Entry Rug

How many people feel that an entry rug is a must.

 

Here is my argument For a rug. It warms up the entry, adds a very important layer of "soft" furnishing and brings in another colour / texture option. 

 

Here is my argument Against a rug. Its more work to keep clean and I'm really not sure if such a modern space can hold a more traditional rug

So I'm still really undecided - the other option obviously is to have a rug in winter to add warmth to the space and then take it away in summer .... So the question is .... to Rug or not to Rug?

 

 

Shopping - Entry Decor

Taking inspiration from the owl picture I showed you last week I sacrificed my weekend with a shopping trip. 

One thing I have to admit I do love about building a new house is the shopping. How can you go wrong with shopping?

So I have 2 lovely glass domes, one is full of lovely earthy moss, sticks and bright blue butterflies, the other patiently waiting for me to decide the best way forward... 

Entry Design .... Progress

So my entry is progressing slowly .... well actually not, my entry is going well - things are moving forward at great speed and the decisions I am making are strong confident responses where as I know I have made the right move and am happy with the final look. See most of the time I sort of wishy washy back and forward unsure if I'm doing the right thing so for me - to be able to say "hell yes this is right" is so wonderful.

Righty oh .... so what I'm sure you are waiting for is the images of my gold frames and the wall paper selections. I like the lovely pale gold print I had however in different lights this made the frames come across as dirty and almost old and cheap looking so back to the drawing board for me. 


Firstly I actually held them up to the wall, rested them on the draws and just left them there for the week to marinate. What looked right? What looked horrible? did it all work? What to pick?

I ended up with this lovely black and cream floral bird print I loved and paired it with a lovely mat black linen look paper that just grounded the whole thing to the black draws. 

I think its smart and simple and really makes the frames stand out .... totally loving the final look and I cant wait for them to go up on the walls.

Art?

What do you think of this lovely little piece of art?

I think it would look great on my lovely new entry draws? 

If at First You Don't Succeed....

My apologies for not being here this week, I have been languishing in bed feeling sorry for myself with not even my husband to make me feel better...

So my picture wall. I have been obsessing over this for almost years, collecting and obsessing over my lovely gold frames but to be honest .... I'm really not sure how I now feel about all my pictures. See I don't know if having pictures in the frames loses some of the wow factor of the actual frames. 

Obviously I want these to just pop (God I hate using that word but still ....) and I had a second thought, using a patterned wallpaper or print .... maybe even fabric instead of the pictures.

So what do you think? Landscape photo's or just a texture / pattern?

Latest Purchase

So I have purchased my entry piece and it looks so great .... its a little bit unusual but I love it all the same. I have decided that this is where my gold frames should be living ... what do you think?

Luggage - Getting it Right without Sacrificing Style

My all-time most horrific travel memory was getting off the plane in Vietnam. 

The airport in Vietnam very loosely resembles a renovated shed… ok warehouse but still, it was hot crowded and very basic, there were hundreds of people waiting around the baggage carousels and the noise was nearly deafening. I was on my own because I was meeting hubby at the hotel (we came from different directions) and really now that I think about it I cringe. I had this lovely little sun dress on, white … can you imagine and my carry on bag was one of those giant purses. It looked ever so chic but to be honest, I only had 1 hand free and a dress on that I couldn't bend over in. I bet you have this lovely picture in your head now ....

So my suitcase comes around and I go to grab it … one handed of course and what happens …. The handle pulls off into my hand. Oh yes, imagine it now, thousands of people one small opening and I missed it, dodging through people lugging my oversized carry on, I was desperate to get it before it goes back into the hole …. I miss it. 

So find myself another little hole in the crowd and wait for a second try. Of course the second option is actually picking it up not from the top of the suitcase, because that  handle is now at the feet of a sea of bodies but on the side of the suitcase. 

One handle breakage I can totally understand but at the point the second one also came off in my hand I have to admit …. I started to panic. How was I supposed to get this 20kg suitcase off the baggage carousel? Remember at this point  I also had hold of my carry on luggage that looked great but totally died in the practicality stakes because I couldn’t even get the thing over my shoulder, and there was no way I was going to put it down. Obviously a very traumatic start to the holiday but even worse ... I had to carry this bloody suitcase around the the rest of my two week trip varying between dreading and cursing the bloody thing every time we had to move destinations.

Now I’m sure you realise at this point my suitcase was woefully ill suited to international travel, what people don't realise is that it can actually damage your enjoyment of your holiday.

So what to look for in a suitcase. Here is a picture of mine and I agonised over the following before buying.

Brand - Obviously it doesn't need to be designer. Actually although designer looks amazing I personally would be so worried about people damaging it "in transit" I wouldn't want to take it away so .... my tip NOT designer but also NOT cheap. Anything that has a 10 year warranty would be my preference. This means its going to be well made.

Wheels - Suitcases are heavy and what you need to remember is that its going to be a hell of alot heavier at the end of your trip so try try try to find something with wheels. 4 wheels that swivel is the best option, it means instead of lifting any weight you are just pushing and trust me, with airports getting bigger and bigger you will thank me later.

Size - it is all to easy to busy a suitcase that is too small and then just say you will buy another smaller one later if you need it. Firstly, try walking through an airport with two pieces of luggage and carry on .... not cool. Spend the money up front on something bigger so you can fill it if you need. While we are on size also try and get the lightest option you can, the less it ways the more you can carry!

Hard or Soft - People swear by hard suitcases and in some ways I agree but to be honest, there will come a time when you have to try and squeeze a suitcase or two into the boot of a car too small and the difference between hard and soft could be 20 kilo's on your lap. So for me soft is best but make sure the material is hardy enough to stand up to the rigours of travel. 

Handles - Pay attention to the handles. Sounds silly but these little things will need to be capable of lifting potentially very heavy weights and if they fail ... you will not be a happy little chicken! Personally I like the handles actually incorporated into the design instead of a separate piece - these have minimal potential to fail which is what you really want.

Price - The thing is a good quality suitcase doesn't have to be really expensive. Get organise, plan ahead and look out for sales. I got my suitcase 6 months prior to my last trip, it was a 50% off sale which saved my hundreds of dollars. Ultimately only buy what you can afford but try to realise when putting together a budget that a suitcase should last for more than one holiday .... it should last you at least 10 years and it should actually be suitable to all sorts of holidays while still being pretty. 

Travel Smart …. Travel in Style!

Over the last few years I have done a lot of travelling. A LOT of travelling and to be honest my biggest travel “unknown” was how to travel smart. Obviously there are plenty of websites telling you … wear hidden security luggage under your clothes …. Wear plain colours ….. and my favourite “how to survive two weeks out of your carry on luggage!”

Hello ……  I am on holiday not in the army, my toiletries bag is over the carry on weight limit, I want all my luxuries and I want to look great in photos and I really want to get off the plane thinking … hey I feel and look alright! The thing that I wanted was for someone to tell me …. How do you travel smart without looking / feeling and being, daggy and impractical.

What I really DON’T want is to look like of of those … tourists. You know the tourists I’m talking about, they wear bum bags and those non wrinkle, wash in 15 seconds clothes that look about as stylish as a wet teabag. 

So my question always was …. Is it possible to look stylish and still be practical.

I have had my fair share of getting it wrong, ok so that is an understatement, I have had plenty of opportunities to get things wrong and for me, the biggest challenge was how to learn from all my mistakes and to be honest travelling has become much much easier now days.

So since I now have some experience in this department I would share some of my thoughts on a number of different subjects every so often on how to travel smart and not lose your style.

What do you think? Is this something anyone would be interested in viewing / contributing to every so often? 

Dining Table - Sorted

For me this trip for me on my own is called .... "getting s*%t Done!" 

Why? Because I have a list and 90% of those items on my list are DONE!

• Fridges - DONE
• TV Above the Fridge - DONE
• Air Con - DONE
• Foxtel - DONE
• Pantry - DONE
• Laptop - DONE

One of the big items on my list I was agonising over was my dining room table. I needed a 3m dining table with a lovely warm elegant feel to it that had something slightly interesting about it.

And guess what - I found it. Such a lovely sense of achievement in actually getting things sorted. The interesting thing about this table is actually what is under the table. It has a spine of sorts and although you cant really see it in the picture there is this wonderful detail running down the middle you can see from far away. On top of that there is always the lovely timber to top with so much detail you just cant help but run your hands over it. 

Overall - A good trip and I'm not even half way through - looking forward to another few weeks of just relaxing.

Russian / German Holiday ... Here we come!

Ok so perhaps slightly premature .... 137 days until we fly out but still excitement is rampant in the Miss Vintage household .... actually also in Vintage Seniors household too ... ha ha ha my mother will love that .... Vintage Senior!

So to fill you in, my mum, husband and I have decided that as we are the only family members home this year we are going to fulfil a long time dream of having a white Christmas. 

 

So we booked a tour with an Australian company that takes us through the Germany's Black Forest and down to Switzerland in 10 days of Christmas overkill heaven!

Anyway Hubby and I will be leaving two weeks earlier and getting a small taste of Russia and mum will be joining us in Frankfurt for the start of the tour.

 

The plan is to spend New Years in Prague and personally I am probably more excited now than when I was six waiting for Santa!

So why the excitement one hundred and thirty seven days prior to the event??? Flights are booked. To me flights mean a no going back point. This is the bit where you cant turn back .... you are going on the holiday.

So you see - I am now officially going on a holiday in ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN DAYS! What can be more exciting than that!

Mrs Fix-It

How many of you can say you know how to use a drill. Until recently I must say I wouldn't have known how to turn one on (realise now there is no on/off button) let alone be confident enough to put it to use.

Now however I am finding myself more and more confident in actually trying new things. The drill is one of them.

My pantry needed another 6 draws and since hubby was away I had 2 choices ... wait three weeks without draws or else do it myself. I started out by trying to screw each one in by hand with a little screw driver. It took all of 15 minutes and only half a draw runner done before I realised I had to pull out the big guns.

I will admit it too me a while to figure out which drill bit to use and then how to actually put the bit into the drill .... and it also too me about 20 minutes to realise that it doesn't really go that slow ... the battery was dying.

HOWEVER - I did it. I used a drill myself and did the draws all by myself. I am perfectly capable with or without hubby. Obviously there are some things I am still not sure I would try but I am working on it, bit by bit.

1 small step for man, 1 giant leap for Miss V!

Using Your Walls

Obviously you have seen update pictures of my bedroom over the last few weeks but there has been something missing .... that is, stuff on my walls.

About 2 years ago I found a set on antique maps from the 1800's. I loved them straight away and was determined to have the over my bed in a set of 8 or 9. Unfortunately the walls just were not high enough to have 3 rows of 3 but option 2 was going to look great anyway. I found the perfect size frames at Ikea if you can believe it and all was ready for someone brave enough to step up and hang them. 

Hanging things on walls is a daunting task for anyone, sure you can hang one picture and have a good chance of getting it right. How about hanging 8 pictures exactly parallel with the same gaps between each and every picture.

Obviously no one was brave or stupid enough to even think about giving me access to a drill but I am extremely lucky to have a dad who is very good at this and he was kind enough to help me hang them yesterday. For me they just finish the space so very beautifully I just can't help but fall in love with them. (Note these pics are taken with an iphone at night - I will try and take some good ones over the weekend.)

So my master bedroom nearly finished .... I can now list the outstanding tasks on one hand.

1) Repair cornice demolished during dressing room construction

2) Purchase occasional chair and footstool

3) Source mirror for near bathroom

4) Measure and source blinds for dressing room and bathroom

I am Officially OVER Tradesman

Nope - no beating around the bush here ... I am officially 100% OVER tradesman. They just don't seem to care any more, customer service and actually doing the job you promised is above and beyond as opposed to the norm!

Let me give you a perfect example. My air con person arranged for the air con unit to be delivered this morning. The plan was for the aircon to be delivered at 7am and then the air con guy and an electrician would show up at 7.30 and install the thing. Air con shows up on time and then my parents come over to help out. I was unable to stay home due to be a big committee people and I so appreciated their assistance because otherwise I was screwed. 

I call home just now at 9.30 - 2 hours after they are due to arrive to see how everything is going and guess what? They STILL haven't shown up. Seriously. I call him expecting something major to delay him .... instead I get "yeah, should be there in about 40 minutes..." I explain that I have had people waiting for them to show up and what do I get .... "yeah well I suppose I should have called"

The truth, yeah you should, I am spending nearly $20,000 dollars with your company and the total lack of professionalism is utterly disgusting. How much effort is it to actually call me, how much effort is it to make that little bit of time to make my life easier. I could have told them to come back later, I could have made other arrangements but instead I have people who have other things to do sitting around waiting ever so patiently for you to make time in your day to do the job you promised.

NOT COOL MR TRADESMAN AND YOU ARE BLOODY LUCKY IM AT WORK!

Hard Work ... Little to Show

I am aware that at the moment my blog is a little bit boring. It seems that there is very little eye candy or creativity at the moment ... mostly its just practical behind the scenes stuff that ... to put it plainly isn't pretty. 

I am desperate to actually start putting together beautiful spaces and introduce you to lovely new things I have found but for us .... practical and comfortable just have to be put first. I can live without a lovely chandelier in the entry, what I cant live without is an air conditioner.

So yes, I am aware it sucks and I'm trying to make it as .... least boring as I can but hey ... so introducing you to the very beginning of my pantry .... may you love it as much as I do.

Organised or Obsession

 

 I have a confession to make.... I may be slightly obsessed with making things pretty. I love bulk buying purely because I think it looks better on shelves....

Now I need to say, the only reason this came out is because hubby broken on of my perfect groupings by taking one of the washing liquids. I must admit that I'm struggling not to just go to the shop and replace it so it looks pretty again .... defeats the whole purpose of bulk buying I know but hey....

So my question is - does anyone else have issues with this ... I don't know, glasses not in sets of 2, 4, 6 or 12.... you know ... one odd glass that doesn't quite fit?

The Pantry Starter Kit!

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a starter kit for a pantry. I list of those items you buy once at the beginning and then never have to worry about again. You know .... the basics like oil, sauces, paper towels and tinned tomatoes. These thing you don't even realise you use on a daily basis ... you just accept that they are there. 

For us, the last two weeks feels a bit like camping. We work around what we have in the fridge because we don't own all those basics. It means our meals are at times slightly .... basic but we just didn't have the space or time to even start to consider what we needed.

Lucky for us we actually have access to a bulk buying store so when we finally did decide to start "stocking" we tend to do so in a BIG way!

You know its going to be a big shop when you take the BIG car with you just in case. Obviously this is really only scratching the surface ... we have things like stock and obviously chocolate still to go but hey .... if this isn't a good start I don't know what is?

Drapes

Just a short show off post today .... my drapes are one of my favourite moments in my master bedroom.

The are calm and dark and really luxurious feeling and I can't believe I have them. The curtain rails are actually Ikea and are one of my biggest bargains - I think all up each window is about $36 - can't get better than that.