Don"t you just love Autumn days.

Isn't this a glorious time of year. I have had a few extra days off work, just to fiddle around with some ebay stuff and work in the garden. Doing lots of stuff for ebay, working on a couple of lamp orders, and tidying up outside.

I also had a little expedition through the local antique shops and found some gorgeous little items to list on ebay (I think I'm becoming an ebay addict-lol). That's them in the pic. I'll paint the tatty silver stuff. Keeping the two little cups for myself. Sooo pretty and shabby.

Also found the time to clean out my work/computer room, so I could actually WORK in it. To say it was getting a bit cluttered is putting it mildly. I did have one mishap while doing this though, knocked over a very large box FULL of packing peas. Do you know how long it takes to pick all those little bits up (lol). John came home from work last night and said "Oh, we still have a sofa in there, I though you'd sold it on ebay". Very funny. Just because it was covered with lamp shades and stuff (lol).

Mostly I've been outside, the weather has been absolutely glorious here in the Mountains and I can't stand to be inside on days like this. What a shame I have to go back to work on Monday.
I have done some work on the computer though, listed some stuff on ebay and also ordered heaps of fabrics from my favourite seller in the States, shabbyhomeshoppe. The lovely Tammy is closing her shop this weekend to look after her terminally ill father. So sad, we shall miss her. Please say a prayer for her family, she's such a lovely lady.

I bought heaps of beautiful fabrics from her, can't wait to get my hands on them and start creating some more gorgeous lamps.

John and I have decided that when my clients at work move house, as they will be doing in the very near future, I am going to cut down my work hours a little, so I will have more time to work on the things I love to do. Yippee!!

Also more time to spend with my grandkids. They are all growing up so fast, the eldest, Rebecca, started University in February (I was a child bride - lol - I'm not really THAT old).

Hugz, Coll :-}

Where does the time go?

I can't believe where the time goes. I was just talking to Shannon, telling her I must get to my blog again, it's been days. I don't know what I did with the time, apart from working a 28hr shift, coming home and catching up on my housework, washing, gardening, cooking and somewhere in between all that, working on some things to list on ebay. Ooops, maybe that's where all that time went.

I guess we all know about that, time just slips by unnoticed. I did actually stop and smell the roses though. That's the best thing about having a garden, it's where I go to escape. I can wander around, with my Maddie beside me of course (I don't dare go into the garden without her-lol) and just forget about everything.

Snip off a few deadheads, pull a couple of weeds, admire the new growth on some things or lament the fact that one of my precious plants is not looking so happy.

This is the best time of the year to be in the garden, I think. The beautiful warm days (not too hot) make you want to stay out there forever. I've got lots of bulbs ready to plant, the tulips go back in next Month. Think I'll have to get Sam back here again to help me with those, we did such a good job of it last year. I can't quite believe that was a year ago.

See what I mean about time slipping by.

Having said that, it's time for me to go to work.

DON'T FORGET TO STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES.

Coll :-}

New Lamps

Well, I have decided, after much tearing out of hair and throwing things about (lol), that I will NEVER attempt to cover a fluted lampshade again. What a nightmare. It was bad enough trying to work the circumference of a circle (yes, it's been a long time since I went to school - lol) and then having to cut the fabric EXACTLY, but then the damn stuff wouldn't stick. I bought the lamps from the US and I have no idea what the shades are made of, something weird obviously, but three different glues later I think (fingers crossed - lol) it works. Time will tell. I'll probably get up in the morning and they will have fallen to bits. AAAARGH !!!!! Pic is shade half finished, just holding together, so don't judge it too harshly.

I just love the itsy bitsy roses on the fabric, which I bought from the lovely Tammy at ShabbyHomeShoppe on ebay. Have to buy more fabrics from her real soon, as she is closing her shop until next year. DISASTER!! Sooo hard to get all the Rachel Ashwell fabrics elsewhere.

Apart from that, it's been a busy day, painting some old picture frames to put some pretty fabrics in, a bit of gardening in between and a bit of sitting in the sun with the dogs (lol). Gotta have some relaxation.

I hope you all had a lovely Easter and didn't eat toooo much choccy. My Easter Bunny (hmmm, he looks more like Santa, beard and all - lol) brought me breakfast in bed. I'm still wondering what he's done wrong - lol.

The other pic is part of our loungeroom. I just love our new loose covers and yes, I am just as anal as Shannon about the cushions. I make John move them all up before he sits down, because he sits ON them. Grrr.

Hugz Coll :-}

ps: I haven't quite figured out how to get the pics where I want them to be yet. Must talk to Shann about that one. :-}

Easter

HOPPY EASTER EVERYONE.

Hope the Easter Bunny was kind to you.
:-}

More of my house

I took some more pics of my house, because my friend in Michigan, Debbie (purpleflowerfairy), wanted to see some more of my "stuff". This is my lovely old tray mobile, which I've had for years, and some of my pretties. I've had some of these trios since I was very young (a couple of centuries ago - lol), so shabby chic has always been "In" (lol). We've only been in this house not quite 2 years, so we still have lots to do. We've mostly worked on the outside, had the roof redone (it was brown), painted all the gutters etc (brown again) and replaced the garage door (MORE brown). We've also nearly killed ourselves in the garden, as the house was owned by an old lady (bit like me really) and so the garden was a jungle. Getting better though.
We have to start working on the inside this year, although Shannon did paint the kitchen cupboards (she loves painting, doesn't she-lol) when we moved in. It is still the old original kitchen, but it was in good nick and I like old kitchens, so she painted all the doors French Blue (I'm a blue girl at heart) and it's GORGEOUS. I'll get a pic done of it soon.
I painted all the sixties tiles (puke green) white and added some rosey decals and now I love it. We even painted the bench tops white. They were kinda dirty cream.
The worst thing we still have is the carpet. You'll never guess, BROWN (aargh!!). It's the bane of my life, I live with the carpet sweeper in my hand. It shows EVERY spot. It's gotta go, and soon.
The only things that look good in brown I think are chocolate and dirt (the dirt because I'm a gardener - lol).
Well, I had better leave off, I promised myself to list stuff on ebay today, so I had better get started. More pics soon, Debbie, I promise.

my busy week and my "bubbie dog" Maddie

This has been such a busy week, but I have actually got the whole day to myself, so I figured I would spoil myself. I am still sitting here in my dressing gown (lol) with my third cup of coffee (usually only have two) and trying to work out what the hell the weather is doing. Just did a load of washing and now I don't know whether to put it on the line or not. First it's sunny, then dark, cloudy and cold. Decisions, decisions (lol).

I've been really busy at work this week and when I was home I spent the whole of Tuesday in the garden, which has been getting quite wild after all the rain. The damn weeds grow faster than the plants. At least I had my "bubbie" to help me. She kept disappearing into the wilderness, at one stage all I could see of her was the top of her tail as she stalked all those pesky lizards (lol). Poor little lizards. I don't think she ever quite catches any though. Hope not. Poor little pet, she was quite exhausted afterwards, as you can see. She is nearly 14 years old (and deaf as a post), but you'd never know it. I think that makes her, according to the chart at the vets, about 74.

On Wednesday Shannon & Sam visited for lunch. We were going to go to the park and feed the ducks, but the weather turned lousy, again, so we bummed around at home. Sam helped me pot up some plants (well, he watched-lol) and spent the rest of his time playing with John's electric path edger (not plugged in, of course). He is fascinated with anything mechanical. Budding genius, I think.

Then it was back to work overnight Thursday, ran around like a mad thing organising and shopping for a birthday party for this weekend for one of the guys, visited my other lovely daughter Tracey after work yesterday, as it was her birthday on Thursday, then sat in the damned traffic for and hour and a half because there was an accident on the Great Western Hwy. I never understand why people rush off for the Easter holidays. Too much traffic, crazy drivers and the weather is usually lousy anyway (which it is now). I'd rather stay home and play and eat chocolate. (Hmmm, that must be a family trait).