The Power of the Sun

In this part of the world there is one thing that we are never short of.

And that is SUN!

So it makes sense that given the expected increase in electricity charges we keep hearing about – that we should utilise this free energy to offset the cost of power.

I also feel a moral obligation to the planet to reduce our carbon imprint.  We live in such a beautiful, pristine part of the world.   I would love to think it will still be the same in 100 years time!

So – here is our own little power generating plant – right on my very own roof!

I had been contemplating solar panels for quite a while and when I realised the Government’s subsidy on solar panels was going to be reduced on the 30^th June – I sprang into action.


These sparkling little diamonds were installed today – a beautiful, sunny day in tropical Far North Queensland.   Just look at the sun reflecting off those panels .

I am hoping they are going to significantly reduce our power bills and with a bit of luck – we might even be able to  sell power back to the grid.  Who would have thought it – a CREDIT balance with the electricity company!

There have been times when I have questioned decisions I have made – what is that old saying about “decisions made in haste.”   However, this is not one of them.   

I am positively glowing!

A Little Drop Cloth Magic

To be perfectly honest, I have found this whole painter's drop cloth upholstery phenomenon a little hard to get!    When all these amazing transformations first began to appear in blogland I was a little dubious.  Painter's drop cloth?   Hmm......    The only painter's drop cloths I could find were at my local Bunnings store.  They were a dirty grey in colour and looked to be coated in some shiny waterproofing stuff.   Hardly the type of  fabric that I would want adorning my chairs and windows.

However persistence has paid off and a couple of weeks ago whilst checking out paint in another hardware store I stumbled across these little gems - "RotaCota" drop cloths.    Now I get it!    These are going to revolutionise my decorating.

First project to get the RotaCota decorating treatment - my rattan dining room chairs.  See those six chairs just behind where  Dixie Chick is sitting.

No patterns or templates here - I just simply draped the drop cloth over the front of the chair and started pinning.    In fact my entire approach to this project was to pin - cut - sew!  The beauty of these drop cloths is that there is just SO much fabric.  If something is not right - well it's just simply a matter of cutting off another piece.  



Once I was happy with the pinning - I then cut off all the surplus fabric and then sewed along the pin line (removing the pins as I went!)  The one thing I found with this project was there was an awful lot of slipping  off and slipping on.   This certainly helped with getting a good fit.



Then came the seat.   To help secure the seat to the base of the chair and stop it riding up every time anyone sat on it - I made a little trim which fitted nice and snug around the chair.  Again, more pinning/trimming and sewing. 



See how I secured the trim at the back.  That upholstered seat wasn't going anywhere!



Next up was the skirt.   I decided to go for a  tailored look and took deep pleats at each corner.   I then pinned the skirt to the seat to make sure it was the right length.

Off  with the cover again for some more sewing. 

Turn it right side out ( don't forget to remove ALL the pins) and voila!

All finished!

Yes, I'm quietly happy with the way this little project has turned out.

Can't wait to get started on my next RotaCota project!

Another one for the Collection

Over the years I have had many collections.   I'm sure it must be something to do with my obsessive nature or maybe it might just be that when I find something I REALLY like - I just have to have more than one!

I've been through my "cow" phase when literally everything in my home was a black and white cow - plates, cups, clocks, towels, figurines, paintings, cookie jars.... you name it, I had it.  If there was a bovine in the building - I could spot it at 50 metres.  

Then there was my chicken and duck phase..... my sheep phase.....my votive candle phase......the list goes on.......

Thankfully  - I am now a reformed hoarder.  I have embraced the concept of controlled minimalism and regularly de-clutter as a form of Zen meditation!

Impressed?

Well I sure am!

Who am I kidding?    

Once a collector ALWAYS a collector! 

Take this gorgeous little ceramic birdhouse.   When I walked by Bed, Bath and Table and saw it sitting there on the Clearance Table - all sad and lonely looking.......well of course I had to have it for my birdhouse collection, didn't I?   The fact that my birdhouse collection is fast taking over every spare nook and cranny in the house - well minor detail really.

I just love the shade of turquoise and the cute little bird perched on top.  I think it might be a budgerigar?

I LOVE my birdhouse collection but this is the ABSOLUTE, VERY LAST, NEVER AGAIN one I am EVER going to buy!!



Do you  believe me?

More Old Treasures

It has been a real walk down "Memory Lane" recently with some of the old treasures I have managed to uncover in my massive shed cleanup.  

(A perfect opportunity also to play some more with Photoshop Elements and this beautiful vintage texture).  Did I mention how much I love textures?....

This fabulous old meat mincer certainly brought back some memories for me.  It has been such a long time since the last time I saw it.

 You see it belonged to Mum.  

My Mum passed away 3 years ago and it has taken me this long to find, (not exactly sure what the word is?) to sort through her possessions.  There have been so many occasions over the past 3 years when I have started this process only to find that I couldn't continue.    However the "right" time finally came a couple of weeks ago.  

It was such a joy to see some of these items again.  It's not that they are valuable and perhaps some people might even think they are just a pile of junk - but to me they are just so special.

I have such vivid memories of this old meat mincer clamped to the side of our kitchen table.  How it would fascinate me to see my mother (literally!) shove pieces of meat into the hole at the top - give the handle a couple of hard turns - and then see perfectly minced meat come out the other end.   As a young child I thought it was the most magical kitchen gadget I had ever seen.

I'm sure this old ice cream scoop must be one of the first ones ever made.  It actually weighs a ton!  I can't even begin to imagine just how many ice cream cones this little scoop would have filled over the years.   Just such an incredible piece of engineering. 


I just love this old hand beater with its red wooden top and handle.  It was my Mum's favourite. 

I remember her beating the cream with it and how quickly she would turn that little handle.  Bits of cream would flick all over the kitchen bench and the bowl would be filled with white bubbly froth.  Then, as if by magic, the froth would disappear and in its place would be a bowl of thick, luscious cream.  (Through the eyes of a young child - there certainly seemed to be a lot of magic going on in my Mum's kitchen...)

I would then get the job of spooning it onto one of her famous jam sponge trifles or delicious caramel tarts.   ( I think I probably did my fair share of licking those beaters as well!)

The chipped and faded red paint is just so beautiful. 

I love the patina and strength of these old kitchen utensils.

I also love the fact that when I rub my hand over metal shute of the old mincer or hold onto the faded red handle of the beater  - I get the chance to re-live my childhood memories.

and if I close my eyes really tight............

  I can feel my Mum's hand on mine.  

My Little Cupboard Makeover

Summer holidays came to an end last week.  Each year I find it harder and harder to gather up the energy (and motivation) to return to work - particularly after 5 weeks holiday. 

I absolutely love being a homebody.   I love nothing better than getting up in the morning and tackling all the jobs and various projects I have set myself to complete over the 5 week break.  Some days, I can't even finish my task list and end up having to carry jobs over to the next day.   Some people might think this is not a very relaxing way to spend a holiday - but for me, it is bliss!

Here is the little cupboard I "found" when I did the mammoth de-cluttering of my shed.  Remember - it was sitting up a pile of empty paint tins!  Why on earth I kept empty paint tins - I will never know?

I'm not exactly sure where this little cupboard originally came from?  I do know that in its former life it was used as a first aid cabinet but I think it was relegated to the shed when I painted the kitchen a couple of years ago.

So after a bit of a wipe over with sugar soap and a  good clean with a wire brush (to remove the wasp nests which had been built in the corners) it was time for a light sand and a couple of new magnetic fasteners for the doors. 

A coat of white paint later and smidgen of  subtle distressing and here we have it! 

I'm pretty happy with my cute little cupboard.  It now has pride of place in my kitchen and is ready to begin it's new life as a spice cabinet.   Such a thrill to be able to breathe new life back into an (almost forgotten) old friend!

I'm De-cluttering my Life!

My shed actually looked a lot worse than this one!

One of the jobs on the top of my "to do" list these holidays was the tidying up/cleaning out of my shed.  

Now my shed is not overly big,  in fact it is quite small by shed standards.  However it is amazing just how much stuff has been shoved/pushed/crammed into this one tiny space. 

My motivation for the HUGE shed clean out was partly prompted by the fact that I have decided 2011 is going to be the "Year of De-Cluttering".  (Yes, I know I have also decreed that 2011 is going to be the "Year of Positivity" - but I think these two things go hand in hand in a strange sort of way!)

The other reason is that when I was rummaging around in "The Shed" on Christmas morning (the morning we lost our power thanks to Cyclone Tasha!) desperately looking for my Gasmate portable camping stove - I thought? I saw one of these little guys making a hurried departure from under a pile of old paint cans...........

Cue the "Jaws" music.......

YIKES!



I have purposely "shrunk" this photo - don't want to scare everyone away!




Now, at the time I really didn't have time to investigate - I had more important things to do - like cooking up a Christmas morning breakfast banquet for 7 on a one burner Gasmate camping stove. 
However I made a promise to myself - "next fine day I'm going to clean out that shed!" 

Well,  fine days have been few and far between in the Valley of late - but I am happy to report - the shed has finally been cleaned/tidied/de-cluttered and is now neat as a pin.   What a HUGE job!  

In determining what stayed and what went - I used the same philosophy I use when de-cluttering my wardrobe.....  If I haven't used it in 12 months - out it goes! 

I did however manage to stumble across a couple of treasures (which I had long forgotten about) and which I can see have the potential to become something quite special.

First up was this sweet little wall cupboard with the chicken wire front panels.  

For the life of me, I can't remember where/how? I got this from.  I vaguely  remember that it used to hang in my kitchen (many, many years ago) and (I think?) I used it as a sort of a First Aid cupboard.

I think it so cute.  Perhaps with a bit of a sanding and painting it could scrub up quite nicely?  Not sure what I could use it for - but I am determined to breathe new life back into it.

 

Here's another find - a beautiful old rocking chair!  Gosh, I haven't seen this for years.  If my memory serves me correctly, I "rocked" Adam, Matthew and Kendall to sleep many a night in this very same chair!  Ah, the memories of my colicky babies comes flooding back......

Sadly it is looking a little worse for wear and one of the seat panels has become unstuck but I'm sure, with a bit of wood glue and a few screws it will be okay.

Not exactly sure whether I should paint it or what to do with it?   Any advice would be gratefully appreciated! 

I also managed to find an old desk and an assortment of photo frames which I am sure I will be able to put to good use.

It was such a joy to find these forgotten treasures and re-live the memories surrounding them.  I can't wait to start the process of restoring them to their former glory.  

Who would have guessed that I had a "Thrift Shop" in my own backyard all these years (and didn't even know it!);  and

Who would have thought that "De-cluttering" could be such a positive experience!

Longing for a Farmhouse Bench

Photo courtesy of Country Living Magazine

For as long as I can remember I have wanted a farmhouse bench - just like these beautiful ones here from Country Living magazine.   For years I have looked high and low just hoping one day to stumble across a lovely little bench hidden away somewhere - maybe in the back of  a second hand shop or  even on the side of the road ready for Council pickup.  I didn't really care what condition it was in - in fact the more battered the better.  However long and hard as I looked - it would seem that my dream of owning a farmhouse bench was never going to eventuate. 

Photo courtesy of Country Living Magazine

It took me a long time to come terms with the fact that there was not One Single Farmhouse Bench in Far North Queensland.  I came to the conclusion that the pioneers who settled in this part of Australia  didn't need creature comforts like wooden benches to sit on.  Maybe they were just happy to pull up an old kerosene tin or sit on a tree stump.   Or perhaps those that were made had been snapped up long ago by others like me with a serious farmhouse bench obsession or (heaven forbid!) broken up and used for firewood.
So imagine my excitement when the lovely Tina at Rubies Place did a little posting about her Farmhouse Bench obsession and included a link to the amazing Ana White at Knock Off Wood on how to go about making one.  A kindred spirit and better still ~ a kindred spirit WITH PLANS and INSTRUCTIONS!   I pondered over the diagrams for a couple of days.  It looked easy enough and really ~ could it be any more difficult than the Pirate lego ship I built for Adam back in 1987?  I think not.
So with materials list in hand and cordless drill on charge I headed off to my local Bunnings store where I picked up all the materials needed for the project for just $25 and set about the task of making my own farmhouse bench.  



I  measured (and measured again!).  Drilled and counter sank.  Screwed and glued.



A jigsaw is the only way to go!

I wasn't even daunted when a wayward handsaw decided to do its own thing and resulted in a nasty gash to my hand.  I REFUSED to give up!  I was like a woman possessed ~ I had been waiting 34 years for a farmhouse bench.  Nothing was going to stop me now.  

My tools of trade

"What do you mean you want me to get off this comfy little bench?"

Look how well those screws are lined up!  Even Dolly P was impressed. On went a base coat of blue and then I took to it with the hammer - bashing and scraping - drilling little worm holes with the cordless drill. I must admit - it did seem a rather bizarre thing to do. However all part of the Ana's faux distressing technique. Next came the top coat - red (of course!) and a bit of a rub back with sandpaper to the blue base. 




A base coat of blue



Finally it was finished!



"What does a cat have to do to get a bit of sleep around this place?"



So - here it is.  My cute little red farmhouse bench now sits proudly at the foot of my bed.  I am just SO happy with the way it turned out and think it sets off my room quite nicely.   I dare say it will probably end up becoming a bit of a dumping ground for discarded clothes and shoes - but hey, I don't really care.  I have FINALLY got my bench and I couldn't be happier.   





OK - "So you want me to be in this picture?"





"Do you think I could make it on the cover of Country Style magazine?"



 I have also developed a serious "building" bug and am already checking out Ana's site for other projects I can tackle ~ Armoires.....farmhouse tables.......chairs...... the possibilities are endless.  Thank you once again to all those fabulous bloggers who are a constant source of inspiration and are a true reflection of that old adage - "There is NOTHING that a woman can't do!"