A call out to Brisbane!!

I'm hoping I can get some help from some of my Bloggy friends in Brisbane.

I'm looking for a reliable painter up north to do some painting at a house in the eastern suburbs...it's not a huge  job, less than a week I'm guessing, but it could lead to much more work.

Can any of you recommend anyone?

Fingers crossed you can!

Thanks

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

Another year older, a new one just begun...and a challenge continues

So, I celebrated my birthday just before New Year chimed in and as always, I had a bit of a think about the year just gone and what the new year will bring

It's also at this time each year that I set up my new diary. I go through the previous years almanac, make sure I put down everyone's birthday. Note the little anniversaries that come up each year like when we got our dogs or when someone had a significant event...and about the people we lost.

Mont's Dad passed away last year. He was 97 and a lovely bloke. His Mum is still with us and, since going into care, has really blossomed. Thank Goodness!!

This is also the time of year I try to set myself a little challenge...I'm not really into "resolutions" but challenges? Yes.

It's almost a year since I set myself the challenge to not waste money on "stuff" and only spend on important, necessary things...and I think I achieved my goal...mostly.

The Dottie Angel Challenge, which I blogged about here  last January, was to see how much I could do "without"....to see if I could shop the closet and the cupboards, so to speak, and not rely on retail therapy.

The Challenge was started by Tiff at Dottie Angel in 2009 and is a great way to think about our over consumption of goods.

Now I have to admit I did buy myself a few things...but none were impulse buys and many are second hand or hand made.

One of those handmade items was a new pair of slippers. I got them from Inga on Etsy. Inga is from Lithuania and she felts the wool then molds it into these gorgeous slippers. I have to say they are beautiful and will last me right through the year.

Other items I purchased were some second hand sewing patterns and some new fabric...I also bought a new fry-pan, some new underwear and a few cook books. Most of the books were for gifts though

I haven't kept a tally on the dollars I've spent, but I know I have saved a lot this past year and my bank balance is looking (a little) healthier

Now bring on the 2012 Dottie Angel Challenge...

I'm in!!  

It's not you... it's me...

It hasn't been an easy week.

While foofing around finalising the Christmas celebrations, I got called into my bosses office and was told that, after almost 12 years, I no longer had a job.

Nothing wrong with my work, no, it's fine and dandy, in fact glowing references all round...sorry to have to do this, it's not nice and we really would like to keep you because you've been so reliable and capable, etc etc etc...but at the end of the day, we have to let you go due to cost cutting

New management will do that to ya. The business has been humming along for years without any major hassles, but then someone thinks they can do better, come in and make changes that impact on peoples' lives

The thing is though I didn't hear this from "new management". It's not interested in passing on the bad news....they get someone else to do it. That way they avoid any "unpleasantness".

One thing that's always intrigued me. Why is it that the people doing the cost cutting always earn more than the workers they're sacrificing?

It will be interesting to see just how it goes under this new regime....my guess, not as well as they predict. Shame really because I have some terrific and very talented friends still there.

A tale of 2 quotes...

...and two selling approaches.

As I wrote the other day, I've been in the market for a cafe blind for our back deck and as you know, I had a rather interesting conversation with one of the companies about getting someone out to Number 10 to provide a quote.

Well Wednesday was the day...two quotes, two very different approaches.

#1. At midday, the first person arrived armed with a working (sample size) model of the cafe blind we'd like. He had brochures, tape measure, samples of other material used in blinds and lots of information. I asked questions he answered them in a friendly manner. We had a discussion; a conversation about the pros and cons of the various methods used to raise and lower the blind. He told me we'd have to put a piece of timber down one of the posts to make it even with the other end. No problem. He knew what he was talking about

He measured the area, asked me if I was happy with it, wrote up the quote, we shook hands and he left
He was friendly without trying to be my friend.

Here's the side wall of the deck where the blind will be ... excuse the chaotic mess. My painting and refurbishment projects are there and everything's been moved closer to the French doors because of the rain and wind...It's an area approx 3.6 metres across, by 2.6 metres high.

#2. I got a call at 3pm to (yet again) confirm that a person would be here at 4pm. He turned up on time and carried a metal pelmet, (that covers the top of the blind) and a couple of pieces of different quality PVC. He also had a white metal thing but didn't really explain what that was used for.

He started his spiel....started explaining the virtues of the better quality PVC, told me about the different ways the blind could be hung and be secured. He wasn't rude or really pushy... he was simply doing what he'd been trained to do. We weren't having a conversation, I was simply there to hear about the virtues of his companys' products.

At one point he told me that if I ordered today he would "bump" me ahead of some other orders to make sure I got it installed quickly. I looked at him incredulously and stated he had to be kidding, that if he was saying that to me he was certainly telling other potential customers the same thing. He back tracked

He then told me that as he was leaving his office to come to Number 10, his boss had authorised him to offer me free installation (and something else, but I can't remember what it was).

That's when I asked him to please not "bullshit" me! He back tracked again

He gave me a price then tried to call his office to get it discounted, but apparently couldn't get through...so gave me the discount anyway. The so-called quote he wrote was simply written on the back of a brochure. No measurements, no signature, no official quote/order sheet, just the price and the colour of the pelmet and trim on the back of the brochure

When I told him I was getting another quote and wouldn't be committing myself that day, he couldn't get out of here fast enough.

There were some other things said during his 35 minutes at Number 10...but he never did explain what that white metal thing was. It turns out it's the metal bracket the crank handle slips into so we can raise and lower the blind. I discovered that when I went to the store (from quote #1) to order and put a deposit on the blind.

So there you have it. Two very different methods. I guess there are some people out there who warm to method #2, but not me.

The new cafe blind will be here in a few weeks...can't wait!

It is 2011 isn't it?

...we haven't gone back to the good ol' days when we mere females needed the permission of our husbands or fathers to make decisions have we?

I ask because I had a rather interesting and amusing thing happen to me this morning that made me think we had.

To explain:

MONT and I are thinking of getting one of those clear PVC blinds on the side of our back deck to minimise the wind and give us a bit of protection against the rain...so I rang a company on their 1300 number to organise someone to come out and give me a quote.

After the consultant had been rather nice to me on the phone and got most of my details, she then asked if I was married and what my husband's name was

The following conversation went something like this:

Why do you need my husband's name seeing he won't be here?

We like to meet with both the husband and wife for the consultation and can arrange to be at your home in the evenings or even the weekends. We find it works better that way

No, that's OK...I'm quite capable of looking over and deciding on a quote seeing I'm the one who'll be paying for it so it'll just be me

Yes, I understand, but we like to have both people there for the 45 minute consultation.

45 minute consultation? I just want a measure and quote for one side of the back deck of the house and if it's going to take 45 minutes for the salesman to measure the height and width of the wall, then maybe I could measure it myself and you could give me an estimate over the phone.

Now, there's no need to get defensive, we just like to meet with both people and can arrange to be there when you're both home

(now this is the point where I realised that whoever turned up on Wednesday at 3pm wasn't just going to be here to give me a quote...no. He was going to try to not leave here without a signature)

I don't need my husband here to help me make a decision. I've never needed my husband with me when I've purchased a house or a car, so I'm sure I'm quite capable of choosing and paying for a Cafe blind.

We can be there on Saturday or even Sunday if that suits you both better, we don't mind at all and it does work better that way.

(She was persistent, I'll give her that)

No, Wednesday afternoon suits me better

(This is when she gave in and realised I wasn't going to budge, so we arranged for someone to come out at 3pm...she didn't even say goodbye, just "have a nice day" and hung up)

I had this conversation at work and my colleague couldn't believe what he was hearing!

I've heard of this sort of selling shtick before, but thought the old "get them together to play one off against the other and pressure them into signing on the dotted line" was well and truly in the past. Obviously not.

I've got someone else coming to give me a quote on Wednesday as well. It should be interesting to compare the different selling styles.

Dottie Angel Challenge - Progress

It's been a while since I gave you an update of the Dottie Angel Challenge I've embarked upon and I have to say I'm doing a bit better than I thought I would.

I've found some bargains...scoured the op-shops and had a lovely time saving some money

As I mentioned in my original post here, I wouldn't be resorting to pre-loved underwear and I was in the market for some new bras this past week....but as usual, I waited for the sales and found a real bargain. Instead of paying almost $200 for new intimate apparel in the style I usually buy, I got 4 pairs for just under $90....and they'll last me for ages!

I've also been haunting the op-shops and picked up some pretty nice little pieces of linen, doilies and cotton napkins etc. I think I've paid about $11 in all and many of them are quite beautiful. I have plans for them and will let you know about that later.

One other thing I have bought though, (and at full price) is a new pair of slippers for around the house.

I bought these.

I can't bring myself to wear second hand shoes or slippers but these will last a long time and I know they're going to be as comfy as anything because I already have another pair of Haflinger's and they're wonderful!

I can't wait for them to arrive from the UK...

Sure I've been tempted when I've been out and about, but I have refrained. I figure it'll be there tomorrow or the next day and if I truly "want or need" it then I can always go back and get it. So far though that hasn't happened.

So, onward and upward with the challenge...so far so good.

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)

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.