Building the Jamieson Attic

Well time has flown since we moved in.  We are pretty much unpacked although there are always boxes lurking around to find.

We have been concentrating mainly on just getting settled and back into some routine with the boys.  It has been too wet and cold and muddy to be outside in the garden much and the back yard has begun to resemble a jungle!    David’s cousin Steve and Steve’s dad Barry came for a visit from Perth and gave us some great ideas and inspiration for both front and backyards. Steve is a landscaper and Barry is a nurseryman.  Pity they live so far away!!!!!

We have spent this weekend putting up privacy screens around my laundry area.  My laundry is right behind the garage and the clothesline is outside it.  This leaves it in full view of the deck and seeing our smalls flapping in the wind is no way to entertain!!  We leveled out the ground under the clotheslines and put up the screens.  I am happy because it means I no longer have to stand on milk crates to put up the washing.  It needed a lot of levelling…LOL

view from deck to line area

looking from next to the garage back toward the deck.

Yes I have two washing lines.  No way I can survive with one…I have grotty boys here!!!

We have now got flyscreens on most of the windows and doors.  The upstairs ones are freaking out the installer at the moment, they have this thing about not plunging to their deaths from 3 stories up.  So sooky of them.     We splurged on a really nice steel front security door made in Bendigo and we love it.  In contrast the back screens are very plain to keep the view onto the deck.

We still haven’t concreted our driveway.  Its just not going to happen while we are getting curtains, screens, garden done.

In terms of how the house is doing since we moved in there have only been minor issues.  The builder is replacing the crossover and most of our front path due to damage and  we still have things to be done but we are happy with the response from Prime and everything is being dealt with so no complaints really.

The best thing about this house is not the actual house but what it is allowing us to do.  We are creating a safe haven for our children, a home away from home for our far flung relatives, an open door for our friends.  David and I have indulged ourselves with our own

special rooms two stories away from each other but are closer than ever.  Even our youngest blokes teacher mentioned that he is much happier at school and has had a dramatic turnaround in attitude since we moved.  No surprise when you think he has spent about a third of his life waiting for “when the house is built”.

Two weeks ago we said good bye to David ‘s gorgeous nana Ruth Warburton.  She was just shy of her 99th birthday and one of the most lovely, caring, funny ladies I have ever met.  Our house will soon sport a new name plaque in her honour… This is no longer the “Jamieson Attic”, its the “Warburton”.    This ones for you Little Nana.

We have now vacated our storage unit so that means that barring David’s precious special car we now have all our belongings in this house.  Much of it still in the garage!  Slowly chipping away at it all, the cupboards have made it up to my sewing room and I have unpacked some of my crafty stuff.  Had to take the feet off said cupboards so they would fit right back to the wall….damn those attic

ceilings…LOL.  Here are a few inspiring shots for my crafty friends….

a little light reading

wonder what this could be?

a few antique quilt tops I may have acquired in my travels

cuppa anyone?

While we haven’t unpacked as much as we had hoped we have followed through on a long standing promise and bought the boys a puppy…or two.

It was Nathan’s birthday last week so it seemed a good time.

Here are Bella (with white stripe on face) and Buckley.

The only time I can get a photo is when they are in their special bed bought by Nana.  The rest of the time they are go go go!

As for the rest of the house we are slowly getting the job done.  We now have curtains up in the main sections of the house.  Our neighbours are very glad we also put up netting curtains although I am kind of sad we can’t wave to them from bed anymore….LOL

David has built the side gates as well as an extra gate near his basement to corral the dogs.   We don’t as yet have furniture in the lounge but a couch set is coming in a few weeks from David’s mum which is lovely.

In terms of things needing to be fixed we have been pretty good.  We had a fuse blow but that was dealt with the next day.  We did discover that having our heating system include our bedroom as part of the common area made for a very hot room.  Brian from the heating company has been great and is making sure we are happy.  The tilers have to come back to fix grout and the shower guys are going to fix a couple of leaks due to lack of silicone I think.  Primes fixing guy is going to sort out a few minor issues with doors and the floor guy is going to throw a bit more black putty at the floor to iron out some rough spots but that is pretty much it I think. Forgot the windows have to be repaired, mainly sealing problems. When all the jobs are done the painters are coming back to finish off.

Have looked into ordering flyscreens.  Its going to cost a couple of thousand to do the whole house which is pretty good.  We have to wait until the concrete is done at the front (no we don’t have a driveway yet) and see just how much money there is.