Beloved Blogs

Happy Friday Everyone

My first week working for myself has been fantastic, I am a great boss and let myself work flexibly and as part of my job I get to research (translates to reading blogs), I love my research role and I have discovered some fabulous new blogs that I would love to share with you.

But not only am I going to tell you all about them but I would love to pass on an award to them all.

(Liebster (german) translates to darling, beloved, boyfriend, sweetheart, I'm going with beloved)

A huge THANK YOU to the lovely Cas from Peaches and Maples who awarded me with the Liebster Award a little while ago. Cas has the most gorgeous blog and a lovely house that is full of pretties.

Cas' lovely lounge room

If you haven't met Cas please pop on over and say hello, she is great fun and it is definately worth a sticky beak at her home.

The rules for the  Liebster award are as follows:

1. Choose FIVE up and coming blogs to pass this award on

to. They must have less than 200 followers.

2. Show a big thanks to the blogger who gave you the award

by linking back to them.3. Post the award on your blog. List the bloggers you are

giving the award to with links to their sites. 

My lovely new friends who I want to pass this award onto are:

Michelle from Home, Love and Life as I live it

Some of Michelle's lovely decor items

Libby from K A T capers

Libby's fabulous header

Mandy from The Old Dairy

The Old Dairy

Roberta from Rowentree Design

Some items from Roberta's lovely online shop

Kerry from French & Sparrow

Kerry's lovely homemade soap

Madonna from Two Beaches and a Lake

Madonna's new house

I know that I have listed six but I couldn't leave one out as I have really enjoyed discovering them all and I would love to share theses great Aussie blogs with you all.

Ladies if you would like to play on please do but don't feel that you have to. I know that some of you have already received this award but I just wantd to let you know how much I have enjoyed meeting you.

Hope you all have a great weekend

xx

French Market Baskets

I am so excited,

all the stock I am ordering is starting to arrive and it is feeling more real every day

I just adore these French Market Baskets perfect for taking to the Farmers Markets on Saturday morning or for a quick trip to the grocery store.

Do you have local Farmers Markets? Ours are held once a month and we love popping in to have breakfast or coffee there as well as to buying some yummy treats for home.

The baskets are hand crafted in Morocco from natural palm fibre with strong Moroccan leather handles, choosing one to keep for myself is proving to be difficult, I am not sure what style to have as I like them all.

I am not sure that hubby is as excited as I am though, our lounge room looks a little messy and the TV is almost hidden ;-) 

Today I am taking photos, sorting and storing all of these goodies in a safe place out of the way.

Thank you for all of your supporting and encouraging comments on my last post. It is so lovely to read them and have them to look back on when my insecurities surface and I start to wonder what I am doing!!!

xx

McCarthy Designs & Occasions

It's official,

I am now self employed.

It is all a little scary,

I guess the unknown always is.

I will be launching my online store on the 2nd April.

There is still so much to do

but it is all very exciting.



I have been busy finding suppliers and ordering in stock.

My new office is a little cramped

but I do have lots natural light and a window that opens.

Fortunately I am very flexible and I can easily relocate my workstation to sit out in the sunshine.

What bliss!

Apart from selling pretty things I am also available to help out with interior and event styling

Thanks to some wonderful friends I am already busy helping with the decor and styling of their houses, some parties and a wedding.

It is all so much fun and I love to help ease the stress that comes when you are organising a big event, renovating or moving house.

Thank you for joining me on my journey and for all of the support and feed back that you have all given me over the last few years.

The encouragement and friendship that I have received from my blog, and the inspiration that I get from reading about your journeys and lives has played a huge part in me being able to go out on my own and do something that I love.

xx

Office Spaces

Only two days to go and I will be self employed (sounds much better than unemployed)

My mind has been quite focused on starting my own business and creating a space for that at home, so when I saw the gorgeous office of Amanda Nisbett (featured in this months Lonny magazine) I couldn't help but share.

Isn't it just lovely, nothing like my current work space.

By tomorrow afternoon this work station will  be devoid of any personal belongings and there will be no trace left of me.

It is a little sad:-(

But also very exciting.

I am most looking forward to throwing away all of the training manuals and the folders of very boring procedural guides.

This is will be my way of finalising it......

my career in banking is over (for now anyway).

When you have left one job to start another (or to not start another) what did you do for "closure" ?

xx

Rain in Noosa

We are so fortunate that we are not affected by flooding where we live but I am so sick of the wet weather.

We don't live in a hot climate to start with.

In Orange we are lucky to need the air conditioning for two weeks of the year but not even that this year.

In January we tried to escape to warmer parts and chose to spend a week in Noosa QLD.

It rained

The whole week

Every day

Everything was damp

It didn't stop us from swimming in the pool

or using the spa

but swimming at the beach wasn't appealing

Coral Beach Resort Noosa was nice though

very family orientated and the apartments were lovely.

We even played tennis in the rain

Anyone else sick of the wet weather?

Enjoy your week.

xx

Pretty in Pink

Only three weeks of work left!

I am really struggling to get through these last few weeks of being employed by the Bank. My motivation levels are low, I just don't have any incentive to be here. I want to do the right thing and leave on a positive note but gee, is it hard. Any hints or advice you can offer me would be great!

How was your weekend? We had a lovely weekend. I had an appointment in Sydney on Friday so hubby and I used this as an excuse for a weekend away.

Goodness we can eat.

It seems like whenever we go away on holidays our time revolves around meals and where we will be having them. Is anyone else like this? Unfortunately I love food and the tightness of my work skirt this morning can testify to that.

We also stopped in and checked out the Reed gifts and homewares trade fair as part of my future plans.

 I love to shop but I must admit one day was more than enough. I was all shopped out at the end and my wonderful hubby was a trooper he walked all day and never complained and was truely a big help in making decisions etc. I am so blessed to have him in my life.

Speaking of blessings my lovely husband came with a wonderful family whom I adore. It was my Mother in Laws and my Grandmother in Laws birthdays recently so we hosted a birthday lunch for them. My mother in law loves pink so to make the occasion extra special I added some pink touches around the house.

When I came in to work this morning I had a lovely email from her thanking me again for the lunch and she had attached some photos from the day. With her permission I thought I would share them with you.



There is still lots of excitement happening in my life and I am looking forward to all the new developments and changes.

Thank you to you all for your great support and encouragement, it is so wonderful to have such lovely friends.

Have a great week.

xx

Design Shuffle (and an update)

Hello my Friends

Thank you for all of your lovely and encouraging comments on my last post. The next day I had a visit from management and HR with good news! I was offered a redundancy and at this stage in our lives it was an answer to prayer.

Having said that it has still been a very emotional and hectic few weeks. We had 7 offices close in our department and a lot of work to be done in the next few weeks. I finish up in mid march so I am really looking forward to that and to launching into my own business. I will share more on that a little later.

Now enough about me, I have a special guest post from Joanna that I hope you will love!

xx

Hi there! I’m Joanna, a blogger for Design Shuffle, an online portal featuring all things interior design. Interior designers share images of their work for prospective clients and design enthusiasts to enjoy. Thanks to McCarthy Designs for letting me bring you this guest post today. I hope it inspires lots of decorating ideas for you! Besides the front door, the foyer or entry in the home is the first impression visitors see when visiting. With that in mind, shouldn’t every entry be filled with big personality and near endless character? Following are a few of my absolute favorite foyers. Which is your favorite?

Saffron walls paired with a dramatic black and white marble floor give a bright and cheerful hello to family and guests.



A stunning white and gold foyer with a chevron patterned floor is sophisticated and chic. French doors with transom welcome the outside in.

Dramatic black, gray and white give a stately feel to this large foyer. I especially love the bench in front of the doors and the gray and white checked floor.


A modern interior design take on a traditional foyer is created by using mid-century modern pieces and glass at the staircase. The striped carpet on the stairs draws the eye up to the landing with seating above.


This gorgeous entry is an eclectic mix of modern and classic. The string globe light fixtures and the sisal rug are an unusual combination which definitely works. Large light fixtures like these not only look great in a foyer, but would look wonderful in a living room or den design as well.

When speaking of spicy foyers, I had to include this gorgeous pink, black and white one from Kelly Wearstler.



It’s yet another lovely entry with lots of chic elements. Love the pink velvet chair with the zebra print rug! Doesn’t this inspire lots of interior design ideas not only for your foyer, but for your living room or bedroom designs too?

This entry is full of excitement with a cheery disposition. An abstract wallpaper paired with a modern pink and black table and bench fits perfectly with a modern aesthetic. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8For even more design inspiration, take a look at Design Shuffle where you can explore an array of interior design styles and connect with Boston interior designers and more!

Black Lantern

Have you ever had one of those days that you know you will look back on and remember as being a significant day in your life, one of those days that seem a little unreal, one of those days when you know that the way you do things now is going to change and you pretty sure it isn't going to be for the better?

I had one of those yesterday, it wasn't totally unexpected, however some of the news I received was a shock and not all has been revealed yet, so I am in a state of nervous anticipation. Not for long though, I should have more news today.

It is all to do with some restructuring at work, I know it will all be ok in the end but I will feel much better when the whole outcome is announced and I know what the future will look like.

What do you think of my mini makeover? We picked these lanterns up from Bunnings months ago on clearance but I never liked them in silver so I whipped out the black spray paint and Voila!

I am much happier with the end result.

I am still working on my attitude to life and I have been busy with some projects that will help change my lifestyle for the better. Hopefully I will be ready to share more on that soon.

With my projects and a trip to Noosa last week (bad timing, it was so wet!) I have been a little busy but I do stop in for quick visits where I stalk and don't leave comments.

Sorry, I am around :-(

Will do better... promise

Have a great week my friends.

xx

Wonderful Wednesday

Yes, you read right, today is wonderful. I am not sure why it is better than any other day but I am feeling good!

I know I am alive because I have muscles hurting that I forgot existed thanks to the weights class I did on Monday. So I am definitely keeping my New Years goals in sight I am working on getting fitter and I am generally happier and appreciating what I have. So far, so good.

There is lots happening in my life with new projects that are also in line with my goals. I am full of enthusiasm and excitement and I am really looking forward to the new adventures that this year will bring. Isn't that a great reason to be having a wonderful Wednesday?

Thank you so much for all of your wonderful comments on my last post and for your best wishes and prayers. It is so great to have your support and friendship!

How are you going with your New Years goals/resolutions so far?

Have a great day

xx

PS. The images have nothing to do with what I wrote but the new Rue Magazine is out and I had a quick look these were my favourites.



New Year, New Me!

Ha, just kidding, 

I kinda like the old me but I do have a new haircut!

A new year is a great time to look back over the year that has been and reflect on your life, what was great, what was bad, the tough stuff, the fun stuff and what you are going to change in the coming year.

For us 2011 was a year full of highs and lows, we had some great things happen and we had some really tough times, but you know what? That's life! Even though we had some really sad events throughout the year we are still really thankful for the year we had. 

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to repeat any of the tough stuff that happened but when you live through hard stuff,

 you grow 

and you learn

 and that, 

is a good thing!

I am still sad, 

sad that we lost two babies last year & sad that we aren't expecting a new baby. 

It was/still is sometimes, hard to see other families happily expecting or enjoying their babies. What I pray is, that no matter how hard it is for me or how sad I am that we don't have a baby, I can still be happy for others and that I don't become bitter and mean.

Now - moving on to 2012, 

What we are praying for this year.... 

well just in case you didn't guess, we are praying for a healthy baby or two (twins would be just fine). 

I would love to be .....

• healthier
• fitter
• thinner (hopefully this just happen if I achieve the first two)
• happier

Happier is a big one for me, this is all about my attitude. Sometimes my attitude stinks! Only I can change this, so this year I am going to keep working on it. Yes that's right working on it. You see, like most things it doesn't just happen, you have to work at it all the time, so I am going to keep working on it. This includes thinking hard about the future, what do I want to be doing in five years time? What makes me unhappy and leaves me uninspired? How can I change that?

I would dearly love to have babies and stay at home, being a full time mum, but at this point in time it is not happening so I can't live just for that, I need to make some changes in my life to make sure I enjoy it every day, not  just living for the future. 

I can be a lot happier with a serious attitude re-adjustment, really sometimes it is as simple as listing all the great people and things in my life and BAM! I feel much better. 

There are other areas in my life that I need to change, one of those has been work, I have been seriously thinking about what I would like to do for a living, do I like what I do?, what will make it better? do I need a change? Stay tuned I will let you know when I work it out. Until then I will aim to:

• Make sure I look after ME (rest, take time out, say No occasionally)
• Keep going to the gym (I joined late last year)
• Lose weight (this will just happen when I am  healthier and fitter, won't it?)
• Enjoy 2012, each and every day I will look for the good stuff and I will be thankful for it.

Thank you 

Thanks for being with me this last year, your comments and visits really helped me get through. I have made some really wonderful friends through blogging, something I never expected and something I am so very grateful for.

I wish you all an exceptionally marvellous 2012!

I am looking forward to sharing it with you.

xx