The month of September through Instagram

September's Instagram for Glamour Coastal Living was all about spring: enjoying the blue skies and warmer days it bought. I love Instagram, simply for the fact that I enjoy sharing a snippet of my day and also taking inspiration from what I am seeing. There is some divine feeds on there that you could swoon over all day!

Here are my favourite September moments and what the month looked like through the eyes of Instagram...

Feature Friday - Michael and Carlene's Block Apartment

As the final weeks of The Block draw to an end, I thought it was fitting to do a Feature Friday post on a Block apartment. The apartments are now complete and on the market, with the auction taking place on the 11th of October.

My favourite Block couple this season has been Michael and Carlene. Perhaps I am biased as they are Gold Coast locals (living only in the next suburb from me!), but I truly think they are the most lovely couple on the Block. They have a lovable nature, are so witty and real and I can't get enough of Carlene's laugh!! It's hilarious!

In the last few weeks they have been on a winning streak. The judges deemed their kitchen, laundry, entrance and living and dining area the best on show this season. Here is a peek inside their finished apartment.

Wednesday Wanderlust

Wanderlust is a strong desire for or impulse to 

wander, travel or explore.

Wanderlust has taken over my body lately. I am loving exploring, seeing and experiencing new things. Fraser Island has been on the 'to do' list for a while and we recently bought a 4WD, so now there was no excuse. We roped my bestie and her partner in for an awesome foursome sand island adventure earlier in the month.

Our Kitchen Renovation - After Photos!

Here it is, my kitchen renovation reveal. 

You may have been following in recent posts (you can read them here) that we wanted to update our kitchen, make it more modern, but not spend alot. We wanted to achieve a modern but classic look, something like this.

We chose to not change the layout and the carcass of the kitchen to save money in plumbing and design costs. It is also a compact kitchen and the current layout works, so if its not broken, why fix it right?

An easy intro to making Kale Chips

So as you read this, I am at Fraser Island on a 4WD adventure. I wrote this post and scheduled it before I left, so you wouldn't think I had vanished for the week! I am holidaying with my best friend and her partner and my Husband. We all have in common an intense love for healthy, sugar free food. When we get together, there is lots of recipe sharing, cooking, eating and laughs. My friend has been busy in the kitchen all week cooking up a storm and filling the fridge with treats for our adventure. I have too, making protein balls and one of my favourites this Jaffa Bread. I have packed loose clothing and know I will leave Fraser Island a few kilo's heavier. Oh, why must I love food so much?!

Today I am leaving you with this recipe that I experimented with in the kitchen last week. 

Twelve months ago if you had of spoken to me about kale I would have had no idea what you were talking about! Fast forward and I am a keen kale advocate! I enjoy it in salads, smoothies and even make chips from it. I wanted to share with you a super easy and yummy kale chip recipe. Kale is now being labelled a 'superfood' as it has exceptional nutrient richness, health benefits, and delicious flavor. Pick up a bunch from your local farmers market or supermarket and give this recipe a go, I think you will be surprised!

Our kitchen renovation - before photos!

As part of my Feature Friday post this week, I am sharing with you my kitchen and its renovation story.

When we bought our home back in September 2012, it has been a long term rental. We could see the home had good bones and structure, it just needed some TLC and a little love. The heart of the home, the kitchen was a simple U shape design with a great window overlooking the backyard. It had a dated laminex benchtop, which took me hours to scrub the grime and buildup from when we first moved in. It had white rickety cupboards, a random microwave shelf halfway up the wall and the most hideous skylight/vent contraption on the ceiling. At least there wasn't an ugly fluorescent light though, so really I mustn't complain!

BEFORE - when we first moved in

When we moved in, we knew we wanted to update the kitchen, but not spend alot of money. Stone benchtops, two pack kitchen cupboards and features like marble were thought about, but then dismissed. Instead, we tackled the project DIY style and did it on a budget. It was a small space to work with and we didn't want to change the layout, as this would keep costs down for us. 

The month of August

The month of August for me through the eyes of Instagram....

August flew past, I can't believe it is the first of Spring already!

Here is my snapshot of the month of August and my highlights...

♥ This month I dusted off the tools and found my DIY mojo once again. I tackled a few little projects around the house, plus we finally finished our kitchen renovation. Phewww...I can't wait to share it with you (stay tuned!). Did you see this post where we added some serious street appeal to the front of our house?

 ♥ The lovely Sally from Coastal Vintage was on Instagram, asking followers to share our coastal treasures, using the hashtag #allthingscoastalvintage

Sally featured on her Instagram page my side table that I recently painted and added some sisal rope handles to.  You can see the post here. It was so nice to be feautered and shared with the lovely Instagram community!

♥ I Indulged in lots of healthy, fresh food thanks to my neighbour's gorgeous vegetable garden and found my new favourite dessert recipe - this chunky pecan caramel fudge.

♥ Was lucky to tack on a few extra days to a work trip and had a camping getaway 

♥ Took a family holiday to the Pumicestone Passage and spent four days fishing and crabbing.

♥ Enjoyed writing Feature Friday posts and stepping inside someone else's home! If you missed it, I share Shelley Craft's home, Nina Proudman's Offspring apartment and a gorgeous country barn styled home.

I must admit though, I was counting down the last weeks of Winter. I am so looking forward to the warmer weather, being able to swim again and not having to wear so many layers of clothing (less washing I am thinking!!)