the block : terraces.

Excited to see the finished apartments tonight. It was a massive week trying to complete the terraces – it looked like a lot of work but I'm sure they'll look great!

michael and carlene : their area is beautiful. I love the exposed brick walls and the timber cladding as well as a mixture between the formal dining/kitchen area and the playful astroturf/cafe bench seating. It's really beautiful and well done. It's simple but beautiful. The outdoor shower upstairs is beautiful and makes it feel so tropical and luxurious and it brings an amazing element to the main bedroom.

chris and jenna : once again, I'm so disappointed for them that they weren't able to finish. They are the least confident and have the biggest area so I'm not surprised, but it is always heartbreaking when couples don't finish. What they have done is so beautiful and really pared back. I think they've done an amazing job! I love that table (I love a massive table) and the ivy up the steel walls is great, and will keep on improving! The rooftop terrace is a weird shape and hard to use well, and it's a shame they weren't able to execute that well.

karstan and max : they have branched out a bit this week and I love it. It's simple and nothing much but I love the timber and pops of colour. The greenery looks great and brings life to their apartment. I love the Pop & Scott pots; they bring a bit of fun and colour in. They've done really well – I wish the rest their apartment was more like the terrace!

shannon and simon : my first impression is that it's boring. It's very simple, which is often good, but I think it may be too simple: black and timber and a lot of space. I love their bench seating going into their kitchen and the wooden wall mural. I don't know why they didn't build in their barbeque or a put in a bigger table. I think the floating pots look cool but are a bit freaky. I think overall they are missing something unfortunately but it's a good base.

darren and deanne : their terrace is so busy! We have gone from super simple boys to full on Ds. I think the hanging plants are cool but I don't love those fairy lights hanging down from them. I like the choice of cushions (even though there are many). I love the mezzanine verandah – it is incredible – maybe the best part! I was unsure about there not being an outdoor eating area, but now I really love having an outdoor living area.

They've all done really well! The terraces have really brought life into their apartments. Great job and very cool apartments!!

water.

There are some days I notice I have dark circles under my eyes or a dull headache or really dry lips. Usually, this is because I haven't been drinking enough water. When I do have enough water, I really notice the difference!

Here are a few tricks I try to do (try, being the key word) to keep hydrated!

• I wake up and have a glass of water. To help my digestion, I have it warm with apple cider vinegar and lemon, but plain water is great, especially if you often wake up with a little headache (which has nothing to do with the night before!). Leave it on your bedside table the night before so you can have it before you get out of bed.

• I try to have a drink bottle with me most of the time. When it's with me, I'm much more likely to notice it and have a sip. Driving my car, I often have a sip at the traffic lights; watching TV, I don't need to get up to get a drink; if it's on your desk, you can just have little bits every little while; if I'm walking around the shops, often I carry it in my hand. Little bits add up!

• When I feel like a cup of tea, I drink herbal tea. I do this as I'm avoiding caffeine, but often we just want a hot drink, and herbal tea is great for many reasons, particularly because it hydrates! I also usually have a calming cup of tea before bed.

• Instead of having soft drink or juice, I sometimes have a splash of lemon or lime cordial (which shouldn't be every drink as the sugar is unhelpful) or a slice of lemon or lime in a glass of water or sparkling water.

• Get little bits in after brushing your teeth: brush, rinse, and drink.

Let's add that up:

• 1 cup water to start the day, 
• 2 cups throughout the day from my drink bottle, 
• 3 cups herbal tea - morning tea, afternoon tea and before bed
• 2 cups infused sparkling water - lunch and dinner
• Plus other little bits and maybe your drink bottles or glasses are bigger than mine!

So, that's a total of 8 cups of water (or maybe more). I make it look easy to get the recommended amount! This amount is only a guide; what you need depends on your body size, metabolism, the weather, what you eat, how much alcohol and caffeine you drink, how much exercise you do. It would be pretty easy to have many more cups of tea or water (or sparkling water from pretentious glass bottles) throughout the day! Often I still have difficulty doing this.

Especially as it's warming up, it's super important to keep hydrated.

Not only does drinking more water give you more energy but it also improves your skin, removes toxins from your body, helps with muscle aches and pains, and prevents headaches. Who doesn't want that!?

There are many people who don't have access to clean water, like we do. When I was in the Philippines in 2010, I visited a couple of water stations which provide clean water to people and communities. We are so privileged! One of these was a Water for Water project, so if you buy bottled water, make sure you buy it from these guys (at Gloria Jeans or online) as their water is making a massive difference! 100% of their profits go towards helping communities gain access to safe drinking water.

So, go on, have a glass of water now.

the block : ensuites.

Excited to see the final interior room for this season! I think they'll be great, as their second bathroom and final interior week.

michael and carlene : Their room looks beautiful. I love their style: "simple, stylish and sophisticated." I really love the touches of wood and the unassuming marble tiles and black tapware. I think the glass pendants work really well, if they were timber I think it would have been too much. I think they've done really well and I really like their styling!

chris and jenna : They've done really well! I love the exposed copper pipe, the large scale grey tiles and their pendants. I'm not a massive fan of the 3D tiles and it's such a shame they didn't get to finish. So disappointed for them, again!



karstan and max : I didn't love their last bathroom with all the glossy black tiles and once again, not loving them but I much prefer the smaller tiles around the vanity and mirror. And the matte white double vanity is very cool – the rest is not doing heaps for me.



simon and shannon : The boys were very excited for the judges to see their room; I love seeing their love and confidence for their room! The wooden bath is beautiful, especially under the window with amazing styling! Their matte vanity is beautiful and I love the huge mirror. It's very simple and stunning!



darren and deanne : They always do beautiful rooms. I really love the mini grey hexagonal tiles (as always) and it's clever how they have put the double shower right at the windows to engage the outside world. Not loving their styling but overall it's a great bathroom.



Looking forward to seeing their finished apartments next week!

our wedding.

Today is our third wedding anniversary. Hooray!

I never got around to making a facebook album of photos of our wedding. Secretly, I always hoped someone would blog it, on Hello May or Polka Dot Bride or somewhere, but they never did. Never fear, who says I can't blog about my own wedding?!

And did I mention I love weddings!? I have posted some inspiration here, and my friend and I are dreaming of becoming wedding planners, mostly because we have so many ideas for planning another wedding (or ten)! And who wouldnt love working with beaming, bossy brides?!

rod + mez : 17 september 2011

Our wedding was a mixture of tradition and informality, with a Christian wedding in a beautiful church and a cocktail reception following photos roaming streets and gardens. It was very us: taking the moments seriously but having a lot of fun along the way. We didn't really get staged photos as we wanted to capture the day as it happened. We're really happy with the results!

Our families were very involved (with my sisters and Rod's brother in the bridal party) and our closest friends played special roles. All of the roles at the ceremony were done by people really close to us; it was all very significant, which we loved. My brother led the band which was made up of close friends; the minister who married us was the minister we both grew up with and is a close family friend of both families; Rod's sister and other close friends did Bible readings and prayed for us. And the church was full of people we love (many who we couldn't invite to the reception).

our wannabe boy band groomsmen

there's always so much fun to be had with teeth lollies!

My mum is so fashionable and wore different dresses to the ceremony and reception! So pretty!

my dad likes to be busy so I asked him to create a flower arrangement in a cage – this is what he came back with... amazing!

Trying to decide on my favourite part of the day is so difficult! But what people raved about were our church band which really helped focus the day on God, the flowers – which were done on some very specific and some very vague instructions, by an incredible and very lovely florist, and the casual reception where much dancing was had and silly photos were taken. I really enjoyed walking around with our closest friends having photos and a lot of fun. Our physical album is the most beautiful ever (so glad we got it)!

Oh the memories. I'm so thankful for a beautiful day and my wonderful husband.

Photography: Evoke Photography (official) + Deejay Photography (reception) || Bride's Dress: Collette Dinnigan || Bridesmaid Dresses: Country Road || Groom's Suit: Gibson || Groomsmen Suits: Spurling || Flowers: Kelvin Hall Floral Design || HMUA: Rachel Smith || Church: St John's Anglican Church, Gordon || Reception: Centennial Parklands Dining

the block : living and dining.

It was great to get a sneak peak into these rooms during the challenge earlier in the week, so I'm particularly excited to see the finished products.

michael and carlene : That exposed brick wall is stunning and works so well with the artwork on it! I love the couch – that colour was a great decision! I was very nervous about the bookshelf wall but it works really well and yes, it was styled amazingly (one day, one day) but is it too busy? The idea of the dining table being a practical size for the space but also being able to be extended to fit more people is amazing – good looking and practical is what I'm about and so I'm so happy when people think about both! As usual, I think their space is great (but why does everyone love that rug?)!

chris and jenna : I love that they have included the entrance area – something so important in the practicality of a home. I thought their study area was really good, but I agree that it mightn't be the best choice at the front door. Their dining table is stunning but the chairs aren't a great choice; aesthetically and functionally. So glad they were bold with their choice of couch – it looks great – and I love the wooden slats at the front door! The TV as a focal point in a room is a pet peeve of mine but I don't think it deserved the criticism it got. It's a shame that the finishes weren't up to scratch but overall, I think they've done a really beautiful job.

max and karstan : The room is simple but comfortable. I, however, don't love the carpet 'rug' or the choice of couches but the living area works really well as a whole. I love their wooden coffee table and the wooden features in the TV unit – really beautiful! I really like their custom dining table and feature light and their room is made by the beautiful natural light. Overall it works well but personally I would change some of the details. I'm glad it's less clinical this week!

simon and shannon : I was so excited to see their room and I love it! That wooden wall is stunning and the Blacklist studio installment is definitely a work of art, which I think is great but it's very risky! Their Brent Rosenberg artwork is also stunning (the same artist as in their butler's pantry). It looks amazing with that sideboard – potentially my favourite part of the room! The way they use the greenery with the wood always wins me over! Some harsh but very fair comments from the judges about the rug and clothesline in the living room.

darren and deanne : First of all, I love their David Bromley artwork – it's a stand out piece and being oversized works so well! Their dining table is beautiful (can you tell I like timber?!) but I'm not in love with the chairs or pendants. I like the idea of the sitting area at the bottom of the stairs, but I do think it's a bit busy. The room overall doesn't give me much; I can't really work out why, but I do think they're going to do well as there will be an emotional attachment to the panelling and flooring – smart move!

I can't believe the inside of their apartments are almost done – only one more room!

the block : kitchens.

The much anticipated (for some) kitchen week is here. From the previews, they didn't look as impressive as they were built up to be, but they are great!

michael and carlene : I love the garden that they've put in under the stairs – I always love a bit of greenery (and a bit of colour)! And their whole kitchen is stunning: the wood, the black, the white. It's very simple and very beautiful. I love the textured subway tiles (which don't steal too much attention) and the shelves and laptop area. I would love this kitchen in my house! Love it.

chris and jenna : That is a very large kitchen! It has a lovely feel. I think it works really well with the light timber and the black. The space is amazing and, despite my apprehensions, the copper sinks work really well. The only thing I don't really love are the cushioned stools (which are easily changed). The bar isn't my style and I didn't love those artworks near it. I agree that that area would work much better as a study, but I'm sure some people would love a bar in their home.

karstan and max : Their kitchen is so different and is really unexpected. I like their breakfast bar adjoining their bench. The size is massive but nothing really stands out. I can't really work out what I think... I don't think it's doing it for me. The TV is a great idea! I don't love all of the cupboards in the butler's pantry – I think it would be so much more practical to have open shelves, a sink and more appliances.

shannon and simon : The polished concrete floor makes me so jealous!! It's so beautiful! I love the giant benchtop overlooking the street with the cooktop but I'm not sure how practical it all is with their placement of the sink, fridge, cooktop and oven. It's such a great idea having the breakfast bar looking out over the terrace and the bi-fold windows. I personally think the kitchen with the black benchtop and grey cupboards is a bit dark. I think the kitchen is great but looks a little narrow and pokey and impractical.

darren and deanne : I love the parquetry flooring and I think it will work well throughout their apartment. The kitchen is very monochrome. It's all quite classic and beautiful, but once again, not my style. I think the marble is beautiful but very busy – I would have chosen a simpler marble. The butler's pantry is practical and works well (and I love the boiling and filtered water tap!).

7vignettes.

If you follow me on Instagram, you would have noticed that for the first seven days of September I have been posting a random selection of photos, with words attached, the 7vignettes hashtag, and tagging some people. Well, I am in a competition/challenge which occurs each month (I did it for the first time this month). It's run by a blog called Interiors Addict and each month has a different judge who selects seven words which the photos must represent.

Here are my photos:

Day 1: yellow.

you may recognise this photo from my post, yellow.

Day 2: forever summer.

Day 3: holiday.

Day 4: stripes.

Day 5: nostalgia.

Day 6: family.

Day 7: four-legged friend.

If you're not following me on Instagram, please do! There are so many more photos and much more interaction than on facebook or even on the blog. Click here or follow @thearlegirl. See on you insta!