Loving: A Good Vintage

My green kitchen is coming along nicely, just the pantry to go and I will have the green kitchen of my dreams. We have had a bit of back and forth on the color after initially painting with a pale green that made everything look very insipid. John talked me into this very minty green, and at first I was taken aback with the greeness , but wow, it really works.  I could sit and look at my minty cupboards all day long.

Kitchen in progress

My new/old kitchen is a perfect analogy for  life at this moment . It might not be new, it might not be full of bells and whistles, things might not be perfect or exactly how or where we want them to be, but we making the very best of what we have to work with right now, if we keep being patient and measured we will get to the right destination.
 Last week I had my first anniversary of changing jobs and what a year we have had. I have learnt a lot in the past twelve months and feel  privileged to work with such an incredible team of colleagues who are  eager to share their knowledge, and of course the children and families who allow you into their lives. And just like my minty green cupboards it was John that pushed me into this job, without his encouragement ( some might say coercion) I would likely still be in the same place I was a year ago, and unhappy. 

If  I had to take one thing from the past year it would be learning how to be measured and calm. Previously I worked in such a reactive work environment, the stress was enormous and I had very little control over it. I have been shown this year that when you are proactive, calm and competent the stress is eliminated. I am grateful to be learning that you don't have to have or do  everything right now,  I am working on being mindful and appreciating and feeling what is already in front of me, like making the most of a less than perfect kitchen in a less than perfect house.



I know that my minty kitchen is not for everyone but I am absolutely loving a new show I have discovered on sky, that is making me feel like it is perfectly acceptable to salvage furniture out of the inorganic collection and paint it bright colors.

I am talking about Kirsty's Vintage Home on the Living Channel, if you are a lover of all things vintage and are not watching this show you really should be. I have seen in an upcoming trailer she will even be basket weaving, yes that's right, basket weaving!!

This yellow chair is perfect, I the desk is one I salvaged last year and re-painted

This white chair was just sitting there begging to come home with me

We have a few recent vintage  additions at our house that I have  acquired from the very last ever in-organic collection  here in Auckland. I definitely salvaged less this year than in others as we are on a mission of decluttering but I am enormously happy with my new acquisitions. I love that so much of the furniture in our house has come from either the side of the road or the op shop and what this is teaching our children about the value of things and consumerism.

Finally love, love, love  that it is peonie season, I bought my first bunch today. I have decided that in this season of my favorite flowers, first peonies and then hydrangeas I am just going to buy fresh flowers every week, they are so fleeting, they make me happy, that makes me a better mother and wife, I work hard,  and for all those reasons and then some, I deserve them.

Joining in with Meghan and all the other loving