Boys' room progress

I always say this when we renovate a room...but it is amazing what a difference a coat of paint makes to an entire space. 

We painted the boys' ceiling and are now on to the final coat for the walls. We've undercoated it and have done one top coat. We'll finish the second coat tonight...because we are groovers and spend our Friday nights painting...cra..cra..crazy!

Boys' room being painted

White, white, white room

I'm also organising some of the decorative elements for the room. Last year, my mate Jo from Desire to Inspire gave us a few reproduction Cuban movie poster prints which are just amazing. I've been meaning to frame them for a long time, so this room renovation is a perfect excuse to get them ready. The boys' are cool with them as well and I've been given the green light to hang them in their room.

Moby Dick Cuban movie poster

More Cuban movie posters

This weekend we plan to paint the windows and install new window hardware. And if time allows we'll remove the louvre doors from the built-in cupboards and give them a coat or two of paint.

Anyway, that is the state of play with the boys' room at the moment. Hopefully we're on target to get the room ready for the final reveal in a couple of weeks time... Stay tuned!

P.S Don't forget the Masters giveaway where you have the chance to win $500 worth of Masters gift vouchers to spend on your next home and garden project. Click here to win!

Renovating a boy’s room and $500 Masters giveaway!

Sponsored by Nuffnang

We’ve had quite a few projects on the go at the Sow’s Ear. Most of it has been exterior work, outsourced to our builder Mr D. It’s been great to let Jason off-the-hook from the DIY, but the downside of that is our depleted bank account. Think dipping into the ‘Education Fund for the children’ thoughts...

Our next project for the house is to refurbish the two youngest boys’ room. It really needs to be freshened up in a big way and is the second last room in the house that requires attention. When we were approached by Nuffnang and Masters Home Improvements to see if we could write a ‘before and after’ using products from their store, we did a happy dance! Seriously, this could not be more perfect a match.

Masters have sent us some vouchers and have let us loose in their store. The timing is excellent as it means we don’t have to put off renovating the boys’ room. Hooray! And what is even better, they have given us $500 worth of vouchers to give away to a lucky reader!!! But more on that later…

So, the boys’ room is disgraceful. It really is. I’ve been told this won’t improve greatly as the boys mature….As a way to control the mess, it needs an injection of good storage and hanging solutions and the room requires TLC to be brought back from the tired to the terrific. With our youngest starting school next year, it is quite important that there is a semblance of order…

Here are some before photos of the room in question:

Brown louvered cupboards look crappy in a cream coloured room. You can’ tell me otherwise! 

This photograph of the room at its messiest best…home beautiful it is not!

Jason and I have already bought a number of products, the first thing being wash and wear paint to create the perfect blank canvas. We’ve also selected a number of shelving and hanging options to get most of the kid detritus off the floors! I’ll be ordering the final few items online just to see how well their online operation works and because I forgot to take measurements of the room before going to Masters.

Exploitative photograph of son #3 being wheeled around in Masters’ car trolleys…
kept him quiet for the hour that we were in store!

We’ll be working on the room over the next couple of weeks to get it looking schmicko for a room reveal. We’ve already decluttered some of the toys - there was just far too much. And if you've been following us on Instagram or Facebook, you would know that we've made a good start on the painting.

I hope we’ll be able to get the room done on time…the pressure is on.

While we’re under the pump renovating the room, we’re super-excited to give away a $500 Masters Gift Voucher for you to undertake your very own refurbishment project. Such a great prize!

All you have to do is go to Masters online, select your favourite products and leave a comment on this post on how you would use your selection to spruce up an indoor or outdoor space in your home. It is as simple as that.

Jason will short list the responses and Masters will select the overall winner from that list. (Hint: leave complimentary “you look hot Jason!” comments and you will be assured of a spot on the shortlist, because that’s just how he rolls)

Entries close on Tuesday 25 September midnight with the winner announced that week. Competition is open to Australian readers only.  If you leave an anonymous comment, please leave an email address with your comment so that we can contact you. Terms and Conditions HERE.

Good luck! We can’t wait to read what you would choose for your home. And stay tuned to see the new improved boys’ room!

Who is Faux Fuchsia...?

...she is a woman who has never met a sequin she didn't like. That's who.

flammable frock (it's vintage French polyester...) and paint splattered toes in  the only sparkly shoes  I own

With that in mind, I made sure I wore my sparkliest thongs and my very best vintage polyester frock for a casual bloggers lunch at the Corner Store Cafe in Toowong.

The quinoa salad was good.

Not that it mattered as everyone was too busy talking to be bothered by all that jazz. Although, it must be stated for the record that Faux Fuchsia was impeccably coiffed and groomed. She also had the most beautiful shade of pink lipstick. Very glamorous, as were the rest of the lunching crew (A-M, The Distressed Mother, Annie). It was very enjoyable and good to catch up with fun people in this blogging caper.

Faux Fuchsia, baby and THE Chanel bag which  Annie and I stroked inappropriately

And in other hard hitting news, poor old Jason fell off the ladder the other day. It was a spectacular fall from the six foot step ladder when he was painting the ceiling. He lost his balance and fell back onto some steel posts, with the back of his thighs receiving the full brunt of the impact.

Have a look at his bruises... (especially for his fans who are missing the lack of man flesh they are so accustomed to, now that Jason is Mr Hi-Vis)

Jason's very tender bruises...

Thank goodness he didn't break anything...he picked himself up, brushed himself down and after a few minutes break to catch his breath, he got back on that ladder and finished the job. Now that is a trooper.

A new project

Work is under way at the Sow's Ear...I'll give you a few hints.

It involves VJs

VJ walls (vertical join) showing the patina of age

Some unnecessary hi-vis...

Dapper Jason has embraced his new Fun and VJs uniform

And a bit of hard yakka to keep us out of mischief...

Beautiful ceiling rose

All shall be revealed soon...

So, how was your weekend?

Some Ipswich finds and a vote for Rough Linen

I'm still banging on about how great Ipswich is...and I know that some of you have been sneaking out there to see what I've been raving about. Good on you!

Anyway, here are a couple of the treasures I found.

The first is another Japanese dolls head to put in a bowl. I know...I know...heads in a bowl is kooky but it gives my evil dark heart joy! It is from Kerrie's store ES Traders which is tucked away in Ellensborough Street.

two heads are better than one. 

The other little find was from The Vintage Advantage in Brisbane Street. That place is dangerous if you are into vintage bric a brac. I found a smoky art glass vase which spoke to me. I love its simple, yet elegant shape. It looks a bit like Whitefriars but it's not...just some old no name thing, which is still nice in my book.

smoky art glass vase

Also, on a completely different tangent I'd like to give a big shout out to fellow blogger Tricia Rose who is the mastermind behind Rough Linen, which is the most exquisite bedding made from natural linen. I covet Tricia's range of linens because of its beautiful quality and its pure simplicity - two essentials when making one's house a home.

Tricia is a finalist in the Martha Stewart American Made awards and is drumming up votes to win or at least get a respectable second or third! There were 2000 entrants and she was thrilled to be in the last 100. If you know Tricia or would like to know Tricia, make sure you vote HERE!

http://americanmade.marthastewart.com/profiles/tricia-rose-1913

If you pop over to Rough Linen you can look at her beautiful range of linens. I love her video footage of how to make a bed, but Tricia and Felix stuffing a duvet cover is my absolute favourite. I could listen to their lovely accents all day long and then dive into the bed they just made! Bliss.