Progress...

Still a little jet lagged from our crazy whirlwind holiday that I swear I need a holiday to recover from :-/ but we are all very happy to be home sweet home!!! While we were away Dad took the reins and stepped up at site foreman, he got a lot accomplished including emptying out the beer fridge! Aaron and Dad managed to fix the concrete around the footings that was a little damaged from the removal of the brick walls and installation of the stumps.  As well as this they managed to coordinate a blocky, excavator and bob cat to block in the retaining walls around the slab and remove the last of the concrete from the back yard (another 3 HUGE skips full).  Now we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel - to downstairs anyhow!

Here's some pics:

Jeff and the boys hard at work

Some of the new block work...

Oh and no more front fence :-)

Hoping to create a look similar to this under the front verandah - want to tile the landing in black and white tiles just like this:

so amazing!!!

Have I mentioned how much I love IKEA lately???...

Hudson and I had a quick run to IKEA today while Daddy was busy working on the house.  Everything is crazy at the moment because we leave for Hong Kong and Bangkok tomorrow night so madly trying to get all my work done and tie up all those loose ends! Anyhow I managed to pick up a set of these curtains:

 just like the ones in my dream home...

They are only $30 - such a bargain!!! I also picked up these bedspreads yesterday at Harbor Town for 90% off... they are from Pip Studio:

AND..... I also got the BARGAIN of the day this butlers sink from IKEA for only $107 - it was in the AS IS section at 75% off because it is missing hardware but I called our Kitchen Cabinet Maker Extraordinaire (aka Alan) and he said it was no worries :-) So excited!!!

Totally cleaned up at the Brown Trading Company Sale....

Very excited about my new cushions and table clothes from The Brown Trading Company they had a sale during the week and I went a little bit crazy... I couldn't help myself everything is so amazing and the prices were so good! They just scream summer - this is what I got....

Both the Blue & Pink Cushion plus some of the blue material to make a blind

this cushion - i am OBSESSED with Blue & White at the moment

this cushion for Hudson's Room

...and this tablecloth.

These are some pics from their website.... now on the hunt for a cane chair setting just like this that I can paint white! Amazing!!!

Progress....

We have been very busy the last couple of weeks celebrating Birthdays, Father's Day and planning our overseas trip that is fast approaching.  It has been difficult to find the time to work on the house and keep the momentum going, but today Jeff managed to install some joists in the void that will soon be a complete deck once more! The previous owners cut a large hole in the deck to install internal stairs - we hope to restore the deck and front stairs to what they were originally - this includes an amazing and ridiculously expensive set of Butterfly stairs - Can't wait :-)

Here's some pics from the last week...

My beloved Nanny at her 80th Birthday Party & her new car 

Hudson and J on Fathers Day 

Gotta LOVE open mouth kisses :-/

2 of the cutest boys in Brisbane!!!

Birthday Girl and me...

J's handy work - new joists

The deck itself should be going on this weekend