butlers pantry

 

 

The butlers pantry drawings..

I had a visit from the cabinet maker on Saturday to remeasure and confirm all the drawings - another couple of little changes and they are all signed off and ready for production...

Mr Right has been slaving away building the fireplace surround in readiness for installation this week. Wow, decisions , decisions.... I think I may have even changed my mind on the stone as we decided to put the TV above the fireplace and I think the stone may be too busy??

Electrical rough in complete = check.

Plaster is booked for next week....

May have changed my mind on the spotted gum floorboards after spotting something different today, will make some mad phone calls tomorrow to check on price and availability...Wormy chestnut?? Weird name but gorgeous timber.

Changed my mind on the butlers sink too - and went for a double sink instead of single at Mr Rights suggestion - happy to oblige !!

Now to try and book a tiler for when plaster is complete - and make my mind up on the tiles - will share once I have

Melissa xx

laundry/mudroom drawings

I literally squeeled out loud, thankfully in the privacy of my own company, when these bounced into my inbox. All the drawings from the cabinet maker - kitchen, bathrooms, mudroom/laundry, butlers pantry..... 

 Pictured above is the cabinetry on the opposite walls of the mudroom / laundry - I was originally planning on having open holes underneath the bench for a basket and a tiled floor. But i have since decided, with Simon's help, to have floorboards in the room and a drawer instead to hide all the shoes and that wont scratch the floorboards.

 Birds eye view - drying cupboard pictured on the left of the plan - goodbye clothes horse! 

 Here is my original inspiration

Simon has done an amazing job of translating our many conversations, emails and pictures back and forth into drawings. Simon completed the kitchen in our last house when we renovated and I was so thrilled with his service and the results so we decided to use him again, despite the distance. He is incredibly patient, has excellent customer service and has amazing ideas when your stuck. No job is ever to big or small for him!!

So, over the next week I will share with you the drawings for the cabinetry in the house and welcome your feedback.  I have made a few little changes to the kitchen already, only just to do with the symmetry - Simon has been most patient with my changes and constant need for all things to be symmetrical even when he knows it is impossible, he has worked with me to create the illusion.. bless him!

Now i'm on the hunt for some baskets for top unit - anyone seen any nice ones?? Simon wants me to purchase first and then custom fit as it can prove a bit tricky to find baskets that fit once the cabinet is made..

Thanks for coming by - Melissa xx

Recipes for all natural cleaning

I recently agreed to have an aromatherapy party to learn all about using essential oils to make natural cleaning products.

Since Amelia has been sick with her itchy skin, I have been trying to use more natural cleaning products for the laundry and general cleaning. 

Just for the holding the "Amazing Scents" party I helped make the natural kitchen spray and bathroom creme' cleanser and was able to keep them all packaged up in these Amber glass bottles - sweet!!

The whole family has commented on how lovely the kitchen spray smells when I use it to clean the benches - so fresh! The recipe for this spray is as follows:

* 15 drops lemon

* 10 drops Eucalyptus
* 12 drops lavender

* 8 drops tea tree

* 5 drops peppermint

* 50 drops solubiliser (vodka)

* 85 mls Spring Water

Put all the above into a spray bottle (amber glass or heavy duty weed killer type plastic bottle) and shake well - use to clean all kitchen surfaces and enjoy the aroma!

Amazing Scents have a website where you can not only order the essential oils but also the bottle and atomiser for just $5.95.

The recipe that I was most excited about was for natural dishwashing tablets!

I had recently switched to the eco store brand in order to further reduce chemical use in our house and was a little bewildered by the price.

So I got collecting the following ingredients in the weekly shop:

* 1 cup bi carb (McKenzies cooking grade)

* 1/2 cup citric acid  (supermarket)

* 1/3 cup crushed lectric soda (washing powder isle in the supermarket)

* 30 drops lemon essential oil

Place ingredients into a bowl in the listed order. Mix thoroughly and press into an ice cube tray. Leave for one hour, pop out and store in an airtight container. Use white vinegar for rinse aid. ( For us lazy ones  time poor mumma's - you can just reduce the amount of lemon oil and leave it in an airtight container and use a scoop).

I loved this recipe even more as almost everything you need is in the supermarket apart from the lemon essential oil.

I just had to share this as i don't know if anyone has ever read the ingredients in dish washing powder but they read a little scary! I plan on making some up today, let me know if you have a go too!!

Enjoy - Melissa xx

From the hands of babes

My girls have a texta, crayon or pencil almost permanently in their little hands.

Always drawing, making and creating. 

We have copious amounts of art produced en masse every single day.

Charlotte is a careful and measured artist, she plans and thinks about what she is drawing and then produces one perfectly finished and complete piece.

Amelia is like a mad little scribbler, she will sit with a pad and furiously draw, get halfway through her picture and as quick as she put crayon to paper, it is ripped out and discarded. And when it is all over she has a PILE of discarded works of art scattered around her.

Not sure what kind of clues their drawing practices hold for their very different little personality's - time will tell, but in the meantime i just love watching them create.

Melissaxx

New house photos

As promised, I took some updated house photos on the weekend and realised there may not be alot to look at, any how here they are.... 

The view from the kitchen window - if you look closely you can see two little black dots under the middle tree, otherwise known as our two little girls - eager to explore the creek that runs at our back fence. After exploring the creek, they went sheepishly towards the middle tree, that has the most amazing big hole in the trunk, to check if there was any wildlife residing in there - empty - they reported back......

The garage that Mr Right has been working hard on every weekend for the past month.. Ready for trusses next weekend, and then the roof.....

The view of the kitchen standing in the dining room, the carpenter put together the frame of the box that will be above the freestanding cooker, you can just see it in between the two windows. I decided against a visible rangehood as I didn't want to make a feature of it, instead it will be concealed in this neat little box and covered by an amazing enormous clock that i will start hunting for now....

The view of the back of the house, standing behind the garage on a pretty dark, dreary day...

All the electrical work has now been completed, heating & cooling hopefully being installed mid this week....

I think I have made a decision on the tiles for the bathrooms, as soon as i get can get some sunlight to photograph them in, i'll post them too..

Still havn't decided on the doors, procrastinating really, but the decision needs to be made before plaster, so I need to turn my attention to it, pronto...

Looking for some timber flooring now, decisions, decisions!!
What I want, and what I get may be two different things when it comes to the timber floors, Mr Right and I are still in discussions....
Mr Right found a "timber man" that he has been having a few conversations with and in the end sent me his number and name today for me to have a chat with him.
He spoke to me about price, availability of what i want (difficult to get), and alternatives. He then told me a story of how when he built his house, he put in a cheap kitchen that his wife complained about for 7 years before he finally replaced it with what she wanted. I am not sure this story helped Mr Rights cause. Anyway, still in discussions......

Common sense says let it go........ but my heart just keeps saying, weeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Next lots of photos there will be plaster on the walls..

Patience is being tested!

Melissa xx

Kitchen Sketches

 The little girls are as equally excited about the new house as the big girl in the family.

Charlotte asked if she could "have" one of my House & Garden magazines to "keep" this morning. I reluctantly said, "yyyyeeessssss" despite it being this months issue - what a good mumma..

 

Then they got busy drawing up some kitchen sketches - makes my heart sing that they love it just as much as the mumma xxxx

Getting ready to head down to the house today to have a bit of a clean up, take some pictures and gaze out the windows

Thanks for reading

Melissa xxx

Happy birthday White Verandah

Image: I am blessed

 

 

I cant believe it has been 12 months already since I started this blog. We had just purchased our piece of country turf and were starting to draw up the plans for the new house and thinking about moving, finding a rental , etc... Seems like so so long ago...... I have spent so much time dreaming and fantasizing of building, designing and living the country lifestyle  and now its really happening... As I drive through the hills in the morning to drop the girls at school, the views still take my breath away - I hope I never just get used to those views and take those big luscious green hills for granted..

I started this blog to document the building process as a keepsake but it has blossomed into so much more than I expected. It has been a way to keep distant friends close and also make new friends. Thankyou to everyone that reads and comments on my posts, I look forward to logging in and checking your lovely comments. I cherish the advice I receive and look forward to sharing the rest of the house journey with you in bloggy land.

Thanks again,  Melissa xx

I pulled my overalls on

The electrical rough in has been completed over the last couple of days; as we steam towards plastering. I have been so keen to hang plaster on those walls but I feel like there has been a mountain of little things that need to be completed before we can and somehow the list just gets longer.... So i pulled on my overalls to assist (or hinder??) and hammered in some of those bracket things for the light switches. So electrical rough in = check.

Next week - ducted heating and cooling and fingers crossed put in the fireplace, insulation and then plaster. I will be over the moon when the plaster goes up... That means the fun stuff will start......

Melissa xx

House blessing

I just remembered tonight whilst searching for more bathroom tap options (not sure what made me think of it), that i was inspired some time ago by the blog fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com to write a house blessing letter to pop into the walls before they are all plastered up.

I have a rough idea of some things I would like to include - health, happiness, love, laughter, kindness, warmth...... I thought I'd also get the girls to make something or write something down too. I'll share once I've finished.  

Busy again today, working on paint colors for the exterior of the house. The decision has always been white weatherboard, as you know we have a Windspray colorbond roof, and I am thinking a big glossy black front door... Black gloss = easy choice, white for the weatherboards = minefield....

Thanks for the advice on the doors - naturally the first door pictured in my last post was the MOST expensive, so depending on what the quote comes back looking like - i may have to look at other options...But will keep you posted on the door dilemma...

Melissa x

Door trauma

Decisions, decisions.... I have been busy today with choosing tiles, carpet and external paint colors and will share some of those with you soon.

However, after meeting with the plasterer today (and changing my mind on the square set and opting for a nice chunky cornice...) my attention has moved to doors, given the internal sliders track and frame need to be in place before plaster can be installed. We had planned on just putting in the track and worrying about the doors down the track however it seems the framing and track come together with the actual doors. So....... I need to choose and I need some help!!

All images - Corinthian Doors

Any thoughts?? My initial choice was the first door, however after showing Mr Right and his comment being - "old school" I have chosen a few others... Obviously these doors will be throughout so the decision is a big one, too much choosing for today! The kitchen, bathroom, powder room and laundry will all be the "shaker" style cabinets - similar to this -

Image: Kitchen Designer

So I thought the first pictured door would flow quite nicely???

Thanks , Melissa x

House update

The house has been at somewhat of a stand still (apart from work on the garage) for the past couple of weeks. Mr Right has been slaving away for the past couple of weekends putting together his garage that will house the cars and his toys.

We had a minor hiccup with leaking windows therefore we couldn't progress to starting the "inside" until it was sorted out. Mr Right worked his magic on that too, and we are steaming ahead this week.... Electrical rough in is happening this week, then insulation. There are few little internal things that we (ok mostly me) have changed our minds on, so those things need to be changed before plaster can be hung. I am meeting the plasterer on site tomorrow, just to go over my choices. I'm thinking square set in entry, lounge and kitchen - given the vaulted ceiling anyway, and then traditional cornice everywhere else. I toyed with the idea of doing some decorative cornice work - but decided a gorgeous big chunky 190ml (!!!!! squeeeeeel) skirting board would pack more punch..

I was super dooper excited to meet with my cabinet maker on Saturday afternoon - i love how patient he is with me tormenting him with every little detail, and pictures aplenty on the i phone; so there is no mistaking we are on the same page.. Oh I cant wait to share the drawings with you, I may never ever be seen again- I may stay forever in the kitchen and laundry/mudroom = LOVE!

Pictured below is a rough idea on half of the laundry / mudroom, I may have shared another image with you, but turns out I fell head over heels for this one in the meantime, and it even works out cheaper - bonus..

 

Image unknown

I have also been busy choosing and getting heating and cooling quoted, boring - no pretty pictures but essential. Ducted....that's all on that. Electric too as we have no natural gas but bonus is we have three phase. May even look into solar - anyone have any advice on solar ??


Also been hunting for a woodfire to fit into the stone wall. Sooo much choice - but I think we have finally decided and agreed upon a Regency Bellerive. We did consider a traditional open fire but was eventually swayed by the effeciency of a slow combustion - toasty.....

And that's not all - choosing external paint colors, choosing internal doors, sourcing attic ladders for the man cave, choosing timber for the floors. Have not even started the mammoth task of choosing tiles for the bathrooms.... Hold on to your hats people, the next couple of months are going to be a wild ride of choices, listening to me squeeel with excitement about just about everything (sorry, but it cannot be contained), and please lots of advice!

Oh and look what i found in the garden this morning - made me smile sooooo broadly, these are for you Deb xxxx love you

Stunning little buds with velvet curtains waiting to reveal the star of the show.

freckles baby shower

The view into baby freckles bedroom complete with a blackboard for bubba creativity - however in the meantime it was used at the baby shower to choose the birthdate, weight and time of freckles arrival...

The arrival of the newest addition to our family, fondly dubbed "freckles" is imminent. We are all eagerly awaiting a new little niece or nephew, cousin and bubba in just a few weeks time and are super super excited!

So a baby shower was in order - lots of freckles color and frivolity..

My gorgeous sister gazing into an empty cot.....

 

 

 

My miss muffett could not resist imitating her aunty, balloon in belly, and complete with moaning, "Oh i'm sooo pregnant!"

 I have been busy stitching some love into a quilt for freckles and will reveal when it's finished...

Freckles, you are the luckiest baby being born into such a loving family..

I have enjoyed the journey so far watching my little sister blossom into a mummy to be in more ways than one - burgeoning belly, nesting, sorting, washing, decorating and baking, baking, baking...

I cant wait to see her little family expand and witness her make the bestest mummy..

I am super excited and ruffling my feathers myself at the thought of holding a newborn and sniffing that lovely lovely newborn smell....

We cant wait to meet you frecklesxxx

Melissa x