House Update

It's really getting down to the pointy end of business with The Money Pit.

I'm trying to hold it all together and not get too overwhelmed as there is still lots to do and so much still to coordinate.

The gyprock is up and we can now really see the size of the rooms.

We are waiting on a price for our bathroom tiles and when that comes through we will measure the bathrooms and laundry and order the floor and wall tiles.

They are beautiful and I can't wait to show you!

The Hubbster rang the company supplying the skylights and we are most pleased to hear that they will supply and install them. We are having a skylight in two of the bathrooms, the mudroom, our walk in robe and a big one in the kitchen.

I'm loving the idea of natural light coming in!

The plasterer is due to start next week and I am collecting brochures from him tommorrow to choose our cornice and our ceiling roses.

We were lucky enough to meet with our painter and our tiler who came out last week and are waiting for a call from us when we are ready for them.

Our carpenter has put all of our VJ wall panelling in and only has a couple of cupboards to do. Then he will most probably move on to finishing the soffits on the verandahs while he waits for the plasterer to finish.

By that time, our doors will be here, and he will start on those.

See what did I tell you? So much to do and so overwhelming.

I am only doing this once!

Blame the washing machine

Well, that was interesting.

Like the cheese on my toasted sandwich, I've had a meltdown in front of the sandwich press.

The events culminating in this cheesy mess began on Wednesday evening, when our washing machine, which has been on it's last legs for weeks actually decided that, no, it didn't want to wash, and no, it didn't particularly want to drain.

The Hubbster tried to fix it and after washing the same clothes 7 times, we came to the conclusion that, yes, it was stuffed.

It needs a new part so we've sent away for one, in the hopes that it will get us through until we move into The Money Pit and buy a new machine.

On Friday it started to rain, and as I was working and with no time to get to the laundromat, I was forced to once again, wear a pair of The Hubbsters jocks to work.

Besides the fact that they were not my colour, as well as the sad realisation that they fit quite well, I had the persistant urge to put my hand down my trousers and rearrange my private parts at regular intervals in the day.

The Hubbster, of course, thought this was hilarious. It was only funny until I had to wear another pair again today.

I've now been to Kmart and bought a new 10 pack of Rio cottons so I never have to publicly admit to wearing his.

That's okay, we're all friends here.

So I wanted to get an early start yesterday morning as I had a busy day at work planned. After our usual morning bathroom argument, Miss D (aged 10) and I decided to refer to each other lovingly as frenemies.

We got to school just before the bell rang, subsequently arriving at work late.

With still no clean clothes, and wearing my husbands undies, I got through the day, knowing that I had two episodes of Sex and the City to watch once the kids were in bed.

We woke early this morning to get Miss D to her 7.30am dance lesson. I took the other kids to the cafe for breakfast and they were behaving so well a man bought them chocolates.

We were all shocked.

Once in Bunnings, they did the usual thing and embarassed me, and the Mother of the Year judged me from her sanctimonious courtesy bench while her two angelic children played sweetly and watched mine climb where they shouldn't climb.

Along with a healthy dose of PMT (see yesterday's post) which fueled an argument in the car ride home (why can't you just BEHAVE), I found myself in front of the sandwich press, watching the melted cheese dripping on the floor.

After a good cry, and a toasted ham and cheese, I know that 1) the kids are not really out to get me 2) I really need some drugs to get me through my period and 3) it's the washine machine's fault.

Watch Out

I emailed this picture to The Hubbster today.

Do you think he'll get the hint?

Check list!

Custom built kitchen ordered.

Gyprocker putting our walls up.

Paint colours and tiles nearly chosen.

Tiler quoting tommorrow.

More VJ wall paneling arrived today.

Painter visiting Friday.

Carpenter back on Saturday.

I'm doing the happy dance!

House Update

From tomorrow, this will be the last we will see of our house internal frame:-


Because our gyprocker starts putting our walls up! We are super excited and have so much going on.

The noggins have been put in to support such things as towel rails, toilet roll holders and the like, so today The Hubbster and I took photos so that we can attach everything once the walls go in.

Here is our gyprock which arrived on Friday. You can see how close the shed is to the house.




We visited the kitchen shop last week to discuss our custom built kitchen. We are thinking over colours of benchtops and the cupboard profile and will be ordering this in full on Tuesday.

Today we visited some display homes to look at kitchen colours and benchtops and we also went to the Home Expo and spent a few thousand dollars on two 25000 litre water tanks, one septic tank and a water pump.

That's one more thing off the list!

Always the King

On this day 34 years ago, the world lost an icon..my beloved Elvis Presley.

I am not forward in saying he was "my Elvis". I grew up with his music, our family loved him, my mother was crazy for him and my uncle reminds me of him!

My childhood was filled with family get togethers, where my cousins and I would be sent to bed (where we proceeded to have pillow fights) while the grown ups danced and rocknrolled to his music.

I have such a cool family! I am sure this is why I love music so much.

Elvis reminds me of the South, of the musical era and the times of the 50's and 60's which I love, and a time that just feels free.

As an Australian, my obsession with everything American is longstanding, so it wasn't a surprise when my trip to the US incorporated a visit to Graceland, not only for me, but for my Mother.

I remember phoning her from Graceland, allowing her a connection to her Elvis through me. She, and I were thrilled.

He was such a beautiful man, so spiritual, so charismatic....those eyes, those lips. Those cheekbones....

That voice.

His death was such a tragedy, for someone so talented and giving to die so young.

I wanted to share one music video, but how do I choose just one......

How sexy........is this.



And my favourite song..



This. Gives me shivers...

Red

I searched this morning for something Red, to wear today. I had nothing, no pieces of clothing, no scarves, no hairclips.

So my support for Daniel and his Family is here, in full colour.




















Images from We Heart It

House Update

Things are moving very quickly now....we are seriously busy!

Every weekend The Hubbster and I sit down with the The Money Pit diary, which is our workbook for what we have accomplished the previous week and what we need to do the following week.

Lots of progress now, including more VJ wall paneling going up, the bath and three shower bases have been checked in and more plumbing finished.

Here's my kitchen and pantry.




And our bath!


The carpenter built a frame in our hallway which will separate the front area of the house from the back, with some lovely fretwork. Even with the frame up, the long wide hallway looks different!




The Hubbster and I walked through the bathrooms deciding on where our toilet roll holders, towel rails, shower glass shelves etc will be so the carpenter can add noggins to adhere these to.

I even bought a new vacuum cleaner because today we are going to use an air compressor to blow out all of the wood shavings and sawdust from the gaps where the timber floor meets the VJ so the channels are clear.

The Hubbster has ordered our doors, including the cupboard doors, the walk in robe doors and the theatre room bifolds as well as all of our internal doors.

He has also ordered a window for the laundry which will overlook the garage, and give me a nice view of the driveway and the hills so I will have something nice to look at when I am folding clothes or doing the washing. Bless him for thinking of me....

We have also ordered our lourve highlights which will go over every door in the house..in the same design as the external ones to allow for great airflow through the house.

The tiler came out for a visit and we discussed what tiles we are having...we have some samples coming and I can't wait to share our ideas with you. I can assure you, they will be traditional and beautiful while keeping with the Queenslander style.

I spoke to the waterproofer who only needs one weeks notice, and he will come and waterproof our bathrooms and laundry before the tiling is done.

This week we have alot to do! We need to decide on our fretwork for the areas that won't have doors or lourves and we need to think about our water tanks and get them ordered. The plumber is finished his first stage and will be back to do our drainage and dig some trenches and put our tanks in....

We also have to think about skylights that will be going in two of the bathrooms, and a painter and I really need to stop there because it all seems too much. But we are doing it, and it is exciting and challenging...

I said to The Hubbster today, how amazed I am that we are both thinking the same and have the same ideas on what we want. He said "it's all about compromise".

He's so smart. That's why I love him ♥