Sunday, January 8, 2012

Tis the season for cleaning!!

We are home at the farm house for a few days while the shearers come in and shear our sheep. This takes about 3 days for our ewes to be done so I have decided that the weather is just perfect for a bit of spring cleaning (I know it’s full summer here but at the moment we are having beautiful spring weather). This always seems to happen when the Christmas decorations are packed away. I didn’t have too many to pack up at the farm house because most of ours were at the beach house this year but the house looked like a clean slate just waiting to be rearranged.

I started with a nearly empty dresser and I felt it really needed some nice earthy bits and pieces so as usual I looked around and put together a few pieces from everywhere!

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Things look a little sad here…my gorgeous big white pitchers went to the beach house for Christmas and will probably stay there now.

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I really like this look for a change – DNo 2 visited and commented how much she liked it – I don’t think my daughters like my pink things much!!

                                    Suzy

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Sunday, January 1, 2012

Christmas Lunch table

Finally after all the dramas we have had (I know it’s nothing compared to what some people have suffered and I am thankful for that) I have had time to down load the photos I took of our Christmas lunch table. Our two daughters, their husbands and our four grandies joined us at the beach house for lunch. I had gone to the beach house the week before and had the tables set and everything in place for the big day.



































I wasn’t sure what colour to have for my table but I came across these gorgeous berry wreaths for 50% off so that was the start of the table.



























I only have plain white china at the beach house so I used that as the base along with some pretty Christmas salad plates I have had for a few years (purchased at the after Christmas sales!).  I happened to be at our local Spotlight store (I think this would be similar to Hobby Lobby!) when all the Christmas fabric was reduced by 50% so a length of that came home too!



Napkin rings were also half price so into the cart they went along with the cute Christmas crackers!!  I can’t resist a bargain!


Lots of candles at different heights were placed in the centre of the table. These gorgeous round candles were from last years after Christmas sales. 


Luckily I had six chargers in red. Underneath the red fabric I used some red placemats – only for the reason to protect the table surface. I didn’t want to use a table protector – I liked the look of the timber through the sheer fabric. As it was I was the only person who knocked over a drink!! LOL


I love these cute crackers!! I didn’t set places for the children as they are all small and were in bed when we had lunch.


I can’t believe Christmas has been and gone and now we are into the new year. Today we celebrated our grandson’s 1st birthday – what a lovely way to spend New Year’s Day!
Suzy

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Friday, December 30, 2011

Top 4 posts

Today I thought I would share with you my Top 4 Posts!!
The first is our Christmas In July table all decked out in pink. We actually held it later than July as we had toruble getting the family together!! Check it out here.

 The next post was one I did I my collection of Royal Albert china. If you'd like to see more go here.

I just love Royal Albert china – I think I have from the day I first day I ever saw it.  It is stored away in the cupboard at the moment but it won’t be long and it will be out on display again.


My home tour was another well liked post. How inviting does this  bed look?? I could certainly do with some R & R at the moment. You can see this post here.


I love the white china with that little bit of bright green – nice  and fresh. Pop over and have a look here. This was a small makeover in the kitchen.


Suzy

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

What a Christmas!!

We had a really lovely Christmas with our children, their partners and children plus many members of my family. Christmas Day saw us enjoying wonderful food, presents and great company. Boxing Day however, was another story……

Mr FH had a massive reaction to ‘something’! on Boxing Day night. We still don’t know what caused this but it was so scary. He started having problems breathing and his face and lips had started to swell at an alarming pace. Luckily I had our daughter and son with us (one is a nurse, the other a paramedic) so I had a great support crew. After spending the night in hospital he came home to the beach house and slept all day yesterday. Today he’s up and about but still not bubbling over. We have come home to the farm for a couple of days then back to the beach house for New Year.

I have some photos to share with you of my sideboard at the beach house. I have taken photos of our Christmas tables but with all the confusion (and worry!!) I haven’t even looked at them yet. Hopefully I will have time for all of that tomorrow.






























I love the look of silver and white – especially at Christmas.

Suzy


Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Wishes

 

                                                                                  

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Merry Christmas to all!! I hope you have a happy and safe Christmas with your family.

 

                            Suzy

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Christmas Re-do

I have been having a tough week – what with all the weather problems we are having (Mr FH just had the header bogged today!) I have now torn my groin muscle! Talk about it never rains unless it pours. I haven’t been able to get a post ready for you but I didn’t want to miss the fun so here’s what I have to offer.
I am doing a re-post of our Christmas a couple of years ago when I first started blogging!! How things have changed……

                                                                                             Does anyone recognise this box??

I found this tucked under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning - it was a beautiful diamond ring from my husband.  It is just stunning.....what a start to a fabulous day! We had the most wonderful time at my sister's town house on the canals in Mandurah - a gorgeous seaside town on our coast. Our kids were all there (at some stage or other) as were my sister and her family and my MUM.  My other sister and her family were unfortunately not able to come too.
          
We decorated the table in black and silver (not colours I normally use) but I thought they looked very elegant. What do you think??
We started our morning with icey cold champagne (we arrived at 12.30 so it wasn't that early for champagne!) then we sat down to wonderful seafood crepes for our entree. We always have the traditional roast turkey with cranberry sauce, ham, baked potatoes, stuffed pumpkin, cauliflower cheese, peas and corn regardless of what the temperature is - this year the weather man was kind to us.
For dessert we always have plum pudding or pavlova with strawberries. Yummo!!
                                         
After a short nap we all hopped onto the two boats we had (one belongs to my sister and her husband and the other to Daughter No 2 and her husband) and cruised around the waterways, I tried to take photos of the magnificent Christmas lights on the water front but they didn't turn out so well (maybe too many champagnes by then!!). Eventually we headed home to start eating again. This time we had cold meats, crayfish, prawns, salad and a fabulous whole fish which we stuffed and baked. Dessert was a lemon tart, individual cherry puddings and a yummy white chocolate, macadamia and mango torte.
Boxing Day was very similar to Christmas Day - just eating, drinking, cruising the waterways and enjoying having our family together.
I hope you all had a wonderful day with your family and friends.

The table looks so bare compared to what I have set for you this year. I have it all ready at the beach house but forgot to take my camera with me on the weekend so I’ll snap some pics on Christmas morning.
Suzy

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Christmas Table


This week I have done a traditional red and silver table for Susan's Tablescape Thursday. I have been looking at the gorgeous charger everyone is using and just had to have some (these are not used much here in Australia) so was so thrilled when I went to the city last week and got them at Adairs for 50% off. Six for the price of three - can't get better than that.



I was also lucky enough to find these wonderful Christmas plates on sale at Myer so I bought eight of these - they are something I will be able to have forever to use at Christmas.


The chargers look gold in this photo but they are really silver. My gorgeous red stemware I have had for a few years now. The napkins came from Ikea and  and the white napkin rings are about 20 years old.


This Christmas tree is new this year (also from Adairs I think) and the mercury glass candle holders are from Spotlight. The flatware is Onieda which I have had and used for many years.


I love tealight candles on a table - they are so simple but just seem to add that bit of magic.
Have a wonderful Christmas everyone! I'm sure there will be some wonderful tablescapes to look at next week.

Suzy