What makes me happy

Looking back over the last few entries, I decided I sounded a bit down and grumpy (which I probably was) due to factors out of my control.

I try not to be negative in my life, cause it just brings me down and I get grumpy LOL

So here are some things that are making me happy at the moment.........

I got this gorgeous vase/spice rack?? from the garage sale on saturday for $2.  I couldn't take a before pic because we had no batteries for the camera, but it was black and gold and had some sort of ugly swirly metal bit at the back of it (I guess you would hang it by the wall by that).  I got Greg to cut it off and we re-painted it black.

I have been craving some flowers lately, but since we are sooooooooo poor at the moment it is not going to happen.  So I had to think outside the square!!!  The next door neighbours have a vine that is flowering (can't spell its name so I won't try) and I chopped these off.  Bargain - free!!!  They look lovely too.

Yum - I made these choc banana muffins and they are delicious

I am SO happy with the way my kitchen turned out - its gorgeous and such a dream to use, with so much space - love it!!!

I made these cute tissue papers flowers and Jemma made one for herself too.  They are really easy and look great.  These are for a friends birthday present wrapping.  CUTE!!!

My little man, playing on a computer that Greg is building - its turned off but he loves keyboards and the like.

My breakfast this morning - avocado on toast with salt and pepper mmmmmmmmmmmm

Hope you have a happy week

Enjoy

Rach xxxx

ANZAC Weekend

My little bubba - please be good when you are BIG....

Phew, I am glad this week is over.  It's been a difficult and stressful one for me, which, has a good ending - thank goodness.  You know, it doesn't matter what age they are, you still stress when things are going bad............ I think I will have a breakdown if Jemma and Michael are like Alex - there is only so much one can take in their life BUT Jem says she will be good  haha, I'll hold her to that when she is 13yo!!!!

So, other than the dramas with Miss Alex, everything else was ok.  I am stressed at work as well but that will pass.  

Now, down to the good stuff!!!

Remember Greg was on the motorbike hunt.  Well on Tuesday (the day after the crap bike) he decided he wanted to see another bike.  Off we all traipse to see this bike.  Well its love at first sight (for Greg) or should I say ride??? and on Wednesday off he went to pick up his new baby.

GSXR 1000

O....M.......G........  what a BEAST (it goes fast)

Off on a bucks weekend for Greg on his new baby for the weekend.  He had a great time, bike went like a dream and all is well. 

Except for our bank account.

Ahhhhh well.  The kiddo's and I went to a garage sale on Saturday down our street.  I couldn't get there early because I had to take Alex for an appointment in the morning but we had a look when we got home.

I got this:

UGLY huh??  I have some ideas for it, stay tuned :-)    I got another thing but as all out batteries have died for the camera I can't get a pic.  Stay tuned again ok!

The bloke came and fixed the kitchen - and I'll use that word loosely.  Amazing what a letter to the Department of Fair Trading can do huh??  The cabinet is great , however the touch up paint job was DISGUSTING - it looked like someone had slapped some paint on and then roughed it up and left it?????.  I waited for Greg to get home to have a look and he scraped it off before I could take a pic (he was pissed off) - the chip actually looks better than the touch up job.

Honestly, I can't be bothered chasing it up.  I'm sick of the negativity and poor customer service.  I don't want these people in my house again.  Greg will attempt to fix the chip and I'm sure he will do a great job, unlike what they did for us. 

I'm still in LURRRRVE with my kitchen:

Its SO gorgeous.................

I'm selling my wedding dress and accessories on Ebay as we need the cash and they are just sitting there.  I hope they sell!!!  If not, oh well - I tried (and Ebay is having a free listing deal so its cost me about $2 to list the stuff!!)

Memories haha

You can see Courtney & Erin on the left - Greg went on Erin's Bucks weekend

REMEMBERING THOSE WHO FOUGHT AND THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES, SO WE CAN LIVE IN THIS WONDERFUL COUNTRY AND BE FREE TO BE WHO WE ARE  Thankyou xxxxx

Have a great week.

Rach ;-)

I'm back at last...... and an anti-rec for Barry's Kitchens Hornsby

Little Michael watching his favourite movie - Toy Story 2

Well, what a fortnight!!!

A lot happening in this place at the moment. 

Greg's bike decided to virtually give up on him in the last week, so now we are on the lookout for another bike for him.  Not the greatest timing, but then when is it really?  We went and looked at one last night and it was crap.  Why do people have to lie and say it is the greatest on the ad, and when you get there it is obvious it is a big load of bullshit?  The bike had been dropped, needed new tyres (ad said immaculate cond and new tyres??), hadn't been tuned to the exhaust, had leaking exhaust and had probably never ever had a service.  Greg said it was a dog - beautiful feel but a dog because it was so rough (due to the issues above).  What a waste of time!!!  GRRRRR  The looking continues!!!!

We had our second night out without Michael on Saturday night which was lovely.  It was for a fundraiser for a guy at my work whose wife is dying and she has just had their first baby this month.  Very sad situation but they raised a lot of $$$ for him to help him out.

The kitchen is going well and I do love it a lot.  The oven is brilliant and everything is great.  Sadly, the kitchen place has let me down by not fixing the two outstanding issues - the chip in the cabinet and the mechanism in the door above the rangehood.  Despite me calling over 10 times, the last conversation ended with the guy sounding annoyed that I wanted a date to get it completed and saying that it is not interfering with the operation of the kitchen so I will have to wait.  Nearly 2 weeks later still no contact.  I sent a letter of demand last week and still no contact.  They have until tomorrow and then I will follow up with the Department of Fair Trading. 

The company is Barry's Kitchens Hornsby.  I would so NOT recommend them at all.  Oh, they were fine up until they actually had my money and there were the two little problems.  They just ignore me and basically lie everytime they speak to me.  Disgusting that nearly 7 weeks since installation I still have a chip in my kitchen cabinet and can hardly get into my cabinet.  I hope a search engine picks up this anti-recommendation for any other poor person.

I did get the tiling done and it looks brilliant.  Here are some pics:

So that is about it for now.  I am having some family dramas with my eldest daughter at the moment and honestly am feeling fairly sick to my stomach at the moment.   I hope she takes advice from most people and listens to what she really knows is right..........................

Enjoy your week

Rach ;-)

S...L....O...W.

Internet.  We have run out of broadband and are down to dial up speed.  Gosh it is slow.

I will update when it is back, tomorrow or this week sometime..........................

Easter break, but no break for us!!

Out for a walk this morning and Michael couldn't last the distance - love the mouth open (with choc doughnut all over), trying to catch flies maybe hehe???

Well, Easter is over for another year.  We don't celebrate "Easter' per se as we are not religious but it was nice to have Friday and Monday off work.

Although we had that time off work, we worked even harder at home lol !!  It was time to move the kids rooms' around - and it was hard work!!

First on the agenda was moving Alex's stuff out - jeez, I can't believe that one person can have that much stuff - and clothes.......wayyyyyy too many - it was a joke really.  Anyway, that done then painting the room (if ONLY it had been that easy in real life!!!).  Then moving Jemma's bunks and stuff into the room, then painting Jemma's room and moving Michael's stuff into that room...................and so on.

Well, I am very happy to say that it is all done YAY.  Greg and I worked out butts off big time but it was worth it.  Of course, we need a few finishing touches, but overall everything is done.

Here are some pics:

This was the built in robe in Alex/Jem's room which consisted of 2 shelves along the top and one long hanger- Greg built shelves and it is much more practical for Jemma's stuff - Clever Greg!!!

Here are Jemma's bunks - I bought the coverlets at Spotlight for $30 each - bargain!!  They are Jemma's fav colour of course!!!

Little Michael's new bed/cot setting - on sale from $99 or more to $60 - so a pretty good bargain.  We will move him into his new little toddler be when he is bigger - no rush yet.

Will take more pics later and when the sun is out & rooms are a bit more finished.  I still have some more to do but the big job is over thank goodness. 

This week will be working out the finishing touches on the rooms, trying to get my kitchen finished (still waiting for the kitchen place to fix my last 2 issues hmmmmmmmmmmmm - NOT happy), getting a tiler for the splashback.  Jem is going to Melbourne to stay with some friends of her Dad's and she is very very excited about that.

We may get to have a rest one day - poor Greg - I keep giving him jobs to do!!!

Oh, my work from home proposal is approved too - Excellent news - I'm very happy about that.  Now I just have to wait for a spot at daycare for Michael (no rush yet) and then I can start back FT.  Looking forward to the $$$ - we are very poor at the moment :-(  

It'll be better next week!!!  Renovating is always big $$$ (paint is SO exy too!!)

Hope for more pics next time - this time of finished rooms

RACHxxxx

I love this song..........

I'm quite liking this song at the moment - its a bit smoochy but sometimes you need a bit of smooch in your life!!!  (I don't get much "smooch" in my life - so this will have to do) LOL