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Off-topic Tuesday: Christmas & homesickness

December 11, 2012

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It’s approaching the festive season and I’m in denial already. Because I’m one of those annoying Poms who, despite the beautiful weather, beaches, party atmosphere and Australian attitude to taking a decent break from work (like all of Januaryโ€“really?!) whinges (of course) that it just isn’t Christmassy enough here! Apologies in advance, but here I go…

To me, Christmas is sitting by a roaring open fire at my dad’s house in the country in England, roasting chestnuts, cracking walnuts, drinking mulled wine, watching twinkling lights on the Christmas tree in a cosily darkened (it’s grey from about lunchtime in December in the UK) room. It’s catching up with old friends who are also home at their parents’ for Christmas, it’s arguing with my little (29 year-old) sister like teenagers when we get on each other’s nerves after a few days cooped up inside hiding from the cold. It’s roast turkey and “dad’s world famous roast potatoes” and eating Quality Street chocolates until I feel sick. It’s midnight mass at the village church, singing carols after a few drinks at the local, thatched roof pub down the road. It’s family and spending time with my best friend who might as well be my second sister.

Christmas tree at Dad’s last year

A couple of years ago I went to carols by candlelight at Balmoral Beach in Sydney. This would be a great idea to really get into the festive spirit despite it being stupidly hot, I thought. After a couple of carols I found myself, out of nowhere, crying. Tears rolling down my cheeks, missing my dad and my sister, wanting to be going home for Christmas. Embarrassing!

Last year, after much planning, I surprised my family at Christmas. I rocked up on Dad’s doorstep the night before Christmas Eve. You should have seen the look on his face. Of course there were tears, and a lot of swearing in disbelief from my sister. It was brilliant, the sort of thing you can only pull off once. I had all my Christmas traditions, saw all my friends, soaked it all up. and of course it wasn’t perfect and there were the usual family arguments and it was really really cold (although everyone insisted on telling me how “mild” it was for that time of year!).

Christmas is the only time of the year I really get homesick. I love Australia. I really do. I was delighted to be granted permanent residency this year, I’m engaged to one of your finest young men and I have every intention of one day taking citizenship and living here forever, but at Christmas, I really miss home. I think one day, when I have my own family, we’ll make our own, new Christmas traditions. Until then, it will always be a little bit sad for me.

How’s Christmas for you?

Off-topic Tuesday is a new weekly post about something absolutely nothing to do with interiors. I hope you like it!

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I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new @madeinaustshow in Sydney this August.

๐Ÿฆ˜๐ŸจForget every tacky association you ever had about touristy Australian made and prepare to see a showcase of the best of home, lifestyle, fashion and beauty made right here. If the pandemic has made you appreciate buying local even more, this is for you.

It's the first business to business trade event connecting retailers with Australian made products to champion our local makers๐Ÿ™

Apply to exhibit or find out more at their website, via their bio, now!

Are YOU buying more Australian made post covid?

#madeinaustralia #australianmade #aussiemade #aussiedesign
Do I recommend a timber vanity top? A big fat NOP Do I recommend a timber vanity top?

A big fat NOPE! ๐Ÿ’ง 

Which is why we have recently covered ours with a Caesarstone top (thanks to @justinplace_sydney for the advice and supply) and the sweet RELIEF of not having to worry about this high traffic area anymore, I'm telling you!๐Ÿค—

Doesn't matter what they tell you or how many times it's sealed, I'm not sure it's a great idea in a room which is so, well, wet!

I love having the warmth of timber in the bathroom and it's a beautiful piece, but timber on the top? Never again.

Ours probably lasted a year (if that) before it started to go downhill (and we want a good decade out of a bathroom, right?!). 2.5 years on, everything else in this bathroom looks virtually brand new and the water marked vanity top was really letting the side down and making me sad!

But I'm so pleased with this solution, I have to say! Took the plumber less than an hour to remove the sink, install the top and connect the sink back up. We didn't need to move the tap and it isn't too close to the basin.

The kids are allowed to brush their teeth and wash their hands (liquid soap ๐Ÿฅด) in here again and I can leave my hair straightener on there with gay abandon ๐Ÿ˜†

The reflective surface (which I can clean with whatever I like!๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป) brightens the room up too!

Next week I'll tell you what I really think of my brass tile trim too ๐Ÿ˜‰

#interiorsaddictbathroomreno2 #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno #timbervanity
Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than F Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than French onion?

I think not!

Grab the recipe on the blog this morning via link in bio.
Get to know me! I haven't done one of these in YE Get to know me!

I haven't done one of these in YEARS so there's possibly thousands of you who don't know my back story. Here's a few things you may not know about me!

โœ”๏ธ I'm English ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ and I moved here (just for one year) back in 2008๐Ÿ˜† 

โœ”๏ธ I can't end the day without a bath, even if I get home really late or on a really hot day. It's a mental health thing and my happy place. ๐Ÿ› 

โœ”๏ธ Before becoming a blogger and running my own small business, I was a journalist from the age of 18. My favourite news gathering times were as a newspaper crime reporter (bit different to interiors!) ๐Ÿ““ 

โœ”๏ธ I once worked at New Scotland Yard in London ๐Ÿš” 

โœ”๏ธI had an interview at Oxford (didn't get in!) but chose not to go to uni at all after being offered a job on the local paper #universityoflife ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My mum died when I was 3, I have an excellent dad and one sister (younger) in the UK โค๏ธ ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 

โœ”๏ธ At school, my favourite subject was French ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท and I was head girl ๐Ÿค“๐Ÿค“

โœ”๏ธ I'm addicted to โ˜•๏ธ , long hot baths and๐Ÿ’„ (been wearing it since I was about 14!)

โœ”๏ธ I'm not a phonecall person and will never ever pick up an unknown number. Ever. They can leave a message ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My favourite cuisine is Japanese ๐Ÿฃ ๐Ÿœ and Damian and I honeymooned in Tokyo and Venice 

โœ”๏ธ I have zero design qualifications. I just started blogging about my passion, which is trying to persuade everyone to #heartyourhome That was 11 years ago...

โœ”๏ธ My favourite tipple is a good GnT or๐Ÿท 

โœ”๏ธ Cheesy as it sounds, ๐Ÿ’โ€โ™€๏ธbeing a mum is my absolute biggest joy in life ๐Ÿง’๐Ÿ‘ฆ

โœ”๏ธ I will never give up my old school paper diary! Has to be A5 and week to view ๐Ÿ“– 

โœ”๏ธ My official surname isn't Bishop. I kept my maiden name for work after I got married but changed it for everything else. Often confuse myself!

โœ”๏ธ I didn't get my Ps until I was 37 and I'm still a terrible parker ๐Ÿ˜ฏ ๐Ÿ…ฟ๏ธ

Hope you feel like you know me a bit better ๐Ÿ˜˜

๐Ÿ“ธ @vanlowvanlow
Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ @nood_co coloured con Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ 

@nood_co coloured concrete basins is a great Aussie business success story. Although co founder Matt Di Costa first found fame as one half of Matt and Kim on The Block, he hasn't relied on this to build his brand.

โ€œWe are very honoured to have been a part ofย The Block, and all they have done for us. I am, however, a believer in letting the product take centre stage,โ€ he says.

Read our interview with Matt via link in bio now.

๐Ÿ™Share your favourite colour basin in the comments!

#colouredconcrete #noodco #colouredbasin #blockheads #the block #bathroomtrends2022

Pic 1 by @naibudesign_ and 2 by @twostyleinteriors
I'd love to see more colour in Aussie interiors! I'd love to see more colour in Aussie  interiors! ๐ŸŽจ 

At the end of the day though, it's a matter of personal taste. I love pops of colour but it's not for everyone. 

We couldn't resist featuring this Canadian house tour today. The amazing Kelly Green  hutch (swipe) was an upcycled $200 find ๐Ÿค—

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see the rest including one of the best playrooms we've seen in ages!

Project by @in.house.design
๐Ÿ“ธ @philcrozier
Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis o Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis on light and nature.

That was the brief for the conversion of a corner shop and a warehouse bakery into a luxury family home in Sydney's Newtown. And how about the library?!

Take the tour of this very special @annacarindesign project on the blog now, via link in bio.

Pic: @justinalexanderphoto
The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ N The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ

None of us enjoy laundry (OK, there are a few of you out there who do. Weird!) but we have to do it. And often. So if your laundry bin can be as good looking, functional and space saving as this, then why wouldn't you?!

I've lost track of how many baskets I've thrown out because they've gone soggy or mouldy. They look pretty, sure, but they're not fit for purpose and they're often messy and overflowing.

Here's what I love about his @brabantia_australia one:

โœ”๏ธ ventilation holes
โœ”๏ธ no need to remove the lid for small items plus it hides your dirty laundry from view
โœ”๏ธ easily removable and washable inner laundry bag that velcros back on 
โœ”๏ธ corrosion resistant so fine in bathroom or laundry 
โœ”๏ธ Brabantia make things as sustainably as possible
โœ”๏ธ compact, sleek, European design
โœ”๏ธ 10 year warranty
โœ”๏ธ tall and skinny so takes up less floor in my tiny laundry

The Rolls Royce of laundry bins? I think so ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป

TOLD you this was going to be exciting!

Now I need to know, do you have your laundry basket in the bathroom, the laundry, every bedroom? We used to have one in each bedroom but moved to the laundry-only situation which I much prefer (one for colours and one for whites). My boys know to put their used clothes in the bin in the laundry each night and they're 7 and 3!  #raisingfuturehusbands

#gifted
"Living rooms are important spaces where our publi "Living rooms are important spaces where our public and private lives intersect."

So says stylist @nataliewalton in her gorgeous new book Style, the Art of Creating a Beautiful Home.

"They are where we gather to welcome guests and entertain. But they are also where we decompress and relax at the end of the day. Increasingly, they are open-plan spaces and need to work within a greater scheme. Bringing all the elements together cohesively requires care and consideration. And, if you want a space that lives up to its true potential, make it personal and create with conviction."

Read an extract, the chapter on elevating your living room, on the blog today via link in bio.

Published by @thamesandhudsonau Pix by @chriswarnes 

#livingroomdesigns #nataliewalton #coffeetablebooks #designbooks #interiorsbooks #livingroominteriors #elevateyourspace
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About Jen Bishop

Jen Bishop is our owner and publisher and an experienced journalist and editor. Interiors Addict has been her full-time job for more than 8 years. She is married to Damian and mum to Sebastian and Charlie.

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Comments

  1. AvatarLaura - Elsee Blog says

    December 11, 2012 at 8:06 am

    When we are not swimming in my parents pool we are wearing the cotton pajamas that Santa got us all day. If it’s too sunny, dad puts a cabana over the pool for some shade so we can stay in longer. Gorge ourselves on festively coloured great Australian produce, red cherries and green grapes. Put a couple of salads together to have with a roast and prawns! Enjoy a late lunch around a tacky decorated makeshift table seating 20 or so. If we get peckish there’s always our chocolate cadbury stocking to snack on. Dinner is normally forgotten and we keep pouring well chilled white wine or champagne to quench or thirst and beat the heat!

    • Avatarinteriorsaddict says

      December 11, 2012 at 8:22 am

      Love it Laura, thanks for sharing! Cherries and mangoes are definitely an Aussie Christmas thing I LOVE!

  2. AvatarRachel says

    December 11, 2012 at 8:26 am

    It’s being cold, eating too much and moaning about the cold. Don’t be sad, have a lovely time with Damo this year and I will send you regular, bitching weather updates. Love you xxxx

    • Avatarinteriorsaddict says

      December 11, 2012 at 8:27 am

      Thanks Rach! xx

  3. AvatarSarah says

    December 11, 2012 at 9:13 am

    Growing up one foot in Uk and one foot in Australia, agree there’s nothing better than a cold Xmas. Prawns on the barbie are fine but you cant beat mulled wine, Stilton & port, hot Xmas dinner with all the trimmings & competing for the worst Bon Bon joke.. Love & miss the xmas lights & shoulder to shoulder chaos on Oxford St & Regent St, One year Hamleys were making snow fall from the top of their building. I walked out of the store thinking it was snowing & feeling excitement of Xmas like I was a child again.
    On the other hand … one hot summer July day, with holidays approaching, weekend crammed with back to back BBQs & everyone in a cheery mood, I felt a need to play my favourite Xmas songs!

  4. AvatarRichelle says

    December 11, 2012 at 11:04 pm

    As a Canuckian living here in Australia for the past almost-five years, granted permanent residency last year, I gotta say I do not miss the cold and the snow one iota, even at Christmas. I totally embrace the summary Christmas. Bring on the heat and the beach I say. On the materialistic, retail-oriented, commercial side of things, though Aussies may feel Christmas has only gotten crazier over the years, to me Christmas is quieter here, and I like it that way.

  5. AvatarStephanie Anderson says

    December 14, 2012 at 11:53 pm

    Oooh I have tears rolling down my cheeks. Also being from the uk and living here now for 7 years, your memories of Christmas ring so true!!!! Last night in hot and humid Brisbane we put up our tree, drank mulled wine, watched Love Actually and cranked up the air con…. Pretending we were cold ๐Ÿ˜‰ Christmas here will never ever live up to being home with my family cosied up in our living room watching for snow flakes, eating mum’s best mince pies and tuning in for the best of the BBC. But how good is life down under for the rest of the year!! Thanks for sharing x

    • Avatarinteriorsaddict says

      December 15, 2012 at 6:13 pm

      Oh bless! And yes, it is BRILLIANT the other 360ish days of the year!

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