Loo Reno Part 2......

A few posts ago I showed you guys a couple of photos of our Loo reno in progress well I am pleased to say it is finished, nothing that flash mind you but boy what a difference to how this little room use to look... but I forgot to take photos of the *before* oh well that's life huh! I vaguely remember posting a photo when the dunny we had was still back in the 19th century with the old cistern on the wall & my great joy of it coming down & at least the loo looked more into the 20th century. Well now I am proud to say we have finally hit the 21st century & am so pleased with the end result. Walls were painted, new *dunny* put in, lino pulled up & new tiles laid, new dunny roll, toilet brush & glass shelf installed, old (even though it was pink) falling down shelf removed, toilet door repainted, white blind put up & hey presto it's done.....



Ok I need to explain a bit about these two paintings... the one above I layby'd years ago when I was a single Mum & just after I met my darlin', anyway he paid it off for me & it along with 2 other oil paintings I had bought are my pride & joy. It had been hanging in our hallway but I never really liked it there so *The Little Hobbo* has found a new home in our Loo! The very talented artist who painted him did a *one only* so he is also very valuable now, Mr MP&CC was a bit horrified when I placed him above the loo but I did reason with him that he is *high enough* not to get *wet* if you get my drift.....

This sweet painting has always had its home in our loo, we bought it years ago for $2.00 at an auction the frame has always been a bit tatty & over the years I have pulled her down to paint the frame white but for some reason it just never felt quite *right* yah know??? I love the scene in this painting, the soft muted colours & especially the old tatty frame, would love to know its history....

Ok so above is the new glass shelf we put in, not happy with whats on it but hey there's plenty of time to find the *right* things to go here.... oh & the heart hanging down I love, I bought a set of these from the beautiful Miss Andrea at http://www.thepink-poodle.blogspot.com/ go & check out her blog & her ebay listings.....

The pickie above shows the great job Mr MP&CC did of the tiling, we couldn't get any more tiles that matched the floor to go along the bottom of the walls but hey who cares, they were only 25c each & I think they look great, my man has done a wonderful job especially for a *artist in burnt clay* - bricklayer!

I use to have my loo rolls on one of those stands, I had painted it a pale green (the same as the stool I painted in the previous post) with roses all over it, but never really liked it & this cane basket I have had since the beginning of time so gave her a coat of white paint & am quite amazed how many loo rolls she holds..(whoops should have put a new roll on the holder) The *L O V E * sign I also bought off Andrea, its my *Bit of Pink* in the loo. Have been thinking of buying *pink* loo paper how nice would it look, but to be honest it is too expensive just to flush away! Oh & the *help you on & off the Loo* thingy on the wall was there when we bought the house, & no I do not need to use it, was going to remove it but decided to leave it there after I cleaned it all up to hang something off it, just haven't decided what yet.......

So what do you think??? Have been thinking of putting some of my favourite mags in here but then again it is hard enough to get me out of this quaint little room as it is, I truly am in dunny heaven....

Of Fairies & a Stool.....

I came across this little stool yesterday that has been standing quietly at the foot of the bed in Taska's bedroom & boy did it take me back.... I remember painting this for Taska when she was a wee little thing & I was decorating her bedroom. The walls were (& still are) painted cream on top, pink on the bottom, & she slept in a fairy wonderland! I bought her the ABC's frieze that went right around her walls with fairies all over them, made the curtains out of fairy material with a matching doona cover & pillow slip. Fairy ornaments were lovingly placed in every nook & cranny, I also painted her another stool with a fairy scene on it & heart shaped plaques with similar characters painted on them as the stool below.......

Funny yah know but I still remember painting this & just how long it took & even though it has pen marks all over the top it gave me a lot of pleasure to know Taska still uses this little stool & it hasn't been banished to a corner of her room, covered up with the mess that is on her floor like the fairy stool has. When Taska moved rooms I lovingly took all the fairy items down & although it did not surprise me that in their place the posters of favourite actors/musicians etc went up it did sadden me to realise my little girl was growing up & there never again would be a fairy theme in my home.....

The doona cover pillow slip & curtains are long gone, passed onto a girlfriends little girl who isn't so little anymore so maybe they are not being used but the ornaments & frieze have been lovingly packed away by Taska hopefully waiting to be bought out when it is her turn to decorate her daughters bedroom (oh not for a LONG time though!) Her room has gone through a few changes over the years at the moment it is at the start of a black & white phase which is lookin' good I admit, but the little stool remains & never fails to put a smile on my face..... it also made me realise how much I miss the craft I gave away so many years ago.... maybe its time to take it up again...

Hope you are all enjoying your long weekend... the weather is just glorious up here in sunny Coffs Harbour...

With heart felt thanks to two beautiful Ladies

This is a very special post for me where I am giving thanks to two very special ladies in my life.... Ok so first I say thanks to Miss Ali... first for making my template for my oh so pretty blog, matching ebay template & *me* page... When I decided to start on a new journey & open a website (with the encouragement of so many of the lovely ladies out there) I emailed Ali & asked her if she would consider making a template to match my blog etc. To be honest I felt bad as Ali had decided to have a break from making her amazing creations & to top it off she is pregnant with her fourth child so I honestly did not expect to receive a YES from her. To my absolute delight Ali agreed to make my template PLUS a banner for my etsy site plus a few extras! If you go back to my first ever post you will see how I felt about the blog page, I was blown away as to how *pretty* it is & I still am, every time I log in I just sit & look at my page & the feeling ...well I cannot describe how I feel except to say I LOVE LOVE LOVE it & now I have the same oh soooooo *pretty* website! So my gorgeous (fellow Kiwi) Miss Ali http://adregan.blogspot.com/ I thank you with all my heart.... you have no idea what it means to me xxxxx

So above is as you all know my oh so pretty banner made by Miss Ali & now on to the second beautiful Lady I wish to give thanks to.... I have *known* Miss Rebecca for quite a few years now as she has always been in *My Favourites* in ebay right from the time I became a member. I always saved her stunning creations to my *watch* list & dreamed of making stunning creations like Rebecca made. I do not know if she remembers this but years ago I emailed her when I first thought about selling on ebay but felt what I created was not good enough & more or less just poured my heart out to her. I received an email back telling me to believe in myself & how she felt when she sold her first item on ebay. I have never forgotten her words to me, the encouragement she gave was what finally gave me the *guts*? to start selling. I have bought a couple of Rebecca's works of art & cherish them, Christmas items that are lovingly stored away each year & they still take my breath away when they are unpacked when it is time to decorate for Christmas, always taking pride of place in my home... Ok so I was reading Miss Reb's latest post this morning & could not believe it was about *Vintage Graphics* & how she uses them to make her creations. The thing is I have been trying to make cards up with my pretty banner & couldn't master it but after reading her post today I have finally *done it*...so thank you my oh so sweet Rebecca, once again you have put me on the right path towards my new journey... Go & visit Miss Rebecca http://rebecca-gatheryeroses.blogspot.com/ Ooohhh & I forgot to say I have her blog open in a separate page just to listen to her beautiful music.. right now I listening to the theme from *Dances with Wolves*...

I have been putting off admitting to myself this but the two ladies who have had the most influence in setting me on my new path in life are both very religious.. something I have chosen not to be in the past... now I am feeling that they have been sent to me for a reason.. so maybe it my time to start believing....


So to these two very special Ladies & FRIENDS I say ...THANK YOU FROMTHE BOTTOM OF MY HEART & I LOVE YOU BOTH XXXXXX...

Oh & don't forget to leave a comment to go in the draw for my 100th giveaway.....

The Gift of Friendship......

This is not the post I had intended to write today, guess that's how life works at times anyway I received an email from my dearest friend Anna today, actually one of quite a few emails, the ones she sends me are normally very funny as she seems to know I need that extra little something to keep me on track.... So back to the email well it contained a poem that was described as to give the reader *goosebumps* well it certainly did but it also brought the tears flowing & once again showed me how much this special lady loves me. So have a read & expect to receive goosebumps.....



A drunk man in an Oldsmobile.. They said had run the light.. That caused the six-car pileup.. On 109 that night.. When broken bodies lay about.. And blood was everywhere.. The sirens screamed out eulogies.. For death was in the air.. A mother, trapped inside her car..Was heard above the noise..Her plaintive plea near split the air.. Oh, God, please spare my boys! .She fought to loose her pinned hands.. She struggled to get free.. But mangled metal held her fast.. In grim captivity.. Her frightened eyes then focused.. On where the back seat once had been.. But all she saw was broken glass.. Two Children's seats crushed in.. Her twins were nowhere to be seen.. She did not hear them cry.. And then she prayed they'd been thrown free.. Oh, God, don't let them die!
Then firemen came and cut her loose.. But when they searched the back.. They found therein no little boys.. But the seat belts were intact.. They thought the woman had gone mad.. And was traveling alone..But when they turned to question her.. They discovered she was gone.. Policemen saw her running wild.. And screaming above the noise.. In beseeching supplication.. Please help me find my boys! They're four years old and wear blue shirts.. Their jeans are blue to match.. One cop spoke up.. They're in my car.. And they don't have a scratch.. They said their daddy put them there.. And gave them each a cone .. Then told them both to wait for Mom To come and take them home.. I've searched the area high and low.. But I can't find their dad.. He must have fled the scene.. I guess, and that is very bad.. The mother hugged the twins and said..While wiping at a tear.. He could not flee the scene.. you see.. For he's been dead a year.. The cop just looked confused and asked.. Now, how can that be true? The boys said.. Mommy.. Daddy came And left a kiss for you.. He told us not to worry.. And that you would be all right.. And then he put us in this car with The pretty flashing light.. We wanted him to stay with us.. Because we miss him so.. But Mommy.. he just hugged us tight And said he had to go.. He said someday we'd understand And told us not to fuss.. And he said to tell you.. Mommy.. He's watching over us.. The mother knew without a doubt That what they spoke was true.. For she recalled their dad's last words.. I will watch over you.. The firemen's notes could not explain The twisted, mangled car.. And how the three of them escaped Without a single scar.. But on the cop's report was scribed.. In print so very fine..
An angel walked the beat tonight on Highway 109.



Don't forget to leave a comment to go into the draw for my give away

Have a great night...

A Giveaway.......

I'm well & truly late with my 100th giveaway but it really has been hectic here the last week or so. Anyhow I guess it is better late than never huh. Ok so the photos are not the best as the batteries decided to die just after I took these & cannot seem to find my back ups thanks to a certain 16 year old young lady who dwells in this house...... need I say more. So after a lot of brain storming I came up with this little Lavender Sachet to hang on a door or sit on a duchess, whatever the winner decides. I made a link up & put it on the sidebar, the one below is just for show, & its quite simple to enter, hey just leave me a comment that's it, couldn't be any easier I reckon.....I made this cutie to look like a summer dress, brighten my day as we are into winter here down under & I am already counting the days until spring.... in a nutshell DO NOT like the cold.

Inside the bag is another bag brimming to the top with 100% pure lavender buds, really does smell so yummie....

Ok so that's it you all know what you have to do, just leave me a comment, the more comments you leave the more your name goes into the bowl. I am leaving this open for a week so Thursday 11/6/09 I will announce the winner, oh & its open to any & everyone I will post her off anyway in the world......

It felt like Christmas here on Monday as our new fridge/freezer arrived to replace the one that was damaged in the flood & my darlin' also picked up his new lawn mower & whipper snipper, which I might add are sitting lovingly in the shed , are spoken to each day & I can see it is going to be awhile before he uses either of them as he doesn't want to get them dirty!

Our new *baby* some of the kitchen cupboards & bench had to be made smaller to get her in.

Well that's it for today, hope you are all having a great day......

If you are an NRL follower then you all know what tonight is... so GO THE MIGHTY BLUES!

Simply Scrumptious Butterfly Cupcakes......

Believe when I say I know how lucky I am to be married to my Darlin', he treats me like a Queen & I have to say there are not many men I know who would bake scrumptious butterfly cupcakes with whipped cream - yummo! Not only do they look scrumptious boy boy they taste even better, just sooooo melt in your mouth delicious. I should have put them on my cottagey shabby cake stand but Mr MP&CC had already packed them away in this container & put them in the fridge.
On top of all this Mr MP&CC is cooking tea tonight - Chinese - mine is *Lemon Chicken* the aroma wafting through this house really is to die for. So let me know what you guys think about these little beauties & if you Darlin's bake/cook!

Ok so I have to make a confession here I have just realised that I have gone over my 100th post & I believe it is customary to post a *giveaway*. Well I kinda need some help here please as I have no idea how to make up a link & post it onto my blog soooooooo if anyone out there who can help me with this it would be greatly appreciated. Also I have to make something up so I'm kinda looking at next Wednesday to post this ok.


It looks like we have dodged the flood this time but Grafton, Maclean & Kempsey have all flooded since yesterday. I heard on the news tonight of a 71 year old man drowned at Bello & my heart really goes out to his family, is one thing to loose your belongings another to loose a loved one.
Marilyn I hope you are ok hun & are a bit higher up down there than the rest of Kempsey, thinking of you sweet. A.M I hear Brisbane is copping it again thinking of you also & hope you can still get into your new home on Friday.


Lastly this for for Gail, we went to see *Cass's* exhibition today, her paintings & sculptures are incredible I tell you soooo much talent in one family, if I had the dosh I would have bought every piece of hers!


So that's me for today hope everyone is having great weekend & please don't forget if you know how to make up & add a link *please let me know*....

OMG here we go again......

Since Wednesday night Coffs Harbour has been on high flood alert. In that time we have had & are still having gale force winds & driving rain. All schools here today were closed, Bello which is about 20 minutes south/west is cut off, Lismore north/west has flooded & is also cut off & have just heard on the news that ALL of Grafton is being evacuated. We were due to have our new Fridge/Freezer delivered today or tomorrow I have asked that it be put off until the end of next week. Coffs has a number of creeks running through it, especially around where I live & these have already risen around 3 feet, high tide is due in at 6pm tonight, rather a scary feeling when it is just pelting down with so much rain. So it has been around 6 weeks since the last flood & six weeks before several parts of town flooded, it just doesn't seem to want to end! Last night Mr MP&CC & myself were out in the garage putting what we could up, should it flood & come into the house we just have nowhere to put anything, something I do not want to think about.
The photo above of our front entry way my Darlin' took in the last flood another inch & it would have been inside & we count ourselves very very lucky it was just the shed & garage out the back that copped it all. What I cannot get over is the fact we are still cleaning up from 31st March there are some people who cannot even get back into their homes yet & now they are predicting flooding either tonight or tomorrow. All I have heard all day is sirens blaring around town, I can only conclude that Mother Nature is very very CRANKY!

Oh & I wish to thank all you great ladies out there that encouraged me to embark on my new journey it really means a lot to me.

Have a great weekend & ifs it wet where you are try & stay dry....

Lyn xxxx

Starting a new Journey....

For quite some time now I have felt very lost within myself & of no value. I wrote in one of my earlier posts of missing out on my dream job & so decided to enrol in a course to better my chances at obtaining my dream. Truth is I realised last night I have been kidding myself I have read & reread the modules & although I know how to do this work physically, writing it down is another thing. I have had a lot of sleepless nights lately about where on earth my life is going & then it just came to me.... for goodness sake just do what you love most in the world & that is SEW. Ebay kinda put me off so I am really going to take the plunge here & open my own web site! The timing kinda scares me but it is either now or never I reckon.
So I would really appreciate any advise from all you lovely ladies out there that have already found the courage to sell their wares on their own site & someone please tell me I am doing the right thing.....

South Street.......

Before I moved to Australia I spent five years living in Nelson which is at the top of the South Island in New Zealand & I guess being a typical *City Girl* the pace of life was just way tooo slow for me. My parents bought motels there when I was 16 & I can still see the day we left Christchurch with me sitting in the back of our car tears rolling down my face as I was about to leave behind everything & everyone I held near & dear to me. I never looked on it as a new adventure, all I could see was that we were moving to a poky little town (it is actually a City) where I knew no one & my life as I knew it was rapidly coming to an end. What I did love was the motel which was a beautiful 3 storey house with its own ghost thrown in just to make life a bit more interesting! Down below us was this cute little street that I fall in love with on first sight, a tiny little street with tiny little run down cottages all in a row. This street & these cottages were the start of my eyes being opened to the beauty of Nelson & the oh so many old homes that dwell there. When I went flatting my first house I rented was a beautiful old house as was my second & I knew the first house I bought would have to be old as well. So when I went home in March my mum & dad took me to see South Street & I never imagined the surprise that was awaiting me!
A friend of my mum & dad's had bought the last remaining cottage in the street & as this ladies previous home was huge & she does a lot of entertaining the cottage was too small for her so started the complete renovation of the house. Looking from the street these cottages always seemed tiny to me an ideal place for one person to live but in fact out back there is quite a lot of land to extend on which most of the owners have done. I fell in love with these quaint little cottages all over again when we were given the guided tour of Elspeth's home, it really is stunning. Two extra bedrooms & a bathroom have been added on out the back with large windows along the hallway for extra light. The renovated kitchen is just to die for in fact there was nothing about the house I didn't like, not even the black front door. So come on a guided tour with me & let me show you my most favourite tiny street with cottages that have been lovingly restored......

Alspeth's new hallway...

The back entertaining area....

The main bedroom with french doors.....

The kitchen is on the right.....

The front of the cottage.....

My mum & dad standing at the start of the street, the building

are shops & where the window boxes are is some very lucky guy's

office......


Gotta love the bench out the front....

Love the red door..... (pity about the car out front)

Always wanted to own this one just love it......



Oh so sweet......

They have my picket fence.....

Loving this one as well......

Just gorgeous......

Could just move right in to this one.....

Another view of my favourite one.....

Sweet sweet sweet......

One of the best tucked in at the end of the road......

Dreamy gelato colours.....

Well there you have it, so what did you think can you see yourself living in one of these restored cottages in a tiny street 2 minutes walk from town, myself Id move there in a flash! If you ever find yourself winging your way over the waters to New Zealand you just have to put Nelson on your *to see* list, believe me you wont regret it.....

Hoping your having a great day....

Thinking of Doug......

I think you guys all know I decided 2009 was going to be a good year for me... sadly it has not turned out that way. I have already been to two funerals so far the third was back home in New Zealand & sadly I couldn't make the journey over. I had known Doug for over 30 years & to me he was one of the few remaining gentlemen left on this earth. I didn't manage to catch up with him when I went home in March, the last time I saw him was in January last year & as we were saying our farewells with the usual kiss & cuddle I knew in my heart it would be the last time I saw him. I miss this man & find it very hard to believe I wont ever see that beautiful gentle man again, he really was much loved. The other very special gentleman in my life... my dad had a heart attack two days after I had arrived in New Zealand & the week before my mum had had another cancer scare only to prove to me yet again how precious family is & not to take it for granted. I think it is very true that as we get older the tables turn, the kids really do worry about their parents in the same way they worried about us when we were young. A few months ago we found out a very close friend of ours had a tumor on one of his kidneys, the doctors seem to be at a loss as to how to treat this as it is a very rare place for a tumor to develop! At the age of 40 this to me is very cruel he still has so much living to do. So as if all this wasn't bad enough a very close friend of mine has been diagnosed with melanoma in her face which the doctors suspect has been there for 20 years or more & the guy who owns the corner shop down the road from us - who has become a friend over the last few years- went into hospital with stomach pains & came out with the knowledge his 45 year old body is completely riddled with cancer.

So now I am left thinking what on earth happened to 2009 being a good year.... surely it cannot get any worse.......

Who would believe you could get excited about a loo reno...Part 1....

I really feel I should apologise for being so slack with my posting lately good grief it is a wonder any of you guys even bother to pop in anymore. So its time I got back into blogland again believe it or not I have missed you all.

Ok so the photo below is my lovely laundry floor - to be honest here I do not know what possessed the person to come up with this design let alone colours, but I guess it was probably all the rage in the 70's - this WAS in the house when we bought it & not something we put in! The reason I'm showing the laundry floor is that I forgot to take one of the loo floor before it was taken out! So after I painted the walls & the new throne was put in Mr MP&CC decided it needed new flooring so off we went in search for some not too expensive but not cheap looking tiles & for the bargain price of $17.50 came home with just the right amount! So where did we get our bargain of the day....at our local tip of all places!

Taadaa... here they are laid sorry not the best photo but Mr MP&CC only finished the grouting tonight. I kinda reckon he has done a top notch job good grief where would I be without a handyman in the house. W e have decided now to go & get some more & tile around the bottom of the wall mainly because when the old lino was pulled out the bottom of the walls needed to be painted & I really do not want to do it! So what do you think?? Part 2 will be posted when its finished & then its on to the revamp of the bathroom, I will taken before photos of that grotty little room for yous.

Well that's it for tonight is very late nearly 2am, finding I an having trouble sleeping lately so had better get off to bed or I will not get up in the morning.

Hope you all have a great day.....

Oh nearly forgot hope all you lovely ladies out there had a great Mothers Day

Birthdays in the Merry Month of May.......

This post is going to be short & sweet, dedicated to the one I love.... my Sweetie turns 46 today! So my Darlin' here's wishing you a great day (kinda hoping here that the rain goes away) & may we celebrate many more birthdays with you!
Luv yah heaps xxxx Jack our Grandson turned two on May 1st & sadly the day passed without any contact with him. Our son has still cut all ties with us, changed his phone number, email address etc, we don't even know if they still live at the same address anymore, so what should have been a day to celebrate was in fact a sad day for my Hubby & myself.......

Well there you have it, told you is was going to be short & sweet!

See you all tomorrow.....