Family , Xmas and sunshine

So Christmas is fast approaching again

We are attempting a more simple Christmas this year  with   more attention to laughter , exercise, healthy food,  smaller presents and  fun .

 So  maybe in the new year we will look back and see if we have achieved our goal

This weekend the  house has started to get Christmas  lights.
We cant compete with the other 5 houses in our street but we have tried.
The Reject  and kmart shop has come in very handy 



I have  never been one to   put many decoration  or lights around the house  , i have been a bit of a humbug  with the whole Christmas  thing
 But here is a few of  the things we have done

Our nativity scene ...the real reason for Christmas ,

 The calico  angel behind was made for us by my
Mum quite a few years ago

This  santa  I made  a few years back  at a local
 sewing shop with a good friend .
 I have lost his hat  but he is still my favorite

These quilts  have  been sitting in my sewing cupboard sadly for a couple of years waiting patiently for a little bit of attention and  now are  finished .

 I have not quite decided where to put the smaller one yet








This year  have a new  front door decoration as  last year someone said my angel  was creepy so it went to  angel heaven

Now  we have a rustic star  purchased at kmart  to which  I added  some  bells The ribbon is from our dear departed angel ,

The advent bags have a had a couple of years use
It is quite hard filling in so many days  so there are a lot of repeats but both grand daughters love ringing each other to see what they have scored










 This is our next project , the wire frame will be covered with fairy lights .
 I have two others to  do as well but need more lights






     
So the Smith family is not quite as humbug as I would like but  we are not                                                     as busy as some  ....  on no   my husband wants to buy more lights

Renovating the cubby stage 1

 A long weekend was approaching   and  our next door neighbors  had pulled a side fence down  so  we decided ( much to my husbands distress) to renovated the cubby house.

This is what the cubby was like , very open  with no protection from the weather  or privacy for the girls .
 It also is in  need of a stain as the original  was very poorly done.

I also decided to remove the yellow, green shelf as it never gets used.
 A  flower box  in place would look far better so  the girls can fill with their own flowers to cut  so maybe leaving  mine alone

We pulled pieces from the back of the top section ,next we started filling in the walls  with the  recycled wood .
We left an area at the top like a window  to give a flow of air across
It took time measuring each piece of wood  , cutting and screwing in place but we had enough to complete  the sides.

 As you can see in the pictures it not quite the same wood but after a coat of stain  I think it will be fine

My husband is of to bunnings to buy some bits and  pieces to finish
Hopefully a timber  window box as well

I am thinking of some sort of curtains or blind to close the bottom in

the
happy
grandchildren

and so are the  dogs happy        

Spring is Here time to fertilize

We have had a few weeks break  of  working in the  back yard what with birthdays and lots of rain but it is time to get back into it as Spring is here

Our  list includes

• More dirt is needed in the backyard  as the filled in areas of last year  have sunk . But we have a new puppy, Piper  who loves to dig and  chew especially my flowers .With all the rain we are having muddy puppy paws might not be much fun 

• we need to decide if we are putting a vegetable garden in  along the  back fence ,the cost and  the puppy issue  are factors against this 

• we would like  to extend the back patio out so we have a more usable family  area 

• putting a  barbecue area like the one below is sort of the idea I want to do 

We  just need the  rain to stop  and  we can get into it . Also we need to get a concrete guy to actually come  to quote.So maybe it might be a couple of weeks before we start

Backyard makeover

So we have been in our new house nearly a year .

 We have achieved nearly all we set out to do .
The sewage  man hold covers( the black things )  were raised by water board free of charge .
Next  a fence contractor came  in to  straighten the fence  and  built a retaining wall
Approx  20 ton of  free rubble was delivered by trucks to  fill in the back yard ; then 8 ton of top soil was delivered .
We then layed the grass . This all sounds quite easy but it wasnt ,we were exhausted by the end

Gardens have been finished , plants put in  pictures hang  & garage cleaned out.
The lists just never seemed to stop  but we are done .
 All done in time for our granddaughters first birthday party.
The back yard needs more top soil to level it out but I think a small trip away in the caravan is needed  first