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