Our First Christmas!

Well I really wasn't going to until a friend suggested I need a Christmas post.

So. Our first Christmas in our new house was actually a little restrained. Less pressies. Less food. Less STRESS!

We had Oscar's best mate and his Mum to celebrate with us. And it was so casual and relaxed!

Of course - there is still enough food to feed a small nation. But it has been a lot less stressful than previous years :)

 

XMAS morning. Before the destruction of two 

over-eager small children!

 

Adelaide snacking on Christmas cake AND
striped green and red jelly!

 

Oscar at the end of a busy day.
Flaked out on Dadda on the couch.

Laundry

After seeing my friend's lovely laundry, I decided it was time I spruce mine up a little. Admittedly I am not sure one can do a great deal with laundry decor, but a little art brightens up any space!

I've loved the Marimekko Lumimarja design since I saw it in San Francisco. As soon as I saw it I knew I needed to have it somewhere in my house. In our old house there was an obliging wall at the end of the kitchen so it hung there - but no such spot in the new home.

Until I thought it might look well in the laundry! And now it's up I think it's just the spot for it :)

The Garden

So now we've been in a while, I can report on the progress of the garden!

This week our lovely magnolias have started to bloom! Not every plant - but quite a few. Actually that side of the house is looking quite nice - everything is growing and looking good!

The gardenias down the side at the front are doing OK. Some are doing well and flowering, but we have lost a couple. Will be out replacing those this weekend.

Across the back my crab apple and pear are both doing well. The opulus is OK but not thriving.

However I have, sadly, lost my forest pansy. It just did not make it. So I am considering a weeping cherry or similar to replace it.

Now it is Jacaranda season I am longing for one in the back. Of course, I forget the awful mess they make (not the blossoms - when they lose all their foliage). Just the riot of purple is SO pretty!

I did find my Flemmings Tree Guide a few days back, and am seriously considering a Lilac. Overlooked, in my opinion! Gorgeous, scented, pretty as! What more could one want?

I might ask Santa for one for Christmas!

Coffee Table

When we got the rug, something just didn't look 'right'. Turns out it was the coffee table! New one arrived Friday and I finally put it into place on Sunday.

I am so happy with it - much lighter and brighter and what the space needed. Now I just have to fix up the couch legs to match and get some colour happening in there cushions wise. I want to go teal, red and linen. So off to Spotlight in the next week or two to pick some fabrics up!

Christmas!

One thing I have learned is that our street is a real community - and every calendar event is celebrated in style!

After a fairly abysmal Halloween (where we ran out of lollies) I swore we'd redeem ourselves at the annual 'light up' night. Which is tonight.

Now the other end of the street goes berserk - the full monty including organised caroling etc. A flyer went out a month ago to remind us all! However - keen not to be completely outdone, this end of the street is getting into the spirit of things, and are at least token 'lighting up'.

It wasn't looking great when we came home this afternoon after a birthday party, and Sean was pretty whacked. I was fairly certain we'd be conspicuously dark this evening :(  However about 3pm he decided we couldn't be the ONLY house in the street without at least a token effort - so we headed off to Bunnings for a few strands of LEDs and then hung them across the front of the house.

We also put up the XMAS tree in the front window and will have the curtains open / lights on and XMAS music playing.

Not a huge effort, but I have been assured most homes buy a new thing each year (in the post Christmas sales) and so over time the displays get more and more elaborate ;) I will certainly be looking for a nice wreath as I have always wanted one for the front door!

So our first XMAS season in our new home is here - and it has been such a delight to become part of this beautiful community!

 

Dodgy pic of our lights - and a small guy in his
PJs coming back home after light up night.

Rug and powerpoints

A bit of action today - specifically the new rug arriving at 9am! At first I was unsure about it - but then I realised it was the coffee table on it that I was not loving. Thankfully that situation will be resolved in a week or two ;)

In the meantime I am quite liking the rug. It's lovely and soft underfoot, and has made a difference to the echo in the back room.

Of course, the room is looking so very bland - so I need to start adding some decorative elements. Will probably start with some cushions - although I won't do too much until I have decided on the curtains.  More decisions!

Not long after the rug arrived, so did the electrical contractors who did the wiring for the house. They were here to put a double powerpoint in the roof (they accidentally only installed a single). Happily while they were here they were able to install an additional powerpoint in the master bedroom as I realised I'd not made a spot for the clock radio to plug in! So it worked out well.

Art. And stools!

For me, art is about what I like. It's also about what works in a given space. So hanging art in the new house has been a challenge! A lot of things were bought or framed for a different spot. But now I need to see if they can work in a new home.

I am happy to report I have positioned 3 pieces - and that (I think, at least) they suit their new spaces even more than they did their old ones!

All three are 'children's' art. 2 Elise Hurst prints (one for each of the kids). Also 2 sets of Michelle V stickers framed together. I think they work beautifully in the space. I know they might not be everyone's taste - but they make me smile :)

 

Kids hallway artwork - towards Oscar's room

 

Kids hallway artwork - towards Adelaide's room 

 

Our Michelle V originals
These are actually little stickers designed
for the back of envelopes. But when I saw them
I thought they looked like little teeny artworks -
and so I framed them!

 

Oscar's Elise Hurst print

 

Adelaide's Elise Hurst print

Oh. The kitchen stools also arrived today. They are slightly darker than the meals table - but it works and they are suitably unobtrusive which pleases me.

 

New stools.

Now the kids can have breakfast at the kitchen bench!