The last year of renovating our family home felt like a combat mission at times!  So, feeling a little  battle weary I took some time out to recover.  It was so good to get back into the normal rhythm of our family life and enjoy special times with loved ones in our new home without decisions and deadlines.

Where have the last 7 weeks gone?

Celebration dinner for my Dad's retirement.

Decorating gingerbread houses with my girlfriends.

Rocking out at our church Christmas Carols.

Glow sticks all round!

Master H decorating his first gingerbread house with the cousins.

Christmas baking.

Visiting Santa.

Unwrapping presents on Christmas Day.

Hosting Christmas lunch.

Celebrating Hubby M's birthday.

Trips to the glorious beach!

Hosting New Year celebrations for friends.

Of course there were still a few necessary house-related tasks of unpacking, organising, selecting, purchasing and finishing off and I'll update you in the next few blog posts.

I hope you have enjoyed some rest and family time over the holiday season too.  Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.  I look forward to our continued friendship in 2014.

We are actually repeat offenders when it comes to buying 'renovators' delights'!  We look past an undesirable facade and see potential.  It all began back in 2001 when at 22 and 23 years of age we decided to enter the housing market and buy a modest post-war home. 

Big smiles as we got the keys for our first home. 
We had no idea what we were in for!

The house was on a decent size block in a good location.  It had good bones even if the decor was a little dated!

Elated on the first night in our new home!
Check out the tiles, lino and curtains!

Discussing renovation plans in the bathroom.

It wasn't a huge renovation but we were kept busy over the five years of ownership.  We got straight into pulling up the carpet to reveal the beautiful blackbutt timber floors.  We removed a wall that separated the living, dining and kitchen rooms to create one open space.  Painting the walls and ceilings was a big task but saved us money to leave the exterior painting to the professionals.


Let the fun begin!



We gutted the bathroom and created a more functional and modern room.  The kitchen stayed as it was except some white tile paint did the trick at updating the pink floral tile splashback.  The dodgy carport had to go and Hubby M had his dream Titan shed erected in the back yard.  Lastly we tackled the gardens.  It took several attempts to fill the garden beds as our labradors acquired a taste for camellias!

So proud of his handy work!

Loving our old hand-me-down polycane furniture from the Grandparents!



Can you see the lengths we went to to keep the dogs out?
(And yes she is wearing a party hat!)




He even tried to help with the electrical work!


The fences were replaced and we were comfortable.  Comfortable, but ready for the next project!  In 2006 we spotted a real diamond in the rough so it was time to say goodbye to our first family home.  We were proud of what we had achieved and keen to apply what we had learnt to a new property.  However, it was sad to leave that humble little home where we started our lives together.  The place where we worked hard and dreamt big, where we learnt about renovating and learnt about each other, where we were engaged and married.  That house really set us up for life together.

Goodbye Family Home #1!

Welcome to our Family H.O.M.E.  Our family includes Toddler Master H, Baby Miss O, Hubby M and me, Mum E. 

Hubby M, Mum E, Baby O and Master H

We reside in a Queenslander house 6kms south of Brisbane's CBD that is ripe for renovation!

Our Family Home

Pinterest and a few favourite blogs have been a huge inspiration and wealth of knowledge in creating our family home.  I first stumbled across the blogging world through The House that A-M Built.  Here I found great home design ideas and beautiful interiors.  It was especially helpful to read about another local house project in Brisbane.   A-M's blogroll led me to a wonderful selection of blogs.  The Georgica Pond blog is serious eye candy!  I really hit the jackpot when I read Fun and VJ's post about Queenslander house renovation blogs and was introduced to Bungalow Bliss, West End Cottage and Crazy House Capers.  

I must admit that I've been a 'lurker' in the blogosphere for quite some time, happily observing but not participating.  With a bit of help from Katrina from the Block's excellent tutorials, I've taken the plunge and created this little blog and I'm finally ready to contribute to this generous online community.  I hope you can join me on my journey of renovating and decorating plus all the joys that family life can bring.   I look forward to your comments and help along the way.  Oh, and join me on Instagram and Pinterest for more fun!

What blogs inspire you?

Are you a lurker like I was?  Go on, leave a comment.  I dare you!  ;-)