DIY Ceiling Lifting

We noticed the ceiling in the living room was sagging a bit and wanting it to look as smooth and flat as possible before we start painting we did a bit of investigating to see how the ceiling is held up. Turns it its by lots of these guys ... banding which is made from plaster and raw fibre (probably hemp). The bandings are stuck over the wooden beams and onto the ceiling and half had come loose like this one. 

So we made up some props to hold up the ceiling, made from lengths of pine, small off cuts of wood were drilled onto one end, and then old carpet cut out and glued onto the wood to protect it from leaving marks on the ceiling.  The props were put into place to push the ceiling up and stayed like that until we were ready. 

There's not a lot of room up there in the roof its pretty claustrophobic. Plus its really dusty. And smokin hot with temps in the high 30s for weeks it was like a furnace in there. And did I mention spiders. Euuuuwwww no thanks I'm really good at holding the ladder and having an icy cold drink waiting instead. So Pete the master DIY-er climbed up there solo. The insulation had to be lifted up and dust and dirt cleaned off the beams so that the plaster would adhere to it. A broom worked well for this and spraying the beam with water also made the plaster adhere better. Once it was prepped we made up the mix for new bandings - 2 ltrs casting plaster, 1 ltr hydrated lime then add water until its like a runny pancake mix. The lime gives elasticity to the plaster which makes it easier to spread and gives you a bit more time before it sets. In this heat it went rock hard after 15 minutes so you've got to work pretty quick! We used the drill with the mixer attachment, which was a godsend honestly I don't know how I stirred paint with a stick for so long. The rovings were taken up separately in a bucket to be mixed in as you went as they were too hard to separate into each banding once in with the plaster.

Once the mix was ready you had to quickly climb back up into the roof, find the area to do along the beam and put a handful of rovings into the plaster and mix it together then lay it over the beam packing it in tight and leaving plenty on either side to stick on. This is a look into the roof where you can see the bandings in place.

Each bucket did 5 bandings and we did a total of 10 buckets over 2 days. We waited a few days before moving the props over to prop up the ceiling on the other side of the room to be sure that they had set and secured onto the ceiling. It's looking pretty good.

I'm sure the roof guys would've charged about $500 per room for this job. Admittedly its hot, sweaty, dirty work so not for the faint hearted but if you want to save yourself some $$$ that's why we DIY.

DIY:  $94

Plaster (20kg) $30

Lime (10kg) $4

Fibreglass Rovings (1kg) $15

Pine lengths (3mtr) $7.50 x 6

Water spray bottle (or paint brush) for water

Broom

Torch

Rubber gloves, Face mask & Knee pads

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It's a New Year!

Is it just me or did 2010 just fly past?

What a huge year 2010 was for me on the home front and at work. My main focus was to get stuck into the house renos and I'm really happy with the progress we made. We're about half way through the inside of the house with some big projects planned for 2011 like a new kitchen and double garage extension so be sure to check back in if you want to see some ugly befores and shiny new afters! My workplace has changed a lot in the last 3 months and I'll be returning to work with a new boss and no doubt new challenges ahead. I hope 2011 is filled with happy times, romance with my man, dancing with friends, time with family and maybe a win in lotto (I wish!)

I've really enjoyed having this blog as an outlet for my musings and to meet others with the same homely interests. Thanks for your comments and kind words I love it when you stop by and say g'day. Can't wait to see what 2011 brings for us all  ... hopefully plenty of sunshine and happiness x

[Image from here]

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Top Projects of 2010

As 2010 draws to an end I'm joining in with Southern Hospitalities year of project review and sharing my Top Projects of 2010.

So .... To those nights we stayed in and cooked instead of dining out at some expensive resaurant ..... To those movies we watched on tv instead of at the cinema ..... To those weekends spent at Bunnings instead of Supre ..... To those nights we stayed in and made our own cocktails instead of paying the barman to make them ..... This is what we've managed to accomplished with some hard work, loud music, chilled beers and wine and the passion and enthusiasm of wanting to turn our first house into a home.

  

Top 5 Jarrah Jungle Projects for 2010

1. We finished the Master Bedroom - painting, installed wardrobe and decorating

2. Making my own art for the Master Bedroom

3. Finding the perfect pair of curtains for the Master bedroom - from then to now it took a lot longer than expected!

4. Finishing the Craft Room/Study - painting and hanging blinds

5. Decorating the Craft Room/Study - Styling my new bookcase, Making a wrapping station, Unleashing my bird obsession with a bit of creative flair and Finding the perfect rug

I only started my blog in May 2010 when the Master Bedroom was finished so I don't have many posts for those projects, but I do have a page for each room that we've completed so far so to see all the juicy BEFORE and AFTER photos you can click on the pages of rooms on the right hand side of my blog. I'd love to hear any comments or advice from you to know you stopped by :)

You can check out the other many projects carried out by fellow talented bloggers here. I can just imagine that the 2011 list is going to be even longer as we are all inspired and energised to get going on next years projects as soon as the clock strikes midnight!

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Recipe: Paella from Poh's Kitchen

I got this bright and bubbly cookbook - Poh's Kitchen for Christmas from my gorgeous man (along with some sparkly jewellery!). 

For those that don't know who Poh is, she was the runner up in last year's Masterchef and has her own cooking show. 

Poh cooks alongside other famous chefs and the book is full of her own and their recipes, her cute stories and humour and colourful illustrations and pictures. I just adore her mix match of tea sets and bowls too. Definitely a book for the girls in the kitchen!

I made the paella last night as I'm on a mission to find the perfect paella like the many we tasted on our Spanish holiday.

This would be a great dish to make with friends coming over, just put the pan on the table and everyone dishes out their own, together with a glass of Spanish red wine you'll have yourself a merry little evening in!

Paella

(By Ian Parmenter, Poh's Kitchen Cookbook)

Serves 10-12

Large pinch of saffron strands

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

250g chorizo or other spicy sausage in bite-size pieces
500g skinless chicken thigh fillets cut into 2-3 cm pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 capsicums (1 red, 1 green or yellow), cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2-3 tsp smoked paprika (or ordinary paprika powder)
1 bay leaf

3 cups medium grain rice

4 cups chicken stock

12 green prawns in shells

12 mussells

400g white fish cut into bite size pieces

1 cup frozen peas (optional)

Immerse the saffron in a couple of tablespoons of boiling water for five minutes.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and partly cook the chirozo for a few minutes. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until browned. It doesn't need to be cooked right through at this stage. Add the onion, capsicum, garlic, tomatoes, paprika and bay leaf and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes. Pour in the stock and saffron liquid (discard the saffron strands) and add enough water to cover the rice by 1cm. Cover with foil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is almost absorbed.

Meanwhile rinse and drain the prawns in cold water. Scrub and de-beard the mussels in cold water, and discard any that have opened or are cracked.

Dot the prawns, mussels and fish over the rice mixture. The frozen peas may be added at this time. Cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the seafood is just cooked. Discard any mussels that have not opened.

PS: You need to use a large flat based pan so it cooks evenly, a frying pan works fine.

PPS: Once you remove the foil, don't stir it again, as a good paella should develop a crust on the bottom.

PPPS: This recipe would be delicious without the seafood, the chirozo and chicken are filling enough as the dish should be all about the rice.

PPPPS: For more colour be as generous as you can afford with the saffron.

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[Images from here and here]

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Keepin Cool

Phew there goes Christmas for another year! Hope everyone had a fantastic day with family, loved ones and mates.

I love this time of year when everyone begins to unwind and relax, you forget what day it is, party season kicks in, the alarm clock is off and the hardest questions of the day are .... Should we hit the sales? and What to do for New Years?

Its been sweltering hot here and its tipped to top 40 degress today so the best thing to do is relax in the air onditioning, play computer games, read magazines and sip on a refreshing bacardi and lemonade. Yes it's good to be on holidays!

Hope everyone is kicking back and enjoying the holiday season.

[Image from here]

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Getting Crafty: Christmas Cards

I made my own Christmas Cards again this year, it's a tradition now I've kept it up 2 years running so there's no going back now!

I went a bit crazy scouting out the $2 shop and Spotlight for stickers and  embellishments there are just so many to choose from. I bought some sets of cards and envelopes as well as some mix-matched ones just to change it up a bit. I already have heaps of different papers and borders to use and now they're all organised in my lil craft drawers it was so easy to make them.

This year my creative girlfriends came over and made some cards too, lured by a dinner of beef and red wine casserole and the best creamy mash in the world!

This is my stash of festive cheer ... it did grow substantially since this photo but I was so excited to use it all I didn't manage to take another photo before I used it!

I must say I noticed a lot less cards fall into my mail box this year ......

Is it just me or is there a rapid decline in posting Christmas cards now? Could it be the higher postage fees or emails vs snail mail tirade?


If you're looking for discounted craft supplies check out Blitsy - if you join and make a first time purchase it would be awesome if you use my referral code HERE - you will get great discounts and I get a $10 reward to spend on my creative obsession so I can share more posts like this with you guys!

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[All images my own]

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Point and Shoot

When: Sunday, 19 December 2010 @ 5pm

Where: South Perth foreshore

Sunday was a family day to catch up with my nanna, uncle, aunty, cousins and their kids for Christmas as we don’t usually get to see them on Christmas Day. We all met up for a picnic down on the foreshore with views over the Swan River. Unfortunately the weather turned in the afternoon and it starting spitting with rain as we were sitting out on the grass. But after such a hot and sweltering Saturday we didn't mind getting a bit wet and cooling off. The only thing we did mind was our wine getting watered down and our picnic dinner getting soggy! I'm still blaming the weather for my point and shoot looking a little gloomy. I'd really love a new camera (hint hint Santa!) to take more professional shots.

Besides that I had quite a girly weekend spending Friday & Saturday night out with my girlfriends. Went to my first Carols by Candlelight and my girlfriends showed up with treats in their eskies like vodka and cheesecake to share and it was a perfect summer night under the stars. Saturday my gorgeous gals curled my hair and did my makeup and we went out in our lil party dresses and danced the night away. Isn't it amazing you always feel a trillion times better when someone else pampers you and glams you up!

Please head on over to Fat Mum Slim’s lovely blog to see more Point and Shoot.

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