About me

Hi, friend! I’m so glad you’re here!

Come on in and let’s get to know each other over a cup of steaming coffee, or (my favourite) a sweetly spiced Chai Latte.

Most important things first, I’m a wife and a Mummy to four gorgeous little people including our new baby boy.

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We live in Australia, in a little coastal town just a short walk from the beach. (If you’re visiting from another part of the world, that may explain my seeming confusion about what season we’re in and how to spell some everyday words. I love having readers all over the world! In fact, over 80% of my readers hail from the U.S. – I love my American friends!)

We’ve moved house twice since I started this blog. Here’s a sneak peek of our last house, which we called our River House (click the image to take the full tour!)

… and our current home, which we call our Beach House! You’ll notice that it’s a completely different style – fresh and light, with a coastal vibe.

So how did I get into blogging? Well, I guess you could say that creativity is in my blood.

Before I had kids, I was a teacher of Creative Arts. Imagine a room full of six-year-olds. With paint. That might be your worst nightmare, but I truly loved it.

My biggest dream has always been to be a writer. I’ve completed a couple of (unpublished) novels, and it’s a path I want to pursue again when my kids are a bit older and I have more headspace to give to my imaginary worlds. I’m blessed to be represented by agent Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Management. Oh, and I love to read and always have a novel (or five) on my bedside table. If you’re interested in writing, make sure to pop over to my group blog – The Writer’s Alley!

I’ve also worked freelance for over ten years as an interior decorator. My husband is a property developer, so I kind of fell into it to help him out. Luckily I’ve always had a passion for decorating, colour and design. Apart from reading a great novel, I can think of nothing more thrilling than browsing a gorgeous boutique homewares store or curling up with the latest home magazine. With my husband’s company, I’ve worked on a portfolio of over a hundred homes, units and apartments over the years, and I also take on private decorating clients on a select basis, as time permits. (Time – there’s never enough of it, is there?!)

So really, this blog is the perfect expression of all my passions – for interior design, art, working with kids, photography, writing, and all things creative.

As a stay-home Mum, I’m passionate about the home, and my hope is that this little corner of the internet will be an inspiration to other home-making mamas who want to inject some creativity and joy into their homes.

However.

Before you read any further on my blog, there’s one thing we have to get straight upfront.

I’M NOT PERFECT.

Those who know me are already laughing quietly behind their hands, because they know exactly how true this is.

They’re the ones who’ve seen me stressed and overwhelmed by the responsibility of parenting three small kids. They’ve seen me embarrassed by my kids’ behaviour in public. They’ve seen the dirty dishes piled in the sink and the beds left unmade.

They’ve seen the reality… and the Internet is never reality.

It’s a carefully edited version that shows only the bits we’re happy for the whole world to see.

BUT, I know how tempting it is to fall for the perfection myth. To read these sort of blogs and start comparing your own life… and feeling like you always measure up short.

I know, because I’ve been there. After my third child was born, I would read blogs or observe the amazing accomplishments of other women… and I felt like a huge failure. With three little ones at home, it was all I could do to keep my head above water and survive the day.

In fact, that was my biggest hesitation in starting this blog. The last thing I want to do is make any woman feel inadequate, or “less than.”

So can we just agree on one thing?

This is a comparison-free zone.

Come here to be inspired and get some new ideas. But never forget that you’re an original. Your life will never look exactly like mine, and mine will never look like someone else’s. And that’s a good thing.

Celebrate the creativity in YOU – because it IS there. You’re made in God’s image, and he’s the Creator of all beauty. When he made you, he left his fingerprint of creativity on your soul.

Unearth it. Stir up your gifts. Don’t siphon the joy from the process by comparing. Creativity is God’s gift to us.

So have fun with it. When you create, do it unselfconsciously, like a child at play. Do it for the sheer pleasure it brings you, and those around you.

Bring some beauty to your home.

Enjoy the blog! Wishing you a house full of sunshine!

Karen

P.S. Want to have a browse? Why not start with some of my most popular viral posts? Some of these have been shared up to 132K times! Click on any image to see the post.

Make life beautiful.

INSTAFEED

a house full of sunshine