HOUSE OF HORRORS UPDATE: Well, because of the rain, all painting has stopped, but thats okay. Its given me some time to process all the changes that have occurred over these last weeks. It is disheartening and disappointing to learn that people who you thought were your friends and students, are nothing more than takers. A friend recently was discussing how disgusted she was, with these people. She spoke of all the stock I sold to them at less than cost price, the courses I taught them, how I was always available to them for help and guidance over the years. Teaching them courses, giving them certification and all for free and this is how I am treated. But, you learn, you learn that this is part of your journey too, to expect others to treat you as you treat them is a good thing, but, it has to be an equal or similar exchange of energy and it wasnt and yet, I kept giving. My lesson is learned and I wont do that again. On the upside, all of this has given my creative skills a good airing and has opened up that door again. I love to do up old furniture (I own several sanders and electrical tools) but havent had time, or a back, that would allow me to indulge that hobby. I have been known to bargain a guy out of old broken furniture at the local tip before he puts it in the bin! I have two particular pieces of furniture that I have restored to further use. An old chest of pine drawers, that had something like 16 coats of paint on it and I had to grind it off, burnt with a blow torch, sanded and estapolled and its now hubbys chest of drawers in our bedroom. Then theres the cupboard I lovingly call frankenstein, as it was an old cupboard once used for keeping things cool over 100 years ago and was patched with different kinds of wood, painted a disgusting brown, over several other layers of paint including orange, that I revived and now use every day. I see the potential, of what it could still be, once I get my hands on it! LOL Some of the changes have occurred to hubby, hes good at making and can fix most things and Im the ideas person who thinks outside the square (probably a little too much sometimes) and comes up with ways and means to make, change, replace etc, things in the house so it will cost us nothing or minimal amounts. As we are repairing, we are also renovating as we go, might as well, having to replace just about everything means we might as well make it look good (on a no money budget). Hubby, well, hes argued with me on a few things, but, Ive had my way in the end and hes now sheepishly just doing what I tell him to do. LOL Had a lovely win with him, I had some bronze coloured tiles, little ones, that I wanted to put around the bathroom tiles he had to replace, hubby resisted and resisted until I had my way, when it was done, he walked out of the bathroom, head hanging, hand out and proceeded to tell me how I was right and he was wrong....said to come and have a look....it looked STUNNING! Just two rows of contrast coloured tiles and it looks like a show bathroom....it cost me less than $10 in tiles as a discontinued line and hes now done kitchen in them as well. We had an issue in the bathroom as we had a double towel rack that the tenants had kindly ripped out of the wall, so nicely done, that all the spakfilla in the world wasnt working and it looked disgusting. So, I came up with an idea, as the features in the house are wood, I found a piece of ironbark, sanded it, got hubby to cut it to required length (he doesnt like me touching the saws, hes seen what I do with my sanders LOL!) talked hubby into screwing into the wall where the towel rack used to be. I then painted it with estapol, (we had a leftover tin that was given to us, so no cost) and it looks awesome. Except hubby says, what are you going to use for a towel rack on it now? Well, I went to lifeline this week and for $2 purchased 6 old spoons and forks, which I have now hammered out flat, and bent into a hook. Couple of screws (after predrilling) and I will have six towel holders that look, not only unique, but stunning on the iron bark. Now I have to come up with an alternative to the handles on the kitchen cupboards, (had a look on a couple of cheapie sites for new handles and almost had a heart attack on cost) but, hmmm, am looking at some wood branches that are out the back. cut to the right size, estapolled and screwed into cupboard doors, will match all the iron bark in kitchen.... looks like hubbys going to be outside his little box quite a bit this week! Cheers!
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 23:43:19 +0000