The mock oranges (Murraya paniculata ‘Exotica’ or orange jessamine) in the front yard and all across Brisbane bloomed in the last few days.
On Sunday, there were no flowers, just thousands of swollen buds ready to burst with the off white petals and that scent which just screams Brisbane.
On Monday, the trees had started to open up the flower buds. Â The scent started to spread in the air.
On Tuesday, the trees were covered in a mass of flowers and the white carpet was starting to form on the patio and lawn.
This morning, as I opened the front door at 6:30 to welcome the day into the house I was hit with that mock orange perfume, it spread through the kitchen and said “autumn is here”. I watched as petals gently danced in the breeze to the patio and lawn below to form that white carpet which we all know so well.
I struggle on what to call this room, if I’m speaking to family it is typically called Karl or Matthew’s old room as they used to live in it.
For me though is part guest bedroom, part study, part home office, part creating space, part second wardrobe.
When the house got re-painted I didn’t put the curtain rails back up. As it is no longer a bedroom it no longer needed block out curtains.
Instead I left the windows bare and let the light shine on in. If I needed curtains I would bulldog clip fabric to the window frames.
A trip to Ikea the other month I finally picked up some more Dignitet curtain wire and put it up.
A old sari that I picked up from a stall at the Woodford Folk Festival many moons ago serves as the curtain on the long side of the room and a length of green fabric is the curtain for the shorter side.
They dance quite perfectly in the breeze and run up and down the curtain wire when the wind gets up.
I finally set up my reading area again today. Exams are fast approaching and there is serious study to be done. Oh I so do love the new polished floors 🙂 I’ll have to take some photos of the house when the painting is finished (our painter is currently overseas on a holiday), gosh it looks different.
One thing I will miss about my current work place when I leave next year is the half price chrysanthemums I pick up from the Woolies across the back. Chrysanthemums are the cut flowers I remember most of my childhood and there is something lovely in their simple petals and colours.
At the moment there is chryssies throughout the house. There is a vase on my duchess, a jam jar on the counter in the bathroom, some jam jars on the shelf above the steps (as seen above), a vase on the sideboard in the living room, another vase and some jam jars on the counter in the kitchen and lastly a single bloom in a BrennivÃn shot glass beside the kitchen sink.
Hanging out with Nemo lots of Clownfish  at Reef HQ.
I went up to Townsville last week for work and I had planned on putting a few posts up on the nights that I didn’t catch up with dear Townsville friends but that didn’t happen did it! I was so tired on those other nights that I managed a little bit of study (yep, took just near 5kg of uni books with me) and then it was straight to bed. So here I am a week since I got home from Townsville and I’m finally sitting down to type.
Apart from uni work, the other reason for the radio silence has been this.
The house is getting painted at the moment and repairs are about to start to the ceilings in this room and the kitchen. Once that is all done then the floor sander will start and then when he done it will be the laying of new carpets in the bedrooms. My vacuum cleaner is getting quite a work out and I’m forever dusting it seems. The house is going to look a treat when it is all done.
Back to Townsville though. Townsville was lovely.
I was staying in the Sugar Shaker so the views were very nice.
Looking towards Castle Hill and work.
I had a dip a few times in the roof top pool, I always had it to myself which was also quite nice.
I was picked up from work on Friday by Sam and then it was back to her house for a weekend of lazy fun in the ‘ville. BBQ next door on Friday night, Reef HQ and Herveys Range on Saturday with girls night out at Cactus Jacks on Saturday night, markets on Sunday and then flying back to Brisbane on the same plane as Bob Katter on Sunday.
Sam at Reef HQ.
Nemo.
The Seahorses were very cute.
These upside down jellyfish were very pretty as well.
As was this fish.
The chocolate nachos as Cactus Jack’s were as always fantastic. Â They are soooooo good.
There is one thing that I always try to make time for on at least one morning of the weekend and that is to have a slow breakfast on the deck couch with a pot of tea (Sencha Peach from T2, muesli with yoghurt and fruit or toast with Vegemite and some reading material. It may be the most recent book I’ve got out of the library or it will be an issue of Real Living.
Whilst, the above activities are not affected by the weather, the following is. If the sun is out and I can’t tell you how happy I was that it was out this morning, the hum of the washing machine downstairs is the sound of a weekend morning. This of course provides the following outcome.
Georgie took me to the Valentino Retrospective at GOMA this mid-afternoon as a belated birthday present. Whoa, those outfits are amazing, some are plain crazy, some are beautiful, others are amazing. The work and detail is just incredible.
I took this photo on the way past QAG heading towards GOMA.
