Kreativ - Thanks

This was a surprise..

Natalie, over at "In The Night Sky" nominated me...which is really nice!

It was a while ago, so I'm a bit slack getting to it...but anyway...

Thanks Natalie.

This award means I have to tell you some things about me that you may not know and then nominate seven blogs that really tickle my fancy.

Well....

1. I used to learn ballet...many moons ago, but now do Pilates once a week

2. I loved school but wasn't a good student, I just liked the social aspect of it all and still have friends from my school days

3. If I didn't have to work, I'd spend my days sewing, watching movies, renovating old furniture and playing with the dogs...oh and cooking

4. If  I owned a shop, it would look like a mix of second hand furniture, vintage bits and pieces, fabric, vintage patterns and shoes... (crazy I know)

5. If I were starting the renovations on Number 10 now, the interior would be gutted and it would have a completely different lay-out

6. I am often bemused about the need for our strict privacy laws when so many people are so willing to share  every detail about their personal lives and day to day activities on Facebook or Twitter.

7. Call me crazy, but I hate not getting up to go to work each day...and it still "stings" a little about the way I lost my job last year.

That's about it for the revelations today...maybe some more when I can think of things that may resemble something interesting about me.

Now to some of the nice blogs I check out each day...

Well, all you have to do is look down the side bar and see what inspires me each and every day...Scrapbook, Country Style Chic, Centsational Girl, In The Night Sky, McCarthy Designs, Molly's Maison, VT Interiors, Homely One, Fun and VJ's...they're all fabulous and all very different and they all give me something to aspire to each day.

That's it from me...if you are mentioned and want to take the KREATIV image and display it and then carry on with the award, please, be my guest. If not, no problems

Movie of the Week

I've always been a bit of a movie junkie. When I was younger, I always wanted to stay up way past my bedtime to watch the Sunday night movie. It didn't really matter what movie it was, I just wanted to watch it.

...and now that I've had a bit more time at home, I've been watching the odd movie here and there when the days have been too cold or wet to go outside.

So I thought why not have a "Movie of the Week"...where, every now and then, I can  suggest a film that I've enjoyed watching..

With all the political goings-on in the USA at the moment (and here) I thought it'd be a good time to re-visit a really great movie on the downfall of a president.

All The Presidents Men was on late night TV a while back, but I couldn't keep my eyes open to watch it to the end...

So I revisited it again this week and it's a corker!

Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford play journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward

Watch it if you can, you won't be disappointed.

My Laundry-large cupboard or small room?

The Number 10 laundry is small. No, make that tiny. In fact, it's a cupboard.

It's about the size of a smallish walk-in pantry. Just enough to house the washing machine, dryer, a cupboard and a few shelves to hold things...but that's about it.

I use this little room for storage as well as a laundry. MONT put shelves right around the walls so I can store all the spare glasses, still in their boxes and any saucepans or large pans, that only get used when we have a crowd to cater for...and sometimes I even put them in their correct spot on the shelf, not just leave them on the bench

So, like I said it's small and a bit crowded....no place to set up the ironing board, (not that I iron much), and no place for things to hang to dry...in fact there's no room to even store the clothes airers.

Usually, when I wash MONT's shirts, I put them on hangers (to help avoid more ironing), then place them on door knobs around the place...but instead of them being out on show, I really wanted a little rail for them in here...But what would I use for the rail?

Well, when we changed all the brass light fittings over to chrome, the rods came with extension pieces and I have a few of them left over...

Voila...

May I present my new drying rail

It's only large enough to hold a few shirts...but that's all I needed....and it's much better than going out and buying something that would've set me back a lot more than the $6 for the brackets.

If I was just starting out on the Number 10 renovation (and knew then what I know now) I'd have a much larger laundry that could store EVERYTHING! But this is what I have and this is what I have to work with...I think it's OK

Oh and yes...those baskets on the shelves are new too. A quick trip to KMart and they were in the car in 10 minutes flat.

Distracted

I have been a bit distracted this past couple of weeks...so  I haven't been posting much.

I have a pretty good excuse though....s I started my new job last week and while I've been on the computer a LOT! most of the time has been on that old "steep learning curve".

But, I think I've got it right now and with a bit of luck some more work will be coming my way over the next year...and beyond.

While that's been happening though, my posting has suffered...but I hope that will be rectified soon...REAL SOON!

I have some photos to show you soon of a little (read: tiny) makeover of what I laughingly called my laundry.

It's a tiny room...only about the size of a smallish walk in pantry...but I had a bit of a light-bulb moment the other day about making it a bit more "workable".

Photos tomorrow......

Autumn 2012

Hard to believe that we're into Autumn down here in the southern hemisphere....everything's changing

The ornamental grapevine on our side fence has changed so much in just a few days

It started out with just a hint of red...

and now looks like this...

I took this shot last night...

Soon though it'll be bare....

Have a great weekend....and keep dry!

Decorative Trims

Remember the old yellow chest of drawers I refurbished?

I used a piece of decorative timber trim around the top...

I bought it from a large hardware store...

....but I've since found you can shop for it and many, many more, online

This photo isn't the best reproduction but it gives you an idea of the types of trim available.

Here's the drawing of it

Or there's this one

There are a lot more too. All different shapes and sizes

www.jadenmouldings.com.au

It's nice to be able to browse through the site...addictive, if you like that sort of thing

Papa hairy legs

Another little fella in the yard...

I know a lot of people can't stand spiders....but this fella really is fabulous

I love his web too. It had mist on it and you could see the tiny droplets. Fabulous!

Beside my bed

I was given some lovely, freshly picked flowers at the weekend....

So put them on my bedside cabinet

The perfume was absolutely fabulous

Truly gorgeous!

Hey hairy legs

Don't be put off by this little fella....

He's quite beautiful. Not scary at all.

I stood in the yard, in the dark, watching him spin his new web. He spins a new one each night

He was so busy circling the web, he didn't take any notice of me with my camera or the flash going off

Look at his gorgeous hairy legs

We had another, slightly larger one in the garden a couple of weeks ago...and the evening mist on his web made it look magical. I'll try to find the photo of him and post it later.

I've been calling this fella a "him" but I'm not really sure what it is....he is lovely though

Paint it Black - horror!

Still in the study...and something I never thought I'd ever say. "I painted something black"

But I did.

My old pine filing cabinet, which I've had for years and which has been helping hold up the desk in the study, had to be moved out while the room was being remodelled...and I thought it could do with a bit of a freshen up. So instead of painting it white or off white or beige, I bought myself a sample size can of a colour called Abyss. It's a Bristol shade and in some lights, it has a hint of a liquorice green tinge to it.

This is the best photo I could find of it in its original state.

I like it....never thought I'd hear myself say that, but I do. A lot.

It took about three top coats because I, stupidly, didn't get the undercoat tinted...and the white kept showing through

But I persevered and I think it turned out just fine.

I put some dark metal Ikea knobs on it and they help it disappear into the background...

Job done

Study reveal

The study is almost finished so I thought I'd post some photos for you

This is my new workspace.

Still a bit messy but that's because I took the photo before I disposed of a lot of the packaging from the new equipment and before I tidied up all the cables

Prior to the plasterer arriving, MONT put in extra noggins to help strengthen the wall so we could put brackets up without the chance of them falling off....

The wall was also insulated before the plaster went up, even though it was an internal wall. In fact we've insulated all internal walls at Number 10.

looking into the study from the back hallway

Plaster is up and extra power points and wiring put in....That pipe you see is flexible conduit, so we can easily pull wires through without damaging the wall.

The new window, all painted

My new workspace...

I can't wait till I work out how to operate everything! Steep learning curve here at Number 10

It's still a bit of a work in progress....I still have to paint the other half of the room and I've got someone coming out this week to measure up for a small blind on the window; probably a slimline venetian...anyone got other ideas or suggestions? I was going to make a curtain but thought a blind would make it feel a little more "officey", seeing MONT will be using the room as well.

So there you have it. Half the study completed....and the other half will be done once the floor in the back hallway hardens for a couple of weeks. It's fine to walk on but I don't want to start putting anything really heavy on it until I know it's completely hardened

Here we go - back hallway reveal

At last I have time to get some photos out for you

The back hallway now looks like a hallway and not a demolition site.

It's just about finished... just some cosmetic bits and pieces to do

We started off with the back door being moved, the study window being removed and a smaller window installed.

Now it looks like this......

The window has been painted since I took this shot.

The back hallway during the transformation

Partial demolition to full demolition

I finished the painting and the floor man arrived to work his magic on the second hand boards

It's been a rather long process, much longer than we anticipated because the plasterer held us up for over a week and the builder took a little longer to get here than expected, although he was finished his bit in just one day...but we think it's been worth the wait.

The study is also looking pretty good and I'll have some photos for you soon.

How long has it been?

Well, its been ages, but I'm almost there Almost I hope to have some pictures for you soon, I've been taking lots but have been without a computer all this time. So frustrating!!!!! I've been able to use Monts iPad, but it's just not the same. I have to say the study and back hallway are looking terrific! The floor in the hallway is being sanded again this afternoon and will be finished tomorrow and the computer gets installed tomorrow as well. The rest of the new equipment will be put in over the next few days. I've just about finished the painting but the mess left over is going to keep me occupied for some time I can tell ya!!!! Still......it's looking good and I'm very happy with it all. More tomorrow......I hope