Holidays, Happy Days

Well a quick post as I'm heading off on holidays!!! yay !!! the long awaited annual holiday to Rainbow Beach. We normally go after Christmas so this is the first ever time we have organised it before Christmas which I must admit is feeling a little strange packing the suitcase and we haven't even had Christmas yet. Anyway I think everything is done - Christmas present are done, Christmas Day is organised, House is clean, Mother in law is house sitting the dogs, almost packed, the only thing left to do is to enjoy this lovely view !!! see you all in a week, hope everyone has a great week !!!

Mellissa

Rainbow Beach

Well here is my centrepiece I made about 2 days ago very late at night, with the combined inspiration that I previously posted. I thought I would also use the word "JOY" on the table and my little snowflake tealights which I've had for a couple of years.  Anyway the hubby and kids said it looks good ??? I think once the table is done up with the blue and silver tablecloth, white plates, Bonbons, napkins etc it should scrub up alright.

Mellissa.

Liebster Award

Well Happy Friday everyone !!! At least I think it's Friday. I'll just start by saying what a week it has been, School's finished, Grade 2 done and dusted. We've had rewards day and party day where we had to bring along homemade shortbread which me and the kids baked Wednesday afternoon listening to Christmas tunes. Book pack for Grade 3 was delivered to my door yesterday which you gotta love, can't complain about the service, all I have to do is cover them next year of course !!!. Kindy is finished, teacher's presents all handed out. We had a birthday party to attend yesterday afternoon, My Granma has been transported from a very badly run private hospital to a nursing home fingers crossed all good. And of course finished my Christmas shopping, but Best of all I received  a Liebster Award from a lovely lady who I met doing my Colour Psychology course, Mimi from athomewithsamandi.blogspot.com.

Christmas Centrepiece Inspiration

Well these are my colours, loving the whole table setting, looks stunning.

This is really nice, love the Christmas Balls in the hurricane Vase and the little candles

Looks great in any colour.

Well I need some inspiration for my Christmas Day table centrepiece. I got the family coming to our house this year and the pressure is on !!!. Menu is organised, I have Bon Bons, Napkins, Table cloth, Table runner, cute tealight candle holders, Pretty matching plates/or white china plates depending on how many we are having ???, now I just need a new centrepiece, nothing wrong with the old one just want something different. I've got a spare hurricane vase and some left over Christmas Balls, I was thinking maybe adding some of those twigs like in the first picture and hanging some little stars off the branches. Anyway stay tuned to see what I create, if you have any other ideas let me know I would love to hear from you !!!

Mellissa

Oh Christmas Tree

Our Christmas Tree

Well here is our Christmas Tree, we have had it up for over a week now thanks to the consent nagging of the kids.

I have collected various shades of Blue and Silver decorations over the past 3 - 4 years, including Butterflies, Fairies, Santa's, Snowflakes and lots of Christmas balls. There are about 4 sets of lights on there this year in Cool White and Blue. We had a ball decorating it as a family and Daddy gets to dress the top of the tree with the star. He prefers an Angel but I have had no luck finding a beautiful looking Angel in silver that's the right size for the tree. Do you prefer a star or an angel ???? Hope everyone is having a great weekend !!! We are off to see Santa tomorrow as the Christmas countdown continues.

Mellissa

Daybed Dreaming

Loving this look, so peaceful and tranquil, very inviting for those nana naps we all love but never get !!!

Just stunning, more a couch than a daybed but still looks great.

A great place to entertain your  friends and family.

This one reminds me of a Sunday morning sitting back reading the paper and having a cuppa . 

Well today I am dreaming of Daybeds, maybe cause I'm a little exhausted with preparations for our annual holiday, school's finishing and Christmas !!!  But when I look at pictures like these, I'm inspired to create my own little peace of paradise in my own backyard. I've always wanted a daybed and I'm actually after a little project that maybe I can sand back and stain or paint and add my own little touches to it ( cushions, cushions and more cushions, did I mention that I love cushions ! ). Don't get me wrong there are a lot of beautiful brand new ones out there but I think I'm after a little project.  Do you have a space like these at home or are you inspired to have a beautiful outdoor living area with maybe a daybed just like me ???

Poolside

Marked out ready to dig.

Ready for concrete

starting to take shape

waterfall is now done

Tile selected

This is the Tiler, my Lovely Husband 

The kids can't wait !!!

Isaac had to get in the water, it was winter 

Well all full now

One of the first swims in Oct 2011

Finally the waterfall is getting finished with the Sandstone wrap, we've been waiting for it for months.

Well looking good almost done the lovely Tiler has to grout.

A night vision

Well this is the on going project and we are almost finished. That's the photo's start to finish ( almost ) . The lovely Husband who I mentioned before has to finish the tiling it extends from the pool area into the outdoor living area and the grouting and we all know when you do it for a living ( we have our own Tiling Business ) you really don't want to do it on the weekends at home. But it would be nice if he could finish it off before Christmas as the family are coming to our house this year !!! and that would finish the whole area off nicely. I keep giving little hints to the lovely tiler so we will see, we may run out of year the way it's going though.

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas : )

Well here are my little Christmas angels !!! isn't this photo great, they had such a great time putting up their tree and posing for photos.  This is the kids tree proudly purchased by Nanna ( a Christmas freak ) two years ago, along with a collection of decorations. It's their little tradition now every year they put it up in their play room at the end of November and have some photos done and every night they turn the lights on very proudly and look at their tree shine with delight. It's one of those treasured moments in life, that makes a lasting memory. This year they raided my old stash of red and gold decorations to add to their tree as the big Christmas tree has a Blue and Silver theme, which I have had for about 3 years now. Normally I'm all about a colour scheme but sometimes you just have to let go and let the kids create even if it's not exactly what you would do. The tree is very colourful this year with Blue, Purple, Pink, Silver, Red, Green and Gold and I think they did a great job !!!


Mellissa xx

A Little Weekend Project

I don't have a before picture only this one where we were deciding placement of trees.

 Here planted and all mulched.

 All cleaned up as you can see we have double palled the fence for privacy, and I still have some painting to do, not my favourite job and we have to screen the ugly tank. The pathway will also be Tiled.

Well here are some photo's of a little garden we did over the weekend. We are slowly working our way around the backyard till we reach the front yard that is a whole different project all together. Anyway I will give you a summary of the last 2 years, We sold our beautiful home on a fully landscape 3/4 acre block to have a lifestyle change ( more time to do family outings, bike rides etc..) as my Husband and I have our own business and maintaining the yards was a full time weekend job, which meant not a lot of time left for anything else. We sold our house in 3 weeks (Feb 2010) and had already found our new block of land, a whooping 800 sq metre block. We then had a 30 day settlement and moved into a rented property on my Daughters 6th Birthday. We then made the final touches on our house design and we were lucky we have a great builder and not a lot of bad weather so we were in by Oct 2010, funny enough the week of my Son's Birthday. A year later and we are still plodding along with gardens and the pool and all the little things that makes a house a home !!!

Mellissa xx

The Journey Begins!!!!

Welcome to Down Ruby Lane, This is my first ever blog. I thought I would introduce myself and tell you a little about myself. I am a Wife and a Mother to 2 beautiful children, and I have 2 Dogs which I love dearly. I am a Hairdresser who is embarking on a career change, that would be Interior Design and Decorating. I have enrolled myself into a Colour Psychology Course and loving it, loving it so much my mind is on overload at the moment of all the endless possiblities of colour and design. At last I feel the passion,the drive and the excitement of a new challenge and it's very refreshing. Next year in February I will start the next course which is my beginners in Interior Design and Decorating and I am looking very forward to it. This will give me the skills required to move to the next step, in the mean time I will just hop aboard and go for the ride. I hope you will join me in my journey and adventures of colour, decorating, designing, children and Life !!!!!

 My Family

 Ruby and Bob

Mellissa xx