My Happy Place...
 

Yes, I know ... I have been MIA for far, far too long.

It has been a crazy few months, busy with lots and lots happening .....

..... The reno's are continuing with a new water tank being delivered at the end of this week, a new kitchen has been ordered and is expected soon and the demolitions in the front room are continuing, slowly but surely.

...... New garden plans have been thought up and have started to be put into place.
I bought the first lot of plants for the garden for this years planting season (rather excited).

..... We spent a week in one of my favourite places, Ballarat, the main attraction there being Sovereign Hill - a vintage lovers paradise. There were so many ideas there I plan to use and many items were purchased to add to the house and garden.

But it is the little moments that count the most, don't they ????
There has been a few of those moments this week ......

...... We had the yummiest lunch at Mum and Dad's on Sunday to celebrate an early Mother's day and see them off on a three month trip around the West Coast of Australia. We had a lamb roast with all the trimmings, all the vegies were freshly picked out of Mum's vegie patch. We planted all our winter vegies over the weekend also ....... so I am looking forward walking out the backdoor to pick fresh vegies of our own. 

....... I am now curled up on the couch with a blanket over me the fire roaring and Jock (Mum and Dad's dog) curled up next to me. It is lovely to have a dog back in the house. He is staying with us until Mum and Dad's return.

..... Pottering out in the garden this afternoon instead of doing the dreaded housework.

...... Baking banana muffins the other night with Emily.
Not that she really needed my help at all, as she is a rather incredible cook for her age.

..... Lying in bed last night listening to the pouring (and I do mean pouring) rain on our tin roof. It is due to rain all week. Yeah !!!!! The first decent soaking for the season. The garden is loving it.

Mel xx
 

 Demolition and a Slow Weekend ……..

Hi Vintage Lovers,

 

 It has been a bit of a slower weekend here.

Summer has finally arrived, as it has been rather hot with a north wind blowing a gale all weekend. Up until now we really have not had a summer (which I am rather thankful for) with very mild weather, chilly nights and quite a bit of rain in late January. 

So needless to say we didn't spend much time outside over the weekend ........ we started the
demolition in the front rooms instead.
The stud wall has come out as well as the second bookcase.
 

 

The area looks much much better now that stud wall has disappeared. It has really opened up the area ........ just what we were hoping for. The stone fireplace still needs to be removed. It is too large and dominates the area (even with the stud wall gone) so we will start the demolition next weekend ....... Although it will take a few weekends to finish.

 

Mel xx

 

 

Last Lazy Days ……..

Hi Vintage Lovers,

 

Hope you are having a lovely weekend and enjoying celebrating Australia Day.
I am still in holiday mode here but the slow summer days are coming to an end as the kidlets go back to school tomorrow. Once tomorrow ticks over the crazy busy year will start ....... so I am making the most of having a lazy day at home today. J

My sunflowers have loved all this rain we have been having.

We really haven't had summer so to speak of yet here, really strange weather.......we have gone from a few really very hot days in early January (I did lose a few plants and others were quite badly burnt) to drenching rain with chilly days and nights. We have all been rugging up with rugs over us at night !!!! Not that I mind, I am not really a summer person, much prefer the cooler weather. We have had lots of rain which the garden has loved and it has been lovely not to rush around watering every night ....... one less job to do !!!!!!!!

 So, next week ........ I am planning to get back out into the garden to get some overdue jobs done, as well as to start demolishing the rest of the front rooms (our electrician came last week to disconnect the wiring) and I also have a new project on the go. It is under wraps at the moment, but I will keep you posted.

J

Mel xx
 

 

 

To live with a little less......

Hi Vintage Lovers,

In a few weeks it will be the two year anniversary of us owning our Old Lady. Where has that time gone ???? We are still smitten over her and wouldn't part with her for anything. We are no where close to finishing (we certainly didn't plan to do it all at once and that's part of the fun of it !!!!), but our lady has come a long way and we are loving every minute of it !!!

Since the very start our project has had its critiques, always wondering why we bought a little stone cottage in the first place with all this work and money to be spent on her, when we would be extending on the back of the house, put built -ins and walls to create more bedrooms, where our modern kitchen was with microwave and dishwasher, how we were going have time for the renovations with three kids, and the rest !!!
 But to be completely honest with you guys I haven't found any of these things to be an issue. Yes, our house is a little smaller than most, but not small enough that we really notice it. It's only when others ask that I think of it. Less rooms is a big advantage when it comes to cleaning and I hate cleaning !!!! Our old lady will always be a 3 bedroom cottage (so the girls will always share). Cottage's are not meant to be huge.  At the moment she is a two bedroom cottage as we have moved out of the front rooms, but certainly not cramped at all. There is a grand master plan for the back area and we are planning to put in a hallway and make the back family room our bedroom ....... eventually.

When we first moved in, after we had redone the kitchen, we decided to leave the microwave out in the laundry, since we hardly used it at all and it was just taking up valuable bench space. We have also managed fine without a dishwasher (it turns out that - contrary to popular belief - it isn't a life-changing appliance to have!). When we do end up getting one, it will be housed out in the laundry, along with the microwave. I am not finding it that hard to live without an abundance of modern appliances at all, what you don't have you don't really miss.

I have found that its actually kind of fun to downsize and live with less stuff, because you really notice what you need and what you don't. I got rid of so many unnecessary items and things I just didn't absolutely love when we first moved, and it makes keeping the house tidy now so much easier.

So there is my thought for the day......... It is much simpler than you think to live with a little less.
Mel xx
 

 

The Front Rooms

 

Hi Vintage Lovers,

 

Over the Christmas and New Year break we had a chance to start looking at and planning the renovations for the front rooms of our Old Lady.
 We were using the rooms as our bedroom and a music/sitting room, which the front door opened into.
The photos don't do the area justice ........ it is quite a large area, 8 metres by 4 metres with 12 foot ceilings.

This photo was taken just before we moved into our Old Lady (I haven't taken one since then !?!)

 

We have decided to completely gut the room or two rooms as it is right now and start over again. Previous owners of our Old Lady put in a stud wall to create two rooms rather than have one main living area up the front of our cottage. We have decided to return the front rooms to one main front to retain the original detail and character.

It will be our sitting and music rooms ......... eventually.

 

We moved out of the rooms and have started some of the removal of old skirting boards and built - in bookcases over the break.

 

We now need to get the electrician in to disconnect the wiring, which will be in the next few weeks .......then we can finish the demolition of the other built-in bookcase and stud wall.
 

 

Now this is what we discovered under the built-in bookcase we have removed already (as well as under the stud wall ) and we are certain this is what we will find under the bookcase yet to be taken out !!!!

So, needless to say we will need to replace the timber flooring in the area.

 

This fireplace is not the original one ....... so this is coming out also, as it is too big and dominates the room and is not well constructed either.

The original room had fireplaces up each end, but both were taken out by previous owners and have just left the chimneys on the roof for cosmetic value. So .......... Once the fireplace, stud wall and other bookcase is removed we will decide what the area needs and work out if it is feasible to re-construct the fireplaces in the original way.

I am certainly crossing my fingers and toes that this can happen, you know how I like to restore (as much as possible) to what it would have been when our Old Lady was first built. J

Mel xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Celebrations and Summer Holidays....

Hi Vintage Lovers,

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone.

How were your celebrations ???

Ours is more a three day affair.....Christmas Eve is spent at home preparing, baking and decorating gingerbread houses ...... a Christmas Eve tradition for us. Christmas Day was also at our place, with family, eating way to much and finishing with a backyard game of cricket. Boxing Day is down at my parents farm for a big family get-together ....... it doesn't get any better !!!



This photo was taken early evening on Christmas Day .......... working off some of the Christmas food and drink.

As it is school and summer holidays for six weeks we have been down the beach lots and also quite a few backyard cricket games are being played and battled out already, and if we are not playing it the boys are watching it on T.V.
What summer is all about in Australia !!!

I have found a little spare time to pop out into the garden for a little bit. We bought another trailer load of mulch to top up the areas that had become a little bare in spots ready for our summer heat.

 I was also a little concerned about my newly planted hydrangeas, so we have created a temporary cover for them that I can pop over them on really hot days until the hedging grows. My sunflowers in the photo above, that I planted early November are growing fantastically and should be flowering very soon.

The planning has also started for the next stage of our Old Lady's renovations also ...... the kids are spending a few days down at Mum and Dad's, which has given Wayne and I a chance to sit down and work out the next plan of attack for renovations for the New Year. There is lots to be done ....... so, 2015 will be a very busy year.

The Christmas decorations will be packed up tomorrow ...... ready for a fresh start for 2015.......
........and I am ready for it.
Mel xx

 

 

 

Welcome Summer and Christmas 2014

Hi Vintage Lovers,

Where has this year gone???

 Can't believe it is December and we are talking Christmas already !!!

My hydrangeas and agapanthus have started flowering.......which always spells Summer and Christmas to me.

As you know I've had a little break from the blog of late........due to the business in the lead up to the end of year.......lots of school presentations and concerts as well as Christmas preparations, Christmas baking and decorating of our old lady.

All my Christmas preparations and shopping is all done ...... but, I am certainly not ready to be thinking about and planning 2015......although there is a lot to be planned out for next year with the next stage of renovations for our old lady.

The kids are now on school holidays, so I am looking forward to enjoying the first weeks of the school holidays with the kids without rushing around.

I hope you find time to enjoy the last few weeks of 2014 with your family and friends and not get too caught up in the mad Christmas rush.
Mel xx