Deck Makeover

Our Deck has been in need of re-staining for the past couple of years and we have finally got around to cleaning it down ready for staining this Summer.

Unfortunately, the weather has not cooperated with us this year and we have been fighting the wet and cold on this project.  It has been one of the coolest Summers in over 100 years in Taranaki!

Our house has been re-stained a dark coffee bean colour and with ironsand grey windows frames, I have decided that a mid grey-brown called 'Iroko' in the Resene Woodsman range is the way to go (top sample pictured)

Our deck was previously stained a dark cedar colour and although most areas of the deck are now fairly bare, there are a few patches under the eaves that have been protected from the elements which still have a lot of the cedar colour.  I'm expecting that the coverage will be fairly good overall, but I'm not entirely confident that it will give good coverage over the darker stained areas.

Our outdoor furniture was re-stained at the beginning of Summer, so all that will be needed to finish off the space is some colour in our garden planters / pots, cushions and maybe an outdoor rug.

I'm excited to get rid of the bare boards and tie in our new section of deck,which runs along the side of the house and connects with our main deck which was completed just before Christmas.  In total it works out to over 75 metres of decking.

Making a Statement with Turquoise

I've always loved bold colour and when thinking about a front door colour, I thought - why not be a bit different and go for a colour that I know will make me smile everytime I use the front door.

I have to say, I prefer a painted door to the oiled cedar look.  If I grow tired of the colour, I can always paint over it - bit for now I'm loving this vibrant turquoise!

I have a little way to go to dress the front entrance.  I'm hoping to add some potted plants, door mats, lighting and artwork soon to make a welcoming, farmhouse style space.

In particular, I have my eye on some wine barrel planters...

Some glazed pots...

And a fabulous rustic industrial light fitting...

The new 'brown bean' stain is looking pretty sharp on the front of the house. Work is progressing on the rest of the house and then the plan is to move onto the deck, which we are thinking of staining grey to match the window frames. 

I'm looking forward to the final transformation, it should be amazing!

Paving the Way

Our broken concrete path which we constructed last year, sadly did not prove suitable for long term use.  We have now replaced it with this paved walkway set in stones.

The new path is smooth, level and easy to walk on for everyone from pre-schoolers through to the elderly and although not quite as rustic, still fits the bill for a farmhouse style home.

The broken concrete is not going to waste either, it will be used in other areas of the garden for retaining and edging.

The path upgrade is one of several projects we have on the go at the moment.  Another is the levelling of our front lawn area, which has always been uneven and in need of more soil to fill in low spots.

We were fortunate enough to source 6 metres of free topsoil to spread out across the front yard. The red rectangle in the ground is the lid of the septic tank vent which used to sit about 8 inches (25 cms) above ground and is now level with the ground.  Now all we need is to sow some grass and try to blend it with the rest of the lawn.

We also have plans to lay some key stone blocks along the front of the driveway.

These were picked up for a very reasonable deal from a manufacturer who had to relocate premises. We were also able to source the pavers for the front path and some other mock stone garden edging.

I'm hoping to have enough key stones to make an edging for the small garden next to our letterbox as well as the side of the driveway.

We are hoping it will look as good as the garden edging we completed using the mock stone edging.

It really tidies up the garden and keeps the mulch off the lawn.

Hopefully all the projects will come to fuition over the coming weeks and we will  have some nice photos of our completed landscaping for posting.

Spring Inside the House

I've been busy the last week or so trying to give our house a new lease of life.

I feel that the best way to do this is to add natural elements. I have been adding house plants, foliage arrangements and displays mainly by recycling items from around the house.

I'm especially fond of moss at the moment. I'd especially like to grow a moss display inside. I'm not quite sure how I'd go about it, but wall or a table display would be ideal.

This is a photo I took on a recent walk in bushland, nearby our property.  The moss is almost an irridesent green. Perhaps I could make an artwork using this image if I can't create the real thing!

Spring Time at Silver Spear

Spring is in the air. The weather is improving although our typical Spring winds are still a little bitter - a remind that winter is only barely behind us.

We have started off a Spring clean in the garden by doing some earthworks. 

We were fortunate enough to be able to use a neighbours digger for a reasonable rate and rope in a friend visiting for the weekend to operate it for a few hours.

We were able to achieve a few tasks with the digger: levelling out the driveway a little, reshaping an area in front of the shed and shipping container, pulling up a path and some tree stumps, shaping out a slippery slide track and moving the play equipment further up the paddock

My beloved broken concrete path which I laid down in January had to go. It looked the part, but with small children and elderly using the path, it was not safe or practical for use.  The digger made quick work of its removal and the broken concrete pieces will be re-used for retaining along the edge of the garden.  For now we will stick with the fine gravel until concreting is affordable.

The digger has left a bit of a mess, but it was well worth the work it achieved. In a couple of weeks the grass will have grown back and we will have improved functionality of our outdoor space.

It feels like real progress - a great start to Spring and lots of warm, sunny days ahead.

Getting The Balance Right

When you don't get work/life balance right, the house starts to look like this

The annoying thing is, time is not really the issue - it's the prioritising that has let me down.  I have been so focused on work and putting it first instead of dedicating the time to catch up on tasks that I have dropped the ball.

I'm disappointed that in one week I have abandoned my household routines and just given in to the mess. It has not been helped by the kids being unwell and camped out in the lounge the past 3 days, but that's life and if I can't work around that - then my house will never be clean.

I've also felt more mentally exhausted and less like doing cleaning (especially the laundry). I really struggle with laundry. There are so many steps in the process and it is never ending :-(

I need to get stuck in today and tomorrow and get prepared for the week ahead otherwise the problem will only compound itself. Time to roll up the sleeves!

Bacon and Pork for the Freezer

It's been over 2 weeks since our pigs were slaughtered.  After a week our pork had been processed and then yesterday we picked up our bacon and hams. 

It was the first time that I had raised animals for food and I must admit, I had my reservations about it. But ultimately I have come to terms with it (as a meat eater I am not oblivious to the fact that I eat animals - whether they are home reared or not).

I now have a deeper understanding of the process, I appreciate that the meat our pigs provided will nourish and sustain us and I know that they were treated humanely during their lives and in death.

The meat is excellent quality, tastes superb and was cost effective to produce. I'd say over all it was a successful and rewarding project.