I have a great friend who I met through going to bootcamp. “Betty” has two beautiful daughters, and a lovely husband “The Doc” who have all become great friends. Recently my friend, began her own blog, The Doc and Me, and while only a new blog, Betty shows great potential as a writer.

The Doc and Me is a reliable source of medical and practical advice, with a no nonsense approach, I feel I can trust what I am reading. Betty also shares some awesome recipes, that are too good not to have a go at. Be sure to have a look at her Beef and Sweet Potato Pie, YUMMY!!

Tell us a little about yourself?

I don’t think there is a harder question to answer than this! I like to refer to myself as a ‘modern day Renaissance woman’ because I detest the term ‘Jack of all trades’.

I am a wife and a mother first. The Doc and I have been married for about 5 years but have been together for about 15. He is my best friend – is that corny? He is the person I admire the most in the world and the person I would take with me to a desert island. He also drives me absolutely bonkers but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

We have two beautiful little girls together who have completely changed the way we live. We are so much more conscious of the way we spend our time now, we are more conscious of work/life balance and we are always trying to create memories that will outlive us. Memories that will keep us talking at night long after the girls have grown.

As I write this, our 6 month old is inching/combat crawling across the room trying to get to me and my laptop.

So while I’m increasingly drawn to more professional endeavors, having the option to work from home and be present for all their ‘firsts’ makes all the professional sacrifices worthwhile.

I am a writer second. I am trying to make more time to write and I’m (trying) to put myself out there and submit my writing to various online publications. I’m also trying to build my blog, I’m very much still learning!

I write under a pen name ‘Betty’. I tried to write anonymously but it was just too hard to develop a connection with my readers. Betty is my Grandmother’s name, she was one of the most beautiful women I have known, she was beautiful inside and out.

All my other interests get squeezed in and around raising two children. I would love to exercise more, to read more, to sew more, to create more. Let’s face it though, I’d trade all of that in for a full night of uninterrupted sleep and a tidy house. There’s going to be plenty of time for me but the girls are only tiny once.

I’m also a keen decorator but I have very specific taste and The Doc is always butting in providing his opinion.

Tell us about your favourite space? What is it about this space that makes it your favourite space?

  My favourite space is our bedroom. It’s still not finished but it is the most complete room in the house.

It’s my favourite because it has the best view over the city and I can watch the sun rise every morning from my bed.

At this stage we’re up before the sun but that’s going to get better, right?!

Our bedroom is not really a sacred space, it’s a social hub. The Doc works some pretty long hours so the girls and I often hang out in there with him in the mornings as he gets ready for work. It’s really the only time he gets to see them.

Our bedroom furniture is the best part, it is bespoke, designed by us to suit our space. It is a simplistic blend of old and new and works really well with our design aesthetic.

The suite is only about 10 months old and took about 6 months to come to life.

When I fell pregnant with our second baby we were still sleeping in our (very old) Queen size bed. I was always uncomfortable from sharing the bed with a husband, a toddler and a growing baby so we decided it was time to upgrade to King size. The girls inherited our original bedsides and dressers, an old work colleague inherited the Queen bed and mattress and we upgraded. We figured it was about time!

The room is generous but not large enough to fit a King size bed and two bedsides across the wall that overlooks the view. We hunted – with a toddler AND a growing belly – all over town and beyond.

What we discovered was really deflating. We wanted a timber suite, modern yet timeless, good construction with generous drawer space. Do you think we could find all these things within our budget? No. It was depressing and after a while we gave up looking.

Me being me with my grandiose ideas and all. I decided to look into having a suite made. After all, we’d done this before with our dining table so I thought – why not – how expensive could it be?

The reality? It’s variable, BUT, if you take the time to nut out what you want and make the inquiries you do find yourself interviewing potential woodworking companies. In the end, after vetting a number of companies decided on Currumbin Woodworks. Col and Chris are brothers and they really understood what it was we wanted. They were able to take our ideas and translate them into working drawings that then became a beautiful bedroom suite.

There was quite a bit of back and forth to perfect the design, the dimensions, the timber (which is beautiful Australian silky oak that they sourced through sustainable avenues). The handles were a bit tricky because we had a particular style we wanted but (I feel) the end result is perfect for us. And, we got more for our money than we could have ever hoped to buy retail.

What are your favourite items in this space?

By far my favourite feature in the room is the bedhead. I love the lacework that comes through the silky oak timber. The carpenters have done a beautiful job selecting the right pieces to place together and form the focal feature of the room. The craftsmanship is apparent throughout and we are so pleased to own such a beautiful and original piece of furniture.

How does this space make you feel?

It really does inspire me. I’m so proud to think that I designed that. I worked out those dimensions – the height, the width, the drawer orientation, the handles. The furniture is a piece of art. I didn’t make it as such but it’s born of my imagination. I love that!

I’m also really proud of the fact that we have supported small Australian business that employ skilled craftsmen rather than huge multinational companies. I love that too!

That bedroom furniture is to die for, the craftsmanship is second to none. Betty has real eye for detail, and leaves nothing to chance, much like on her blog!

If you are interested in knowing more about my great friend Betty and her husband The Doc, be sure to check out her Blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram.

Have you a favourite space to share?

Nicole xxx