For now, it's done!!!

Whilst over the last two weeks we have had some Chinese teachers staying with us, we are now on a 12 day break before we get another couple of teachers. In a separate post in a couple of days, I will tell you all about the latest lot of teachers. So, without having to prepare additional dinners etc, we can now move back onto 'normal' blogging!

After just over three years, we have finally (and almost all) painted the interior of the house. Not that it was all that bad a colour, but its amazing how just a wall vent almost falling off in one bedroom led to the whole house being painted!

Painted lounge room!!

1. Kitchen, 2. Kitchen 250708, 3. Laundry & Kitchen, 4. Lounge Room 250708, 5. Lounge Room: - Courtyard, 6. Lounge Room 250708

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

For now, we're done, but with two bedrooms to go, we are approaching the finishing line. After this, and we have already started looking at pricing, we will be replacing the bench top in the kitchen to a granite one!

Who said that the painting was over???

Just when we thought it was all over (for now), I came up with this brilliant idea (not) to paint the lounge room & kitchen on my way home from dropping off the new set of Chinese teachers. Oh what a fool am I!

So, here are a few 'before' shots just to show you what we had. Apologies for the mess as we had started to move things first, THEN decieded to take some photos!

Lounge Room: - Courtyard

Lounge Room: - Courtyard

Lounge Room: - Backyard

Laundry & Kitchen

Kitchen

All things being fair and good, it should all be finished tomorrow (fingers crossed... It is approx, 45-50m sq!)

Banksia Seed

Banksia Seed

A Chinese week...

This last week, we have been 'looking after' 2 very kind gentlemen from Chin, 'Peter' and 'Mr Day'! They are part of a group of about 40 students and teachers visiting Australia (Sydney) whilst on school holidays at home. We picked them up last Monday evening, and gave them some dinner at home and they pretty much 'hit the hay' as they were tired.

Their week with us consisted of 5:45am wake up call to leave by 7am to catch the train to Central. Then off to UTS for a morning lesson on English. Afternoons were touring around the city itself. This was also the week that L was up in Cairns, and did not return until late Friday evening!

However, on the Saturday, it was a long coach ride down to Canberra (approx 4 hours) for only a 2 hour visit! Needless to say, they were exhausted, and we treated them to an 'Aussie BBQ' of Sausages (bangers).

Yesterday, we treated to a visit to our local Gardens where the Council have some Kangaroos, Wallaby's and Emus. Off into Westfield for some shopping, where we had to find a Chinese speaking shop assistant, as the lady at the Lancome counter was getting a bit 'short' shall we say...

We then headed off to visit my 'In-laws' for an afternoon coffee down at Balmoral Beach. It was a really beautiful, mild Sydney Winter, and apart from the overcast conditions, we did not get any rain.
On the way over, we stopped in at Sydney Olympic Park to show them where we had the Olympics in 2000. First the main Stadium, then the Olympic Boulevard and finally the Cauldron that held the flame for the two weeks of the games. I showed them that ALL of the medal winners, had a small plaque with the event, country and name in the same colour as the medal they had won. BY CHANCE, the first one they found, was not only from China, but from their CITY!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Painting finished (for now...)

Ok, so you remember how we were painting the bedroom, then the hall, hall and dining room? Well here is the finished product!

OLD to the left and NEW on the right

Old and the new...

A flickr game...

I needed to something a little 'different' after coming home from work and painting. So, at work, I followed ExPat Mom's meme and did the Flickr Meme.

Flickr Meme...

1. Mini Beethoven, 2. Asado al Palo - Roasted Lamb, 3. The Singing Ringing Tree, Burnley, England - April 007, 4. FACE 2 FACE, 5. SERIAL KILLER, 6. Passiona my ABe - SOLD, 7. Kids, 8. Heirloom Tomatoes, 9. Il Figo del Podere di Greyskull, 10. Northwest 3, 11. Reflex, 12. TinTastic Bracelet

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

Here is what you do:

• Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
• Using only the first page, pick an image.
• Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker).

The Questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name

Have FUN and let me know if you do it!

Thematic Photographic: Andrew 'Boy' Charlton Pool

Andrew 'Boy' Charlton Pool

This weeks installment for Carmi's 'Thematic Photographic' is of Sydney's Andrew 'Boy' Charlton Pool, whic is next to us at work. This photo was from when the Kittyhawk was in town!

There is a large composition of 'SKY' within this photo, which is wht I picked it (not to mention that it is raining today, so it would be just grey!).

Why we have not been blogging lately, sorry!!

Ok, we know we have not been blogging lately, but we have been kinda busy. The renovated bedroom is finished which led us into the entrance hall, the the hallway to the lounge/kitchen area and then we thought, maybe do the dining room as well! So painting has been very much the process as soon as getting home, and there has not been much spa action either! But that is all about to change, as we are on the downward run, it's almost finished!

So, here is a couple of pics of the entrance hall BEFORE we got to it with its cracks and all showing... Even Jasmine got in on the act!

Entrance View

Bathroom View

All sorts, but not licorice...

Ok, so this is a bit of a long term catchup on things... A bit of craft (a lot actually), a bit of house work and a birthday wish thrown in for good measure!

First, a couple of weeks ago, L and the MIL went to the Quilting and craft show at Darling Harbour. They had such a great time and here are their goodies:

Crafty Goodies

And this 'little' piece of Japanese Linen, was a hefty $5 for 15cm!

Japanese Linen Trim

Owl close up

Then, it was a piece that had been 'sitting around' for a couple of years. L got it when we were in the UK. Wye, in Nth England near Furness Vale and Stockport.

Wye Fish Tapestery

It sat for a while, before going off to an upholsterer to make into the cushion it is today.
Now, apart from L having eBay as her FAVOURITE store (it is even in her phone for some reason), her next major website is etsy where she purchased this fish after a tip off from meet me at mikes. The crafty goddess that made it must have gotten her inspiration from Sydney Water I think given it has three eyes!!

3 Eyed Fish

3 Eyed fish!

We have been really busy of late, between all of this, and repairing some cracks in the bedroom. That is now complete and painted and is looking really good. It is only the fiddly bits of painting the windows and a door and paint the ceiling (more on that in another post...)

Today, we had a busy day between doing a meat market research (a take home pack to cook and assess; tonight was Pork Belly!), and going over to Pa's birthday afternoon tea. I thought he was 94, L thinks 95 but the MIL (eldest daughter) thinks he is 93! So happy 90 something Pa!

Happy 90 something B'day Pa

After getting home, putting dinner on going to the bedroom to look at the painting to do, and thought I will not do anymore tonight, and that it time for a cuppa:

Cuppa Eye

Here's looking at you...

Thematic Photographic: - GLASS (Laundry Door)

Carmi, over at Written Inc, has created a new theme challenge, Thematic Photographic, with this week's theme of glass. Now where I work, I have lots of inspiration of cityscape glass buildings, horticultural glasshouses and the like. But, alas, I am now at home when I see what the theme is. So what do I do?

Well, I simply grab a shot of our laundry door, of course! As you may remember, we renovated this a few months back. The Leadlight glass work in the door, fights in well with our 1928 Bungalow, so it seemed fitting to put this in. L wanted it more than me though...

Laundry Door closeup

Laundry Door

Now his rules are pretty simple, he says:

1. He will post a new entry every Wednesday evening (his local time, NOT Aust EST).
2. Each entry has a unique theme.
3. We post a similarly themed image over on our blogs.
4. We paste a link to our entry in a comment on his blog in the weeks theme. If we've already posted something that fits, simply post the link to the existing entry.
5. Delirious photo sharing and happiness ensues.

So, if you want to play, leave a comment/link over at Written Inc (or in our comments as well if you like...)