Supporting local businesses.

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When I turned 40 (not last year but the year before) my oldest son bought me a lovely gift from The Collective Store at Wynum.

It was a pink bird screen printed onto a piece of salvaged timber made by a local business call Mason Sinclair. I absolutely loved it and have since collected a few more

I really like the concept behind the shop The Collective Store.  It’s a fantastic way for local artists and craftspeople to showcase and potentially sell their works.

How nice is it to know that you’ve purchased something  that hasn’t been mass-produced and seen in every mall across the country!

It’s all about supporting local businesses !!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

House numbers

 

I recently bought these timber stars from a table of Christmas Decorations at  adorne, West end.  They were reduced to $5.00 each, originally $29.95!!! (seriously who would pay that?)

I thought I could paint one to match the front door, add the house number to it and hang it over the pickets on the gate. (I bought two in case someone decided to pinch the first one),  I picked up some cheap plastic numbers from Bunnings  and slapped on some pink paint.

 

But… Mr F (my husband) said that I was lucky that  he was willing to have a pink front door,  but the pink star hanging over the gate was ‘taking it too far!!!!’ He doesn’t want ‘to live in a gingerbread house!!!’  fair enough.

so we compromised, it now hangs over the outdoor light on the front porch.

I might paint the other star in a different colour, so I can swap them over occasionally.  I’ve got some left over paint from the boys t.v cabinet, the desk and the door on the garden shed .

 

 

 

The Mighty Fine book Swap.

I have been driving past this cute little cabinet on a busy road in Chelmer for months now and recently decided to pull over and investigate .  Its full of books and this notice.

I think it’s a wonderful idea!  You can find out  more about it here!

Have you seen anything like this in where you live?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relove Inc

Late on Wednesday afternoon we had a quick look in a relatively new Antiques/café place in Oxley called Relove Inc and bought this old music chart.  It was a little dirty but nothing that a good wash with hot soapy water wouldn’t fix.

Can you see the little lizard poking its head out from under the cupboard door?

It’s now hanging on a bare wall in the living area.

(Please don’t look too closely at the arms of the red chair.! Naughty Rose has been using it for a scratching post!!!!)  It normally has a cover on it but I’ve taken it off to make the photo look nicer HA HA!!

little bugger!

 

 

Something old …. something new!

Months ago we decided  one weekend to rebuild a feature of the house that was carelessly thrown away by the builders.

It was a curved timber batten ‘skirt’ for the front of the house.  Curved or arched battens are a very typical feature that you would see on a house of similar age to our home here in Queensland.

We were in the process of pulling down the front fence and decided that because the timber was still in very good condition, we could build the skirt out of it.

So the first photo is the old picket fence, followed by Mr F (the little bumble bee is to cover up his undies that were showing)!. The third and fourth photos are before and after the arch was cut.

And lastly what it looks like now.  In the fourth photo Mr F is about to start on another smaller skirt for the side of the porch.

 

ebay auction!

Have you ever placed a bid for an item on eBay and forgotten about it only to discover that you’ve won the auction?

Well that’s what happened to me recently.  I saw a painting that I kind of liked and decided to place a bid…. for 99 cents.  It turns out I was the only person to place a bid on the painting and I won!!!

The painting was in New South Wales so freight to Brisbane was $40.00.  I figured if it’s not quite my ‘cup of tea’ I could either relist it or take it to an Op shop.  It arrived a few days before Christmas and I had no idea that it was going to be so HUGE!!!

The auction description did say that it was 130cm x 170cm but I obviously didn’t  notice the size.  The following picture shows two of my sons standing next to it.

Here is the painting unwrapped.  I can’t find a signature on it but the previous owner said it’s by an artist called Victoria Lobregat .

Mr F wasn’t so sure of it and initially  offered to hang it on the wall in the cupboard under the stairs.  I’m planning on hanging it in the hallway by the front door until I can afford a Wendy Chenoweth.  I like it and Mr F has told me that he’s warming to it.

I know not everyone is going to like it but I’m actually quite happy with this particular eBay experience.

The front door.

Do you like the colour of the front door?

I know not everyone is going to like it but we’re really happy with it!!!

Tomorrow the slab for the carport is going to be poured.  fingers crossed the job is completed by Christmas.

 

 

 

 

June Mary

A few weeks ago we lost a very special member of our family . June Mary, our lovely, sweet Nanny.

One of the main reasons I began this blog was so that my grandparents could be kept up to date with the renovations.  Despite the fact that they only lived thirty minutes from us, it wasn’t as easy for them to jump in the car and pop over as much as they would have  liked.

For as long as I can remember, my grandparents have always  been keen DIY’ers,  Nanny always keen to pull up her shirt sleeves and give things ago but in her element out in the garden.

Accessing the internet was a new thing for them and a challenge at the best of times but they were always keen to know what was going on here at the house, I would encourage them to jump online and  ‘check out Old Pearly Jenkins’.  With a few hiccups here and there, they’d do it, ringing me to give us praise and bucket loads of encouragement.

My Nan was a twin, born in Derby, United Kingdom on the 29th of May 1937.  June and Valerie , the only children for Bernard and Florence (Flo).

June met my grandfather Stan  the mid 1950s. They married and started a family.  My mother Beverley, the oldest of their three daughters.

Stan joined the British Army, The Royal Leicestershire Regiment and together as a family had the opportunity to live in Malta and Germany as well as other parts of the United Kingdom.

After my grandfather retired from the Army in the early 1970s the family emigrated to New Zealand and eventually to Brisbane, Australia.

In the last few months of Nanny’s life I would go to their house after work on Wednesdays for dinner.  After the dishes were done, the television would be turned off and the three of us would pull our chairs together.

Between the two of them they would talk about their lives together and I would quietly listen and record these conversations on my phone.  Both Nanny and Stan wanted their stories recorded before it was too late.  I’m so glad that we spent the time doing this.  We have captured these precious memories forever.

Never one to dwell on the negative, Nanny June soldiered on despite being so ill,  always with a big cheeky grin and a funny joke to share.  Only in the later part of the illness did the cracks being to show.

She was taking a lot of medication to try to ease the pain but the side effects were rough on her. But again, never would you hear her moan or complain!  She was just so grateful for the little extensions of time it gave her.

Stan and June celebrating their wedding anniversary this year.

Always full of positivity, laughter and happiness our lives seem a little empty without Nanny June.  My grandfather Stan has lost his best mate, my heart goes out to him.

I miss you Nan,  we all miss you xox

 

 

Back garden update.

Mr F took a few weeks off work and levelled out the back area of the house.

With help from the boys he laid a path and a lovely new lawn!  The pavers were seconds s from the Boral Factory Outlet in Wacol, the lawn – Sir Walter!

We also picked up this colourful set for a bargain at the Rocklea Markets!

 

Bathrooms

I’ve really struggled to take some decent photos of the new bathroom downstairs and the ensuite.  Below is the ensuite.

So here goes nothing!!

Simple glass screens from Highgrove Bathrooms and a Methven  exposure rail shower.

We’ve used white subway tiles from floor to ceiling on all walls of the bathrooms.  With penny rounds on the floor.

Special little niches for shaving legs and storage.

I’m really disappointed with the result of the floor tiles.  The tiler has not done a good job hiding the joins between each sheet.  Unfortunately We were not aware of this until the job was finished.

We’ve used mosaic sheets in a previous house renovation, with Mr F installing them.  He did an amazing job without a single join to be seen.  but short of getting the builder to get his tiler to come back and do it again, we’re stuck with them (rant over).

 

A wall hung basin and simple toilet suite both Caroma.

Basically we wanted the bathrooms to still have a vintage, older feel but with a modern twist.

Here is Mr F attaching the toilet roll holder in an unconventional way!