No, I am not planning on chucking fairy lights on Jimmy's (Lucy Violet's husband) old ladder in an attempt to turn it into a Christmas tree! I'm still a fan of last year's and I don't really get the ladder/Chrissy tree thing. Do you?
(But)I have been spending a lot of time climbing up and down it this week. Although it looks wonky it is a good ladder to paint from, because the top step is nice and wide - perfect for a 10 litre can of paint to sit on without wobbling.
You could say this ladder is made for me...
pretty special eh?
I am typing this post while I wait for my paint brush to dry so that I can start painting the trims - it's a warm day so it shouldn't take long. I know I could (and probably should) go to Bunnings and buy a new one, but the thought of Bunnings on a Sunday makes me fell sick! (it's not my most favourite place any day of the week actually. It's up there with Ikea as a shopping destination I love to hate!)
Our house is still a long way from perfect (it will never be perfect anyway - built in the wrong era for starters) but it is a lot closer to the mark than it was this time last year. Anth and I have worked really hard and saved ourselves a lot of money by making do and mending, working with what we've got, and doing most of the work ourselves. This time last year we had plans drawn up for a shiny new home reno (better, but no bigger than the house is now). I was beyond excited about this, but when we received quotes all in the $200 000 range (and that NOT for everything we wanted!) common sense prevailed - we had just got rid of our mortgage after all - so we decided to put the brakes on, and make the best of what we've got without getting into debt.
Which brings me back to where I started from...climbing up and down Jimmy's lovely old ladder.
I don't really know why I've written all about this, typing with hands covered in dried paint, a black thumbnail (and the rest of my nails not much better!) today. It's December and I was planning to stick to Christmas this month...I'm sure this is all extremely boring to most of you, so thanks for reading if you've persevered.
Now to something pretty
Magnolia numero deux
I picked this one and popped it in a vintage Holmegaard vase which used to belong to Lucy Violet. I hope our Magnolias are still flowering on Christmas day. I would love to fill the house with them, it would smell divine.
a match made in heaven...Danish vase, Danish candlesticks.
(thanks Pipstar x)
the leaves are almost as nice as the flowers - love their golden,
coppery underside.
I'll end with Vintage Christmas card # 5
No 72 from an original painted with the foot by Russell Wolff.
I'd better go and check on that paint brush, I'm sure it'll be dry, so it's back to work for me. Hi-Ho! I'll think of Russell to stop me feeling sorry for myself.
x
p.s. please keep your fingers crossed for our doggy Jed. He is going to the Vet's tomorrow to have a tumour removed. The Jedster is our baby so we are hoping and praying for the best. Christmas will suck if he's not around to keep us company and scab our food! Thanks x
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Now listen you, it's okay to go-on about stuff not working out as one'd planned. That's life and that's reality. I'm jealous you have your own house. We're yet to get there, and it's frustrating renting and knowing we'll soon have a mortgage in our 40s. And it won't be a dream home, but it'll do. You're okay. You have two beautiful girls and a wonderful husband, and you're full of style and class, and you make me laugh. If you had the perfect house I probably wouldn't be interested! Who puts lights on ladders? Magnolias. What a divine scent.
ReplyDeleteOhh painting.. It can get pretty monotonous after a while but the results will be so worth it.
ReplyDeleteThe magnolia is such a stunning flower. Lovely photos.
x
Stunning magnolia Kylie. I love your tree from last year too...less can be more. Oh and those vintage decorations; I dream of stumbling upon a dusty box of them one day. Good on you for staying out of debt and working on your house, so much more rewarding than giving money to the banks.
ReplyDeleteIts DEFINITELY ok to talk about working on your house - the main thing is you and Anth are in it together, so the results will give you such a buzz. And no debt! And those magnolias are divine - so much better than the manky poinsettias that seem to prevail over here ;) xx
ReplyDeleteTalk away about your house. m'dear. Christmas stuff is fine but it's not the be all and end all. Anyway house talk is always interesting. And big applause from me for getting stuck in and doing the work yourself ..... I hate debt .... bravo to vous deux for DIY-ing.
ReplyDeleteMagical magnolia - I can almost smell it from here. :) Super vase too - a little envious of that.
Kylie - don't get rid of the old ladder - you see them in all the chic magazines! Hope you got all the painting done. Flower is absolutely gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteLiz @ Shortbread & Ginger
Hubby and I were talking the other day about how most people seem to get someone else to do their reno jobs for them and is anyone really interested in diy blogs?? You have a vested interest in your house so of course the renovations will be better than the "time is money" approach of a stranger. At least your "after" is sure to be beautifully styled. How are the thigh muscles btw? Hope you doggy will be ok.
ReplyDeleteA third candlestick will come your way as soon as possible....which is funny cause I nearly picked up another for that reason! Any way great work! Making a house a home is part of the fun! Big kiss and happy thoughts to Pup and you xx
ReplyDeleteLove your marble top table Kylie! The magnolia is gorgeous and I must admit I kind of like the ladder trees, not sure I'd have one in my home though... love your DIY attitude to your renovations I'm sure it will be very satisfying to sit back and admire your work over the Chrissy break xx Tina
ReplyDeleteAll the best for Jed Kylie. (Love the gorgeous flower in the vase - super stylin') xx
ReplyDeleteDonna is right, your styling is superb. Lovely pics of the magnolia. You know I can't wait to see all your handiwork. Good luck to the lovely Jedstar. xx
ReplyDeleteI love Magnolias. My hubby planted one out the front and some how it was snapped in half! It is still alive but it's going to take a little longer to grow now. Grr. Good luck Jed. x
ReplyDeleteLadder lights sound like a disaster waiting to happen.
ReplyDeleteI too have chosen the hottest busiest time of year to paint. We still haven't done everything we wanted to this house either and you do have to wonder if its worth it. Just to be mortgage free sounds like a dream!
That magnolia looks a bit Georgia O'Keefe.
We have ladders and paint going on in our house too...slow process with lots of mess..Have a lovely new week ahead. xx
ReplyDeleteI really like reading about home renovations actually because we have been working on ours for so long, it encourages me to hear other people's stories, especially since you have been doing the work yourselves, same as us. That oversized magnolia flower looks great in that small vase.
ReplyDeleteI hope that Jedstar's operation goes well for him and you fingers are crossed. That ladder is so cool and def one to keep with the K on it ;-) I think your very wise to concentrate on making the house your in a home especialy if you have no morgage thats a huge achievement. Happy painting, dee x
ReplyDeleteOh I love Jimmy's ladder, it's seen some action and has character. A bit like myself, ha! It sounds as though you and Anth have been really sensible and thrifty with your house renovations, I can't understand why people go into crazy amounts of debt over anything!
ReplyDeleteYour magnolia blossom is beautiful, it almost doesn't look real, it's so perfect and smooth and sculptural. Lovely in the white vase with the candle sticks, like a posh magazine shoot, Kylie!
I appreciate the bell sleeves on the robes of those wise men in the card - they are wise men, aren't they? They look too well-dressed to be mere shepherds.
Good luck to dear Jed for his op. Our pets are so important to us, it's awful when they are ill. xxxxx
oh i hope doggy is ok :( i know what you mean, our Baxter was our baby too and i still miss him :(
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the ladder and lights thing i sometimes wonder if people actually have those or do they dismantle thenm as soon as the pics are taken for the blog haha
I really enjoyed this post, I guess it's because it's about a theme we all can relate to! I've found out that "in progress" is a really good place to be:-) Your gorgeous images of the magnolia, the beautiful vase, candlesticks and marble really made my evening here, all the way across the globe. I envy you your weather, over here it's quite another story...
ReplyDeletehave a great week!
Whew...I thought I was the only one who didn't get the lights on the ladder thing. And I love magnolias, although you don't see many of them here. Even though I live in the southern part of the U.S., they do much better east of Texas.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful magnolia. We have two sitting in pots waiting patiently to be planted. Go you with your painting! It'll be great to have it all shiny and new for Christmas though. I enjoyed reading this post kylie but most of all I LOVE the 'k' on the ladder. Perfect!
ReplyDeleteAwe, goodluck to the dog! My lovely old kelpie is lying beside me while I blog. Also - you won my little giveaway - so I can post out five cards! My email is reread@me.com - for an address to send them. Thanks
ReplyDeleteGood luck Jed. We have "port wine" magnolias....they are a miniature and smell devine! and they seem to flower for ages.
ReplyDeletepaint away lady....
Allison x
Good on you for stepping back and doing what is right for you. I think you wil value renos done yourself much more as well- we painted our last house entirely ourselves- took 2 years on weekends but the best paint job ever! Our reno will almost double the usable space in our house, so so worth it but we too will be painting again as we are sure the budget is not going to stretch that far. And that means poor Betsy will be staying blue a while longer. Love your magnolia too, we had a deciduous variety at our last house and it thrived despite the less than ideal climate. mel x
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