Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Kitchen Reno Prt 3

Kitchen
wow has it been a long time since i have had time to sit & turn on my computer.
the evidence of that was the over 700 emails in my in box, oh & a finished kitchen

i wont bother with more up-date photos, ill just go straight into the finished kitchen, well so far anyway.
the kitchen was delivered on friday morning & friday afternoon Brad started the install & worked until nearly midnight. he came back again first thing sunday morning & by tea time i had a finished kitchen.



the floor is lime washed as are the European Birch doors & draws

the Range Hood is from Robinhood, the Gas Cook top is Westinghouse, the Wall Oven is also Westinghouse, it is gas with an electric grill, the Fridge is all fridge {no freezer} & is also Westinghouse.
we went with Westinghouse as they are Australian, the only bad thing is the cook top was made in china

the island bench is black granite with mirror chips in it, the other bench tops are laminex that looks like stone

still have the brushed aluminium splash back to go on & the plumber comes tomorrow to hook up the gas. the only other thing to do is the architraves.
its not a very country kitchen but its not modern either. we really like how it turned out. now i just need to fill all those empty cupboards.

Friday, November 06, 2009

Primates

Primates

todays post is all about helping those who cant help themselves


Mobile Phones,
do you have one?
do you need one?

are you getting a new one?

Did you know?

More than 800 million people around the world currently use mobile phones and that figure is growing daily!

In Australia alone, it is estimated that there were 9 million new mobile phones sold in the last 12 months.

Australians typically upgrade their phones every 18-24 months! This exerts enormous pressure on the mining of resources such as coltan needed to manufacture new phones.

80% of the world’s coltan reserves are located within the Democratic Republic of Congo.

As the forest is denuded for mining, the protection once offered by the habitat in it’s pristine state is now no longer able to shelter gorillas and a range of other species from the bush meat crisis.

In Kahuzi Biega National Park, more than fifty percent of the mountain gorilla population has been lost, leaving the species on the brink of extinction.

You can make a difference simply by donating your old mobile phone!

http://www.zoo.org.au/Calling_on_You

for me i dont own a mobile phone, i dont want one & i dont need one. if anyone wants to contact me they can ring me at home its that simple. however the boys have one each so thats 3 in our house, A' is thinking of getting a new phone, to me it seems pointless as the one he already has works. {the last phone he had he gave to someone else & this one he was given} i wont have anything to say about the phone he gets but i will have a say in where the old one goes, either to help a gorilla or to someone who needs a phone. so if you have an old phone or two that dont work, maybe you might think about posting it off to be recycled & you never know you may just be able to help a gorilla.

my second primates are the beautiful Orangutan's they really do have such sweet faces & intelligent eyes



DID YOU KNOW?

Over 85% of the world's palm oil comes from Malaysia and Indonesia.

Today, the most common cause of deforestation and fragmentation in Indonesia is related to palm oil development.

An estimated 40% of food on our supermarket shelves contains palm oil.

In SE Asia alone, the equivalent of 300 football fields are deforested every hour for palm oil production.

Palm oil typically costs the lives of up to 50 Orangutans each week.

Australians unknowingly consume on average 10 kilograms of palm oil each year because we do not currently have the ability to exercise consumer choice.

Sustainable Palm Oil Plantations are a possibility however you need you to tell FSANZ you want palm oil labeling if they are to become a reality.

Palm oil from certified sustainable RSPO sources only accounts for 8 percent of the global supply of palm oil.

90% of Orangutan habitat has been lost already.

We share 97% of our DNA with Orangutans.

http://www.zoo.org.au/PalmOil/information




as anyone who knows me or reads my blog will know that i only buy Australian Made products, but if you have read any labels lately you will know that so many of them say Australian & imported products. it is increasingly hard to buy only Australian so some times a compromise is made by me when i shop & if by doing so i am helping the big companies kill off whole species of animals that is something i find every hard to live with.

so maybe by signing all these petitions i come across & sending links to others i may be able to help in a small way & also putting the items back on the shelf that say Australian & imported product.

i really do think companies should be made to list on their labels exactly what products are imported & what are local. then maybe we could make a more informed choice.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Blogtoberfest day 30

New Screen Door

we finally had our new screen door fitted this morning, so no more flies or mozzies
it was ordered & payed for over a month ago. talk about slow
went with the country theme door in black with the fancy aluminum mesh, Sally proof i hope

just had a good look at it & it has a ding in the bottom of the door like its been kicked, just waiting for the company to ring me back. for $560 i dont think it should have any thing wrong with it.



Before






After


Sunday, October 25, 2009

Blogtoberfest day 24

What can you make with a few pairs of shorts, 2 flannel shirts, a couple of cotton button up shirts, a dress & part of a flannel sheet

a mat of course




i started braiding this fabric about 5 years ago, yesterday morning i saw them spilling out onto my sewing table & decided to see if i could sew them together on my sewing machine. it was quite tight under the foot but i managed to get it together, had a bit more braiding to do to get it finished. i think it turned out pretty good. parts of the straight sides have a bit of a curl that the iron could not get out.
it now has a home under J's computer table, to keep his feet warm.
i am so pleased to have finished of an item that has been floating around for so long unfinished.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Blogtoberfest day 23

Just work


this is my table in fruit & veg, i also work over the other side at grocery but fruit & veg is my home

abundantorganics.com.au/shop/

Monday, October 19, 2009

Blogtoberfest day 19

Good Day

today it was a good day at work for the first time ever
we moved into a bigger factory, heaps of room & i lov where my table is
& even better i cant hear all the complaints from the other table as there is quite a distance between them. i was so happy the day just flew by.
may take pics tomorrow :o)

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Blogtoberfest day 18

Market Day today
A & i strolled up the market this morning on the way we stopped in at two garage sales {not much there.}
wondered round the market stalls, picked up some Lemon Myrtle goats milk soap {my fav} & Lemon Myrtle air freshiner.
you can also buy these products at
lemonmyrtlefragrances.com.au
http://www.perryslemonmyrtle.com/store/index.php
also something i have been looking for, for quite a while


a glass rolling pin, isnt she a beauty
i have quite a few pins in my collection but this one i will be using

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Blogtoberfest day 17

A & i walked down to a garage sale this morning & i picked up this Willow Sifter for $3
now i have four so its definitely a collection now






we took some bread down for the chooks & i took 7 eggs out from under Miss Brown.
met the guy up the back & gave him 5 eggs & in return he gave me an arm load of rhubarb & also dug up two bulbs for me to plant.
who ever said doing something nice for someone doesn't pay you back twice as much
now what can i make, keeping in mind i no longer have an oven............



Friday, October 16, 2009

Blogtoberfest day 16

well im a bit behind with posting, i guess that happens sometimes. i worked 5 days this week & i am exhausted to say the least besides packing orders we were also moving to a new factory 2 doors down hopefully on monday i will have a table to work on.

My Sally girl has been limping around, don't know how she hurt herself, probably jumping from the 3rd step or hurtling down the back yard playing ball. anyway went down to the local vet on wednesday afternoon for a check up, he couldn't find any major damage but if she is still limping next week we will go in for an x-ray. we were told to try & keep her calm & no ball play or running around, ha ha how do you do that.

Fight to legalize clothes lines, sweeps the US

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/10/fight_to_legali.php?dcitc=daily_nl




mmm this i find so strange, i don't understand why hanging clean clothes on the line to dry is consided low class or pov. as for lowering property values, i have never herd of such nonsense.
one of my most satisfying sights is a line full of washing flapping in the breeze, whether its clothes, towels or sheets & don't get me started on a line full cloth nappies {ban disposable nappies}
i could never live in a place where my right to hang washing outside it taken away
anyway why should your neighbours care, maybe they should stop sticky beaking over the fence & mind their own bees wax

mmm think im voteing for 1950
how about you ?


Sunday, October 11, 2009

Blogtoberfest day 10 & 11

well the food got made & frozen the walls sanded & another coat of plaster put on & my floor has one coat of varnish & it looks so silky while all this was going on A & S were up at Silverdale shooting range S did really well, you should see his Target sheet

last night after my shower i sat on the couch & started the washer for a friends B'day next week
she is a purple fan so i will make 2 purple & white face washers using the using the Waffle Weave knit pattern & some handmade soap to go with them


Waffle Knit Dishcloth from Homespun Living

i use 8ply cotton crochet & knitting yarn; additional yarn for colored stripe, if desired.
Size 4 1/2mm needles

Directions:

Cast on 38 stitches.
Knit 3 rows for border.

Row 1: (right side): Knit.

Row 2: K 3, purl to last 3 stitches, k 3.

Row 3: K 3, (P 2, k 1) 10 times, p 2, k 3.

Row 4: K 3, (K 2, p 1) 10 times, k 5.

Repeat these 4 rows, 6 times. If a colored center stripe is desired, change yarn now and work rows 1 – 4, 2 times in desired color.
Change back to main color and work the 4 row pattern, 6 times.

Knit last 4 rows.
Cast off and weave in ends.


this was all i did before putting it down to fall asleep on the couch in front of the fire.

today is all about my knitting, watching movies, green tea & someone else making tea tonight

Friday, October 09, 2009

Blogtoberfest day 8 & 9

Well i cant seem to post everyday at the moment so every second day it will have to be
big shop last night & didn't get home till after 9, so nothing done last night.
super busy all day today,
varnished half the floor
did a few loads of washing, just about dry when it started to rain so finished it all off in the dryer.
not something i like to do but we were running out of clothes & i don't have an under cover place to put up a line.
the rest of the day was spent making food to go in the freezer
10 loaves of garlic bread
2 meat pies
spinach & cheese quiche
carrot & zucchini quiche
rissoles
2 large bags of sliced onions
1 large bag of diced onions
also made a double batch of coconut cookies

tomorrow i will finish of the 2 chicken & veggie pies & the 2 lasagnas i started tonight
& make a few more cookies & a slice or two before i varnish the other side of the kitchen floor, when that's done the oven will be off limits for a couple of days.




now for something new
while i was out shopping i picked up a new face, hand cream {Full Cream} & lip balm {Cowlick}
all i can say is wow & I've only been using it for one day
they call it Moo Goo
http://www.moogoo.com.au/

i am in the kitchen a lot so i am always washing my hands & the same at work so my hands are supper dry & cracked. they look 15 years older than the rest of me.
i have used the Full Cream 4 times today & i can already see a slight improvement. its not overly expensive at about $18 & i think it is well worth a try.


well I'm just about running on empty so I'm off to bed

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Blogtoberfest day 6 & 7

up late every night over the long weekend & up at 5.30 every morning sooo tired
supper busy at work, it usually slows down over the school holidays but not this week, Tuesday we had to do 3 days of work in one day, just typing it makes me tired.
Finished liming the floor last night, i think it turned out Awesome
tomorrow night my goal is to give it the first coat of varnish {fingers Xed}

Monday, October 05, 2009

Quick Walk

Blood Plums

Almonds
Blogtoberfest day 5

Its been raining here since friday afternoon & with Sally going in & out all the time im fighting the muddy foot prints, luckily we have the kitchen blocked off.
went for a walk down to the chook yard, umbrella in hand & my Sally girl by my side.
went in & said hello to the girls & checked for some eggs { five in hand}
headed on back toward the house checking on all the trees & to my surprise i have found out that 2 of them are almond trees {mmm nuts}.
so my fruit/nut tree list is as follows so far

2 Almonds
2 Blood Plums
3 Figs
3 Oranges
1 Mandarin
1 Grapefruit {Yellow}
1 Lemon
1 Raspberry
1 Loganberry
1 Apricot
1 Hazelnut {need to get another as Sally kindly ripped out the other & chewed it up}

there are a few more that need to be identified, i think there are at least 2 peaches & 2 nectarine's & maybe a pear as well.

its pouring down rain again & the water is flowing out of the full water tank, its such a waste.
we really need to get a couple more water tanks, mmm but one project at a time

Kitchen Reno Prt 2

Blogtoberfest day 4
yesterday was spent fine sanding the floor, sanding the walls, filling holes, second coat on the new plaster wall with base coat, removing the cedar paneling off the wall down the hall & last but by no means least Limed most of the floor. didn't crawl into bed until after 12.30.









ill be back in later for another post

Saturday, October 03, 2009

Kitchen Renovation

Blogtoberfest- 2009 Day 3
Day 3- better later than never, now i just need to find the time to post every day. so here we go :o)

Kitchen Renovation

A few weeks ago we pulled up the lino in the kitchen & started to pry up the Masonite { think they used 10 boxes of nails on the Masonite Grrrrr} . last weekend we ripped out the kitchen, that was heaps of fun.



this kitchen was a knobbys kitchen


off come the wall cupboards & fridge surround, half that wall was gyprock & half fibro

there was a boxed out bit above the wall cupboards

the bench was rotted around the taps, water seeping through to the cupboards below

gyprock/fibro removed from stove wall & sink wall

last week all i had in the kitchen was the cooker, table & fridge. washing up in a bucket, just like camping - fun fun fun

Wednesday & Thursday night filled all the holes


Yesterday A & his brother sanded the floor, she came up pretty sweet. there were a lot of stains on it when we took up the masonite but the floor sander took them all off.


the green on the left is the one i will be using its called Green Thorns, its Taubmans colour



here is the new kitchen plan, sink in the same spot, Westinghouse 900 stainless gas cook top where the free standing oven was with a Robinhood stainless 900 canopy above.
the long wall is the pantry wall, starting from the large door way at the top of the picture, double pantry, Westinghouse stainless all fridge, single pantry with 2 internal draws at the bottom, Westinghouse stainless gas wall oven with an electric grill, above the oven is a cupboard with the microwave oven in it, below the oven are two draws. last is a double pantry.
Island bench with two lots of draw banks & two cupboards, plus a double power point {no cords across the floor} the island top is black stone with mirror flecks.
the other benches are a black & gray stone look laminex, splash back is brushed stainless laminex.
plain timber doors stained a mulberry red & the floor will be limed

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Dual Flush

Yesterday found me answering the door to Sydney Water, i was to get a flash new dual flush toilet, very exciting.
you may ask yourself whats so exciting about getting a new toilet, well for me its all about how much water we will be saving & also the first step to turning the purple throne room into something much nicer.
so with out further ado, before & after




She is all ceramic Australian Made by Caroma, with the highest water rating of 4 stars {the only toilet to have the 6 star rating are urinals} 4.5lt full flush & 3lt half flush. $330 spread over the next 4 water bills. just too easy. took away the old toilet to be crushed & used in road base.

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Gardening Australia


Saturday found A & i at the Gardening Australia Show, we went last year for the first time & were a little disappointed, but it could have been an off year so we thought we would give it another go.
i came home with 2 shopping baskets, 2 books & 2 plants but saying that it was crap, these items i could have purchased from the internet. there was even less there than last year, its a pity as it could have been soo much more.
there were a lot of food & skin products & that's all great but some of the things we were after there was no sign of. on our list we had worms, canning supplies, dehydrator, solar ovens just to name a few.
it was a waste of $34 & our morning, i don't think we will be going next year.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Changing Seasons

it seems like i can only manage to post once a month
well i was on a wireless & everyone else in the house had cables, mine dropped out every 5 mis or so . impossible to get anything done, now i have a cable so yeah ha no more drop outs.

looks like its time for an up date

on National Tree day we went up to Blackheath Market & picked up 2 Hazelnut Trees that i had ordered, an Ennis & a Halls Giant, also 6 bails of straw for $10 a bail.
planted out my two new trees down the side near a fig & 4 other miscellaneous fruit trees.





i spent an afternoon taking the sides, floor & roof of the green chook house & the 2 boys & i had a hard time moving it from the driveway down to the chook yard, when i say hard time we had to lift the frame over the side gate {the gate is just over shoulder height} swear words & bruises all round, even tho it was just the frame it was still quite heavy. into the chook yard it went. now it is home to the straw bails.


we have lots of fruit trees some of them we know what they are & others we will have to wait till leaves & fruit appear, these 2 photos below were taken 2 weeks ago, bare winter branches



now my yard is full of beautiful pink & white flowers

these 2 large trees are Blood plums, full of white flowers & thousands of busy bees

last Sunday afternoon we hung the hammock between the 2 plums, where Sally & i spent a good couple of hours whiling away the afternoon