Change of Address

Lime & Mortar has moved. . .

As of today you may notice i am no longer limemortarblog.blogspot.com.au - i am now at www.limeandmortar.com. Don't worry if you do go to the old address it will redirect you automatically however you may like to update your bookmark.
Please bear with me as i make a few changes and updates behind the scenes. I appreciate your patience

PS. Facebook page is about to hit 200 likes. . . wow thanks for the support xx

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Kids Parties: Construction Party

Last weekend was Master T's 5th birthday party. Earlier in the year i showed him about 5 pinterest boards of birthday party themes. I asked a few times and he chose construction each time. This worked perfect as half our backyard is incomplete so there was space for tonka trucks, buckets & spades to play in the sand. This is the first party we have had at our new home, it was fantastic, my favourite party so far.

Reader's Room: Kitchen/Living Space

This week's Reader's Room took my breath away. When i opened the email from Kerith i was very excited to see such great photos not to mention a very lovely compliment about my blog. 

Kerith's interior designer friend helped her select the items in this space to create a classic, contemporary space that will not date. Her favourite colours are teal & orange but she didn't want those colours to be 'out there'. I love all the textures, this space has a very natural feel with the woven chairs and lights with little pops of colour. I love that Kerith also has a Fiddle Leaf Fig!

Spring Clean List... Coming Soon

Three more sleeps until the first day of spring (my favourite season), which means it's spring cleaning time!! On Monday i shall be posting the Lime & Mortar Spring Clean List - Part One. Become a fan on Facebook to get reminders of the daily task along with tips & ideas. 

Stay tuned. . . 

Recipe: Marshmallow Choc Pops

On Wednesday is was Master T's 5th birthday. He didn't have Kindy that day so i made these marshmallow choc pops to take on Tuesday to share with his class instead of cupcakes. The teachers were delighted as cupcakes can be quite messy in the classroom. Apparently the kids loved them too!

These are so simple to make - great for a treat, party food, lunchbox surprise or a classroom celebration.

Colour Pop: Coastal

I love the coastal look, the natural colours and textures. Whilst it's not a look that would suit my house i really enjoy seeing it other people's home. Navy blue or duck egg blue go nicely with this look.

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a) Adairs - Vintage Washed Linen Stone

b) Freedom - Bateau Glass Ball

c) Spotlight - Emporium Shell Box

d) Spotlight - In stores

e) Freedom - Recycled Glass Ball with Rope

f) Spotlight - Universal Living Space Basket

g) Adairs - Andorra Throw

h) Pillow Talk - Kohan Glass Bottle Set 

i) Freedom - Pier Rope Table Lamp

j) Adairs - Malmo Geo Stone Towel

k) Target - Penninsula Table Lamp

l) Freedom - Rudder Mirror

m) Kmart - Ocean Bird Sculpture

n) Kmart - Rope Doorstop

o) Freedom - Cabin Washed Rattan Basket

p) KitchenAid Almond Cream

q) Adairs - Charlotte Throw

r) Kmart - Rope Glass Jar

s) Target - Set of 3 Baskets

t) Kmart - Knitted Ottaman

My Wardrobe Fit Out

Yesterday my WIR plans came to life. One of the top shelves was too short so they will come back to finish it off hopefully later this week. Having the top shelf so high up makes a big difference to the space, it feels so much more spacious. I love all the storage and cannot wait to fill it with all our clothes.

Weeks ago i shared photos of my very messy garage.. it was bad. The 'before' wardrobe photos are probably just as bad. Our wardrobe became a storage space, most of it needs to go elsewhere. 

The Block: Week 4 - Master Bedroom

There were lots of different styles this week for the master room reveal. I hope Dee & Darren's daughter is alright. It was great everyone put their room together for them. Luckily Dee was prepared (i'm sure she gave stern instructions too). I have a few favourites this week - I loved Dee's once again, the fireplace gave that space in the room such a great purpose. I could picture myself on that chair with a blanket, iPad  & chocolate. I also liked the boy's room, they have such simple pulled back style, a neutral base with pops of colours.  They were a bit cheeky recording the judges, but they've never check under a bed before (i think camera man dobbed).

I couldn't help but notice how they all did black walk-in-robe fit outs. With such a practical mind i couldn't help but think of all the dust you'd see. I understand white may seem very basic for these apartments but there is so many colour options. I'm happy with my white fit out which was installed this morning!

Maxine & Karstan were this week's winners and totally deserved their win. I really liked the large artworks and the bronze mirror. I agree with Neil that the chair looked so much better without the cushion. Whilst orange isn't my favourite colour it works really well with the black/white combo. It adds warmth to a powerful colour combo.

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Parties: Hawaiian Luau

Ok, not a kids party but its still colourful, fun and the theme could be used for kids too. It was my Mum's 50th in January. She knew she wanted to celebrate it but didn't know what theme. 3 weeks before the party a theme was chosen and i had to work quick. I usually slowly spend months preparing for my kids parties. With only 3 weeks that ruled out most online shopping (which i love to do). I'm really happy with how it turned out. The guests were impressed and most of all my Mum loved it.

Reader's Room: Fairy Bedroom

This weeks Reader's Room belongs to a little girl named Ella. Ella's mum Donna created this special fairy room. The inspiration all came from the purple fairy door and Ella love for Tinkerbell and fairies. Donna didn't want to make the room too pink because as a child everything in her room was baby pink which encouraged a dislike for the colour. She wanted the room to be quite modern and not too 'young' so Ella could grow with the room. This was achieved with the framed prints and a simple plain but elegant quilt cover.

Recipe: Frittata Cupcakes

These Frittata Cupcakes are great for so many occasions - breakfast, lunch, dinner, kids parties, lunchboxes and so on. My kids love these so much and will happily scoff a few down. They are packed full of vege so perhaps a good one for fussy kids (and adults). I find them very morish

Colour Pop: Purple

When asking readers on my Facebook page their favourite colour purple was common as was pink. I gave readers the choice this week and purple won. As a teenager i had a bright purple room with orange accents. I later switched all the orange for a lighter purple. There is a wide range of purple from cool to warm. I personally prefer the cooler purples. 

a) Kmart - Toilet Brush Set

b) Ikea - Spralla Candle Pair

c) Pillow Talk - Estelle Cushion

d) Ikea - Befintlig Candle Set

e) Matt Blatt - Replica Anne Castelli Storage

f) Target - Grandeur Classic Towel

g) KitchenAid - Boysenberry 

h) Vast Interior - Ceramic Stool

i) Pillow Talk - Hermosa Bottle Range

j) Pillow Talk - Urban Nest Coaster

k) Target - Bellini Dome Kettle

l) The Gallery Shop - Bamboo Salad Bowl

m) Target - Venetian Candles Pack

n) Pillow Talk - Bathmats Pack

o) Cotton On - Mason Jug

p) Beacon - Lace Lamp

q) Target - Blinki A4 Storage Box

r) Target - Avignon Jacquard Towel

s) Matt Blatt - Smokey Candle Holder 

t) Target - Venetian Rib Candle

u) Kmart - Soft Touch Cutlery 

v) Target - Grandeur Baroque Cushion 

w) Ikea - Panna Placemat

x) Officeworks - Kis Bi Box 26L

Im Going Back to School....

Clever Cookie Blog School that is. After seeing my friend Fleur from Our Urban Box had signed up i thought to myself i should give it a go. I went to the Clever Cookie website, the more i read the more excited i felt. So today i took the plunge and enrolled. 

I have enjoyed this last month of blogging and after having such a great response for my first month i thought i'd see what more i can learn and meet some lovely fellow bloggers along the way. 

The Block: Week 3 - Bedroom & Study

Yay my favourite rooms won this week. Congratulations to Dee & Darren. I have mentioned from week 1 how much i really like Dee's style. I would happily have this room in my house, it's gorgeous. The paneled wall was painted in such a lovely deep grey which made the pendants stand out. I really liked the greenery against the grey walls too (cant see in these photos). I love all the textures on the bed with a pop of blue to compliment the artwork.

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Tip: Remove Crayon from Chalkboard

We made the kids a giant chalkboard in our backyard (still yet to blog the play area). Master T found a yellow crayon and created a giant 'treasure map'.

I actually didn't realise it was crayon until it rained for a few days and the master piece remained. I did a quick google search and many pages suggested magic eraser. Being such a large area i knew i would go through packets to erase it all. I decided to try the other popular suggestion. . .WD-40

I did a test patch first as i wasn't completely convinced this was going to work. I sprayed it on and wiped it away with a damp cloth. To my surprise it worked and it worked well

I sprayed a patch & wiped it down and kept going patch by patch. Once i was done i gave it a quick hose down and ta-da clean chalkboard ready for a chalk (not crayon) masterpiece.

Looks bit patchy as it was still wet when i took the photo

Kids Parties: Purple Party

For my daughters 2nd birthday we had a purple party. I asked everyone (adults and kids) to wear something purple. This was the first (and only) party i have done without Julian (hubby) home. Usually i can give him jobs whilst I'm doing something. He usually takes the kids to get ice the morning of the party whilst i do last minute touches. This time i did it all myself - trust me there was a lot of lists made to keep me organised and on track.

Reader's Room: Sewing Room

This weeks Reader's Room is Bec's very pretty Sewing Room.

Bec based the colour scheme around the Noi bird print on her shelf . I have this same print in Sophie's bedroom. It's gorgeous as is the pink & aqua colour combo.

The desk, shelf & cube storage are all from Ikea. The white really pops against the Dulux 'Flooded Gum' walls. The other side of the room is currently a work in progress. The room will become a library/craft room, as there will be a wall of bookshelves and a wing-back chair. Two loves in one room, what a great use of a spare room.

Thanks for sharing with us Bec. . . we look forward to Part 2

How adorable is this heart doily banner that Bec made herself <3

Desk - LINNMON/ADILS
Cube Storage - KALLAX

Shelf - LACK
Blue Boxes - DRONA
Bird & Owl Prints - Noi

Blog First Month Anniversary

Happy 1 month anniversary to Lime & Mortar Blog!!

I have now added a 'Recipes' tab - if you click on the image it will take you to the recipe. I will continue to add a recipe every 1-2 weeks. If you have any recipe you'd like me to try and share please feel free to send them through to my email.

I've made quite a few posts in the last month (61, but whose counting) i realise it can be hard for some to look at different rooms of my house. If you go to the 'Floor Plan' tab i have now listed links to each room to make it a little easier to navigate.

Also a reminder about Reader's Room if you have a room you'd like to share please have a read.

Hopefully its a beautiful sunny day where you are. Have a lovely weekend

Sunshine Kitchen

Yellow is this weeks 'Colour Pop' so i knew i just had to share this stunning kitchen with you. This kitchen belongs to Chesterfield By The Sea. The mustard yellow splashback is brought to life with the yellow stools. I think the yellow goes so nicely with the cabinet colour.

See more photos of this bright cheerful kitchen HERE

Find Me: Pinterest & Instagram

You may have noticed 2 new buttons to your right -------------------->
Lime & Mortar is now on Pinterest and Instagram. I have personally used Pinterest for years. I love looking at pretty photos, planning and getting ideas. However yesterday was my first time ever on Instagram. I know, I'm years behind #getwiththetimes
Pinterest will mostly be images from the blog, it will be a great way to be taken straight to the room post and easy reference. Instagram will give a more personal insight into my life and i'll admit there will be food selfies. Hope to see you there

Reward Charts

I recently decided my kids are both old enough to get the concept of reward charts. Each time they do a little job (mostly without asking) or behave nicely they will get a sticker. I wont be reminding them about the sticker chart. EG 'Clean up the toys and you'll get a sticker'. I want them to take it upon themselves.

Firstly i collected some small prizes chocolate & presents and made up some activity cards.

Organise: Under the Kitchen Sink

Ill confess, i haven't organised this cupboard once since moving in almost 9 months ago. Everything sort of just gets put in there, close the doors and walk away. It is pretty messy for a cleaning supplies cupboard.

I got 2 each of these Kmart coloured handle baskets - Large & Small. I have a basket for items i use daily, sponges/cloths, section for dishwasher items, extra paper towel rolls, basket for all other cleaning products and last basket is floor cleaners. I added a 3m hook to inside the door to hand the dustpan & brush.
The previous under shelf basket whilst a great idea it didn't work for my purpose as it was hard to access cloths. I will find another purpose for it when i continue organising spaces.

Colour Pop: Yellow

I had never used yellow in my home until i got my new bed linen. It seems to have sparked a new love for yellow, it makes me feel happy. Yellow goes very nicely with cool colours but also warm colours which makes it very versatile and can be used in most homes. Go on, add a little sunshine to your home

a) Freedom - Sunny Coat Rack
b) Adairs - Curious Owl
c) Target - Brooklyn Pillar Stand
d) Spotlight - Mode Clock
e) Adairs - Worlds Softest Damask
f) Freedom - Character Table Lamp
g) Adairs - Oslo
h) Freedom - Jasper Mirror
i) Freedom - Zest Astrid Chair 
j) Cotton On - Mini Mason Candle
k) Pillow Talk - Oslo Bamboo Range
l) Harvey Norman - Kmix Kettle
m) Freedom - Posy Print
n) Country Road - Larsen Hand Towel
o) Pillow Talk - Bala Vases
p) Freedom - Neisha Spot Cushion
q) Freedom - Brio Pedal Bin
r) Kmart - Ceramic Bird
s) Freedom - Vivid 2 Handle Basket
t) Freedom - Soft Touch Soap Dispenser

10,000 Blog Views

Today we have just clicked over 10,000 blog views. I'm completely blown away. Tomorrow marks 4 weeks since i started this blog - those 4 weeks have flown. I started this blog as somewhere to share my home & my ideas and babble away. It's not about views for me but I'm so honoured to have so many people following my journey.

To celebrate I am giving away a Custom Pantry Label Set. I thought easiest way to do this giveaway would be on Facebook. If you'd like the chance to win then pop over to Lime & Mortar's FB page and 'like' the 10,000 blog views post. Winner will be chosen at random tomorrow morning.

Thanks so much, looking forward to continuing my blog journey :) 

Organise: Ensuite Cupboards/Drawers

I have a collection of baskets that I've collected over the last month. My plan is to continue organising all cupboards and drawers in my home. This past weekend i decided to organise a space i use daily. . . my ensuite.

My top drawer is full of products i use daily or weekly. It looked rather messy

Sure i could straighten up the products and make them look neat but i can  promise by end of the week the drawer would look a mess again.

I added these baskets from Kmart. The larger ones are $2.25 for 2 and smaller one comes in a pack of 4 for $2.25. Very cheap baskets but very effective. I sorted products into daily, weekly/monthly and hair accessories.

Introducing: Reader's Room

Yesterday i was thinking of how much i enjoy looking at other peoples homes. So I am going to do a weekly post named 'Reader's Room' 

I will share images of your chosen room on my blog. You can share where you got items from by including links in your email (not a requirement though). Please don't think your room is not fancy, decorated or stylish enough. If you love your space I'd love to see it - Reader's Room is open to everyone. 

If you'd like me to share your room on my blog please email photos to limemortarblog@gmail.com - An overall photo of the room as well close up of items you love and different angles of the room would be greatly appreciated. You're welcome to send me more than one room but please make a separate email for each room. 

If you own a blog and your room is already published on there please send me the link. Perhaps you may like to share one of my rooms too.

I look forward to seeing your creations!

** Please note i may edit images by cropping or adding frames. Images will be water marked unless from own blog/website

Kids Parties: Pirate Party

AHOY! From the age 3-4 years old my son was pirate obsessed. Anytime we saw something with a skull and crossbones on it he wanted it. Due to this obsession i thought i would give him a pirate party for this 4th birthday.

Nephew's Nursery

My little brother and his gorgeous partner are having a baby boy in October. Before my SIL knew the gender we had already started planning nursery themes for both genders. The day we found out it she is pregnant with a baby boy we started ordering and picking things for the nursery. SIL has gone with navy/grey/blue with elephants theme. I collected a range of things for my nephews nursery, I'm hoping to take some photos on the nursery in a few weeks at the baby shower.

a) Tissue Pom Poms - Ebay. You could also make your own following: Martha Stewarts Tutorial 

b) Small Things Print - Etsy - Quinn and Lane

c) Chevron Elephant Print - Etsy - Kinney Designs

d) Have Everything Print - Made by me - See 'Printables' Tab

e) Wooden Name Blocks - Lilly Pilly Arts 

f) Trellis Rug - Navy - Kmart

g) Fabric Cubes - Navy & Blue - Masters

Back in May i went to the 20 week scan with my brother & SIL. The sonographer wrote the gender on a card and sealed inside an envelope. I took this home with me and baked them a cake. We then had immediate family gather together as they cut the cake to reveal they are having a baby boy. I was so lucky to be the first one to know (even before they knew) and keep such a big secret for the day.

Washi Tape: News Chart

At the start of each school term Tyler gets his news topic list for the term. I keep it on my pinboard next to my computer. It sits there for 10 weeks, looking pretty bland. I decided to give the news list a bit of a make over. I used a piece of white card and stuck on different strips of washi tape (anyone else LOVE washi tape?!). I wrote the dates instead of the week as makes it easier for me not having to remember which week we are up to.

BEFORE: Bland looking news chart

AFTER: Pretty news chart <3

Have you got any boring lists/charts that could do with this quick transformation?

Happy Wedding Anniversary

Today is our 6th wedding anniversary. I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful loving husband. He works hard for us working away for weeks. When he comes home he works on our home, building and making our ideas come to life. In our 6 years of marriage we have moved interstate, had 2 gorgeous children, sold 2 homes, built 2 homes and created many memories. We lived in QLD when we got married, I'd love to go back and visit Glengariff Estate and admire the wonderful views again. . . 

To celebrate our anniversary I'm sharing the love and offering my 'Special Dates' downloadable print FREE for today only (usually $5).  Please note there are 5 special date spots on each print - if no children you can add other special dates, if more than 2 children you'll have to choose which dates to include. The print is 8x12" (20x30cm). Please email me with your important dates and childrens names. 

Indoor Plants

I LOVE plants inside a home. Adding a plant can completely change the feel of a room. I have a mix of artificial and real plants inside my home.

For real plants you'll need to choose a pot that comes with a saucer for underneath the pot or does not have any draining holes. Have fun with the pot choose texture or pop of colour.

I turned this cheap terracotta pot from Masters into something little more colourful and modern. To achieve this look paint your pot in one colour. Next using painters tape tape a slant all the way around (or you can choose whichever pattern you like). Next paint the base your chosen colour. It's that easy!

Real plants are great for purifying the air. They grow, change shape and depending on the plant they flower. We have had our money tree (Dracaena Massangeana) since we met in 2006. It's been in all kinds of sunlight and has grown well.  Our Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus Lyrata) we only got a few months ago but i really love the look.

Other fantastic indoor plants are: Chinese Evergreen, Succulents & Boston Fern

1|2|3

There are also cons to real plants, depending on your situation. You may have young children who will dig in the soil, not enough sunlight to keep the plant alive, travel often or you simply cant seem to keep plants alive. In those situations artificial plants are fantastic. The trick is to choose ones that look real.

Succulent | Agave | Fern

TIPS:

• When re-potting indoor plants use the good quality potting mix.
• If the plant states the soil should be well drained you can add pea gravel to the base of the pot. 
• Clean leaves by wiping with a solution of milk and water (50:50) to keep the leaves glossy, free of dust and healthy.
• Keep an eye on plants placed next to windows during summer, as strong sun will often burn the leaves of fragile indoor plants.
• When using a large pot fill base with foam or plastic bottles - this ensures the pot isnt too heavy and saves money on soil. If the pot is tall you'll need weight in the base. 
• Brown tips on leaves may mean too much water or not enough. How often are you watering?!
• Don’t leave plants near heaters during winter; they get too hot and the leaves will burn. Move them to the furthest spot from the heater during this time
• Don’t leave pots in saucers full of water for long periods this can cause the plant to rot
• If you feel the plant is not doing well inside, don't let it die, move it outside and see how it goes. 

Colour Pops are Coming

Yesterday i did a post of Aqua Homewares. The feedback i got on my Facebook page was great. I've decided each Wednesday i will do another colour. I have named these style posts Colour Pops as this is how i often refer to colour in a room. I have created a tab on the top of the page 'Colour Pops'. Each week i will add the image to this section for quick reference. Simply click the image to be taken to the post with all the links. All the items are from local national stores and affordable. Now to choose which colour to show off next week. . .