A Challenge to My Absent Husband

Well Ladies and the odd gentleman who sometimes read my blog. My husband is away a fair bit at the moment and since we don't get to speak all that often he promises me black and blue that he does read my blog and keep updated on house related stuff. I have decided to put this to the test.

See I have fallen deeply desperately in love with some bed linen from Linen and Moore..... and usually I wouldn't even both telling him about said purchase but this is a little bit more expensive than what I would usually pay. A new quilt, cushions etc I would usually spend around $300 but this one is about $500 (Cheapest I have found so far...). I love love love this and it would be the perfect balance of masculine for darling hubby and still pretty enough to make me happy.

So my love..... you have until 3pm (WST) today to call and discuss this or else I am going to click the "buy" button.

(Readers - I should mention that I am a little bit scared, I promised faithfully that I would not buy anything until the roof goes on bit this is so perfect I am willing to risk his wrath in order to get it.... maybe.)

I Feel Pretty......

Well for the last week or so its been so technical and un-pretty so today is all about pretty things.

Really pretty things just because they look pretty. They are all totally different styles, colour palettes and room but they all just seem so warm and inviting. Can you imagine living in these houses....

Overlooking Issues Strike Again

Well as you all know, when I was designing the house I was very careful with my window placement to avoid any issues with overlooking.

Unfortunately for me when I got the plans back from the builder every single window upstairs were highlight windows ..... Na Ahh .... I don't think so.

So I called the builder and they said nope cant do a thing about it, you get a choice of highlights, highlights and more highlights.

Fine - I will bring out the big guns, so I call my shire. Surprisingly for a shire Rockingham is amazing, they are helpful, they are informative and they honestly seem to go out of their way to help you. I have even had them stop by the block once to check on a piece of pipe I was worried about.

They advise me that in a living area you need something like 7m from wall/window to boundary - not going to happen with a 10m wide block but fine, the sitting room I am happy with highlights. Its the library hall / bedroom that I am worried about. I want some larger windows in my bedroom and the shire advised that all I need is 4.5m from wall/window to boundary.

UNFORTUNATELY - I only have 4.39m so I am .110 to big. Which means I need to get special permission from my neighbour in order to have ordinary windows upstairs.....

And I have to admit - I am a little bit nervous about approaching them. Note, there is actually nothing on the block but a shed, the owners live backing onto this block and use it to store fishing gear...... but still. I am nervous about approaching them. Oh god .... what is best a letter detailing everything or the human approach and just knocking on their door.

Also - my darling husband has deserted me so I have to do this all on my own! Thankyou so much my love.....

Kitchen Drama's

So I have all the final plans from the builder..... and oh yes there are issues but nothing to major. Mostly my problems are windows and overlooking issues but that's for another post.

Today I am here to complain about my kitchen. The design they put together is bad. There are so many things I really don't like about it its just not funny.

• I don't like that I only have 3 lower cupboards.
• I don't like the pot draw. I am not a pot draw girl ... give me old fashioned cupboards any day.
• I don't like that the microwave is underneath the bench.... I am so not leaning down!
• I don't like the little cupboards on top of the fridge...I cant reach

Ok enough complaining - so I made my first revision and its not bad.... nope not bad at all but its not really great either.... not brilliant, not pretty its just ok so I might need to make more adjustments...... and I am thinking it might be work finding a professional kitchen planning person to help get this right because for me, a kitchen is the heart of my home (Well my dressing room is going to run a close second but ....)

So here for your viewing pleasure is the original plan and my first rev.... still a long way to go but it gives you an idea at what I'm up against.

Tiles Tiles Tiles

Well I finally got around to picking up my sample tiles and they are so so pretty so I thought I would dedicate this post to them.

Laundry

The top will be Polytec in Stone Fabrini and the cupboards Polytec Moss Grey Matt. The floor tiles are that lovely grey brown and the splashback is the plain gloss white

Guest Bathroom

The top will be QQ Alpine White and the cupboards Polytec Moss Grey Matt - No Handles. The floor tiles are that lovely brown and the walls the cream. I have also put in a close up picture of the tiles so you can maybe see they have this hidden flower motive. Very pretty.

Main Bathroom

The top will be QQ New White Diamond and the cupboards Laminex Espresso Linea - Vertical grain. The tiles are as per the guest bathroom downstairs.

Ensuite

The top will be QQ New White Diamond and the cupboards Laminex Espresso Linea - Vertical Grain. The tiles are something a bit special - The floor tiles will be the grey brown colour but this will also be used on a few walls and the lovely stone texture will be used on the rest of the walls. Really excited about this bathroom so have included a close up.

Im Back...

Yes yes - back home and it has been a very busy couple of weeks and more than a few new realisations.

• I realised I have more bruises from snowboarding in 1 x 45 minute session than I have ever gotten "slightly intoxicated"


• I have then decided that I am a skier at heart and that there is way more technique involved than snow boarding.
  
• I have realised that I am a lot braver than I first thought with black runs not being half as scary as last time.


• I have spent over $400 visiting the doctor in the snow because of a chest infection.


• I have spent 4 days in bed and loved every minute of it.


• I also realised sitting in bed I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.


• I realised I no longer own jeans that fit and need to start exercising


• After 3 intensive weeks with my husband I realised that nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize your wrong. (Many of those moments on both sides)


• I have toured Sydney Rocks at night on a ghost tour and was not even slightly scared or sensitive to ghostly energies.


• I have been one of those horrible people who stops suddenly in the middle of the street to take a picture of one of the thousands of lovely old buildings peppering Melbourne streets


• I have discovered if I had a choice 7.30am would be my normal wake up time and not a minute before.


• Walking down the street one rainy morning I have realised that its not possible to get any wetter so I should just enjoy jumping in all the puddles.


• I have also realised its not cool having wet socks for the entire 4 hour flight home.


• I have moved house again for the 4th time in 3 months


• I have unpacked 10 suitcases and 2 large packing boxes of clothes and shoes and have almost managed to fit everything into 2 small rooms


• I have realised I own way to many clothes and shoes but am unprepared to get rid of them


• I have realised the DVD I was dying to watch is packed at the bottom of one of the sealed boxes so I am going to have to wait 18 months to watch it.


• I have realised 1 sink in a bathroom is just not enough for both of us.


• I have realised I hate moving and that is one thing I am not looking forward to doing again.

So a great holiday all round - I am back feeling rested and happy and ready to get started on the house. I have picked up my tiles so will have all the samples to show you over the next couple of days but today - I am going to try and get back into work mode.

Saying that - I have hit the moment when I know I'm not going to do anything productive for the rest of the day. 3 hours out of 8 isn't that bad!

Let it Snow - Let it Snow - Let it Snow

Well I am off on holidays for the next 3 weeks so I have been frantically trying to train the temp how to use outlook and how to book a meeting - so much for complicated cost spreadsheets and formatting hundred page reports - I am stuck explaining what IT is and how to use an internal envelope to a woman who's resume said she was an experienced professional who had 20 years of project office experience.

The good news is Falls Creek has finally started snowing - and boy is it snowing - a lovely white blanket over the whole town making it look pretty and white and perfectly ski'able.

Anyways - enough holidays and more kitchens. I am unsure if I am going to get a chance to blog while away so I thought i would post my kitchen now and then when I get back my sample tiles should have arrived and I can focus on bathrooms.

But my kitchen - The benches are all this lovely Laminate by Polytech called Truffle Lini - Finegrain. Its textured and delicious and I cant wait for my lovely sample to arrive.

The top is Alpine White by Quantum Quartz - I was surprised at just how many colour choices the Quantum Quartz had and although I was firmly in the ceasarstone court I have since converted to Quantum Quartz.

Finally my splashback is a product called from 3-form made from at least 40% post industrial recycled material - it cant go behind my stove but I will be using stainless there for contrast. Oh and the particular design I picked is Thicket Raven.

So overall my kitchen is going to be predominantly dark but I think the stark white tops with waterfall edges should life it and make it warm and inviting.... I hope. I am hoping to have invisible handles - so the stainless steel groove at the top of the doors and draws but haven't discussed this yet with the builder.