Snaps ‘n’ Crackles #9 – Coffee Catch Up

August 16, 2018
coffee, latte,

coffee, latte,

I had planned on posting Part 3 of my Kitchen Renovation posts for today, but it’s not to be.  As you read this (if on Thursday 16 August 2018) my house is once again in a bit of chaos as painters paint the kitchen and dining rooms (all one big space).  The kitchen has brand new bulkheads and cornicing that need painting and the existing walls and ceiling needed a refresh so we called in the professionals.  The rest of the house will be painted by us (unless there is a Lotto win)!  The good thing about doing it this way, is that we can watch and learn.  Watch how they do it, listen to what they recommend, and learn some tips and tricks!

So instead of a Kitchen Renovation post you’re getting a bit of a last-minute quick brain dump and update of what’s been happening around here.  Let’s call it a coffee catch up!

I’d been waiting to hear from the painter as to what days he could do our paint job.  When I did hear, it was to be Tuesday, then Tuesday afternoon, and then Wednesday.  They’ve had a big job prior to ours and it took longer than they expected.  So, not wanting to live in chaos any longer than needed, I left it until Tuesday to pack everything up.  Let’s just say that Tuesday was a very big day and evening!!

It’s now Wednesday 16 August as I begin to draft this. I’m sitting crossed legged on my bed with the laptop on a stable table on my lap.  Ava (my dog) is lying on the end of the bed snoring.  I can hear the painter out there doing his thing and the kids next door squealing and playing.  It’s a public holiday here today for the Brisbane Ekka – ‘People’s Day’.

This morning I woke and got up before my 5:30am alarm and went off to Pilates at 6:15am.  I saw the most glorious sunrise at the waterfront this morning. It was beautiful … but no time to snap some photos.  When I got home the painters were here.  There were two but one has gone to finish off a few things at the previous job and the other is here to start ours.  Both will be here tomorrow (Thursday, when this is published).  Since I’ve been home I’ve basically been holed up in my bedroom, on the bed crocheting and now typing this on my laptop.  The kitchen and dining room are at the very centre of the house (the heart) and access through them is required to get to most places. It’s quite difficult with them being no go zones at the moment!

Now, it is Wednesday evening and I’m freaking out because I haven’t got a blog post ready for tomorrow morning, so here I am again.  This is the most ad hoc, unplanned, brain dump kind of post that I’ve done in a long time, if ever!  I’m now sitting at the iMac at my desk, far more comfortable for me than typing on my laptop (not used to it), and once again Ava is nearby snoring!

Since I was typing earlier, I decided I needed to get out of the house.  I was feeling housebound, so Ava and I went to the waterfront for a walk.  We walked about 5km’s.  It was a bit blowy but warm!  I was wearing a t-shirt (in August!) and wasn’t cold at all.   We’ve all had dinner here and it’s now just after 7pm.  The painters will be back at 7am in the morning.  The drop sheets are over all the floor areas and the dining room table which is the only piece of furniture that has been left in the room.  The drop sheets over the kitchen itself have been let down so that we can have access.  They’ll be put back up in the morning.  The sound is loud and echoey in the house without the furniture and all my pretty things around to absorb the sound.  The space in the garage where my car normally lives is filled with cans of paint and toolboxes.  My poor car has to spend the night out in the driveway.  Lucky it’s not a real winter in Brisbane! lol

Apparently the painting job will be finished by the end of tomorrow.  They will do the ceilings, the walls (undercoat + two coats) and another couple of coats on all the architraves and doors from this central area (four in total).  It’s going to look so fresh and clean and lovely!  The rest of the house is going to look so tired and blah in comparison.  One step at a time!  It’s incredible isn’t it how you can start one thing and it leads to more … and more … and more!!

So now I’m tired (packing up all day yesterday and early start today) and my brain can’t think of anything else of interest to say.  ‘The Block‘ is due to start and lying down, zoning out, and watching that sounds very appealing!  So I’ll wrap this up now and hope that next week I will be better prepared and have the Kitchen Renovation Part 3 post ready to publish fingers crossed

So enough about me.  How are you?  Have you been through a renovation so understand how chaotic it feels?  I’m not whinging though – I’m so loving the improvements, so I know it’ll all be totally worth it!

Oh!  Before I go, are you aware of Jo Castro of Lifestyle Fifty’s series on ‘Women Over 50 Who Blog’?  It’s a wonderful series and I’m discovering so many new over 50 women bloggers through it.   I’m lucky enough to be one of the bloggers featured in Part 5 – which you can see HERE.

Thanks for the coffee catch up!  Next time, hopefully I won’t be so tired and brain depleted! haha

Ciao for now,

Link up here at WOTM or with another of us in the Lovin’ Life Linky team:
Leanne of Deep Fried Fruit Kathy of 50 Shades of Age  |
Deborah of Debbish  |  Jo of The Hungry Writer – Joanne Tracey.
It doesn’t matter where you link up as it will magically appear on all five blogs.

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26 Comments

  • Reply Lydia C. Lee August 16, 2018 at 7:44 am

    Renovations are the worst – and so stressful even when they’re going smoothly (an internal stress, due to the mess and chaos). But a great reward at the end!! #Lovinglifelinky

    • Reply Min August 17, 2018 at 6:53 am

      Yes! I’m not good with mess and chaos. Wonderful reward at the end though, very true! 🙂

  • Reply Joanne Tracey August 16, 2018 at 8:05 am

    I had to laugh at this – and love these rambling posts 🙂

    • Reply Min August 17, 2018 at 6:54 am

      I’m glad I provided a laugh! I was practically asleep at the keyboard typing this post. It’s the most random, rambling, unplanned post I’ve done ever I think!

  • Reply Natalie August 16, 2018 at 8:35 am

    Take a break here and there, Min. Have a great weekend!

    • Reply Min August 17, 2018 at 6:55 am

      I’m certainly going to try Natalie! Hope you have a great weekend too!

  • Reply Vanessa August 16, 2018 at 9:15 am

    I’m a renter, so certainly no renovations here. But we did just move so bleh on unpacking right now!!

    • Reply Min August 17, 2018 at 6:56 am

      I actually don’t mind the unpacking part. Absolutely hate the packing! Good luck to you. Hope you’re really happy where you’ve moved to!

  • Reply jodie filogomo August 16, 2018 at 9:51 am

    Oh, it is chaos isn’t it?? Heck, we just painted our kitchen cabinets which is in no way as huge a project, and it made my husband crazy!! But it’s always worth it in the end….whenever that is..LOL!!
    XOXO
    Jodie
    http://www.jtouchofstyle.com

    • Reply Min August 17, 2018 at 6:57 am

      I don’t like the chaos, inconvenience and the intrusion of people in my house but it’s most certainly been worth it. Painting is finished and looks fab! 🙂 xo

  • Reply Christine August 16, 2018 at 10:11 am

    Getting close!!

    • Reply Min August 17, 2018 at 6:58 am

      Yes – just need the installer to come back and seal around the kickboards and then it is done!

  • Reply Sydney Shop Girl August 16, 2018 at 1:08 pm

    Lovely catching up with you today, Min!

    I’m well, at home getting things done so that I’ve the weekend to do whatever my fancy takes me!

    SSG xxx

    • Reply Min August 17, 2018 at 6:59 am

      I enjoyed our coffee catch up SSG! LOL I hope you have a wonderful weekend doing whatever takes your fancy! 🙂 xo

  • Reply Kathy Marris August 16, 2018 at 3:53 pm

    I can imagine what chaos a renovation could cause. I remember moving into our present home before the kitchen was installed and it was a nightmare! As you know we’re about to start building a new home and already the builders are behind, because our plans haven’t gone into Council yet. I feel your frustration!

    • Reply Min August 17, 2018 at 7:00 am

      You have fun and interesting days ahead of you Kathy. How exciting!! 🙂 xo

  • Reply Sue August 16, 2018 at 4:50 pm

    Min I know very well that experience of perching on the bed or wherever there is space while the tradies do their thing in the rest of the house!! Today we have the electrician here and the chippies are about to come to build a door frame and start the cabinetry in the bathroom. The power has been off all day and has just come back on, and I’ve been holed up in the lounge room under throw rugs for warmth, knitting, reading or listening to podcasts, boiling a saucepan of water on the gas stove (lighting it with a match!) for cups of tea and waiting for order to return to my house!! It’s not my favourite thing, but I try to keep my eye on the end result!!! I think your 5km walk was a very sensible, rejuvenating and stress-relieving idea!! Looking forward to Part 3 xx

    • Reply Min August 17, 2018 at 7:03 am

      Oh Sue – you get it! lol Sounds very much like my situation. How exciting for you getting a new bathroom etc! I was boiling the jug and making my coffee in the laundry (which I could only access occasionally). I had a stack of crackers and a water bottle in the bedroom to keep me going through the day. I was perched on the bed most of the day with the dog (I got heaps of crochet done!). Ocassionally, we went out to the front yard so she could go to the toilet and we’d sit in the sun for a while which was nice. The painters have finished now. They were such lovely guys and did a brilliant job. It looks fab so all worth it! 🙂 xo

  • Reply Leanne | www.crestingthehill.com.au August 16, 2018 at 5:01 pm

    You made me smile Min – all that downloading of what’s going on in your head while the painters mess with your schedule! Hope it’s all in hand and you’ll have some fabulous Stage 3 pics for us next week – it’ll all be worth it in the end xx

    • Reply Min August 17, 2018 at 7:05 am

      Those painters sure did mess with my schedule Leanne LOL Lucky they were nice guys, hard workers, and did a brilliant job! Just need the installer to come back and seal the kickboards and then once I get everything back in place I’m hoping life will return to a bit more normalcy and I can get myself a bit more organised again! xo

  • Reply Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond August 17, 2018 at 7:18 am

    Hi Min, I’m sure the chaos will be so worth it with your new kitchen and fresh paint job. I’ve had a very ‘up and down’ week struggling with some personal issues. However, this morning (Friday) I’m at the Coast and the sunrise brought such joy to my heart. We need to make time for a catch up when your renovations are finished. I admire you that you whipped up this post at the last moment and I’ve enjoyed a cup of coffee as I ready what you have been up to. Have a beautiful weekend!

    • Reply Min August 19, 2018 at 10:55 am

      Hi Sue – the chaos has been worth it for sure. It’s also had the added bonus of a big cleanout/declutter and clean! I’m so sorry to hear you’re been up and down struggling with personal issues. I am in a similar boat at the moment. As a result, combined with the reno stuff, I’m very behind in most things. I’m glad that your spirits can be lifted by simple things like a sunrise. I’m very much the same. We will most definitely organise that catch up soon. I’m through the worst of the reno now. Just need to get my head straight and catch up a bit but I’ll be in touch! Hope you’re enjoying your weekend. xo

  • Reply Deborah August 17, 2018 at 7:43 am

    Sorry about the paint stench Min. I’m grappling with logistics of builders etc at work at the moment. Had late advice yesterday that the lounges we’d ordered not only wouldn’t be here for the start of the service we’re setting up but that some of the fabrics aren’t available. How on earth did they not know that until now?! So now I’m madly sourcing alternatives.

    As for the other (smaller) project – that’s always been messy – there are huge delays and I can’t seem to find out why except I think the builders are over-committed! So – I feel your pain…. a little.

    • Reply Min August 19, 2018 at 10:59 am

      Actually Deb – there is no paint smell for me. I have no sense of smell! LOL Another thing that having no sense of smell comes in handy for! Sounds like you’re having a good taste of reno fun at work! Hope it all works out well in the end. I’m sure it will, though delays are annoying!! You may find better fabrics than the original ones chosen. Hope so!

  • Reply Leanne @ Deep Fried Fruit August 21, 2018 at 10:13 am

    I love reading about your every day. Fave posts.

    • Reply Min August 23, 2018 at 5:53 pm

      Good to know cos there might be more of them coming up! 🙂

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