Craftapalooza

Day 1 kitchen installation

The end of day one. Most of the cabinet work, bench top and splash back in place. Tomorrow, appliances and doors. Starting to come together. Again, head on over to flickr to see the notes.

Day 2 - yesterday

Day two down only two more, tomorrow and Friday.

Yesterday the bigass wall came down. I'd taken Son out to breakfast so we'd missed most of the commotion, but Spud's little saucer eyes and meow told us it was noisy! The pic below is at the end of the day when most of the required wall patching had been done, there's a little painting we'll need to do, but most of the rubbish you see on the walls will be covered by cabinet work or splashback.

Again, head on over to flickr for notes. Tomorrow and Friday, kitchen installation!!!! WOOOT!!!

walls came tumbling down...

The kitchen renovation started yesterday at 7am. Contrary to popular belief and stereotypes not all lesbians do their own home renovations. I'm handy but not handy in a "let's knock down a couple of walls and rip out the kitchen" handy. So....day one.

The calm before the dust and noise.

Kitchen ripped out and one of the walls down. For the voyeurs get on over to flickr to see the notes.

Since taking the above picture at 6am this morning, the wall to the left has come down. No messing about. Tomorrow....patched walls hopefully and Thursday/Friday kitchen installed!

kitty camper piglet

Hey hey! Sorry for the silence, new job, busy, etc. First up, new job, great, I don't think they've figured me out as a fraud...yet! Crafting, still a little slow, working on socks and today I actually started to cut out the pieces for an overdue new handbag for myself. Using this pattern. I finished another kitty, a thank you gift for a friend, the request was for an earring and cuff. Freezer paper pirate symbol, bugger to cut out, the kitty's overall height is about 10cm's, so one small cutout. I think this will be the last kitty I do for a while, I'm over them, need to find another softie pattern.

What else? I'm still out there reading blogs, my blogroll is sitting at nearly 400 blogs so trust me,I'm keeping up just not commenting a whole lot. Home ownership is great but it seems to take up crafty time, whether that be thinking or doing. We've decided to get the kitchen renovated and have an installation date of mid November. Very exciting if a little scary. We're getting a major wall removed to double the very small kitchen. I'll take some before and after pics. Slowly getting there with the interior of our home. This week I hope to get a bunch of prints framed and up and I need to also organising a stretching of a piece of Marimekko fabric I bought with Al over 3 years ago. It'll go above the teapots you see below. The teapots sit on a sideboard, 5 in all. The ones you see here are my favourites. The one on the right is by Nigella Lawson and is very sexy. It's a matt ceramic that has a lovely organic feel and shape. Probably one of my favourite "corners" at the moment.

Umm. I bought new shoes. I love Campers.

And another glimpse, the dining table my Nigella Piglets (yes, Nigella is paying me). For you Aussies I've bought my Nigella from here at very reasonable prices including postage.

Currently listening to the new Jose Gonzalez, very nice.

Happy crafting and here's to more than 2 posts in one month!

a bit of this and that

Howdy there. I know, it's been a while. There's been a little baking, a little crafting, a lot of unpacking and organising.

I actually don't have a lot to tell you at the moment without boring you with my domesticity. I'm loving it, but writing it here for you guys to read is another thing! It's the blog's birthday on 27th July, three years. I'm planning on doing something so come on back on the 27th. I'm impressed I've kept it going for that long, doesn't feel like three years.

I'll leave you with some pics, I seem to only be able to photograph at night at the moment, no flash, so they're still grainy, and a link to Jen's blog. Go on over and welcome her.

Homemade apple pie, sorry the pastry is out of a packet.

London Beanie, a little small, a Dublin Beanie will be next.

WIP, for the crafty space. Tutorial over at the Purl Bee and flickr group.


A present for The Son's birthday, a Wee Wonderful's kitty. Great pattern, fun and easy to follow.

Spud's tower of power has returned to the living room. He loves lording it over us up there.

*Sigh* a partly organised crafty space. Yes I sewed amongst this chaos. Maybe this week it'll be finished. For the voyeurs an annotated pic over here.

I can't promise I'll post again before the 27th, so until then, happy crafting!

Progress people. Progress.

Well, painting is finished. Finito, done, final! YIP. Small dance happening in my brain. I had grand plans to unpack the crafty studio this weekend. Well, the nasty gastro got me AGAIN! Dunno what's going on there. Jen, tried the REVOLTING rice water....no go :( man I wanted it to work. Back at the doc's another jab in the bum and minimal unpacking done. My poor MIL was up for a night and had the special joy of listening to me driving the porcelain bus. She was very gracious, it was nice laying in bed listening to Son and her mum interact. They have a nice rhythm with each other.

Jen, who is blogless, but I reckon should get herself one, sent me an email this week letting me know that she purchased Amy Butler fabric from Textile Traders. I know, all you West Aussies get back on your seats. I couldn't get to the store that she went to, we think it's Booragoon (Jen's a country gal and wasn't quite sure about the absolute location), but went to the Balcatta store. No Amy, however, there was Moda and Freespirit and Michael Miller and others. Not a huge range but promising. Great prices too. AUD$9.99 to $14.99. WOOT. So get on over to your Textile Traders and let's buy so they keep stocking. More about Jen in another post. Jen needs a post to herself.

So, here's some more peeks at the house. It's coming together nicely. Next up is getting some framing done and hung.

More pics over at "My Home" Flickr set with some notes.

Finished some more knits. This bib-o-love from Mason Dixon Knitting was a nice quickie, finished off with a wooden gingerbread man button. Not sure which bebe this is for yet, they're popping up all over the place at the moment. Get on over and congratulate Di on her newest achievement! Also contrats to Felis and Jason on the birth of little Charlie.

I also knitted a London Beanie for The Son. More details soon when she's available for a picture. Also, not to harp on but Ravelry so ROCKS. It's friggin awesome.

channelling the inner goddess

Slowly getting back my domestic goddess groove. Still surrounded by unpacked cartons, waiting for the painter to come before we finish unpacking. Today there was oiling the outdoor setting, cooking and baking. Had a little time to play with the D80 today, slowly feeling my way around, you'll all be my guinea pigs so be patient with my over exposed, under exposed, out of focus shots!

Today's the first day that I've started yearning for my crafty space. I'm itching to sew and play in my new craft room. I love that I can stick stuff on walls and pretty much do what I want, no landlords to worry about.

So. Today. Mother's Day - out to breakfast with The Son and my parents, they're moving to Noosa next month which I have mixed feelings about. Then home for a mid morning nap and trashy magazine read. An afternoon filled with oiling furniture, cooking beef bourginon and baking banana cake using my new stand mixer, she's a beauty.

Living room - replacing the green, think orange is the winner, or a different pink.

Beautiful housewarming present from Al and Wes on the Noguchi reproduction coffee table.

Spud loves the new backyard...

AND new cushions.

Happy crafting!