I Heart Macro- Wood Love

Hello dear readers,

Goodness...Sunday seem  to come around quickly these days! I often look back on the week and wonder about what I have really achieved.

Since retiring from paid employment, the days somehow seem to go so quickly. With no real structure to my day, it is easy to 'waste' hours of time on no real thing......a little extra sleep in...a little extra time browsing blogs...you know how it goes! Before you know it.....it is nearly lunch time and the day is disappearing before 'things' have been started!! (or before I am even dressed!) Every day is like a Sunday, really.
I have GOT to get more disciplined if I want to achieve more in my day!

Anyway... on to Macro Sunday....

I love wood. All sorts of wood. Both new and old.
Our house is full of many varieties of wood.....the old part of the house has Baltic Pine floors, the newer part, have Blackbutt floors. The piano is Burred Walnut, the inherited sideboard and formal dining table is Cedar. The new table is made from Tasmanian Blackwood.
Sounds like a real mish-mash when I read that back..but somehow..it all seems to fit together.

We have been wanting a narrow side table to sit at the end of the dining table in our family area and I have been wondering about what could fit in well with this melee of wooden styles and colours. Should it be a solid colour... could I be brave enough to have red or aqua (If I could find an aqua one of the right size, I would not hesitate!!)

Yesterday, we found a bleached wooden one which fitted the dimensions and some of the style requirements... so we have bought it home for a few days to see if we like it. The side table is a good match with the lighter tones of wood colour found in the floor.

It is made from elm and has been bleached..so is quite rustic in both appearance and finish. The drawers are deep enough to hold napkins and cutlery which is a real bonus.

It is not quite as pink as this in real life. The large pot is an old French olive oil container.

Handle detail up close.
This photo reminds me of I Heart Macro - Door Knobs of Florence post.

Full handle up close.

Wooden dowels have been used instead of nails...love that!

It sits not far from the kitchen which is quite modern...glass, stainless steel and off-white stone benches.... but I am a person that loves a combination of old and new, so that's o.k in my book.

What do you think...should I keep it or continue looking.......!!?? ( my husband groans when he reads this line!)

Please check in to Studio Waterstone to see more up close photography "for macro makers and the camerologically challenged".....you will love it! Click on the photo below to take you to the site.

Until another day, 

Cheers, 

Spring Joy

Hello dear friends,

My garden is delicious at the moment.

Heavy Spring rain (It is Spring time in Australia) has brought about abundant growth and it seems like the garden has sprung to life almost overnight.
I love this time of year.....the weather is just right for gardening, not too hot or cold.
The earth is easy to dig. Colour and fragrance abound. A delight to the senses all round!

Today I am linking up to I Heart macro...hosted by Lori at Studio Waterstone....it's a feast of photos for the lovers of close up photography.

Check it out... maybe join in....you do not need a fancy camera......just a love of taking close-up photos.

Here are my contributions for this week.... what else but garden love of course!

Lavender is always so reliably beautiful. I added a texture to this photo from Kim Klassen and text for the fun of it.

I love the color variations in this gorgeous rose.

Cheers for now,

I Heart Macro - Calligraphy brushes and box

Hello dear readers,

It has been a busy week.

I have been steadily working my way through the very large list of Bead Soup participants blogs...I think I am up to  no. 111 on the list. It is a massive task...but I am determined to visit each of the 362 participant's blogs. I have been working my way through the list.....slowly but steadily. There is an awesome amount of beautiful jewellery to see. Come and take a look if this is new to you.
(If you missed out this time...take a look at the Bead Soup link, above, and you will notice the 5th Bead Soup is due to start in January....all the particulars are there.)

My partner and I are no. 82 on the list ...here is my submission and here is my partners submission 
I have been reading the Bead Soup submissions at night, as I have been busy in the garden during the day.

Spring is here in Melbourne and the days have been glorious, so I have been trying to get some work done in the yard. There is always so much to do in a garden at Spring time!

Over this last weekend I have painted a paling fence which divides my property with a neighbour. In keeping with the grey that I have painted on my new deck surround, I have painted the fence in a charcoal colour.....and it look awesome. There is a lot more to do and of course, once you start you need to do all of the fence...both sides front and back will be tackled throughout the week.
Then of course, there is the selection of new screening trees, herbs etc... and so the list goes on!

Needless to say, I have not been the most prolific blogger this week!

I do, however, always love to link up to I Heart Macro ( No matter how busy I get!!) and here is my submission for this week.

These are the handles of the two calligraphy brushes I own. The lower one could possibly be a carved  Jade...not too sure of the top one...but I love it anyway! I just love the hint of green with the speckles.

Close up of the brushes.

This is the sweet little antique Japanese box, which I was told is a calligraphy box. The little drawers were used for storing the ink stone..the larger drawers were used for the papers and brushes.

  

For joining in with all the 'I heart Macro' fun, please click on the photo below to take you to our host, Lori's site.

Cheers,

and goodnight,