Finding Our Feet.

We are settling in.

Some of us not quite settled yet. A whole new world to get used to.

Getting to know the light in this new place.

I love it very much.

Follow it from room to room.

Loving the hill behind our house.
Our new playground.

Loving this new urban life that allows us to not have to give up the sea.
Loving so many friends on our doorstep.
Loving walking everywhere!

Loving that spring is rushing towards summer.
Happiness runs.

In Which The Milkmooners Go On An Adventure.

Has it really been more than two months since I peeked in here? Well, it's not like life has been uneventful, probably too eventful really, and therefore, where do I start? I won't recap, as it would not do justice to all the wonderful things that have been and gone, but instead I will just have to see which ones emerge over the next few posts here, as I actually have a number of marvelous things to share with you, in the style of The Early Days of Milkmoon, because that is where I have woken up on this side of the New Year, in a place of Blogging Rediscovery, which is quite exciting for me.

So, with photos from my archives (as I am still without a camera), of corners of our home, I will start with what is most currant for us here in the Milkmoon household: you may recall this post about our looming Leave-Taking.
But I have questions. For example, how does one begin to pack up a house? Accumulated belongings of more than sixteen years, times six people.... Let's just say I am somewhat overwhelmed by it.
Where does one start? Is there a system to it? We've never had to do it before. The last time we moved, we had a two roomed apartment, no furniture, and just ourselves and a four month old baby to pack up. It all fit into the back of a car.

We have become extremely adept at finding excuses to not do it. It's not that we don't want to move, although there is a reluctance to leave this beautiful place, of course, but it's more just the sheer enormity of this mountain we have to climb to get ourselves to the other side of it.
We are hoarders, of sorts, the waste-not-want-not kind of hoarders, the rainy-day kind, and while Jay would deny he is one in any way, I admit I am the worst of them. For example, what constitutes my 'studio' is a haphazard mountain of shoe-boxes, jars, bags, curvers, baskets, all stuffed with bits of fabric, ribbons, buttons, threads, haberdashery of all kinds, as well as postcards, photos, magazine cuttings, letters, and teetering piles of books... you get the picture. And four children means an accumulation of toys, partly because I have a penchant for antique/old-school toys, which are impossible to get rid of, right?

And books, oh my, the books. One of the things I valued most, growing up, was my Dad's extensive library, which I truly discovered in my late teens, early twenties, when I read as many classics as were there, poetry, plays, biographies, you name it. It truly was a significant part of my education, one which had a bigger impact on the adult I was to become than any other singular element. And so, without being conscious of it, I have since spent my adult years building a Library Of Significance for my own children. Add to that the fact that when we moved into this house the bookshelves were already full, full I tell you, of someone else's, very long, life's collection! I cannot begin to estimate just how many books we have, but I can say it runs to the thousands, with bags and bags of them stuffed into cupboards too. So you can imagine, can't you, the task in that department alone. Clearly I can't bring them all, so there will have to be a culling, won't there, something I am dreading.

I also love teacups, and saucers, and teapots, and jugs, and I adore antique furniture, the bigger the better, I hold on to clothes that one lad grows out of, so the next lad can wear them, even though there is three - five years age difference between them, baskets and cupboards full of every kind of art and craft materials for the children, oh I could go on...the list is random and endless.
Now don't get me wrong, I am actually really looking forward to a new, simplified,  pared (a bit, anyway) back, beginning in our new house, which no, we have not found yet, but are now wholeheartedly looking for.

However, first we have to get through the dismantling, sorting, packing, moving, bit. And that's after making a decision on whether or not to go after a house that ticks some very important boxes, but does not tick other very important ones. Is it possible to get everything you want when house hunting? We did last time. Literally. To such fine detail it would give you goosebumps and instant Faith In The Universe. And I want with all my heart to believe we can do it again, because to us our home is not just bricks and mortar, it is a beloved part of the family, and therefore must be something we can love. Oh! the responsibility! the expectations! the enormity! of it all. Plus the fact that there are now six of us, all with different needs and desires and hopes.
It's a very fine juggling act we are now involved in, and I hope we get it right.

Kitchen Bliss.

Yes, there are a lot of images in this post, and I feel the need to include a disclaimer! I do not own any of these images. They belong to the original photographers/owners and I have them here purely for their beauty. In other words, I have been collecting images that inspire me over the last couple of years and not being very careful about noting where they came from. So, if you know the origins of any of these images, then please do let me know so I can give due credit. And I hope I offend no one!

So we are half-way through the new bedrooms phase, but I have to admit all my mind can think about it my soon-to-be-new kitchen. And I've been pouring over all these collected images again and again... sigh...

It helps to keep these in mind, like a mantra, when I think too much about just how much worse it will get here when they start knocking down walls in my kitchen! 

The last two images above are from  this book. And the one above is India Knight's gorgeous London Kitchen, which you can see more of on the Living Etc website here.
In fact I'm pretty sure a number of these images are from Living Etc, and others are from Scandinavian design blogs/sites. 

Also, I love this house we stayed in last year.

I will get around to the bedroom inspiration pretty soon, but I think I'll have to get the kitchen bit out of my system first!

Ps: Check out Friendly Cottage where Sharon and Marty have been kitchen shopping too!

An Unintentional Hiatus.

Gosh. It's almost a week since I posted here.

No major reason other than life-with-four-kids-getting-the-better-of-me! We've had coughs and colds, sun and rain, too many late nights, and basically I think I've just been trying to squeeze in too much into my week. 

This evening, exhausted from a marathon clear-out of the two older boys bedroom that took two days, I was finally finished, and as Jay was cooking tonight I snatched a few minutes to lay on my bed in the evening sun.

For all of ten minutes.

 And then they came looking for me. 

But sometimes ten minutes is all you need. 

Something Lovely.

So, getting on with the theme of decorating and houses etc, I want to share these gorgeous photos with you. The lovely Sharon from Friendly Cottage took them in Avoca and Cath Kidson and she has a wonderful post on painted wood on her blog. In it she waxes lyrical about how much she loves painted wood and I have to say I'm in total agreement with her. 

I just adore this green dresser! We have a similar one that is painted white and green (see below) but I am totally enamored with this one. (Jay doesn't agree but he might just come around!)

My Dresser.

And my recently acquired oak table that my Dad spotted in Dunnes Home sale for €50, (thanks Dad!) is lined up for a similar brightening up as this divine lovely, though I think I'll staple on my oilcloth a la The Yvestown Blog.

We also even have this very chair which is at the moment painted white. I went through a paint-everything-white-for-now phase which the older two children complained loudly about and I now feel ready for some colour. 

The colour scheme in the kitchen at the moment is pale pink with accents of red and orange. It works and it's fairly subtle but I'm ready for a change. 

I'm starting to get excited about planning for this remodeling now and I'll be sure to post some before and after pictures as we go. 

There really is so much inspiration to be had out there. I feel a few more posts on the subject coming on!

Avoca Love.

I am starting to get excited about some work that will be commencing soon on our house. We are sorely in need of some more space here. Has anyone noticed how children just keep on growing! Thankfully, I don't think it will be as disruptive as it might have been, as we are more reclaiming space than anything else. 

So on Monday I took myself off to meet Lisa in Avoca for some inspiration. It's not hard to find inspiration in Avoca. For those of you who have never experienced it I am not quite sure what to compare it to. Any suggestions anyone? Anthropologie maybe? Anyway, put simply, it is a shop that is choc full of absolute gorgeousness from clothing, to kitchen and home wares, food, books, gardens, childrens toys and clothing, I could go on. But the environment is what makes it so appealing. Below are some photos taken in one of the cafes, The Ferntree Cafe. Our friends John and Caroline recently had their new kitchen modeled on it and it is gorgeous. 

 

We won't be doing anything quite like this but I still need inspiration right? 

They have the most amazing array of mis-matched tables and chairs which of course go beautifully together.

The chandeliers! Oh my...

I think this table is my favourite. 

So anyway, this is my way of saying be warned! There may be an excess of interiors stuff going on here over the next few weeks. Yes, you may recall me saying this a few months go and then nothing came of it. That's because nothing came of our plans at the time. But now it is actually starting next week and I am hyperventilating with excitement if I think about it too much. And now I can indulge my house-love finds. 

Watch this space!

Is It Sunny Where You Are Too?

Happy Mother's Day!

This is what I had on my bedside table this morning. There were flowers, and breakfast in bed and these sweet Cath Kidson bowls.

***

On another note, here's a peep at some things-for-now-you-are-two little-boy. 

His own bed. 

It's tucked into a corner of our bedroom for now, though plans are afoot to create more space in our little house, so sometime in the summer he'll get to move in with his big brother. Oh what fun!

And I thought I'd show you this sweet Horsey. I got him at the school Christmas Fair for €5! and decided to keep him for The Smallest's Birthday. I haven't decided if he needs a make-over yet. We'll see.

***

The sun is shining here. Really shining! And it's warm!

I hope it is for you too!

Something To Sustain Us.

So it's back to school tomorrow. 

We enjoyed the break and got to squeeze in most of what we hoped. We ended our weekend with a visit to our friends Danny and Tali in their little house in the valley. We had wholesome food and fine weather. And a lovely time was had.

Here's a peep...

I hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Home.

Home is very much on my mind these days. 

We are blessed to be living in a heavenly place that is dear to our hearts. We wished for this place, many many years ago, Jay and I. Two young idealists in a caravan in Holland wishing for this exact place, though we didn't know it. I had three things on my list after where it would be, which was beside the sea in north Wicklow. I wanted a big garden, a big bathroom, and a fireplace. 

All these things, and many more we couldn't imagine, were granted to us, and we have been here twelve years now. Three of our babies were born in the sitting room. It is in our collective familial blood. Our own ghosts haunt us here in the tiny voices that are gone forever, the childish passions that have long been grown out of, a tiny remnant turning up in a box or pocket or bag, each time breaking my heart one more little piece at a time. 

And though now we are bursting the seams of this little house, and I sometimes tear my hair out over it, I cannot tear myself away from it. It is so very much a part of us. It is their whole lives, their memories, part of who they are.  

I never imagined a place could have such a hold on my heart. There is nothing that will ever take it out of me.

And each year, this time, when old, cold winter tightens it's grip for the longest time, and I feel myself falter and wish for something more, something better, I wake up feeling as though I have betrayed a dear old friend.

We truly are blessed. Look around us. How could we better this? And though maybe we might find ourselves moving on some day it will not be easy. It will break our hearts. 

But we have hope that there will be a solution to our growing problem of too many people and not enough space for each to grow and flourish as they should. The tiniest spark is all we need.

So while there is constant reviews and makeovers and rearrangements and plans, we are gradually achieving what we want. And there is plenty more to come. 

So I do think there may be a bit of an interiors theme here in my Something Lovely posts for a wee while. Bear with me! For some interior views of our little place have a look here and here, and maybe here.

And what about you?

What does home mean to you? Is it simply somewhere to close the door behind you at the end of the day? Somewhere to be grateful for no matter how short it falls of your ideal? Or is it something more? Something that goes deeper?

Time To Breathe

It's Friday.

A half hour solitary retreat after dinner.



Happy weekend to you all!

Something Lovely.

Now for something completely different.

I am completely in love with these Tassel Lights by Rothschild & Bickers. I came across them whilst looking for something else.




Do have a look at their site for some more truly stunning pieces. They don't give prices so it's up our imagination!

I am blown away.

A Little Bit Of Home.

Some of those little unessential touches that are always bottom of the list.

And nothing like an event to spur you on. These have been put off for a very long time.
And now they are done!








The top one is for you Rima!