Industrial Style Inspiration

I hope you had an amazing Christmas. I certainly ate waaaaay too much food, but had a wonderful time reconnecting with my family who live hours away from me. Whilst visiting the gorgeous city of Geelong we made a stop at the newly opened Little Creatures Brewery. It was a brilliant example of industrial styling and I couldn't help but share with you. Originally the old textile mills, the building has been completed transformed into a brewery and beer hall canteen.

Coincidentally my grandfather worked in these mills when he first arrived in Australia, so its new lease on life held particular interest for my family.

As you entered the premises you were welcomed by security and asked to "follow the yellow brick road" - a nice touch!

 

via Crafty Pint

A Very Merry Christmas

Nothing puts the "merry" into Christmas more than a delicious yuletide cocktail, so I've gathered up my Top 5 recipes with a decidedly Christmas spin. Personally I love nothing more than a glass of bubbles to celebrate or a refreshing jug of Pimms, but the addition of a cocktail to kick off the day will certainly set the festive mood. I hope you enjoy!

• Iced Eggnog
• Cranberry Vodka Punch
• Cherry Bombs (mocktail)
• Mulled Wine Sangria
• Jug of Pimms

Happy Christmas everyone!

Rustic Aussie Christmas Wreath

 

I've been a busy beaver with three DIY posts in a row, but with less than a week to go until Christmas I thought I would share this super easy Christmas Wreath tutorial. It's something you can whip up in less than an hour and will look fabulous hanging on your front door when guests arrive for the big day. I decided to give the traditional wreath an "Aussie" twist with the addition of some eucalyptus leaves that not only add colour and texture contrast, but smell really great too.

You will need:

• An old wire coat hanger
• 4 large stems of pine foliage
• 6 small branches of eucalyptus foliage
• 20cm x 120cm piece of hessian
• Cotton thread and needle
• Thin wire - such as florist wire
• Scissors

Natural Lavender Baby Shampoo

 

I have a new baby and I'm always astounded by the ingredients the large pharmaceutical companies get away with putting in their baby products. I always try to buy organic or as natural as possible for little miss, but unfortunately these products tend to carry with them a hefty price tag. So when I stumbled upon this super easy recipe over at My Merry Messy Life I thought it was definitely worth a try.

You will only need three ingredients for the shampoo; water, Dr Bronner's Castille Soap and a pure essential oil of your choice. I decided on lavender for its calming properties and it smells pretty fabulous too! I was able to find the Dr Bronner's soap at my local health food store, but its also available online.

Easy 30 Minute Cushion Covers

I love a quick and easy craft project and these cushion covers certainly tick that box. I know I should be making Christmas crafts at this time of the year, but I have decided to make a cushion as a Christmas gift for a friend of mine, so I thought why not make a couple for my lounge room too! Made using an envelope design, there is no need for a zip so you can make one today with left over material you might have sitting in your cupboard.

Starting from the Start

Well it seems I was a little over excited about the prospect of getting our new patio, that I forgot to give you some of the gory background details about our house. We built (or should I say our builders built) our home nearly two years ago and we have been completing projects here and there when time and money permit, both of which have been sorely lacking.

My man and I have had previous experience renovating properties so we thought a new build would be a piece of cake. We wouldn't need to worry about uneven walls, unworkable room dimensions or dreaded demolition, but what we have encountered are a whole new raft of "challenges" that come with a new house build. Yes we have the floor plan of our dreams, new appliances and a completely blank canvas, but our poor house has no soul!

One of the biggest things we underestimated was the impact a lack of garden or landscaping has on the overall appeal of a house. At the moment we don't even have grass, so I'll give you a peak at the kind of garden elements I drool over and one day hope to have as my own.

(via New Garden Idea)

We have half an acre to landscape so we have to think on a big scale.

Symmetry and a green on green pallet are a must.



(via HGTV Gardens)

Don't even get me started on the romantisism of a vine covered pergola. 

(via Secret Gardens)

Perhaps a sculpural element to add to the mix?

(via Hedge Garden & Nursery)

And a splash of white to add some interest.

 

Patio Musings

It's officially summer and we officially are still without a patio. As you can see below we have a lovely covered pergola, but no flooring so entertaining is out of the question. You can also see that we have ZERO in the way of garden, but that's a whole other story that I'm not game to tackle just yet.

 

Our options are to a) build a timber deck, b) concrete and tile later on (when funds permit), or c) pave with a step down. Have any of you had a similar dilema and which course did you eventually decide on? - would love to hear how you came to your decision.