Cladding .... Cost vs Want

How bloody hard is it to make the decision if a product that is almost perfect is good enough if its cheap enough.

Ok so a convoluted question but let me explain.

On our big long wall we were hoping to clad it in stone. Problem ... there is 36 meters of it time 2 meters high meaning a hell of alot of cladding.

Now in my head I had a sort of rustic textured lighter tone however everything I love is in the $70 - $120 per sqm price range.

Driving past a local stone company I saw they had cladding for around the $36 per sqm. This is less that half the price of most of the options I like but not exactly what I want. Its a little bit too modern and my concern in that it will date.

So - my question is .... do I settle for something a hell of a lot cheaper or do I hold out and pay alot more when I'm really not sure it will be any better.

In order to make a smart decision on whether we can settle I have decided to wait it out just see how I feel about the below cladding options in situ.

What do you think? Are any of these a good option?

Landscape Design .... Cont

I don't know if you remember the pain and anguish we went through with the last garden but now that we are starting on the planning of this particular piece of work its all coming back.

Poor Mr V and I are sitting with our heads in our hands trying to remember which bit goes before the other bit in case we miss a bit.

So far we have  .... footings, retic and electrics and then raised garden beds and then finally we can start thinking about paving.

Ugghhh - in order to do footings before we pave we actually need to plan out exactly where everything from garden beds to BBQ's to tables are going to sit.

So we are starting ... its a slow process and to be honest our heads are already aching before a spade touches the ground.

But we will get there - we just forgot what a pain "getting there" can be.

However in order to keep your interest I have some sneak peeks available for our garden design.

Not quite set in stone this will give you an idea on what we are hoping to achieve.

Landscape Dreaming - Getting it Right

This trip hubby and I have decided our main focus is going to be on the alfresco / pool area.

The thing is - before you can actually "do" anything you need to have a plan. You need to know where you will be running retic, what you are doing with lighting and pretty much the basic order or works.

We are finding this particular aspect quite overwhelming, unlike the house a garden really cant grow organically, you need to have a method to your madness and have it all set down before you start actually working.

I have seen some lovely on line garden design tools but me not being the most technology savy means this looks more scary than not.

So im kinda stuck hand drawing my ideas and lets be honest .... its looking rather primitive. I will be working on improving these over the weekend and am hoping to show you my ideas on Monday but for now .... we have edited our wants / needs down and decided on a lush, semi formal style with lots of structure and boundaries.

I want it to feel almost like a lush secret garden like image number 2 while also trying to keep in fairly low maintenance.

Let's hope it comes out right? I have confidence, the pool looks amazing so we must be on the right track!!!

Keep Calm ... It's Only a 30th Birthday

That's right people - Miss V is no longer as young as she once was .... and in order to celebrate the start of getting old she has decided to host a party. Lets be honest, a part of the joy im getting out of organising this event is poor Mr V cringing. See its also his 30th so we are having a joint party and I am loving it. He is obviously hating it and thinks he may have married a geek.

The reason for my recent geek-hood? I am having a theme .... and not just any theme but a bond style theme.

With casino tables

Lots of lovely champagne

And gourmet cocktail food

A buffet desert station with a black and gold theme....

And obviously a red carpet dress code!

I am hoping hubby is going to look like this .....

And im sure he is hoping I will look like this....

Overall this is just the beginning so you will have to bare with me as I show you all sorts of idea's I have about this wonderful event!!!

Unusual Lightly Ideas - Love Love Love

Ok so you all know I am mad for unusual or different styles of lighting and wandering around Beacon lighting on the weekend I came across a cracking set if you are after something slightly different.

I really really really want to use these over a kitchen bench - one of each shape ... that's right mother dearest - they wont match!

Anyways ... time flys when you are waiting in eager anticipation for dearest hubby to come home. More to come on the housing front tomorrow.

A Weekend of Martini's and Cake!

That's right, I spent this Australia Day long weekend drinking Espresso martini's and baking my first ever sponge cake ... and it actually came out pretty damn perfect!

It was moist, it was fluffy, it was nice and tall ... I actually made a whole batch of small baby cakes - cut them in half, filled them with cointreau infused strawberry syrup, cream and then topped with more strawberries. I then garnished with dark sugar french meringue.

How can you not love a desert this pretty!

A busy weekend full of catching up with friends .... the perfect way to fill in time before Mr V comes home.

Black Pool Update

Last week when I excitedly showed you pictures of the pool you may have noticed it wasn't the lovely glossy black colour I promised.

Nope it was milky and almost a light grey colour even after the water was added.

This is due to the concrete residue that was stuck to all the little bits of glass. Yesterday the pool people were back and after dumping a ton of acid into the water it is now its lovely glossy black self. Obviously it will take a while before its again swimable but I'm really happy with how it turned out!

I cant yet show you just how lovely it is because of the time I get home the pool is always in the shadows however here is a sneak peak at the almost finished product.