GingerBoy

Friday night I headed into the City (Melbourne) - via train, for a FANTASTIC meal at GingerBoy with some of my favorite girls, including these 2 - Alice, my sister and Katie, my gym/champagne/foodie buddy. This is a restuarant I highly recommend. We were warned that due to our group size (7 people), we would have to have the banquet, for $70 - including dessert, not including drinks. The big advantage to this method was that we didn;t have to make menu decisions - the wait staff just asked if there any dietry requirements (1 vegetarian and 2 no seafoodies), and proceeded to bring out course after course of deliciously flavoured, Asian hawker-style food. a couple of stand-outs for me were the green papaya salad, whic had me longing for another Vietnam adventure, and the pork belly curry, which was so rich - and right at the end of about 27 dishes, that I could manage one morsel! This dish whole fried Nemo (no, not really, but that's what we called it), looked amazing when served, and tasted even better. The lovely waiter stripped it off the bone for us, and the flesh was soft, silky and delicious, with a finishing crunch! Dessert...well, they say pictures speak louder than wordsWe received 2 of these platters between the 7 of us, and we all managed to find room in our full bellies to empty them! Delicious! Drinks weren't cheap (bottles of champagne were around $60), but really, it wasn't a 'drink-y' type meal. Focus was on the food and I'm so glad I could enjoy it all with a clean palate! We are already figuring out when we can go back! This is my first non housey foody type post. What did you think? I am hoping to improve my reviewing and word-y skills as part of my new 'must blog' plan. Help me out by being honest!

Good blog posts

As in...I need some. I think about things that would sound interesting/intelligent/funny, but when I sit down to blog, it comes out all convoluted and awkward and I end up soundling a 15 year old teenager who just drank their first gin. And I'm not - 15, that is, nor am I drinking my first gin. That was ages ago...I still love the stuff though. And often I see stores or things online that I think others would enjoy. Then...I just don't blog them. SO I think I may try and expand my thought process a little. Instead of focussing purely on my house, I am going to try and incororate other things into this blog. Other things I love, and maybe even take pictures of! For instance...

Food

...which I love. Passionately. Really. This was my lunch a few weeks ago, shared with my Mum and my sister (see below!) I love these snacky/deli/picky type meals. But I also love going out to eat. So I might try posting about that.

Family...

...I see mine a lot. I love them. A lot. And we do fun things together. Both of these pics were taken recently, on a trip to Lorne (with my Dad, Jeni, my sister, her husband and me. Mr Limecello couldn't come...sad., and then one to Daylesford (with my Mum and Sister. Girls weekend!). So I might share them with you.

Holidays... ...I am not well travelled. But I am working on it. We went to Hawaii for friends' wedding not long ago. Loved it. We went to Vietnam last year...I also loved it!

And all sorts of random thoughts along the way. Now, what do you think...are you still interested? Is there anybody out there?

P.S. I am also trying to take more photos...and better ones. Its a learning thing.

The making of an entryway

I love entryways. I love hallstands, and welcoming spaces, and homey touches, like hooks with scarves on them, and a place to sit while putting on your shoes.

An entryway was something we did not have in our last home - see that door there, not even 1 foot from the sofa - THAT was our front door!

So I was super excited when we moved to a house with a hallway and an entryway. Unfortunately, the said entryway has no walls - they all have doors on them, and is not wide enough for a hallstand. Boo!

Also missing is a few walls is our living room. Major dilemma - the main entryway to our living room is off the hallway, through double doors, that lead you straight into the back of our sofa! (yes I should draw you a floorplan...and I will...soon!)

Solution - close up the double doors, gain a wall for our sofa to live on, and move the door just a little further down the hall, so you walk into the side of our living room. There are so many benefits.

But I had to run it past our trusted advisors - first, my Dad, a builder for about 30 years, who was well known for his talents in making spaces work!, and Jeni, a close friend - also my Dad's partner - a seriously talented draftsperson (just ask Steve and Jules - my brother and sister in law!) and interior designer who totally 'gets' what we want to achieve.

Last night they gave us the tick of approval for our plans, and moving forward, we will be calling builder next week for a quote! And hence, my excitement about entry-ways. I can see it already - large white cabinet with mirrored front, a dark stained, turned wood stool, a hall runner...and a chandelier! I feel a mood board coming on!

Saturday Morning in Winter

At my place, looks like this...

Husband reading the (delivered, the old owners forgot to cancel their subscription!) newspapers, dog/rat/cat/bunny/seahorse (as she's known) hanging around, and making sure she is in 'the middle (between us...always!), and me enjoying the view!

You can see here our white floors, painted walls, plantation shutters and somewhat colourful accessories. Considering this room used to look like this (from a slightly different spot!),

we are very happy with the result.

We are hoping to replace the light with a chandelier at some stage, but the white drum is a good temporary solution!

I can also finally show an 'after' of our new wall, plastered and painted (the floors still need to be done, obvioulsy!)

Remember the before, urgh...such a dark space, with no visability from/to the kitchen and that walk in pantry, which was wasted in a house this small!

And the after (though, due to the rain I am standing inside those doors for the after, and have cut out most of the loungeroom!)


Though, with the kitchen in its current state, I'm not sure how keen I am on the viability - check out the missing kickboards along the bottom. Not a good look!

Learning to blog!

So I just had a look through my settings, and realised that a few of them needed an update! Anyone can now comment (yes Jules, that includes you, as I think you and Emily are my only readers!)

I also updated the blogs I follow, as I only just realised that a lot of them weren't showing up...oops! Check them out, if you don't already...my fave this week is 'The House that A-M built'. She's an Aussie with the most beautiful taste...and moves into her newly built house in just a couple of weeks!

For Jules!

My dear sister-in-law has just been here, with her wonderful husband (my husband's brother!) who repaired our computer, and told me I HAD to provide a new post cause she was sick of the old one!
So, news here at Casa Limecello is that a new kitchen is on the cards! Thanks to Freedom's 2 years interest free period we have been planning away, and they will be here this week to advise and quote. We have also had the builder in to talk about wardrobe doors and banquette seating, but will likely forego the doors for now...so we can get our dream oven! The banquette seating will be done when the walls come out! Yes, thats right, walls are coming down, and the walkin pantry sacrifuced for more loungeroom space.
Below are some pics from my inspiration folder...apologies, they were all gathered over the last couple of years, and I don't know where from, so no links...or credits (eeep, super sorry!)!

This is just a sneak glipmse of this kitchen, but I love the all white, and combination of open shelving, glass doors, and solid doors. The marble splashback is pretty lovely too!

I love the feel of this kitchen...and the sink too! My husband has said this is the type of sink he is wants...and its not negotiable! Ok, I say! Love the shaker style doors too!

I ADORE this kitchen. The shaker doors, the marble benchtops, the crisp white...and that magnificent green! I am 'green' with envy at this one!

More marble, more shaker doors, but a pretty duck egg/Tiffany blue in this one. So pretty!

We have also ordered some pretty gorgeous plantation shutters, that should be here in about 6 weeks! The waiting is killing me...but will be totally worth it!