WALK, THEN PAINTING

Another hot day ahead of us.  So I'm off early for a walk with Lacy.  Doing the mall (or exterior perimeter) nice and early.

Then I'm coming home and getting on with the bathroom painting.

I ran into a little glitch, with a small leak under the new spout last night, so I will be ringing the plumber today to get him to come and sort it out.

It caused a run on the paint under the spout yesterday, so I'll have to fix that once they have sorted out the leak.

Slightly annoying, but these things happen.

I've got plenty of other stuff to paint and do in the meantime, so all good. 

I would love to hang the new shelves, but feel like that should wait until after the bath is in place.  I don't want the guys to knock their heads on them.  I'm hoping that we MIGHT get the bath in over this coming weekend.

Mike and Joyce will be here on Saturday for a few days, which we are really looking forward to.

They will get to meet Miss Lily!  I am 100% positive they will fall in love with her, just like we all have.

ABOVE:  Bex and Archer took Lily out in her pram yesterday.  You can bet ya bottom dollar Archer LOVED pushing the pram.

I think I'll have to wait until both boys are at school before I get my turn.  😊😉

BACK LATER...

ABOVE:  Another stinking hot walk done and dusted.  If I wasn't worried about gaining weight again, I'd not walk at all.  I bloody hate it.

Lacy thinks I love it!  Stupid girl.  I'd much rather sit on me arse and watch a movie! 😂😄😅

I am now going to ring around tyre repair places.  I have a slow leak in my front left tyre.  Yesterday it was alarmingly low after we got back from Tirau, at 10 psi.  Not that I profess to know a bloody thing about cars, but it did look kinda flatish.  

So I suppose I will be going out a bit later to get that fixed.

Then I can come home and do some more painting.  There wasn't any water under the spout this first thing this morning, so I'm going to turn the water on (into a bucket) then see if there is any water leaking under the spout.  If so, a call to the plumber will happen.

ABOVE:  These are the shelves I bought yesterday.  I wasn't gunna show you, but then thought... why not?  Wood and metal.  Following along with a lot of the other stuff we have bought from the same shop. 

AND.... yep, I still have a leak.  So I've messaged the plumber to get him back to fix it.

And I have an appointment with a tyre repair place this afternoon.  So all getting sorted. 

10.45 am: And the lovely James came immediately!  Diagnosed the problem (Not his mistake), and fixed it.  And off he went.

I went and checked on the spout after 10 minutes of James leaving... BUGGER!  Still leaking.   So I text him again.  

And back he came.

This time he put sealer on the inside of the spout, cos it was clearly a design fault with the spout itself.  SORTED 2nd time around.

I hope.  I'm a bit scared to go and check it again.  I might just wait for an hour or two.  😂😏

I'm going out soon, I've got quite a list of things to get today.  And then there is the tyre issue to get sorted too.

So, I tidy up me hair, and ...

ABOVE: Wasn't James lovely, he didn't say anything about the paint on me eyebrow!

Talking of eyebrows.

Has anyone had their eyebrows tattooed on?

Cos I'm seriously thinking of getting mine done... cos I don't have any bloody eyebrows to speak of.  I have ONE really good long eyebrow hair, but the bitch is GREY... and I dare not pull it out cos then there would be nothing there.  

So, what say you?   To Tattoo or not ????

AND WHY, yes or no?

Clearly DOGSTARS is a firm NO. lol

It is SO HOT...I get to the tyre place. Go in, the guy says hi, and which is your car?  I tell him it is the blue one. There's 3 blue cars out the front. He gives me THE LOOK. So I twig... and point out MY car.

Then he says... and where are the keys? 

To which I say... In me handbag. 

Deadlock.

I got THE LOOK again, this time with his head tilted to the side... fuck I'm a dick.

I fished them outta me handbag...hand them over and slink off to the air conditioned waiting room.

Just me and....

A few dozen tyres for company.

Ya gotta like the smell of rubber to enjoy being in here.

I don't. 

Might leave with a headache.

ABOVE: And there's the problem.  A screw in me tyre. All fixed now. Home.

In the pool cos its just TOO HOT to do anything else.

5.20 pm:  And I was in and out of that pool for three solid hours this afternoon!  It was WONDERFUL.  I got a few jobs done around the house in between popping in and out of that pool.  There's a few puddles of water here and there, meh, don't care.

I just had a very tepid (almost cold) shower, and am spic 'n' span for another nice evening indoors with me Stewie.

Or we might go out to dinner... if I can be arsed putting some clothes on.  I got in me nightie after my shower... slightly better than wandering around the house naked eh?  lol

When Stew arrived home from work, I suggested we go out to dinner.  Steve 'n' Bex had given us a dinner gift voucher, so why not use it?

We had a really lovely dinner, followed by an ice cream at Movenpick in town.

I will post a couple of photos of our dinner tomorrow, for now I will leave you with our night sky when we got home.

ABOVE:  How cool is that?  Very pretty.

And on that note... I'm signing off for the day.

It's been a really lovely day.

NO MORE ORDERS

 

NOTE TO SELF:  Never ever take an order again.

I made two runners for a customer.  The instructions were "Black and White, these sizes, and they don't need to match".

I made them exactly to her measurements, and both in Black and White fabrics, that did not perfectly match.

I sent her photos of said runners when they were done, informing her they could be picked up from the next market.

And I got back this: 

  

"I don’t mean to be rude but I thought that since you were making them, I thought they would match or at least have fairly similar prints…?"

Hmmm.  I kinda saw red. They were both done using Black and White fabrics, as per her wishes.

So, I sent her back her original email to me, with her clearly saying they did not need to match.

But the upshot was that I had to turn around and make another one to exactly match the first one.

I was not impressed, and almost cancelled the order.

And that is why I will never accept an order again.  This is not the first time I've had unnecessary stress from customers and their requests/orders.

If ya don't like or want what I've already got for sale.... walk away... just walk away!

This grumpy old bitch ain't gunna do no more orders.

Now, on a happier note.

Lacy and I are going to Tirau this morning to pick up the shelves for the bathroom. While there we are going to do a couple  (maybe a few) lengths of the main street... let's call that our walk for the day.

On our way home, if the weather is nice, we also plan on stopping along Lake Karapiro for a swim.  

I think we are gunna have a lovely morning.  

BACK LATER...

ABOVE:  What an awesome morning Lacy and I had!  Road tripping to Tirau.

ABOVE: We got to see the very start of the big, new roundabout going in at Pairere. 

ABOVE:  The existing T intersection with the main state highway and the road to Tauranga has been a major hazard/crash site for YEARS... and it's taken many years for this new road/roundabout to get started.

Finally happening.
 

ABOVE:  So we got to Tirau, and it was time to put on our sneakers... and hee hee... Lacy found another critter!!!!

ABOVE:  The corrugated iron building in Tirau. Tourist attraction apparently.

ABOVE:  OMG the water was so nice.  Not cold at all.  It was a welcome and fun break.

ABOVE: After we picked up the shelves, we checked out a couple of the gift shops.  I got Lacy some lovely body balm, and  I found this cute little heart for our bedroom wall.

So in all, a really delightful morning.

Now I plan on doing some work on the bathroom reno ... 

1st coat of contrast paint is on. Some other stuff has had Pigmented Sealer put on it. 

I had a swim in the pool.

I now smell like:

Lake Karapiro 

Pigmented Sealer

Mineral Turps and Our pool. NICE.

And... I'm now at WW... just for a yak.

ABOVE: Archer got lots of cuddles today as his brother, Dante, started school today.

It was his first day at 'Intermediate' School.

That's the two years before High School.

Keera also started Intermediate School today.

Archer starts school on Thursday as far as I know.

It was a nice meeting this evening... I am not weighing in for the time being.  Just not in the right frame of mind to be dieting right now.  But I do like to attend the meetings.

And, that's a wrap on today.  It's been an excellent day.  I got heaps done.  

Catch ya tomorrow.

CAMBRIDGE MARKET - AUCKLAND ANNIVERSARY

Yep, it's stupid o'clock and we are up and getting ready to head off to Cambridge for the market.

The weather is looking semi-OK... hard to know just how it will go.

But ... we are prepared for all eventualities, so all good.

DOGSTARS:  I don't plan on posting any more bathroom photos until the job is DONE.  I want to do a big 'reveal' once everything is in place and looking fabulous!

Well, I hope it will look fabulous.

I could show you what I painted yesterday, but it's only white walls right now.

So, it is at least another week or two until I will have it ready to show ya.  Hang in there 😂😉😊.

OK, time to pull finger and get moving.

BACK LATER...

...

ABOVE: And we are set up and ready. The weather is holding.... too scared to say it looks good! 

Our new stand is perfect for Bex's toys...a good buy. 

OM GOSH... We are having an amazingly GOOD day!!

More when we get home.

3 pm:  And we are home.  Today started out slow, and we really thought we were in for another not so good day.

How wrong can ya be?

It picked up after 10.30, and we were thrilled with our end of day totals.

Also, we  were so chuffed to see Tracy R from Auckland, and Sharon M from Taupo, who both came to see us!  Just so lovely of them to drive all that way to visit us at market.  Thank You girls, it's always lovely to see you both.  (And HOW? did I forget to take a photo or three???) 

It was quite cloudy and cold for the first hour or two, with a very cool wind.  But then the sun came out and it was beautiful, if still a bit windy.

So in all, an AWESOME day.  We caught up with a few FBG ladies, and other friends as well.  And of course, yakking with other stall holders is always neat.

I now have more work to do in the sewing room.  I sold all but one of my Kiwiana Runners!  Those two I made on Saturday?  GONE.

Yaaa.... I have something to do once my bathroom reno is done.

Talking of the bathroom reno, I'm taking an hour to just relax, then will be putting the 2nd coat of the white paint on.

6.02 pm and that is done.  Tomorrow afternoon I will start work on the second step for the walls.

But for right now.... 

ABOVE:  Some baby spam.  Stole it off Bex's Facebook, lol.  Lily is doing well.  

Utterly knackered!  We both are off to bed early .... so catch ya tomorrow.

SEALER TODAY

 

We are looking forward to a cooler day again today.  Probably get some rain too.  I just hope it blows over by tomorrow.

ABOVE:  I went into the sewing room last night just after 8 pm.  I wasn't planning on doing another runner.  But I did.

It's got a couple of fabrics in it that I don't usually put in the Kiwiana Braid Runners, but I think it came out rather nice, though it hasn't photographed that well.

Now that's done I can concentrate on painting today.

First up is getting the Pigmented Sealer on the walls and new gib board.  

Because that stinky stuff doesn't take that long to dry, I might even get a first coat of the actual paint on the walls too.

Let's see how it goes shall we?

BACK LATER...

FIRST UP:  If you are having trouble leaving a comment, try leaving a REPLY on the bottom of someone else's comment.  That seems to work for like, Ky Girl.  And Ky Girl, stop apologising for doing that.  If it works, it works and no one minds.

Next.  I've got all the pigmented sealer on the bathroom walls.  What a shit job. NOT that it's hard to do, it's just the smell and the clean up after.  It has to be cleaned up in Mineral Turps, so right now that is my 'perfume'.  Yeah, not exactly my chosen smell.  

Now I have to wait at least 3 hours until I can put the 1st coat of paint on.  This is going to work out really well, cos it will have all of tomorrow to dry completely, in readiness for the 2nd and final coat.

So now I'm twiddling me thumbs.  Might even go out for lunch, what ya say Stewie?

ABOVE:  Stew liked my idea of lunch out, so off we went.  We had a wander around The Base before settling on lunch at The Foundation.  We had not been there in about 8 months.  It had gone through a refurbishment and looked very nice.

ABOVE:  Our lunch companions.  So cute.

ABOVE: We shared some Calamari.  It was delicious.

ABOVE: Then our Foundry Burger came out. OMG.  Seriously HUGE.  Of course, we won't be having any dinner now.

It was an amazing burger. What I loved the most was they didn't ruin it with friggin lettuce!  I hate having to fish it out so the burgers guts doesn't slip and slide all over the place. lol

After lunch we came home for a quiet few hours.

3.32 pm:  Because it is very, very humid today, the bathroom isn't drying as fast as I expected.  I think I will be painting this evening instead of now.

Stew went out and bought a cooked chook and fresh buns, so we can take a 'picnic' to market tomorrow.  Nice.

8.46 pm:  I got the first coat of paint on the walls late this afternoon.  The top half of all the walls will be WHITE.  That is what I got done today.

Tomorrow afternoon I will put the 2nd coat of white on.  Then on to the bottom half.  A contrasting colour. And I'm not telling you what that colour is... but 99.9% of you will guess.  

And that is me for the day.  We will be going to bed reasonably early tonight, we have to get up early tomorrow.

ODD JOBS

 

I'm glad I got lots of time in the pool yesterday, and some sun too.

Today is supposed to be cloudy, with possible thunderstorms this afternoon.

But that depends on what weather forecast you are looking at.  I have three I check on regularly, and each one of them says something different.

So, I think I'll just look out the window ... lol.

ABOVE:  Lily is just the most loved little girl.  The boys love getting cuddles with her.

Everyone is enjoying having a tiny baby to dote on.

ABOVE:   Slowly getting a tan.  I didn't get one last summer at all, so it's nice to get some colour this year.

This morning Stew is off to the supermarket.

And I am going to work in the sewing room.  I might get another Kiwiana Runner made before Monday's market.  I need to as I only have two of them.

A bit later on we will probably pop over to Steve 'n' Bex's to pick up a couple of things for the market.  I'm going to have a table of Bex's crocheted toys with us on Monday.  I hope we can sell a few for her.

Remember those little critters the kids put all over our house a while ago?

Well yesterday while Lacy was at the beach with Amanda, I went over to her house and put critters all over her house.  I think at last count she had found about 60.  There's not too many more to find Lacy. 😂😅😂

I also hid the $10 in her house, but she found it easily.  I'm slipping.

BACK LATER...

Close to midnight last night, I'm on Facebook and see something pop up for sale.  It looks like something we could use, so I make an enquiry about it.

And first thing this morning I've bought it.

We are picking it up later on this morning.

Whoop!

I hope it comes in handy... or it might end up being a white elephant.  Either way... buying it.

Stew is at the supermarket.  

The weather is closing in... there were beautiful pink clouds at 6 am... now its overcast and quite a bit cooler.  I've even got a long sleeved top on!

ABOVE: This is what I bought.  A folding shelving unit for markets.  It's very similar to a smaller one we use for the Bowl Cosys.  I'm not use what I'll put on it yet. I'll suss it out once we are on site on Monday.

No rush.  I just saw it on Marketplace and thought... hmmm... could be useful.  NOT expensive so yeah, got it.

After picking that up, we went to the Pool Shop and got more chlorine then came home.  Stew is now pottering outside in the drizzle and I'm going into the sewing room.

ABOVE: And there is today's runner.  It was a bitch to get straight!  And I decided to do the dreaded pointed ends too... cos sometimes I just feel like a runner needs them.

This one did.

Done for the day now... maybe.  😂😅

Steve came over and sanded back the 3rd and final coat of gib stopping.  Then I had the task of cleaning up all the dust, walls, skirting boards, floor etc.

Now it is finally ready for me to apply the sealant, then 2 coats of paint.  

If I can get most of the sealing done tomorrow, I might be able to do all the painting during next week.

Bearing in mind we have a Market on Monday, so nothing will get done on that day.

It is now 8 pm, and I'm done for the day.  Time to just relax till bedtime.

LAZY TART

 

I've been in a funk the past couple of days.

I know it's only because I'm over tired, not sleeping well etc.

But still, the funk hit.

I feel guilty on a daily basis.  Stew goes to work to support us.  I do NOTHING.

I often think I should get a job, but really, the only sort of job I would qualify for now is what I was doing in Cambridge, and I don't want to do that again.  It was hard work, and as we all know, I'm no spring chicken anymore.

So, I stay home and fritter my days away, feeling guilty cos Stew is working his butt off for us.

The cost of living is just going up and up and it's frightening sometimes.

Our City Council is raising the rates by over 25%!  WTF? That is HUGE.  And it filters it way down to virtually EVERYONE.... because all property owners have to try and offset that increase somehow. 

So everything goes up again.  When will it stop?

*sigh*... I need to stop letting it all upset me I suppose.  If ya can't do anything about it, you have to learn to live with it.

How about something gorgeous to look at instead?

ABOVE:  Taken yesterday of Lily, and added to the ones of Dante and Archer. 

Special memories for all of us.

I left the tin with Bex for now, so she can take a few more with Lily wearing a bow.

We tried yesterday but Lily wasn't having any of it.  Stroppy little munchkin.

ABOVE:  Another adorable photo taken yesterday by them, and sent to me.  

My plans for this morning are to go for a mall walk... not that I feel like it!  It's just so damn hot and humid.

But, I have to otherwise I'll be gaining weight again, and I don't want that.

BACK LATER...

ABOVE:  Another good walk this morning, in full sun.  Luckily when we leave, it's still quite cool.

And there is a good bit of shade from kerbside trees.

Now that I'm home I'm not sure what I'll get up to.  Time will tell.

12.16 pm:  I ended up doing some prep work in the sewing room.  Then I went and visited Bex and the kids.  I got a cuddle with Miss Lily which was delightful. I swear she smiled at me!

Might have been wind.  Might not.  Only she knows.  lol

Now... I'm going to get in the pool and then work on me tan.  It's too hot to do anything else.

ABOVE:  Look who came for dinner. 

Well, her family did.  And I ain't cooking... Steve ordered dinner in.

I have no idea what we are having, something to do with meat? lol

ABOVE:  Just a few more!  Marley seems to love the baby, and just wants to lick her non stop.  She finally settled for just lying beside her.

9.19 pm:  Well today is done and dusted.  It's been a really nice day, spent with family, swimming and just having a good time.

Loving summer so far, even though it has been a bit hot.

DAY 12

 

When Dante and Archer were newborns, we took a photo of each of them in 'THE TIN'.

ABOVE:  There they are in 'The Tin'.  At 12 days old. So you guessed it, we are going to be taking a photo of Lily in 'The Tin' today, then we will have a matching photo of all three of them.

Steve and Bex gave me that tin many years ago, and it's main reason for being has been baby photos!  lol

I got a really darling photo of Lily last night:

ABOVE:  Waiting for the smiles, which can't be too far away now.

Steve got the first layer of gib stop on the bathroom wall last night, he will do a 2nd layer this evening, and a final one tomorrow night.  Then it will be ready for painting.

ABOVE:  Best idea ever to get the painting done before putting the bath in position.  Bloody logical when ya think about it!

ABOVE: There was this tricky thin strip that needed gib stopping... I found the perfect implement to do the job...

ABOVE:  A novelty teaspoon, shaped like a spade!  Steve 'n' Bex found them on TEMU and gave me a 'spade' and a 'shovel'.

Never thought they would come in handy as gib stopping tools.  😃😄😉

My plans for the day?  Not making any.  I will just potter around here and see what eventuates.

BACK LATER...

9.15 am:  Does anyone else save random boxes and paper bags,  JUST.  IN.  CASE.  ya might need one some day?

Yeah, I do.  It got so bad I couldn't open my wardrobe door without them falling out.

ABOVE: So this morning, pretty much before I did anything else, I hauled it all out and put it in the garage, ready for Stew to break them down and get rid of them.

My wardrobe looks immaculate now.  And I'm not constantly annoyed with it.

SCORE.

I just finished with all the morning jobs, bed made, washing on, windows open, dead leaves (thanks Coco) picked up off the floor, and so on.

Now I'm about to FINALLY go and make that bloody runner bag.

UNLESS I get side tracked by something else.  It could happen.

12.14 pm:  And the photo is a rap.  I'll wait to post it, once the parents OK it.

I've almost finished the runner bag, thank goodness.  Then all I have to do is put runners in it.

Then we will well and truly be ready for market next Monday.

1 pm:  The freakin' bag is done, and with Lacy's help, we got the runners out of the van and put the right ones in the new bag.

ABOVE:  Not something I've thought of doing before... LACY DID IT.  How cute does Coco look?  😋😜

Lunchtime...

4.33 pm.  Feeling blah.  Don't even know why.

Just been tired the past couple of days. I've had a quiet afternoon, did some washing but haven't hung it out yet.  Suppose I better do that.

Stew will be home soonish, then he's off to the pub for a couple of hours.

5.28 pm:  I got a second wind... hung out the washing (looks like it will now rain), did some weeding/pruning, put the soaker hoses on (again, now looks like rain)... and am expecting Steve and the boys soon for some more gib stopping then a swim.

Stew is at the pub.  I hope he has a good time, he deserves it.  

7.51 pm:  Steve arrived and did the 2nd coat of gib stopping.  No swim with the boys today, he was knackered and just wanted to get home and relax. He's mad busy at work and probably always will be.

His position within the company he works for has changed, meaning he's even busier than he was before. He is doing really, really WELL with this company.  More info on that at a later date, once things are signed, sealed and delivered. 

Stew should be home from the pub soon, then we can settle down for a couple of hours before it's bedtime.