Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Nicholas

I had a fabulous time in Sydney with Nicholas last week.


it was so lovely to be able to spend time with him and cheer him on in the shot put.


Thank you for all of you good luck wishes for Nicholas, unfortunately he didn't place in the top 3 but he felt that he did his best and I was just so proud of him.

Making it to State level was such an achievement in itself especially for a kid who didn't train at all : - )


His event was first up at 9am so we were finished before 10am and because my sister Gail took the day off work to hang out with us and we had the rest of the day to fill we headed over to Featherdale Wildlife Park.


It was great! Nicholas and I hadn't been before.


The park is a really great size to wander around without getting exhausted. Very easy to see everything in a few hours.


There are lots of birds to enjoy, including this cute albino Kookaburra.


and cute animals to pat and feed.


I highly recommend a visit, a lot of the animals wander freely and are happy to be fed and petted.


On Friday we were at the University of NSW in Randwick for the Robocup Competition. Nicholas' school had two teams involved.

Both teams were competing in the Dance section. As a team they designed their robots using Lego Robotic kits. The aim for each team is to program their robots to move around a specified area using as much of the designated space as possible without going outside of it. The program is set to music with the team also performing a dance in conjunction with the robots. The routine is to last between 1 - 2 minutes.

The team was to first introduce themselves then they had to approach the judges and explain their robots.

It was rather dark and I couldn't get any closer so the photos aren't the best sorry!

Nicholas' team performed really well, but unfortunately didn't make it through to the next stage.

I had a great time watching all of the teams and was amazed at what these kids can do. They are all so clever.


It was a fantastic opportunity for Nicholas to be involved in and I am just so very proud of him!

PS. Nicholas did dance a little, he "Shuffled" 

xx

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

A very proud mum

This will be my only post this week as this proud mother is taking her son to Sydney tomorrow


Nicholas has made it to the State Athletics Carnival for Shot Put


It is very exciting and it is the first time he has made it to state level.


The Athletics Carnival is on Thursday and his event is at 9am so we will stay at my sisters in Sydney tonight so we have a little less travel time in the morning.



Then on Friday my talented  son, along with his team mates from school will be competing in the Robocup finals held at the University of NSW 


Friday will be another early start and I am not looking forward to travelling in the traffic to get to Randwick.


I haven't been able to see Nicholas compete in Robocup before so I am looking forward to it and it will be nice to have some Mother & Son time as we travel to Sydney and back.


I will also get to catch up with my sisters while I am in Sydney. I have arranged to spend a night with each of them (cheap accommodation lol!)

Enjoy the rest of your week and have a great weekend, wish Nicholas luck and I will let you know how he goes next week! 

xx

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Guest Post Arcadian Home Decor

Hello, everyone! My name is Lindsey and I'm a writer for Arcadian Home Decor, a website that provides wonderful home decor options for any home. I get to look at gorgeous things all day long and write about them. I work as a guest blogger, focusing on interior design, home furnishings, lighting, and art. I'm so excited to write a guest post for Nellie's fabulous blog; I love her craftiness and DIY ethos!

Ladders are probably the very last thing that comes across anyone's mind when it comes to home decor. But, take a look at these homes and you'll see ladders that are not only useful, but are also pretty and chic. Even if and when you need to reach high-up in the kitchen, closet or library, you can use them for other things -- as a side table, a rack, even a pretty accessory.

Ladders in Home Decor


Coastal Living (via)

While the old-fashioned metal ladder aboard this yacht has practical applications, it sure is cute. The use of yellow as an accent - seen in the ladder, the painting and a fishing coat - is adorable as well.

Ladders in Home Decor


Woman's Day (via)

This would be a great project for those crafty/DIY blog readers. It's a step ladder that was converted into a pot rack; it would look great hanging over a rustic kitchen island.

Ladders in Home Decor


Moodboard via Vogue Living

Another great idea for using a ladder as a home accessory is to store a small collection of your favorite , fashionable shoes. Here, the ladder shoe rack is topped by a cute black task lamp for additional lighting.

Ladders in Home Decor


Skona Hem (via)

An oak step ladder adds a bit of rustic touch to this bright white, custom made kitchen. The designer took the customization a step further and modified the cabinetry to fit the step ladder.

Ladders in Home Decor


Pride of Place via Lotta Agaton

A distressed stepping ladder becomes wall decor when installed on a wall. This actually looks like another easy DIY piece, too. Install some chunky wood blocks vertically up the wall alongside the ladder and use those as displays for mini vases or a colorful glass collection.

The great thing about using something as simple as a ladder in your home decor is that it's basically up to you how creative you want to be with it. As you can see, a ladder, while lovely on its own, can also be used for more practical purposes. Either way, it's a chic addition to any home!

Content provided by Arcadian Home Decor, a site that specializes in top quality home accessories at extremely affordable prices. Come visit us today!

Monday, August 15, 2011

The Rocks

Happy Monday!


Did you have a nice weekend?


I had a lovely weekend, 


it was my Wonderful husband's birthday and I treated him to a night in the city



We stayed at the Amora Hotel


Had dinner at the Bavarian Beer Cafe


Had dessert at Max Brenner's, best chocolate ever!!!


Had brunch the next day at Rossini's in Circular Quay


Wandered around the Markets at the Rocks 



Took the big bulky camera all the way to Sydney 


and home again without ever taking it out of the car



Had to take photos of the markets on my mobile phone so I had something to show you


This was my first time at the Rock's markets and I was surprised at how big they are



Almost bought one of these wall plaques but I couldn't decide on a favourite  : (




The weather was gorgeous


it was a lovely break!

 

I have a special treat for you later this week



For the first time ever at McCarthy Designs 

There will be a special post by a guest blogger.


Check back to find out who

Have a great week!

xx


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Making Gold white

I think I need to retire, 

now that I am back at work I am just not able to visit all my favourite blogs as often as I would like!


I still haven't finished sharing all of my holiday projects with you, well anyone who is interested!


Remember my little vase that I scored for $3




A bit of white spray paint and presto!


It is always best to apply spray paint in thin layers to avoid runs in the paint.


I love how easily you can transform stuff with a bit of paint! 

What about you?

xx


Tuesday, August 2, 2011

House of Fifty

Look what I just discovered!


I know that I may be behind but just in case you haven't discovered this great online mag go and have a look it's great.

xx

Monday, August 1, 2011

Chalk placemats

Ta da........


One of my projects while I was on holidays was to make some chalk place mats like these


So I scoured the op shops and found six of these smaller place mats for $1


Then a week later I found these slightly larger ones from another op shop in Bathurst, 17 for $6 


I had some left over water based paint that I used for the smaller place mats.


I had to buy some more paint to do the large place mats so I grabbed this one and didn't even check to see if it was water based or not. It wasn't so unfortunately it took me a bit longer to finish the larger place mats.


The small place mats were all finished in a day, I used a brush to apply two coats of paint to each one and being water based I only had to wait two hours in between coats.

I used a mini roller to paint the larger place mats using the lovely Tamarah's method that she so kindly shared with me. As I used an oil based paint for these I had to leave them spread out over the dining table for the weekend. You need to allow 16 hours between coats and I applied two. 



The little place mats are too small for putting under a plate so I will use them under the glasses like this 





or I can use them as signs at parties.


The larger place mats worked well and I have more than enough to use when we have people over for dinner


I am really happy with them and pleased that I was able to make my own and save some money.


How was your weekend?


Mine was nice, we had a lovely social weekend and caught up with family and friends


Today is a Bank holiday here in NSW so I am having a relaxing day at home catching up on some reading and a bit of paperwork.








I hope you all have a lovely week.

xx