SPRING IS HERE....

Hello and welcome to those still here....

 Winter has been very dry with not much rain at all, but Spring has lived up to it"s name.

We have now had 50mls in the last 2 weeks.

There is new growth every where and the grass is turning green once again...

This year we entered our garden in the Lockyer Valley Garden Comp. 

We were so excited when we came 2nd in two categories..

Large rural garden

and

First time entrant.

It sure made all the hard work worth it....I am already planning next year......

With Spring comes Spring cleaning. I remember when all the kids were little and at home it was a real ritual here. September holidays we would clean the house from top to bottom. 

Now I have to do it myself hahaha.

This was the first room to get done. The spare room.

We also now rent this room out on 

Airbnb

Through the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers both our Airbnbs were booked out 10 days straight.

A nice way to make some money that I must admit I spend most of it on plants.

How is all your spring cleaning going?

Below are the Elder flowers. They have been in since Jan this year and boy o boy are they growing.

I will be giving Elder flower cordial a go soon with all those blooms on them.

The veranda has had a good clean as well.

I love my dog but Molly sure does leave a lot of hair around...

Today she gets a hair cut so that should help with the shaggy rug.

I hope you all enjoy your day..

Blessings

Mandy

Out side.....

I am loving this beautiful winter sunshine we are getting.

I am getting so many odd jobs done..
Today I worked outside and got the veranda and courtyard cleaned.
If you look closely you can see I have had to board up the side steps.
I couldn't stand the dogs up here any longer, arghhh puppies and dog hair, honestly my veranda was starting to smell like a dog kennel.

The veranda really needs a good staining on the floor boards before spring as they are getting very faded.

Next it was out to the courtyard and a good clean up out here.
We still use out here through the day on week ends and every thing needed a good clean.

This area is the go between from the back door to the car shed so it tends to be the dumping ground for shoes.

Now all I need to do is get out and cobweb the house on the out side. That is a bigger job though and I'm putting it off.
It is school holidays here for the next 3 weeks so things are a bit more relaxed..
Will and I are having late mornings in bed and lots of chilling time together.

Have a great week all

Mandy

Catch Up

First Up....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAREN...

 You have to admire this woman as she has put up with my son for many years, for this reason she is my favorite daughter in-law...

I hope you have had a lovely day Kazz....

I picked some roses from the garden for you I hope you like them.

 It has soooooooo hot here

All of my garden is starting to brown off and in need of a good drink. It is hard to comprehend that 12mths ago we were in devastating floods here.

This is the coolest area in the whole place as there is always a breeze blowing here.

I haven't been able to update my blog as my Internet is down and I'm still waiting on a part to get it going again..I am blogging at work today as it is a bit quieter...Every other day I have been busy up here..

In fact I think I am going to have a quick look at what is happening in blog land.

A big hello to all of you as I won't have time to comment..

By for now

Mandy

A Corner of My Veranda...

I Thought I would share a corner of my veranda with you. This corner is outside the kitchen and we often have our meals here.

I wanted to show you the mat I  got for out here. I have often seen out door mats on blogs and in magazines but never seen any for sale around these parts. On the way to work yesterday as I was driving past Bar-B-Que Galores I saw some. I quick pull over and 10mins later I'm walking out with it.



I'm thinking it makes this look like a room which the veranda is. Above you can see the blinds are open, below they are closed. I have to close them of a morning as the sun gets very hot out here.

Yep,

This hot, forgot to bring the candles in. Don't think I'll be able to use them now?

A close up of the table, I love these little urns that I got from the discount shop CHEAP..

I hide the dog lead in them and my garden clippers..

Close up of the mat.. They are made from plastic bags, yes it is recycled plastic, won't fade or stain. When it gets dirty just hose it off. Now how neat is that, this is the bigger one and fits under my 10 seater table...
 

Now I might have to get one for the courtyard...

Enjoy your day

Mandy

A Change...............

Thanks for all the wonderful comments last post....

I did paint the chest of drawers white, and they look so fresh now. I moved them to the front door, and now we have some where to put things as we come inside. I couldn't help putting a lamp on there, and the frame that Robbie made me for my birthday.

Now as you walk up the front stairs you are greeted by the chairs, instead of a mess.

The side stayed the same, I added a tablecloth on my table and I still want to paint the benches. I am thinking of painting the legs and bottom of the table white and giving the top a good sand down and leave that the timber.

We think I have lawn grubs in my grass aggggggghhhhhhh. My sister in law had the same problem. My grass is nearly all dead now and still dying. I am starting to think CHEMICALS haha, I don't know if I could spray the yard though I am not one for chemicals I would rather let nature take it's course.

This week my last three babies all started at new schools...Robbie is in grade 8 and Cassie in grade 10. They have started at a state school in Toowoomba.

William is going to the local school down here at Flagstone with only 28 students. He is in grade 3 this year....

Tomorrow is Australia day and we are having a bar-b- que with family, so the day will be spent lazing around the pool. In fact we are starting tonight as the kids and I are going to have pizza and a movie..Sounds a good way to kick of Australia Day....

What will you be doing?

Clean Up Time....

Do you ever feel that you have lost control?????

Well that's how I'm feeling about my Garden. Long term readers know who I love my gardening and my garden. Below is a photo from November 2010...We hadn't had much rain and my grass is always lush and green out here keeping the house cool. Through all the years of drought this is the one area that stays green.

Today......

This was just taken, my grass after inches and inches of rain.

???????????????

Yep green all around , some other ares are stating to die as well. I need some help here ladies. Would the grass die from too much water? or is there some decease in it? I have checked for any grubs and there is none......

What to do.....
I have lost most of my lavender and salvias from all the rain and my garden looks worse now than it did through the drought.
So instead I am cleaning around the house. That I can take control of and do. No I don't have control issues thank you very much..........

Below is walking up to the front of the house. Yesterday was spent cleaning up under here, it is clean now but looks a bit boring so I am going to decorate today.






My veranda has become a dumping ground over Christmas and through the flood.

My front door......Blahhhhhhhh.

Ummmm the chest of draws came from my bed room and I have got them as far as here.

This is whats greets you when you get to the top of the stairs....

Not very welcoming is it..

So I don't have any grass to mow but I can go and clean up the veranda...

How is your week end going?

Spring Cleaning Part 2

The Lounge Room Before..........

I was half way through cleaning when I thought that I should take a before photo. I have already moved the furniture and taken down the curtains though....

The Lounge Room After.............

I love the start of a new season. I celebrate this by changing my home. I love to change the look of a home. Wash and change the curtains and pillow cases, wash the slipcovers. Move the furniture, I always think that if you move something to clean behind it why put it back in the same place........

A new room...Winter I have dark reds and greens and more wood on show then for spring and summer I cover things with white cloths and take down the pictures and put the rose ones up.

It makes the room alot lighter and brighter. This year I want to paint the T.V cabinet white and get the floor sanded........

I got out the pressure cleaner and washed the house down this is my favorite job I love the pressure cleaner. All the mould is of the floor and walls,windows and fly screens clean. Pot up some spring flowers. Now every-thing is nice and fresh, I sat and here and enjoyed a cuppa after a hard day.




So much more to do though. I need to make some new cushions for the lounge so I'm off to make a start on this. I will enjoy being in my sewing room as it has been to long.

Mandy