Autumn Days - Tinkering

It's my turn to get up early with the kids and whilst on one hand it would be nice to be in my warm bed, if I was, I'd miss this glorious dewey Launceston break of dawn. Sigh. It's the simple things. I have to say life is pretty good at the mo.



Life has calmed down considerably this year for us and I'm LOVING it. No huge renos, just little tinkering kinda jobs and spending lots of time hanging out. I'm able to do more of the little things that "make a house a home". Yesterday's project was to pot a cutting of Mothers In Law Tongue plant that I stole/acquired from my Nan's big plant and put it into a lovely pot that she gifted me.



I had an old black plastic pot in the garden shed which I've used as the inner pot because the clay one doesn't have any drainage holes in it and I didn't want to risk breaking it by drilling some in.





Neck-minute, I have another indoor plant to add to my ever growing collection. A cutting like this will take off, thicken and become huge in no time. That's a savings of $20 for the plant and who knows what for the hand made pot.

Anyhoo, have a good weekend everyone. I'm off to make breakfast for the hungry hoards.

A New Staircase Fit For a Queen

Over Easter, instead of camping or chilling out, Roge and I went nuts "getting things done". One of those things was to finish painting our hallway screen which was still raw timber, as well as finishing the painting on the walls which hadn't been cut in and still only had one coat of white paint over the old pink (which was "pre Alex and Roge".)

Additionally, when we renovated our downstairs area last year, we chose to instal brand new stairs as the existing were very steep and uneven. When we were doing this, I decided to put some storage to one side of the stairs to hold part of Roge's vinyl record collection which was in dozens of crates and getting in the way.








Of course, there was still more vinyl than space on the shelf! Overflow now lives in a old sideboard (no more crates, yippee).



Such an improvement from the narrow and dark (and pink) old stairwell we had before. Giving up our Easter was well worth it. My feng shui levels are peaking!

Decorating Doesn't Have To Cost The Earth

Recently, after I received a sweet comment from a reader of the blog that said "you have a lovely home" I was thinking about that afterwards and felt a little bit self conscious amongst the pride (funnily enough). I thought that it might be a great time to remind everyone that you don't need to spend loads of cash to have nice things.

So much of my house is home made, up cycled, second hand or a hand me down and I wanted to give some examples of that.

Firstly a bit of the history given that not everyone will know my story. My house was an old retro dwelling that had never been renovated. It had shag-pile carpet, gaudy wallpaper and hideous retro features everywhere. The 60's were certainly not subtle in many ways, let alone the house styles! That said, the era also has many endearing features and I think the key is to keep the good bits that keep the house's soul but introduce the modern too (because lets face it, a house needs to be practical).



My style is defiantly to "strip" a house back to the basics. I love white walls, floorboards, neutral colours and lots of texture. It doesn't date as quickly that way and it means your decoration style can be the feature of the house.

In my lounge room I have kept the original fireplace but have put in a modern wood heater. I got rid of the heavy drapes and shag pile in exchange for polished floors and blinds which gives the space a much roomier, simple feel. Once the major stuff was done, it was down to the decorating. Given that I have small kids, having "stuff" only means they break it or it gets thrown around so I don't put a lot out on display. I use lots of house plants (most of which I've grown from a cutting or were left behind by the previous owner.)



I love my entrance to my house yet it's quite simple. I kept the original front door (again, keeping the odd retro feature) but teamed it with new dark tiles, a cheap kmart front door mat and a plant that my mother in law gifted to me.

Where are all the shoes you ask? They're in the cupboard in the hallway. I'm a big believer in cupboards, they hide all the crap away!



Most of my decoration stuff actually comes from the op shop or the tip shop. For example, most of the pots that I have my indoor plants in are from the oppie, as are the dishes and plates that I sit them on. This old swan vase (Betty) was again a second hand score and fits in my retro house like it lived there all along!



I don't have the money to buy expensive art so I often buy second hand art from the op shop which I take out of it's crappy frames and modernise by putting it in simple black frames. This Christine Ellis original art work was found at the Vinnie's store in Invermay and I love it. Cost me a few dollars, the frame about $10 and when I looked online, it turns out it would be worth a few hundred dollars. Score! I've framed tea towels, friends drawings, photos and none of it costs the earth.



I love amber coloured glass which is good because I often find old retro glassware, plates, light fittings etc at the tip shop. Each item only costs a few dollars at the most.



All my chopping boards are home made by my hubby out of scraps of timber. It doesn't take long to cut them into a sharp and sand them. The marble tile I found at the tip shop for a whole $2! It really is a case of luck of the draw on the day. I must admit I'm a bit addicted to that feeling of finding something really cool that I can give a new life.



Lots of my furniture like the sideboards and drawers are all from the tip shop or Gumtree. I give them a bit of a sand and an oil and they're like new. I think the key is to not go too overboard and have EVERYTHING old/retro. Mixed with a bit of modern stuff, they look quite good.



I think I've mentioned this one before but I often buy more expensive designer pillowcases and team them up with a cheaper doona cover or blanket that I might already have. Saves spending hundreds of dollars on a whole new "set" and satisfies my desire to have the latest linen that I'm seeing in the homewares magazines.



Throw a bit of Kmart new stuff in the mix and go through your cupboards to rotate what you already might have and neck-minute, your house looks pretty and you haven't spent your life savings achieving it.

I hope everyone is having a great week so far.

Alex

My New Laundry Come Second Bathroom

For the first time in months, I've logged into Blogspot intending to get back into the swing of things and the bloody thing might have as well screamed "who the heck are you"! I know, I know, it's been a long time between drinks (or blogs) but what can I say, life has been getting in the way.

Where to start! Well, it's been a fantastic Summer here in Tassie which alas is almost at an end. I've finished my downstairs reno, celebrated Christmas, partied in the New Year, hung at the beach, sent my eldest child to school for the first time and spent oodles of time in the veggie patch to name a few special things that have been going on in my world.

So, for months and months last year I promised that I'd take some pics of the downstairs reno (and never did). Well today I intend on showing you PART of it, namely the laundry come second bathroom. I have taken some pics on my iPhone (yup, the lazy bloggers tool of choice, LOL) 

I wanted the finishes to be really similar to the upstairs bathroom in order to make downstairs feel less disconnected from the rest of the house. Whilst similar in a lot of ways, it is not carbon copy of the main bathroom and I have to say, I love the result.

The copper wall light is a retro fixture that my mum pulled out of her house when renovating. Her trash, my treasure I say! 

The same tiles were used on floor and walls. The toilet suite was the same and the taps are from the same range as the ones in the main bathroom.

A cheap mirror (with cupboards behind) and inexpensive vanity basin hung on the wall completed the simple look. One day I'd like to put a shelf to the right of the basin but that isn't on the priority list at the mo.

What's behind the door you might ask? And isn't this supposed to be a laundry you say, well, wait no longer...

The washer is hidden behind a wall of cupboards and I love it. The best bit, there's a laundry chute from the hallway upstairs which comes directly down into the basket on the bench. Best decision I made in the WHOLE reno, (upstairs and down).

Not everything is perfectly finished yet. The glass for the shower screen has to go in and there's no handles on the cupboard doors but in time those little things will get finished.

Can you see the relationship to our upstairs bathroom? Similar but slightly different.

Certainly a darn sight better than what it was!

So there you go, one mostly completed laundry-bathroom. I'm yet to do the final costing but it should come in less than 10K. We had to spend a lot of money on trades for this room which always makes it a bit more expensive. We did a lot of the demo and carpentry but the rest was the experts.

It is my intent to get back into the blog again so keep an eye out for more posts to come. I've been busy and have lots to share.

I hope you're all well

Alex

The Boy's Room Evolves....Again!

Months ago I bought some second hand (retro) single beds for the boys with the intention to go full "Mark Tuckey" on them by stripping them back, replacing the panelling and the ugly metal base. Unfortunately I haven't had any spare time so I've had to give them a quick mini makeover and set them up without giving them the overhaul that I'd planned. However at the end of the day, I'm pretty happy with them with only a quick touch up. Lets see what you think.

The bedhead before TLC

Such a simple thing, using a bit of left over charcoal exterior paint and hey presto, they've come to life again. I love paint! 

The bedhead after TLC!

I'm the most useless blogger in the world I'm sure. I'm so time poor (I use my iPhone for photos, lol). With a small window of opportunity between tidying and the whirlwind that is my children, I take a few snaps and hope that they will be ok enough to shove on the blog!

Anyhoo, my point is, the photos aren't great but this is the end result. Beds in and linen on. Looks pretty comfy eh?

I've purchased cheap valances from Kmart to cover the unattractive metal base which 1, looks pretty cool but 2, acts as a cubby house for the kids (bonus)! They love hiding under there, I often hear giggles and soft voices from under the cloth although I'm yet to find one or the other asleep under there (but I'm anticipating it).

A quick rearrange of the bookshelves and the room has a new vibe. No longer baby and toddler, it's two big boys in their big boy beds.

PS, the beds cost $45 each which I think is a pretty good buy. $15 for valances and the linen we had already. Good looking and inexpensive, perfect combo. LOL

Summer Is Near and So My House Gets A Mini Makeover

Well Christmas is well and truly on our doorstep again, where did this year go? 

My blog has been quiet of late but that doesn't mean that stuff hasn't been going on. Quite the opposite really. The downstairs reno has been chugging along really well and the bulk of it is now finished. One day soon I plan on cleaning it and showing it to you. Maybe next week after the last of the trades should be finished.

I've been in the veggie patch most weekends and the jungle has finally been tamed. I've started picking the first of this season's produce which is always such a satisfying feeling after all the hard work.

I've also been moving things around, making Gumtree purchases and "Summer-fying" my house (clearly my own made up word - good eh!) Goodbye fluffy, cozy carpets and welcome jute mats.

My lounge has got itself a new couch (Gumtree) and the jute rug is from Kmart. The Bonnie and Neil art is actually just a tea towel in a frame and of course, lots of indoor plants (which I love). I'm going for a neutral and "cool" kinda vibe, you can't half tell eh!

Here in Tasmania we have sooooo many amazing handcrafted products available to purchase. My budget doesn't always extend to be able to buy as many as I'd like but I'd been eyeing off this little stool by Endemic Design for a long time and recently decided to splash out and get it. It's pretty much my fave purchase for 2015. 

With Christmas around the corner I've made another advent calendar for the kids. Last year I filled the bags with toys, stickers and all sorts of fun stuff but all they ever got excited about was the days that had chocolate coins! So this year I've kept it simple and it's lots of gold coins (and a few lollipops thrown in there for the fun of it.)

So that's a bit of a snapshot of what's been going on around the house of late. I'm really loving being here and have been feeling a lot more positive about the place since downstairs has started to really come together. 

This weekend is shack time for the first time in ages. I can't wait because frankly I need a break before the madness that is Christmas starts. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

The Perfect Amount Of Retro

Living in a 60's house hasn't helped my penchant for mid century designed furniture however being conscious of not wanting to live like I'm in the 60's means that I try to pick just the right amount of retro to inhabit my interior.

We are currently renovating our downstairs area which includes a rumpus room. The space is fairly boring and doesn't have any special retro features that we are retaining (remember the wallpaper, it was as retro as it comes but not in a good way!) Anyhow, given that the space is going to feel a little modern once it's completed I've been thinking about how to reintroduce a subtle amount of retro back in and given that we plan on having it as a second lounge/family room/entertainment space I thought that I'd embrace my husband's vinyl addiction and purchase an old radiogram complete with vintage cabinet. 

One look on my favourite second hand site, Gumtree didn't give me any local results so I placed a "wanted" add and low and behold, within half an hour I had a response.

Clearly it was meant to be because it was almost exactly what I'd envisioned. Better still, it is in mint condition and works like a dream.

I'm totally in love with the vintage sound that ejects from the old speakers. Quite different to the sophisticated, modern speakers of today. A little bit "tinny" and the odd crackle but it reminds me of the days when my Dad would play his old vinyl records when I was a child.

PS. It cost me $50! Bargain.

PPS. For those who are interested in my ongoing renovation nightmares. I CAN have the back of the house rendered BUT it will take a fair bit of work to get the brick wall in a condition to have it rendered soooooo it ain't going to be a cheap exercise BUT it will be cheaper than the alternatives. So thats good news in a way.

My House Has Cancer

My house has cancer...brick cancer that is and unfortunately it's terminal.

I've been avoiding reporting about how our downstairs renovation is going because I'm feeling far from the poster girl for "how to do it" at the moment (not that I ever consider myself one any way). I know I've said it before but I'll say it again, no matter how much experience we've had before, I'm pretty sure we haven't got any better at it! That said, every house is different and throws different challenges at you (so I should probably give myself some slack).

So where are we at, well, the latest stress is that one side of my house has "brick cancer". Test have been taken and I'm hoping to hear a result next week as to whether it can be dealt with with a coat of render. If not, it's going to be a very expensive alternative.

On top of that, well, it's still a mess, there's still no back door, the upstairs windows are still leaking downstairs every time it rains, we've had trouble with our concrete slab and it's still a million miles away from being finished! On the upside, I think we've hit rock bottom and it can only get better from here!

The sad state of the back of my house. "Cancer ridden bricks", rotten windows, leaks and no back door. 

Roge and I have spent the last few weekends getting our veggie patch sorted. A bit of it got damaged when the new deck was built and we've added some new garden beds. Overall, I'm pretty excited about this space. We're going to have a fairly thriving garden in the years to come which is going to be great for our health and hip pocket.

The deck is as complete as it can be until the plumbing inspector gives us the tick to say it's all good to cover over the external works. The inspection can't happen yet tho because we've had a hold up inside the new laundry-bathroom. That was last weeks drama.

Roge had the task of jackhammering the slab where the new tiles shower base is to go. It all went to shit to be quite frank when he hit dirt and everyone realised that the slab was about a third to a half of the thickness that it should be. The tiler had a panic attack and declared that the whole slab (laundry and rumpus room) should be pulled up and started again. The builder agreed with him. Alex (me) went into deer in the headlights mode, full lizard brain and had a minor break down. After everyone settled down and thought about it a little harder, it was decided that only a small section of the laundry-bathroom where the shower is going needed to be re concreted. Crisis over.

So, it's a good thing I love this house and want to live here forever because otherwise I might have chucked in the towel by now! I think we've pretty done every "not to do" so far. We didn't get a building inspection when we purchased, have over capitalised on the renovation costs (some of it out of our control), didn't get three quotes for every job and tried to project manage instead of handing it over to a professional, etc etc. But as I keep reminding myself, no renovation is smooth sailing and we will reap the rewards once it's finished.

A little voice is calling for me so I better wrap this up. Wish me luck for next week in the hope that I can have the bricks rendered. I don't want to think about the alternative...

Pimp My Egg Carton

I really love my chooks or as I often refer to them, "the Divas". They are such a funny bunch of little personalities AND the bonus is, they lay me eggs. They're the easiest pets too. They don't need walking and they eat all the scraps! That said, in years gone by I've had a few little hiccups. When we moved into our new house the local peacock kept letting them out of their coop (yes we have a roaming flock of peacocks that terrorise the neighbourhood). I had to door knock many a time to track them down and then last year, a quoll killed my whole diva family. I was devastated. Since then, life in the backyard has settled. The coup has a door with a strong lock on it and that has kept both peacock and quoll at bay.

With a yard full of mainly young hens, I haven't had an egg for months so with great delight, one by one, they have started laying. In celebration of that, I've created myself some special stickers for the tops of my egg cartons.

Such a simple thing but I'm ridiculously excited by them! 

If you're interested in doing something similar I found a store on Madeit.com.au called Under The Owl Tree who makes these. For twelve large stickers it's cost me $6.60 however the more you buy the cheaper it is and you can get all different sizes.

Today I'm having a quiet day with the kids. Kai is napping and Ewan is reading books whilst I type (ahhh, bliss). Tomorrow will be another story though as I'll be back to dealing with our bomb site (otherwise known as the renovation from hell!) I hope you have a more fun weekend planned than I do!

Getting My Craft On

We are huge fans of the cartoon Toy Story at our house. Inspired by some gorgeous art works by Castle and things, I decided to get a bit craft and combine my love of both.

 I raided my craft box for some let, cotton and a bit of calico

 A little bit wobbly but still kinda cool. Buzz Lightyear would be proud!

In the coming months, I'm going to be re-shuffling the boys room (again) as Kai is ready for a big bed of his own. I've purchased some matching retro beds and plan to restore them with a bit of a modern tweak and thus, add a few new bits n bobs (like this framed pic) into the mix.

Today is frightfully cold outside but sunny so I'll be out tackling the very neglected veggie patch. What do you have planned for your weekend?