Blog Feed: Fun and VJs

A few weeks ago, I mentioned here that we were planning on re-upholstering our lounge room setting... We chose a great fabric but after some reflection, we've changed our mind and would like to buy an entirely new (or old) suite. Re-upholstering is

Visiting a Queenslander up for sale

Published on 2013-05-21 03:00:02

The other day I inspected a house for sale with a friend who is searching for new digs. When she told me which house she was visiting, I instantly invited myself along for the ride...house voyeurism is what I do best. It is an interwar Queensland

Fence repair

Published on 2013-05-20 01:31:15

As I said last week, it certainly sucks when you have to repair something that was damaged accidentally... Thank goodness Jason is handy because it would've been a pain (as well as embarrassing) to have someone else repair my dreadful mistake. As i

Show us a retro corner of your home

Published on 2013-05-17 04:20:34

The retrolicious girls from Lucy Violet Vintage and Hung up on Retro are hosting a link up where you show off a retro or vintage corner of your home. How could I not participate? Retro is my middle name. Ms Bris Retro Mod. I have lots of retro corne

We made the front cover!

Published on 2013-05-16 05:46:05

That made you look! I know it's not the cover of Inside Out or Vogue Living however one has to start somewhere..The cover of the kids' school recipe book seems like a respectable start.

Why you should open both gates...

Published on 2013-05-14 08:30:33

You know that opening scene from Four Weddings and a Funeral where the first words uttered were different intonations of the F word? Well that kind of describes my weekend. Saturday morning was going to be a busy chock-a-block day. I had lots of j

Four years at the Sow's Ear

Published on 2013-05-13 03:21:07

Fours years ago we became the fourth owners of the Sow's Ear, since it was built in 1928. In some ways it only seems like yesterday when we first moved in, and in other ways it seems like we've been here forever. Most readers don't know that I was r

Welcome to a new sponsor Thea & Sami

Published on 2013-05-12 04:52:09

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mums out there! I just wanted to give a shout-out to our brand new sponsor Thea &

Another M.A.D June weekend for your diaries

Published on 2013-05-10 19:25:51

Well it's nearly that time of the year again when all design addicts can soak up a whole weekend of great architecture and culture in the middle of Brisbane suburbia. That's right Modernist Architecture and Design (M.A.D) is on again! The people beh

Little window

Published on 2013-05-09 02:40:43

There is a dodgy little window in our bathroom that we are going to replace. The said dodgy window is just thin bits of mismatched glass slotted into a frame and held in place with wood nailed around the frame; similar to

Amateur food stylist

Published on 2013-05-07 06:13:37

Ambitions of a career in food styling and photography are probably not high on my list...Although I did answer the call for assistance when the boys' school asked for some retro 'food of the decades' photographs to include in a commemorative recipe b

Seeing Florence Broadhurst everywhere

Published on 2013-05-02 05:01:01

I love the textiles and wallpapers designed by Florence Broadhurst. There is something so luxe and flamboyant about her designs, which originally had their heyday in the 60s and 70s in Australia. Over the past decade or so the Florence Broadhurst co

Dragon's tears

Published on 2013-05-01 03:48:14

I'm partial to a dragon's tear or two, as regular readers would know... Today, I blinged up the little light fitting in the bathroom with the new Murano crystals that I had acquired last month (read here).

Archived

Published on 2013-04-29 00:57:14

I just thought I'd share some cool news with you. I was contacted by the State Library of Queensland who were seeking permission to archive Fun and VJs... Yeah! It means that this blog, among many thousands, will be preserved for future generations.

Anzac cake on Anzac Day

Published on 2013-04-25 00:15:32

Today we remember the fallen. You can't help but feel moved when the Last Post is played. For me it is a reminder of the sacrifice made by all those who have served during times of conflict...and not just 'our' side. This morning Jason took the olde

Mother’s Day peace and Magshop

Published on 2013-04-24 00:52:28

Sponsored by Magshop Every year the boys buy me gifts from the Mother’s Day stall at their school. Jason gives them some cash (the richer boys use their pocket money) and they each choose a small gift. It amuses me to see what they have personal

Nice new knob

Published on 2013-04-22 01:30:15

Never underestimate the power a new door knob can make to the look of a room. Jason picked up the 'antique' copper door knob that he had ordered the previous week and put it on the bathroom door on the weekend. It was a bit hit and miss trying to f

Billy cart's maiden voyage

Published on 2013-04-19 05:49:23

Well, the billy cart (aka the Nazgul) we made was a huge success. We found the perfect grassy slope to test it out on and the kids had the best fun without any horrendous injuries. Win, win! C'mon Dad, when can I have my turn? You can't really

Light news

Published on 2013-04-17 19:59:54

For the past couple of years we've had a light bulb as our light fitting in the study...Sad how that happens. The bayonet fitting was actually broken and we finally had that attended to on the weekend. study while it was being renovated last year

Architraves in the bathroom

Published on 2013-04-14 23:35:43

Jason can't leave well enough alone. And just when we thought the bathroom was done... On the weekend our new and improved bathroom received some extra architectural bling in the form of decorative window and door architraves (they match the rest of

New wheels

Published on 2013-04-11 21:36:27

While the kids have been on school holidays we made a billy cart with left over timber from our renos and a few bits and pieces purchased at our local (hardware, not pub). The boys just love it. We've yet to give it a proper test-run because our st

Solair Chair: Canadian design

Published on 2013-04-10 01:04:10

I visited my mates Chris and Susan one evening and noticed two new groovy orange chairs on their back patio. The patio doors were shut and it was dark, but from my perspective they looked like those string Acapulco chairs which are simply everywhere

Bathroom: before and after

Published on 2013-04-09 03:05:55

We are happy with how our bathroom looks now. If we had imagined that painting the wall tiles would've looked this good we would've done it at the very start of our sojourn at the Sow's Ear.

Some photos of the bathroom tile painting

Published on 2013-04-08 04:56:15

I'm just going to do a pictorial blog post tonight regarding our tile painting experiment. In a nutshell, it's worked far better than we ever, ever expected. In my next blog post, I will go into some more detail about the whole bathroom makeover, p

A fresher looking Fun and VJs

Published on 2013-04-07 00:51:43

It's been a bit quiet around here because this little blog has been getting a fresher look. You know, very subtle tweaks - the electronic world's equivalent to an augmentation from an A-cup to a C-cup... so that no one is too confronted with the chan

Forget about Barbie's Dream Home...What about Ken's?

Published on 2013-04-03 01:51:49

Apparently Barbie has sold her Malibu pad and is visiting Australia next week in search of her new dream home. Read here. Ha! What a classic... It's always about Barbie, Barbie, Barbie. Never about what Ken wants, is it? Anyway, it reminds me of a

Ouchflower tassels

Published on 2013-04-02 05:09:52

I'm calling it. Tassels are the hottest decor item of the moment. And I'm not ashamed to hop on that bandwagon and 'tassel it up' at the Sow's Ear. Today I

Garden edging

Published on 2013-04-01 03:39:04

So much for the big plans this Easter long weekend. Gone are the days where I put it out there on the blog about our proposed plans and magic just happens... We pretty much just mooched around the place eating lots of chocolate Easter eggs. I'm stil

Thanks and welcome to new sponsors

Published on 2013-03-31 01:50:41

Happy Easter everyone! I'm just stopping in to say thanks and welcome to few new small business sponsors who are supporting Fun and VJs through advertising. Hooray! Please welcome: The Click-Clack Lounge

Lovely Queenslander home details and ideas

Published on 2013-03-30 03:42:34

Today we visited some friends who own a lovely circa 1930s Queenslander home in Brisbane suburbia.

Maundy Thursday

Published on 2013-03-28 03:26:21

If this evening was going to be our last meal ever, then it would most certainly be a disappointment because it looks like we'll be having bacon and eggs. Yes, I'm resorting to making breakfast for dinner... Brinner. So, while we tuck into brinner w

Changing door plates and knobs

Published on 2013-03-27 06:41:22

I never realised how much I took for granted my mobility until this week. Having a bad back has certainly been a painful and extremely frustrating experience. Fortunately, I am on the mend and am no longer looking like a shepherd's crook. Anyway, my

Plans for the Easter break

Published on 2013-03-26 05:37:51

With the Easter break looming, there are four clear days for some renovating mayhem... Jason and I were just discussing what our plans are for this long weekend...we like to make the most of the holidays especially when Jason has time off work. Sho

Poor person's art wall

Published on 2013-03-25 03:41:48

Not that we are really that poor but there never seems to be enough in the coffers to buy the good stuff that you see in the galleries... So the compromise for us in the meantime, until we are all grown up and sophisticated, is op-shop art. Yeah, I

Of dodgy backs and dodgy towel rails

Published on 2013-03-24 05:24:31

For the past few days my perspective on all things has been mostly horizontal. I've injured my back with just a mere twist and a turn. And I have been lying prone on my bed bemoaning my misfortunes to all unfortunate to be in my presence. Sadly for m

Sponsor shout out

Published on 2013-03-23 17:46:33

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to a few new sponsors of Fun and VJs since announcing our private sidebar advertising. Please welcome Cape Cod Designs which is a beautiful online store with exquisite lighting, furniture and homewares. It is

Power switches

Published on 2013-03-20 22:57:33

And no, this is not about the latest Australian leadership spill as I type this blog post. I swear this country has had more leadership spills than is really necessary... The power switch I'm referring to is the one that flicks the lights on. If you

Bits and pieces for the bathroom

Published on 2013-03-19 14:58:03

With the bathroom almost complete, it's time to think about getting some new towels and accessories to gussy up the space. Yay! Here's a few of the things I have my eye on. new soap/lotion dispenser. Looks kind of like posh hand wash, however I int

Op-shop happy: iittala finds

Published on 2013-03-18 06:05:15

You gotta love a good op-shop. It's amazing the things I have found quite randomly over the past few weeks at various suburban op-shops which have made me extremely happy. Yes, simple pleasures. Textured retro Finnish glassware is what I look for wh

Tile painting kind of weekend

Published on 2013-03-17 05:29:06

Painting the bathroom tiles has been the big ticket job of the weekend. I delegated the rest of the bathroom painting to Jason. He's not as slap dash as me and is fairly meticulous with his brush strokes. The entire bathroom has now been scrubbed; p

First coat of white tile paint...

Published on 2013-03-14 05:16:27

Okay, the first coat of tile paint is on a section of the bathroom walls. And it's not bad. The tile paint is oil based, so it is a stickier consistency than the water based primer. I stirred the paint really well and then proceeded to brush it on t

Priming the bathroom tiles

Published on 2013-03-13 03:01:36

I started painting the bathroom tiles today while the weather was dry and sunny. The plan is just to do one corner of the bathroom wall just to see whether it looks okay. The tile primer is cream, so the bathroom still looks a bit fugly. Son #1 was

Advertising

Published on 2013-03-11 23:40:45

Uh..hum...{clearing the throat} We've decided to dabble in the area of static sidebar banner ads on Fun and VJs...so if you have something to spruik and think that Fun and VJs is a good fit for your product or service, visit our new advertise page.

Walk among the homes

Published on 2013-03-11 02:44:11

Elizabeth from

Rewind Mid-century

Published on 2013-03-10 00:48:49

Well, we had a very quiet weekend where we barely

Painting tiles in the bathroom

Published on 2013-03-06 01:08:54

The beige tiles are not working for us in the bathroom. Painting the walls crisp white just accentuates the 'beigeness' of the existing tiles. So, we are going to paint the wall tiles white to make it appear more seamless. beige wall tiles and off-

Same mother, same father and The Australian article

Published on 2013-03-03 06:18:38

The other week in my travels I found a sweet light fitting that would work in the Sow's Ear's bathroom. It was also remarkably similar to the

Pimping out the blog

Published on 2013-03-01 05:34:33

Today was fun. The Sow's Ear was photographed within an inch of its life by my newest best buddy Elizabeth. Elizabeth who curates the very new blog called Walk among the homes

Poor choice...

Published on 2013-02-25 06:12:27

There is a reason why retail is dying...every time you go into a shop, they never seem to have what you require...At least that's my usual experience and the reason why I prefer to shop online. We ventured over to the other side of town to buy the

Looking for bathroom accessories

Published on 2013-02-19 05:35:38

When we bought the Sow's Ear the bathroom had been done in a 'traditional' decor to suit the Queenslander style - it has a clawfoot bathtub with trombone shower fittings, shower curtains and border tile. It's very tired and if you've been reading fo

Painting the bathroom vanity

Published on 2013-02-17 15:11:21

Our old bathroom vanity was brown and tired. And it looked even more so after we had painted the bathroom walls with nice vivid white paint. So, with the magic that is undercoat primer and gloss white paint, the vanity is looking remarkably better. O

House history: another Zoila book...

Published on 2013-02-14 21:27:18

This blog has been great for finding out historical information about the Sow's Ear which completely fascinates me. I

Day of the triffids...kind of

Published on 2013-02-12 02:37:11

I've just read Day of the Triffids for bookclub; a timely read after one of our old native trees was uprooted in the storms that hit Brisbane late last month. Trees are not as harmless as they seem... especially when they uproot themselves and try to

Mini bathroom makeover update

Published on 2013-02-10 05:28:24

I had planned to blog about the mini bathroom makeover tonight and realised that the only photograph I had was a purely exploitative one of shirtless Jason painting the bathroom... Oh well...Ha! Actually, if you disregard the svelte pasty white

Mini bathroom makeover

Published on 2013-02-05 05:39:00

A momentary flash of inspiration struck Jason on the weekend. He initially wanted to paint the bathroom windows and the inside of the bathroom door, however it has morphed into a slightly bigger crusade. The bathroom is the last room in the house wh

Tree business

Published on 2013-02-03 05:57:00

That storm that hit South East Queensland last weekend was a doozy. These 'once in a hundred years' weather events seem to be occurring biennially. We were lucky that the Sow's Ear was unscathed by the destructive winds. We half expected to wake up

Transformed

Published on 2013-01-30 02:21:07

I'm not the maudlin type. However, I can't help it when I think about this little guy, who went from this ... Son #3 crawling

Big mop up

Published on 2013-01-26 23:02:09

So much for our Australia Day long weekend clean-up. As I type this Brisbane is being inundated by the left-overs of a tropical cyclone - it has rained non-stop for nearly three days and today we are being hit with some strong winds. It's not pretty.

Big clean up

Published on 2013-01-24 05:37:30

We've accumulated a lot of stuff over the past few years - furniture, building materials, op-shop crap that I've bought, kids' toys and rubbish that won't fit in the wheelie bin. This long Australia Day weekend we are going to do a major clean-up to

Family break in Tasmania: part 2

Published on 2013-01-20 21:40:57

Here is the continuation of our holiday in Tasmania. After staying in Hobart for a few days we hopped into the hire car and meandered our way up to Launceston via a small historical village called Richmond. Congregational Church 1873 Richmond As

Family break in Tasmania: part 1

Published on 2013-01-17 00:48:20

We've had a lovely little holiday in Tasmania. The tools were put away, Jason hung up his work boots and the paint brushes were left to dry out. It was our first big (that word is relative) holiday in a very long time since we moved to the Sow's Ear

Kerb house numbers

Published on 2013-01-13 02:57:50

We ended up with some fluoro orange kerb numbers just before Christmas. It symbolises my complete lack of backbone when it comes to hawkers. I was at home one afternoon with the boys when we answered the door to a guy who was hawking his kerb painti

Birthday booty

Published on 2013-01-09 17:30:03

I just wanted to thank everyone for all their Birthday wishes. I've had the most fabulous Birthday week and have had great fun. This turning 40 business is also a lucrative gig. To say I have been spoilt is a complete understatement. If I knew that

Barbie Dream Home search with Realestate.com.au

Published on 2013-01-07 16:15:25

Sponsored by Nuffnang and realestate.com.au Most people know I am a frustrated Modernist living in a 1928 Queenslander house.

Birthday week

Published on 2013-01-07 00:33:58

It's my 40th birthday this week and we have been partying hard chez Fun and VJs. I've been told 40 is the new 30, but that's from people who are much older than me. No one in their 20s or 30s has told me that, they just look at me pityingly... Fr

Grubs

Published on 2013-01-02 02:32:51

Lawn grubs. Our freshly laid turf is being menaced by the dreaded lawn grub. The hungry little blighters are leaving their calling card of browned patches of grass. It's not pretty. I've consulted the oracle that is Google to find a way to decim

A new year

Published on 2012-12-31 01:46:02

Didn't 2012 just fly by? It only seems like yesterday that we were preparing for the 2012 projects we wanted to tackle around the Sow's Ear. And what a very productive year we've had! Probably the biggest renovating year we have had since moving here

Christmas and carport update

Published on 2012-12-28 17:28:06

Christmas is done and dusted. We had a lovely day, enjoying family time together. It really is a magical time, especially now the children are older and look forward to Christmas Day. Sadly, it is over too quickly. Christmas morning at the Sow's E

Compliments of the season

Published on 2012-12-24 06:34:44

Poor old Jason is painting the car port this holiday. As you do. The car port has the last bit of heritage colours which we are painting over. It will finish off the entire

Washing machine delivered and house raising neighbours

Published on 2012-12-21 05:57:25

Is it wrong for me to obtain an excessive amount of pleasure from doing a load of washing? Perhaps. A few day's worth of dirty laundry and a broken washing

Replacing the washing machine

Published on 2012-12-19 05:48:14

After making some grand pronouncements in the last blog post about consolidating our funds for renovating in 2013, the washing machine just packed it in! The old machine was tripping our electrical safety switch, which is not a terribly healthy sign

All quiet on the renovating front and a privacy latch

Published on 2012-12-17 06:10:13

It's been very quiet at the Sow's Ear. The incessant renovating has ceased for now as we consolidate our money for more renovating in 2013. With the school holidays in full throttle, poor ol' Jason fighting a man-flu and a very busy social calendar,

Xmas gifts for under $50

Published on 2012-12-13 05:50:02

Where has the time flown? I am so ill-prepared for the onslaught that is Christmas and have barely bought any gifts. And I think I've left my run a bit late for most online retailers... So if you are a bit like me and have left everything to the l

A winner

Published on 2012-12-12 05:47:24

Thanks so much to everyone who entered the Bunnings giveaway. Sadly, only one person can win and that person is.....drum roll.... Marjee from My very own eye goggles. Congratulations Marjee. I'm sure the evoucher will come in handy over the sill

French doors and the question of toughened glass

Published on 2012-12-10 06:16:06

Hooray the French doors are now finished. And funnily enough they look like they were always meant to be there...which they were. Jason's finishing touches are probably what makes the door. Rim lock, brass door knob and brass escutcheon will age

Turf update

Published on 2012-12-04 22:50:39

It's been 11 days since we laid the new turf (read here). Since then we have been watering the lawn twice a day to ensure that it survives Brisbane's sub-tropical summer. Sir Walter turf Thankfully we have a rainwater tank which makes watering th

Hopscotch French Doors

Published on 2012-12-02 22:28:13

There is this trend out there in Renovatingland of

Tell us your best Bunnings experience and win $150 Bunnings eVoucher

Published on 2012-11-27 02:03:59

eVoucher provided

Being asbestos aware

Published on 2012-11-26 01:49:06

Asbestos. It's that dirty word which strikes fear into the heart of the seasoned and unseasoned DIY renovator. The ubiquitous sheet of asbestos fibro cement which forms the fabric of most of our pre-1987 homes is not something you should be touching

Grassy knolls

Published on 2012-11-25 14:08:43

Green grass. It's never really existed on one side of the Sow's Ear. Until now that is. On Friday we spent most of the late afternoon and early evening rolling out turf. What I can take away from that experience is that a roll of turf is a lot heavi

Kitchen renovation ponderings

Published on 2012-11-22 00:55:47

More Queenslander House Renovation Blogs

Published on 2012-11-20 05:14:57

I thought it was time to update my list of Queenslander house renovation blogs for all of the house blogger junkies out there. There have been quite a few home reno blogs which have cropped up

Recycling old stepping stones

Published on 2012-11-18 14:05:46

We were going to buy new stepping stones as part of that outdoor turfing project that we are planning...but changed our mind when we realised we had a stash of square concrete steppers under the mango tree in the backyard! The steppers are fairly ba

Win movie tickets to "LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED”

Published on 2012-11-16 01:52:35

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you would know that Jason and I have been tripping the light fantastic here, there and everywhere -

Hose reels and holders

Published on 2012-11-14 02:24:49

Yep, we're tackling all the big reno jobs around here. Not. But let me remind you that it is the little things which finish off a home and in our case make it that little more silken purse. Untidy hoses be gone! And hose reels and holders could not

Turf plans

Published on 2012-11-11 04:43:46

dirt path

Gwen Gillam frocks

Published on 2012-11-05 05:32:45

On the weekend Chris and Susan invited a few people over to their home to meet a lady named Dell who used to work for

Tell me...

Published on 2012-11-04 05:21:00

... what does a rather dapper man in a powdered wig... Jason dressed as Hornblower for a nautical themed work function. He was driving in this image and about to give a bloke in a truck, who cut him off in traffic, the finger. and a rock

Renovator's Rescue: part six

Published on 2012-11-01 02:08:28

I thought it was about time I showed you the latest from the Renovator's Rescue house I have been stalking for the past year or so...we drive past it on the way to school. Yesterday I stopped to take a quick snap. It seems like the bulk of the hard

Going, going, gone

Published on 2012-10-29 00:41:06

Well that house that sat behind the Sow's Ear is well and truly gone. It was burnt badly during a fire in May and last week it was progressively

Busy weekend working on the Sow's Ear

Published on 2012-10-28 05:41:44

There is always something to do on the Sow's Ear. That's just the nature of home maintenance and of looking after an older home. With the windy overcast weather today, we decided to oil the timber of the side staircase that Mr D and Scotty built a few months ago. That was the final thing to be done on the staircase now that it has been completely painted. It will probably need a couple more coats as the timber just soaked up the decking oil like a sponge. Newly oiled decking and treads on [..]

Holy Valance: part 2

Published on 2012-10-27 05:14:54

If at first you don't succeed try, try again. After Jason's first attempt of the valance turned slightly pear shaped, he's made some adjustments and is much happier with the how this attempt has worked out. It's a more solid construction so it should stand the test of time. Jason started another valance under our bedroom and will slowly progress work around under the deck. It should look very nice when it's done.

What's been happening?

Published on 2012-10-23 07:19:29

We had a fantastic long weekend away camping at beautiful Brunswick Heads in Northern New South Wales. It was so nice to get away from the general

Holy Valance!

Published on 2012-10-16 05:41:52

It's been crazy scary around here this afternoon. Jason's been working like a man possessed trying to fix up a

Valances on a Queenslander house

Published on 2012-10-14 05:51:35

We are all about the decorative bling here at the Sow's Ear. Today, Jason spent most of the morning erecting the decorative valances (or skirt battens) which are found between the stumps of a traditional Queenslander where the weatherboards end. A valance is mostly a decorative device from what I can gather - a supporting frame is affixed between the stumps and simple timber palings are nailed onto the support. The paling are then

Rubble

Published on 2012-10-10 06:09:23

The worst thing about renovating is the amount of building detritus that one accumulates in one's backyard. The last exterior project managed to produce a large pile of old fired bricks and some square concrete pavers which we no longer needed. Fortunately our rubbish happened to be someone's treasure, with Mr D, our thrifty builder, taking the lot off our hands to use in his own landscaping endeavours. On the weekend Jason and Mr D made a huge dint in clearing the yard. Mr Hi-Vis and Mr D [..]

Weekend activity

Published on 2012-10-08 06:26:58

What a jam-packed weekend we had at the Sow's Ear! From attending a very glamorous wedding... Beautiful St Mary's in Kangaroo Point Our dear friends L and J outside the church The most exquisite menu at Restaurant II. Delicious! where I drank so much I thought I could dance really really well...fortunately I didn't drunk Instagram those images... To hosting a dinner for Jason and his work mates the very next night...while nursing a major hangover... I baked this ham using a mapl [..]

Boys’ room: details

Published on 2012-10-04 02:46:12

Boys' bedroom: before and after photos

Published on 2012-10-03 06:32:50

I was planning on publishing a big long blog post about redoing the boy's bedroom today...but instead I'm just going to show you a big long pictorial of the room. You'll be able to read all the details in the next blog post. What we have is a bedroom that our two youngest boys can share for the next few years until we build in some rooms underneath the house. Son #2 is seven years old, while Son #3 is four and they are little rascals! This room would have originally been the Sow's Ear's master [..]

Long weekend and a winner

Published on 2012-10-01 05:50:41

Long weekends around here affords us more time to paint. Sad. The louvre doors for the boys' bedroom are finished. And look sensational. the first of the louvre doors were reinstalled on the weekend. It looks so good. The painting of the side stairs is also very nearly finished. the trestles are out again. The ceiling to the stairs are painted. Just have to finish painting the guttering. I didn't take a shot of it but under the house Jason started painting the VJ sheeting that he put [..]

More painting in the dark

Published on 2012-09-27 05:26:12

Jason started his second job tonight and is painting the louvre cupboard doors in the garage. He's wearing his hi-vis uniform, probably to illuminate the night time painting.

Storage, cushions and meatballs

Published on 2012-09-25 01:47:56

We did a quick trip to IKEA today...that is, with the kids in tow as it is the Spring school holidays. I know. What was I thinking? Since we've been busily working on the boys' room, we needed an extra IKEA wire storage thingy for the boys' built in cupboards...but do you think I could find the one I was looking for? Unless you know the name of the design, you're stuffed! The system we've used in the past wasn't on display and I went searching for it online but couldn't for the life of me find [..]

Pineapple series: The Salad Bowl

Published on 2012-09-23 06:38:11

It's back. Yes, the much neglected Pineapple Series, which makes you salivate, is back. I don't know for how long I can keep this up, as I've finally used my last tin of pineapple in the pantry...but I've been inspired, so perhaps you will see more... Today's tasty recipe is from my Pineapple bible, Golden Circle Tropical Recipe book circa 1965. A simple little concoction that you can just throw together when you have a hankering for something more than just plain old salad. It's called The Sa [..]

Renovating a boy’s room and $500 Masters giveaway!

Published on 2012-09-18 00:45:42

Sponsored by Nuffnang We’ve had quite a few projects on the go at the Sow’s Ear. Most of it has been exterior work, outsourced to our builder Mr D. It’s been great to let Jason off-the-hook from the DIY, but the downside of that is our depleted bank account. Think dipping into the ‘Education Fund for the children’ thoughts... Our next project for the house is to refurbish the two youngest boys’ room. It really needs to be freshened up in a big way and is the second last room in t [..]

Who is Faux Fuchsia...?

Published on 2012-09-17 04:06:15

...she is a woman who has never met a sequin she didn't like. That's who. flammable frock (it's vintage French polyester...) and paint splattered toes in

A new project

Published on 2012-09-16 04:26:33

Work is under way at the Sow's Ear...I'll give you a few hints. It involves VJs VJ walls (vertical join) showing the patina of age Some unnecessary hi-vis... Dapper Jason has embraced his new Fun and VJs uniform And a bit of hard yakka to keep us out of mischief... Beautiful ceiling rose All shall be revealed soon... So, how was your weekend?

Some Ipswich finds and a vote for Rough Linen

Published on 2012-09-13 06:25:14

I'm still banging on about how great Ipswich is...and I know that some of you have been sneaking out there to see what I've been raving about. Good on you! Anyway, here are a couple of the treasures I found. The first is another Japanese dolls head to put in a bowl. I know...I know...heads in a bowl is kooky but it gives my evil dark heart joy! It is from Kerrie's store ES Traders which is tucked away in Ellensborough Street. two heads are better than one.

Let there be roof!

Published on 2012-09-11 04:46:41

Today, Mr D and Scotty finished off the roof over our new stairs. And it is looking great. We couldn't be happier with the final result. I'll let the images do the talking though... view from the sunroom back view of the new stairs and roof Protected stairs side view of the sunroom side of the Sow's Ear Let the painting begin!

Roof for the external stairs

Published on 2012-09-09 06:32:44

Work began on the roof for our side stairs late last week.

Ipswich day trip and Queenslanders

Published on 2012-09-05 07:22:41

I have to say that one of my most favourite places to visit for a day trip is Ipswich. Now that the road work from Brisbane to Ipswich is mostly finished it's a fairly smooth run to the 'Swich. The thing I love most about Ipswich, apart from visiting my fairy op-shop mother midcentury Jo, is the historical Queenslander homes. They are stunning examples of Queensland's early colonial and early 20th century architecture - many homes are being restored and others are waiting to be brought back fro [..]

Flea with a retro vibe

Published on 2012-09-03 05:28:14

Keep this Saturday free if you love a little bit of trash and treasure. My friends Chris and Susan, who are the publishers of Australian Modern and Brisbane Modern, are hosting a massive flea as part of their Neighbourhood Watch community. It's going to be huge, with 22 stall holders from the neighbourhood. Items for sale include a 60s swivel lounge, 60s bar, and there will be a lot of small collectables to 'ooh and aahh' over. And everything is priced to sell, as no one wants to take it back [..]

Paths and parrots

Published on 2012-09-02 05:55:58

There will be some more renovating activity mid-next week when Mr D and Scotty return to build a roof over our new side stairs. They came on Saturday morning to do some prep work including cementing the metal stirrup for the post support. Before they arrived Jason and the kids were busy clearing a new path and removed

My fairy op-shop mother

Published on 2012-08-30 16:24:08

Gather around people. I have a fairytale to share. Once upon a time there was a girl called Brismod who lived in a pig (ie the Sow's Ear). She dreamt one day to furnish her home with the most retro of homewares, making her house a home with her Prince Hi-Vis (ie Jason). One day she received an email out-of-the blue from her fairy op-shop mother. Her name was Midcentury Jo from Desire to Inspire and she had commenced her spring cleaning. She wanted to bestow her hoarded collected treasures to [..]

Coffee at the Beaumont in Highgate Hill

Published on 2012-08-28 05:18:56

I visited Brisbane's leading location scout, Nat Duncan from Qld Film Locations at her very cool new apartment in Beaumont which is a 1970s high rise in Highgate Hill. Katherine from the oldboathouse

Tread carefully

Published on 2012-08-26 05:46:37

Why you would need to wear hi-vis to paint the stair treads is beyond me? But hey, who am I to get in the way of a man and his need for safety-ware? Painting stair treads on a Queenslander house The weekend was spent pretty much prepping our new external stairs for painting. Jason whipped out the trusty Sicaflex and filled all the gaps in the stairs to weatherproof it. You know, nail holes and all the timber joins. Apparently, wood rot begins at the joins therefore a good weatherproof gap f [..]

Awesome

Published on 2012-08-22 05:44:20

Awesome equals two Panton S chairs found in an op shop. These are awesome! They are replica chairs but they're in such great condition...we have so many chairs. They will make great statement in a study

Wannabe tradie

Published on 2012-08-20 03:08:08

Sponsored by Nuffnang Our belt sander has gone walk-about. Where could it be? Doesn’t it know we need Jason fully-equipped to sand down the decks in time for spring? I suspect Jason’s hidden it somewhere… Never fear, I’m going to buy Jason another one, as encouragement to continue his DIY thing. For Father’s Day. Ha! The poor thing will never escape DIY while living here. Never! And because I’m into online browsing for gifts, I was happy to hear that Masters Home Improvemen [..]

External Queenslander stairs

Published on 2012-08-19 06:18:21

We have brand new stairs! Hooray! The lads worked all day to get the stairs finished by late this afternoon. To say we are overjoyed would be a gross understatement. It's a beauty! I give you a pictorial of today's activity: all the balustrades are

Side stairs progress

Published on 2012-08-15 22:43:48

You gotta love tradies who will work on a public holiday. Mr D and Scotty arrived at 6am and commenced constructing the new side stairs. The morning was like this: Mr D the builder clamping the timber in place.. This was first thing in the morning. The boys put the tall timber posts into the metal stirrups. Throughout the day we could see steady progress. Jason pitched in as the first year builder's apprentice. He got all the monkey boy jobs, like priming the timber ends, holding posts [..]

Somebody stole our side stairs

Published on 2012-08-13 06:53:28

The work has begun on our side stairs. The old rickety steps were removed today to make way for something safer. The number of times I would catch Son #3 dangling in between the gaps of the horizontal railings was enough to prematurely grey me. Missing stairs Mr D, the builder, is back with his trusty side-kick Scotty. They got through a lot of work today and hope to have the new stairs built in the next couple of days. dressing the hardwood timber

Getting ready for warmer weather

Published on 2012-08-12 05:23:30

It's still quite cold in Brisbane but the days have been so glorious and sunny. We've been taking advantage of the dry weather and cleaning some of the winter cobwebs away. We took the high pressure cleaner from the back shed and cleaned our outdoor furniture which was looking quite grubby. I also gave our old outdoor table a clean and oiled it. It's not a fantastic job but it's a bit tidier than before. Casala chairs drying in the sun after a clean

Missed that 3rd year blogiversary

Published on 2012-08-07 04:39:38

It's been three years since Fun and VJs became more than just a figment of my imagination...Sadly, I forgot to mark our 3rd year Blogiversary. No cake, no giveaways and not even a second thought until it was already over. Thankfully this blog is made of the tough stuff. It is definitely a persistent little bugger, so Happy Blogiversary to it! I thought it would be fun to see what we were doing three years ago today. From memory, I don't think I was terribly happy, as we were in mid kitchen ren [..]

Lack of motivation

Published on 2012-08-05 03:08:37

Yep, we've been struck by severe lack of motivation here at Fun and VJs. There are a number of small half-finished painting jobs hanging over our heads and it seems decadent not to be tackling them while the weather has been nice and dry. Who knows when La Nina conditions will hit us again in Brisbane town? This morning, Jason bought another tin of exterior paint, so we could finish off the cubby house which we started a month or so ago. We needed to finish all the white and I gave the little o [..]

Latest op-shop finds

Published on 2012-08-01 04:07:04

I did a bit of an op-shop fossick yesterday and came up trumps in terms of Scandinavian crystal and serving ware. I was in the Logan vicinity and visited about three oppies for a quick browse. It seems Kosta Boda is not terribly desirable in Logan and is being donated to the charity shops. So sad to see these languishing on the shelves... Kosta Boda grape bowl designed by Ann Warff iittala solaris plates designed by Tapio Wirkkala Kosta Boda Party

Visiting Queenslanders in the street

Published on 2012-07-30 06:55:08

This morning I had morning tea with a lady who has lived in our street for 27 years. V contacted me when she stumbled upon this little old blog a few weeks ago. She was researching butterfly chairs and covers when she came across my blog posts and then realised the Sow's Ear shared her street address. V and I have a lot in common apart from living in the same street. She and her husband have been renovating their home for over 20 years. They own one of the oldest homes on the street. It's an or [..]

New look

Published on 2012-07-29 06:10:42

I swear I will never mock fashion models ever again... I had some new profile photographs taken and it's frickin' hard to pose seriously without looking like a complete dill. Who'd have thought it was hard work? From about 100 head shots, the number was whittled down to about half a dozen usable shots. There was a severe edit. The reason for the shots was to update my social media profile as it has been almost three years since Fun and VJs began. I posed the question back in April

VJ sheeting

Published on 2012-07-26 04:52:28

Well, all the work to clad the walls underneath the Sow's Ear is done. Jason spent most of last week getting the VJ (vertical join) sheeting up. It's the

Aria and under the house

Published on 2012-07-23 05:35:34

In some circles it's considered gauche to photograph a restaurant experience. Thankfully, I don't mix in that circle (if I don't include Jason) and snapped photos to my heart's content when Jason and I went to fancy schmancy Aria for lunch. How often do I get to go somewhere a little bit posher than say, Maccas? Almost never. And these images are to record for posterity a lovely luncheon in 2012. aria menu slightly warmed vichyssoiseVelvety deliciousness duck pie with spiced pear [..]

Old barn door

Published on 2012-07-22 04:14:55

It's odd the things you don't quite see until you take the time.

VJ wall lining progress

Published on 2012-07-20 06:47:21

Those coffee dates Jason and I have been enjoying petered during the week. There's too much work to be done.

Out and about, VJs and books

Published on 2012-07-18 05:53:48

It's so strange hanging out with Jason during the day without the children - we've been making the most of it and going to as many child unfriendly places as possible. I lie, most of the places we visit are "child friendly", it's just that we don't feel friendly when we have to go to such places with children! If you know what I'm saying... Jason and I having coffee at Riverbend

Jason's holidays, sandcrab lasagne and insulation

Published on 2012-07-16 06:35:40

Jason's started two weeks of annual leave today. I thought he was just going to mooch around and relax in his undies at the Sow's Ear for the next fortnight...I am so naive... At 6.45 this morning he ordered some VJ sheeting to line the walls in our downstairs area. He wants to tidy up and neaten the area under the house...in his leisure time. I think he's planning the ultimate man cave because that is realistically all we should do under there for the next few years. We had coffee together [..]

Love Vintage

Published on 2012-07-14 04:25:29

I threw my paisley top on and high-tailed it to the Love Vintage Show which is being held at the Brisbane Convention Centre in South Brisbane. It is a one-stop shop for those looking for vintage clothing, hats and accessories. For a moment, I swear I was transported onto the set of an MGM musical, such was the dedication of the hard-core vintage dressers. You would've thought you were seeing Rita Hayworth, Bette Davis and Elizabeth Taylor swanning around. They were immaculately dressed and groo [..]

Ravenhead glass

Published on 2012-07-11 03:12:51

My eyes are always peeled for textured bark glass to add to the collection. I never really stumble upon the really good retro Scandinavian crystal, just the cheaper more ubiquitous British glass made by Ravenhead. Ravenhead Siesta glasses On an op-shop crusade, I spied a set of 1970s Ravenhead Siesta beer glasses. I love their shape because they remind me of the Iittala Kekkerit glasses designed by Timo Sarpaneva. The set I picked up are the much poorer cousin... Kekkerit Apparently, [..]

Sow's Ear in miniature

Published on 2012-07-08 03:11:07

The little old cubby house was never going to get away with being faux heritage colours for long. I still don't know how that colour scheme

Sow's Ear update

Published on 2012-07-04 03:33:49

The last couple of weeks have been quite ho-hum on the renovating front. Just painting and more painting. But there's been a break-through! Jason happily announced he's completed painting the Sow's Ear exterior...which means the main house exterior is finito, fini, done.

MAD

Published on 2012-06-30 00:55:45

Last night I attended the first of the MAD events which were organised by my friends Chris and Susan. It was similar to a Pecha Kucha night where designers, architects and enthusiasts presented 20 slides, with each slide taking 20 seconds to present. Given that this was held in a 1960s house in the middle of suburbia, the calibre of presenters (and guests) was quite exceptional. Amongst the presenters was a who's who of Brisbane design -

Cubby house mayhem

Published on 2012-06-26 05:35:12

The kids are on school holidays, so we are up to no good here, there and everywhere. On Sunday I was called away for most of the day and Jason was in charge of the boys. They were cleaning out the sandpit near the cubby house when I left mid-morning. It made my heart glad. When I returned home late afternoon, my glad heart turned into a sad heart after I heard what the boys had been up to throughout the day. It seems Jason thinks the boys have graduated into Master Painters and didn't think i [..]

Visiting Thea & Sami's studio and lemon syrup cake

Published on 2012-06-22 04:01:58

What a crazy busy week we've had. Hence the lack of blog posts from around here. It was nice however to end the week with a visit to Thea & Sami which is one of Brisbane's best screen-printing design studios. Thea invited me, and a few other Brissy bloggers, to an ultra-casual morning tea in her shop/studio. Thea's fabrics. In the background you can see vintage chairs with her fabrics used as upholstery I bought a few tea-towels. They are very cool. Thea designs and hand screen-prints [..]

Windows done

Published on 2012-06-18 06:21:07

Well, kind of... Jason spent some of the weekend painting the exterior of the windows. All he has to do now is peel the tape off from the interior and install the brass window fittings.

New clutch on the Kitchenaid blender

Published on 2012-06-15 06:10:44

We touch upon all the important issues on Fun and VJs. There may be doom and gloom out there in the big, bad world... but that is nothing compared to when your trusty blender fails to blend, midway through making pumpkin soup. We've got the older style Kitchenaid blender with the glass jug. The clutch is the little crown on the top. The rubber clutch which makes the blades spin in the blender jug had deteriorated. All the prongs had fallen off which meant no more blade spinning. I hate i [..]

And the winner is...

Published on 2012-06-11 06:14:49

Jason flew back into Brisvegas this afternoon from New Zealand, especially to pick the winner for the Soup and Elastoplast competition. We take our competitions seriously around here... Congratulations The Click-Clack Lounge! Please email me so we can arrange delivery of your Elastoplast Heavy Fabric Waterproof packs and $150 Bunnings gift voucher. Thanks to everyone who entered and gave such fabulous tips. Also thanks to Soup and Elastoplast! Jason had a little sanity saving break this long [..]

Where's a plaster when you need it?

Published on 2012-06-09 22:37:27

Sponsored by Soup* I don't think I've been more grateful to be doing an Elastoplast promotion after the major stack that #2 Son had on his scooter yesterday afternoon. We were visiting friends down the street. The boys took their scooters and went on ahead, while a friend and I were following. It's a steep street and Son #2 lost control of his speeding scooter and came off it, hitting the kerb spectacularly. Thankfully he was wearing a helmet. He's grazed all of his nose, his hands and knu [..]

Windowliscious

Published on 2012-06-08 04:07:01

You can see I was stumped for a blog title! The final hopscotch window was installed last weekend...in the rain of course. I don't think Jason even sees the rain

Op shops and getting into some studio pottery

Published on 2012-06-06 03:39:08

I've got the op shop bug at the moment. I blame my friend S who does a weekly run to a few not-so-standard op shopping areas. I can't remember where she took me...even though I was driving! But Logan Central has a couple of good shops which proved excellent for cheaply priced retro bric a brac. I'm finding myself drawn to studio pottery lately...mainly because it's inexpensive and no one else seems to want it! Yeah...yeah...there's probably a reason for that! Pottery vignetteL to R: Bay Kera [..]

Barefoot renovating and a $150 voucher giveaway

Published on 2012-06-04 17:39:19

Sponsored by Soup*Dodgy brothers barefoot renovating is our specialty at the Sow's Ear. Where footwear is optional and safety gloves are an afterthought when it comes to DIY. As you can imagine, we've had a few renovating boo boos. It's mainly Jason who gets injured but I've trodden on a few rogue nails when I do barefoot laundry duties... One of many Jason DIY wounds When we were contacted by Soup to test the new Elastoplast Heavy Fabric Waterproof strips, we thought why not? We really suck a [..]

All about the free lunch

Published on 2012-05-31 23:33:21

You heard. It's all about the free lunch. And I have two vouchers to give away, courtesy of Grill'd

Hopscotch window installed

Published on 2012-05-29 02:28:52

Jason was his regular busy-bee self on the weekend. He successfully replaced one of the casement windows in his man cave/gimp room which is located under the house. He'll be replacing the other one next weekend. Have a looksy.

Indesign Brisbane style

Published on 2012-05-27 03:08:14

I had my design hit for 2012 with Brisbane Indesign yesterday. It's an event held every few years to showcase and celebrate good design whether it be products, interiors, architecture or creative arts. This is the third time I've been to Brisbane Indesign and I use the event as research for our renovation. Although Internet research is quick and convenient, nothing can beat seeing products in real life, particularly if you want to purchase the big ticket items. The event is also free, with shu [..]

Car trouble... encore!

Published on 2012-05-23 05:41:46

Yep. The Peugeot is giving poor old Jason grief again. The familiar screen of death flashed up on Jason's dashboard this afternoon. "Engine fault. Repair needed." And then the Peugeot shuddered and conked out on the corner of Adelaide and Wharf Street in the City. This is the third warranty repair and it doesn't include a factory recall when he first purchased the car. I feel a double cab ute could be on the cards for our next vehicle. The Peugeot's days are numbered. So I dedicate this [..]

Bedroom side of the house

Published on 2012-05-21 04:09:49

There's still so much painting to do on the Sow's Ear. It's ridiculous. We think we are Dulux's best domestic customer in Australia because we just finished another 15 litre drum of exterior gloss this weekend. Jason spent a few hours on Saturday and Sunday painting the new weatherboards on the bedroom side of the little pigster. Jason painting the window sills. (You know that there's a chill in the air when Jason's wearing a shirt.) Jason has big plans to change the single-pane casement wind [..]

Orange blanket

Published on 2012-05-19 03:09:00

It's getting quite chilly in Brisbane as winter approaches. This usually means another wool blanket on the bed. I found this orange blanket at the local op-shop. I bought it purely for it's 'orangeiness' and also in honour of the

Retro style cushions

Published on 2012-05-17 01:46:43

It's been mentioned out there in Blogtopia that to under-cushion is a deadly sin. It slots in at number two position, between Lust and Greed in the lifestyle blogger's bible. Retro cushions Beautiful embroidered fabric repurposed into a cushion My mate Melissa has been fighting the good fight against under-cushioning and has made a selection of handsome one-of-a-kind cushions. She uses mostly vintage fabric, which she has collected over the past decade or so, to create unique soft furnish [..]

Bit nervous

Published on 2012-05-15 03:09:26

Today I'm breathing (with a gas mask) a sigh of relief as the burnt out house which backs onto the Sow's Ear had its asbestos roof removed. You can read about the

Three years at the Sow's Ear

Published on 2012-05-13 20:15:20

Three years ago this week we became the owners of the Sow's Ear. What a busy three years we've had in the old house. I was not at all keen on the Sow's Ear when we first saw it. In fact, I was dead-set against it - it needed too much work (given we have three growing boys and Jason works long hours in his job). Who wants to be a slave to their house? Jason on the other hand was very much in love with it and said that we should grab the opportunity to buy it. He also said while caressing the VJ [..]

Under the deck progress

Published on 2012-05-09 02:28:25

It's all coming along rather well under the deck. The May Day long weekend meant we could have a few days straight of painting the new weatherboards. It's looking much schmicker than the old cream fibro that used to be there. Under the deck It still has a long way to go. We still haven't finished painting all the deck joists which were painted in heritage green. It just needs one more coat of gloss white. Newly painted weatherboards under the deck We also plan to change the style of F [..]

Outsider Art pieces

Published on 2012-05-07 05:15:05

I finally ventured back to the Monte Lupo ceramic studio - remember when I visited back here?

Up in smoke

Published on 2012-05-06 01:59:49

It was about 3am when we heard the loud cracking and popping of what we thought were fire-crackers. Why anyone would want to be setting off crackers in the ungodly hours of Saturday morning annoyed Jason to the max! He jumped out of bed, opened our window and was ready to give someone an ear bashing. He looked out the bedroom window and then he went to the back of the house to go outside. Thirty seconds later Jason rushed back into the bedroom and started throwing on his clothes, "Get up. The h [..]

Vintage goodies for sale

Published on 2012-05-04 03:04:08

One of my readers is having a bit of a mid-century/vintage clean out. Jo who is a graphic designer from Murwillumbah, in northern NSW, has some fabulous stuff that she is selling.

French style...

Published on 2012-05-01 01:58:39

Product talk by Nuffnang Jason was rather glum the other week. It was heartbreaking. I wanted to cheer him up in a way which didn't involve me getting naked...and then I received an email from the Nuffnang Product Talk people saying they would be sending us an iron to test and review. Perfect!

Night time painting

Published on 2012-04-29 03:44:27

Anyone would think Jason was a competitor on The Block with his irregular painting hours. He likes to start painting in the late afternoon for an hour or so.... For me, the dilemma is whether to watch a TV renovating show or watch him. As a wise woman just told me via the magic that is social media, it is best to stick with the TV. At least you can shout abuse and pass on your two cents worth without any real repercussions. night time painting by JasonPainting under the deck And in other b [..]

If there's a way to renovate in the rain...

Published on 2012-04-28 04:56:43

...odds are Jason will find it. It's been raining incessantly for the past 24 hours, ruining what would have been a very productive weekend. New weatherboards under the deck. Hopefully it will be ready for painting next week. Jason was determined to work around the Sow's

QX16895

Published on 2012-04-25 00:59:31

This ANZAC Day we remember

Vote for my avatar

Published on 2012-04-22 01:39:29

I need your help. I'd like to put a real profile picture of me on this blog. It's probably about time I stopped hiding behind the sketch and emerge like most bloggers do. Also, most first time visitors who read the blog think I'm a guy. Ha! Seriously. So, you the readers can decide on whether I use a real photo or retain my existing profile picture. I've already started using the real one on Twitter as an experiment but I wasn't sure about using it on the blog. Your mission is to vote which on [..]

Pineapple Series: Sausage Tropicana and Grill'd Wintergarden

Published on 2012-04-19 21:43:44

I'm resurrecting the Pineapple Series on the blog. Consider it my service to all of you stuck on quick easy meal ideas. Now that winter is fast approaching, we all need the sunshine that is contained in a tin of pineapple. I was in a quandary about what to cook one evening. I had some sausages in the refrigerator and not much else. What could I make? Then I remembered the pineapple in the pantry and referred to the pineapple bible that is the Golden Circle Tropical Recipe book circa 1960s. Sure [..]

Danish stoneware find

Published on 2012-04-18 00:40:38

Very rarely do I find anything at my local op shop. I look all the time and nada. Nothing. Just a lot of mugs and old china that don't take my fancy. But I always check it out because you never know what may crop up. Like this small earthenware dish. It caught my eye because of its bright orange swirly interior. I checked for a hallmark - the name Ulrik Lundbergh Ebletoft was embossed underneath it which meant absolutely nothing to me. It was $2.50 and not made in China, so it became mine. I g [..]

Renovator's Rescue: part five

Published on 2012-04-14 22:08:25

It's been a little while since I've shown you the latest on the Renovator's Rescue house which I've been stalking these past few months. You can read the beginnings of

I will love you forever

Published on 2012-04-13 03:37:01

Remember how I said that I will never, ever enter another blogging competition after my failure in last year's Best Australian Blog Competition...? Much like how I said there will be no carbon tax

Discerning Dirt Association

Published on 2012-04-11 04:33:03

Today we conducted an indoor plant intervention. Yes, we've (Jason will tell you that is the royal 'we') neglected them. My (cough) domestic (cough) goddess status, much like my Klout score has nose-dived during the last few weeks. The various retro West German ugly pots contained just the merest suggestion of what was once considered flora.

Another job done and builder for hire

Published on 2012-04-10 05:30:00

All our current building projects have come to an end. Mr D finished up today after completing the final bit of weatherboarding on the Sow's Ear. We are over the moon with the final result. He's done a great job and was

Old houses and their stories

Published on 2012-04-09 06:30:05

My mate Katherine from the oldboathouse paid us a visit just before Easter. It was good to catch up as we hadn't seen each other in an age. We talked a lot about old homes in Brisbane and how there are so many wonderful stories contained within their walls...how old homes provide a tangible legacy for the families that built or lived in these houses. Katherine says she loves reading the stuff I've uncovered about the original owners of the Sow's Ear - the Stables family.

Pineapple Series: Pineapple Pavlova

Published on 2012-04-07 18:29:17

It's been a long time between pineapple posts. The last one was the Sweet Pineapple Omelet which just polarised people. It's taken us several months to get over the trauma of eating that sh*t...so much for the Julie and Julia aspirations I had... Yesterday I cracked open the Golden Circle Tropical Recipe book circa 1960s after the long hiatus because we were invited to another pineapple soiree. I was asked to make a dessert. Thank the pineapple gods that be, as the savoury pineapple dishes have [..]

Under the house progress:Part 2

Published on 2012-04-06 04:37:07

This is just a very quick post to show you some of the progress which has been made at the Sow's Ear. The weatherboards have been put up on both sides of the house. It's looking much nicer than the old asbestos

For Annie

Published on 2012-04-03 23:00:15

The call went out to all of Blogtopia to paint our toes for Annie - rainbow toes solidarity. You see, fellow Brisbane blogger Annie from Artistica Domestica was diagnosed with breast cancer a fortnight ago and has just undergone surgery to remove a breast. It is a terrible thing for anyone to go through...it makes me think 'there but for the grace of God go I'...because cancer does not discriminate. It is the unlucky dice-roll of life. Annie, who is an artist and mum of five,

Under the house progress

Published on 2012-04-03 06:07:39

The work under the house is going great guns. Mr D and his trusty side-kick returned today to start framing the areas which will be weatherboarded. The builders removed all of the old wall framing on the sunroom side of the Sow's Ear and built up the concrete hob on which the framing sits. The old frame had suffered some past termite and water damage and all the tin ant capping (flashing) was rusted to bits.

The things you find in the wood work

Published on 2012-04-01 14:37:12

It's always a thrill to uncover a little bit of the history of the Sow's Ear while it's undergoing work. After all the old fibro cladding had been removed under the house last week, a couple of old VJs (vertical join timber boards) were found in amongst the framing. Normally this would be very uneventful but these particular VJs were painted with what appears to be a decorative frieze. We had no idea the Sow's Ear was so fancy back in her day. I wonder which room it would've adorned? Or maybe [..]

New exterior project

Published on 2012-03-31 05:18:04

There's action aplenty at the

The one sports car family

Published on 2012-03-29 23:59:53

Ever since I mocked Jason and his beloved Peugeot sports car

Letterboxes

Published on 2012-03-27 03:01:09

When we decided on the fence style for the Sow's Ear, we forgot about including a letterbox into the whole

Fence painting

Published on 2012-03-25 04:03:07

Jason doesn't like to waste a minute when it comes to painting bare timber. He was on to the fence painting gig as soon as possible. He spent most of Saturday undercoating the new fence so lovingly. While he was out the front he said that someone stopped to ask for the details of our fence builder, Mr D.

Fence progress

Published on 2012-03-23 01:42:35

The fence is looking fab. Mr D is doing a great job despite the rain playing havoc with his schedule.

Alfred Shaheen frock

Published on 2012-03-20 07:10:58

My friend Susan is enamoured with all things Alfred Shaheen. It's her must-have vintage dress label of the moment. Alfred Shaheen was a Hawaiian textile designer who pioneered the Aloha shirt. His fabrics are a meld of tropical chic and mid-century style. I've been looking on ebay and I must say there are some very cool dresses out there sporting the Shaheen label. Love them. Susan was most proud of her new vintage frock when she wore it on the weekend. She was hosting a movie night - a viewing [..]

Fence posts are in

Published on 2012-03-18 05:01:26

More progress has been made on the fence despite the wet weather we've had the past few days. Late last week, Jason was slapping on the oil based primer on the hardwood fence posts. They had to be primed before going into the ground. Jason put his hand up for that job...as you do...The primer protects the wood and gives it a fighting chance against rot. That's Jason painting the posts before work one morning. Mr D was here early on Saturday morning to concrete the posts into the ground. Jaso [..]

Exquisite Monte Lupo art sculpture and Jason has a new look

Published on 2012-03-15 03:00:04

Brisbane has some of the best kept secrets such as the Monte Lupo art store in 269 Padstow Road in Eight Mile Plains. It is where the most exquisite Outsider Art is produced. I believe many of the ceramic works are created and fired on site. It is seriously a visual feast for a ceramic lover's eyes. I went to the store this morning after a brief visit in the back rooms and art studio with a friend of mine (she used to be a teacher for one of their arts programs). The work that I saw in productio [..]

Fence timber

Published on 2012-03-14 07:05:41

We had the timber for the fence delivered today. Mr D went all out and ordered us some fine hardwood timber. He

Not fenced in

Published on 2012-03-13 06:30:33

For the next little while we will be fence-less. Yes that's right. We are in fence construction mode at the Sow's Ear. And it will be the first non-DIY renovating for quite a few months. Hallelujah! It almost feels decadent watching all the action from the sidelines (from Jason's perspective of course, since I am a sideline dweller anyway). It's been suggested to the fence builder, Mr D, to go shirtless to entertain the masses who read Fun and VJs. Mr D was told there is a certain standard to [..]

Painting under the deck again

Published on 2012-03-10 16:15:27

Our home improvement endeavours are not particularly exciting at the moment. The past couple of weekends have been spent under the deck painting the joists. It really is a dull task. Jason spent most of yesterday getting as much done as physically possible ( I took the kids out for a swim in the afternoon so he was undisturbed because we're a noisy lot). Luckily he did because it looks like it may rain today. With the weather looking glum, today will be spent filling the gaps with "No More Gap [..]

Zoila's book

Published on 2012-03-06 05:00:31

From out of the blue I received the most intriguing email. And no, it wasn't from the Nigerian Lottery Board, nor was it from Oksana the lonely Russian lass who wanted to be my extra special friend...(dodgy spam filter!) It was from a lady named Sherri in the United States who had a copy of Zoila Stables' book Tare Harvest. She did a Google search of the title and stumbled upon some old blog posts of mine which talked about how the book was connected to our house. For those of you who are new [..]

Nice finishing touch...

Published on 2012-03-05 01:35:56

...except that we haven't really started renovating the bathroom. So maybe this is a nice starting touch instead. We'll eventually get to the bathroom, but in the meantime small token cosmetic changes will have to do. Like new shower curtain rings. It is possibly life changing this move from plastic to iron. We've had the new antique finished shower curtain rings for a few weeks and they are doing the trick. And they look just dandy with our 'opulent luxe' shower curtain. Very luxe until you sp [..]

Spring Hill

Published on 2012-03-03 05:17:26

We were out and about in Spring Hill today. I haven't been there for a long time and I had forgotten how quaint some of the old colonial Queenslander homes are...especially when juxtaposed with the backdrop of the CBD highrises. When I think of Spring Hill I think of Jason's poor old Nana who died last year (she lived in Torrington Street for 60 years), the old rickety boarding houses that our old Italian friends owned and Cecilia McNally's Spring Hill Fair. It's a suburb rich in character and [..]

What's been happening?

Published on 2012-02-29 18:11:59

Not a lot of renovating has been happening at the Sow's Ear. Jason's taking a break, which is a very good thing...but not so good when the blog is based on renovating! But he's starting to get restless, so I imagine he will get back into it this weekend. New garage door handle In big news our garage door has a new handle. Try to contain yourselves...it's all I've got reno-wise this week. Arabia jam pots and Figgjo salt and pepper shakers I've been satisfying some of my thrifty and not so [..]

When a good renovation loses its way

Published on 2012-02-26 06:39:37

Since Jason's Peugeot has been at the mechanics for repairs, our renovation has been in complete shut down mode. I know. Anyone would think we were the Australian Labor Party deciding on who will be leading this great nation of ours. image from here It's clear to me now that Jason and I need to regroup and unite. The weeks of paralysis and dysfunction that our renovation has suffered under Jason's erratic and often chaotic leadership needs to come to an end. This renovation is bigger than an [..]

Renovator's Rescue: part four

Published on 2012-02-22 04:03:21

Someone was asking about the renovator's rescue house which I have been stalking for the past few months. We drive past this house most days on the school run. It was in a pretty bad way when it was first on the market and whoever bought it is slowly bringing it back to life. The house was on the market for under $400,000 which is basically at land value for a 604 sqm block in this spot. Here are some photos of where the house is at - call it house renovating voyeurism... This shot was taken [..]

The fence

Published on 2012-02-19 04:34:52

We're in the process of obtaining quotes to reconstruct our front fence which is in a very sorry state. The plan is to have a fence which is in a style that is consistent to the age of the Sow's Ear - inter-war period circa 1928. There are no old images of the Sow's Ear that we are aware of to indicate what the original fence may have been. We are relying on information from heritage reference books and the fence styles that are used on other period homes in our neighbourhood. It is basically an [..]

Pretty art glass and Peugeot update

Published on 2012-02-16 05:22:54

There are a few more dust collectors in the Sow's Ear. I picked up my bud vases last week and just love them. They are nice and heavy; very substantial for bud vases. They also have a slight lean to them which you notice when the two vases sit side by side. And earlier this week I bought another vase...like I needed more. This one is Swedish (I think) and is wafer thin. Again I love this style and shape of vase. It will pretty up the Sow's Ear quite nicely. Swedish vase and Murano style bullic [..]

Open letter to Peugeot l'Australie

Published on 2012-02-14 05:15:04

The background to our car problems In my best Inspector Clouseau hand: Peugeot l'Australie Monsieur, Madame On zis day of loverz, I write to you to tell you der iz no lurve being felt in zis 'ome. Monsieur Jazon waz told by le mechanique zat 'iz Peugeot cannot be fix-ed. La air con iz dead. Oh la la...la la. Jazon is 'ot and 'e needs la air con in 'iz car. Der iz a probleme. You do not know what it cud be... 'E must bring car back again. And zhen you tell Jazon you have no cour [..]

I told you so...

Published on 2012-02-12 05:20:37

I'm not particularly gracious. It is a character flaw to be acknowledged and ashamed of... On Friday evening straight after work, Jason met us at the children's school for a function. He seemed hot and bothered, a little agitated. "What's up?" I asked, noticing the tense body language. "It's the car. There's something wrong with the car. It's stuffed," he said with utter desolation. Jason bought a mid-life crisis sports car about 15 months ago when he turned 40. Sleek, sexy and completely im [..]

Retro kids clothes (or why my kids look like David Cassidy)

Published on 2012-02-09 04:47:32

I swear my Mum keeps everything. When I went to visit her this morning I received a huge bag of retro kids clothes. They used to belong to my brothers who are all in their early to late 40s. I always take anything that Mum decides to part with (even if I don't want it) as she needs to declutter. It's my filial duty to help her. So I dived into the bag to see what treasures she wanted to bestow on her grandsons. Man did I giggle. I just can't recall my brothers looking like public servants from [..]

Vintage bud vases

Published on 2012-02-07 01:08:34

Late last year, a pair of old Anchor Hocking bud vases I had on display in the kitchen were smashed. And no, not in a fit of passion either. A gust of wind blew over a picture frame that was leaning behind the vases...sealing their fate. Bam, crash, shatter and they entered bud vase heaven. (I felt like Deb from Loyalist Cottage who often features a broken item of the week on her blog.) The vases weren't terribly valuable, but I was still sad they broke. They were a matching pair that had been [..]

Painting under the deck

Published on 2012-02-05 05:08:33

This is one of those soul destroying jobs which makes renovating truly suck; painting under the deck. The top of the deck is done. Now it's time to paint what's underneath We've only tackled a small part of it. Turning green joists into white. I said to Jason we could probably get away with not painting it, however he was adamant that it was the silk purse mantle he was aiming for, not the sow's ear prize. Freakin' perfectionist...sucker for punishment if you ask me. We really wished all [..]

Vintage hospital beds

Published on 2012-02-04 05:10:20

It's that time of the year again - kerbside collection!! We spent the morning putting out our hard rubbish for the local council's kerbside collection. And what we put out was really rubbish. We're feeling very cleansed after the big effort. So, tonight I've been browsing on eBay. Yes, don't worry, the irony of this is not lost on me. What goes out must come back in for the consummate hoarder. But look what I found...It's this really cool hospital bed. Image courtesy Moderni Designs on eb [..]

Shower curtain rings and Australian Modern winners

Published on 2012-02-01 05:18:06

After I bought our new 'luxe' shower curtain a fortnight ago, fancy-schmancy shower curtain rings have been uppermost in my mind. I know...I should be concerned about the impending civil war in Syria, but the shower curtain rings are troubling me. You see, I'd like to upgrade from the clear plastic ones which are currently doing an adequate job. They are no longer right (they never were, but I never noticed them before). I've found a more attractive replacement to match the 'opulence' of our ne [..]

Meeting Jenny and a Faux Fuchsia sighting

Published on 2012-01-31 01:20:23

I've been making the most of my new-found freedom now Son#3 is at Kindergarten. Anyone want to meet up for a coffee? Just let me know! Today I met the gorgeous Jenny who writes The Five Year Project and owns Jitta Jack Homewares. She and her hubby are renovating a Queenslander too. Jenny had some spare brass window fittings that they no longer needed and she kindly offered them to us for our renovation. What lovely people! We organised to meet in Paddington for morning tea. I wasn't too sure h [..]

Fun night at the Australian Modern launch

Published on 2012-01-30 02:33:33

Australian Modern is well and truly launched. What a fun night and many thanks to those who came along. Chris and Susan certainly know how to make their guests feel welcomed and are very generous in opening up their spectacular mid-century home to new people. Everyone also went home with a copy of Australian Modern which is now available HERE. And I was so pleased to finally meet a few Brisbane blogger friends who came out of the woodwork to attend. It was like I already knew you guys...I'd li [..]

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