Quick update

We got the landscaping quotes back and didn't QUITE faint at the price. It's more than we want to spend, but not by a huge amount, thank goodness.

Since we took the "let's include everything we want" approach, we now have some room to pare a few things back and hopefully still end up with a design we like with all necessary inclusions at a price we're happy with. Then we'll be content to spend the next twelve months or so gradually adding the extras.

***********

I finally got my flyscreen on the sliding door in the studio too. I'm keen to see if the air con works better in here with a door open. Last summer was unbearable in this west-facing room, even with the evap cooling on full and the blockout blinds closed. Let's hope it's just an airflow issue; the rest of the house is great.

We'll no doubt find out soon. I'm sure there's more heat in store.

************

eBay is my current obsession. I'm madly selling stuff we no longer need and also picking up some bargain secondhand textbooks for the kids. I refuse to buy another $70 book that can't be passed on to a younger brother because the school changes the required text. Grr!!

I'm trawling through the house looking for anything that might be sellable.... the kids better not stand still for too long.

***********

I bought a new Christmas tree this year (one that doesn't look ridiculous with our high ceilings), and it's up - yay! I'll post a photo when I have more presents under it.... it looks kind of bare at the moment.

I picked these up at Target today though, very blingy!

Decorating

I've been haunting ebay, trying to find the perfect hall table for our entry and I thought I had it.... but I was outbid. I sulked about it for a bit, but now I've decided that it was a blessing in disguise, because I found this locally at a bargain price:



You can stash a surprising amount of crap in those drawers...

I need to find just the right arrangement of decorative bits and pieces, but for now, I've pinched things from other rooms, bought a lamp on special at Target, and parked Buddha (who's destined for our al fresco room) in the middle.



The print used to hang in the dining room at our old place. It's not quite what I want, but I don't mind it for the time being. Now I can take my time to look around for something that's just right.

Sun lover

I planted a bowl of cacti a few months back, using some plants I got for free, some I got as part of a bargain lot, and one that I actually bought specially.

Anyway....on Saturday night, I noticed four little buds on one of the more prickly cacti, about 2cm high. This morning, I went out to water my pot plants and discovered this:





And....it's had babies!



The ugly old plastic bowl doesn't do a thing for it though. I must look around for something nice to re-pot them into.

Don't chuck it out!

How often do we get glossy brochures in the mail with beautiful new, fashionable furniture and homewares, and we look at our shabby old furniture and immediately start planning to replace it?

New stuff is nice, sure, but who has a bottomless bucket of money to pay for replacement stuff every time fashion changes? I'm saving my money for the important stuff, like lovely new paving. OK, and some couches. :o) Meanwhile, there are savings to be made with just a bit of time and effort.

We had a couple of pine four-drawer bedside tables, that we bought over 25 years ago, and not only were they looking a bit sad, but the style was just all wrong for the new house. So rather than buying new ones, I once again dragged out the sander, bought a can of stain/varnish and a set of new brushed steel handles and transformed this:



....into this:



No, the colour doesn't match the bed, but that's going anyway (eventually). I'll sell it on ebay and buy a new king size ensemble - after all, we have the room. And the new colour does almost match the coffee and side tables we have in the retreat, which was way more important.

Cost was about $50 for the two bedside tables. The new lamps were from Target, picked up in a 30% off sale. I love a bargain!

My next plan is for the entry ...I'm watching something on ebay that'll be just the thing with some stain and a couple of new handles. ;o)

Leave it to the experts

We've found it impossible to get anywhere with our landscaping. Either we don't have time on the weekends, or the weather is against us.... So we decided to call in some expert help and get some quotes from landscapers. We're thinking at a minimum, we'll ask for our paving to be done, plus a landscape design for the whole area, which we can carry out in stages. But depending on how the cost fits with our budget, we may get the whole thing done.

Today we're expecting the first guy to come and have a look at what we need done. With that in mind, I thought I'd better put my file of magazine pictures to good use and sort through them to come up with a vague design brief. After all, how do you design something for someone, when they have no idea what they want?

This lot (plus a rough plan of what we want to go where) should give him something to start with:

Seems I had enough pictures to cover the dining table...and I left a lot out.



Some ideas for our Balinese "bus shelter" (we don't have room for a proper-sized hut):



Built-in seating would be nice. Dreaming, maybe...



The kind of planting effects I'm going for:



We need a path along the side of the house. I'm thinking lush plantings and pavers in gravel:



Also some paving under the clothesline, but I want to break it up with mondo grass:



And we both agree that a feature wall is a must-have. Stackstone? Decking timber? Rendered? Water feature? Garden art? So many choices...



I feel as though we have something useful to present now - and I got to have some fun with scissors and glue. :)

Renovating

After getting the outdoor furniture all ship-shape, I remembered that my old garden bench was down the back, all forlorn and neglected. So I decided that today was the day to tackle that job.

I dragged it around to outside the al fresco room, where I had a bit of space (and a power point) and .....uh-oh:




Hmm, not looking too flash.

Not to worry, we have the technology! A quick rummage in the garage and I was armed with a hammer, some glue, the cordless drill and some screws that looked like they'd do the job. They're probably completely wrong for this project, and no doubt Bike Boy will have to re-do my repairs, but when I make up my mind to do something, small details don't stop me.

Next was a quick sand, then I hit it with the outdoor furniture oil. A second coat a couple of hours later, and voila:



The colour is much darker than the photo shows. Stupid sun decided to disappear just as I took it...

Anyway, some new cushions and it'll be ready for a test run on the weekend.

New shiny stuff:

To keep your drinks cold (with style)....



And to keep your body warm....



I've been bargain-hunting! :)


And yes, we still have the redi-shades on the al fresco room windows. Shush!