a little bit of garden DIY...

I spent hours in the courtyard last weekend. Hours. This appears to be a necessary evil when you have neglected it for the entire winter!  There's still quite a bit to go but I managed to do some rearranging, put in some new sprinkler thingies, pull out a mass of weeds (don't talk to me about honeysuckle!), toss some very large concrete pavers over the wall (don't ask, you don't want to know!) and plant some flowers and veggies.
I also did a very simple little DIY involving a mirror, a pot and a new little space in the courtyard where the rickety old bench used to be...voila!

This little spot under the growing maple tree lets me see the sky (reflected in the mirror) while reading a book, having a drink and without straining my neck!

and as a bonus...the pot is a place to put a bit of gardening paraphernalia...just whip off the mirror and put it back on when done. Clever huh!

As as for that bench where Buffy used to sit...

...I'm using it to grow a herb garden! 

Poor vampire slayer...

all photos by me taken on the iPhone 4S

instagram has got me...

After a couple of years being wedded to the Crackberry, a few days ago I hooked up with Mr iPhone again...

And there’s a new baby as a result (who would have thought at my age!)...welcome instagram J I’m a bit besotted.

If you’d like to follow...and goodness knows what you might find from time to time...I’m tranquiltownhouse...no surprises there! And how about you? Can I find you there too?

I'm still avoiding pinterest, though I'm not sure how long I'll be able to hold out!

Have a great week...I'm still recovering from Richard's 50th birthday party! Don't worry, just tired...couldn't possibly be any other reason could there Mr Tequila J

At least it's stopped raining...for the moment!

30 days...30 bags

I stumbled upon a list while I was doing a bit of blog hopping... it was about decluttering. 40 places in the house...a bag of junk evicted every day for 40 days.  Then I started to read The Happiness Project. First chapter...decluttering. Everywhere I look people are chucking stuff out. So I thought I'd better jump on the bandwagon. However, it's 30 days and 30 bags for me...40 being a bit too biblical for my liking!  Here are the first three from a very productive few hours in my wardrobe and chest of drawers over the weekend. With apologies for the very uninspiring photo...

That makes 27 over the next 29 days...easy!  Here's where I'm going to focus my attention:

• kitchen drawers, pantry, under the kitchen sink
• study drawers, cupboard, bookshelves, files (I tackled the wardrobe over the holidays)
• bedside tables
• wardrobe top shelf
• linen cupboard
• bathroom
• cupboard under the stairs
• studio drawers/shelves/wooden chest
• living room storage
• shed
• garage
• courtyard
• car
• magazines

And in a major change to my normal MO...those bags have already been dropped off to the clothing bin! Have you done a major declutter lately? How'd you go? What was the toughest thing about it? Any tips? I'll feel better once it's all done won't I...as long as I don't get chucker-outer remorse J

buffy...

I have to confess that I don't have very much to say today. I'm on the highway to Newcastle again, and if the weather forecast is correct, the windscreen wipers will be on. I'll be listening to Radio National or singing along to something in the CD player. You can do that when you drive alone. You can even sing along to John Denver : )

But it occurred to me, while thinking what I might write about, that there are some of you who might be new to the townhouse who haven't had the dubious pleasure of 'meeting' Buffy...or as we ever so affectionately call her around here...the vampire slayer. I took a couple of snaps of her last night as she was enjoying a little breeze that had blown in to the courtyard garden. I have no idea how she gets up on top of that wall because it's all she can do to haul herself on to the sofa these days. But I thought she looked...well, tranquil : )

And I can assure you...that doesn't happen very often! She does need a new collar though. It's letting down the beautiful bling tag that Rachael bought her. I'd better get on to that.
It was Australia Day yesterday. I read a book. Perfect.
Have a lovely weekend won't you? 

bedroom makeover...not quite finished!

It's taken me days of my holiday...days I tell you, to paint my bedroom and install the gallery wall.  Nothing, but nothing went easily...including the great gloss enamel  'fall down and splatter the floor and one of my new shoes' paint debacle!  And the blunted drill bits when putting up the picture ledges into the brick wall...sigh. Still, it's almost there.

I'll do a full before and after post when I get back from Taswegia (I'll be on a plane just about now!) but thought I'd give you a bit of a glimpse from the doorway just to tide you over...hope you like it...Buffy seems to J 

And yes Mary, that empty shelf will be filled before you know it!

image: a tranquil townhouse

last post for the year...I have a date with a gallery wall

I don't know about you, but I need a bit of a break J

It's been a big year for all sorts of reasons...some good, some things I could have done without, and some significant changes on the horizon!

So while I have a bit of a rest from the blog and as many things electronic as I possibly can, there's some work to be done on my bedroom involving a whole pile of pictures and two Ikea Ribba picture ledges...

I'll be painting the lower half of the room and installing a gallery wall...I can hear it calling to me..."hurry up, I've only been waiting about a year for you to get off your butt and tart me up. Neglected, that's what I am!"  

I'll see you sometime soon, ok?  Early in the new year I'll sort my top ten pics from all of the top ten posts in 2011...I'm looking forward to a trip through the archives. 
In the meantime, have fun, relax, stay safe, hug lots of people. But more than that, congratulate yourselves for being a very fine bunch. Caring, kind, supportive, funny, thoughtful, crafty, nutty, talented, eccentric, intelligent and a few other words that will no doubt spring to mind after I've hit publish. You add another, very lovely dimension to my life. You are admired and appreciated. Lots of love to all of you...even the bits you're not fond of! 
See you on the other side (of the wall). I'm going to have to do it now aren't I?
images 1 and 3: pinterest; image 2: ikea

my christmas 'decorating'...and hi from the slayer

Last week I told you that I'd show you my Christmas decorating...be warned, I use the term very loosely J I also said, if I remember correctly that you should be prepared to be underwhelmed. I'm not going to be at home for Christmas this year. Jess, Ben and I will be having a Christmas Eve dinner at Jess's home in Sydney and then we'll be making the road trip to and from Newcastle on Christmas Day to have lunch with my mum and dad and our rather odd, extended family! I say that lovingly J

Because of that, I haven't done much in the way of decoration in the townhouse, which is a pity. I've got an awesome black tree that looks fab with silver and pearls flung in, over and around it...but never mind. 

So this is it I'm afraid...a $4.98 string of plastic hearts (from Big W) draped over an embroidered velvet taj mahal cushion cover I bought in India...framed after I spilled something on it and it lost its appeal on the sofa...I do love it and its memories though...even if due to this wonderful gift it's no longer hanging there...things move quickly in the townhouse!

 

...last year's frou frou feather boa wreath with the addition of a $2 string of white lights (last of the big spenders I am!)...

and cherries...because nothing in my view says Christmas in Australia more than cherries. I do hope your hols are the proverbial bowl of them.

While it may not be Christmassy in the strictest sense of the word...this is probably good advice for this time of year. The 2011 birthday present from the first born...it makes me smile every time I come home.

And it's hardly Christmas without the slayer now is it?  With lots of love from me and mine to you and yours....see you sometime after the face stuffing and afternoon napping has ceased. Not that it ever does where that cat's concerned! And as I'm on leave at the end of today, I may just do a bit of that myself!

And most importantly...to those of you who are going through a hard time, who are unwell, who've lost people you love this year, who don't know what to do about something or someone, who are struggling...blessings to you xx

all photos by a tranquil townhouse

my early Christmas present...art

I am more than a little bit in love with this early Christmas present I received on Sunday...and just quietly, the man who painted it  J

It was created by the fella a while ago and it's called Teasels. Don't ask why, I don't know!  Actually...I do know now.  I googled teasel...it's a plant! Makes perfect sense. Richard tells me there are three separate shadows due to three different light sources while he was painting it.
I've been secretly coveting this painting for a long time, so to be given it was a completely lovely surprise...and I couldn't be more chuffed. And I'm super happy to have it in my home, where it looks so good against the red of the antique cabinet, don't you think? Yes, me too. If you look closely you can see that I've hung it a little lower between taking the first and second pictures.

It has of course meant a major rearrangement of the art in the town-house but I don't mind...I love it to pieces. I'm really lucky to have so many creative people in my life J

photos by a tranquil townhouse; artwork by Richard Baldwin

my creative space: a new york memory...

You may recall that I was lucky enough to go to New York earlier in the year where I met up with my friend Mary from Canada. It was a side trip following a work visit to Washington.  I took lots of photos, but this one, taken from the top of the Empire State Building is one of my favourites, and I finally got around to having it enlarged and framed. Here it is just propped up in front of the meat safe...

Now I just have to work out where to hang the darn thing, because it's probably going to mean a major rearrangement of what's already in the living room. In fact I'm sure of it! One of the jobs that will keep me occupied and out of mischief once I get to the Christmas break :)

Here are the real creatives...over here. Pop on over if you get a chance.

a bit of jewellery organisation...

I don't know about you but I seem to wear the same jewellery over and over.  There are some pieces that never come off (except when going through the airport screening of course)...two silver bracelets I bought with money from my parents to celebrate my 5oth are always with me.

I have a bit of jewellery...not much of it is precious in terms of dollar value, but I do like a good necklace or pair of earrings...or three.  But I wasn't wearing much of it because it was shoved away in various drawers, boxes and what have you's.  Except for the necklaces...they've lived here for a while...I think you've seen them draped over my bedroom mirror before.

But my earrings and rings were another story. Not any more!

I had been collecting 'silver' mugs from op shops (ignore their unpolished state) and one day, not so long ago I had an idea. Mugs as earring holders...and a bowl for bracelets, rings and brooches...why not? So I did...and now they're being worn...I really must polish that silver one day though!

colour and pattern in the townhouse...

During a lull in the great honeysuckle massacre last weekend, I thought I'd have a bit of a play with my camera and its zoom function.

These photos were all taken while sprawled on a sofa...

...too knackered from my mammoth gardening effort to do anything much than slide from one to the other to vary the shot a bit.

It will come as no surprise to you that I like a bit of colour and pattern. Oh yeah...and buddhas. Of any description.

Pictures of zoomed-up-on flora next week I think.

Enjoy your weekends everyone and thank you for your comments this week. I hope to be spending a bit of my weekend in the courtyard, weather permitting, and without the secateurs this time. And I probably should do a bit of dusting as well judging by these photos ;)
all images: a tranquil townhouse

another long weekend...home and an exhibition

Lucky old Canberra had another long weekend...two in a row...we're a bit spoilt aren't we :)  But then again we have politicians to contend with on far too many weeks of the year so I guess it evens out.  I did a lot of stuff around the house and went to an exhibition, because you know I love both of those things.

The exhibition was the Fred Williams Retrospective at the National Gallery of Australia...seriously one of my favourite places in the universe. And I have to say that I think this was one of the best exhibitions I've seen for a while. Did you know that Fred Williams was the first Australian ever to have a solo exhibition at MoMA? No, I didn't either.  Beautiful, beautiful work...the colours were spectacular.

 

 

 

 

Click on the NGA link above to see lots more.
I came home with stuff...thank goodness the 100 day challenge is well and truly over! The exhibition catalogue was a must...Buffy says hi...and that's the last orchid spray there too.

An elk necklace...I have been after one of these for ages so I had to get it when I saw it. I have no idea what it was doing with Fred's stuff but I didn't question :) And a fridge magnet. I love fridge magnets. Do you?

My very good friends Chris and Terry came and helped take the faded green fibreglassy stuff off the pergola (I have no idea what it's called apart from ugly). Well to be honest, Terry did the hard bit while Chris and I fetched and carried. It didn't take long. Terry's toolkit rivals a Bunnings warehouse with a gadget for every house or garden issue imaginable. The courtyard looks so much better...

Now the wisteria just needs to do it's work and get over the pergola. It will let so much more light into the living room in winter now too without the horrible green stuff. I also picked up the drill once or twice myself over the weekend...attached a hose reel to the back wall and moved the automatic water timer thingy to a more convenient position...and look...a coat rack courtesy of Ikea, me and a power tool. 

Quite pleased. Probably shouldn't have left my boots lying higgedly piggedly on the floor though. Never mind.