Friday, January 25, 2013

Around my house today

I have finally unpacked most of my mother's things, found new spots for them. It's just lovely to be surrounded by my mother's things. I have been thinking about her so much lately, appreciating her eye for beauty and the way she took care of her possessions. To fit in the new stuff, I taken a huge load of my own unwanted things to Vinnies. I find it very therapeutic to have a clear out! The house is almost tidy again...

beautiful white quilt hand made by my mother

A new addition to our bedroom is this beautiful quilt. Mum was an amazing quilter and had such a good eye for colour and design as well as a great ability for making the tiniest neatest stitches. I look really closely at her work and it's just incredible.  This white quilt that she made was always on her and my step-dad's bed. I love having this now on our bed. It is so bright white! I am not sure if I'll be able to keep it so perfectly clean.  My sister saw this photo and said "Mum would like it, the fabric of life!".


By my side of the bed I have a little collection of some loved items. A blue and white ginger jar, some white shell balls, a white ampersand, and ceramic bird house as well as a little ceramic family ornament that one of my sisters gave my - I love how this is the same as our family - older girl and younger boy. So sweet.

little ceramic family ornament

The French bust in my bedroom is a relatively new acquisition. My friend Patricia has closed her French homewares shop in Haberfield which is I think very sad. I visited her on one of the last days it was open and bought this bust for a steal. It actually was on a stand but the second day I had it I was bumped the chest of drawers and it fell on the floor and broke. Luckily it didn't completely shatter, I think the fabric protected the bust part. I think I actually prefer it without the stand. I keep my mother's Oroton necklace (this is true 1970's fashion that I love) on it.  The little mint green ceramic box is one I gave my mum for a birthday when I was a teenager.  I'm not sure where I'll end up keeping this but for now it can sit here.


I brought home several of Mum's white Wedgwood vases. This one is so practical for short stemmed big bloomed flowers. These fading hydrangeas are from a friend's garden. The muted colours are so pretty.  This vase is so practical - it has a coated wire structure in the bowl of it so you can arrange your flowers in place and they stay. I wish all my vases had this!  



Other small changes in the house are some new cushions for our lounge. I bought this blue embroidered one from Temple & Webster. When I ordered it I actually thought the fabric was white but I don't mind the light blue -I suppose that's what you get for buying online and not reading the detail. The price was very good at around $24.



This little arrangement is on one of our sideboards  The ampersand was given to my kids by Patricia when she shut her shop. I am tempted th paint it white - common theme in my life! 


How is your house looking after school holidays? Don't worry there is a lot of mess still in my house! I will deal with it once the kids go back to school, but truthfully it is more my mess than theirs. My tools, my paint, my craft, ironing to be done, washing to be put away..blah blah blah...I am quite messy and I so wish I wasn't.


Who is the messiest in your house? What part of the house do you struggle to keep tidy?




Have a lovely weekend and Happy Australia day to all you fellow Aussies out there. I'll be back next week.



Fiona xx




7 comments:

  1. So lovely to have all your mum things around you.
    Carolyn

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  2. Having these things around you will be lovely for you...I have loads of my dads trinkets, as a bloke they're not pretty but very meaningful:)

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    1. thanks Polly, my dad has started handing stuff down to us already as he's seen what we went through with mum and doesn't want that happening again. I love his old practical stuff. (and he gave me the vintage scales which are reasonably pretty!)
      Fiona x

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  3. Your mums quilt is gorgeous. My mums a quilter too and we all have them n our beds. Every night I tell my kids how lucky they are to be wrapped in Nannas love.
    As for mess, our house is terrible. Every time I finish spring cleaning one room, the kids have destroyed the rest. And if I'm honest, I have tools, paintbrushes, fabric swatches etc everywhere. One day I'll have a massive studio to keep it all in.
    Alion

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  4. I love having my Mum's, Nana'a and daughter's things with me in our new house - they look like they were made for here and we feel more at home.

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  5. I love the little glimpse into your home, your mums quilt is beautiful, what a lovely thing to have. My grandmother had a similar ginger jar, I miss her very much. As for the messiest in our house, it think it's my husband....he does not know how to put anything away, he leaves his stuff wherever and drives me crazy. I am not good with mess, but I'm learning to lower my standards with a messy husband and 3 kids I think I will have to or risk losing my mind!

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  6. Lots of loveliness there Fiona, but the quilt is just amazing. Looks beautiful with your blue and white cushions.

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Thanks for taking the time to comment! Sorry if you have trouble commenting, you can always email me at lilyfieldlife@bigpond.com