The last two weeks have been so busy...I've applied for a new job which is local and not 2 1/2 hours away and the application took me ages to do. I also applied at a typing from home company overseas to do part-time, with my full-time job, which in two weeks is going to be four days a week. The test was absolutely horrendous. It took me four days to do ~ phew. I had to cut down my days at work as I'm so tired all the time with so much travel and such a full-on job, and I just got my yearly pay rise so I decided to cut down one day a week, rather than go down a level which would mean I could work closer to home, but five days a week. Hard decision, but a done deal now... Monday will be my new favourite day of the week instead of my worst ... I can't help it, I just love days I'm at home when everyone else is at work, it just feels extra great!
... and of course, busy with the fun bit, starting work on designing our new home. It's still a year or 18 months away, but once it starts I don't want any knee jerk decisions, so we're giving ourselves plenty of time to plan it!
I was hoping to do a Traditional Victorian as I'm totally drawn to those styles, but I drew a mud map design for Harkaways and they said since we have to go wide rather than long, my design didn't fit with the Victorian roofline. So the lovely man came up with a design based on mine and made it absolutely gorgeous. This is the map I drew...
And this is the design he came up with! Now it's an Urban Pavillion.
He even put a couple of window seats in the front, which I've always loved! Notice top middle of the plan ... an undercover patio area with french doors going from bedroom to patio and french doors lounge to patio. I'm going to fill the undercover patio in with lots and lots of plants and table and chairs and my big foofy daybed ... mmm, I can't wait to throw the bedroom doors open and jump back into bed looking out on my patio on a Sunday morning ... aaarh!
Harkaways said we would most likely go backwards and forwards a few times to perfect the plan, but once I laid eyes on it, I couldn't find a single fault! We even got an extra room we hadn't asked for! I rang Dear One so excited that I had the plan, and he said, "Great, I'll soon pull it to pieces!" That certainly made me nervous, since I love it the way it is, but when he got home and sat down with it, he was quiet for about 5 minutes and then said it was just fine! Yay!!
This is a picture of an urban pavillion, sort of how the house may look at the end, but of course different colours. Lovely veranda area in the middle front, yum!
I don't hate the colours on the house, but I love the colours of this house below ... I love the grey and cream and white with the touch of burgundy.
or
This house is so pretty ... not sure where I got the photo from ... a fabulous blog I visited recently, and our new home will most likely be built out of faux sandstone, so this house is very inspiring, although this one isn't faux anything!
So, we're taking time off right after Christmas to go down and visit them to take it to the next level. Now we have to do all the boring stuff like go and get plans of the land, and soil tests etc. Yuck, the necessary but boring bits!
Back to something much more interesting than soil tests ... a friend lent me a garding magazine to show me something, and I found these absolutely beautiful photos of a huge garden in Victora, Australia which I thought was so lovely I'd share...
It seems from reading the article this garden took a lot of effort ... to look like a natural garden. Mmm, just how I like it, rustic and natural. Wish I knew how to do this...
And of course I have to finish off with some pretty pictures of my roses, which last weekend I saved from a plague of grasshoppers ~ shoulda seen me hop! Hoppin mad!!
Have a great week ... remember if you want any Romantic Homes magazines, let me know ... they should come next week or early the week after.
My bedroom
Roses from my garden
The house we are thnking of building
In my guest bedroom
One of my front door decorations
Bubby ~ 1999 to 2007 ~ we miss you
Hi Vickie,
I am so happy for you!!!! For one, your reduced schedule, that will be really nice...and I'm sure it will bring much more balance to your life! And...I am so so excited about your new home, the plans look absolutely wonderful, yay!!!
Take care,
Kathy
Posted by: Kathy Jacobson | 15 November 2008 at 02:46 PM
WOW!!!!! how exciting!! Im so green with Envy!! I cannot wait to see it all done and decorated with your Gorgeous style!! You must be super excited!!
Have a wonderful weekend!
mandii
Posted by: Mandii | 14 November 2008 at 04:21 PM
Yippie and congratulations on the new house and all the plans that go with making it happen.
A patio with french doors will be perfect for all kinds of wonderful shabby inspired themes.
Posted by: Pearl Maple | 10 November 2008 at 05:14 AM
Hi Vickie, i am so excited for you. It must be an amazing yet scary feeling to build and plan all details of a house but terribly fun as well. Your roses are doing great, we get those nasty grasshoppers and aphids too...you feel so mad with them ! The plan of the house looks wonderful - i would not know where to start so may well turn to you for help one day should we ever move/build. Mel xxx
Posted by: Melinda | 09 November 2008 at 06:42 PM