New information requests.
They came yesterday from planning department.
I am happy to admit I don't even understand what they had written, let alone what they want.
I spent a night 'learning' the language.
I did new drawings and locations and information and sent them to our Architects (who have been brilliantly helpful) to hopefully collate into what the Planning people want.
My night went badly with little sleep, sick children, and early mornings waaaayyyy before the sun visited.
I wondered outloud what I am doing in cranky tired Mum ramblings.
Buuutttt for all the PITA this is in my life, good things are coming.
*in one week it is my Birthday
*I love Autumn.
*we have many other family birthdays this month
* we have purchased many beautiful plants to put onto our land to attract gorgeous butterflies.
So all in all it is just another hiccup.
For my birthday I wish for......... yep you guessed it.......
Council approval!! Feel free to fill this wish everyone :)
Thanks for coming by...
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
butterflies, beautiful gardens, and bubbly kids
I love photography - mainly because I love to take pictures of my children. Sometimes they take my breathe away.....
Thursday, February 24, 2011
sorted.... well sorta sorted
Alright I have discussed with every Council certifier I can find and all is ok currently. We have met what is required and are travelling along (waiting for the next hiccup). Meanwhile real life travels on too.
So my To Do list is looking a little neglected as I have battled Council and a head cold, and seem to be winning both, (well winning a little :)
Buuut I ordered our kitchen today.
So an Artisan Carpenter from our local area is making the kitchen.
One will host our dreamy, magical, double farmhouse sink.
Then next to it will live my much longed for 900mm Gas oven (not purchased yet).
Then happily directly across will live our nearly 3 metre kitchen island. Enough island space to cook with my children, chat, have a wine with friends or a casual dinner.
Then when I spoke to the gentleman carpenter today and expressed my concern over the wasted timber that will need to be cut out for the sink, he said 'would you like to use it for a great chopping board or pot holder for the table', I answered hurriedly ' um yes please!' Perfect.
So my To Do list is looking a little neglected as I have battled Council and a head cold, and seem to be winning both, (well winning a little :)
Buuut I ordered our kitchen today.
So an Artisan Carpenter from our local area is making the kitchen.
It has two parallel benches (floor plan at the bottom of this post). That will run along the wall behind our dining room similiar to these - but they will be the same length.
Then next to it will live my much longed for 900mm Gas oven (not purchased yet).
Then happily directly across will live our nearly 3 metre kitchen island. Enough island space to cook with my children, chat, have a wine with friends or a casual dinner.
Then when I spoke to the gentleman carpenter today and expressed my concern over the wasted timber that will need to be cut out for the sink, he said 'would you like to use it for a great chopping board or pot holder for the table', I answered hurriedly ' um yes please!' Perfect.
I think I may paint the legs and shelves white for balance against all the rustic timber.
I have also scored an old meat safe (in need of a bit of paint love) as we have space on the wall meeting the playroom for the fridge and some cupboards (a little reminiscent of the image above, well I hope it will be).
Very happy. How much would all this cost? Ten thousand, NO, Five thousand, No - under two thousand dollars. I can't believe it! Amazing.
Now it is not a huge fancy kitchen with lots of cupboards it is an open style kitchen - but still, I'm very happy.
p.s. I would assume budget savings on the kitchen might buy me a certain kitchenaid I have had my eye on, wouldn't you agree?? I mean it would offer a nice design touch.....
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
it all falls down... but we pick oursleves up and start again
On Tuesday afternoon, after lodging what I believed were my final documents for Council my husband placed a call to Environment about the 3 trees we have to remove for access to our site.
The Environment officer made an off hand remark about how the cost to come into bushfire code would break us, and this removal house thing may never happen.
Well DH rings me, I freak out, we both start trawling google and worrying about owning a removal house, and owning land the and the two never meeting, and us carrying a double mortgage and eating a lot of rice and beans :)
Buut I tend to pick myself up after a meltdown with a 'you can't stop me doing this, what do you need' attitude.
So after numerous unreturned phone calls to Council yesterday and much engine searching I feel we are better informed and can easily meet the requirements.
Which appear to be
- lopping the large gum trees on our property (probably just on the house side)
- removing more trees that we would have ever wanted too - but we can plant more elsewhere
- enclosing the bottom of the house where the stumps are with a fine steel mesh to prevent embers entering
- a sprinkler system on the roof, and perhaps around the base of the house
Hardly insurmountable is it - maybe $2000 in cost.
There seems to be a great prejudice against removal homes. A bit like being renters.
Personally I feel it is far better than building a new Colonial QLDer, and am surprised the Council are not in agreement.
But hey, back to fight another day. All things being fair I will do my best to push this through. Now it isn't just a dream it is also our financial future.
The Environment officer made an off hand remark about how the cost to come into bushfire code would break us, and this removal house thing may never happen.
Well DH rings me, I freak out, we both start trawling google and worrying about owning a removal house, and owning land the and the two never meeting, and us carrying a double mortgage and eating a lot of rice and beans :)
Buut I tend to pick myself up after a meltdown with a 'you can't stop me doing this, what do you need' attitude.
So after numerous unreturned phone calls to Council yesterday and much engine searching I feel we are better informed and can easily meet the requirements.
Which appear to be
- lopping the large gum trees on our property (probably just on the house side)
- removing more trees that we would have ever wanted too - but we can plant more elsewhere
- enclosing the bottom of the house where the stumps are with a fine steel mesh to prevent embers entering
- a sprinkler system on the roof, and perhaps around the base of the house
Hardly insurmountable is it - maybe $2000 in cost.
There seems to be a great prejudice against removal homes. A bit like being renters.
Personally I feel it is far better than building a new Colonial QLDer, and am surprised the Council are not in agreement.
But hey, back to fight another day. All things being fair I will do my best to push this through. Now it isn't just a dream it is also our financial future.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Rescuing
I read this quote in an old Notebook magazine and loved it.
"The point of rescuing old furniture is not always about rarity or value; it's also about thrift and resisting our disposable culture."
Herein lie two of restoration projects waiting to be finished with images of them sitting in sun drenched spots in our 'Yeronga'.
"The point of rescuing old furniture is not always about rarity or value; it's also about thrift and resisting our disposable culture."
Herein lie two of restoration projects waiting to be finished with images of them sitting in sun drenched spots in our 'Yeronga'.
an old cane rocking chair that is awaiting some white paint love
.........and this 3 piece setting. Lifeline had $30 on it. It is very solid structurally so I have taken off the damaged rattan side panels and have started sanding it back to a smoother finish. The lounge will probably go in the kids play room and the two chairs on the verandah with new covers.
So this is my favourite way of being more green! Can't wait to show you some after pictures.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Dream re-ignites...
Well after being a bit exhausted managing school problems, and lots and lots of council paperwork we recieved a small piece of good news. One part of our application has been approved.
Our Plumbing is through! Just Planning and Building approval to go. Well for step 1, and then the real work comes!
So yesterday we went out and spent a nice morning on our acreage.
We spent time planning some outdoor areas, chicken runs, fruit orchards, which views we will see from our windows ,
and how to wind the driveway through the trees.
It was a GORGEOUS morning. The kids made houses from long branches, and I realised how rejuvenating it is to have that kind of space and peace around, instead of the busy, noisy road we live on.
My husband and son thoroughly enjoyed just hitting pieces of wood with bigger pieces of wood, (funny species men :)
It was just what we needed. It reinforced how important this is to all of us, and that another couple of months really doesn't matter (well TBH it matters a bit because we would love to be living there now). I realised the process would be tiring and wearing, but nothing worth doing is easy, as they say.
This weeks Goals
* resubmit building application with new additions
* three quotes on the driveway and commence work
* speak to council about tree removal application (this is so we have 9m clearance for the house)
* organise the 3 trees to be removed on our land for the house site
* start getting quotes on electricity trench work
* submit water application for town water
* order 25000 litre water tank
* order kitchen (had to be put-off)
* order solar panels and hot water system
and hopefully this will all get done by Friday.
Our Plumbing is through! Just Planning and Building approval to go. Well for step 1, and then the real work comes!
So yesterday we went out and spent a nice morning on our acreage.
We spent time planning some outdoor areas, chicken runs, fruit orchards, which views we will see from our windows ,
and how to wind the driveway through the trees.
It was a GORGEOUS morning. The kids made houses from long branches, and I realised how rejuvenating it is to have that kind of space and peace around, instead of the busy, noisy road we live on.
My husband and son thoroughly enjoyed just hitting pieces of wood with bigger pieces of wood, (funny species men :)
It was just what we needed. It reinforced how important this is to all of us, and that another couple of months really doesn't matter (well TBH it matters a bit because we would love to be living there now). I realised the process would be tiring and wearing, but nothing worth doing is easy, as they say.
This weeks Goals
* resubmit building application with new additions
* three quotes on the driveway and commence work
* speak to council about tree removal application (this is so we have 9m clearance for the house)
* organise the 3 trees to be removed on our land for the house site
* start getting quotes on electricity trench work
* submit water application for town water
* order 25000 litre water tank
* order kitchen (had to be put-off)
* order solar panels and hot water system
and hopefully this will all get done by Friday.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Attic bedrooms/playspace
I am imagining an attic space in our house in the future. Because although to us it is HUGE it only has the 2 'formal' bedrooms - http://timberandtin.blogspot.com/2011/01/floor-plans-only-minro-adjustments.html see here.
Although you could probably say it was 3 bedrooms at a pinch, it just isn't enough. We are converting the sunroom off Bed 2 into another bedroom while our children still love sleeping close. But it is short term. We feel we want 4 bedrooms so everyone has a space to call home, away from each other. A retreat so to speak!
Soo I starting wondering about going up. An attic space? Maybe it could host 2 children maybe only 1. Or maybe it would just be a space they could play and escape, and turn the toyroom back into a ncie bedroom. Who knows. Sometimes the nice bit is the planning/dreaming/scheming.
So here are some attic rooms I love.
What do you think? I know my middle child would love a space like this. I would have as a child as well. Would you?
Although you could probably say it was 3 bedrooms at a pinch, it just isn't enough. We are converting the sunroom off Bed 2 into another bedroom while our children still love sleeping close. But it is short term. We feel we want 4 bedrooms so everyone has a space to call home, away from each other. A retreat so to speak!
Soo I starting wondering about going up. An attic space? Maybe it could host 2 children maybe only 1. Or maybe it would just be a space they could play and escape, and turn the toyroom back into a ncie bedroom. Who knows. Sometimes the nice bit is the planning/dreaming/scheming.
So here are some attic rooms I love.
What do you think? I know my middle child would love a space like this. I would have as a child as well. Would you?
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