the one with... some news

UPDATE: Yes I'm back writing about renovating my cottage but I'm staying right here on SLOABH.  Why change what ain't broke.  I do love it here.  Lisa xo

I've really missed the blog so I'm coming back.

If you have been following me on Instagram you know that I never stopped working on the cottage - I just stopped writing about it.

I'm happy to say that I'm coming back!

The only change is I've decided to move the blog over to www.lisadaviesdesign.com and keep everything in one place.

I'll be back with updates on the never ending to-do list soon.

Cheers for now
Lisa xo

New website: www.lisadaviesdesign.com

the one with... the confession

Hello!

Yes, I am still around.

I've just been quiet here on the blog but you can always find me over on my Instagram with updates on the cottage.  I've recently repainted the lounge room and work is about to start on turning the old kitchen into a spare room.  Yep the work continues...

The reason for my absence is that I've been spending all of my time over on my business website.

I'm loving it!

So what do I do? I work with entrepreneurs, freelancers, bloggers and small businesses to create a website that they will get the absolute best out of.

Pop over to the website and say hello.

I'm still quietly lurking around your blogs - that won't change.

Cheers
Lisa xo

the one... with highlights from October

October has been a BIG month for me so I thought it worth to highlight just a few of them.

1. October was a big month for the kitchen.
2. My messy confession.
3. Lots of new social media icons and sidebar labels for the shop and found the colour lime green very popular! New blogger templates coming soon!
4. Started a new Sunday series titled 'words'.
5. I worked with the new blog Grow Simple Lovely to create a moodboard and blogger template.
6. Installed new external roller blinds to the veranda that faces the West.  This side of the veranda is open to get the full hit of the Queensland sun.
7. Shared the frontyard progress with you. 
8. It was time to put my ideas for the lounge room into a moodboard - I find having the moodboard works really well for me and keeps me focused.
9. Celebrated 200 posts!

Lisa xo

the one... where I celebrate 200 posts

I can't believe I am celebrating 200 posts!

That is so exciting.

Second Life of a Blue House started back in May 2012 when I made a start on the renovations.  The plan was and is, to give this little cottage a new life - one that it deserves.

I think this is the perfect opportunity to take you back to the beginning...

As you can see from the photo above, the cottage was in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint and new window awnings and that's just for starters.

There has been a lot of work over the past 18 months so to bring you up to speed, here is a progress photo with new paint, window awnings, front porch light and the plantation shutters.

The renovations are still ongoing, with a long way to go yet.

I couldn't be happier with the progress and if it's possible I love this cottage more each day.

Let me take this opportunity to thank you for reading and supporting me.  I am thoroughly enjoying myself and I love meeting new people every day.

Lisa xo

the one with... a new venture

I know I have been pretty quiet on the blog lately and there are a few reasons for that.

I have been back from my Paris trip for over nine weeks now and it took me a while to get back into the swing of a normal life.  After such a wonderful holiday I really didn't feel like doing any diy around the house.

That has now changed.

I have been working on a few projects around the cottage which I will share with you real soon - promise.

One BIG project I have been working on and one that I very excited to share with you is that I have opened my very first Etsy shop.

Let me welcome you to:

Visit lisa michelle design

lisa michelle design is where you can purchase lovely items for your blog including blogger templates and social media icons.

Since opening my blog in May 2012 I have loved working behind the scenes in the blogger template and I'm enjoying learning all about HTML and CSS.

I have always loved technology and it has always been a part of my career.

Yep I'm a geeky girl at heart.

I hope you will visit the shop and let me know what you think.

Lisa xo

the one... with sloabh on pinterest

Have you been over to interest lately??  I LOVE IT!

Pop over and check out my boards here SLOABH.

Here is a peek at what you will find.

Have fun!

Lisa xo

the one... with the new page

I'm a girl who loves to see catalogues sticking out of the letterbox.

I'm a girl who loves her magazines.

I'm a girl who loves to receive online newsletters and magazines.

I'm a girl who loves to search the internet for hours on end.

This has all inspired me to start a new 'shopping' page.

My thoughts behind the new page is to share with you things I have seen and even things that I have purchased for the cottage.

The very first shopping page is my love of all things yellow.

I hope you enjoy the new page and please let me know what you think.

Lisa xo

the one... with the blogs new look

I felt with the new year that I needed to give my blog a fresh new look.

I don't like clutter, both online or at home.  I'm a girl who likes clean likes when it comes to reading online.  I don't think my blog was cluttered but it just didn't reflect me I think.

I have been reading blogs for many years and only started my blog in May 2012.  I felt up until then that I didn't have anything worthwhile to share.

I want to give my blog more love and attention this year and the first thing to get more attention is my banner.

The colours I chose are throughout the cottage in fabric and accessories and I really can't go past purple!

I would love to know your thoughts on the new look.  What do you think, be honest now?


Lisa xo

the one... with my favourites from 2012

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and got a little break so you are feeling fresh and ready for the new year.

I thought I would share with you a couple of posts from 2012 that were either popular (thank you) or particular favourites of mine.

I know I have been very quiet here on the blog.  It was a combination of the spam comments that just kept coming at me and I think I was tired.

2012 was a big year for me personally.  Some down times and the cottage renovations do take a lot out of you - you know what I mean.

I can assure you that the renovations and diy projects haven't stopped so I have many posts to write to bring you up to speed.

I will be back soon (I promise).

Lisa xo

the one... why I've been so quiet

I have been very quiet on the posts recently because I have been inundated with spam comments.

I've made a few changes to my settings in an attempt to put a stop to them.

I'll wait it out a few more days and hopefully be back posting very soon.

Thanks.

the one... a little absent lately

I'm sorry I was absent last week.  Things have really been happening at the cottage and time has gotten away from me.

There are many photos to show you and I promise to show the big reveal soon.

Lisa xo

the one... been feeling like crap

I know that isn't the nicest post title but it is how I have been feeling the last few days.

It all started last week with a sore throat which I managed to keep away with lots of hot water and lemon. That was until last Friday when the throat gave up the fight.  I laid low over the weekend and was feeling much better on Sunday night and was heading back to work in the morning.

Over night the cold took a different turn and for the past three days I've had what's felt like the worst hay fever attack that seems to never want to end.

I'm happy to say that last night I felt better and I'm heading back to work today.

Little Charlie has been wonderful, always snoozing with me and staying by my side.  I thanked him by taking him to the dog park yesterday afternoon where he had a great time.

I'm happy to say that posts will return to normal next week.

the one... with the good kind of stats

Yeah sure I hear you say but I promise they are good stats, well they are to me.

I started this blog in May and in such a short period of time I'm watching the pageviews increase each day with such excitement.

Another interesting thing is to see where people are who have been reading it. They are from all over the world, really!  

You have to see the world map...



Check this out:

The green is where people are (from blogger )

Look where they are from Russia, USA, Singapore, PNG, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, UK, Germany and of course Australia, wow!

I'm so very thankful and I'm so excited to see something I love grow.

If you haven't subscribed yet, now is a good time and it's free so why wouldn't you!  Subscribe via RSS  You can also find me on Facebook | Pinterest

Now you will never miss a post. 

the one... with a happy dance

As the title says I did a happy dance, I wouldn't lie!

Today I celebrated 400 pageviews to the blog since I wrote my first post.

Thank you all very much for taking a look around my little blog and coming back to see what I have gotten up to at the cottage.

There is lots of work on the to-do list and with tradies coming and going with quotes lately, the little blue cottage is gearing up for a makeover and I am so excited to be able to share it with you.

the one... where I celebrate

My first month of blogging about the cottage.

Yep, I started the blog on the 22nd May and you guessed it, it's the 22nd June!!


I hope you enjoy reading my posts because I have been enjoying writing them.  It's like writing a diary all about my little cottage.


There is still lots more to come so I hope you will stick with me.

the one... let's get started



my little cottage

As the title suggests.... let's get started!

I have been thinking about starting this blog for a while now and as I step up to focus on renovating the cottage, now is a good time.

This photo was taken last year and I have done some work since which I'll post about soon.

There is still soooo much to do including a new bathroom, painting inside and outside, gardens, new window awnings... just to name a few.

I hope you will join me as I bring second life to my little blue cottage.