My Space

  Tonight I am sitting in My Space. Now, I do co-own with Ivan - a beautiful home on an acre of land and I love it all. But, I have a special space called my Study - it has been a craft room, a general computer room, a store-room, a scrapbooking room and even a writing room; but it has never really and truly felt like My Space.

I am however, blessed and spoilt enough to now have this amazing room for Me. Thank you Dad for helping me with the floors.
Here are some photos:

Floors laid and furniture back in the room . . .

Including this beautiful new addition - a wood & glass show cabinet to hold my treasures

My writing space - laptop, printer, scanner - all the tools needed for a writer

And a close-up of my special friends.

Good morning world!

What a difference a day makes?

Yesterday my lovely children helped me clean and tidy the house.  When we started renovating in late April, house cleaning became a 'lick & a promise' routine.  Now that works, house got vacuumed when it needed and dusted when we couldn't see the TV anymore.  So we could concentrate on the renovations. It was a busy few months.

Once it was finished it was straight into surgery for me and a few weeks of taking it easy.  Ivan then took a weekend to move all the major items into the garage, but still the house needed a good clean. 

I have felt so down, so overwhelmed and so unmotivated for weeks. I just couldn't face cleaning, but it has been getting me further and further down.

Yesterday, was the day.  I nominated specific tasks for Matthew and Sarah, and then Elizabeth and I began in the dining room.  We cleared away all the scrap booking stuff and cleaned.  Each room sparkled by the time we left it. 

We completed the dining room, the lounge, the kitchen, the family room, the bathrooms, and the bedrooms all got a once over.  My bedroom still needs a lot of sorting out and the study is a disaster, but the house is just beautiful again. 

We could barely walk by the end of the day, but it looks amazing.

This morning, I have woken to blue skies, sunshine, a clean, sparkling house and a smile on my face - what a difference a day makes.

More wallpaper photos

If I never see another piece of wallpaper again it will be too soon.



Look at this big piece Mom



The girls tackled the family room walls, while I did the kitchen. The wallpaper comes off easy, except in the parts that they seemed to have used Super-Glue!!!

End result - now it just needs painting

Behind the bar

Clean walls

The house feels so much brighter and bigger now that the walls are white- of course we will need to repaint, but I am going to chose a nice light airy colour. Can't wait!

A very clever man

Dad has been making us some bookcases for our study to replace the ones we bought in the USA. He is so talented and builds them so they fit perfectly in the space and together as though they were one, but are actually two separate cases.

Now all my albums will fit perfectly in the specially designed shelves. ( Repacked shelves photo to follow)

Thanks Dad.

Life is looking a little clearer!

Life has been really busy for days, weeks and months and just staying on top of daily chores is almost impossible. So getting to the larger chores like 'window washing' just hasn't been happening.

Today Elizabeth and I were inspired. We ignored the 'daily' chores and decided to take down all the net curtains - what a shock - they were disgusting! And then we couldn't see through the windows. so with her on the outside and me on the inside we began washing. We had the music playing and could chat through the open windows. Time passed and we enjoyed the warm sun, the hard work and the good company. No time to worry about life, no time to feel sad, unwell or stressed. Just steady work together.

Two hours later we finished the front of the house. Six rooms and lots and lots of windows.

Next week we might tackle the sides and back of the house - well at least we will think about it.

Life is now looking a little clearer, well at least the windows are!

One down, two to go!

Pool leak found!

Our pool has been losing water at a rate of about an inch a day. Steve (from Aqua leak) came and found the problem today. Now we just have to dig a big hole to expose the pipes and he will come back and fix it. Only hassle is we have a cyclone bearing down on the Queensland coast due to hit over the weekend. I guess we won't have any problems with losing water, if we get all the rain expected.

Problem Two: Toilet that won't flush and then empties completely - Plumber coming tomorrow!

Problem Three: Ongoing hassles with Environmental system - Oh well - Joys of owning your own home!

Domestic Goddess

Today I have been a 'Domestic Goddess!'

Now I am not adverse to housework, but there are so many other things that I love filling my day with, that I tend to do what is required, when needed and avoid the rest at all costs.

Today I did not have to take the children to school (again - thanks Mom), so hopped into some old clothes, dragged out the 'dead elephant' (vacuum cleaner) and started at one end of the house cleaning. I achieved miracles and even did all the little annoying tasks that I kept ignoring - like defrosting the bar fridge and even the big one in the laundry.

I think the ice shows that it needed doing.

I also wiped down window sills, shortened my new blinds, washed floors and took down the doorbell that has not worked for the past 3 years. I have hung out and brought in a load of washing and even ironed it. Cleaned the whole kitchen including the utensil holder and put a roast lamb in the oven.

I feel that I deserve the award for Domestic Goddess of the day - so am going to now go and reward myself with a hot, deep bubble bath and a book for 1/2 hour before the children get home.