Finally! Something got done.

Progress on the landscaping and decorating and the thousand-and-one bits and pieces we need to do is moving along at the pace of a snail on Mogadon. *sigh*

We have been achieving things, but it really doesn't show. Time is a major issue, and some things have turned out to be quite difficult. Even seemingly simple tasks like finding an integrated rubbish bin for the kitchen is far more complicated than you'd think. We have a skinny cupboard at the very end of our breakfast bar that we want to use, but finding the right bin and sliding mechanism to fit has so far stumped us. I'm completely fed up with looking at the kitchen tidy and assorted bottles and recyclables as you walk into the kitchen/family room! Not exactly the decorator statement I'm going for.

I have a few decorating ideas in my head, but as is always the case, when you set your heart on something, you can never find it. That vase, mirror, plant pot, wall hanging or cushion that you know will be just perfect and that you saw a couple of months ago is nowhere to be found. Whatever you can find is the wrong colour, wrong size, wrong style...or a ridiculous price.

Part of my problem is, I have so many ideas in my head, and try to do them all at once. The result, of course, is that I end up with nothing completed.

So this weekend I decided to concentrate on just a few small things. Number one was to get a few photos and artworks up on the walls. They've been sitting around on the floor for weeks now. This is an abstract triptych I painted for our bedroom (the colours have washed out with the flash though, I really should have taken this in daylight. They're not grey, the main colour is lovely greens):



Number two was to finish off the retreat. I bought a coffee table and side table at IKEA the other week, and managed to find a few decorative bits and pieces, and it's actually turned out well. Relaxing and comfortable and - well, somewhere to retreat to:



I hung a few more pictures and am still going with the office organisation - that's mainly involved shredding tonnes of old paperwork this weekend. Next on the project list is to get the remaining shelves I need and finish that area off.

After that, I think that bit of landscaping at the back of the house ....although I have been drooling over wardrobe fit-outs. This is nice:



Or perhaps this:



Hmm, maybe a bit grand. I'd settle for something like this:



One thing at a time. Must remember that.