Sunday, May 22, 2011

A change of focus

It doesn't take much for me get lost in the world of kitchens, I love the planning stage and get completely immersed in the process, I love the destruction of the old and assembly of the new, we have done 3 kitchens so far ourselves and I adore every step, they are really easy for me because I just love them.


What doesn't happen so easily for me is bathrooms, they kinda scare me, the thought of ripping apart the space and starting again has me in a fluster, where do I start?  what do I need?  what's the order of work for a bathroom?  all these questions are second nature for me when it comes to kitchens, but bathrooms!

Im completely out of my depth and feeling very detached from the whole process, not a fan of this feeling at all.

Unknown?

We are re-doing our bathroom before anything else happens so I need to get my head around it.



The problem with small budget DIY renovation's is that you have to just jump in and do it and learn as you go. 
We have to do it ourselves or it just wont get done, we have a sparky and a good plumber but everything else is up to us, the planning, the ordering, the demolishing, the tiling/waterproofing, re plastering  etc etc.. my head is spinning.

I know many of you have done exactly this so if you have any advice for me don't hold back, Id really appreciate it.


So this is me re-focusing, here start's my obsession with bathrooms
 (I know... Im all or nothing, its either obsession or complete inaction, there's no in between) 
Megan
xx




Thursday, May 19, 2011

Its still all about kitchens


We want wall panelling similar to this.




Last three all via house to home.

This would have to be my favourite.
I am going to need to recycle the kitchen we already have which means keeping the timber bench top...for now... Im aiming for soapstone one day.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Book depository bargains

Just a quick one to let you all know about this.



as if you didn't know already ;-)

Im currently reading this 
and im loving it.
Have you read it yet? what did you think?

I know Ive been absent lately, much is happening that is keeping me away from the fabulous distraction that is blogging and blog hoping, but I will be back to it soon.

Megan
xx

Thursday, May 5, 2011

The Kitchen obsession begins...again

My kitchen obsession has been seriously reignited.

via house to home

Ours needs to be a Galley style, long and skinny.





Never short of inspiration in blog land.

If you know of any cool kitchen sites do tell.

Megan 
xx 

The decision.

There is serious talk around here of renovations.
Real ones... offering real solutions to real tiny house problems.
This is very exciting.

via desiretoinspire

To date all we have done here was "polish a turd" so we could either 
handle living here until we have the cash to re build OR sell it on fast to a developer (the only person that would actually consider buying it, seriously it is that bad!) OR rent it out and keep it as an investment.

Truth is we cant handle the lack of space and the crappy layout any more, the boys are getting bigger and louder and needing more space.

 So we looked to rent but could not find anything.

Rebuilding is not in the foreseeable future.

 We have been looking for a new house to buy and in exhaustion have come to this conclusion... 

Whatever we can afford to buy would be the same size and condition as this and needing renovation anyway, so we would be in exactly the same position only with one massive downfall.

We'd lose this
The reason we bought this house in the first place.

So we are staying put and renovating in two stages.
The cottage will be extended sideways and the floor plan re worked and will include LOTS of new storage space... sigh, then in a few years we will finish with a second story addition to capture the best of the views.

I can hardly contain my excitement.
Via designsponge

Assuming everything goes according to plan we should be starting in spring.
ill keep you posted.

Thanks for staying with me, I know it was a bit of a long one, hugs : )
Megan
xx

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter



I know... Its been like forever.
Much is happening around here, lots of exciting stuff, one of which being that we are not moving any more! we failed to find anything to live in and our friend found something that suits her way better so we've decided to stay, more on that later.
Boy have I missed you all.
Happy happy Easter my beautiful friends.
xxx

Monday, March 21, 2011

Before and after

This is the latest table Ive been working on.

I know I know its not the Kitchen Island bench you were probably expecting but at least its something.
 Seriously If I had of known it was going to take so long to find the right pieces for it I would never have mentioned it. 

This didn't need any 'bits' so it got finished fast...ish.

 After

Before
This is the only before I have, it was already half finished by this point, you'll just have to believe me when I tell you it was that stunning NOT yellow Baltic pine stain and had serious crackly varnish from sun damage.


After.

I know...bad lighting, Im clueless when it comes to taking photo's and our point and click is complete s*#t.

Now back to that bl#*@y kitchen island bench.

Megan
xx

Thursday, March 10, 2011

A little break

Im taking a bit of a break but just for a short while.
We are heading to Bega tomorrow and having an extra long weekend for a family get together and when I return I need to seriously start on organising this house and our lives for the move.
Ill be de cluttering and purging lots of "stuff" I mean do I really need 6 typewriters? 
I have FINALLY found the correct sized pieces for the kitchen Island bench so when I return I will be able to show you that too, who would have thought that it would take so long to hunt down pieces of ply.
Anyhow.
I will be back in action soon and I cant wait to be able to take some time and catch up with you all, you are loved and sorely missed, not sure what Id do without blogging now?
Be good...Or good at it.

And here's the obligatory pretty image as you know I wont post without one.

I don't think Ive ever told you this but I have a 'thing' for shabby white upright pianos, I simply must have one very soon.

LOve 
Megan
xx


Monday, March 7, 2011

Check this talent out.

I just had to let you in on this talented lady,
Isn't this adorable!


She does some amazing hand made toys and blankets but this stool really got me.
Sooo cute.

Megan
 xx 

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Autumn

Im still here.
 Ive just been very busy this week packing and searching.
Im hoping to spend some time this week catching up with all of you. 


Autumn is finally here and of course Im gravitating towards autumn inspired interiors, to my mind no one does Autumn better than James Merrell .





He'd have to be my favourite photographer, I even bought this awful book just because he put his name to it, there's $16 Ill never get back... I don't even like country kitchens! especially not the cluttered early 90's style.

Now that's devotion to an artist.

Megan 
xx

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Suspended the hunt.

The hunt for a new sewing machine has been put on hold, It has been superseded by a far more immediate problem.

Remember this post when I asked about how you would feel if you had to rent again after owning? 
Well its seems Im about to find out for sure.
We decided on Sunday to bite the bullet and rent this house out, we would take our time and look for something perfect and not move until we found it...
Ahem.
 As fate would have it the very next day we discovered that a trusted friend had been given notice on her lease, her landlord sold her house and she needs to find something fast. 
So it seems we have found our perfect tenant! only now we have a time limit, we need to find a new home in 6 weeks, this is not an easy task in this area as the rentals are few and far between and in high demand. 

So the sewing machine will have to wait but I couldn't be happier, this way I will actually have a room to put it in and boy am I excited about that!
 I may be a little infrequent with my post's in the next month or so as I attempt to perform real estate miracles but im sure you'll understand.

At least you wont have to listen to me whining about our lack of space any more no no you'll probably have to listen to me whining about how much fun we're having living with my mother as I wasn't able to find something in time... Now that'll make interesting blog content...cough.
Don't get me wrong I adore her, just cant live with her, not an unusual scenario im sure.

Wish me luck.

I hope it looks like this

Or these


Not super charged about my chances but im sure Ill find something good.
Ill keep you posted.
Megan 
xx

Friday, February 25, 2011

Book bargain friday

I think I may have to eat my words!

Its seems they have adjusted their "ludicrous" prices ...ahem...

This is an absolute bargain for this awesome (I assume) new work of Atlanta Bartlett
I (along with much of the vintage design obsessed community) adore her work, If you have been living under a rock then you must go check her out here.
Just yesterday this was $32.
Be quick though, you know what the Book Depository  is like. 

Thank you everybody for your feedback on my sewing machine question it has given me lots of food for thought.
Im a little torn now about whether I should wait, save up and get a serious machine that will rock my world for another 20ys or buy something that I can afford right now because Im impatient and want everything yesterday.
Hmmm.

Megan 
xx


Tuesday, February 22, 2011

I could really use your help!

My Sewing machine has decided its over.
I don't blame it for wanting to retire, it is 20 yrs old.

 Yep...My sewing machine is officially vintage, feeling old now.
This is one instance where vintage isn't the preferred option.


My poor old work horse has been good to me, it saw me through years of school, tafe and redecorating projects but now its time to say goodbye : (
In all honesty it has been wanting to retire for a few years but Ive been ignoring its whining and putting up with the dodgy finish and constant frustration that has turned sewing into high stress 'necessity only' activity instead of the fulfilling and satisfying hobby it once was. 

My over-locker stopped being efficient about 5 years ago too, it was always s#*t though, shouldn't have been it was a Husqvarna, I just got a lemon I think.

I pretty much completely stopped sewing when the first baby came along and my sewing room turned into a nursery then never returned, this needs to change, I want my room back and I need to sew again.


SO
I need both machines but as Ive been out of the link for so long I have no idea what is good now?
 I'll be sewing pretty seriously (lounge covers, curtains, mid to heavy duty stuff and baby things - no im not pregnant) but I don't need anything too computerised (I wont be embroidering etc) just a really good quality standard machine.
I trust your recommendations as Ive seen what you guys do.

What should I buy?
 What shouldn't I buy?
What do you use?

Many hearts for your help.
M
xx



Thursday, February 17, 2011

Very serious question... for some it would seem.

LOL

Do you use it or do you detest it?
I just heard of a blogger that hates this so much she stopped following people that used it???
Seems extreme to me.
Personally Im completely indifferent but I am curious, what is it about it that riles people so much?

What is the general consensus on this one? 



And because im superstitious about posting without an image here's a pic that I used as my pc background all week in an attempt to subconsciously convince my other half that we really needed the old cinema seats I was bidding on on ebay even though we don't have any room for them...


It didn't work...

Probably not a bad thing because
I didn't win them anyway.
Shame... they were beautiful.

Megan 
xx

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Cath kidston styled kitchen

While were on the subject of kitchens.
Its Cath so I can't help myself. 
Im not always up for this much colour...truly... sometimes Im equally in love with brooding darks, but It does always make me smile when I see it done well.
Thank you  Cath

Thursday, February 10, 2011

My tiny Island bench is not yet finished.
Im searching for some timber capping strips that appear to be evading me.
Im heading back to bunnings now so Ill leave you with these images of other people's finished kitchens while you're waiting.

Unknown, Anyone??? 
These have something in common with mine.
Nope... not telling, you'll have to wait.

Megan.
xx


Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Im dreaming again


Of a big old house!
With room for the boys to play.

Riding the trike up and down the hallway (yes you heard right, there's no even ground outside to ride on and what room there is Ive junked up with 'projects') is starting to wear thin and has been causing some monster meltdowns, we are outgrowing at speed.

NOICE very very Noice.

This house is fun.
Fun is good.

I don't think spiral staircase's are fun though, Ive never really enjoyed them.

But that's fine because there is an alternative.
I really would use this.




The denim lounge is for the kids to trash.
Im finally over washing my white lounges!
Has anyone else come to their senses or are you still devoted to white slip covers, its ok I understand the addiction is strong?

Fun,  Dah...

Awww Melted heart... Kittens do that to me. Not convinced on letting it snuggle in the bassinet though, imagine the reprimanding you'd get from the visiting midwives.

Does anyone know where Id get one of these? (the bassinet not the kitten smart a's)


Via~ skonahem

I hope you're all enjoying this cooler weather I know I am, Im nearly back on track and its been very nice to return to the kitchen, the children like eating. I might even have some finished projects for you soon if this weather keeps up, Might...I said might.

Megan
xx