counting down

with Christmas just only a week away, we're wanting to get the bach ready for the holidays. The builders have finished (hooray!) although they're back briefly on Tuesday to complete the shower installation as we've had problems getting the right rails from the supplier for the shower doors.

the digger arrived yesterday hauled by a R Model mack truck. A trench was dug between our bach and the main sewage connection across the road and the pipes were laid and then covered over. The plumber is coming back on Tuesday to complete the connections.

Then hopefully we're done?

ice cream

my parents had a similar ice cream maker back in the 1970s. In the summertime my sister and I would sit on the back step and take turns cranking the handle and topping up the ice and salt. It was a tiring job and the only thing that motivated us to keep going (30-40 minutes of hard out churning) was the promise of yummy pineapple ice cream at the end of it all. The ice cream was delicious so it was well worth the effort!

When this RCW Frost King ice cream maker came up for sale recently on Trademe (our local equivalent to ebay) I couldn't resist buying this for my family to try out. Of course I'll be trying my best to replicate our family recipe. I recall that it included a can of Highlander condensced milk, cream, a can of drained crushed pineapple although I don't have any exact measurements. It'll be a process of trial and error. I'll let you know how it goes.

decorating

the builders have 99% completed the interior building work in the bach. Mr B and Sydney have started painting inside the bathroom and toilet areas as well as some exterior painting too. No fancy colours here. Just a simple off-white shade in the utility areas, warm vintage yellow for the rooms and a sandy colour on the exterior cladding. The electrician is yet to come and there's still the deck to be built.

Today we had hoped to have the digger there for the sewage connection however there's been a problem with finding where the underground phone cables are placed. Hopefully Telecom (phone company) will be on site asap to mark out the cable positions so work can get moving again.

3D paper orbs

my 2011 kiwi xmas ornaments for the swap are these wildly fab 3D paper orbs (now posted). I used a double sided printed card stock to create the orbs and the finished product measures approx 2.5inches. The instructions for making these paper orbs can be found on this site.

up close, the orb looks like a hydrangea flower, bursting with lots of petal colour. These were really fun to make!

what's next?

well I've had a few fizzers and flops happening in my world since I last blogged. First up, my birthday plans turned into a complete waste of time (nothing worked out!). Then my insurance company tells me that the person who drove into my parked car at the mall is denying liability even though there were witnesses. Now I've heard that the builder in charge of our bach work is in hospital with stomach pains (suspected appendicitus).

Ahh rant + vent over, but I have to wonder what's next?

steady progress

Unbeknownst to us, the builders were able to put in about 3 days work last week. In that time they completed the exterior re-clad and have started to finish up inside.

It will probably be at least another 2 weeks before I can realistically get to the bach (it's hard to be paitent!) as there's so much going on with end of year activities for the children... school trips, a birthday, a ballet recital, parties...

Oh dear, I better get cracking on making my kiwi christmas ornaments before I run out of time!

licorice allsorts

this handmade 100% wool blanket is destined for our room at the bach. It measures 223cm by 182cm and weighs around 2-3 kgs. I love crocheted granny squares especially when they're bright and colourful. Reminds me a lot of licorice allsorts, yummy!

on the inside

Hallway view of kitchen/lounge



Hallway view to new bedrooms

the bach interior is undergoing a major rework (check out the photos above). We still have two bedrooms although now they're both located off a common hallway and the new bathroom/laundry has been relocated. Fingers crossed that the builders finish this week!

retro bach update

last Friday the builders attended a fishing competition and this week they've been working elsewhere. They'll be back on Monday and I'm hopeful that the building work will be finished by Friday next week. The front window has been replaced with a sliding door and that removed window has now been installed around the side as a bedroom window. That's great recycling! The exterior asbestos cladding is being replaced with a marine grade plywood which we'll eventually be painting 'Desert Sand', so the building can blend in with the natural surroundings.

Soifua John

sometimes life speeds by so quickly that I can hardly catch my breath or even think. Today my thoughts are with a volleyball friend who passed away this morning. Tofa Soifua and safe journey John!

yesteryear roses

the heritage roses that we bought online a couple of years ago are now making a spectacular show with the most fragrantly scented blooms. The two roses pictured above are both climbers with deep, glossy green leaves. (Sorry, I've completely forgotten their proper names). These roses would love to climb and ramble in every direction. For now they have to be content with climbing on the fence.

In the foreground of the third photo is our cat Rocky who just insisted on being in the picture...

retro bach progress



there's been plenty of progress on our retro bach since I last posted. The new addition is a welcome replacement to that awful eye sore that we had. The new walls are true and straight plus the floor is level. We've had a major rethink of the interior so there's been a lot happening inside as well (I'll post about that soon). The bach has a new roof on. The front window is to be replaced by a sliding door and the new deck will run right across the front of the bach.

Mr B has been fantastic in ensuring that the builders are kept on track with minimum disruptions. He's made several day trips (that's about 2.5-3hrs each way) with his off-sider, Sydney, to undertake demolition, deliver building materials etc. Great work guys!

It will be another week or so before the building is completed and then we'll get on to the painting and decorating. I'm looking forward to getting back in there to have a good cleanup.

start building

the builders started work last Friday and already the foundations are in, the floor is down and the framing is starting to go up. There's no work today as the weather forecasts predict stormy conditions. However we've been told that they'll be finished by Friday next week. Then it's up to us to do the painting etc. I just can't wait until it's all done!

at 92

Happy Birthday to my Grandma Asia who turned 92 today. She asked for a band to play at her birthday party yesterday and here she is doing a Samoan dance surrounded by family members. She's still got the moves!

vintage flexiforms



AVIS - Size A (bust 32"- 39" & hips 34"- 40")



MAVIS - Size B (bust 36" - 50" & hips 38" - 52")



Flexiform manual


please welcome Avis and Mavis. These vintage dress forms were manufactured in NZ especially for the home sewer . As a mail order product, it was delivered as a boxed kitset of 14 pieces. The manual recommends that a friend is needed to help mould the Flexiform to the body otherwise "you will almost certainly end up with a dress-form that just isn't you!".

I won't be trying to re-mould the dress-forms as the vinyl clasps are becoming very brittle and prone to breaking plus the wire is so firm that it will be too tough on my fingers and thumbs to adjust it. So Avis and Mavis will be models for my sewing instead of the uninspiring 'hanger on the door' style I was using.

kiwi christmas swap 2011

Yes it's that time of the year again to start thinking about christmas and the annual kiwi christmas ornament swap. There's still time to join up, just check out sew funky's blog for details.

doc martens diva

Marlena



Darcie



Darla

When I was 15, I wanted a pair of docs but they were way too expensive so I saved up and bought a pair of tan Nomads instead. At the time Treks and Nomads leather shoes were the popular alternative. One time I wore my Nomads to school and they were stolen from the changing rooms while my class was at PE. I remember being upset that day and then ecstatic the next day when the shoes were returned by an 'anonymous' person. I never did find out who took them.

Now Miss15 has just gotten her first pair of black docs and is delighted with them. I tried them on (yeah we're the same shoe size). They're very comfy and look great but I'm not so convinced that these style boots are for me. Miss15 suggested that I check out the Doc Martens diva collection. I didn't expect to discover boots with strength of character and a heel to boot or a Mary Jane shoe that doesn't scream "goth" - maybe all perfect for connecting with my inner diva, don't you think?

demolition stage 2



ALL GONE

today Mr B, Sydney (the off sider) and Master12 made a day trip to the bach to complete stage 2 of the demolition. The rest of the lean-to was taken down. It was a tough job but they got it done in the end. Well done guys!

The plumber and the builder start work next week. Hooray!

modern vintage frocks

I'd been thinking about making myself a couple of modern vintage styled frocks. Then I came across these 2 patterns at the Spotlight sale. Finally I'm on my way to doing some happy personal sewing!

cherry blossoms

In 1998 we planted this cherry blossom tree in our front garden to celebrate the arrival of our second child. His placenta is buried beneath it. This year is the first time that it has had abundant blossoms. Welcome Spring!

demolition stage 1

BEFORE

AFTER

after much anticipation, work will be starting very, very soon on our new bach bathroom. Yesterday Mr B and Sydney, his off-sider, knocked down the awful back porch covered in artificial grass and a makeshift outside shower. That's stage 1 complete! Well done guys.

For Stage 2 they'll demolish and remove what's left of the addition so that a new lean-to can be built in it's place to house the new bathroom/laundry. There's a fair bit of drainage work to take place to connect us to the main sewage system. At the same time, we're having the roof replaced and the deck steps tidied up. All very exciting stuff!

lavender scent

my most economical project this year has been the making of these lavendar sachets using Whitebay lavender that I bought on Trademe and remnants of cotton fabric and ribbons. So far I've made 24 of these little beauties for the bach with about another 12 to go. They aren't much to look at however they'll do a great job of keeping all the winter woolies and blankets smelling fresh and pest free.

the winner is...

yes, our lovely daughter won the Designers Choice for Emerging Designers (selected by FourFontaine based on technical excellence). She is over the moon with her prizes which include a shopping spree at Sylvia Park, Specsavers prize pack and a FourFontaine prize pack and loads of extra goodies. Congratulations Txxxxx from your very proud mum!

so far, so good...

...

today I had my first annual mammograms and ultrasounds and got the results back as well. I'm happy to tell you that I got the all clear! So far, so good...

off the rack - young designers competition 2011

this is our Miss 14's entry in the Sylvia Park Shopping Centre - young designers competition. It's a full length dress made from stretch cotton poplin with lots and lots of tulle. Her inspiration was the idea of being sybaritic. There's 77 entrants in the competition and the winners are selected by popular vote, via Facebook and onsite voting at the shopping centre.

The more 'likes' her dress photo has, the better chance she has of winning. You can 'like' her dress here. Thanks!

retro magnolia print

From our kitchen window, I can see our magnificient magnolia tree in full bloom. As I work in the kitchen, I watch the petals fall in the ever changing breeze to form a lush pale pink and purple carpet on the concrete. With this as my inspiration, I was determined to find a retro floral picture to hang in the bach.

I was lucky to find this retro print by Wilf Walker on Trademe. It's a huge 64 x 80cms in size and still in it's original 1950s white/gold fleck frame. It will be on it's way to the bach shortly to take it's place of pride on the wall unless I have a change of heart and decide it looks better on our lounge wall here at home.

the big move

Before we could begin the big move to our bach, we had to do a big cleanup. The previous owners had left behind quite a bit of junk that needed to be thrown out. So that was our first job. Then Mr B had the task of transporting our furniture to the bach. He made 2 trips to the bach (2.5 hours each way) over 2 weeks, firstly with a fully loaded Chev and then secondly, in our loaded up 4WD and a single axle furniture trailer. He managed all of this with the help of Syd.

The drive from Auckland to Thames and then on to the Coromandel is very picturesque. Leaving the main road in Coromandel, the last 12kms to the bach are the most hair raising. The mostly gravel road weaves up and down through the Coromandel Forest Park and requires a confident driver to navigate it's many bends. That's probably the main reason why this part of the Coromandel remains so pristine and unspoilt.

With our furniture, crockery etc now in place, the bach is giving off a definite retro vibe!

flounce and frou frou

now that Spring has officially arrived, I find myself negotiating with Miss 4 about making her some dresses for the warmer weather. Sadly she's outgrown last years sewing and despite my best efforts to steer her towards 'practical', she's determined to incorporate flounce and frou frou to this years spring/summer wardrobe. So we've compromised by choosing this pattern - New Look 6309. With pink as her favourite colour, I'm planning to make 2 versions of this dress (with and without cap sleeves) and then go on to make her a couple of  'practical' dresses too.

sunrise

from the bach deck we're able to enjoy the most spectacular sunrises (and sunsets too!). As the sun rises, the water sparkles and glistens and the bird songs lift. This time we discovered the cockle beds (which are plentiful) and met some friendly neighbours who gave us a big bucket of fish and a bag of puha. We got the new curtains hung, Mr B managed to get some more maintenance and cleaning done, and the children had the beach to themselves. All in all it was a great weekend, the down side is that I came home with a cold.

3rd blogoversary

yes it's been 3 years - thanks to everyone who've taken the time to visit here!