Magnificent Murano.

As a child I remember this magnificent Murano glass vase taking pride of place on the telephone table at my grandparent's house. Heaven forbid you should be the kid who went bolting past during an energetic game, without fail you'd hear the same gentle, scalding tone; 'Watch the vase!'

Peacock blue Murano glass vase

It is just a stunning, eye-catching piece. It is a vibrant peacock blue, fading through to a subtle blue cast then back again to the deep peacock. The folds and thickness of the glass create truly amazing effects with light, magnifying and distorting it, throwing shapes on to the surface below. The curves just seem so unlikely; more a sculpture than a vase.

I don't know how practical it would be to actually hold a bunch of flowers, nor would I want it to as it is such a beautiful piece all on its own. It is currently serving as a lovely centrepiece on our dear little dining table, but I think it needs some friends. The start of another collection, perhaps?

How do you know that you are choosing the right suburb?

When Michael and I were house hunting we started looking pretty much just in one suburb. By the end of our epic house hunting experience we were looking in about 10 different suburbs, and we ended up buying somewhere that wasn't even on our radar for the first few months. Today I am going to share some tips on how to tell if a suburb is right for you.

Gorgeous map cushions from My Bearded Pigeon

1. Think about what you like about where you live now. Brainstorm what is is about the area that appeals to you. If you really like that area that you are living in, or is it just familiarity? Are you planning on staying in that area for any reason in particular or is it time for you to branch out? Try to look for the qualities you enjoy in any potential suburb. 

2. What don't you like about where you live now? Knowing what to avoid is just as important as knowing what you want. If there is something about your area that really turns you off then you don't want to replicate that in another suburb.

 3. What is the lifestyle like? You might want a suburb with a vibrant night life in your 20s, but if you have children you are unlikely to want to live a block away from the nightclub district. Also think about how you like to spend your leisure time; if you are the outdoors type you may want somewhere that has access to loads of bushwalking tracks and parks, or you might be a shop-a-holic who wants to be able to peruse the local boutiques on a Saturday morning. Maybe you need both!

4. Visit the area. There is nothing like spending the day somewhere to really get to know it. Make a point of setting aside a whole day to cruise around checking it out; eat in the local restaurants, shop in the local shops, check out the amenities and see what it is like be there for a decent amount of time.

5. Find people that live in the area. There's nothing like experience to tell you how it really is. If you know someone who lives there then great, if not ask around your friends to see if there is anyone you know who has a friend or relative that lives there, give them your email address or phone number and start a conversation. Failing this, try having a chat with local shop owners or finding an appropriate online forum to ask people their opinions. If the locals aren't recommending it then it's probably a no-go!

6. Cost of living. Some suburbs are just more expensive to live in than others. Is there a major shopping centre or will you have to shop in smaller, more expensive convenience stores? Will breakfast at the local cafes break the bank? Also consider council rates etc if you are buying. 

7. Research house prices and the market in the area. Is it a realistic choice for you? Suburbs that are out of your price range may be next door to suburbs that aren't, and in some cases 'near enough is good enough'. At times it is merely the name of the suburb that can add thousands to the price, but be aware that this will also be the same when you are trying to sell down the track.

8. Talk to a local agent and see what is available. Know what you are dealing with in terms of availability of the kind of property you are after. See my tips for finding your dream home to help you identify your criteria. The agent might also suggest some nearby areas that you hadn't considered.

9. Think practical. What amenities do you need? Schools, public transport, churches, shops, parks, services... the list goes on! What is the commute like? Don't look at distance here, look at time. I live twice as far from my work as Michael does from his but my commute is quicker! Remember too that if you have a car it changes the game. We can't walk to our local supermarket, for instance. It matters little to us, but if we didn't have a car then doing the grocery shopping would be a total hassle. Is it convenient to the places that you regularly go? If it is tricky to get to your weekly Netball game or to your Mum's house, it might rule it out!

10. Future proof your decision. An example of this is choosing a suburb that has good daycare centres and schools, even if you haven't had kids yet. We chose an area with an abundance of these facilities as we plan on having children in a few years. Think about the potential of the area and resale values. Also consider any major developments that are coming up- eg. it might not be next to a freeway now but is one planned for later?

What happens once you have thought about all of that? Make a list. Again with the lists, I know I know, but it can be an invaluable tool to either eliminate or expand from. List what you want/need in a suburb and that way you can 'check off' whether potential suburbs fit your criteria. Start by looking in surrounding suburbs and expand outwards from there, or just open a street directory ( how old-skool!) and have a flick through!

This week I discovered: Cherish Vintage Treasures.

Ok, a white lie (I discovered them a few months ago at the Vintage Fair) but my-oh-my too cute not to share! Made from new and vintage components, Cherish jewellery is the kind of kitschy cute that I really dig.

Cherish Vintage Treasures greyhound brooch

When I saw this sweet little greyhound brooch there was just no resisting! Michael and I can't wait to adopt a rescue greyhound and are busying ourselves reading up on the breed and what we need to do to rehabilitate an retired racer until we are ready to bring one of these stunning animals in to our home.

I love the off-white colour and the sleek representation of this gorgeous dog, not to mention the amazingly cute packaging that it came in. I can see myself using this beautiful piece to secure a neck scarf, or to adorn the lapel of a nice warm jacket. You can have your own gorgeous piece by visiting Cherish Vintage Treasures on Etsy.

What a stud!

The timber framing has been going up over the last couple of days and they have finished the walls already. Next step, the downstairs ceiling/floor for the second story, then my friends, the only way is up!

Timber framing for the downstairs walls

I was chatting to one of our builders, Dino, this morning and I told him that I was really excited that we had walls. He told me that I shouldn't be excited yet because they weren't really walls, just timber. Pffft! As if it's not exciting, come on man, it's almost walls! He laughed at me, of course.

This is where our kitchen is going to be

And to complete our little construction update for the day, here is a cute little image of wheelbarrows who love one another.

Here's hoping that the weather holds out and we can make some good headway over the next few weeks. I bumped in to our next-door neighbour on my way in this afternoon and she asked when we are going to be finished, I hope it's not because we are annoying her with all the building!

Easy as anything tomato and (almost) bacon pasta.

I had a really nice arrabiata on the weekend and decided that I could jazz it up a little and make a great pasta. I can say without a doubt that I succeeded in that endeavour and made a really great pasta! It was going to be tomato and bacon pasta, but when I got to the butcher he'd sold out of bacon, so instead he cut me some really thick ham. I think it worked out in my favour!

Tomato and (almost) bacon pasta

INGREDIENTS
Pasta
200gm thickly sliced smoked ham
2 roma tomatoes
1 regular old ordinary tomato
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes
1 cup (ish) of white wine
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
A handful of fresh basil, sliced
Chilli to taste
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
Slice the ham and chuck it in a large flying pan with a lug of olive oil and all of the garlic. You can make it less garlicky if you want, but garlic is good for you! Fry it up until you get some tasty smells going, then add the wine and simmer it while you put the pasta on to cook and chop up the tomatoes. I love, love, love the egg noodle pasta by San Remo, it is the closest to real pasta that you can get in a packet and keep in the cupboard. It's a little more expensive than regular packet pasta but it is worth it.

Chop the regular and roma tomatoes into 8 little wedges and cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Add the regular and romas to the frying pan and stir it all up. Let it bubble away until the tomatoes have softened up then add the chilli to the pan and taste before you add salt and cracked pepper. The tomatoes will be quite sweet, so salt is important at this stage. Get a potato masher and mush up about half the sauce quite roughly, this will help to thicken it up (thanks for that tip Jamie Oliver!).

Once your pasta is almost cooked, drain it thoroughly and tip it in to the frying pan along with the cherry tomatoes and basil. Use the tongs to toss it through really well so that the pasta is still cooking in the juices from the sauce and the cherry tomatoes warm through. I can't eat butter, but if I could I would have added a little dollop at this point.

Voila! Serve with a sprig of basil on top and some grated parmesan cheese. Amazing.

Let there be structural steel!

Thankfully it has been sunny so far this week and our builders have been enthused to catch up on the delays caused by the horrible torrential rain we had last week. With any luck (fingers crossed!) they will have started the timber framing by the weekend. Exciting!

Structural steel supports for the ground floor

Check out how huge those beams are! There is only one internal structural wall in the whole extension so they have to be pretty hefty to hold up the second story. I know I keep on saying it, but it's really amazing how it is coming together, with every little step it makes it so much easier to visualise the space.

View of the extensions from down the back yard

We made a few tricky decisions over the weekend, managing to choose some of the tiles for the bathrooms and the kitchen splash back, as well as finalising our choices as far as windows and external doors are concerned. I've had some headaches over the windows, but I think we're set now. Here's hoping! Stay tuned for more construction updates.

How could I say no to pink washi tape?

How did we manage before the western world was introduced to washi tape? Hailing from Japan, this fantastically versatile paper tape can be used for all kinds of things; scrap booking, gift wrapping, decoration... you know the sky is the limit. Unfortunately for us it's still a little hard to come by around here and it tends to be rather expensive.

Pack of three, pink paper tape from Typo

When I came across this three pack for under $20 from Typo I just had to buy it. So far I have only used it for wrapping a couple of gifts and sealing a few envelopes, but I'm looking froward to finding more uses for it in the near future. In my perfect world, I would have it in every colour. Knowing me I will eventually build up a monumental collection!

Pugnacious pillow.

I came across this little darling in the Freedom catalogue a little while back and decided that we needed one, much to Michael's chagrin. Once we bought it home though he did agree that it looked cute sitting up there on my old school chairs, even if it's not really his cup of tea.

Pug cushion from Freedom

I must say, I entirely disagree with Freedom's labelling of this canine, I think it looks rather more like a French Bulldog than a Pug! Either way it is cute and it really adds a nice pop of colour to my little book arrangement there, and it does come in handy to make the spare seating a bit more comfortable. The Pug cushion is also available in a blue colourway.

I did have a brief fling with the idea of basing the colour scheme of our new bedroom on this cushion but I think Michael would take a hell of a lot of convincing! Could look really good though; bright red and yellow bed linens and pink cushions on bright, crisp white furniture and walls. I'll have to think it over, maybe sketch it up. What do you reckon?

Set in concrete.

This week the builders poured the concrete slab for our extensions-finally! A week of rain delays do not the happy renovator make! Luckily the weather on the day was good though, and as soon as I got home from work Michael and I went out the back to have a little look-see and proceeded to vandalise the beautiful, neat concrete work.

Our initials in the pretty new concrete

Cute, hey? The reality of it is that these initials will likely be polished clean out when the polishers go through, but what the hell, it's the thought that counts. At least I have a picture to prove it was there, and we chose a little corner that will be under a kitchen cabinet anyway just in case it doesn't polish out.

It's a bit wonky- the concrete had nearly dried, the only tool on hand was a little twig I had picked up off the ground and it was dark, but having a little token love-heart etched into the foundations of our home forever makes it special to us.

Adorable Japanese dip glazed bowls.

I mentioned the other day that I has just discovered the Balmain Road Antiques Centre. When I was there I found some cute little Japanese dip glazed bowls, and I do have a little soft spot in my heart for the vintage chic of Japanese dip glazing.

Vintage Japanese dip glazed bowls

Michael was less excited about the purchase than I was, but for a measly five bucks it was too much of a bargain to pass up! Perfect for tapas dishes or for serving nibbles at gatherings, these bowls look as nice on display as they do on the table. The warmth of the colours and the quirky vintage loveliness of the dip glazing makes them a great little purchase! I am most pleased with my dear little bowls.

Underfloor heating!

Today they came to install the wiring for the underfloor heating in the back of the house. I'm practically a reptile, so I really really wanted the underfloor. Michael doesn't feel the cold anywhere near as much as me so he didn't think it was necessary at all! Psh!

Wires and control box for electric underfloor heating

We came to an agreement though; it was going to cost around $5000 to do the whole back section of the house and all the bathrooms, so if I could shave that money off the total cost elsewhere then I could have it. Easy! I saved us two grand on an oven and range hood that very afternoon so I started off well. I've also saved some money on the kitchen cabinets, and opted for cheaper doors; I've racked up about 3 grand in 'savings' so far.

We opted for an electric system because it is cheaper and easier to install. Underfloor heating can be expensive to run, but the newer systems can be set to run during off-peak times, or set to come on at times when you will want the warmth. We are also planning on offsetting the cost of running it by installing solar panels on the new section of the roof. They are much more efficient than you might think, as the floor heats up the air heats as well, often negating the need for a second heating source.

This week I discovered -Balmain Road Antiques Centre

I can't remember where I heard about this but I was totally stunned and amazed that I hadn't heard about it before! Being a regular visitor to Rozelle and an antiques/vintage fan I was quite frankly shocked to hear that there was an antiques centre that I hadn't heard about so close to one of my regular haunts!

A couple of the exciting little nooks to explore at Balmain Rd Antiques

There was everything from bric-a-brac to furniture, clothing to carpets; you name it! It's the kind of place that has something for everyone, with pieces from super-pricey to cheap and cheerful, with an auction section too. We spent a good hour wandering around looking at the various bits and pieces, and we even spied a few items that would fit nicely in our new space, and of course I had to buy some super-awesome-delicious Japanese dip-glazed ramekins at a super bargain price.

If you are looking for Balmain Road Antiques Centre you will find it at 483a Balmain Rd, Lilyfield, NSW or you can visit their website for more information. I highly recommend taking the time to visit!

A week behind.

So the rain has pushed our renovation schedule back by a full week because it rained 3 days and the builders had to wait a couple of days until the site dried out before they could do the next bit. Somewhat unfortunately for us that meant that we were woken up at 7.30 in the morning on a Saturday by the sound of metal being dragged across concrete directly outside our window. Ugh.

Reo installed over the foundations in preparation for the concrete slab

The backyard looked like a swimming pool after the heavy rain that we had last week so waiting a few days for it to dry out was unavoidable. All the reinforcing steel has been installed for the slab, so the under-floor heating can be wired up ready for the concrete to be poured this week. Very exciting! Fingers crossed that we don't get any more rain to hold us up this week.

Looking good, ready for pouring (concrete, not rain please!)

And yes, they are my precious ghost chairs strewn casually about the backyard building site. I don't want to talk about it, okay?

We have a winner!

And the winner is (drumroll please)....

Congratulations to Nicole from First House on the Right! I really hope that you enjoy my photograph.  I would like to truly thank everybody who took the time to enter, and am looking forward to having many more giveaways in the future!

Don't forget to enter our giveaway!

****GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED! But keep an eye out for more in the near future! ****

There's just over 24 hours left on our giveaway, so please do make sure you go check it out! Share us on facebook, twitter, or your own blog and enter as many times as you like! For more information on how to enter and the magnificent prize, check out 100th post celebrations!

The prize: A framed, signed and numbered photograph

Good luck!

Tick tock, new clock!

So I have posted previously about the little obsession I used to have with clocks and how I culled my collection to a measly few, but I bought a new clock on the weekend. Correction, Michael bought a new clock on the weekend, so I guess I can say I'm still on the wagon in regards to the purchase of more clocks than necessary. I pointed out how cute they were and he decided that we needed it, that counts as his purchase rather than mine, right?

Typo flip clock in white

It is rather cute, no? I love how the numbers flip down, reminds me of banks in the 80s (have I mentioned that my memory works in weird and wonderful ways?).  The one drawback is that it is a little noisy for the bedroom, which is where Michael planned to put it. That's okay, it has been relocated to the dining room for the moment and will probably live in the new lounge room once it is built.

This cute retro clock is available in several different colours from Typo.

Also, don't forget to enter our exciting photography giveaway!