Off the air

I won't have Internet access for a couple of days, so, play nice, don't speak to strangers and look after yourselves

See you in a couple of days, hopefully with some photos of plaster and mess and progress

XXX

Paper chase

The study and back hallway are being plastered today and the house is rather messy and cluttered after we cleaned everything out and plonked it in other rooms of the house. I have to tell ya' it's not pretty!

Yes, that is a red and white chicken in the corner

Once the plastering's done I'll start painting again and then the desk and (some of)  the paraphernalia will be moved back in

Both MONT and I use the study for work, so I'm hoping you can help me with some suggestions on document/paper management. MONT generates quite a lot of paper... I, on the other hand, don't, but I still have to manage the bills and the quarterly BAS and my tax stuff etc

This pic actually looks quite good compared to what the desk is usually like. Scary huh?

I've been looking at  IKEA for some ideas on office storage and and will head to Office Works for a look see as well...Anyone have any suggestions or ideas or other stores that may help?

P.S. The red and white chicken was a gift from a dear friend...she bought it for me as a bit of a joke, but it's grown on me.

Failure = Opportunity

Sometimes things don't go according to plan...especially in the food/kitchen department

And so it was when I tried to make ricotta cheese recently.

I was given some delicious, warm, freshly made ricotta and it inspired me to give it a go

I've posted about it here

The first attempt didn't turn out as well as expected, but that just means I'll be trying again and again until I get it right

Comments time and date

Has anyone else noticed that comments being left on posts are not timed and dated correctly?

I've noticed that my comments are dated and timed in US time, meaning they show they've been left before I've even published the post.

I've tried to change things in the settings but have had no luck in getting it right.

Is it just me? Any ideas on how to change things and get it right?

Butterfly Cushion

Target

30% off

Who'd a thunk it?

Another day, another project

I got home from shopping this morning to find MONT in the back yard...digging this.

He'd cut a hole in the sandstone paving to make way for new posts that will hold up the extension to the carport. That extension will eventually become a studio/sewing room.

I got a bit of a shock, I have to say....

We haven't even finished the back hallway modification and he's already started on this.

He says now is as good a time as any..

Me?  Well, I usually like to get one project over and done with before I start on another, but hey, that's just me.

Something different - food

Away from the renovations for a change

MONT and I had some very sweet and delicious calamari the other night

He'd caught it during our January beach sojourn

Heat pan with a little oil, add some chopped garlic and the calamari, cook for a minute then EAT! You can squeeze a little lemon over it if you like, but it's not essential...

Delicious.

You can't buy character

The builder was back this morning to lay the new-old floor in the back hallway

We used some second hand boards we had left over from the bedroom renovation

I think they'll come up a treat!

Whenever we've extended or renovated Number 10, I've always bought second hand floorboards. I guess I originally thought that the house was old so old boards would be a better "fit". But I also like the idea of using pre-loved things instead of just creating a need for more "new stuff". I mean, the boards will still look good once they're sanded and polished...the old nail holes will be filled and everything will be just fine...it's flooring after all...and as we've come to say around here a lot lately whenever something isn't quite "perfect"...."You can't buy character".

The plasterer will be here next week, then I get to paint the walls and hopefully the floor sanding man will be able to fit my little job in soon after...

Work continues...

The back hallway/study remodel didn't stop over the Easter weekend

Mont put some new cabling and wires into the study now that he had the opportunity with the plaster gone and the studs exposed.

He also nailed in extra noggins, so we had more strong points in the wall for shelving and brackets.

It's still a bit of a mess...

But there have been plenty of helpers on hand

The back wall where the door was moved to has now been painted...but not before Mont replaced a couple of the weatherboards the builder had put up.

I think the rule is pretty simple...if you wouldn't tolerate a certain standard at your own home, you can be pretty sure no-one else would think it's acceptable either.

The builder had used up some short lengths of the boards rather than buy a new one. The result looked pretty crappy.

So it was changed...and painted and it's now lookin' mighty fine.

Much better!

The floor gets done Tuesday

Woo Hoo!.

Getting there

Well, the first day of the renovation of the study and rear entry at Number 10 is well and truly over and a lot was achieved

We started with this....

and this, from the inside...

Then the weatherboards were removed

...and the study window was removed - View from the study inside

Then the door was removed

...and then moved OUT.

Still some trim to fix up and some painting of course, but what do you think?

It's growing on me.

The builder will be back on Tuesday to finish things off...I'll post some more pics tomorrow, once I've cleaned up a bit

Waiting has its benefits...

I think it's fair to say that for the past couple of months I haven't been my usual, "chipper" self.

Not sad or depressed. Nothing that extreme, just not my usual self.

But I have to admit I'm feeling a lot better and it's partly due to me getting a (part-time) job and also partly due to us deciding to, and acting on, getting Number 10  FINALLY FINISHED ! ! ! !

I blogged back in 2010, that some changes were in the wind as far as the study was concerned and now those changes, with a few tweaks, are happening. NOW!

The study window is being removed and a smaller window installed, which will give us more wall space in the study and give me a better work space for my new job.

The back door, which is near the laundry/storage room is also being moved. Out.

At the moment we hardly ever use the back door and instead walk through the dining room to get outside. We're hoping this will change all that.

Originally we planned to put a floor to ceiling cupboard here to accommodate the vacuum cleaner and ironing board and all the stuff that usually takes up residence in the laundry, but we've changed our minds. We thought it might make it too "closed in" and poky so instead, we'll place a low cupboard along the wall and a nice basket (or something) to hold the dirty laundry

Oh I'm so hoping this works out OK.

I'll post more pictures as work continues and I can successfully get my photos into the computer and resize them