After a couple of years being wedded to the Crackberry, a few days ago I hooked up with Mr iPhone again...

And there’s a new baby as a result (who would have thought at my age!)...welcome instagram J I’m a bit besotted.

If you’d like to follow...and goodness knows what you might find from time to time...I’m tranquiltownhouse...no surprises there! And how about you? Can I find you there too?

I'm still avoiding pinterest, though I'm not sure how long I'll be able to hold out!

Have a great week...I'm still recovering from Richard's 50th birthday party! Don't worry, just tired...couldn't possibly be any other reason could there Mr Tequila J

At least it's stopped raining...for the moment!

I have to confess that I don't have very much to say today. I'm on the highway to Newcastle again, and if the weather forecast is correct, the windscreen wipers will be on. I'll be listening to Radio National or singing along to something in the CD player. You can do that when you drive alone. You can even sing along to John Denver : )

But it occurred to me, while thinking what I might write about, that there are some of you who might be new to the townhouse who haven't had the dubious pleasure of 'meeting' Buffy...or as we ever so affectionately call her around here...the vampire slayer. I took a couple of snaps of her last night as she was enjoying a little breeze that had blown in to the courtyard garden. I have no idea how she gets up on top of that wall because it's all she can do to haul herself on to the sofa these days. But I thought she looked...well, tranquil : )

And I can assure you...that doesn't happen very often! She does need a new collar though. It's letting down the beautiful bling tag that Rachael bought her. I'd better get on to that.
It was Australia Day yesterday. I read a book. Perfect.
Have a lovely weekend won't you? 

It's taken me days of my holiday...days I tell you, to paint my bedroom and install the gallery wall.  Nothing, but nothing went easily...including the great gloss enamel  'fall down and splatter the floor and one of my new shoes' paint debacle!  And the blunted drill bits when putting up the picture ledges into the brick wall...sigh. Still, it's almost there.

I'll do a full before and after post when I get back from Taswegia (I'll be on a plane just about now!) but thought I'd give you a bit of a glimpse from the doorway just to tide you over...hope you like it...Buffy seems to J 

And yes Mary, that empty shelf will be filled before you know it!

image: a tranquil townhouse

Last week I told you that I'd show you my Christmas decorating...be warned, I use the term very loosely J I also said, if I remember correctly that you should be prepared to be underwhelmed. I'm not going to be at home for Christmas this year. Jess, Ben and I will be having a Christmas Eve dinner at Jess's home in Sydney and then we'll be making the road trip to and from Newcastle on Christmas Day to have lunch with my mum and dad and our rather odd, extended family! I say that lovingly J

Because of that, I haven't done much in the way of decoration in the townhouse, which is a pity. I've got an awesome black tree that looks fab with silver and pearls flung in, over and around it...but never mind. 

So this is it I'm afraid...a $4.98 string of plastic hearts (from Big W) draped over an embroidered velvet taj mahal cushion cover I bought in India...framed after I spilled something on it and it lost its appeal on the sofa...I do love it and its memories though...even if due to this wonderful gift it's no longer hanging there...things move quickly in the townhouse!

 

...last year's frou frou feather boa wreath with the addition of a $2 string of white lights (last of the big spenders I am!)...

and cherries...because nothing in my view says Christmas in Australia more than cherries. I do hope your hols are the proverbial bowl of them.

While it may not be Christmassy in the strictest sense of the word...this is probably good advice for this time of year. The 2011 birthday present from the first born...it makes me smile every time I come home.

And it's hardly Christmas without the slayer now is it?  With lots of love from me and mine to you and yours....see you sometime after the face stuffing and afternoon napping has ceased. Not that it ever does where that cat's concerned! And as I'm on leave at the end of today, I may just do a bit of that myself!

And most importantly...to those of you who are going through a hard time, who are unwell, who've lost people you love this year, who don't know what to do about something or someone, who are struggling...blessings to you xx

all photos by a tranquil townhouse

I have to say that the little townhouse garden is excelling itself so far this spring...

I wouldn't call myself a brilliant gardener...I'm certainly not very knowledgeable about trees and plants and flowers...not like Sarah

But I am completely convinced of one thing...

  ...there are few things more restorative to a sad heart, a tired body or a worried brain than spending some time in a garden...

 admiring the perfect loveliness of a simple little flower and being grateful for the chance to sit for a while and just look

 even if it's only in the confines of a small courtyard garden. Actually, especially in a small space...it reminds me that we don't need all that very much to be happy.

Gardens allow us to just 'be'.

...even if that small garden is inhabited by a mad cat :)

The slayer and I send you our best wishes for a wonderful, serene weekend. Go and smell some flowers  if you can. And as Elvis says...

 This week for the first time I'm joining in with maxabella loves...

all images: a tranquil townhouse

Lucky old Canberra had another long weekend...two in a row...we're a bit spoilt aren't we :)  But then again we have politicians to contend with on far too many weeks of the year so I guess it evens out.  I did a lot of stuff around the house and went to an exhibition, because you know I love both of those things.

The exhibition was the Fred Williams Retrospective at the National Gallery of Australia...seriously one of my favourite places in the universe. And I have to say that I think this was one of the best exhibitions I've seen for a while. Did you know that Fred Williams was the first Australian ever to have a solo exhibition at MoMA? No, I didn't either.  Beautiful, beautiful work...the colours were spectacular.

 

 

 

 

Click on the NGA link above to see lots more.
I came home with stuff...thank goodness the 100 day challenge is well and truly over! The exhibition catalogue was a must...Buffy says hi...and that's the last orchid spray there too.

An elk necklace...I have been after one of these for ages so I had to get it when I saw it. I have no idea what it was doing with Fred's stuff but I didn't question :) And a fridge magnet. I love fridge magnets. Do you?

My very good friends Chris and Terry came and helped take the faded green fibreglassy stuff off the pergola (I have no idea what it's called apart from ugly). Well to be honest, Terry did the hard bit while Chris and I fetched and carried. It didn't take long. Terry's toolkit rivals a Bunnings warehouse with a gadget for every house or garden issue imaginable. The courtyard looks so much better...

Now the wisteria just needs to do it's work and get over the pergola. It will let so much more light into the living room in winter now too without the horrible green stuff. I also picked up the drill once or twice myself over the weekend...attached a hose reel to the back wall and moved the automatic water timer thingy to a more convenient position...and look...a coat rack courtesy of Ikea, me and a power tool. 

Quite pleased. Probably shouldn't have left my boots lying higgedly piggedly on the floor though. Never mind.

I finished reading this book last night...

It's probably fair to say that I have a sugar addiction. My waistline certainly thinks so. And it's probably also fair to say that if you're a sane person, one major self imposed challenge at a time is more than enough...

Ha! How long have you known me? As if I'd stop at one! So quitting sugar starts today, and like I said it could get ugly. So enjoy the pretty $8 tulips from Woollies while I'm still in a good mood. 

And for those of you who've been asking for the vampire slayer, here she is...always alert, never alarmed :)

How was your weekend? Mine was pretty good thanks.
I made a few changes to the living room wall...

...added the mirror (found at an op shop) and stuck up one of my 'K's using blu-tac. It hasn't fallen on anyone's head yet,  but I'm afraid the cyclamen is past its best. But no probs...I've got a hyacinth now...even if it does have a slight lean :)

I framed and hung the New York poster...and moved the ballets russes costume painting. Sorry about the reflections.

My friend Chris suggested I need to fill the whole wall. Not likely, and certainly not without a bloody big ladder!  Some things however, always stay the same...

The vampire slayer wishes you a good week. I do too.