Fool for Friday

Image from here

Have a lovely weekend everyone.
Nicolex

Book Love: New Traditional Architecture

I'm looking forward to receiving this book featuring the work of architect duo Mark Ferguson and Oscar Shamamian (BUYING TIP: get it delivered to your front door by amazon for $64.21 instead of buying it for $99 here in Oz.  I know, thus the death of the bookshop superstores like Borders that I love).

In the meantime a look at one of their houses in Lattingtown, New York.

Hmmm, so that's why I'm not motivated.  I don't have a beautiful enough space to exercise in!

All images from here

Have a lovely Friday everyone,

Nicolex

Vanity Fair: May Issue

The VF May issue has just landed and I may not be disappointed that my subscription cancellation didn't go through a few months ago - I decided to cancel it after a series of VF unworthy covers (Lindsay Lohan, Justin Bieber, need I say more) but found I had already paid for the next year so have been continuing to receive the mag.  Here then is the bright and shiny, silver lining!

You're welcome.

Nicolex

Inch by Inch

Because we've decided to extend and stay in our current home for a few more years, I've been thinking a lot about gardens lately and what plants I want to be able to enjoy while we're here. One of the things I think I got wrong when we first bought the house was starting the internal renovations first before sorting out a plan for the lawn and gardens.  Just because it takes so looooooong for plants to grow.

Second time around, I'm a little wiser.  We don't start the house extension until next year (have I mentioned that it's NY or bust this year?  No?  A story for another time clearly), so I'm devoting the rest of this year to getting the gardens and landscaping sorted.

I now know it took almost 2 years for our morayas to grow from nothing...

...to this.

Here they are waiting on a final autumn prune before winter.

In going through my scrapbook (remember those from the time before we collated our ideas on blogs) of gardening pictures, I came across these and am once again studying how I can apply them to our home over the coming years.  (Many of them are tear-outs from old mags so no image credits!  If you know where they're from let me know and I'll update).

 

I'm obsessed with lawn leading up to garden beds, garden boxes, pavers, stepping stones.  Much to Mr. B's chagrin I don't like any sort of edging so it means he has to be a bit more aggressive with our temperamental whipper-snipper to keep the desired look in tact.

A few inspiring gardens to help me on my way,

                                                                                 Image from here                                                                                                          Image from here

I plan to grow some Japanese Wisteria as a climber against one side of a shed.

                                        Image from here                                                                                                                       Image from here

I'd like to get a vegetable patch going too and would love something like this at the bottom of the yard.

Image from Elle Decor

My parting words of encouragement to myself take form in John Denver's Garden Song that I cannot get out of my bloody head:

Inch by inch,

Row by row,

Gonna make this garden grow,

All it takes is a rake and a hoe,

And a piece of fertile ground.

As you can see, I have managed to give my gardening hopes and aspirations a soundtrack which you can listen to here if you too would like a chirpy little song stuck in your head for the next three weeks!

Nicolex

Blog Love

On Friday night I noticed the fabulous team over at Inside Out magazine's blog had added my very own little First House on the Right to their honour roll of Australian Blogs - and while that makes me one of more than a hundred, I was thrilled.  I am thrilled to trill my thanks - T-H-A-N-K-S!

Then yesterday, in my regular blog catch-up I was checking up on how Louise from Table Tonic's DIY reading shelves were going (very well thank you, they were featured on ohdeedoh!)  and was elated, forget elated, ECSTATIC to find that she'd also mentioned my own little reading nook in the same post.  Thanks Louise, you made my day!

Blog love is all around people.

Nicolex

Love & Marriage

2 years ago this evening it was Saturday night and Mr. B and I were celebrating 9 years of being together in spectacular fashion - we were getting hitched!

A short candlelight ceremony in a little old church...

...followed by the perfect party at our place.

The best night ever.

Happy Anniversary Mr. B!  

Nicolex

Sunday Real Estate

My Sunday paper had two pieces of real estate news for me this morning.

Firstly, the Bellevue Hill family home of the late Sonia McMahon is on the market and expected to fetch more than $10 million when it goes to auction.

All images from here.

Sonia McMahon scandalizes Washington with her daring dress in 1971.

Image from here

Secondly, Rove McManus has sold his 37 Docker Street Richmond home for $3.405 mill as he continues to set up a more permanent home in the Hollywood Hills in LA.

All images from here.

Nothing like a good house squiz I say.

Nicolex