm loving it even more. As some of you may remember from an earlier post A Maddening Start To The Week.. I was talking (complaining hehe) about not being able to find anywhere to rent and how the rents were much cheaper over east and that was for properties with lots of room to move due to being on acres of land and how I'd always longed for space. Well believe it or not we managed to get pretty close to what we wanted, we're still in town but our house is on a 1019sqm block (Chris is glad he doesn't have to mow the lawns as it's included in the rent lol), it's an older house, (which those of you who know me know I love older houses,)  it has a small but lovely front veranda and decking out the back, we're only three streets back from the beach and we are very close to town.

Taken yesterday morning on our way back from our walk to the beach

My quaint little veranda...anyone for coffee here..?

The back of the house..love the decking...bbq's here for sure..

Side garden bed...there's my bench seat from the old house under the tree

Lots of trees, it's very shady in the afternoon...

Mine and Chris' new room...

Bec's new room...

Eva's new room...

The new bathroom....I actually like the blue and white scheme..

The new kitchen..I've had to work wonders in here with less than half the storage space than the old house..

The first dinner cooked on the new stove was Chow Mein and everyone loved it...

We've been so busy that this has been the first chance I've had to get on the computer, especially being I didn't have any internet access until Wednesday. And now it's Saturday and we've been here a week already and we've picked Eva up and are still getting the last of the unpacking done. As you can see I still need to put some more pics of the house up as the dining area still has boxes in it, the lounge isn't setup properly yet and we have an awesome sleep out I want to show you all. So they will come in a part 2 post very soon. Take care and have a great weekend....time for me to get back to work and do one final trip to the old house to get my rose bushes, bbq and pots that we couldn't get during the week. Au revoir mon amis..xo..

Liebster Blog Award...

A little while ago my wonderful friend Nellie awarded me the Liebster Award. I remember I was completely surprised as I didn't even know such an award existed here in blogland. I have been wanting to pass the award on to other lovely bloggers I have come to know however at the time Nellie gave me the award I was still getting to know bloggers and wasn't sure who to pass it on to. Now that some time has gone by and I've gotten to know you all so much better I feel I can pass the award on.

In German liebster means darling, beloved, boyfriend, sweetheart...I think we'll stick with Beloved :)

First of all I must thank Nellie from McCarthy Designs for the award because not only did it surprise me it made my day when she awarded it to me. If you don't know Nellie you simply must visit her Blog where she shares lovely pictures of her home, scone recipes and wonderful gift pack ideas for her online store which is full of goodies.

Nellie's corner she made over and she refurbished the mirror herself..

The rules for the Liebster Award are:

1. Choose 5 up and coming blogs to pass the award on to. They must have less than 200 followers.

2. Give lots of thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to their sites.

3. Post the award on your blog. List the bloggers you are giving the award to with links to their sites.

My fellow bloggers and friends who I would love to pass the award on to are:

Caz From Gorgie Girl

One of Cazs' many market finds...she always finds a bargain..

Cas From Peaches and Maple

Cas loves her Country/Coastal scheme and is always coming up with new ideas like this one

S....From Jacana

You'll find a wide variety of topics over at Jacana...

Kris From The Bouse Life

Kris loves her shabby little cottage at Avondale and I'm sure you will too


Last but not least I would love to pass the award back to the lovely lady who awarded it to me in the first place. Nellie always has a kind word to say and her blog is full of wonderful ideas.

Nellie From McCarthy Designs

Some of Nellie's lovely bath products...

So there we have it Home, Love And Life friends....if you want to pass on the award and make someones day feel free but don't feel you have to. I really wanted to pass on this award as I think it's a lovely way of letting fellow bloggers know we appreciate the time and effort they put into their blogs so we have something enjoyable to read. I also wanted to pass this on before we move house (which starts tonight) as it has been a while since Nellie awarded it to me and I thought now is the perfect time to pass on a bit of something fun to brighten everyone's day.

Well now I'm off to do the last mad rush of packing so have a great day and take care....I'll check back in later today....xo

Home, Love & Life As I Live It Revamped.....

Well how are we all today Home, Love and Life friends?? I am well though down with somewhat of a thumping headache. As you can see my blog has been revamped...yey...I finally figured out how to do it but had some help from the lovely Elisa at her blog....Elisa has put up a tutorial on how to make a photo collage banner for your blog, so if you're like me and still figuring things out head over to Elisa's blog and check it out, you'll be surprised how easy it is, I know I was.

I'm not sure if I'm completely happy with the pics yet, there could be a few changes as I'm not too fond of the blog title being across my head....hehe. But I am happy that I have learnt yet another computer/photography/blogging skill to keep things fresh. I love blogger but the templates just didn't provide what I was looking for so I really wanted to design my own look and now I have :-) Don't you love it when you learn how to do something new?? I know I do and I also like to share what I have learnt, so if there's any new bloggers like me lurking around and wanting to know how to make your blog to your liking then I hope the tutorial helps you.

So what do you all think about the new look?? Are the pics ok? I could change them yet....any ideas on how to move the title?? Still trying to figure that one out.....(nope don't worry I have figured it out hehe) Well I'm outta here as I'm going to attempt to lay down for a little while and see if this headache goes away....and I hope you all like the new look of the blog....take care xo

Don't forget to stop and smell the roses will you....xo

From One Side Of Town To The Other...

Well hello Home, Love and Life friends and how are you all doing today? So I know I've been a little absent this week and with good reason. As most of you know we've been on the house hunt and last Friday I finally found a house I love (and as Chris was at work I had to make the call but knew he would love it too) and put in an application for it. We got the good news Tuesday that we were approved and the house is ours....so we are moving this weekend...argh!! hehe..Naturally there is some paperwork to finish off Friday afternoon before we get the keys but other than that all is going smoothly so far......now to just actually move a house full of furniture from one side of town to the other.

Even though we've only be in this house for just over two years a lot has happened here and I thought I'd share a few memories with you all before we move into the new house.

It's where I moved to with all three kids from Perth..

It's where Chris and I started dating...

It's where we were married and had the reception...

It's where we bought our first car together...

It's where Eva and Bec were welcomed into the family

It's also where my youngest and my oldest both moved

back to the city within a few months of each other and 

the youngest was the first to move out.....

It's where I got the good news my best friend had given birth..

It's where I started my blog....

It's where I rediscovered my love of coffee

It's where I decided to go into business...

It's where I met my amazing friend Nellie (and other lovely bloggers) 

and found the best online shop ever....

It's where I discovered my love of whitewash and 

finally decided on a french/beach decor scheme

It's where I found and fell in love with Instagram...

It's where we enjoyed the summer together as a family..

And most importantly it's where we decided that we would live in

our lovely new house on the other side of town...more pics will 

follow but what do you think so far...?

There is so much more that's happened in this house but too much to write about in one post as I would be here all day..I guess one of the most important things we decided on in this house next to getting married was that we would try for a baby and we'll all just have to wait to see how that one pans out....but here's hoping..

Now for those of you visiting my blog today and going 'woah, it's all white, what happened?'...I'm in the middle of revamping the blog and it may take a little while as I'm still figuring things out. Also I will try to blog as much as I can over the weekend to keep you all informed as to how the progress of moving is going but I will be without internet access until mid next week.......nooooo.....hehehe.....so please keep visiting, leave comments, I love reading all your comments as they always put a smile on my face and I'll be back with lots more pics of the new house as soon as I can....For today however take care and enjoy the rest of your day...xo

Packing, Packing And Pretty Roses....

Today it's Monday and so far the start to my week is going quite well (fingers crossed it stays that way) and this packing business seems to finally be under control. I'm surprised by how much stuff one house holds and by the amount we're culling before moving, we've been pretty brutal and really gone 'nope, can live without it' so there are a few items that have been listed on gumtree and others that have been delivered to St Vinnies and I even dropped a few things to my sister. I really do believe in, if I can't use it pass it on because there's always someone out there who could get use out of what I don't need any more. Now I know I've been talking about moving for a few months now and some of you may be wondering (like I have been) are they ever going to find somewhere....well we have found somewhere we love and are just waiting to see if it's ours...if it is then I will share lots more about it when I know for sure and then I won't be rambling about trying to find somewhere, I'll just be rambling about the moving, unpacking and how much I love the house....so be prepared.

While we've been busy packing and running around here there and everywhere over the last week my two rose bushes I planted a while ago have started blooming. Some of you have seen pics on Instagram and some of you will see pics here today. It may sound strange but I was glad when I saw the roses were flowering as it has given me something lovely to watch and enjoy and appreciate as all the chaos of moving has been happening around me. For those of you who read Just Breathe you know I'm a big believer in literally stopping and smelling the roses and just standing still and breathing deeply and feeling the earth beneath our feet....I really feel if we don't do these little things and take just five minutes a day to stop then that's when life's pressures can become too much. Any way.....I'm loving my roses and they will absolutely be dug up and taken to the new house with me, however I'm thinking of potting them and sitting them on the front veranda......that's right...if we get this house I have a front verandah...it's small but spacious.....now you really just want to see it don't you...?? hehe...hopefully soon.

Well being that I can't show you the veranda yet I will just have to show you the pictures of my beautiful roses...the red one is a French one and I have forgotten it's name and the white one is called Champagne....such an appropriate name for this household.....I hope you like the pics and I took these with my phone and believe it or not my phone is giving me much better pictures lately than my camera.....can't wait to get that DSLR Camera.....will be pics galore then....any way enjoy and let me know what your favourite flower is....Mine has always been roses....I've never swayed from loving them best.

 Champagne...was tricky getting the pic as it's very windy today

 There's something special about the way roses open..

 My French red rose...

 Big, Bold and Blooming

A beautiful scent from this rose

So there you have it, my roses that have helped me to stop and take five before I go mad from all this moving business...

Fridays Photography Post 12...

Today as was pulling into the car park at my beloved foreshore I noticed an eyesore looking like a crane coming out of the water. I was heading to the beach to get some wintery pics for todays post and to my utter shock I find there's development going on at the foreshore.....apparently the shire has given permission for four viewing platforms to be built.....totally gobsmacked. So, shocked and exasperated I went about what I set out to do....I got my winter pics....it was a very snappy day at the foreshore....everyone seemed to have their cameras out and we were all happily snapping away.

The eyesore I spotted pulling into the carpark.

I couldn't get a closer shot but for the first time ever in busselton that tiny sign out there says no swimming...can you believe it...

The information centre under a cloudy sky.

This guy actually let me get very close so I could get his pic....he might have thought I had some chips for him....but no..

This is our local beach restaurant called The Equinox and at the back they have a take away section for those who want to picnic....they make good chicken and chips there...

I'm always amazed by the colour that was used for these lamp posts..

Tourists bike riding....I love snapping people when they're not looking..

I spotted this old couple watching the work going on before them and while I couldn't hear them I'm sure they were discussing the idiotic decision by the shire to allow more development of the foreshore.....that or they were saying, 'remember when we were kids and the world was a simpler place...?'

One of the massive trees where the outside tables and chair are for eating...also this is where those crazy white parrots live...

I love these trees and they've been here forever.....you really need to stand underneath these trees and look up to appreciate the true size.....massive....and these trees are opposite each other and their very top branches meet and overlap......really is beautiful..

The information centre was a lot quiter today than usual....

The side of the information centre and if you look to the right that's the very end of the jetty...

The water was a strange green colour today under a grey sky...

One of the many boat ramps along our lovely beach....

Every mums worst nightmare.......a child who has discarded shoes to play and forgotten to pick them up before heading home......

So this was my observation of my beloved foreshore today.....it was a funny old day here in Busselton....it was grey, cloudy and wet but not too cold......winter is coming.....until next Friday enjoy the photos and let me know what you think....take care...xo