View from house

Morning fog, earlier this week.

 

Nice.

This is another project that is going on around here. At my new home. I am having a studio built up the back to house my sewing and craft stuff. There isn't much room in the main house.

My cats will also live up here. This was the studio on Friday morning.

Ellie and Smudge kept an eye on things.... Even though the builder had his dog with him (she was very well behaved and quiet).

Both cats did a good check of the carpenter's trailer.

By Friday afternoon the studio looked like this.

We are using the outside wood panelling from the flat which was built at the back of the house in the 70's and is coming down sometime soon.

I hope you are having a nice weekend? I made a chocolate cake and we had family over to celebrate the small child's 10th birthday. Today - washing, cleaning, hoping for more rain.

Renovation progress

There is work going on everywhere, my bathroom is coming out, windows are being painted and curtains and blinds being hung. This is what the bathroom at my house looks like at the moment.

It did look like this....

Hopefully soon, it'll look more like this... and then someone else gets to enjoy it :-(

Source: desiretoinspire.net via Joanna on Pinterest

Bedroom 1

I have taken this week off work to get my house finished, ready to rent out. I am still hoping to go with the idea of a home stay for crafters or artists but thought I'd rent it out in the mean time. The council are still deliberating over whether I need to complete a planning application or not.....

 

This  is the main bedroom from the real estate pics before I bought the house.

This is the lino that was under the carpet.

 

The light fell apart in my hands when I took it down.

This is the room now, empty and ready to rent.

I do still need to find a light fitting....

and I never got around to putting in built-ins.

So, more fence painting today......  Pics of the fence tomorrow maybe?

cat love

1. Lu, 2. Happy Friday!, 3. DSC_0286, 4. a basket of muffin, 5. sunday evening, 6. DSC_1290, 7. rainy day, 8. DSC_1356, 9. DSC_1314

I love cats. I have two. I recently moved them into the granny flat behind my partners house, where I now live. He doesn't love cats.

We have had two attacks from feral cats. At my house there were lots of strays but they were gentle and stayed away from my cats. The feral cats only come out at night and appear to be after my cats and not their food, which is scary. We have tried a possum trap but only caught a blue tongue lizard.

So, at the moment I have to lock my cats in before it gets dark.

What's next?

Resolutions for 2012? Do I even dare go there?

My reduced list for 2011 was:

• Set up a vege garden
• Consider fostering again
• Make more and buy less in 2011
• Save money
• Work on my health and fitness

I didn't really achieve any of those but I did:

• Start a new job (Aug)
• Almost finish my house renovations
• Start a masters degree (in Nov)
• Bond with my partner's 9 year old son (the small boy)
• Love spending time with my nieces and the rest of my family
• Decide that painting (art, not houses) wasn't for me, I'll stick to sewing and printing
• Grow to love Yass even more
• Have a great holiday in Vietnam
• Lost weight even before I started the 12WBT- not sure why - didn't exercise.....

So maybe these in 2012 for a start.....

• Use what I learnt during the 12 week body transformation (12WBT) to lose a few more kilos
• Take advantage of renting my house out to save money and reduce my mortgage
• Make more things - create (or finish) something each week challenge?
• Be more adventurous with cooking - small boy and teenage girl want to learn how to cook
• Save for a US trip in 2013
• Use the public library more
• Continue de-stash and de-clutter

Happy New Year

Live simply and take life more easily. Happiness lies in giving yourself time to think and to introspect. Be alone once in a while, and remain more in silence. - Yogananda

Trying to get an essay done this week as well as being icky. It is due tomorrow but it would be so nice to finish it today so I can have a relax day before I go back to work (time to introspect and think).

Of course all of a sudden house cleaning seems particularly attractive (and blogging)... I packed the Christmas decos away last night (except the tinsel on the moose) and cleaned the small boy's room out - leaving a pile of stuff for him to sort. He and his Dad went camping last night so I had peace for half of yesterday, all last night and until they return today. Nice to get the house back in order, even if only for 24 hours.

I love this service but can't decide what colour.... 

New family member

 
My Boxing Day sales purchase. Not planned but I fell in love.

 

He has been checking out the furniture. He lives in a hutch outside but comes in for a bit of exercise each day.  

I have a cold now, so have spent the past two days laying around and taking medicine. Hoping I get better soon so I can finish painting my fence and mow the lawn. I need to get some study done too - next assignment due soon....

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas Day.

New camera

 

I love this stage of the agapanthus flowering.



We got 3 old plant stands at a garage sale last weekend. $5 each.



Love cactus flowers!

I got my new camera! An Olympus, so trying to get used to it. Much lighter than my old camera and comfortable in the hand.

Garage sales

I would really love one of these. It is a birdhouse from here I was actually looking for a mid century style letter box for Mr Bloggs for Christmas and can't find one anywhere. Maybe I should get some woodworking tools and make one?

Not much blogging lately. I sold my camera and am waiting to get hold of a new Olympus. I am dying to get photos of my garden and my new picket fence!!

I had a garage sale at my place yesterday. There were a few on locally, so lots of 'regulars' chatting to each other and comparing notes on other garage sales, familiar faces and interesting chats. I even had a big bin of fabric from my stash for sale, I only sold about 20 pieces but feel a bit lighter in the sewing room area now. It is an interesting thing having people poke through your things and offer you $2 for that dish rack you spent $50 on at Howard's Storage World only 4 weeks ago. You really have to let go and just be glad things are going to a good home and will be used by someone. It was a warm day and I even got a little sun burnt.

Have you ever had a garage sale? Was it a success?