When I wrote that I wanted to feature places from around the world in this new series, I wasn’t kidding. Today, I am happy to bring you an eclectic and lovely home all the way from Australia. Tamara’s blog, I Can Do That!, is pretty much a go-to for any DIY enthusiast. Not only does she attempt to handcraft pretty much everything that you can think of, but she’s also an “optimist, a feminist, an equality-ist, a do-what-you-love-and-be-proud-of-it-ist.” If that isn’t reason enough to give her a follow, then I don’t know what is.
Emory
1. Where is your home located?
The place that I call home is Melbourne, Australia. Melbourne is a cosmopolitan city that is particularly famous for having amazing restaurants and unpredictable weather.
The suburb where I live was settled in the late 1880s, and has leafy streets lined with plane trees and bluestone gutters, as well as lots of parks and English gardens. It has a more British feel than other parts of Melbourne, but there are still plenty of gum trees and Australian natives around.
2. What are your thoughts on the idea of ‘home’?
I’ve lived in 10 houses and three countries to date. Maybe because of that, I have struggled to really connect to the idea of any one place being ‘home’. I can’t say that I’ve ever felt a really strong bond with any particular house I have lived in (although after two years in my current home I’m starting to get very attached). Rather, I feel at home when I am with my family and my partner. I also feel a sense of belonging when I am surrounded by some of the things that are special to me – my books. I love to collect books of every genre; firsthand, secondhand, you name it. There are books in every room of our home, and just looking through their pages always makes me feel at home.
3. What kinds of things influence your design style?
Buying a house with my partner has opened up a whole range of design possibilities that I had never before considered. All of a sudden we had a space that was completely our own – a blank canvas.
Luckily, we agree on a lot of things, design-wise. We both love second-hand and antique pieces, and this theme permeates our style. Most of our furniture (save for our bed and couch) is second-hand, thrifted or up-cycled, and we love it. So many of the things in our home carry special memories of where we found them.
I have always loved creative pursuits, and the majority of our artwork (if you want to call it that!) is homemade. This brings me such a sense of happiness and fulfillment, because I love the feeling of being able to express my personality, our relationship, and the sense of ‘home’ through the way we decorate. No one is ever going to confuse our home for a display home, but you know what? I am totally ok with that.
4. What do you consider to be one of your favourite items in your home? What could you never live without?
As I mentioned above, my collection of books is something that I treasure deeply and would hate to be without. Sometimes I will sit in front of my bookcase, looking through books I love, reorganizing or just admiring, and it brings me a deep sense of peace.
I love our kitchen too. I spend a fair amount of time in there, because I truly enjoy cooking. It’s spacious and laid out really well, with plenty of bench room to spread out on. Cooking for my friends and family is one of the joys of my life. I come from a family of passionate food and wine lovers – you may have noticed some of our wine-related décor in the photos. (We also have a fair amount of cheese related things – it’s the small things in life, you know?)
My bed is – of course – a favourite location of mine (I really enjoy sleeping). The rainforest panorama over our bed is something that we bought right after we moved in; I love the sense of depth it brings to the room.
And what bed is complete without a resident cat? This is Lara, our birman, who is 14 years old and has also lived in three countries. She’s sitting right next to me as I write – pets really make a house into a home.
To me, the most important aspect of our home is that it is ours. It reflects us, together and separately, and it is a haven. The three of us – Mario, cat and I – make our home into something special.
Tamara
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If you would like to take part in this series, entitled Home, please email me at helloscarlettblog@outlook.com.
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I found that choosing a diaper bag was almost as complicated as choosing a crib or dresser. When I first commenced my search for one, I had no clue as to what I wanted. What I did not want was something feminine. I knew that it had to be masculine enough for my husband to also wear it and not complain for the following year or so. After several weeks of searching online, I finally came across a bag so fitting that I had to pinch myself. It was the Jungle Leather Nappy Bag.
Australian designed, this bag by OiOi was so gorgeous that I knew that nothing else could compare. Made of lambskin and antique gold hardware, I was almost salivating over the photos. Then I saw the cost. They are priced at $400.00 CAD. I sent a picture to my sister and she said to buy it now while we still have money. After days of contemplating purchasing the bag, I inevitably backed out. I could not justify spending more on a diaper bag than on a crib. Then came my brilliant idea. 
I think that the reason why I loved the bag so much was because it had reminded me of a similar one that my stepdad had given my husband and I. It was his vintage, leather messenger bag that he had once owned. My husband had since been using it to keep important documents, but it remained tucked away in storage for the last five years. After fishing it out of a box and giving it a quick wash, I was elated to finally have a diaper bag. One that was so unique and gender-neutral that we could both proudly wear it. Best of all, we saved hundreds of dollars.
Now that we finally had a diaper bag, it was time to fill it. Deciding on the contents as first-time parents was a feat in itself. After several trips to baby stores, and one to my sister’s home to raid her bag, we ultimately had the essentials figured out. 
Here is what went in our diaper bag:
Onesie
Blanket
I know that we will be adding more once our baby comes into this world.
Was anyone else as picky about diaper bags as I was?
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