First up some exciting news!
This Saturday 7th March, my blog is being featured on
Saturday Spotlight
over at Kris's lovely blog
Junk Chic Cottage
So if you would like to know a little more about me
I would love you to pop over and have a look!
I told you a couple of weeks ago of the impending
visit of my oldest and dearest best friend.
I was all of a flurry cleaning the house from head to toe.
Everything had to be perfect
so the windows were gleaming - the cushions all foofed up
flowers and candles in place, baking treats in the tins
all ready for our very special VIP visitor!
My husband mentioned a couple of times
'is the Queen coming to see us'!
They just don't get it do they.
After work on Tuesday I picked Ange up from the airport
(I snapped the photo above as we left the airport on dusk)
and we didn't stop talking until she left on Friday morning!
That's what best friends do!
In preparation for Ange's visit
I decided the guest room needed freshening up
I painted the old dressing table with
Annie Sloan chalk paint in French Grey
then finished it with several coats of AS Soft Wax.
I was thrilled with the result - Merci Mary dear!
My friend Mary at A Breath of Fresh Air
inspired me to try this colour!
Do pop over and visit her gorgeous blog and please
tell her I sent you!
We enjoyed an action packed few days
visiting the 'Wow' exhibition at the museum
(I'll do a post on that next week).
Also the Auckland Art Gallery where we both loved
the "Soom" installation created by a very talented
Korean/New Zealand artist Seung Yul Oh.
It comprised of sixteen oversized transparent PVC bubbles.
'Soom' translates as 'breath' in Korean.
It was quite magical!
And all too quickly it was over and she was gone....
we had a wonderful time with lots of laughs and reminiscing,
On Saturday morning things were back to normal.
I spent a couple of hours
'dead-heading' the roses in the Nancy Steen Rose Garden.
I'm part of a group of volunteer rose lovers
who help out to ensure this public garden is looking it's best
at all times. It is visited by a huge number of tourist
who join the city bus tours, so we want them to
leave with a lasting memory of a beautiful garden!
My long time blogging friends will know I'm a lover of
old fashioned roses.
I belong to the NZ Heritage Rose Association
you can go here for more rose photos!
On Saturday my blog is
I'm joining Amy for Five on Friday
Take care and
be kind to one another
Merci à bientôt
Shane
Hi Shane,
ReplyDeleteA fab Five On Friday!
I absolutely love that dressing table, the colour is a real show stopper! Gorgeous! The lemon cake looks lovely too! You are so lucky to have such pretty roses in full bloom at this time of the year. Have a lovely day X
What a beautiful post, Shane!
ReplyDeleteI love your photos, especially the one of the lemon cake.
Old roses are wonderful, and I'm certain your group keeps the rose garden looking shipshape! :)
Have a lovely weekend!
What a lovely post, Shane. Best friends are indeed forever, and you clearly had a fabulous time. Auckland has a great Art Gallery - and now Queensland has enticed the former Director back to us :) The giant bubbles look fantastic - wonder if they will still be there in May (must look up). Well done with the Annie Sloan paint, which looks beautiful. You really are one very talented lady! xxx
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely five on friday post Shane. I love the way the dresser came out and the color is just beautiful! Have a lovely Friday and weekend.
ReplyDeleteJulie
I love have visitors that stay for days! It hasn't happened in a while though. I do get that you have to have your home 'just right'. Sounds like you had a wonderful time with your friend and saw some interesting exhibits.
ReplyDeleteWendy
Sounds like you and your friend had a wonderful visit. Lovely photos! Have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you and your best friend had a marvelous time! It's amazing how jokes and laughs can can pick up as if the time had never passed between good friends. I love visiting our local art museum. On many Friday evenings, they host jazz musicians! You can order a glass of wine, wander the galleries, and sit back and enjoy the music. The rose garden is stunning -- it's very thoughtful of you to share your time and help keep it beautiful for others to enjoy! I hope you have a fab weekend! xx Cassie
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet post!! Gotta love hubbies:)) I get it!!
ReplyDeleteI love your dresser..I painted my hutch that colour...love it too...have a great day down under from a cold but sunny winter morning in Canada!
Shane, your Lemoncake looks so delicious...yummi!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this lovely post again...the Postcard at the end...so loveable!
HAppy weekend to you,
Love and hugs and blessings,
Claudia xo
I am so glad you had a nice visit with your friend. All your photos are great. I know you enjoyed getting the house ready for her visit. Have a blessed day. Madeline
ReplyDeleteAwww...SO glad you two enjoyed your time together!
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend!
hughugs
First of all, that cake looks simply divine!!! So glad you had that special friend time. The grey you used is lovely-so soothing to look at. Love your sweet Pooh end to your post too:)
ReplyDeleteMy oldest and dearest friend and I make it a point to rendezvous at least once each year for a day of girl talk. I am afraid that if she were to come to visit, she would find my guest room rather uninspired compared to yours, but at least I'd make sure I cleaned the guest bath and added some fresh flowers!
ReplyDeleteSo wonderful Shane!!! I am so glad that you had such a great time together, and that you had fun getting your home ready too. I am just like you and get asked pretty much the same question! I love the little quote from Winnie The Pooh, he was a very wise bear wasn't he!! Thank you so much for joining in, I hope that you have a great weekend!! xx
ReplyDeleteFabulous having your best friend visiting - it sounds like you didn't waste a minute!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you and your friend, Ange, enjoyed your visit together. I'm sure she was treated royally by you. The dresser came out beautifully! Have a lovely weekend. xx Pam
ReplyDeleteYour friend looks as though she was treated like the Queen, what a wonderful friend you are. Have a fantastic weekend x
ReplyDeleteFriends visiting is always a reason to spruce up the place I'm sure she loved it. Sounds like you had a great time together. Your love for roses always shows in your lovely photos that pink one on the right is a beauty. Pinned your lemon cake it looks delicious. Enjoy your weekend.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you had a great time with your friend, Shane.. Your dresser is awesome.. So love the color.. Roses are one of my faves, too.. Take care. xo
ReplyDeleteOh yumm, the lemon cake with flowers looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteBest friends visiting is a total delight.
Love the grey on the chest and love Mary too.
Then roses too! Our roses are beginning to sprout leaves and I can't wait for the blooms to come.
Dearest Shane,
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post about a happy get-together with your best friend and also with your project for the old dressing table's great result.
Could not find the Saturday Spotlight post about you though... it was about someone else.
Sending you hugs for a happy weekend!
Mariette
I am visiting via Junk Chic Cottage.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to doing some backward scrolling through your blog.
enjoy a lovely weekend!
You must have had a lovely time with your friend.groetjes, Hetty
ReplyDeleteHello, Shane! I am visiting from Kris' feature of you this morning here in the US (I live in the state of West Virginia). Kris featured me at the first of February, 2014. I look forward to getting to know you, and learning more of your travels, your interests, and where you live. It was a pleasure to read your intro.
ReplyDeleteRita C at Panoply
Hi, I'm popping over from Junk Chic cottage! Loved your feature there. I'm going to take a look around your blog. love the dresser you painted. I love working with ASCP too!
ReplyDeleteWhat a BEAUTIFUL BLOG you have here. I found you through my friend, Kris's blog and had to come over.
ReplyDeleteYour hair is the same color as my own so I know we must be related somehow...lol
I am your newest follower and will put you on my sidebar right away so I don't miss any posts. xo Diana
This is a very beautiful post, dear Shane!
ReplyDeleteHave a nice sunday!
Monique
Shane I was so happy to see your blog spotlighted on Junk Chic Cottage. You are an amazing lovely lady and I was so happy to get to know you on "Grow your Blog". Have a great day! Jo
ReplyDeleteHi Shane, I'm just popping over from Kris' place! So nice to meet you! It's such a joy to visit with besties! I'm actually taking a trip next week to go visit mine :) I'm sure I'll be by often to visit you! Blessings, Cindy
ReplyDeleteOh Shane what a lovely blog you have. I just came over from Kris post about you.
ReplyDeleteLove your post and I am now following you. I also have a love for roses and would tear up the entire yard and plant nothing but roses, if I could. Stop by and see some of my garden and roses.
I also love everything French and I hope some day to be able to travel there before I am to old to enjoy it.
Thanks so much for a great post and so glad that you had a wonderful time with your friend. Your family is beautiful.
Mary
Shane dear, you truly made the old dresser come back to life - great job! Glad you are pleased with the color etc. - does this mean you'll be picking up a paintbrush more often, ha ha! It does get a bit addictive.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you and Ange had a really fun time together - hope it won't be so long before you gals can get together again.
Lemon cake looks awesome - I love anything lemony, and the tiny flowers are so pretty.
Just visited your guest post over at Kris's blog - it's just prefect and was really lovely to read more about you. . . . . even though I feel I know you so well.
Much love, Mary
Hello Shane, I'm visiting from Junk Chic Cottage. I'm so happy that Kris introduced you. I'm a new follower. Your photography is gorgeous. I hope you don't mind if I snoop around a bit :) Happy Sunday!
ReplyDeleteSherry
Hi Shane, I am so glad I popped over and that you shared about doing up the guest room for your friend. I think you might just have persuaded me to go for a different colour when I finally get around to painting my bedroom furniture. I was going to go for the usual antique white but as the walls are also that colour I was a little unsure. But oh that French Grey I love it and really think it would suit my bedroom! I have bedside lamps and chose grey for the pleated shades. I also love black fittings and our French doors all have oil rubbed bronze fittings. I have one question - the Annie Sloan paint is so expensive here and only available in specialist decorator shops. How was your experience of its coverage? How many tins did you need for your dresser? I have a headboard, tallboy and large dresser I want to paint. Any advice would be appreciated! I don't want to spend the time sanding as I have a busy few months ahead as my son is getting married in July and it's very much a vintage DIY affair - flowers, food, china for the tables (of course!)and we will also have house guests from the UK and NZ!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you have a lovely visit with your dear friend! Terrific job on painting the dresser. I've never tried chalk paint, but hear that it makes things really easy since priming and sanding is not necessary. And the old fashioned roses are my favorite kind of roses! Big and full.
ReplyDeletei love all the photos of auckland. Your gardens looking lovely. I love what you've done to the chest of drawers too!
ReplyDeletemiranda