Pretty Peachy Pink Fireplace

This is the fireplace at FRENCH BLUE AND PEACHY PINK.  It is an old fuel stove from the turn of last century. We don't actually use it, as it burns coal and not wood but it is still one of my favourite features of our home.  When my children were small they used to poke their little noses inside and check to see if Santa Claus was up there ! Cute !

The cute little fire screen was a gift from a friend and I made a simple white organza hail spot curtain to attach to the back to help stop little fingers from poking around.

I love this peachy pink jug cover and it really stands out against the crystal. We painted the mantel a warm creamy white and the hearth a traditional black. The black hides 100 years of coal dust that sifts down from the chimney from time to time.  I often imagine the original owners of our home sitting by the lovely warm fire. Mother weaving lace on her looms and Father smoking his pipe and reading his paper.    A fireplace brings such warmth and a feeling of love to the centre of a home. Just lovely !

I love the combination of china and crystal.

They look so pretty up against the bevelled mirror on the fireplace mantel.

Today Miss Peachy Pink has been soooo busy and she needs  to take her beauty sleep. I will look forward to seeing you all tomorrow.

So until then  xo

'A Mother's Work Is Never Done'

               'A Mother's work is never done'

.......and isn't that the truth !  There is cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing and that's even before we get to the children !  lol

This is the little treasure that I let you all have a sneaky peek at earlier in the week. Isn't she pretty !   She was sitting on a dusty shelf of a great old antique store in the city and when I saw her across the 'crowded' room I knew she was mine.  Goodness knows I could use a little bit more girl power in our house of blue !

I haven't decided where to keep her yet, but with my large brood I could understand loud and clear what her little message meant. 

At least in my hour of need I will have somebody in the house who sympathises with me !  lol

  

So that my friends winds up a very busy week on French Blue and Peachy Pink.

This weekend I am looking forward to sitting on the beach with a good book with my toes squiggling in the sand.

I am looking forward to laughing with my children, kissing them goodnight, seeing their happy little faces and enjoying the peace at night with my beautiful husband.

I will be helping out Miss M again with her next 'Open for inspection'  with her home for sale. I am looking forward to buying another armload of fresh flowers to brighten up her home

and most of all I will laugh !

May you all have an amazing weekend.

Thank you for your friendship and lovely comments.

Thanks for visiting !

xo

Once upon a time ......HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY !

                   Happy Australia Day !

Today I salute my amazing country French Blue and Peachy Pink style. I share with you these two images of one of my favourite parts of Australia........The Great Barrier Reef. 

and I will share with you this very funny story.

Once upon a time there was a young bride.  She had been married only a few days and was on her honeymoon with her new husband.
They had chosen to holiday in the warm surrounds of a beautiful Island resort which lies in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
She and her husband sat on a beautiful beach enjoying cocktails and relaxing in the sun and like most newly weds, were very happy.
One fine day they decided to take an adventure and go snorkeling on the reef to see the pretty corals and marine life.

They arrived at the wharf where the boat would take them on the two hour journey to the edge of the reef.  The young bride was super excited to be taking this adventure as it had been something that she had wanted to do her whole life.

The newly married husband was a lover of the sea and had his sea legs from the time he stepped foot on the boat.

The new bride however had begun to feel squirmy in her stomach the moment she sat down to enjoy the journey.

So off the boat sailed.......through the calm waters of the bay and eventually to the wide open body of ocean that would lead them to the edge of the reef where they would snorkel.

The young bride looked out at the water, her face as green as the sea in which she sailed upon.  Her lovely adventure was feeling more like torture.  The beautiful seafood banquet that was being prepared on the lower deck was not helping the situation. Smells of rich sauce and lobster cooking was making her stomach turn.
She wanted to click her heels and be back on dry land again.

After a very long 2 hours the boat arrived at the reef.  After much coaxing, her husband and the crew encouraged the young bride to hop off the boat and into the water. They promised her that she would feel so much better when she was in the water.

SO the young bride popped her swimmers on, a pair of flippers and her goggles and sat on the edge of the boat. 
Thinking somehow that magically the boat was on the very edge of the reef and she would be swimming in only in water a couple of metres deep she enthusiasticallyly jumped right on in. SPLASH !  The water was cold and it woke her up to the very inch of her soul !
In seconds she realised that she needed to swim in very deep ocean for quite a few minutes before reaching the reef.   Scenes of the movie JAWS raced through her head.......oh my goodness she had never swam so fast in her entire life ! 

Heart racing and breathing heavily because of her faster than the speed of sound swimming she finally reached the reef.

and it was one of the most beautiful sites that she ever seen !

As if by magic, her queasy stomach had been replaced with feelings of pure amazement in the scene that lay before her.
Beautiful bright blue and yellow tropical fish swam with her side by side. Tiny bubbles of air catapulted her into a state of wonderment.  She had surely caught a glimpse of heaven.

Happily she floated along with her new found fish friends who seemed to be just as curious and happy to swim with her.
This place was magical ! 

Soon it was time to once again board the boat for the journey back to the Island.  There was to be a beautiful seafood banquet to be served and champagne to be sipped.

The young bride wasn't feeling up to eating very much at all due to her 'not so good sea legs'.  But the thoughts in her head of the magical world she had just visited would be enough to keep her mesmerised for the remainder of her journey.

She sat on the top deck of the boat while the others ate.  She felt the wind in her hair and the salt spray in her mouth and reflected on how truly lucky she was to live in such a beautiful country.  There was the sunshine, the vast bushland and the beautiful coastal communities.  People were warm and friendly and were only too happy to help their fellow Aussie neighbours.
They welcomed migrants from faraway lands and embraced the cultural diversity.  There was no war, there was freedom of speech and there was always a cheerful greeting from a stranger when you walked down the street.  It was the Land Down Under and one that many held in their hearts as a treasure.

It was a beautiful day for this young woman and one that she would always remember.

After all this was what being Australian was always about.

                           HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY !

This little wonder of nature lies in the Great Barrier Reef in the waters of Australia.  It is a little piece of love that mother nature shared with us all to remind us all of how blessed we are to live in this beautiful country.

Happy Australia Day

Making A Dream Come True

Shhhhh......be very quiet

Can you hear my angel ?  She is flapping her wings with excitement !    She is excited because I listened to my heart.  I have put myself first for a change..........and I am following my dreams.

                          Hello friends !

GUESS WHAT ??   I have an update for you all on the wonderful 'Imagine the Possibilities' challenge that my friends Andrea from the COTTAGE MARKET and Karianne from THISTLEWOOD FARM were offering their readers.

They challenged their blog friends to challenge themselves and begin and complete a project that really needed to be done but perhaps they had dwelled on and never quite gotten around to. It could be a craft project or learning a new skill......anything at all.

Anyway......this challenge came at the same time as I was contemplating doing something exciting for myself. Something that I had been talking about doing for almost forever but had always put on the back burner because of something or other. 

So this is my story..........

Once upon a time when I was a little girl I used to watch my Grandparents lovingly nurture and tend their garden. When we paid them a visit, my Grandmother would take me out into her garden and tell me the names of all of her flowers. I would stand beside her, all ears, absorbing all of the information.  Sometimes she would pick me a little posy to take home to put in a little vase in my bedroom.  Pansies were always my very favourite. I loved the pinks and purples and their velvety petals.  Snapdragons were my next favourite because she taught me the little trick of holding them in a particular way to make the little flowers open and close their tiny mouths. I thought this was soooo magical.  I so wanted a little fairy to spring out of the petals !

On the other side of my family, my other Grandmother didn't keep a garden. She lived too close to the beach and the salt spray would kill any little plant that she wanted to grow. Her sister however, (my great aunt) whom I adored lived further away from the beach in a tiny ground floor apartment. She kept a small garden but it was tended with such love and devotion that  you would think it was in a botanical garden. Bright red, pink, yellow and peachy coloured roses bloomed merrily away in this little patch of love. My old Aunt cherished every single one of those roses and I know just how excited she was to carefully snip a bloom or two and share them with somebody special.

Every Sunday afternoon my Grandmother would visit her dear sister (my Great Aunt) and spend time chatting and drinking tea.   When it was time to leave, very rarely did my Grandmother leave my Aunts home without a bunch of roses destined for me.
My Aunt would choose the prettiest of blooms with the sweetest of fragrances for me. I was 7 years old and will never forget the love that was sent to me in those roses. My beautiful Aunt lived well into her 90's and I know a big part of her living to be such a ripe old age was because of her connection to her garden.  She so cherished every moment that she spent in it.

SO all of these years later......

I find myself with this nagging thought right in the back of my brain . It  often comes when I dig in my garden, it comes when I pass a beautiful florist shop and stop to admire the flowers.  Most of all it comes when I sit alone wondering what I will ever do with myself when my children are all grown up. 
As you all know I have great passion for flowers and you often find me snipping rose blooms from my garden and making pretty displays to brighten up our home.


My angel has been listening patiently for all of these years. She has listened to my inner voice and has silently been sending me signs that it is time to indeed......search out and live my dream.

So this week I decided to make my angel smile and my heart sing.  I filled out all of the particular forms and enrolled into a course of Floristry. I begin very soon and I am bursting with excitement.
I will be sure to share my journey of discovery of this new path that I am undertaking.  I cannot wait to learn about these pretty little offerings from above that bring the world so much pleasure.


Most of all, I am living out one of my dreams, I am not leaving this dream in the back of my heart. Dreams deserve to be lived and each and everyone of us have it inside us to make these dreams come true.  
                                           

DREAMS ARE FREE........but it takes our hearts and minds to turn them into reality  xo

A Posy Of Pears

My lovely friend Miss M is selling her family home

As you can imagine with 2 children and a menagerie of animals in tow, her and her hubby have their hands full.

So on the morning of Antiquing Saturday I hurried on over to their home to help with the preparations for their first 'Open for inspection'.
First point of call for the day was a trip to the florist. There is nothing quite as cheerful as fresh bunches of flowers around ones home to make you smile.
So,  in the space of 5 minutes we had shopped and left the store with armloads of beautiful fresh flowers to help showcase their home.

We chose bright reds, greens and whites to compliment Miss M's colour scheme.   On our drive back to her home with our bounty I sent her into the local fruit and veg shop to buy a big bag full of green pears to add a bit of interest to our displays.

A pretty bunch of flowers brings a smile to any ones face but for a change, try making a pretty fruit inspired Posy. If you are lucky enough to have a pear or apple tree in your garden, snip off some of the shorter branches and bring them inside and place in big over sized jars.  They make such a gorgeous display !

Miss M has a garden full of 'Grandfathers Whiskers'.  These wispy grey fern like sprigs of prettiness often grace the centrepieces of my tables. It grows hanging off trees and needs only a quick hose of water and a little blood and bone to survive....easy !   I have tonnes of it hanging under my lemon tree and from the lower branches of my rambling rose bushes.
 I love to wind the 'Whiskers' around and around so that they form a little nest. I then pop it into a pot (as pictured in my photo's) and pop a little wooden bird or some ornamental eggs into the makeshift nest (or in this case I used pears.)
You could add a tiny feather or 2 or maybe a snip of pretty lace to the nest to give it interest.  

We created this little table on her back porch.....

It looked very pretty and gave the potential buyers of their home a feeling of being at home and a welcoming feel.

We set out cups and saucers and I popped my pear arrangement into the middle of the table as a centrepiece. My trusty green wicker basket was filled with magazines and the daily paper to really ignite the homely feel.

The feeling we wanted to create must have hit the spot with one visitor because as Miss M was peering through the fence from her neighbour's home, a lady was taking photo's of our little table !      (We had to laugh!)

and the minute my green wicker basket was emptied after the visitors had all left...........more little guests arrived. But these guests were the fluffy, purring type.

                                         

So that was the first open for inspection prettying up story !  Hopefully our little touches helped in the marketing area and captured a few hearts. Miss M's home goes to auction in a couple of weeks so hopefully there will be a few nibbles for them.  I am sure that there may be more opportunities to pretty things up before then, so I'll be sure to share with you all again.

                               Have a beautiful fun filled day

Melanie

xo

A Basket Full Of Loveliness.....Antiquing Saturday Finds

Saturday's are my favourite day of the week!

I grab my pretty green basket and off I go into the sunset......

Well in actual fact, I go and have a nice cup of tea with my lovely friend Miss M and then we often hit the antique stores in search of all things gorgeous !

Saturday just gone was extra busy though.

My lovely friends are selling their house and they were having their very first 'Open for inspection'.

Very exciting but nerve racking at the same time.  I will share that news with you tomorrow though as I am bursting to show you what my Saturday finds were. 

This is just a sneak peek at this pretty lady. I will share all of her with you later in the week. I just loooove her !

This little piggy went to market.....   My lovely friend Miss M spotted this piggy with wings in an antique shop that we rarely visit.  It is a great little shop, it has dust and stuff everywhere and the fellow who runs it prices very well.  These are the type of shops I have realised through the years that are full of the best finds.  The fellow was helpful and happy to chatter and in his unorganised chaos he knew where everything was.  

This little piggy was a sweet gift from my lovely friend Miss M. Now when we make the comment that pigs can fly we know that it is true ! lol

The beautiful fresh eggs were from her very cheeky hens in her chookhouse up in the corner of her back yard. They are so fresh and yummy !

These pears made a beautiful centrepiece for her table..........(A bit more about that tomorrow)

These antique greeting cards are sooooo pretty ! 

Miss M treated me to these as well. I was feeling very loved and spoilt by this point.  A coffee later on in the afternoon at a beautiful new restaurant in town completed our afternoon. We sat and watched the ocean, sipped on our coffee and spoke of all things that made our heart sing. 

                   A wonderful day all in all !

               Thank you for a fun day Miss M !

                                                                                 xo

Day 5 - Displaying Your Collections

Happy Friday from French Blue and Peachy Pink

Day 5 - Displaying Your Collections, concludes today with something incredibly simple.

Do not ever underestimate the functionality of a door handle !
This pretty organza lavender bag was a find of mine a few years ago at an antique centre. It is time worn, has age spots and a moth nibble or two but there is something I love about it.

This is where it lives......on a door handle !

I hope you have all enjoyed my special this week on displaying your collections.  I wish with a smile on my face that you will rethink locking away your collections in the safety of the cupboard and display or use them. They are meant to be enjoyed and loved !
                                    
                                                xo


Today has been a fabulous day !

It all began very early in the day as I sleepily made my morning cup of tea, switched the computer on and sat down to see what the other half of the world had been blogging while I slept.

As I viewed my messages I find a sweet message from the lovely Karianne at 'Thistlewood Farm' congratulating me for winning
 'A Cottage Market's' giveaway.  Unsure at first I quickly checked and found that indeed I had won the cutest set of pocket mirrors.  I was so excited to be the lucky winner !

Mostly though, I felt very blessed that I had stumbled upon the path of this wonderful woman Andrea who is such a happy little thing. She is selfless and ever so giving. A trait that I truly admire in others.
She is a constant support to me and I am very grateful.
Sending you a big hug Andrea xo

This what I won.......   LUCKY ME ! Aren't they gorgeous !
http://www.thecottagemarket.com/

Go and take a peek at 'A Cottage Market', I know that you will love it as much as I do.




Enjoy your weekend........see you all next week xo

Day 4 - Displaying Your Collections, Crystal

Crystal has long been thought of as being old fashioned and something that only Grandmothers loved.

When I was 18 years old I acquired my first few pieces of crystal from my elderly Aunt. There were 2 vases, a clock and a beautiful dish. They were so pretty and I have used them all ever since.

Over the years they have travelled around in boxes, moved cities and homes and apart from a couple of small chips they are still well loved and used.

Years later I was lucky enough to be left a beautiful dressing table set from my Grandmother which I just adore.

Crystal is so versatile and has so many uses. It blends in with just about any texture or colour scheme and can be used in any room of the house.

My favourite place to use my crystal has always been the bathroom. I keep my bubble bath in a crystal decanter, soap on a little crystal dish and a little vase of flowers on the shelf.

.........and then there's the bedroom

There is nothing prettier then the late afternoon sunshine hitting the crystal and bouncing rainbow lights all through the bedroom.

I love to display my crystal in groups for added bling !

So pull your gorgeous crystal out of the cupboard, wash it in some warm soapy water (never put it in the dishwasher) and enjoy it !

I hope that I have inspired you and given you some ideas.

I just hope that some of you aren't sitting there wishing you hadn't donated it to the thrift shop.

xo

Day 3 - Displaying Your Collections Of Ribbons and Lace

Displaying Ribbons and Lace

Don't keep your pretty ribbons and lace in your cupboards !
Bring out your prettiest pieces and display them in glass jars, pretty plates or crystal bowls.

Once again as I mentioned in yesterday's story, stick to a colour scheme and make the piece that you are displaying your feature, NOT it's display vessel. 

 As pictured above, I have kept the colour palette very soft and I have chosen a plain white doily to sit my display on. If I had have used a doily with a print on it then it would have looked too busy. Simple is best.

Buttons are no exception !........choose your prettiest ones or ones that compliment the displays colour scheme.

and as I pass through this little corridor in my home I admire my treasures.

Tomorrow on FRENCH BLUE AND PEACHY PINK I will be sharing ideas on how to display your beautiful crystal.

SO tomorrow pull your Grandmother's old crystal out of the cupboard, wash it in some soapy water, shine it up with a tea towel and be ready to be inspired !

See you all then xo

Day 2 - Displaying Your Collections

Day 2 - Displaying Your Collections

Today  I want to show you all how I display my glove collection.

I used to keep them in a special box and get them out from time to time to admire, but felt they were wasted and I wasn't able to enjoy them.

This is the idea that I came up with to display them so I could enjoy them every single day.  When I am tired of this display I simply change it.

This idea is great for those people who may live in a smaller home or apartment with very little space to display their items.  I think they would also look sweet hung in a small bedroom window.

TIP -  When creating a collection display such as this, try to colour co-ordinate and evenly space out items.

I hung the longer gloves from the lower line of lace so it didn't look top heavy.  Use your favourite colours as I have and keep the lengths of lace or string shorter rather than 1 long line.

You could hang a hankerchief collection, lace, cards, aprons etc.....

See you all tomorrow for more ideas for displaying your beautiful collections.

Enjoy your day !  xo