great changes

Yes. I need to remember this in the coming weeks. I feel it is the calm before the storm. Head down, bum up...

Image found via my pins

point + shoot: the pretty house

I have been stalking a pretty house - in real life driving past and on the Facebook page checking out photos of the interior. It is a display called 'The Laila' for Smart Homes Victoria and is literally 200m from my best friend's house in Drouin. So of course I snooped around with iPhone in hand to share some photos with you all. 

See, isn't she pretty? There's Elisha heading inside...

So whilst the boys got building a deck, we got shopping for a new house. Of course we weren't legitimate potential buyers...Elisha and her husband have just built in the same estate and Mr M and I at this rate will never be building our own home as we will most likely always be managing other peoples land and living in other people's homes on farm. Sigh. But it's nice to look at things if we did ever have the chance to build.

The Laila design has a central wide hallway which I loved, with a master bedroom at the front with a walk through wardrobe to ensuite (which I also loved). Across the hall is a little lounge room which we were thinking would either be a great parents retreat sitting room with no TV or a kids playroom to throw all the toys! There's a study with French doors into the hallway, a functional laundry, a family bathroom with white subway tiles and a claw foot slipper bath (yes!), two good sized bedrooms further down the hall and then eventually opens out onto the open plan kitchen/living/dining. 

The main living area is a great space, I was thinking it was going to look much smaller in real life but in reality we decided we could definitely move straight in with no complaints! The big farmhouse kitchen sink had me, as did the big gas stove and traditional surround. I also loved the soft muted dove grey paint colour throughout the house. Not unlike what Josh and Jenna used on The Block.

Of course, there were lots of things we thought we would change - "I would've moved the shower over three inches for easier cleaning" or "I'm not sold on a kitchen sink in the island bench". That sort of thing. But if it were your own home build I'm sure you would figure all those things out. 

The way Laila is designed  I think she would make a beautiful and functional family home. As we were leaving (and checking out the gorgeous wrap around veranda, dry creek bed front garden and cute garage) I looked back and noticed the little windows in the roofline which I liked so much - but where in the house are they? We went back in and realised they weren't windows into the house anywhere, they must just be into the roof space - which had my head filled with ideas of an attic sewing room...one day?

Images by Emma Durkin for Cinderella at Brindabella

P.S. Playing along with Lou over at sunny + scout to share photos of your weekend :)

on flowers

Last week I travelled down the highway, closer to Melbourne, to visit my florist. Yeah I have a florist. Well, for our wedding anyway. My rad mum has taken up her lifelong goal of doing floristry courses - and I mean some serious floristry, she started with one class and now is totally obsessed and comes home with this amazing creations. It all happens at a little country dairy, converted by the lovely Georgie into her floristry workshop where she holds classes. Georgie doesn't advertise to do weddings anymore, she used to be a big shot florist in the big smoke, but now just prefers to run her classes and do an occasional wedding for friends or through word of mouth. Here is a wedding she did recently featured on Style Me Pretty (and psssst she's doing Giann Rooney's wedding at the beautiful Euroa Butter Factory around the same time as our wedding!)

There was no question in who would 'do my florals' for our wedding - Georgie was totally my go-to woman. She lives in this cute federation cottage with daisy bushes and red brick paths, has two adorable fluffy Border Collies and surrounds herself in flowers, beautiful flowers, all day. And her workshop blew my mind, I wish I had taken my camera but I was super silly and didn't. Fail! But it is a barn conversion type configuration, she has gutted the old stone building other than the original beams which have been polished and rubbed. There's a giant big worktable where students sit around and make their arrangements, when I was there it was laden with Christmas goodies like lush green wreaths, glittered cherries and pears and branches of holly. It's gorgeous - nirvana for the diehard cottage country style like myself.

I digress...Georgie and I talked all things flowers. I'm not going to divulge too much (I am still working on that balancing act of sharing our wedding planning journey on my blog and revealing too much to actual guests!) But here is a snippet of what we brainstormed...

It's probably no surprises...but I'll let you know there are some examples in there that I actually don't like at all and have just thrown in there to throw you all off the scent ;) Yeah, I'm crazy like that. Others are exactly what I asked Georgie to replicate.

Can you guess which ones are which?

Basically, I wasn't all bridezilla on poor Georgie - I totally trust her, she gets me and what our vision is for our wedding. We've left a lot of room for movement and I have given Georgie fairly free reign to create what she thinks works. That was a big step for control freak bride!

I think I enjoyed the flower selecting and brainstorming ideas as much as the stationery...almost.

Image boards made by Emma Durkin for Cinderella at Brindabella from my pins

in case you missed it

Beth's gorgeous home - by the fabulous Tim Coulson

This week heralded the real start to Spring, well according to a calendar anyway. I'm still eagerly awaiting that glorious Spring sunshine and a fog/frost free morning. I'll know it's Spring when we consider not keeping the fire going. I well and truly booted winter good-bye this week, good riddance, see you next year! I think God made a wise decision in making seasons only three months long - just enough to make you want a change at the end, but enough to get you excited in the beginning.

What are you looking forward to this Spring? We'll be busily preparing the marquee site for our wedding, as now some grass can really get growing (I'm hoping for a dry Spring so it doesn't end up a mud pit as it has been all winter long), and doing lots of projects for our DIY early summer nuptials. Stay tuned!

Here's something to click about...

A fifties fair full of coifs and cherry red lips and full skirted jiving' and dapper young gents.

Totally lovely to 'meet' Beth - the voice behind one of my favourite blogs, Baby Mac (can I please live in her house?!)

Cornishware pudding bowl...coz y'know, my birthday is coming up...

I may, or may not, have just purchased one of these babies

Oh to have a powder blue Aga...or a fire engine red one...or a glossy black one...

One day we will have a tufted bedhead, maybe we could make it?

Super cute airmail thank-you card printables

YHL has had a makeover - and I loooove it

Have a happy weekend :)

the blues

I'm in need of a little perking up, as I find myself in some sort of end-of-winter blues. A rut. Blah. 

This all makes me smile though.

White kitchens. Puppies. Pastels. Daisies. Pink cardigans. Sprinkles and ice-cream.
Yep. All must be right with the world me after all.

Images all via my pins on Pinterest

in case you missed it

Happy Friday!

Here's something to click about...

image

Possible honeymoon. When we win the lottery.

I want to sew here forever.

Really, really, really wish I had an exposed brick wall to try some moss graffiti. I don't think a weatherboard wall will cut it.

Beautiful Havana.

I feel some pie making coming on, and it's going to look just like this.

My latest wedding crush. Enough said really.

Anyone else obsessed with The Block? Love the sisters, but Josh and Jenna will win. For sure.

And I told you I loved cardigans...

Have a great weekend, I'm off to Melbourne tonight to do our bridal gift registry, look at some pretty invitation paper, then tomorrow I'm meeting with our florist and finishing Chateau le Chookie hopefully. Hope the sun shines for you this weekend, however you spend it...

four months

Seventeen weeks. One hundred and twenty-one sleeps. However you want to put it, our wedding date is inevitably approaching. Today is 10.08.11, The Wedding Day is 10.12.11. Four months. 

It's at about this time that I've started daily referring to The Spreadsheet - my behemoth list of everything I need to know, do, wrap my brain around in order to actually pull this off. 

Everything.

How many jars I have for our blueberry jam favours, what shoe size my Golden Delights are, what size dancefloor we've ordered, what piece of furniture I want to use and where, which photo booth prop I have organised, which illustration I am using on which piece of stationery. 

Everything.

Projected budgets, deposits paid, contact name and numbers, caterers, marquee hire, dressmaker, cake maker, florist, guest lists, addresses. Needless to say I have back-ups of The Spreadsheet on three separate computers and hard drives!

What the inside of my brain looks like at the moment...

At this point we've nailed the big ones: photographers, band, food, marquee and equipment, hair, make-up, cars, church, minister...Now I'm starting to think details (not that I wasn't before!) 

Questions are bouncing, bouncing, bouncing around in my brain. What earrings will my bridesmaids wear? Will the groomsmen all wear the same shoes? Do we need two tiers or three on the cake? Which car will the kids get to the church in? What's Mr M's cousin's boyfriend's surname for the invite? Is the lawn too sloping to even consider a game of bocce? How long is the bridal table for the table runner? 

Deep breaths.

Image collage by Emma Durkin for Cinderella at Brindabella, from photos from my pins.

in case you missed it

via Style Me Pretty

This week I was sick, sniffly and feeling poorly, still busy at work, contemplated upgrading my photography website (well overdue) and we welcomed a friends baby into the world. A beautiful healthy baby girl. Always an exciting time, can't wait to meet her. I also shivered through blizard like conditions here in my part of the world. Because we're elevated above the rest of the Latrobe Valley weather patterns seem to really set in rather than roll through. Boo. 

Here's something to click about... 

I really do think baby Eleanor is the most deliciously pretty bubba I ever did see.

Beautiful artichokes.

I attempted to make pink marshmallow's once. They most certainly did not turn out like this.

Loving everything this clever lady creates.

Pretty, pretty cake pops on madeit.

I really want to do this. You know, with my imaginary future not-conceived-yet children.

Have I mentioned how much I adore cowboy-boot-clad bridesmaids?

And wearing cute caridgans? Love.

Have a happy weekend, I have loads of sewing, baking and gardening planned. How about you? xxx

the latest

I thought it about time I update you all on how the wedding plans are traveling. Well, at this point we have booked our band, as well as our videographer, which I am pretty excited about. We've also secured the church, which I couldn't be more happy with after the push and pull I felt about getting married in a church or on the farm. We're so happy that two friends will be taking our wedding photographs, two very talented friends in Lou and Ben. We have also booked the marquee and equipment hire (tables, stage, dance floor) after much debate about whether to go for the clear roof or silk lined marquee I finally decided on the silk lining for a truly romantic feel. Caterers quotes are coming in thick and fast and my spreadsheets are slowly but surely getting a few more highlighted yellow (meaning completed) tasks on them. 

The most exciting news though? My mum recently returned from her trip to Greece and Turkey and managed to purchase the fabric for my wedding gown in the Istanbul Grand Bazaar. Yeah, that's how much my mum rocks. 

It is proving quite tricky sharing details about our wedding day here on Cinderella at Brindabella as well as keep some details about the day under wraps (a lot of my family and friends read my blog - hi!) I am also very mindful of it being an intimate and very personal day for us and our families, so in the meantime I will keep teasing you all with the images which keep appearing on my inspiration radar. Enjoy xxx

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: STYLE ME PRETTY / HUGH FORTE /100 LAYER CAKE /

STYLE ME PRETTY /  STYLE ME PRETTY / STYLE ME PRETTY / S B PRESERVES

in case you missed it

image

And another week comes to a close. Is it just me or did mid-May suddenly creep up on you? Goodness, soon it will be July...then Spring, then our wedding, then Christmas and harvesting again and we'll do it all over! Ok I am officially sounding like my mother.

This weekend we are hoping to get away camping with some friends - nothing fancy or too far from home, but it was all part of my new years resolutions (all others are failing dismally in case you were wondering). I hope your weekend is productive, or not productive, however you like to spend your 'S-days' :)

Here's something to click about...

Etsy is coming downunder!

I discovered a really cool (new to me) illustrator, and I think I'm in love.

In Woolies the other day I saw that these delights are now stocked. Is it bad that pretty packaging and not-so-clever marketing works on me?

A gorgeous new crafty blog I've been devouring.

Mollie Makes. Yes she does, and she does it well. This mag looks yummy.

I don't even bake that many cakes...but I think I would try and go all Masterchef if this fandangled device lived in my bakeware drawer.

Big ol' timber top table, modern Eames chairs, white sideboard, classic wallpaper, gorgeous dining room.

Perfectly purple.

One day I would love one of these to sit in the corner of our bedroom. You know, so my pile of clothes on the floor doesn't look quite so unglamorous.

Don't forget to pop over and take my quick survey :) 

in case you missed it

Tonight I am hosting a Royal Wedding Watch party. Well when I say party it's basically me and two of my girlfriends having a few bubbly drinks, gawking at Kate's wedding dress and giggling at the bad British humour. The boys however have opted to go shooting, yeah because watching a wedding really made them feel like they had to go and kill something, that's how unmanly it is apparently. 

This weekend will find me hopefully planting some bulbs in the garden, doing a spot of sewing in my new happy place, a friends birthday dinner in Melbourne and meeting up with our way-too-awesomely-cool-who-also-happens-to-be-the-best-mans-uncle-minister (phew!) who is going to marry us come December, no fancy cathedral or pomp for us though! 

Have an absolutely splendid weekend in the sunshine however you are spending it :) Here's something to click about...

Cross stitch on the walls, literally.

This is how to really rock your veil.

Please keep Ashley and her family in your prayers, she's had a rough trot poor thing.

The cutest darn mothers day card (love you mum vibes being sent all the way to Greece, having the time of your life no doubt mumso!)

Need to make these - stat!

A beautiful way to capture something blue on your wedding day.

Goldfish are back baby.

Rhi's officespace has me all in a flutter - the potential is endless.

Image via Grey Likes Weddings.

do you pinterest?

Admittedly I am late on the bandwagon. Actually I've been on the bandwagon for a few weeks but that's how long I've taken to write this post. Bad blogger. A few weeks ago still was late to the party that is Pinterest.

At first I didn't really get it, like lots of people I suppose, or I thought oh great just another thing to add to the list of websites I 'need' to check in on daily. I figured it was just like tumblr or stumble upon. But no, no this is different. I may even go as far to say that Pinterest has changed my life - ok that's a tad dramatic. But it's big, big news.

I've been pinning my little heart out lately (you might have heard all about it on my facebook page). I've created boards, got all organised and am pin, pin, PINNING!

Do you pin? I'd love to find some fellow Pinterest addicts...and yes, it is truly addictive. Proceed at your very own risk.

Image boards created by me, from my pins which you can find here.

in case you missed it

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This weekend I am headed to the Portobello Bride boutique wedding market at St Kilda town hall, and as if that's not enough excitement for this little blogger I am then headed to Finders Keepers market, followed by pizza, beer and DVD's at my sisters house and then bright and early at the Camberwell markets Sunday morning. My sisters and I lived in Camberwell when we were at boarding school in Melbourne and have spent many misty and chilly Sunday mornings scouring the market. I haven't done it in years and am hoping to pick up some nice vintage things for some wedding decor. Wish me luck! Oh and I have a million and one other things to do in the big smoke as per usual, the errand list is a big one.

Have a lovely weekend, here is something to click about...

I have access to so many great old industrial pallets, I need to do something like this.

Of all the places in the world I want to magically teleport myself here.

And here too please.

This week I am dreaming of having so much spare time for things like jam making. My jam would be chunky and delicious and have gingham lids and tags like these.

Who knew a chandelier could look so striking on a simple Hills hoist? Love me a good elegant, Aussie country wedding.

Gadgets for the DIY-er - uh hello laser fabric scissors, you can come live with me.

If you're stuck for music to include in your wedding day this is a great selection (pssst some of these we have already chosen for our ceremony/cocktail hour/reception)

On top of our wardrobe (which we still use in our master bedroom) I would love to put this vintage red doll's trunk. Imagine the junk I could stuff in there! And a pop of red is right up my alley at the moment.

treasure hunting

Etsy never ceases to amaze me, it is such a huge 'movement' and as I'm sure any Etsian knows, if you come across people that have never heard of Etsy it's like they are from a different planet. You're either in or you're out. I am very much in, in deep Mr M would say as random packages arrive in our mail box!

With the re-launch of their Treasury feature Etsy has launched a whole new website, featuring a nifty and fancy looking tool to scroll across the top 300 rated treasuries as well as search using keywords, colours, curators or themes. Quite simply it's bloomin' fantastic! So many collections of such prettiness, I love seeing how people group things together to create beautiful collections that have me ohhing and ahhing.

Simply typing in 'farmhouse' and clicking search brought me a plethora of goodies that were making me overdose on all things Cinderella at Brindabella-esque. Here is my favourite from Fairyfolk, entitled Farm Fresh.

It got me thinking about the paint colours we want to use on the exterior of the farmhouse, as well as subtle accents in my country kitchen and Brindabella signage we want to put at our front gate entrance to the farm. Our roof is red corrugated iron and I am hankering for a fire engine red front door to match. Our main exterior paint colour we would like to be a soft putty colour with a grey undertone (not too pink, not too yellow, just neutral). I am loving at the moment the addition of a charcoal dark grey (think like Provincial Home Living's logo and graphics) which might just be the winner for the background colour of our Brindabella sign down at the front gate.

Have a happy Wednesday, I am off to study for my blogging e-class I am involved with at the moment, it is utterly inspiring and wonderful working with a bunch of very talented like-minded ladies!

in case you missed it

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This week I have started something which I have wanted to do for a very long time, but never really jumped into the deep end and committed to. I mentioned last week about the Blogging Your Way e-course which Holly and Leslie are teaching for the next month. It began on Monday and has my head swimming with ideas and inspiration of where I want to take my creative endeavours and my blog. I'm feeling very lucky to be able to tap into the minds of two of my favourite bloggers who I respect and admire enormously.

The weekend ahead should bring some more productivity around the ramshackle farmhouse. We are hoping to finally pull down the old garden fence and tidy up the jungle out the front of the house. It seems we haven't really got started on anything new around here, just still cleaning up, treading water with no propulsion. Sigh. But I can always immerse myself in blogland (not very productive Emma...) and find the most delightful little gems out there. Enjoy.

I really want to do this, I heart doilies! I'm such a nanna...

Really cool numbers. I love enamelled signs and I love baskets, so perfect really.

This belly band is so pretty and would make the perfect prop to add to my photography bag of tricks.

A very simple way to create the perfect backdrop, I love the colours and textures in this.

Can not believe the sweetness of Jen's husband for Valentines day - and the cake! Oh the cake...ruffles galore.

Every parent needs to get to Ikea now and stock up on spice racks! You'll get it when you see it.

Some very cute little critters that are clever too.

Have a lovely weekend, however you are spending it xxx



on to baby

The creative geniuses behind The Wedding Chicks (love!) have launched their latest project: On To Baby, a site full of cuteness, sweet babies, fun parties and styling heaven in the form of nurseries and baby showers.

Don't read too much into this - I am not having a baby anytime soon!!! But look at the squidgy babies, naaaawww! And the smitten parents. And the stylish spaces they have created for their little ones. On To Baby has some super cute things in their new shop also, with free printable stationery coming soon. 

 

"On to Baby is a charming style blog for all things baby: lovely baby showers, inspiring nursery design, unforgettable first birthday parties, fantastic products for baby and mom, great DIY projects, free printables, and more. We seek out original content from amazing photographers, event planners, designers, and real moms to present fresh ideas to inspire our readers as they prepare for or celebrate their new little ones." 

- Jocey Canrinus and Amy Squires, creators

So many inspiring ideas even if you're not a parent/aunty/uncle for home decorating and party styling and photography. I adore the eclectic nursery of Maya, not too girly, and the aqua and pink space created for baby Rozlyn, how cool is that colour for a girl? The fact that Jose Villa has been featured a few times is enough to have me adding On To Baby to my regular online haunts. I think On To Baby will be a roaring success just like The Wedding Chicks, and it makes so much sense to grow your online presence this way. Thumbs up!

love hello naomi

I am in love with anything created by the talented Hello Naomi. Just look at the prettiness she creates! The gorgeous kids birthday parties full of fun cupcakes, cookies, milk bottles and sprinkled with sugary goodness, and the simple wedding cakes have got me drooling and frantically scribbling a wish list.

Have a happy weekend, we're not up to much :)

 

the golden delights

We never planned on having a big wedding party, in fact we kind of hated the idea. But as you know we finally decided that all EIGHT (yes eight) of our attendants were equally as important and special to us, they had to stand up with us on the most important day of our lives. So done deal. One best man, one matron of honour, three groomsmen and three bridesmaids.

However...

Ribbons wands ahoy!

In case you hadn't noticed, my four nieces and Mr M's niece and nephew are kind of a big part of our lives. We simply could not imagine these six special little people not playing a part in our big day. And so we decided that we would include them, in some way, in the ceremony and proceedings of the day. But I still did not want to have 'flowergirls'.

The idea of dressing little girls up as mini-me brides and throwing flower petals around didn't really appeal to me much but we still wanted to give the girls (and Ethan!) special 'jobs' to do throughout the day. Something fun, something they enjoyed and we didn't have the bribe or coax them to do, something which made them feel how special they are to us and involved and loved. But what to call them? I didn't want them to be flowergirls, and I didn't want to single Ethan out anymore than was already blatently obvious as the only boy! Since we are getting married on our potato farm and are planning lots of agricultural nods in our decor and stationery with champagne, latte and soft golden tones we came up with the name: 'The Golden Delights'.

Tutus with attitude - ruffly ballerina skirts - big beautiful silk flower and lace headbands

For those that don't know, Golden Delight is a variety of potato, a variety which we grow, our family helped develop. Mostly I didn't want the kids involvement in the wedding to be a massive stress to their parents (or a financial burden), especially since my sister is already in the wedding party as a bridesmaid. So I am thinking plain white singlet tops for the girls, some sort of tulle ballerina skirt or pettiskirt in a cocoa colour and perhaps Ethan in a super cool tweed waist coat and newsboy cap.

Here comes the bride - pettiskirts + cardigans - white singlets + white shirt

So what do you think? Too much? I'd love to hear your thoughts on mini-attendants at weddings, what you did at your own wedding or how you could incorporate a special junior into a wedding celebration.

behold: bhldn

Just in case you hadn't heard (or have been living under a rock) Anthropologie, goddess of all things beautifully bohemian, has just launched a wedding line, BHLDN (pronounced 'beholden'). And it is gorgeous.

  

There are lots of little gems like feathered capelets, pretty satin sashes and yummy peep-toe shoes. The wedding gowns themselves are beautifully unexpected, with touches of non-bridal styles. I love the Dior 'new-look' inspired shorter dresses and the champagne tones throughout them all.

The inspiration board builder is an exciting feature which I can't wait to try out (much like the one at Style Me Pretty). Even if your not in the market for a certain white gown, I am eyeing off some of the dresses and shoes in a non-wedding related drool fest.

in case you missed it

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Lots of things to check out this week around the net. I am hoping that this weekend will be super productive (more fencing!) We are hoping to get to our local organic berry farm to grab the last of their raspberries and blackberries for jam making. We need about 30 kilos. Yup. Lots of jam. May be a wedding related project, more on that later.

Enjoy :)

I need a super cool cocktail party to wear this amazing dress to.

Doilies and kraft paper and pretty colourful mini-bunting - oh my, the cutest party.

Oh. My. Goodness. This cake has got to be the most amazing cake I've ever seen...yet so simple. Love!

A very understated bridal bouquet. Love king proteas.

Button love!

The most beautiful way to reveal a babies gender. So cute.

And please deliver one pretty as a picture glasshouse to my garden this weekend. That's all.