Almost my blog birthday!

It's almost the first birthday of The Crooked Cottage.  Which is pretty exciting.  It all started last year with my new years resolution of starting a blog - which really was going to be about our falling down house and the perils and joys of DIY.  Although we haven't done all that much DIY (I get inspired at times, but other times very uninspired!) and it has kind of morphed more into being about my garden.

Great night so far for #NYE #sydneyfireworks #sydneyNYE pic.twitter.com/hSFXEmaMal

— Crooked Cottage (@crookedcottage1) December 31, 2015

I've had a great year, although I have found it more difficult lately to post as life just seems to be crazy busy all the time.  I've really enjoyed reading lots of different blogs, about gardening, DIY, and simple living.  I have a few of them on my blog list, and would definitely recommend all of them!  I learn a lot from these blogs, and I hope that occasionally I can help people out with some information too.

I've really enjoyed being a part of the Garden Share Collective - and anyone who is interested in growing their own food should join in too!  Anything from some herbs in containers on a balcony to serious gardens on large areas (I'm still not sure how big an acre is.  But I know it's way bigger than my 150 square metres!)

So this years new years resolutions will be - 

1) Keep up the blog - and try to be a bit more consistent.  I'm pretty chuffed that according to my blog stats I've had 7500 visits this year, so hopefully I can increase that average!

2) Waste less food - this is a bad habit of mine, and it is quite shameful how much produce goes into my compost bin.  I guess it's better in the compost than the rubbish bin, but it is wasteful, and I'm going to try hard not to do it so much this year.

3) After just reading some posts on Nana Chels's blog Going Grey and Slightly Green I'm inspired to try to learn (or relearn, although not sure if being taught by your grandma when you are 8 and then trying again 30 years later counts as "relearning") how to crochet.  Time will tell.....

And of course there are still plenty of jobs to do around the house - including fixing my leak which seems to have returned, get the whole place painted externally, fix our balcony, and do something about my messy back courtyard.  Oh and of course properly fix the letterbox....

And this is why I am in charge of DIY at my house #husband #diyfail #saidhefixedit pic.twitter.com/bE643Thx0w

— Crooked Cottage (@crookedcottage1) November 28, 2015

So thanks for reading, commenting, and making suggestions, it is much appreciated!

It was (one) year ago today -

Well today I was reminded (by Facebook,  which seems a bit wrong that I now rely on social media to remind me of my life events) that one year ago we were just ripping up the floor and having our panic attack about the missing section.  It was the second day we owned this lovely house and things have certainly changed!  Mind you, there is still plenty to do. 

So as an anniversary present to myself and the Crooked Cottage, here are some before, during and after shots, just so I can remember we really have achieved quite a lot.....

 The lounge room as it was with the previous owners lounge and artwork up - looking from the spare room into the lounge room.

Slightly different angle but the same room now - looking from the spare room into the lounge room - my Florence Broadhurst wallhanging (made by my mum from a piece of fabric I bought at Signature Prints) is much nicer!

 Still working on getting the windows painted and some proper tie backs for my curtains, rather than the current pieces of cheap ribbon!

 The old kitchen - brown and beige colour scheme with fake timber floor and all.  Plus the island bench which was really an outdoor table.  

Via this - after floor taken up, but before we wrestled the million staples and the asbestos got removed

To this - much nicer colour scheme and you can just see the nicely polished floors.

The bathroom also has been given a full make over - from this when the asbestos was removed

To my lovely all white tiled to ceiling bathroom, with the sort of over large vanity (probably didn't need a 1200mm one there).   That window is not current though - it's been replaced after the great council debacle......

And outside - well the palm trees are gone, along with the crappy white rolled up blinds

 The ugly hanging fern and it's green pot have been replaced and prettied up too

 The green pot got painted grey and the horrible half dead fern replaced with some petunias (which I admit are also half dead now - hanging pots are too easily forgotten!)

 We have a great security door - nothing can get in there.  But the blue colour walls are still there - which wasn't really part of my original plan!! That might be the next thing to be fixed up....

So I will have to do another post in one year from today - who knows what else will be fixed up by then?! 

What do you think the next job should be - painting outside, finishing painting inside, fixing the fence (including removing the green paint that the previous owners painted over the sandstone - why??), building a seat on the deck - or do you have other suggestions?!

And please feel free to click on the link for Facebook and "like" my page, I would appreciate the support!