Past the Point of No Return!

No point in sitting around waiting for things to happen...however if I did have to sit on one of those chairs I'd choose pink...always pink! 

I painted the chairs as a pretty diversion from the BIG job...

 

Sometimes I ask myself why I've started renovating this big little house for a third time.

It wasn't an easy thing to start.

I did take all the furniture out and then put it all back in again!

As you know I stripped out the kitchen...and then I started filling it up but soon realised if I was going to renovate properly I'd have to strip the whole house out all at once...so one cold rainy day that's what I did.

And here it is...way past the point of no return.

 

Right back to the bare bones!

Scary stuff!

But I have plans...although they change every day.
 

Finally we had some sun in the weekend and I was able to drag this house outside and start the exterior makeover.

Of course no sooner had I started when the rain came back!
I'm so over winter...would you people in the Northern Hemisphere please send summer my way!

I did a bit of café hopping while I figured out what to do next...I soon figured out that three mochaccino's in one day does not help my creative process!
 

 

Ten years old today!

Somehow my little girl is already 10 years old!

I can't quite believe it!

 

These are the party invitations I made.

You pull the rosebud and magically the box opens and you see the invitation inside.

I made all the little dolls to go inside.

 

This year Liberty wanted to take her friends to a place called 'Jump' to play on trampolines!

After that we had an afternoon tea party at home.

 

I made wrappers for chocolate bars to send them off to Jump.

We had her party in the school holidays when three of her friends from the South Island were here.

Liberty had a lot of her own ideas for her party décor and asked for 'bright pastel colours'.

I was happy to oblige!

 

She asked for a chocolate cake with two layers and chocolate icing...as usual I iced it at the very last minute - while the kids were at Jump (hubby took them there - which is why there are no photos!).

 

Liberty wanted the pastel m&m's  to spill out of her cake when it was cut.

 

It was her friend's actual birthday on the day we had Liberty's party so they blew out the candles together.

When I was out shopping and saw those umbrellas in the party colours I had to have them!

 

Once again my fabulous friend Pauline was there to help!

 

The girls all made their own ice cream concoctions - that was fun!

 

 

 

We put together DIY Slime kits for the girls to take home...making slime is one of Liberty's favourite things to do!

And I made the dress cookies Liberty requested...although she thought they looked a little too princessy!

 

The party was a couple of weeks ago.

But this morning for her actual birthday...

 

 I lit these candles just before she got up.

 

Her brother gave her 100's & 1000's chocolate that she had been wanting to try.

Her daddy took out to breakfast on the way to school...it's not every day you turn ten!

After school I took Liberty and her friend to an ice cream bar - Liberty had been wanting to go there!

 

Ten years later and that funny little dark haired baby has grown into a beautiful, fun loving blonde!

 

Mr Nylon is in the kitchen again!

For the first time in a very long time Mr Nylon decided to venture into the kitchen...

 'Sacre bleu!' says Bri, 'What the heck is happening here?

What is that woman doing now?'

'She's even taken the kitchen sink! Surely she can't be thinking of redecorating! It's only four years since the last renovation...come to think of it that's about the same time I was last in here.'

 

 'What the?!?  Things move way too fast around here...I don't think I can live through this again! I need a vacation while this is happening...I seem to remember seeing a caravan in America that would make a good holiday home...'

 Decorators note: Hard to believe this much wallpaper came out of that one tiny room!

An empty room...ready for a new beginning!

 

Time for a change?

I was being very lazy this morning (it's Saturday here) sitting on the couch flicking through Kim's beautiful book.

Kim's minis always inspire me...and I've decided it might be time for a makeover in the Country House.

 

The Country kitchen as it is now.

 

 

There are plenty of things that annoy me about this house. For one: it is a big and heavy house and it takes up a lot of room in my tiny craft space. And for another: the configuration of the rooms leaves a lot to be desired. But with a bit of thought (sometimes it's hard to think with kids running around all the time!) I'm sure I can solve a few of my issues.

Every now and then I think I should get rid of it but then I look inside and realise I can't part with it!

It's the house that started me off on my mini-making adventures...and what amazing adventures I have had!

 

So now I'm thinking it's time for a complete makeover...a new look!

Watch this space...I'm excited!

 

Mercedes