The gap in the kitchen just needed something

One corner of the kitchen just seemed to be missing something ... I was thinking of what decals I might use ... some flowers? something pretty? ... found a better solution ...

Isn't it just the perfect gap filler?!?!? And it is also useful ;-) ... first recipe I tried it out, no point starting off easy, fresh strawberry puree marshmallows!!! (and in the photo above you can just get your first look at the new kitchen draw fronts and handles ... just a coat of paint on the corbels and then I'll take the final AFTER photos of the kitchen!!!).


I've tried making mashmallows before and they always end up a bit rubbery, as the little hand held beater starts to smoke (oops!) after only about 5 minutes and the recipe wants 8-10 minutes of beating. Stick the mix in the kitchenaid, put it on high for 10 minutes ... beautiful fluffy gorgeous marshmallows! I'd love to make a cake next but not sure about timings tomorrow (might be picking up a new horse!) ... though the carpenter will be back and the electricians are around.

Talking of electricians ... below is an electricians idea of a joke ...
Yup, anyone over 7ft can not enter my house, or they'll risk losing their head!!! Silly shop told me I had to buy an extended pole for the fan so it wouldn't be too high because of my ceilings ... the electrician installed it as a bit of a joke ... they knew I wouldn't want it at that height, but just wanted to make sure ;-) ... sure ... course I want to lose my fingers if I put them up in the air :-)

It will be getting raised tomorrow!!

I've spoken with the builder ... he wants to do the final inspection next week ... of course there will still be faults after that ... but sooooooooooooo exciting it is so nearly over!!!

A touch of toilet whimsy - wall decals

I'm not quite sure why I feel the need for a touch of whimsy in my bathroom and toilet ... something about them being cold clinical boring sort of places that need a bit of warming up. Though during a heat wave I am thinking of going to sit in the bath (without water) it is soooo cool in there!

There is the chandelier in the bathroom ... and, after today there are wall decals in the toilet ... on the wall and behind the door ...I've actually had the decals for a little while, but was really worried about putting them up. I was hoping I could drag someone in to helping me as it looked like a two person type of job ... but since it is hot outside and I've got little to do today, I thought I'd have a go ... soooo easy!! I could take off the bits that went slightly in the wrong spot and reposition them.

I am really hoping that they have told the truth and they are easy to remove in a couple of years - pretty sure this is a fad that will go out of fashion, but I'm happy to spend $35 on something that might not last!! Pretty cheap for some art work ... now I know how easy it is, wonder if I can find something to go in the kitchen ... hmmm!!

I got these from www.walldecors.com.au the one below was a quote I requested and they made it up in the font/size I wanted.

Only visible when you're in the toilet ... behind the door (ignore the taps put on the wrong way around by the plumber!!) ...
"Believe, never lose sight of your dreams"

Flashing my under-draw-ers!

I've been looking at the best way to sort out my draws so they don't end up in a complete mess, with nothing able to be found!

The drawer I'm most proud of ... the cutlery
isn't it just pretty!! Never realised draw liner thingies could look sooo wonderful! They are Blum Orga-line ... two different sets.

The plates look pretty good in their cheap Ikea bought Blum dividersnice and neat, no smashing and the grey sticky liner is also Ikea.

Then there are the embarrassing draws *blush* My cooking stuff ... I really want to create something that has two layers in this draw ... but I can't quite find what I'm looking for. The double level ones seem more designed for nice neat things like cutlery, that don't stick up ... not blender pieces and measuring cups.
The photo belows shows the solution the kitchen makers put in, to allow me to stack the drawer full of more things ... the Blum draw thingie bits (they haven't quite got their final tags on to hide the runners) are quite shallow ... the draw itself is 12.5cm deep, the original side bits only went up to 7cm ... hence the raised sides.

Another messy draw ... this is one of the deeper ones, with higher sides ... two layers in here would be great too! Plastic plates, napkins, cupcake wrappers ... all sorts of mess!!


I think I'll just keep opening the pretty neat drawers!!

Christmas recovery

I've been holding off on more photos because everything is just sooooo nearly complete ... the differences wont be really obvious in photos, but I'd rather hold off on most of them until the bits that are missing are done.

The dining room is the closest to completion ... the only thing missing now is the curtain on the french doors (I have the curtain, just not the appropriate plasterboard screws to put it up!).

A photo with my brother's special wide angle lensDining room details (added because I hated looking at other people's photos and having no idea how to copy things from them!!):
Paint colours - emerald city (green); vivid white
Curtains: Warwick Grandeur Gold (to come for french doors are Pavia Ecru cream)
Window seat main cushion: Warwick Port Norris Gold
Cushions: Warwick Global Soft Chalk (cream); Warwick Global Suede Navy (blue); Grove Beach Houndstooth Gold (my favourite one!); plain gold was purchased as is from Make Your House A Home.
Mirror: from Moreland Auctions in Kilmore
Dining table: Cousin Clyde's!

Christmas day and the table is set ...

The yummy fruit terrine I made for Christmas dessert:It has the most delightful basil syrup for the jelly - making it so refreshing and not heavy.

The builders have taken the week off ... the electrician wont be back until the 11th (damn! wanted that aircon connected up - or even the fan!). Who knows when the kitchen guy will be back ... I'd really love some handles!!! The kitchen so far ...
My brother helped put up the prints near the window seat yesterday ... he's now disappeared back home ... muttering something about holidays shouldn't be hard work!! ooops!! Sorry!

The painter should be back soon ... then the outside will be done and I can put up the final photos. Some of the external doors aren't quite finished.

Someone asked me if it felt strange being in the extension ... it doesn't! It feels like it has always been this way ... it feels like HOME!

From building site to home in 24 hours

Thursday morning ... the day before Christmas


24 hours later ... Christmas morning

Who could believe at the start ....

... that the builders would still be going on Christmas eve! I thought I set my "in my head" deadline so far out even I couldn't be surprised at delays ... but I was wrong! It wont be finished for Christmas ... enough will be done that christmas lunch will go ahead ... but the tradies will be back next year!!

They will be working Christmas eve ... when all I want is a couple of days to clean up, recover and become human again.

Builder got his payment ... I was generous for Christmas even though there are bits missing from the agreed list to complete, some they will finish today.

Pretty scaring looking at the kitchen and thinking I've got to miraculously turn it into a beautiful space in the next 24 hours.

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas ....

The lovely electricians connected up the ovens today ... so of course I had to use BOTH of them (after turning them on for an hour or so to get rid of the horrible smell!) ... very exciting that I got to cook in TWO new ovens ... which meant thinking of two things to be the first timers: dinner was roast veggies out of one oven, then we (my brother and I) made gingerbread in the other oven! YUM!!! I LOVE roast veggies and gingerbread!!



The gas tops are still not connected .... looks like there is a problem with me being on LPG gas ... even though the oven was ordered to be set up for LPG, it seems it wasn't. I haven't quite been told about this (heard through one of the other tradesmen) ... so I'm assuming it is a solveable problem that I don't need to get involved in.

Also going in today were the flyscreens ... they look wonderful - even if the cat can't see them and bumps into them with his whiskers ... "engage invisible cat shields"!

The airconditioner guys did turn up to put in the aircon ... pity the store had given them the wrong inside unit ... the lovely label on it had my name and the model number, pity that model number didn't match the BIG writing right underneath it!! So tomorrow morning it goes in (would have been nice tonight since it was quite warm).

The electricians have also set up my inside lights, some of the outside lights, phone line and powerpoints ... just missing a bathroom light which they'll come back to do (oh and no TV for me until next year - they cut the cable!).

The tradesman missing today: the plumber!! I've given up hope of getting the rest of the stuff finished, now I have a working oven ... all I want is some plumbing! A dishwasher, toilet and basin would be juuuuussst lovely!!