I've moved.....................

psssssstttttt.......

I'm now over to HERE.....................


Hope you'll come visit  :)

Poss......now......mrs c. xox

Room makeover - the study - part 1

As I mentioned in my last post - we've started renovations on our study.

I don't have before shots - it was always such a huge mess that I never thought of taking photos!
Essentially - the walls were yellow, floor was blue carpet and the furniture was very dark.
The room was drab and dark and closed in - and not a nice space to think up amazing things!!

We started by painting the whole room white, then MissG came up with the plan of pulling out the carpet!! We can't afford other floor coverings for now - so we decided that we would paint the concrete. (the whole house is on a concrete slab.)

Here's some shots of the painted walls and the bare floors - all the family dived into ripping up the carpet - it was very cathartic!!

The floor was then painted grey (concrete paint), and the furniture put in.
So now - here's one finished corner of the room.....

We bought some new IKEA furniture (2 x Alex drawer units & 1 x Billy bookcase); I grabbed some white storage boxes from Office Works and IKEA; and I picked up some DECOR clear storage containers from Woolworths for some sewing supplies.
The printer/scanner is now off the desk and has a place of it's own.

I've put many of the books away in boxes elsewhere and kept on display only those I currently use (mostly Uni text books, teaching resources and craft/design books).

I've added a couple of notice boards to use as inspiration boards - I picked up 4 x Umbra bulletboards (12'x 12' each)from Howards Storage World - they take both magnets and pins.(x2 on the wall plus x2 on the shelves).

 

I've also added some IKEA metal storage cannisters with magnets onto a galvanised metal strip I purchased from the hardware store - (I used double sided tape to attach the strip to the bookcase) - here's a pic -

We occastionally use this room as a guest room - so needed to include the space and furniture to fill that duel purpose.

Another corner of the study below shows the sofa bed (Lycksele 2 seat sofa bed, cushions and Pugg clock all from IKEA) and some door knobs screwed into the wall (from the hardware store) to act as hooks for hanging a coat or hat -

I've yet to source a round mirror for above the sofa bed - so more light can be reflected around the room.

IKEA have neglected to place a store in Canberra - my closest store is in Sydney - a 3 hour drive north from here and a 3 hour drive back home.
Very inconvenient - but I have been known to take a few road trips to get what I want!!!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE - IKEA - open a store in Canberra!!!!!

That's it for now. More to come. I'll show you the other side of the room when I'm done.
Oh - and thanks especially to my wonderful MrW - he's an amazing painter - and a very patient man!!!

I'm baaaaaacccckkkkkk!!!

Yes - it's true - I am still very much alive.
I had to shake out a few cobwebs on my return - wow - it's been a while.
Here's the last few years in a nutshell -

• took a two year break from Uni - needed some space - needed some money!!

• worked a couple of jobs - one mindlesss (admin for a construction company) - another very interesting (ASADA - Aust sports anti-doing mob - short term contract - good times).

• I now have two daughters in highschool - MissG in Year 10 (& now taller than me - eek!) - MissE in Year 7 - and little MissJ is in Year 3. All have great teachers - all doing really well. They are the light of my world.

• girls are playing HEAPS of sport - a mixture of netball, volleyball and Aussie Rules football / AFL!!

• last November I played a week of netball at the Pan Pacific Masters Games on the Gold Coast. It was amazing - never thought I'd ever do such a thing - great team - great times - and I survived 8 games of netball in 5 days!!

• while in QLD I also got to finally meet my bio mother and two bio brothers! Weird, exciting, emotional, stressful - in fact every emotion under the sun. Needless to say - I now feel a peace that I haven't in a very very long time.

• did a few (some minor/some major) renovations on the house - put in an inground pool (woot!) and landscaped the back garden. (below is a peek....) Pool built by JS Pools. (local Canberra pool company - the link is to their yellow pages entry as they don't have a website - highly recommend them - we have 5 other friends who have used them). Lanscape design & labour by myself and Mr W. Hard work but REALLY happy with the results. 

• We're currently working on fixing up the study (looks pretties so far!!) - and the lounge-room. I'll add photos along the way to show you bits that we've done.

• I am now back at Uni - (Bachelor of Education - Primary teaching) - doing a full load - just want to get the flippy thing done!!! I should be able to teach from mid next year - with just one or two extra subjects to finish off by the end of next year. Love, love, love to teach - just bored with the studying bit - but need that bit of paper (the actual degree) - so will suck it up and get on with things!

• looking at starting a design company with my girls. The creative streak has flaired up once more with the return to Uni and the space to use my brain! We've decided to call ourselves stuff by us - and we'll have some crafty homewares - like quilts, paper craft, small home furnishing etc etc. Keep watching this space as I add pics of various pieces along the way. We're all very excited - this is going to be fun!!! (of course it's going to be a slow process - with Uni, school, sports, life - but hay - we have to start somewhere!)

• Molly - our Spoodle - is still doing very well. She's a joy to have around.

• MrW - still my rock. He deserves a medal most days. xx

• and I nearly forgot - I've lost almost 10 kilos!! Last year I went on 'Lite n Easy'- really great food. Have stagnated for now - can't afford the special food with the loss of my income. Have concluded that exercise would greatly help with greater weight loss!! (but it has been a few months - and I have managed to keep it off). Very happy.

That's all I can think of for now. Oh - it's been the stock-standard rollercoaster of life - with all it's ups and downs - but we've faired well - and life is - as always - GREAT!

Nice to be back. xxx

Hopefully Things Will Calm Down Soon............

During this semester I've had to dabble in 3D and photography in my Arts Ed 2 course.

Above is my linear sculpture -

"Thoughts In My Head"

2008

Recycled wire

58cm x 44cm x 35cm

All work I have completed has been photographed, and made into a catalogue - similar to what you would find at an Art Gallery - featuring a collection of a particular artist's work - in this case - my amateur makings!!
I'm almost done - it's all due in this Friday.
I'll post more as I get the time.

In the meantime - I've been really sick - bronchitis once more - yay for Canberra spring and the dreaded lurgies - they get me every time.
(the last week of the school hols - we were all sick - our home was a warzone!!)
It's also MADNESS assignment time. Just 3 weeks until the end of semester - then all clear until next year. (yay)
I just want the bloody piece of paper that says I'm allowed to teach - but they put you through hell and back to get there - I swear.

It's late - I've got to get some sleep.
Counselling essay to due tomorrow - 1500 words comparing two counselling theories.
Oh the joy!!

Night.
xx

Spring Has Sprung - And Other Things.....

03Sep08 - Today I am grateful for -

• The blossoms have started to bloom.......it's a sign of warmer things to come. (YIPEE) It was a rather chilly winter - and although it was a bumper season on the ski slopes (2 hours south from here) - we didn't manage to fit in a snow trip this year. Hopefully 2009.

Here are some almond blossoms in our front garden, taken today.

• A great tutorial at Uni today - with lots of discussions on the state of Australia's education system - and all that has been in the news lately.

Sadly - our society puts so much emphasis on the measure of success for a child being how high their university entrance score is upon finishing high school.

Seriously though - one can not measure a child's ability to be successful in life in only those terms. That's really quite absurd!!
As teachers (and as parents) we must care for our students, help them to have a love of knowledge - and just give them the best tools to take on the world.
And those tools MUST include the ability to think for oneself / think creatively / think outside the box / think with empathy & compassion for one's fellow man - as WELL AS having a good grasp of literacy and numeracy, science and social studies.

Teachers and schools are asked to show their worth by children scoring well only in the areas of literacy and numeracy.

How on earth can that really work???????

It baffles me that this education system - and all the government debates - haven't really changed at all in the last 100 or more years.

There HAS to be a better way.

Frustrating - to say the least.

(and I won't even start on how low teachers are paid in this country!!! Scandinavian countries pay their teachers almost the same as doctors - whereas here - we're expected to work our magic for the kids - but live off very low wages. No wonder over 50% of new graduate teachers leave the field completely within the first 3 years.........yes - 50%!!)

Anyhoo - the discussions were good. Rant now over!!

Now I have to work out how I can change it all!!! (I'll get back to you on that one......!)

• Getting around to doing a big food shop today. It's been awhile - just grabbing small bits here and there. Our pantry and fridge are now fully loaded!!!! (we'll see how quickly this hungry family manages to consume it all!!)

02Sep08 - Today I am grateful for -

• Teacher's strike this morning for 2 hours at school - so we managed to have a sleep in. I dropped MissJ and MissE down to school at 11:00am. It was a nice and calm morning!!

• A surprise package arriving from my sister L - who lives in Darwin. She recently went to the UK - the trip was part business / part jolly - and she hunted around for some great treasures for us all.

And here are pics of the girls with their new Gap t-shirts from London....

Yes - it's a dorky photo - I know - but it's so cool that they're all at a similar height difference!!

(they're growing up so quickly - * sob*)

So here's a more relaxed shot - with Miss Molly!!

01Sep08 - Today I am grateful for -

• Having a monumental BLONDE moment - but still being able to admit it - and to laugh harder than I have in a very long time!!! I think it's a good skill to be able to laugh at your own mistakes. It's lucky I can - as I make mistakes often - and I'd be a depressed mess if it weren't for the laughter!!

• My gorgeous friend MrsSmiff came home from hospital today - after 5 days in with pnemonia. She's a busy woman - and the hospital stay forced her to rest. We're all very glad she's now home - on the mend - and resting for another week. It's also made her re-think life choices - which could be a very good thing. Life's far too short and precious to be running around after everyone except you and those that you love.

• Long over-due phone-call with my sister L. It's been awhile - and it was great to catch up. Sadly we may not be able to see one another this year (she lives 8 hours by plane away - in Darwin) - but we'll look forward to when we can.