Its the small things

We've been in our house for over  a year, and there are lots of small things we've been meaning to do for all that time that we've never quite got around to. This weekend I got onto them! The house was an ex-rental house, and while its big, it was a well used (despite only being 4 years old) by a family with kids and very plain. The whole house was painted "sand", and while we've made some changes it still has that rental-house vibe.
I think the recent nesting has got something to do with being home more, and sleeping there every night as opposed to half the time. I want it to be a home more than just a house!

First up, there is a big open wall space over the bath that needed filling. I love my baths, though try and limit them since water is a precious commodity here in Perth. Our bath is small and shallow, but that doesn't mean I can't dream that I'm somewhere more luxurious!

I've been meaning to fill the gap with a triptych ever since we moved in, and last month I finally bit the bullet and ordered some canvas prints. When I went on the epic cycle ride a few weeks ago I ramped up the camera resolution as far as it would go and took some shots of the ocean, cropped them down into a series of squares once home, then uploaded them to the canvas printing site (I used BigW Photo service)
What do you think?

Now I can dream I'm looking out over the ocean to Rottnest, rather than being in my
back unit in the inner suburbs :)

I also did some other things I've been meaning to get around to for a while.

I put up the pretty house number from Moro up on our fence.

Hopefully now people will be able to find us!

And I took the door off the built in robe in the guest room.

Its a "kids" room, so it doesn't really fit the double bed in, but we needed it to! So while the bed fits, not much else does! And the door to the robe didn't open all the way and generally made it look small. The hinges are built into the frame, so I couldn't easily take the hinges out, so I simply slid the bolt out that was holding the hinge together. Easy to reverse and didn't look as obvious as I had been imagining it might!

Can you tell its currently a junk room? And yes, thats my wedding dress, still un-boxed from the wedding 10 months ago... 

It hangs in the door frame usually, but then you couldn't see the curtain!

In the gap I put an extendible shower curtain rail, and used rings and clips to hand an old sarong as a makeshift curtain for now. Full access to the robe, plus a bigger feeling room. Perfect.

I also hung a curtain rail up in our bedroom, and it was so much easier than I remember the one in the sewing room being! Maybe I'm just getting better...

Pictures to follow, once the curtains are done!

Oh, and the garden is coming on really well. I love sitting in the sewing room or the main living room and looking out and seeing the honey eating birds getting a good feed from our grevilleas or kangaroo paws. Hopefully the big yellow paws should be bursting into life soon, which should look pretty spectacular. And the little ground covering grevillea looked like it had buds, so they should show their faces soon too!

Fathers Day 2012

This year we went bulk with the Fathers Day cards...

It was the first time they were really from both of us, but we kind of left it late because Australian fathers day is totally different to the rest of the world (in August, I believe), so the shops weren't full of trash ;)

I tried to choose pictures that mainly reflect the dominant relationship, but also include the new -in-law ness this year.

This is what we ended up with:

(from moonpig.co.uk)

Yes, I know. Two cards that both say *You* are the best.

Ah well.

They're the best. 

The Boys dad is a Tea fiend, so what better than a matching mug?

My dad likes his beers, so he got some Black Sheep with personalised labels.

Sadly Moonpig underestimated demand, and couldn't fulfil demand for the weekend.

I got a very nice email explaining the situation, refunding my money and offering 20 pounds (my computer doesn't have an easy Stirling key!) credit to use to either re-order the beers to arrive after the day, or for anything else. I reordered, and still have money left :)

They're due to arrive today. Fingers crossed they arrive OK! 

The Garden re-done...

Remember I was re-doing the garden?

Well, its been done for a while, but now the winters coming and the rain is arriving, its really coming to life! Thoug you should see it a few months later! ;)

The white balance its really bad, but thats Perth sunshine for my camera...

The grevillea and the kangaroo paws are really looking wonderful:

 Don't you think it looks like a fruit salad chew? If you know what they are!

We had a couple of fish in the urn, but decided that wasn't enough for us or them, so now they are inside and much happier.

We find now that its a nicer place to be, we use it more often.

Re-doing the garden

So, we've lived here nearly a year now, and the back garden is still just brick and mulch. And a tree that we can't decide if we like, and keep threatening to cut down if we could be bothered.

This is what it looked like when we moved in:

Those are rosemary bushes. 

Neither of us particularly likes rosemary.

And the tree was WILD.

And this is what it looks like now:

Yes, we used these 11 months well! 

The rosemary is gone, and the tree had a couple of hair cuts.

And this is what its going to look like. 

A couple of grevilleas, lots of kangaroo paws, some grasses, some low growing natives, a couple of funky Acacia Limelights that I saw ages ago and fell in love with, and a little pond. 

Maybe even a fish!

All native, hopefully bird/insect/frog attracting and waterwise.

See the results!

Sick leave Make and Create

So, I've been back home nearly a week, and been ill for nearly two. :(

I'm meant to be at work, but the doctor wouldn't allow me out of Perth because the cough (that came with whatever little bug both Dave and I have) has badly affected my asthma, especially since my lungs were weak and irritated anyway from my allergy to my parents Dogs.

So I'm on steroids to keep my lungs open, but other than that I'm not to bad... but VERY bored.

So, after watching lots of boring day-time TV I cleaned out the wardrobe and made some extra space and better organised it all:

Then I decided to try some more projects with my sewing machine.

And voilà - Two new cute bags, based on the ButterCup Bag pattern:

The one on the right is meant to be a strawberry. 

The leaves are much more green in real life.

I made some pretty accessories too:

This necklace is made out of rolled up pages from magazines.

And from all the scraps of material I made a million flowers, as broaches and hair bands and clips and decorations and whatever :)

Here's to being ill!

Hot Cross Buns

I love Hot Cross Buns.
So I decided to make some. :)
I was at work for Easter, so only got around to it today...

This was the recipe, but I used 1/3 wholemeal flour instead of all refined. With hindsight I wouldn't, but I thought I'd try and make them that little bit less naughty- more fibre! But while they're still tasty, theyre just not quite right.

Before

After

Honey Glazed. Yum!

Snow Days

So, the snow at home has been continuing.
It was -17 in Manchester last night, and they have started running out of grit for the roads. And food. And the schools are all closed. My parents can't get to work and my lil brother can't escape back to Uni. The maximum daytime temperature for the rest of the week is zero. 


But, of course, if there was a decent set up in Britain, then no one would even notice it was snowing. But we don't so they'll just have to put up with it :)


I'm so glad I'm in Perth!
I had goosebumps just from the air conditioning in the office today!

How the weeks been going:
Monday: Cycle to work. Swim in the evening. 
Tuesday: Cycle to work, run in the evening.
Wedneday: Bellydance class in the evening.
Thursday: Pump in the morning, then cycle to work.
Friday: Swim in the morning.


So not too good, but just the cycling has been bad enough. 
Or good enough, I should say- 700-800 calories a day is fine with me!