Washing Day

Meg's Wash Day Laundry Powder

1 cup Grated and whizzed up Laundry Soap (Sunlight bar)
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Baking Soda

Making your own laundry soap is so easy!

I just grate a bar of Sunlight soap and let it dry out for a few days, then whazz it up in a blender until fine and powdery. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together and then put it into a pretty jar or container. I use 2tbsp per wash. That's it!

As an alternative to fabric softener I just add plain white vinegar to a 'downy' ball, and throw it in with the wash. Everything comes out clean, fresh and not overly fragranced.

Try it!

Spring Chicken.. House

This spring I finally get to have my very own pets again.
Since the poor Fella's allergic to everything with fur, I set my sights on a few chickens instead! My step-dad's been busily hammering away and has built the most incredible 'Palais de Poulet' for them. I still have to paint it, but here are a couple work-in-progress pictures to peek at. At the moment the first occupants will be three very lucky Rhode Island Reds.

Wait til you see it whitewashed and with it's board and batton siding on,
oh mon dieu!

Happy Spring!

A blooming bouquet of paper roses for my mum's birthday.

More Kitchen Pictures

Here are a few more Kitchen Re-do pictures.

The Great Kitchen Re-do!

This winter I have been a busy worker bee making my new kitchen pretty as a picture. A picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll let the Before and Afters show you what I've been up to!

This is what the kitchen looked like when we moved into Grandpa's old house.

We took out the table, and I painted the walls a pretty robin's egg blue, then painted out the trim and baseboards. The old rocker was my mum's first auction find when she was my age, the cookbook shelves are a couple of old pear crates, and I made an apron holder for my collection. The fella also welded the lampshade, and I covered it.

The main kitchen when we moved in.
It was very dark, so my priority was lightening it up - lots.

I painted out all the cupboard doors (over thirty of them!), sewed up a new curtain, and found an antique table at an auction to use as an island.

A lot can be done with a lick (or two!) of paint, and the only big costs in the re-do were the new soft vinyl floors, and the vent hood. The old floor had a great big scorch mark on it, and the old vent hood no longer worked so they were a must-do. I have to say that I am so very glad it's all done! It was a lot of work, but it was worth it. I may just never leave the kitchen again :)