A few more finishing touches

Been doing a little bit of shopping for some finishing touches to renovating the house. I purchased a couple of french inspired pieces, a lovely big wall clock, about 700mm in diameter

I also purchased this lovely Eiffel Tower decoration

And last night I made this fabric wreath, while watching Offspring on TV. All of these items are going in to our bedroom.

Today I also purchased a lovely timber roller blind for the window behind our bed, which will go in well with the design. I like the french provincial, vintage look, but I don't want it cluttered or too feminine. I am going to go to the recycling shop tomorrow and see what I can find over there, as I have it in my head how I want it all to look, but just need to find the right pieces. I have found some beautiful design ideas and craft projects on pinterest, which is inspiring me to get my act together and start putting the finishing touches on things. I am off to a workshop with Mum on Monday, I am going to work on my dress form mannequin that I purchased last year with the intention of giving it a facelift, which will go in well with how all the designs are coming along. Anywho...off to hang a roller blind....

Update: I have now installed the blind, and put up some fabric as a finishing touch on the top and sides of it, it's starting to come together...

Animal and Garden Happenings

I went to the markets on Sunday morning, to get some seedlings for the vegie garden, to do the autumn plantings. I bought lettuce, red chard, sugarloaf cabbage, mixed green lettuce, rocket and a couple of comfrey plants to put under a couple of fruit trees. Comfrey is very deep rooted, and draws up the nutrients from deep down in the soil, but don't compete with the fruit trees for nutrients, so they are perfect for under fruit trees as a type of nursery plant. So these are now all planted in the vegie garden. I have also finally planted up my mushroom patch, I bought the kit last year, and have been meaning and meaning and meaning to plant it...finally got around to it today. It will be interesting to see how well they go, when I grew the shiitake mushrooms last year, they went really well, so I am hoping these give similar results.

I also picked up a couple of chinese silkies while at the markets, they are so gorgeous.

 So these are now in the chicken tractor along with the 3 younger guinea fowl I have,

 and also with the mother hen and her 6 babies. The mother hen doesn't like it if the silkies or guinea fowl go anywhere near her babies, but they in no way have any intention of hurting the babies, she is just being very protective.

(When can we go out there Mum?)

 While we were at the market, Kasey spied a guinea pig, she has been asking for one for ages, so I relented, so we now have a little boy guinea pig named Toffee.

Kasey has been lugging him around everywhere, with her, not outside though, as the dogs would definitely think he is a rat...and that wouldn't be a good outcome. We have been having a few dog problems anyway, the dogs have been getting out during the night and visiting the neighbouring properties. Reggie has also unfortunately started killing chooks, I have lost 1 along with 5 guinea fowl, and the neighbour came to see me yesterday to tell me the dogs have been getting out during the night as she was up quite early and saw the dogs scooting just straight underneath everyone's fences, and she has lost 5 chickens over the last 2 weeks...I am not happy, it means that Reg has definitely got the taste for chook killing now, and I don't know how to get him out of it. I caught him attacking one of my chooks last week, which was lucky enough to survive, but about half an hour later he got another, who wasn't so lucky unfortunately.  I purchased an electric collar, but that is only useful if you are watching to correct the behaviour. I re ran the electric fence around the perimeter, but they still got through that, and Reggie is now jumping a 5 foot high brick fence at the front of the property. Michael is home this week, and as Reggie is his dog, I made him go down the front and do some training with him to stop him jumping the fence. I am now tying the dogs up overnight, and we are getting an electronic containment system installed on Thursday. That's money I really didn't want to spend right now, but I can't have them getting out. Max and Diesel are both fine with the chooks, and I don't want them learning from Reg to start killing them. At the moment the chooks are permanently in their pen, until I can sort out what to do. At the moment I am thinking that we are going to need to fence off the back area so the dogs can't go in so the chooks can free range up there, but it still leaves the problem with the guinea fowl, not sure if clipping their wings would work for the guinea fowl, I will need to do some research on that. That's really frustrating though, as I am holding off doing a lot of more permanent things here, as we will be relocating to the new property....but that is probably still 12 months away...but I would rather do more things like that at the new property, but I need to make sure the chooks are safe...very frustrating. The carpenter came this afternoon to install the new ironing centre in the laundry,

The electrician is coming tomorrow to wire it up, as well as install the new cooking appliances is the kitchen, as well as some extra lighting and power points needed around the place. Also been busy organising the packing for our holiday at Easter, Damian isn't home until really late Thursday night, and we are wanting to head up to the property on Friday morning, so I need to get as much done as I can before he gets home, so that is stressing me a bit, I was planning on starting last week, but I just haven't got to it. I have been spending at least my hour in the garden each day as the weather has been really nice,  that's the brilliant thing about autumn...warm days and cool nights. Anyway, early to bed tonight to catch up on some much needed rest.

Hand made wall hangings

I made 3 wall hangings for the dining room yesterday, cost was under $15 each to make. I am quite happy with them. I used lightweight ply sheets, and covered them in wallpaper, it was very quick and easy. I am going to finish them off with a few splashes of textured paint in black or silver to hide a few imperfections here and there, but I love the look of them. The colours go really well with the colour scheme I am ending up with through the house.

I am currently out in the office, I have set the sewing machine up out here, and I am working on the bed runner I started last weekend. It is coming up beautifully, just got to work out whether I am going to use wadding and back it, or just hem it...hmmm...decisions...

Renovations so far pics...

Some before shots of the house during renos. Pretty much all of our posessions have been packed away, and the stuff we still needed out to function on a daily basis was moved out to the pergola area. The worst part by far was the floors being done, the slate being removed, it was soooo dusty, we had to wash down every wall in the house as we could write our names in the dust on the walls.

The company that removed the slate were really good, a crew of 5 showed up on time, and just got straight in to it, less than 6 hours later, all the slate was off the floor, the floors were sanded back for the tiler to start the next day, and the slate was being taken away in their trucks.

The next day the tilers got to work.

Then Damian started on building the new entry wall, where the brick planter (plant killer) was...it took him 3 days to build this, as it is self supporting and he wanted it all braced off properly so it could hold the tv etc, with no problems.

 I was going to paint the house in the Illawarra colour, which is the same as what is in the bedrooms and the office, but the common consensus was that it was going to end up too dark, even though I absolutely love the colour. So I ended up going completely white, and I will use the Illawarra as features here and there, that way I can put any colour that I wish to in a room for decoration.

This is the dining room, I still need to finish the window coverings and I am currently doing some home made wall art for the wall.

 The kitchen has had new handles and a new gloss white splashback so far. The appliances are being replaced with stainless steel ones, and a new stainless steel kick will go around the bases, and the timber blind is to go back up, after that I will assess how it looks, as to whether I need to do the doors or not.

 The main lounge area is just about done, I am just waiting for a replacement lounge, I currently have my eye on one on ebay which I hope I can get.

 The main bathroom was also completely gutted, and all new fixtures put in. The only thing we re-used was the shower screen, as it was less that 12 months old. The blind also needs to be put back up, and other than that it is finished.

 The bedroom is still being decorated. The new blockout blind has gone up, but I am in the process of sewing new cushion covers and a bed runner to compliment the new doona cover, and I also have some ideas that I am working on for the wall art and the pelmets above the blinds. I also need to put the timber blind back up on the smaller window.

 The new front door and entrance where the brick planter used to be. The painter is coming back tomorrow to finish off the door, so it will all be the Illawarra colour then.

 We replaced the hallway cupboard swinging doors with nice streamline sliding doors

 All the cupboards have been re-shelved, including our walk in robe which has had a lovely makeover.

Still a few bits and pieces to finish off on the reno side, and on the decorating side, and then we will start on the garden edging and finishing off the gardens outside, and then we should be able to sit back and enjoy things for a little while.

Slowly getting back to normality....

The last month has been full on here with renovating our house inside, and with Damian mostly away in WA working, I have been pretty busy with organising trades and doing the bits and pieces that needed to be done before some trades came in to do their work. We have pulled up the slate floors and replaced them with tiles, pulled out the brick planter at the main entrance and replaced it with a freestanding wall which houses the tv and all of the entertainment system wiring etc., gutted the main bathroom as there was a leak in the shower due to a cracked tile, and completely revamped it, tiled and painted the outdoor bathroom and pool pump house, had the new carpet installed in the main bedroom, replaced the kitchen splashback and cupboard door handles, had all the hallway cupboards and our walk in robe pulled out and replaced with new shelving and lovely new sliding doors, and the house has been painted from 1 end to the other...not bad for under 4 weeks! I am still moving furniture and belongings back in at the moment, so will take some photos once this has been done to post on here. Mum and I also went to a sewing retreat on the weekend, and I have started on a bedroom set to set off the quilt cover I purchased last week, I made a lovely cushion for the centre of the bed, 2 pillowcases, and started on a bed runner to place at the bottom of the bed, and I also made an ipad portfolio case with carry strap, which I can carry like a small shoulder bag. We also had a bit of a challenge during the retreat, and made up a quilt cover out of a jelly roll of fabric,  to see who could do it the fastest...I came in a close second...28 minutes...so it just needs to be given a border, wadding and backing fabric and that's a completed quilt.... I am thinking I may make a table topper and some other items with it instead as I am only wanting to be sewing up practical items that will get used, not things that will just sit in the cupboard...anyway, we'll see on that one. It is raining quite constant, soaking rain here today, it was very hard to get out of bed this morning, as I love sleeping while the rain is falling on the roof and it is dark and cosy...so after all the busyness of the last few weeks and the weekend, I am just going to try and have a plod along day today, and just do a few little things here and there as I feel like them, but otherwise lots of cups of tea, and reading catch ups will be on the cards...

Flat out

Very hectic here right now, in full renovation mode... House contents are mostly outside and we have had major works undertaken and still being done....will catch my breath soon hopefully and have time to blog about the progress....updates are on the way.....

Clearing up and continuing on with the renovations...

Things have been pretty busy since we got back from the property. We spent an afternoon up the back completely clearing up the chook pen area. We cleared out a few bits and pieces, lifted up the sheet metal, pulled about a foot of beautiful compost off the ground in the chook pen and added to our compost pile, and refilled the chook pen with some sugar cane mulch, to keep them happy and dry. Damian rotary hoed some of the back area along the fence line, so I can plant the pumpkin vines along there instead of taking up precious room in the vegie garden. We have spent the last couple of days painting the office, the painting is now finished, and we went out yesterday and purchased the new desks etc to finish the renovation in there. Damian is going to try and fit all of that tomorrow, and then we can move our office supplies back in there, and finally get all of the stuff off the pool table, and reclaim our bedroom.

(Our newly plastered, tiled, painted and refurnished office...light, clean, airy and spacious)

This afternoon I spent some time in the vegie garden, I grabbed some seedlings today as I haven't had the time to pot up any seeds, so I planted some lettuce, radish, corn, rockmelon, zucchini, watermelon, marigold, sunflowers, cucumber and pumpkin. With all of the heat that we've had lately, the weeds have taken off a bit in there, but I pulled some up today, and will spray the others with vinegar and remulch those areas after that. We may possibly head back up to the property this weekend as the cattle sales are on up there on Monday, but we haven't fully made up our minds yet, we may leave it to next month yet. While we were away, I asked Toni to take the eggs off the clucky hen as it had been 29 days since she sat, and none of the remaining 11 eggs hatched, which is really disappointing. I havecontacted the seller of the fertile eggs to let her know that the eggs were infertile, poor Toni copped a couple of them exploding on her, she says that she has never smelled anything so vile. So, that's the update for the moment.

Weekend happenings

On my way back from up north last weekend, I picked up a large tray of mangoes from a street market stall. Today I thought I would use some of them up, rather than them going to waste. I am in the process of making mango icecream with the thermomix, but I forgot the cream, so we will make it for dessert tomorrow night instead, it only takes a couple of minutes. But I did get the mango chutney made. And it is extremely yummy, it is a thermomix recipe, and has a nice bit of spice to it to make it tasty, but not hot, and this mixed with the sweetness of the mango and raisins, is yum.

I played around about a bit with my scrapbook max software, to do up the label, as I might make some for Xmas presents. We do have another clucky hen, one of the black australorp girls is sitting, so I will get her some fertile eggs this week, and allow her to hatch some out. She is so funny, if I feel under her, or speak to her while she is sitting, she carries on like there is no tomorrow, cackles away and won't be quiet for at least 5 minutes....I purchased a new chicken feeder as Damian hasn't had time to make the necessary adjustments to the one he made, and we have so many rats taking the chookseed, so I have finally been able to put the lid to the fully closed position today, and they are working it out, with a couple of the girls very confident in using it, and they are teaching the other girls at the same time. We have managed to dispatch of a few rats this weekend, they were nesting above the nesting box at the chook pen, so Damian took the dogs down there, and promptly got rid of quite a few, the dogs are so quick, and the job is done in a matter of a second, much more humane than baiting them and them having a long, slow death. We have to get them all gone, as I have been stressing about snakes, and nearly stood on a huge snake this morning, I don't know if it was a black or a brown, it looked like a brown snake to me, but some of the black snakes can look brown as well....whatever it was I want it GONE.....snakes absolutely creep me out, I am terrified of them....it took off towards next door pretty quickly, and the neighbours aren't helping  by having grass 2 foot tall in their back yard, so I think we might have a word to them and ask them if they can keep the grass down, at least through summer when they are really moving about. So I will only be going down there with my gumboots on, and keeping a really good eye out from now on. We have seen more snakes here in the last 2 years, than we have seen in the previous 17 years here...ugh.....I shudder at the thought of them....Damian managed to get the skirting and arcitraves all done in the office today, and get it prepped for painting, so that will be next on the list. I have managed to get a few Christmas presents sorted over the last few days, so I am feeling much more organsied about that, even though I still have no idea what to get Damian, or Michael. Damian and I might even forego presents for each other this year, as we really don't need anything in particular...and we have a few other things happening during December and January which will more than make up for it. So, off to sewing class tomorrow to finish the project started last week, and to finish organising Toni's Xmas present. I have a busy week coming up, Diesel's surgery is Tuesday, I have a wedding on Thursday and the sewing club Xmas party on Friday night. After that, things should settle down though for the run in to Christmas, hopefully

Lots happening as usual...

Well, there's been LOTS going on around here as usual. I have been busy around home getting lots of things that have been needing to be done for ages done. I had the old car in the backyard removed by a car remover...was the relics of Michael's first month of having his licence, until he broke the car, and it ended up in the backyard and that's where it stayed...for nearly 4 years! Anyway, all gone now... also had a scrap yard call around and take away the old home gym that was all rusty. My Dyson vacuum exploded, so I went out a purchased a new one, and got one with a powerhead, so spring cleaned the mattress and woollen underlay. I also pulled everything out of the office, and that has now been plastered, so now just waiting for the floor to be tiled and the walls painted, and then the desks can be moved back in. I'm currently working with a makeshift office setup in our bedroom on Kasey's old computer desk, so I am struggling for room, but it will be fine until the office renovation is finished. I have been really, really busy with weddings and preservations, still have a few more to finish off over the coming weeks, then should be back on top of things until the new year. I had to get rid of the 2nd rooster, he tried to kill Sam, my silky rooster, and even though breeding wise it would have been wiser probably to keep the plymouth rock rooster, he was so big, he was starting to get a bit scary, and he ate sooo much food, we were going through a bag of seed a week! So he has been moved on to a new home, and the whole hen house now seems to be a lot calmer. The plymouth rock hen is broody and sitting on a clutch of about 6 eggs, so we'll see what comes of that...willl probably end up with MORE roosters to rehome! I had to take Diesel to the vet this afternoon, he has a black eye of all things!  He had a large blood bruise in his eye socket, and he has taken a hard knock to his eye, but his eye itself isn't damaged, which is the main thing, it will take about a week for it to clear up. There has been lots of cleaning and clearing going on as well. I have had a painter come out and give me a quote to paint....wow....had to sit down for that one..I think I must have picked the most expensive painter in the shire to quote...so I either need to find some cheaper quotes, or I'm back to doing it myself...I went to the doctors on Wednesday, my right ear has been playing up, been aching a little and feeling like it is throbbing down deep, turns out I have a really large hole in my eardrum, I have to go to a specialist next Tuesday, the doc thinks I may need a skin graph over the eardrum if it doesn't look like healing....I really don't want to go there, but the aching is starting to get worse so it looks like I'm going to have to take some action....I really hope things start to calm down soon, I feel like we're all falling apart!

Still painting....yawn...but holiday here we come!

I am still painting....so over it..Kasey's room is finished, but I bought her a new bed with storage and I have been painting it white..I thought it would be a quick job....very wrong..the paint just isn't applying evenly no matter whether I spray it, roll it or brush it...I have put about 6 coats as well as the undercoat...it's not perfect, but I think it will do. I have also been painting her bedroom door as well as Toni's new robe door....my back isn't coping too well with the painting..think I will be getting a painter in to finish the house as it is just putting too much of a strain on my very busy days...I don't feel like cooking, washing, cleaning or anything...however, we have booked a holiday for an 11 day cruise this month to the islands of Vanuatu....all the kids are staying behind...so just the 2 of us.....very excited...we both really need the break...so grandparents will be up for some time with the grandkids while we are away....the 2 big kids are fine...shouldn't call them kids, they are both adults, but there will be days that grandma and grandad will need to help out when Uni and work duties call...yippee..can't wait...I am also going on a sewing retreat with mum this weekend, really looking forward to that as well..got a big wedding to prep tomorrow for Friday...then off to the retreat after that is delivered...

More painting

Been busy finishing the painting in Kasey's room today, pleased that it is all finished now. I have put her bed and drawers back where they belong and rehung her blinds, her carpet comes next Tuesday, and then just waiting for her cupboard and will decorate her room and bring some of her things back....not all, as I am going to use this as an opportunity to cull a large proportion of her things and make things much more manageable in her room for both her and me! Toni did the same When i painted her room, and so far she is managing to keep it really tidy as she isn't overwhelmed with so much stuff....good for her allergies,asthma and hay fever too, as less things to collect dust.
So 3 rooms nearly done, still a long way to go to finish the whole house though, but step by step and we'll get there. Damian comes home from working away this week, so he will probably make a start on the main bathroom when he gets back. I have got to order the rest of the tiles for the rest of the house as I want them the same all the way through. Sitting down with a cuppa for a few minutes recovering and then better lock the chooks up, light the fire and get dinner organised...lots to do...

Going well so far......

today that is.....seems to be much less chaotic than yesterday. The 2 end bedrooms look lovely now that they have both been finished and the carpet has been laid

Kasey's room is looking less than glamorous though....everything has been pulled out of her room except her bed and her chest of drawers which have been moved to the centre of the room, so they can be covered with drop cloths, I have painted the ceiling and the chippie is coming tomorrow to take out the centre piece and the shelving in her cupboard and reinforce the framing around it as we are changing it to 1 big cupboard without a centre part, so that we can change hers to sliding doors as well, and then her painting can be finished off and the carpet laid in her room (and the carpet layer will need to fix his glueing mishap in the other 2 bedrooms).

I have also finished off the baby blanket for Renae for her sister, it has come up quite nicely.

The fluffy fleece was an absolute nightmare though, even using the proper stabilisers underneath, and the solvy on top, so if she would ever like any more done, then it will be on the proviso of NO fluffy fleece please...I spent a day and a half doing this, and it should have taken a couple of hours....I have managed to put some order back in the house, I have put the sewing machine away, vacuumed and mopped and got the washing on, and dropped a preservation off to the framers to be framed, and need to head out shortly to get some nails for the nail gun to finish off the skirting in Kasey's room, and to get some new door stops for the finished bedrooms, and maybe pick up the tiles for the bathroom, depending on how many there are, and whether I need to take the ute or whether I can pick them up in my car.... so feeling much, much better today...  

What a day

Got up at 5.30 this morning to drive Michael to work, had to get Kasey up early and then have breakfast at Maccas while we waited for him to finish his job...then drove him home, just about cleaned up a car on the way home who pulled out straight in front of us, had to lock Damian's ute up to avoid it, they would have been way worse off than us, small car vs Landcruiser with a bullbar, not a good outcome there, then dropped Kasey off to school, only to have her having a meltdown because she forgot her show and tell because we left so early...then got home and had to pull out all of the furniture in Michael and Toni's room for the carpet layer, discovered after he left that he has gotten carpet glue on our new wardrobe sliding door tracks.... went to do some washing, Michael was using the machine, spent all day doing an embroidery for a friend who's sister just had a baby.....has taken me ALL day....the machine was not coping at all well doing small letters on fleece....was getting very close to throwing something...grrrr, not to mention the house was like a bomb had gone off with the contents of two bedrooms in the hallway, laundry and loungeroom, which makes me feel even more disorganised. It has also been a bit pointless trying to keep everything tidy at the moment with renovations, so my daily routines have not been happening, and all I seem to do is constantly pick up after everyone anyway, I tidy up and they mess up....Toni borrowed my lovely new black cowl that I purchased after I was wanting one for ages....now she has lost it! Just logged on to facebook on my laptop....was looking at strange faces until I realised I was logged in to Toni's account....my laptop...her account...how does that work when she has her own laptop??? Then cooking dinner while 2 other adults in the house wait for dinner...hellooooo....you could help or heaven forbid actually cook a meal every now and then...  Honestly....sometimes it feels like I have just disappeared in to the background and no longer exist, I am not just Mum you know....I really, really need a holiday....and people wonder why I get stressed so "easily"..was there something in the air today?? Nothing seemed to just flow....anyway....got that off my chest now, sitting down with a Tia Maria for a nightcap....(or two) then off to bed, to put today behind me....

Tomorrow's wedding

I spent today doing some flowers for a wedding for tomorrow. These bouquets were fun to do, as they are a bit different to the norm. Red cymbidium orchids, tulips, roses and some textural elements.

Off to the city to deliver these tomorow, and then will start painting Kasey's room in the afternoon...hopefully anyway, depending on how I feel. We have the carpet layers coming on Thursday to do the kids bedrooms, so I would like to get Kasey's room done so her room can be carpeted as well, otherwise it will just be Michael  and Toni that get theirs done. We have some very gentle rain here at the moment, which is great for the gardens and they were all starting to get a bit thirsty. I still have to plant out my fruit trees that I bought at the garden show as well....too many things to do at the moment....

Icecream, Renovations and keeping busy

Geez, I'm exhausted today...I went a bit overboard this morning while I was feeling motivated and did lots of things, and wore myself out..lol....Did some dusting, vacuumed and mopped the floors, did the washing, and caught up on some phone calls that had to be made, booked the pest control for next week and ordered some candle making and skincare making supplies.  Over the weekend, I cleaned out the pantry as it was getting quite messy in there, so it's all tidy and organised again now. I also cleaned out the top drawer of our vanity unit in the ensuite, will do the other 2 as I feel like it. Damian pulled out Toni's shelving out of her cupboard on Saturday in preparation for the new shelving coming in. After he did that, I got to work painting it, so it would all be ready. The painting in there was finished on Sunday with the painting of the gloss on the trims. The new shelving for Michael's room arrived this morning, and is now installed.

I just have to paint the plasterboard door now to match the walls and then we are just waiting for the new carpet to be installed. School holidays here, so we made some ice cream this morning in the ice cream maker. We haven't used it before, so we just made up a basic vanilla ice cream, it's very yummy and very creamy, much nicer than bought...it comes out as soft serve, and we can put it in a container in the freezer for firmer icecream.

I made pumpkin soup in the slow cooker today, and have made a loaf of bread in the breadmaker to have with it

Got to sit down tomorrow and work out some activities for the school holidays so Kasey doesn't go stircrazy. She would like her friends to come over and play, so I need to work that out with their Mum's as to what day suits. We're going to spend a day out this week and go to the movies and have lunch out, and other than that I want her to have a break as they all get a bit worn out towards the end of each term. So lots going on to keep me busy, but will take it a little easier tomorrow after a busy day today.