Home Beautiful? Sure is.

Over the weekend I spent a bit of time tying to organize my computer files into some sort of order - although it seems I'm fighting a losing battle. Anyhoo, I came across some familiar photos in my travels, and thought you might recognize this one too:

Gorgeous pool with Parterre daybed

Look familiar? Well, that's because it starred on the cover of the January issue of Home Beautiful magazine. 

Although now sold, this was the Avalon home of an art director/stylist, and it shows. It has that typical laid-back, relaxed Northern Beaches vibe (perfection in my book) and promises the perfect beach lifestyle.

all images courtesy realestate.com.au

Rather nice don't you think? My only suggestion would be to add a few paintings here and there (yes, that was a blatant plug, I know!)

It's going to be another scorcher here in Brissie today, so I'm planning little more than some painting, swimming, and Oscar red carpet watching. How 'bout you?

Listy Loo

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

As I sit alone in my kitchen, writing, I wonder is anyone reading my blog out there? And enjoying it? It is immensely satisfying and encouraging when the answer comes back as a yes :)

Three lovely bloggers sent me awards over the last few weeks. I am immensely honored and choked up to have been selected. In return, I am to blog 7 things about myself (listed here).  For a twist, I will list 7 things about my new country to add to my previous list here. And yes, I keep a notepad in my car and purse :)

A typical chocolate box cottage
Source: Pinterest

1. 'Chocolate Box Cottage' is a general term used for a quaint character home

2. A 'snug' is a cozy little room usually with a fireplace and a place to sit to read or chat. You can find a 'snug' in old houses and pubs. Love that word!

3. 'Pudding' is a general term for dessert. 'Tea' is a drink but also means early dinner. This is important to know when an English family comes over 'for tea', they are hungry and looking forward to a meal - not finger sandwiches and fancy teacups (like I provided. Oops)

4. At the post office the clerk kept calling me 'love' at the end of every few sentences. When I retold my husband, he asked 'Did you want to hit him with your handbag?'  I replied, 'Are you kidding? I kept getting back in line again and again!'

5. I whispered to my husband, 'Did she actually just ask if I would fancy something else to eat?' My husband whispered back with a smile, 'Yes, she did'

6. The English have super-power hearing. They talk a lot quieter than Americans, and when they whisper I could swear they move their lips in complete silence

Source: Pinterest

7. The English Easter Bunny drops chocolate eggs in the garden. No baskets, plastic eggs, or fake grass - that is the American Easter Bunny's tradition

The 'Stylish Award' came from eye-candy Flowerona and lovely expat Brit Abroad in USA. The 'Blog With Substance' Award was from fashion/home decor blog Lulliloo. Obviously all with good taste in good reads :)

Keeping in the spirit, I'd like to award Serenity Now for the 'Blog With Substance Award'. She has created 'Weekend Bloggy Reading' on Fridays as a place for bloggers to link their best post of the week. I think that is a great idea.

More free iPhone wallpapers at Margot Madison Creative

And I'd like to award the 'Stylish Award' to Margot Madison Creative for DIY Fridays, specifically for her free iPhone wallpapers (here) and how to create printed fabric with Spoonflower (here).

I hope you check out and enjoy what these 5 blogs have to offer :)  

Friday Fun Reveal - Thank you for the many responses, guesses and funny comments from What Am I?. This unusual Romanesco cauliflower comes not from the ornate temples of Thailand, but originally from Italy. My friend Miss K steamed and buttered this delicious beauty. Cool, eh?

Romanesco
Source: Google Images

Thank you for stopping by for a read today - I appreciate you! 

Quick weekend update

I've just listed five new paintings in Charcoal over in my Etsy shop.

'Sea Coral III in Charcoal'
watercolour on paper, 210mm x 297mm (8" x 11")
copyright 2011

'Sea Coral IV in Charcoal'

watercolour on paper, 210mm x 297mm (8" x 11")
copyright 2011

'Sea Fan II in Charcoal'
watercolour on paper, 210mm x 297mm (8" x 11")
copyright 2011

'Sea Fern III in Charcoal'
watercolour on paper, 210mm x 297mm (8" x 11")
copyright 2011

'Sea Coral II in Charcoal'

watercolour on paper, 210mm x 297mm (8" x 11")

copyright 2011

To take a better look, head on over to my Etsy shop, or check out my Facebook page, where you'll find these and more of my artwork.

Happy weekend all,

Friday Fun: What Am I?

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

Time for another Friday Fun - yea!!

Look what spoke to me at the grocery store a few weeks ago

Aren't I beautiful?

Nature can be such an incredible artist

I am edible

What am I?

Please play along and give it your best guess :)  

Answer revealed here

Hot off the press!

Word to the wise - get yourself off to the newsagent quick sticks, and pick up the latest issue of Australian Women's Weekly magazine. Why? Because the absolutely stunning home of our very own Sharnel Dollar is featured in all it's glory, and I tell you, it's TO.DIE.FOR! Race on over to Sharnel's blog, My Life-My Loves, for the low-down, but here are just a few pics to whet your appetite....

 seriously stunning Sharnel!

gorgeous outdoor area, featuring Verandah House furniture too - love it!

Gorgeous, no? So what are you waiting for - pop on over here and check out the full story!

all images courtesy Simon Kenny for content agency, story by Catherine Shields

Just a little bit cheeky......

You might remember this post, when I mentioned I was working on a commission for some large abstracts? Well, I finished another one today, which I'll show you in just a minute. Being the impatient soul that I am, I can't wait to see photos of my work in situ, but sometimes it can take quite a while. So, I thought it would be fun to redesign some rooms with the click of a button, all via the wonders of PhotoShop (seriously some of the best money I ever spent, in spite of the fact that I'm a complete novice!) Ok, ready to take a look at my virtual designs? Let's go.

My client sent a picture of a room (designed by the very talented Elizabeth Bauer and featured in the June/July issue of Lonny magazine) as a guide to the colour palette she'd like in her painting. Which then gave me the idea to 'virtually' hang the artwork in that same room. So here it is, albeit hung horizontally this time....

...and the original room, via Lonny magazine. I love Elizabeth's use of bright colour, and after all - who wouldn't enjoy living in such a happy space?

the original via Lonny

And here's the actual painting, in detail... 

'Sway'

mixed media on canvas

750mm x 1000mm

private commission

And then there was no stopping me! Here's a room I love, from Canadian House and Home, tweaked to feature a piece from my 'Into the Blue' series.

...and the original

who needs windows anyway?

And one last one - I added my 'Sea Coral III in Denim' to this room which was featured in the now-defunct Metropolitan Home magazine (although I do love the original abstract)

www.elledecor.com/met-home/

So, what do you think of my virtual designs? Of course, this was just a bit of fun and in no way am I suggesting that the original rooms aren't fantastic - I love all of them, which is why they've been saved in my inspiration files. But it's a great way to picture artwork in situ, particularly large pieces, and I think it can be a valuable tool when you're decorating a room. 

Right, I've done enough 'virtual' work for one day - better do some of the real stuff!

First Fab Confab

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

(Image: Pinterest)

Come pull up a chair in my English countryside tent and grab some tea - I have a new little idea brewing. I have so many questions in my head that I'd like to know your opinion and get some good conversation going. 

To give myself some structure, I've decided occasional Wednesdays will be 'Fab Confab' days. And 'Friday Fun' tends to land on, you guessed it, Fridays :)  I hope you will join in the conversation so I don't hear the sound of crickets and feel the cane hook me Stage Right. 

Image: Pinterest

I just ''thesaurused'' the word 'chatter' (well, actually 'natter') and came up with 'confab'. It rhymes with 'fab' - well, it actually has the word in it so I don't know if that counts as a rhyme. Plus I just increased my vocabulary by one, and the day is still young! Ding ding ding ;)

It's no secret the English use a larger percentage of the dictionary than Americans. So in an attempt to increase my vocabulary, I told my husband that I did not like a particular author because his books are too 'verbose'. But then I wondered aloud if I meant 'varicose'...? I threw out the word 'vapid' too - but got a blank stare, so I should probably stay out of the 'V' section of the dictionary for a little while. Yep, a little vernacular vacation for me... 

Are you still there?

So here is my confab question to you. I had a boss who confessed that she casually walked by interviewees' cars to take a peek inside. To see what the person was really like. To see if they smoke, tidy, etc. Do you think this is fair? Or accurate? 

My car is typically dirty. I don't think it is practical to clean it when it will be dirty in a few days. Saves money. I have general kid messiness in the back of my car because I'm pretty laid back and choose to put my energy toward other things. Yet the look of my car could convey different messages to different people.

(Image: Pinterest)

Do you think it is accurate or fair to look inside an interviewee's car? What does your car say about you? 

I'd love to hear from you - and your car :)

(Not sure how to post a comment? Learn how to here)

Baroque 'n Roll, baby!

Thought you might like to see my latest Interior Portrait - 'Baroque 'n Roll".

'Baroque 'n Roll"

watercolour and gouache on paper

210mm x 297 mm

for sale now on Etsy

It very nearly ended up in the garbage actually - let's just say this one has been something of a problem child. I guess it was to be expected - children of famous parents are often rather difficult. For that reason, I'm not sure I'll be offering prints this time; it will probably remain a one-off. Oh, and my inspiration? This marriage between Anthropologie and Missoni.

via anthropologie 

Somehow I'm not surprised the ginger jar/peony painting I'm working on now is being much easier to get along with!  

One Of Each

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

My daughter made this fruit salad and thought to put a daisy in it

She's a quiet creative type and likes to cook (skipped a generation)

(Below) This was unexpected and made me laugh
Our other creative type, boy-style

Our Photo Frames Are Well Guarded

I rarely mention my kiddos in my posts, but they rock my world :)

Linked to A Beach Cottage

Beat the heat

It's another scorcher here in sunny Qld today. The past few months have been anything but typical weather-wise, but the typical heat and humidity have now arrived with a vengeance. The crew and I spent most of yesterday in and out of the pool, and that's my plan for today too. Paint - swim - paint - swim....sounds pretty good to me.

I'm not the only one who enjoys a refreshing dip. My studio assistant Darcy adores it. But we have a small problem - the entry.

here he is - on guard at all times

source

I hope you're paying attention Darcy. This is how it's done. You need to run and jump at the same time. Maybe the adorable Cooper could teach him a thing or two. Darcy uses this method...

source

...but always manages to fall in head-first. And once in, he won't get out. I didn't manage to get a photo of Darcy yesterday as I was too busy trying to get him out of the pool, so I'm using these for illustrative purposes only. Hope he takes note and learns a trick or two.

source

There will be devouring of mango iceblocks by the truckload today too. And as for the painting, I'm working on a request for peonies and ginger jars - two of my favourite things.

 carolyneroehm.com

 carolyneroehm.com 

source

Hope your day has lots of loveliness in store for you too.