How do they get the people on Embarrassing Bodies to appear and show their bits and their names and faces?!

About three weekends ago, Puffin and I completed the insulation of the roof! This was, again, and unsurprisingly, still a crappy job. Things I thought while in the roof:

Knees aren't even made for kneeling!

I wish my knees were fat so this hurt less.

Maybe I should buy these. and get the inserts.

I'm going to eat the dirtiest burger once I'm out of here.

I don't even care if I die up here.

And yet, it did end, and now the house is snuggly. A little bit fell off the roof and into the garden and I'm hoping that a bird will pick it up and make the most insulated nest going around.

Now - the side tables! These are my lovely side tables that my Pa made more than 50 years ago. I love these, but they were a little creamy for our grey house. I also had our new chest of drawers, which were whitewashed. So I set out to make them match!

The dresser - Cancun style, Freedom.

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I started off sanding the units back - initially I thought, hey - maybe I could just leave it like this. But the remaining white was still too creamy, and it was more shabby chic than white washed.

Several days later, due to a heavy work schedule which perhaps on my part was pretty bloody stupid (averaging 5 days a week at my retail job, 1 day a week at my work experience job, and in my spare time, getting more work experience by helping a local GP to organise a men's health night and throw into that mix trying to see family and friends and keep a house clean and running smoothly) the units were completely sanded. The slatted section, as you see, was a little tricky, but in this area I decided that the new paint would cover this 

Then laying the paint on - British Paints 'Infinity White'. As soon as I had painted a section, I used a damp rag to wipe it back until I was happy with the look. I could lie and say I got this right the first time but I will admit that a week after finishing the painting portion of this project and looking outside at them sitting there, I dd take the orbital to them once more and re-do a couple of sections.

And the reveal! Now. This pictures are shite and you can't really see the difference - think it's a problem with different lighting for each shot, and just using phone photos. But - new white washed paint job, new knobs, new hinges, new legs. Total cost - $35. And now we have a matching bedroom suite that I have every intention of keeping for a very long time! So to see what these look like next to the dresser they're supposed to match....

Ta-Da!!! I'm pretty bloody happy with this as previously these were a solid cream and the knobs and legs made them look their age. 

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Aaaaaaand next to the bed!! So happy to have these back instead of junk on the floor next to the bed. I feel like my life has been transformed and soon I will understand life, the universe and everything. 

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Another quick project I've whizzed up was lining my jewelry box but since I forgot to take before photos, you just get to see my after... ta-da! The box was an old writing box that I sanded back and varnished a few years ago - so this week I knocked out the writing box sections of it, and lined it with black felt. I also covered the bottom of the box so it won't scratch the chest of drawers. 

One of my last interesting jobs that I want to finish before returning to uni is the upholstering of the chair. I took all the wood off a few weeks ago, sanded and varnished it but I used some of the left over floor varnish annnnnd that was my mistake. The floor varnish had gotten rather thick and sticky and I got a tonne of runs (not something anyone enjoys)  soooo this afternoon I took it all off again and got some different vanish. It's looking like I might get a bit of time off over the next few weeks so I can get stuck into this! I've purchased everything I need and I can't wait to get stuck in! 

Until next time bloggers!!

And P.S - Bowie the cat is starting to calm down and settle into the house of Squirrel and Puffin! But he is toggling between adorable and a menace. But we're giving tough love a go and he's getting the idea! 

The Cat Who Sold The World

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And those are just some of the words from the newest member of the house of Puffin&Squirrel. Blogosphere, meet Bowie!

(This photo comes about as we were informed that our table and chairs with white legs was never revealed! And because Puffin is a cutie!)

Bowie and his brothers were dumped in a box with their mum in a rubbish dumpster. Luckily, the rubbish man saw the moving, meowing box, and took the kitties to Pets Haven animal shelter in Woodend .

While we were chilling out today, Puffin decided that he couldn't keep his Valentines Day present a surprise any longer (and neither could Squirrel so we swapped pressies two weeks early!) and told me we were going to go pick out a kitten!

The hardest part of this was of course, picking just one kitten. We managed to do it though, and now we have a fluffy little friend! Here are a few snapshots of out little friend...

This last photo was Bowie in the middle attacking Puffin and then .... Bowie fell asleep. 

We're still finishing off our few other items, I hope you can all stay tuned because it is really lovely! And coming soon!!

I ate fiberglass insulation. It wasn't cotton candy like the guy said... my tummy itches.

It's getting hot in here, so take off all of your clothes.

 Things Nelly didn't have in mind when he broke that shiz down:

• Being in a Swedish sauna with many hairy men and moose
• A rectal examination
• Insulating a roof in an Australian Summer

We only had one of those in mind - the insulation. 

You may remember from many moons ago, we had the insulation removed (vacuumed!) from our roof because it was of the cancer causing variety! 

Mmmm. Carcinogenic-ness. 

Anyway, with a week of 40+ degree temperatures upon us, and finally enough money to cough up for batts, we got stuck into the replacement of insulation. 

On Saturday, Puffin and the Sea Eagle spend 3-4 hours up there and managed to lay about a quarter of the house, and spent the rest of the afternoon under the split system inside the house! I on the other hand, went off to work, happy in the knowledge of what was being done at the house and being smugly wrapped in the knowledge that I had escaped involvement of this unpleasant task. What I failed to do was of course, estimate the effort and heat involved in this task and lucky me, I got my chance on Sunday! Woooooo.

9:00am arrived on Sunday and Puffin was suited up, and I was rocking my top to bottom trackie suit and dust mask because hellllllllo I don't have the lung capacity to use that industrial mask and they need to make them for women! But not in pink! 

 

Here are our batts - rated 4.0 which the interwebs told me was a rating you should aim to at least meet. 

"Paint me like one of your french girls" Puffin told me.

 And this super, super flattering shot of me placing the batts into the eaves which was an AWESOME job that made me scream obscenities in between grunting. 

Now, you may be thinking, 'gosh, why did they take a friggin camera up there, isn't that a bit 'gen Y needing to document everything?' and the answer is: Yes. Also, pics or it didn't happen, amiright? I could barely believe I was up there, so I needed photographic proof! 

Even after another 3-4 hours on Sunday, the job is still only three quarters done so it will need another day or two of hellish work. Squirrel is also still working on her little projects but a crazy work schedule is pushing things back a little!

 So stay tuned bloggers!

I like big clocks and I cannot lie

Wow, our visitor count has pretty much EXPLODED thanks to Lindsey at Better After - So welcome to anyone who has landed here after checking out that wonderful blog. As a post-New Year wrap up, we thought we would show you around the house to see some of our pressies and goodies!

Our beautiful lounge featuring our new coffee table! Last one in stock at Freedom! We've also managed to wall mount the TV. This was more difficult than it perhaps should have been, as once the TV was mounted, the Sea Hawk announced that his phone had followed the cords through the wall and was most likely now living under the house. 

Which meant that Badger had to help Puffin get his headlamp on and mine for iPhones! Despite the look on Puffins face, he was in no way impressed with this new mission. 

We've also, finally, purchased our insulation! You may remember some months back we had to get rid of the existing insulation, as it was cancer causing (and budget ruining!). Well, with a week of 40+ degrees coming up, we will be slapping this down tomorrow morning! Big thanks to everyone who got us Bunnings vouchers over the past few months as this knocked a fair bit off the price for us! 

Here, behold, the Christmas present that I got for Puffin! No not the bed, though it is sexy. Nor is it the beautiful new Esprit doona cover (Thank-you Myer - all quilt sizes for $99!), no, for it is the incredible canvas print of Gunnamatta beach that I took over New Years 2012/2013. Cost only $100 thanks to a sale at Big W! 

 And just for interest, this is the canvas on the other wall - a photo of the Geelong foreshore at night. Note how I have taken this photo so you can't see the mess all over the floor? I took this photo a few years ago and Puffin had it blown up, also on canvas, for me as a little surprise!

Lastly, here, above our abundant fruit bowl (which includes home grown strawberries), Kitchenaide blender, new utensils jar, bamboo canisters that I got from Stac and some new Country Road trivets - is the Christmas present I received from Puffin - a beautiful big clock! 

As per our pre-Christmas list, the side tables and arm chair are currently under renovation but you will have to hold your baited breaths for another week or so to see the final product! 

Thanks for stopping by and we would love to hear from you!

A Festivus for the rest of us!

Well, I hope you've all by now got your Festivus poles up, and have got the draw ready for the feats of strength. I know I have been readying my list of grievances from throughout the year, and have been checking that list twice, my friends!

In this half of the world, we're pulling slowly into Summer and once the festive period is over, my hours at my casual job will pull back and this will free up my time for... projects! Now that the kitchen has been completed and the housewarming has been held, it's time to turn my attention to the smaller jobs around the house, including.

• Re-painting and adding a seal to the front door. Unforch, due to some misinformation from the girl at Bunnings as to the base of this paint, it hasn't come up very well, and the join in it has cracked open and it just looks shit-house. 

• Re-upholstering this chair! 

This sweet darling was picked up for $19 on eBay, and has a small amount of damage to the right arm. I'm going to sand back all of the wood and re-stain and coat it, then attempt to reupolster it in this fabric, which I salvaged from my Nan's house when we held a garage/clearing sale - draped below to give you an idea. 

• Lining my jewelry box. I have an old wooden box that I have previously re-finished but as it used to be a writing box, it still has compartments in it. I'm going to knock these out and line it with felt to hold my jewelry, Speaking of which, how do you, dear blogger, store your long necklaces. This is really troubling me now that I've started to collect a few. 

• Start on the back garden. At the moment, I'm really keen to clear the backyard (of rubble from ripping up the concrete during the plumbing works) and start on a bit of a garden which is abundant in fruits and veg! After what was, in reality, a semester long guilt trip in the form of a university subject on nutrition, I'm really keen to enjoy more fresh produce and cut down on food miles. That's why I want to get some used apple crates, chuck a false bottom in them, line them and re-stencil them with something funky and 'us' - like these guys - and plant some stuff!! 

Photo from here

• Start on the front garden. While I am grateful that we haven't had to rip out big thorny rose bushes or prickly pears or something impossible like an aloe vera plant, we do have a heap of ...nothing. And while our blinds are now in, I would love to give us a bit more privacy, and a bit of shelter from the heat at the front. I purchased Photoshop a few years back and never learned how to use it, so below is a picture that I've done using that fabulous program, paint. 

Now, obvs, this photo is pretty f***ing lifelike (they (talent scouts) asked me to study art, and I was like, "look, it wouldn't be fair on the other students, why don't I go do nursing, drop out, work in management for a few years and then try going back to uni to study Public Health instead" and they were like, "cool") but let me walk you through it anyway. The front is wooden posts with that wire through it, you know the wire on the freeways that motorcyclists hate? Yeah, that stuff. Behind that is a low hedge, possibly lilly pilly? Then in front of each window is a large garden bed, and a feature tree in each, I'm thinking Ornamental pear but Puffin wants something that 'goes out' a bit more. This is an older photo and doesn't show the big ass trench we made in the plumbing works, or the new door, glass or blinds, but what I also want to do is paint the green trim a brown colour to blend in with the bricks as well. 

• Re-paint my parents bedroom. This was supposed to happen in my mid semester break but we got a little snowed under here!

• Re-paint the mission brown colourbond in the undercover area (to a cream instead!), and replace the scrunched up newspaper that is under the eaves with styrofoam cut to size. 

• Organise a kick ass garage sale. We haven't got a heap to sell, so we're thinking of inviting friends and family to bring a table and sell their own stuff too, like a mini market! We're also going to throw in a BBQ and soft drinks and pray for good weather! This is more likely to happen around Easter time.

Now, all of this really just is a big to do list, but the reason for blogging was to let you all know that while the big reno's may have finished, there will still be plenty of stuff going on, and I will be posting how these all go, and my fave finds from the internet, in the meantime! I also want to make a big song and dance for the following reasons

• My wonderful, hilarious and now, well traveled, friend Erin is home! Erin has been living in the UK since last April and while Puffin and I did see her on our trip over there, I have been missing her tonnes and having her back is just delightful.
• My marks from this semester of uni are kick ass - 3 High Distinctions and 1 Distinction!

So that's all from us for now, we hope you're enjoying the beginnings of the festive season, remember not to drink and drive, and we'd love (Ok, I would love, Puffin doesn't care) suggestions of how to store long necklaces!! I spent hours on the internet researching this for Meercats Christmas present and kept coming up short!! 

The house is now officially warm! And it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

 Last weekend, fair, sweet bloggers, Squirrel and Puffin held their housewarming! By all accounts this was a success - there was enough food and drink to go around, the weather was unseasonably perfect, and there were no tears or fist fights. 

Squirrel enjoying a honey joy while being handed wine! 

The magnificent desserts, mainly provided by #1 Mumma Bear. 

The rather fabulous flowers from Marsdens in Main Street - the awesome girls there helped me pick out something bright and fun and were great to have a chat to, as always! 

And some of the fabulous gifts - my 'just beat it' tea towel from the Meercat (which came with a matching 'whip it good' tea towel as well!)

The sexy triblade mark II. Given the last one met it's untimely end while making moss to grow on the wall. 

A step ladder from Mumma Bear and the Badger! (You're not my real ladder!)

Aaaaand some gift cards! There were many more delicious gifts from our wonderful friends and family (including the beginnings of a squirrel shaped topiary!) and we are forever thankful! The Bunnings vouchers especially, as this will go towards Operation:New insulation in the roof! 

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And now, to shake things up - let's talk about Christmas trees! Given that this is out first year out of home, Squirrel and Puffin, being big fans of the festive season, set out to buy their first Christmas tree. Squirrel wanted something nordic/scandi - a wooden tree, or maybe a white tree? But Puffin wouldn't have a bar of it. So this (with thanks to a voucher from Chris and Ray) is our new tree!! 

It's looking a little sparse as the tinsel on offer in the store was a bit...sad, and I didn't have enough cash on me to grab some lights at the same time, so hopefully in a week or so it will look a little fuller! But for those of you who do get planning approval to do something different, how about these decals from Etsy? 

 From here

From here

From here

So bloggers, have you got an alternative Christmas tree? I've just finished reading the Epbot round up of Christmas trees and am feeling somewhat inadequate. I also keep seeing photos of the suspended bauble tree which I love but given my current work schedule and unwillingness to make more holes in any of the plaster work which will need patching, I'm toe-ing the traditional line for this year! 

Moth City

We are never alone in the house. Puffin and I are proud to announce that the house of Puffin and Squirrel is now a moth refuge. We have no less than 4 moths every night, and we love how cute they are when they fly around, spazzing out and hitting the ceiling, and then flying against our faces as we try to sleep, because it is just so adorable. I am reliably informed by Puffin that this should be remedied soon, but in the meantime - let's finish this kitchen!!

So as we posted some months ago now, we sourced our tiles from Perini tiles in Richmond. Glass splashbacks, while they were our original option, were far too expensive, so we started looking elsewhere. This here is a sample of the tile sheets, which actually come in a 12 tile sheet.

We then tried to work out how we were going to lay these bad boys. This took upwards of about 7 hours. Or near to, ha.

And then we got into the laying! We started in the corner, with the Badger getting us started, Puffin applying the primer, then the tile adhesive, and Squirrel doing a lot of the laying and spacing.

Squirrel in her trusty Reece shirt. Squirrel works for you. Look at dem calves. Bitches love calves.

After a day of laying, backed up by an afternoon of grouting (after a day working for the council in the shire across from us's Health Dept), a late evening Bunnings run for more grout, Squirrels hands were (and still are) buggered. Dry, cracked and flaky. Feminine it aint. Another manicure, anyone?

Then on Thursday, all final touch ups were completed and you know what that means? All inside works on the house are COMPLETED! Huzzuh! And here's the money shot of the most important room of the house! The tiles are a little reflect-y here as I just took this on my iPhone, but they look incredible! Should take another photo tomorrow!

And the all important before and after! 

(Puffin picked up the replica stools for $35 each at the Reject Shop, if you'd believe it!)

And so folks, for the inside, that's all!

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Or so we thought.

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Later that same afternoon after completing the inside works, we struck a bit of a problem. Puffin used the toilet and noted that the water wouldn't move. And that the collar seemed to be leeking. And that there seemed to be water escaping outside as well. And then, as Badger arrived, we discovered the issue went halfway around the house - tree roots in terracotta pipes. Cue all hands on deck. Below we have Mr Bennett helping to clear away the soil.

The Badger and Bennett continuing to clear the way for new pipes to be laid.

And while they were at it, they decided to dig up the gal pipe out the front of the house, which is part of our 'rust in the water' issue which has been destroying my stainless steel EVERYTHING and probably our skin and general health. 

As is the norm, Badger saw this as an opportunity for a silly photo. Also gives us good perspective on how long the trench is at the back/side of the house. In appearance order, Badger, Bennett & Puffin. Puffin is glowing mysteriously, almost god-like, which is unusual. Probably from the dodgy water one imagines. 

So after two and a half days, and with enormous thanks to Gary and Lochie, we were able to move back in to the house! The rest of today will be spent lining the trench with crushed rock and I suppose an attempt at filling the trenches back up! We hope you all have a lovely weekend as we deal with this newest and enjoyable diversion!