The Journey to the Finish

I do not mention my husband often on Willow Decor, but today is a special day! After many months of training (getting up at 5:00 am), Dave is running the Boston Marathon. It's wonderful how opposites attract! Dave has a passion for running (while I have a passion for chocolate)! Training happens all through New England's dark, cold winter and his commitment to this goal has been really amazing!!!

Dave is running with Miles for Miracles to support the Children's Hospital. Many of us have been touched by their experiences at Children's Hospital in Boston. So, if you feel inclined, click here to read more about the work they doing and consider sending them a donation.

And, if you happen to be on the Marathon route today - send a shout out to Dave as he runs by!! We are so proud him!!

Inspiration for mum's place...

Beginning with Anna Spiro, her stunning stradbroke island residence is one of the main inspirations behind the design of my mum's new home.

My mother has some wonderful furniture and accent pieces she's had forever and we still feel they are timeless and fitting for her plantation caribbean/beach shack home :)

My mothers timeless pieces include cane/bamboo chairs and etageres. Chinoiserie chests, mirrors and beautiful blue and white porcelain.

(coastal style)

The canvas for mum's place will be white walls, including white painted bricks and white lime wash floors. Her livingroom is small therefore there was only room for one large statement piece which she chose to be a sumptuous chocolate leather sofa. Her tv unit is a simple white ikea bookshelf turned on it's side and filled with books, magazines, dvds, cd's and a few nik naks.


(coastal style)


We're definitely looking out to buy some fish on a rope to hang just outside lol



(coastal style)

The colour scheme for mum's bedroom will be blue and white and again as it's a small room it will be very simple with an oyster light, chunky white venetains and my favourite of all her collected paintings hanging over her bed.



(?)

Her kitchen wont have alot of cupboards, instead opting for open shelves, freestanding appliances and her gorgeous tiled farmhouse table my grandfather built, taking centre stage at the heart of the room. This will become a multifunctional piece as it will serve as the main preparation area as well as the eating area.

(locations via desire to inspire)

My white chippy iron bed I had as a child will be the main piece in the 2nd bedroom.

(next 3, Jane Coslick designs)

The following are some more images that have offered us some ideas.

(House To Home)

(House Beautiful)

(Freedom)

Although too contemporary for my personal taste, my mum purchased the 3 1/2 seat domino sofa from Freedom for her livingroom. I have to say it's very comfortable and my son says it's a dream to sleep on haha.

(Freedom)

This piece I think would be ideal for the small wall next to her shower. Again, as she will only have the undersink storage cupboard she could fill this unit with just about everything she could need.......and also not need ;)

Construction starts on Feburary 19th! Can't wait :)

My Family On Australia Day

I'm a week late I know but didn't get a chance to upload these earlier. Last tuesday was Australia Day and we had a wonderful family BBQ at my mum's new place. I have an extremely talented photographer brother in law and I had to show off his pics of the day :)

My girl Soph :)


My boy Will :)

My baby nephew Logan :)

My big nephew Zach :)

Pool fun with Zachy and his dad :)

My mama :)

The food and beverages were heavenly :)

My brother in laws Scott and Rique and my sister Sarah :)

Awwww it was too much for some ;)

On another small note my son started highschool (middle school) last thursday and I'm still trying to come to terms with it hahaha :)

How did he get so big so fast?

Will and his best mate Bailey :)

I know this post is completely design unrelated but I couldn't help but show off my beautiful family. They mean the world to me :)

My celebrity moment...

Last week I mentioned my home when I was a little girl was featured in a couple of magazines. Well here are the images I promised. It's very 80's now but back then I thought it was a palace lol. The formal lounge we could only look at and not actually enter lol The white lounges were from Peter Meyer Interiors and the soft furnishings were Laura Ashley. This room came complete with cream shagpile carpet, apricot paint and fabrics and maiden hair furns lol :)

I do however still love the colonial double hung windows.


This was the breakfast room looking out over a small courtyard. this room featured old brown vinyl bentwood chairs, pine buffet and hutch, matchstick blinds and navy gingham valance. As you can see this is where my love for blue & white began.


My mum still has many of the items such as the persian rug, cane chairs and country paintings.




The little table and chairs also still exsist and get used by my children and my sisters.

Here is me and my sister Sarah in our terry towelling jumpsuits modelling in our country style kitchen my Pa built. The flooring is vinyl day tiles. I still love this kitchen, especially around the window.

It was very unfortunate that back then half the images were colour and the other half were black and white. The room above was our family room. We used to place our christmas tree in front of the copper fireplace. The wingback lounge you can just see at the bottom right I still have and plan on recovering for my bedroom. My mum still has the cane etagere's in her current family room. I love them and feel they are a timeless piece.

The formal dining room had more shagpile, a travertine marble base and glass top table, malacca cane chairs with apricot Laura Ashley fabric. The curtains were the most STUNNING black chinosiere pattern with hints of green, blue and more apricot and I WISH my mum kept these. She also had a single wingback chair covered in the same fabric which is also long gone :(

This was a beautiful home, it was rendered white on the outside with all the classic features I love so much. I wished we still owned this house. Nvm.

I hope you all enjoyed my retro moment and trip down memory lane :)

Ladies we have a winner and 7 things about me...

And the winner is........

Da da da da da daaaa........





Mel from Melsrose place!!!! Congratulations gf!


Thanks so much everyone for loving my giveaway, it was a pleasure to do.


I used the same method that Mz A-M and Mz Brooke used by allowing my trusty beautiful daughter to draw the winner from a Tiffany's bag no less :) I tried to photograph the action sequence as best I could lol.


I'm sorry I couldn't provide this prize to everyone but if you wish to email me your address I'd LOVE to send you an Aussie Christmas card.

I'd now like to apologise for my lack of posts this week. The most remarkable thing has happened to me. I mentioned to an acquaintance, fastly becoming a great friend, about my blog and me finishing my design studies and she asked me to come around and give her some advice. I went and advised and she was so thrilled she is insisting on paying for my ongoing services. She then mentioned me to a friend of hers and now I'm working on her home also. Finally this week I was hired by a third acquaintance. My head is spinning! Everyone wants to get alot of work completed by Christmas so I found myself working harder this past week than I had in years lol. Perhaps Villa Anna Interiors will take off faster than I could have ever imagined.


................

(image via The Paris Apartment)

Now I'd like to thank Lena from Charm Hill Interiors and the lovely hardworking ladies at Mondo Cherry for including me in their 7 things about me challenge.

The rules - Share 7 things about yourself. Challenge 7 other blogs at the end of your post through naming their blog, and post a link to it. Let them know they have been challenged by leaving a comment in their blog.

(my Pa with my son on his christening day)

2, My Nan and Pa were and always will be my heros!! The BEST grandparents a person could ever wish for....Unconditional love and support with never a moment of judgement.


(my Nan holding me in 1974)



(my momma on my sister's wedding day)


3, My mum is my best friend, my role model and my rock. Like alot of you she too was the one who introduced me to the beautiful world of interior design. She's worked in the medical industry all her working life but she studied Interior design as a passionate hobby and in the 80's our home was featured in two magazines. I'll post those images this week, they are a hoot! :)


(me aged 3 on a family trip to Fiji)

4, I am the oldest of 3 sisters and no brothers. I am very close to one, another is a corporate workaholic but we catch up whenever "she" can lol and the other is rather a black sheep if you know what I mean lol.


(me and my sister Sarah - the workaholic lol)




5, One of the highlights of my life was meeting my teenage crush Jon Bon Jovi! He's alot shorter in person lol.


6, Growing up I thought I wanted to be a journalist and then an actor hahaha!


7, Finally back in the mid nineties I did a 3 month road trip of the USA and absolutely had the time of my life....I am BUSTING to go back someday :)


Once again I think pretty much everyone on my list has already participated so if you haven't and you'd like to please send me the link so I can read your answers!