My life. My loves. My laughs.
Our Eames rocker arrived this week and oh my gosh, it is as comfortable as it is gorgeous. Rick, Angus and I all approve (Pete and James have yet to cast their vote). Now I just wish I had one in every single room of the house. A girl can dream, no?
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It’s safe to say we’ve been ridiculously busy around here, what with moving, Christmas, unpacking, settling in and Rick starting his new job last week. Updating this blog has taken somewhat of a backseat as I wade my way through setting up a house that is almost double the size of our last. The amazing thing, however, is that at some point during the craziness of these last few weeks, this new place became… home.
Tonight after we put the boys down, I finally got my act together and actually picked up the camera. And so I give you – our kitchen. The very first room of the house that I set up. And no, those numbers are not significant in any way (although this is the fifth home that we’ve lived in, and this is the first month of the year) – they were simply the ones that came in black and that would stand up straight. Clearly, I’m all about the deep and meaningful.
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Our new home. Lots of rooms. Lots of space. Lots of doors. I miss our old home, but I know we will create new memories here. Every day, we are settling in more and more. Today, I actually finished unpacking the last box, and Rick even got the internet set up. My head is filled with a billion thoughts, and my body is running on adrenalin. Will share more in the next few days, but for now here’s a tiny sneak peek. Can you spot the Christmas stockings?
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It got pretty smoky one afternoon last week here in Sydney’s north. Rick thinks it was back burning. I’ll go with what he says since he watches more documentaries than me. I sat on the patio staring at the smoky mist for quite some time – it was inexplicably bewitching.
Received some devastating news tonight. Life is so transient. Cherish those you love.
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Now that we are drawing near to moving once more, I find myself attempting to savour all the nooks and crannies around the home which I have come to love. This particular corner with the yellow lamp is in the family play room, where I spend a lot of my time either watching the boys play with their blocks, cars and other toys or crashed out on the couch asleep. Once in a while, Rick and I might share a cup of tea or a mug of Milo here in the evenings while we snuggle up and chat about nothing and everything. This is also one of Rick’s favourite places to read during his down times.
Moving is always hard. This has been our fourth home since we got married seven years ago, and all four have been special for their own reasons. At Freeman Place, we set up our life together as husband and wife. At Brickfield Street, we got ready for Cameron’s arrival then grieved madly for him when he died. At Little Queen Street, we attempted to rebuild our lives and eventually brought Angus home with us after nine months of anxiety. And here at Morris Avenue, we welcomed Peter and James into our family, and for the first time, we had little boys running around – thus turning this into a true family home. One that I will surely miss and remember for many years to come.
Who knows what the next place will bring, but whatever happens, I’m confident we will turn it into our home just like we have done in the past – hopefully one where we will make new merriment and new memories as a family.
p.s. That is my ‘bits and pieces’ kitchen bench-top tray. Rick thinks it takes up too much unnecessary room but I love how it acts like a holding area for all the stuff that the boys and I use throughout the day. I can’t stand bowls and cups and bottles haphazardly left on the bench-top but if they’re all on the tray, it somehow feels neat and tidy thus allowing me to breathe easy amidst the chaos. (Weird, right?)
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It was quiet in the house today for about two and a half hours while all three boys slept. Those are the hours in the day that allow me to recharge, regroup and refocus. As much as I love the boys, I also love the down times. Jamie, as usual, was the first one to stir. He didn’t want his milk. He didn’t want his rice cereal. So I gave him a water cracker.
That, he liked.
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Never in my past life did I think I would cry over spilt milk. But this evening, after a long day that had me almost screaming into a pillow, cry I did when I walked into the meals room and observed that Angus had spilt milk all over his high chair and the floor. And you know what – the cry was fantastic. It lifted my spirits even more than SYTYCD. So despite what Confucius may say, I highly recommend crying over spilt milk. (I’m Asian, so I’m going with Confucius.)
Anyway, a new couch arrived today. And as they say: a new couch means new beginnings. (That one’s from me, not Confucius.) Yes it’s true, we are moving. Again. Somewhere around the end of this year or the beginning of next. And while I’m aware that’s at least two months away, that does not stop me snapping up a good bargain on eBay when I see one. Even if it means giving up our corridor space and having to jump two feet to get into our bedroom. Rick actually likes the couch as much as I do (good taste, that man) and is trying hard to convince me that it should go in the living area rather than my studio. We’ll see, hubby, we’ll see.
If you’re an observant type of person, you may have noticed that the style of photography is changing on the blog. Yes, another new beginning. While I love my snapshot photography (and rest assured there shall still be the occasional snapshot post), I have to stop kidding myself: my iPhone 4 lens is so badly scratched that if it were a diamond, it would be laughed at by all the other diamonds (kind of like Rudolph). Plus, I actually have a new Canon lens that I love so why not put it to good use?
Here’s to exploring a new way of documenting life as it unfolds around me.
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I’ve been spending the day at my parents’ place, while Rick’s been looking after the boys at home. I guess you could call it a ‘day off’ for me.
It’s been drizzling a bit, and it’s been cold. Despite the thick socks I’d brought with me, I’ve needed to borrow my mum’s Ug boots for extra warmth.
It’s been rather surreal, sitting here in my old bedroom. None of my old furniture remains, yet the room still seems strangely familiar. It’s like we’re old friends.
I’ve brought along my scrapbooking and my computer. The plan is to sort through some 6,000 photos from the last few months, as well as finish some scrapbooking that I’ve been working on in the past month.
I’ve been drinking cups of tea and eating lots of food from my parents’ pantry. I’m looking forward to my mum’s cooking tonight – it’s been too long since I last had a meal here.
I’ve been walking around in mum’s garden, admiring her many pots and plants. She’s a hard worker, my mum. You can tell by how well the garden is maintained. Every day of the year.
I’ve been thinking of my friends who lost their baby girl early this morning. My heart is heavy, knowing the hard times they have ahead.
I’ve been missing my little boys. Looking through their photos reminds me of how precious they are, and how they grow up all too quickly.
Most of all, I’ve been taking it slowly. Coming home to my old home has been exactly what I’ve needed, without even knowing it.
(More creative spaces over here!)
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Say hello to our retro sideboard. It’s been wanting to meet the internet for a long time now.
It lines one end of our main living area, next to our ‘bar’ – ‘bar’ being in air quotes because it’s actually just a glorified storage space for our everyday essentials like the big vacuum cleaner and the small vacuum cleaner. It’s also Rick’s ‘locker room’ because there’s a narrow bookcase in there which I make ask Rick to put his bags in.
But I digress.
This sideboard was an eBay find when we moved into our home last year. It has a smooth teak finish and rusty, golden knobs which I just adore. It’s actually a very ‘mid-century modern’ sideboard, though you wouldn’t be able to tell from the way I’ve unskilfully cropped the image.
The fan (see below) was also from eBay, and it actually works. So don’t go sticking your fingers in there when you come to visit. I just love the colour of the fan base – it’s the perfect shade of pastel blue if you ask me. In my humble opinion, retro fans are just awesome. They look far better than the modern ones that line the aisles of your local appliance store. And they’re not expensive to acquire either – which is the biggest bonus when you’ve just spent hard-earned cash shipping a sideboard up from Melbourne. Oh, didn’t I mention that?
Rick chose the radio as his father’s day gift last year. He told me he liked its vintage look, which is ironic seeing as it’s a digital radio. I love its rounded edges and also how it perfectly completes the space on the sideboard. Sometimes when I’m home with the boys by myself, I like to have the radio on to remind me that there are other people out there and that I’m not alone in the world making bottles and changing nappies (think ‘I am legend’).
The thing that looks like a dinosaur egg was an engagement present from a dear high school friend. You’re meant to put a candle inside it to create a polka dot pattern on the walls though somehow I’ve never managed to do that. The egg went into storage during our two years at Newtown but I brought it back out last year, believing it to be the perfect complement to the IKEA Stranne lamp – which, incidentally, is the best fake designer lamp you will ever find for about $50. It is seriously groovy. (There’s that outdated word again – someone please give me a better vocabulary.)
Anyway, introductions aside, if you wish to get to know my sideboard better, feel free to follow it on Twitter at @ronniesretrosideboard.
(Just kidding, I have boundaries you know.).
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A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A moment to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by Amanda.
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