Curtains at last

When we bought this house, it came with the top of range, expensive custom made drapes on every window.

Unfortunately they were all  hideous!

The ones in the formal lounge were so ugly and filled with dust that they were thrown away immediately. I thought we would never have drapes here as the windows are so large (6m x 4m) and it would be horrendously expensive to cover them. Privacy is not an issue, as we look out over the treetops into green hills, but I wanted something to soften the wall of glass.
Before we left Jakarta, the kids chose custom drapes for their bedrooms and on the spur of the moment I got them to make up some sheers for the lounge. I am so pleased I did as I think they make all the difference for around $100.
GJ thinks that installing curtains is the devils work, but I smiled sweetly and he got out the ladder. I have to wait till we get a big group of strong men over to hang the other half of the room as the baby grand piano is in the way. But soon it will be done!

Guilty pleasures

When I get stressed and or overloaded with uni assignments, I often take a few minutes out for a little guilty pleasure.....creating (and rearranging) little vignettes.
This bookcase is one of my favourite spots to tinker in
All of my extended family, bar my mother and sister, have passed away, and I have inherited some wonderful treasures. This antique bookcase was my uncles and it is filled with books from both sides of my family as well as my maternal and paternal family silver, plus GJ's grandmothers Carltonware. I love how the creamy glaze on my mothers Belleck china and the blue of the Wedgwood looks against the wood. I think I might have over-filled the bookcase, but I just can't take anything out, it all has sentimental value and gives me great pleasure to look at.

Uni starts back next week, I haven't have much of a break as I did a WONDERFUL 3 week prac teaching stint in a year 1/2 class. It was my first time with such young students and I loved it!

I think I am so busy with words for uni as well as family life i have lost my bloggy mojo...I think I have exhausted the Indonesian expat life and  will change focus to see if I can get back into the groove of regular posting.
I am going to start featuring my art, antiques and treasures.

Moroccan light fittings have been installed!

 

Our electrician has just spent his 4th full day here, he still has at least another 2 days worth of work to do....I'm planning on signing over GJ's entire pay-check to him this month.....

We have had rats chewing out wiring and the dirty filthy tenants (DFT) smashed a lot of the outside lighting which allowed water to get in and rust and fuse all the wiring. We also found burnt out light fittings (so bad it had burnt and cracked the plaster in places) due to too hot bulbs being installed.

The electrician hired a HUGE ladder to replace all the bulbs in our glorious high ceiling (6m / 20ft.). The ladder has gone back, but one of the lights at the highest point is faulty and flickers and hisses....mmmmmm oh the joys of a money pit/dream home!

But on the bright side, I love my Moroccan light fittings which have just been installed on the decks. 

We had Friday night drinks and dinner on the deck admiring their beauty.

We got the lights in Jakarta (here is the original post) and now I wish I bought many many more!!!!!!!!!!

GJ and I trialled every single piece of art, in every conceivable combination, in our bedroom until we ended up with this arrangement which I love. The muted reds match so well with the green gold walls. These are all antique Sumatran (Indonesian) ceremonial cloths. The two on the right hand side are Sumatran kain selandang songket (supplemental weft gold thread)

Slowly the walls are being filled.....

The hall way in the kids area.
I love seeing all my photos on a wall.

sneak peak....

The new paint is helping remove the stench of filthy pigs and wet dogs.......
Ben chose this wonderful flame red colour for his room, I have the cool green gold and the girls have off white.
Carpet is next week and then it will be our turn.
The house is still filthy; the real estate agency is working on getting all of the bond to cover it and the garden maintenance.