the one... with highlights from October

October has been a BIG month for me so I thought it worth to highlight just a few of them.

1. October was a big month for the kitchen.
2. My messy confession.
3. Lots of new social media icons and sidebar labels for the shop and found the colour lime green very popular! New blogger templates coming soon!
4. Started a new Sunday series titled 'words'.
5. I worked with the new blog Grow Simple Lovely to create a moodboard and blogger template.
6. Installed new external roller blinds to the veranda that faces the West.  This side of the veranda is open to get the full hit of the Queensland sun.
7. Shared the frontyard progress with you. 
8. It was time to put my ideas for the lounge room into a moodboard - I find having the moodboard works really well for me and keeps me focused.
9. Celebrated 200 posts!

Lisa xo

the one... with a moment

After doing the edges and mowing the front on the weekend I stopped to look at the cottage and I liked what I saw.

By no means is it finished, there is still lots to do but I am enjoying all the DIY work and the hard work is starting to show.

I hope you take a moment to look at what you have accomplished with your renovations.

Lisa xo

the one... where the bricks are gone

A quick one today to say WOOHOOO the piles of bricks are finally gone.  SOLD on gumtree!

I am soooo glad they are finally gone - they were becoming an ugly spot in the backyard that I wasn't happy about.

The question now, is what on earth am I going to do with this space?  It is the first area you see when you walk through the driveway gates.

Any ideas?

Lisa xo

the one... with the pegged holder

While putting together the mood board for the almost completed kitchen I came this DIY project on the 7th House on the Left blog and thought how cute it would look in my kitchen!

I popped over and read Ashley's instructions and headed out to pick up the pegs.  I managed to pick up a packet of 80 pegs at The Reject Shop for only $2.

First things first was to separate the pegs into three pieces being careful not to over stretch the mechanism.

I thought I had some stainer in the garage but that wasn't the case so I borrowed some from Dad - you really don't need much to do this little project so I didn't see the point in buying one.

Once the pieces were separated it was on to the stain.  I used gloves and an old cloth to rub stain over the pegs and then waited for them to dry before putting the pieces back together.

This is when this little project came to a complete stop!

Why you ask... because I didn't like the look of the pegs once they were stained.

I don't know if it was the stain or the reaction of the stain on the pegs but either way I wasn't happy and there was no way they were going in my new kitchen.

Have you ever started a relatively easy DIY project that just didn't go to plan?

Lisa xo

the one... with words to live by

Lisa xo

the one... with an update on the frontyard

With my focus on tiling the kitchen splash back recently I completely forgot to update you on the frontyard.  It's finished - well the garden beds are.

To take you back... this is what I was starting with.

All of the material needed were ordered and delivered at once.  I did have to head back to the landscape supplier and pick up another 30 retaining wall bricks but I still have extra stepping pavers and a small pile of pebbles which will be used in the backyard so no wastage.

When it comes to tackling jobs in the yard I have one rule - to stop work between 12pm and 2pm.  I don't do well in the heat and nore does my pale freckly skin.  The usual plan is to get out early and get in a couple of hours then come inside and have lunch, maybe a nanna nap or jobs inside and then head back out for a couple of hours.  It tends to break up the day and I avoid the sun.

This job has taken me quite some time, I'd say about 8 months from start to finish and here is how it looks now.

As you can see from the colour of the grass, we are in desparate need of rain here in Queensland.

To stop the weeds from coming through the pebbles I installed black plastic.  I found a rather large piece under the house after the painter had finished.  When the grass was removed (by hand) for the path I then cut the plastic to size and put the pebbles over the top.

The occassional weed does get through but no big deal.

The area under the front steps doesn't get full sun and I wanted to add a little colour and hide the dirt.  I added some pebbles and mulch and planted 5 bromeliads and a single liropie.

I was also very lucky to be given 2 frangipani trees - removed from my parents backyard as they were getting too big for the space.  I love the location of the one below as it sits between the lounge room and bedroom windows - it is tilting a little in this photo, I might need to fix the stake.

The larger of the 2 frangipani trees stands over 3mts high so it needed a large hole dug and more support while it settled in hence the timber and cement pillars.  I think these could be taken away soon because I noticed small shoots on the tree but I might wait until after the Summer storm season.

Next job on the list for the front yards is to fill the garden beds with lots of soft foliage plants.  I want lots of green, white and purple plants cause I think these colours will really complete the cottage.  I would like to have the yesterday  today and tomorrow plant running along the cottage to hide underneath and the backyard from sight.  Nothing too big that hides the cottage.

Budget - I'll have to track down the receipt but from memory the original delivery cost around $750.

• Pebbles
• Retaining Wall Bricks
• Bricks
• Stepping Pavers

Tools:

• Wheel Barrow
• Spade/Shovel
• Black plastic
• Scissors to cut the plastic
• Spirit Level
• Rake
• Maddock
• Gloves

Supplies:

• Pavers, Retaining Wall Bricks, Pebbles, Mulch from Nuway Landscape Supplies

I still need to replace the front wire fence and was thinking a 5ft high white picket fence would look good...  one day!

Lisa xo

the one... with some icon love

Here are the final social media icons using the Pantone Spring colours for 2014.

First love here and then here.

We have Cayenne, Freesia and Celosia Orange.

I also thought as we head into a hot Summer it was the perfect time for 2 new bright icons.

Head over and check out all of the social media icons now available at the shop.

Lisa xo

the one... about sending christmas cards or not?

I'm curious to know if you still send out Christmas cards?

You know the actual cards you buy, write a nice little message inside, write the address and place a stamp on the envelope and then put in the post box.

I didn't send out cards last year but I'm thinking that maybe I should have and I'm not sure whether I should do them this year.  Is this something people still do?

I think we all love to receive a card in the letterbox and I do love a Christmas card.  I found these lovely cards on Etsy.

1. Quill and Fox
2. Laser Lace Design
3. one\lantern
4. The Think Tree
5. Merran Fuller
6. Paper Ivy

I'd love to know what you think, do you still send cards at Christmas?

Lisa xo

the one... with the kitchen before and after

It's finished!

Yep the kitchen renovation is now complete and I couldn't be happier with the end result.

Of course when something comes to an end you find yourself looking back and that's just what I found myself doing - going back through the 'before' photos to see where it all started.  Care to join me....

I did love the old kitchen.  The room had a nice feel to it and I loved that I could spread myself out with all of that bench space but it was very old.

The plans for the new kitchen went back and forth between keeping it in the existing room or moving it to another.  I played around with the Ikea kitchen planner and I even posted about the floor plan ideas here.

To move the kitchen into a different room would have it's pros and cons as well.

But I'm happy to say moving it into the centre room was the right move.

The excitement really started when the cabinets started to go in.  I can remember getting a phone call from the cabinet people saying they had started a day early and had managed to get all the cupboards in.  They would only need another day to fit all of the doors and handles.  I quickly phoned Mum to let her know and we met outside my place and ran (yes we did) inside to see them.  I'm not lying.

 

The new location sits nicely between the lounge, dining and the veranda - you couldn't get closer if you tried and that's not just because the cottage is small!

Next were the appliances to go in including a dishwasher and a gas cooktop.

When the day finally came and there were no more tradies was a dream come true.

Then everything stopped....  and it wasn't finished.  There was still a lot of big jobs that needed to be done, including:

• Deciding on the splash back.
• Removing part of the old kitchen wall.
• Installing a new wall between the new kitchen and the 'now' spare bedroom.
• Moving the fridge out of the spare bedroom and into the new kitchen.
• Putting back the trim down the side of the back window/door.
• Installing the final two cupboard pieces: the cupboard above the fridge and the panel that runs beside the fridge.

Then, I went on my holiday.  You wont hear any complaints from me on that!


A few weeks after returning things got back on track.  

 

 

The wall was installed DONE and the final two pieces were installed DONE.

The trim was put back DONE.

The best part was making a decision and finally starting on the splash back DONE.

OK I think I've kept you waiting long enough... here is the kitchen FINISHED!

A little peek to the lounge room in the corner

Yep there's my reminder to do my tax before the end of October

I'm in the process of writing about tiling the splashback and sharing all the things I learnt along the way (and there was a lot).

Lisa xo

the one... with a confession

I have a confession... the spare room - formerly the kitchen - is a complete and utter mess.  It's true.  I can't even walk into the room without having to step over a pile of stuff.  It's become the place to put the tools and equipment needed for the kitchen but it can't stay like that for ever.

Do you have a room that you have like this... oh please say yes!

Lisa xo

the one... with words to live by

source

Lisa xo