I Love People Who Cant Spell on Ebay

I must share my ebay buy of the century. I have been looking for a table for the house for a few months - requirements being French Provincial style, preferably whitewashed, 8 seater + and with rounded corners. You can imagine my excitement when I found this furniture lot....


This 10 seater table which extends to 12 seater. Complete with 10 chairs and 2 carvers (chairs with arms)



PLUS this four door buffet (excuse the hideous ornaments - the seller's not mine)



PLUS this two door buffet



I spoke with the seller to confirm this fact - this dining suite cost her $10000. The seller was a very posh sounding lady from St Ives (correction....SnIves). She said she bought it from a furniture dealer in Turramurra (Turramurrahhh).

I bought this entire suite - chairs, table and both buffets - for $600.

The reason I got it so cheaply - because the previous owner's daughter listed it on ebay for her and mispelt the word dining therefore leaving the listing out of any searches on ebay under the word 'dining' hence no other bids. The irony - how much did the said seller pay to send her daughter to a private school?

So wicked but this is just too good a deal not to be.

Kitchen Bencht-whoops

Well I have been looking forward to seeing the kitchen with benchtop installed - it is one of the most exciting parts for me.

This moment, however, was bitter sweet for us.

We love the kitchen - the shaker doors look great, the colour (Antique White) and the handles (what there are of them - more on order), the shape.

And the benchtop - beautiful colour (Caesarstone Cairo) but one big (or 20mm problem) - we chose 40mm benchtops but they have installed 20mm benchtops. Ahhhhh the pain. We have spoken to the kitchen company and they have accepted responsibility for the (costly) mistake and will replace the benchtop with the correct one. They have offered us a free laundry if we leave it 20mm. Hmmm what should we do? The ceramic butler sink is fitted to the 20mm top and alterations will have to be made under the sink if the benchtop is replaced. Also, having to replace the benchtop will mean that pretty much everything else is put on hold. The tiler cant tile without the benchtop on, the painter cant paint without the tiling being done, the flooring cant be done with the painting done. What to do... post some pics I guess.

A bit of glamour....

Well a toilet is not just a toilet. I wanted a pretty toilet and I wouldnt stop until I found one. It is quite pretty dont you think??



We also have the same toilet and pedestal basin in the ensuite to match.


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You're So Vain

This is a lovely vanity I picked up from a garage sale... well technically not a garage sale, a 'pre' "Lea found out someone was having a garage sale and got in first" sale. The previous owner bought it from Recollections when renovating a Queenslander but didnt end up doing it. It has a Caesarstone top and will match perfectly with the clawfoot bath in the main bathroom.



Here are the handles I have ordered off ebay to put on the cabinet (the one with the chrome fitting)



And this is the bath - a single ended Slipper bath (of the larger variety at 1800mm long)



As for the shower, this isnt the most exciting picture below but it does show the colour of the tiles (which appear MUCH brighter in this photo than in real life). The shower has built in shelving either side of it which will be home to towels, candles etc.

Windows and Doors

I love our windows and doors - most windows in the house are double hung. They have frosted panels at the top and feature federation haunches which really give them the old world look. There are 3 sets of French doors - one set leading out to the alfresco and 2 sets leading to the verandahs.

Ahh my bay window in the master bedroom....



The exterior view of the windows and French doors from the alfresco area



The centre opening servery window from the kitchen to the alfresco



The large loungeroom windows to make the most of the view of the hills



The back doors - French of course...

Exterior of the house

Exterior of the house after being bagged. The exposed brick, which is a smooth federation style red brick will remain exposed. The bagged parts will be painted in a light Taupe colour - which should be completed soon so stay tuned for that...

More Progress...

Bricking



More Bricking

The Castle

Our house is coming along beautifully. It should be completed within the next 5 weeks. It is so exciting to see the plan that we drew come to life - and now that it is not just 'the block', 'the slab' or 'the frame' and it actually resembles a house it is almost surreal.

The build has gone so smoothly - we havent had the nightmarish 'never again' experience that we have heard from other people. Some photos of the progress...

Some of the best laid plans....

I need to make up for lost blogging - I have been so busy lately that my blogging has been put on the back burner. Although I find time most days to check out my favourite blogs, I just havent actually touched my own blog. As they say, the cobblers son wears worn shoes.

Now to make up for lost time...

Yet another project on the to do list...

A friend of mine sent me this photo to see if I could make it for her. I don't know where she got it from but its very cute and I cant wait to have a go. I think it is a caterpillar?

I will use jelly roll strips to make it and Im thinking I will some sort of crunchy crackly celephane in the feet to make it a little bit more interesting for the little ones...will keep you posted.

You say Peach, I say Coral

I have realised that aside from duck egg blue, my other colour obsession is coral/peachy orange. This is why....

Martha Stewart Living

Tea for Twenty Two

I collect china tea cup trios and I have come across a picture of a beautiful way to display them.

In the excitement of finding this picture I forgot where I found it...oops

Organising Tip of the Day

This is just too much.... I am in OCD heaven reading these....

Martha Stewart - Organising Tip of the Day

More inspiration... I love everything about this picture - the colours, the white china, the way the cups are hung, the design on the back of the cabinet, the colour of the cabinet (I'm loving grey in interiors at the moment - but not in a depressing way, in a calming, fresh way) and the green wall panels. Gotta love Martha Stewart

Lea is...................... going to crack open the sewing machine again today - its been too long - and my mind is racing with things to make with the stash of beautiful fabric in a box under my bed. This will be my next project.

Courtest of Sew4Home

I have ordered the pom pom trim and Tula Pink's 'Hushabye' fabric charm squares from ebay USA (as usual, to buy it here in Australia was ridiculously expensive)

Here are the charm squares:

I love her designs..... (insert dreamy music here)

Timeless Vixen

These have to be some of the most beautiful dresses, or works of art, I have seen. They are original vintage dresses from the 50s. I would love to own one, and if I did I would display it in my house so I could admire it all the time. Wow... Visit the Timeless Vixen Etsy store to see these and more.

I want to have a party just so I can use these...

I found these at Alfreso Emporium here

I love ebay...

Inspired by this picture from the portfolio of Black and Spiro, here



I bought the lounge suite, pictured below, from ebay today. The suite comes with a 2 and a 3 seater and is filled with foam and feathers! I have always wanted a soft comfy lounge filled with feathers but they were always too expensive. I got these lounges at the bargain price of $175 for both. Im so excited... now I just need to find a white coffee table and a white-ish wing back chair to go with the lounges, which I think will go perfectly in the lounge room with the white plantation blinds. ooh and maybe a blue and white ginger jar too...