Australia Day...and boy am I grateful!

Yes I really am grateful for so much..

Australia Day means different things to lots of different people...to some it's a chance to fly the flag, have a BBQ and generally enjoy the day off work

For me, it's a chance to enjoy and appreciate the people around me and consider myself extremely lucky to be able to call this place home

These guys think it's a pretty good place too, especially when MONT and his mates come in after a day of fishing and they get all the left overs.

No wonder they all look so content.

Congratulations also to the 2011 Australian of the Year, Simon McKeon. A deserving recipient of the award

This is him, pictured with his wife and son...congratulations!

You can read a story about him here

Beach

MONT and I are at the beach for another week...it's our annual two week break to a small caravan park where we get to catch up with friends and MONT gets to head out in his small boat to fish just about every night, weather permitting.

This photo was not taken this year...it's a couple of years old but we camp in the same spot near the same people each year and love it. Happy hour usually stretches to 2 hours each afternoon!

Our old caravan is probably one of the oldest in the park, certainly the oldest in our little "street" but that's OK. I'd like to get rid of all the brown and cream in it, but the cost would be prohibitive and it's just not worth it, so instead I make sure I have cotton throws on the seats and a nice doona cover and crisp white sheets on the bed to make me feel a little better and to freshen things up a bit.

Today for lunch we're having fresh whiting that MONT caught two nights ago...can't get much better than that. I just have to wait for him to get back from squidding...that means (hopefully) there'll be fresh calamari for dinner tonight.

YAY!

I forgot to mention...... I've had a couple of emails from organisations offering some giveaways and discounts, so when I get home there'll be some goodies on offer...stay tuned!

Resolutions?

I'm not a New Year Resolutions type of girl. Instead, what I like to do is set myself tasks...not to lose weight or get fit etc. I like to give myself projects to achieve and my projects this year are more renovations and refurbishments of some old furniture.

So on that note, I'd like to introduce you to my latest footpath find.....

Taa Daa.....

It was sitting all by it's lonesome a few houses down from Number 10, so MONT went and got it for me.

Not sure how I plan to tackle it yet because the top is a laminate and after peeling a bit of it off, it was pretty rough underneath...even too rough (methinks) for a heavy sand and a coat of white paint.

Anyhooo we'll see. It will be sanded back, given a good undercoat and maybe the top will have to be replaced, which should be pretty easy seeing those curly corner thingies are screwed on.

It's a strange little piece, but will look better with a nice coat of paint... or three...

Luckily I took the photos of this a couple of days before our cameras were "pinched".

We're still on holidays, so Amanda, I have not forgotten that you gave me an award a few days back ... I've just been a bit distracted with our episode at home and now being at the beach.

Sincere apologies - A Winner!!

Finally.....Time to announce the winner of my little giveaway

I have to apologise for the delay in the announcement, but I had to travel interstate for work and then as soon as I got home, we had to pack up for our annual holiday to the beach....

... also throwing a spanner in the works... we got burgled last week which means I am no longer able to photograph anything as my precious canon camera and all of it's bits and pieces were taken. Basically, we were cleaned out of all of our "small"stuff. Not pleasant I can tell you!

So, here we go...

Thank you for all of your comments...and your patience....I put all the names in a little jar down here in our old trusty caravan, got MONT to draw out the winner...and that is:

BRISMOD

Please email me your address and I'll post of your lovely prize, which was one of the first things I packed in the car...

Thanks again for all of your comments...I'm hoping to have another little giveaway on a similar theme again soon.

Take care everyone

Apology

Sorry everyone...I won't be drawing the winner of the little creamer and sugar bowl set tomorrow. I have to go out of town for a couple of days so will leave it till Saturday.

Gives you more chances to comment though

Back deck table

As you know by now I definitely have a thing about WHITE! and I seem to be painting everything that gets in my way at the moment

Here's our back deck last year. Hard to see but the little slat table was all uneven. If you click on the photograph you can see a little better

I've had the table for years but the slats had bowed and buckled and it wasn't safe to put your drink on and we can't have that!

Hard to see it in this pic under and among all the "projects" I had on the deck after the weather "turned".

But I bought a sheet of MDF, MONT cut it down to size and attached it to the table, and I gave it about four coats of paint to make it waterproof.

It's much better and much more functional now, although once this top goes to God, I won't be putting MDF on it again...I think I'll get a piece of marine ply or something a little more sturdy seeing it'll be sitting outside all the time.

Still pretty happy with it though.

To everyone suffering from the devastating floods in Queensland...my thoughts are with you. I once lived in Brisbane and watched as my backyard filled with water from the swollen creek that runs past my back fence...

It's been heartbreaking watching the tragedy unfold on television and my heart goes out to everyone affected.. 

Dottie Angel Challenge - Week 1

I've got through the first week of the retail challenge relatively unscathed. I plan to keep a little running tally on what I spend and while I won't be boring you with all the details every week, I thought I'd post about my first week just to document what I'd done and to help keep me on track.

Shopping wasn't a big priority this past week because we've had other things happening at Number 10. I've been preparing the front hallway for painting and although it's not a huge job it is fiddly with lots of corners and architrave to paint around....anyway, week one of the challenge and I spent the princely sum of $6.00

Of course there'll be weeks when I don't spend anything at all...and there'll be some when I spend a lot more than $6, but I guess it's also about THINKING about what I'm spending my hard earned on.

I got a lovely email from Tif at Dottie Angel wishing me luck through the challenge...but as she said, you still have to have fun and if you fall off the wagon, don't beat yourself up about it, just try a little harder the next time. So that's what I plan to do. Try my hardest but not get too upset if I fall off the wagon.

Righto then, it's back to painting the hallway

Image from Dottie Angel
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Don't forget my little giveaway this week of the lovely creamer and sugar bowl. Just leave a comment any day this week and the winner will be drawn next Thursday (Jan 13th)

White China - New Year Giveaway

Time for a little giveaway, seeing it's the beginning of a new year and all.

They're a set. A white creamer and a sugar bowl.

With a cute little china spoon to match

They say they're dishwasher and microwave safe, though why you'd want to zap them in the microwave I'll never know...but there you go.

If you'd like to be in the draw to win them, just leave a comment any day over the coming week and I'll draw a name out of my little urn on Thursday 13th January

Enter as often as you like, I don't mind one bit.

Good luck

Done and Dusted

That's it for another year.....The Christmas decorations are all packed away and the Twiggy Christmas tree has been taken down, broken up and sadly, put in the fire.

All the lights have also been put back in their boxes...

Except for these.

I made them a few years ago out of wire planters and three boxes of Arlec indoor/outdoor budlights

I put them on our small back deck to give it a bit of a lift...

...and that's right where they've stayed.

They give a lovely glow on a Summer's night and they weren't hard to make...a little labour intensive maybe, but well worth it.

Stay tuned for a giveaway this week...a lovely little item just perfect for an afternoon tea.
  

OMINTETGÖRANDE

Jag kan inte stå med min tid slösas bort. No, I can not stand having my time wasted!!


 

It seems I'm not the only one who has a strained relationship with IKEA.

Kate over here and April here have also had their issues with the large Swedish store.

Me? I love visiting IKEA from time to time to browse and see what they have in-store and see what ideas they can give me, but there are times when I find the place extremely frustrating!

IKEA encourages us to check their website for stock availability, to make sure we don't wander in for a specific item and get disappointed when it's not there. Well that would be marvelous if their website was accurate and if, knowing that it wasn't operating correctly, they actually fixed it!

I'm not the only one who has studiously checked stock availability and turned up to find the item well and truly sold out.  I was in there a couple of weeks ago and heard two other women stating the same thing to one of the stores' workers.

The stock prognosis function of the website wasn't accurate for weeks...and, as was said to me in store, they've known about it for ages....also, the website doesn't list all products available in store either.

So, the advice I give to you....don't rely on their website or that cartoon Anna thingy live help desk. Frankly, it's useless.

If you're after something specific, always ring the store and stay on the phone until you speak to someone...otherwise you could be given the runaround too.

Very frustrerande

Translation thanks to Google...(apologies if you're Swedish and the translation has made you laugh out loud and snort coffee through your nose)

Yellow drawers update

Meet the new/old addition to Number 10.

The old yellow chest of drawers I found on the footpath last year have been given the Number 10 treatment.

This is how they used to look. Not very attractive but lots of potential.

I sanded them back and gave them a couple of coats of undercoat

I bought some trim to hide the gap that would show once we removed the damaged top.

...and this is how it looks on the drawers now

I filled and sanded all the holes in the drawer fronts and MONT drilled some new ones for the new knobs.

It's still sitting on our back deck at the moment until it gets a top coat and I find a home for it inside.
I'm so happy with the way it turned out...amazing what a little elbow grease, a coat of white paint and some new knobs can achieve.

2011 retail challenge

This isn't a challenge to see how much you can buy...no.

It's a challenge to see what you can get by without. What you can achieve by using things at home rather than heading to the store to buy something new....you know, reduce, recycle, re-use.

Tina from here suggested the Dottie Challenge the other day after I posted on a new wool coat I'd bought myself from the local op-shop.  The Dottie Challenge was first thought of by Tif at Dottie Angel in 2009...so I say, what's good for 2009 is just as relevant for 2011!

I mean really...how many more shoes, dresses, bags, homewares and gadgets does a person really need? I have enough "stuff" to last me a lifetime, and much of it sits in the cupboard.

So, this year I plan to "shop the closet" and the cupboards at Number 10 and check out what the local op-shops have if I need anything.

With a bit of luck it'll mean the bank balance grows a little, my cupboards will (eventually) empty a little and I'll be a little less reliant on retail therapy to get me through the days/weeks/months.

There is something I draw the line at though: second hand socks and undies! Used intimate apparel is a no-no as far as I'm concerned and, if a major appliance, like the fridge or washing machine goes kaput, they WILL be replaced! But that's about it.

It's not going to be easy for me, especially seeing I have access to so many discount stores and outlets, but hey, they'll still be around in 2012. I'd be interested to hear any ideas you have to help get through a retail challenge year....all suggestion gratefully accepted.

A Big Week.....

It has been a big week at Number 10...just as it's been a big week for everyone everywhere else!

Apart from Christmas and New Year, I celebrated another birthday smack bang in between the two big days. I had a lovely day and received some beautiful gifts. MONT bought me a book I'd been wanting as well as a tripod for my camera! No more wobbles for this girl, no-sir-ee.....all crystal clear from now on!

My girlfriend "G" gave me a Wedgwood plate, to match the Jasper Conran cup and saucer she gave me last year. It's glorious! ...and my Mum popped in with some beautiful roses.

Me? I shouted myself a new coat for next Winter.

I know it's a funny time to be buying coats when the temperature in Melbourne got to 41 Celsius yesterday, but I found it in our local op-shop and it's absolutely beautiful!

It's pale camel and cream pure wool and it's reversible. It'll be perfect for those cold nights at the football with MONT....it's also perfect for what I hope to achieve this year. To make 2011 a minimal retail year for me. I plan to shop the closet and cupboards, make do with what I have, save a little more money and stay away (this is the hard part) from fabric stores and sewing pattern sites. More on that later though, for now, I just want to enjoy my gorgeous gifts and relax until I have to go back to work next week.

Have a happy and safe weekend
xx