BP

Congratulations to Pip and Rach on achieving their BP award. We all celebrated by eating out and sharing a donut cake. Great achievement. Hopefully Stringy will one day achieve hers as well.

Lido Cafe

Went out tonight for dinner and Chai and ended up finding a white hot chocolate instead. How yummy does this look and it even came with marshmallows.

I'll ignore the fact that Mal said it looked 'anemic'... pfft ;-)

Reno #13

Ok so lots has been happening. Clockwise from the top left:

• plumber is due back any day to install the toilet! argh.
• Husband Deluxe hiding behind my new craft cupboard.
• Plasterer has been in and installed the cornicing and plastered the joins etc.
• Plumber has installed all the new fixtures including our lush new Grohe shower head.

Things waiting to be completed include:

• handles installed on all the cupboards.
• sealant to be applied around the kicks.
• shower screen has been measured up but it's at least a 1 week turn around.
• Ben needs to connect the heating vent.
• Peter needs to install a new fan as the electrician broke the existing one.
• Husband Deluxe has started painting and should hopefully finish up on the weekend.
  

Op-travaganza #3

I literally had a spare 15 minutes before our NAPLAN training this afternoon. Which was held at Daramalan, so the lovely Steph and I decided to hit the Op shop in Dickson. I was lucky again! Cool huh? After a quick, whirlwind whip around the store I scored the following:

A Jaqui E grey skirt with a gorgeous lace and velvet ribbon trim: $2
A pair of Diana Ferrari knee high, high heeled boots, black: $7.50 (these were half price!)
A Tigger and Pooh bear glass for String Bean: .50c

Total spend: $10

The op shopping was way better than the training ;-)

Reno #12

Looking like we're in the home stretch now. Jean Luc completed the grouting yesterday and today Peter came by to install all fixtures, vanity and bathroom cupboard.

Unfortunately the plumber can't come till Monday morning... sob another weekend with no washing machine and it's been raining all day. Oh well. It's been Worth the wait as Jean Luc really is a fantastic tiler.

So inspiring

Mr Paul Southwell @ Target.

It isn't very often that you meet a Principal of this calibre. Husband Deluxe managed to catch this happy snap of Paul dressed up as 'Where's Wally'. Obviously some primary related activity, as there were plenty of school kids and staff wandering round looking for Wally.

I've been lucky to meet 2 fabulous Principals in my teaching career so far & I'm so pleased that the kids are going to school with someone at the helm who genuinely loves children and will go to any length to make their day. Engaged: not just office admin, paper work or behaviour management.

Thank you Paul for being you and caring so much. You're inspiring and appreciated.

Reno # 11

Bathroom walls.

At last some quick tiling action. Not sure if Peter had words with Jean Luc but he stayed till 6.30pm tonight and has finished tiling bar 2 tiles on the cupboard floor and cutting the floor waste tiles. Looks superb and will look even better once the grout gets done tomorrow.

I am starting to really, really miss my washing machine. Hopefully won't be too much longer before it's back where it should be, in the laundry washing my clothing.

Thankfully my good mate is letting me wash at her place.


Toilet: tiled skirting boards.



















Laundry tiled splash backs completed.

Reno #10

Jean Luc can back today to do some more work on the tiling. He's finished tiling the wall with the bath and has put the featured strip in. Looking fab.

The electrician also came back again and has installed our new light fittings and moved a power point.

Op-travaganza #2

Lucky finds again at my two favourite op shops.

Flapper wear for the party:
* actual tap shoes: $15
* black fluffy bag: $4

A new black coat, Tightrope: $12

2 videos that the tots love: $2

Regal dress ups, crown and cape: $4. Great for Book Week dress up day.

Total spend $37.

Plus I also have something very, very special on hold. Will be going in tomorrow at 3 to pay for it. Watch this space.

Update: I had found an antique Wagner piano yesterday. Beautifully carved and very special. Unfortunately it hadn't been tuned since 1977 and my friend, Annette, came to check it out for me. When she played it even *I* could hear how very badly out of tune and tinny it sounded. Sob it is so special, but not for us. Would cost upwards of $9000 to repair, as it would need all of its guts replaced. Hopefully someone who is into repairing antique pianos buys it. $350 at Salvos Mitchell.

Yummo

I was so grateful to receive today a packet of Artisan Biscuits from the lovely Steph. Baked by hand and made with white chocolate.

It's so nice to working in an environment where you're appreciated and cared for. Still loving work, overjoyed to be at my school.

May even consider sharing some with the kidlets tomorrow ;-)

Flapper to be...

Husband Deluxe and I have been invited to a 1920's themed 40th birthday party. So we've been researching madly and trying to source the right gear.

Given that we have to go to the 'Phoenix Club' and give a password to the 'man on the door' to enter, we really need to look the part. We might not be allowed in otherwise.

Anyone know where I can get a flapper dress, to borrow or hire, before the 5th September??

Reno #9

So things are really happening now. All the cupboards were installed by Peter today. Jean Luc started laying the wall tiles.

















New large white wall tiles. My new 'craft' cupboard...drool.

The electrician will be in again tomorrow and Jean Luc will be back Saturday to keep working on the tiling. Loving my new bathroom/laundry. It's fabulous.

Reno #8

The lovely Jean Luc came and tiled our floors on Tuesday. There was no work today as they needed to tile. Peter will be back tomorrow to install cupboards etc and then the tilers will be back to tile the walls.

Really starting to take shape. Want my washing machine back though... sob.

Blood Wedding

I was thrilled to see my teaching partner Steph acting tonight in Blood Wedding at ANU. In her words, she was playing "the middle aged harpy" and she did a wonderful job!

We all went out for dinner first, lots of wine and hilarious conversation. Great night out. We're all waiting to see what Steph auditions for next, hopefully something light and fully.

mmm lush #2

I purchased another Olga Berg this week. This one is second hand and was a fantastic price! Brown embroidered suede, which will fit in nicely with all the brown in my new wardrobe. Loving Ebay atm.

Reno #7

The tiler arrived today and started waterproofing and preparing the wet areas for the tiles to go in.

Unfortunately he was held up yesterday which means he'll be here tomorrow instead. Not overly happy to have the tiler here on a weekend, but you get that.

Reno #6

Today saw the floors being completely covered with sheeting, the 3 separate floor wastes were installed, cornices and skirting boards removed.

I'm so impressed with how neat and tidy Peter and his team are. They take away all the rubbish at the end of the day and are cleaning up as they go inside the house. They are a real pleasure to deal with.

Ooh la la

I got my hair straightened tonight by a couple of friends. I L.O.V.E. it. I think I've got to get me me a straightener. Lucky my money for having a student teacher has finally been paid!!!

Thanks Kimmy and Mal.

Mmmm lush

My new Olga Berg bag that is.

Photo courtesy of my Ebay seller.

I've been after a new bag for about 6 months and after trawling DFO, op shops and the mall a few times and coming away empty handed I headed over to Ebay. I've had a serious love affair going on with Olga Berg for quite awhile but never found just the right one. Couldn't resist this one. Just gorgeous.

Reno #5

Wow major stuff happened today. Floor sheeting went into the laundry area. Wall sheeting on damaged laundry wall and all walls re-sheeted in the bathroom. Ceiling completely striped back in bathroom. Nothing new in the toilet area.

Yay looking heaps better today. All the white is making the space look so much bigger than what was there before.

Reno #4

Here are the latest photos from the reno. Yesterday they removed all of the flooring, installed the new heater point in the laundry, removed the last wall of tiles from the bathroom and started to remove the gross ceiling in the bathroom.

Making steady progress even though Peter has a chest infection.

Cool Track.

Look at what greeted us this morning when we woke up. Very intricate and well thought out.

They were so proud of themselves we had to come "straight away' to have a look.