Only 3 days to go now and everything is looking great.  Some more cleaning to do, still a shower screen to replace and one or two towel rails to hang up.  Apart from that though it’s amazing how different Sewjourn looks compared to what it did at Christmas time.  I can’t believe what a huge effort so many people have put in – particularly Mal and his parents!  As soon as I get a spare minute (maybe this weekend when our first guests are relaxing, creating and (hopefully!) enjoying) I will post the much promised before and after photos!

On our girls’ weekend up at Sewjourn we made coasters from here.  They were quick and easy to make and look fantastic.  Guests staying at Sewjourn are invited to make a coaster to leave in the studio – there is a fabric marker there for  those who wish to sign/date their coaster.

The building inspector came on Thursday and basically the only comment he made was that we needed to tile behind the sink in the kitchenette and the vanity in the bathroom of the studio.  Although it was a bit of a pain at the time (had always planned on doing it but wasn’t high on the list of priorities of things to be done by next weekend) it didn’t actually take that long and it looks great!

My other surprise when I got to Sewjourn Saturday evening was bedroom 3 which my father-in-law had painted completely white!  It looks fantastic, so different to last weekend when you could still see the plastered up doorway between it and the new bathroom!  Well done PJ – you are a star!

Although there is lots of cleaning and sorting out to do this week there is certainly light at the end of the tunnel.  One small hitch is that one panel of the shower screen shattered into a million pieces when my husband tried to cut it down……..nothing that can’t be fixed and it wouldn’t be a ‘real’ renovation without a few things not going to plan (just don’t need too many more this week!)

This Saturday was the Lancefield Farmer’s Market. Unfortunately I was working but Mal got to go up and snap some photos.  I love buying delicious local produce from this monthly market.

Only 6 days to go now until our first guests stay at Sewjourn……..and there is still a bit to do.  Luckily Mal and his fabulous parents are up there working hard!  I’m about to head up after doing a shift at work.  It is going to be a busy week but sometimes it is good to have a time frame to stick to!  Each day it is looking better as we hang more things on the wall and do more of the decorating.  More bookings this week too!  It is going to be weird not heading up there every weekend as we seem to have lived there half of the time this year…..but from next week most weekends are booked for a few months – only a few remain free.  It will be nice for us all to spend some time at home though – and to catch up with some friends that we haven’t seen for a while.  I have a post about our great weekend last week ready to publish but am still waiting to get photos from a friend to add to it……..so stay tuned.  Next week I promise to show before and after photos of each room also. 

Have a good weekend!

I had the absolute pleasure of catching up with 3 lovely girlfriends from uni last night – one of whom I hadn’t seen for 3 years!  What a great start to the week – thanks girls (because I know you will be reading this blog now!)

Warning……anyone can be converted to a Craft Enthusiast on a weekend away to Sewjourn!  Shirley happily labelled herself my ‘most un-crafty friend’ and when she was invited to come on our Girls’ Weekend she agreed but stated “I’m not bringing needles or anything!!!”  Well, she did come AND she brought along some newly purchased wool and knitting needles and rekindled her passion for knitting – her lucky daughter will soon get a lovely pink scarf!  Not only that she was first over to the studio on Sunday morning to continue her knitting AND she even made a coaster on the sewing machine!  What fun……..it’s amazing what a bit of time to relax, create and enjoy can do!

More about our fantastic weekend and some photos to come soon……….

Saturday was a beautiful sunny day so I snapped a few photos of the streetscape of Lancefield.  It was so sunny in the morning though that the photos of the north side of the street didn’t turn out that well……..and by the afternoon the sun had gone and the rain had come ( we can’t complain – at least the countryside is looking lovely and green).

I’m sure the garden enjoyed the rain and sunshine also – the roses are pruned and the bulbs are poking through – spring is just around the corner.

Well the clock is really ticking down now with less than 3 weeks until our first guests arrive and this is what the bathroom looked like when I arrived up at Sewjourn on Friday night!!! 

And the lounge room looked something like this……

Hmm, deep breaths and don’t panic!  But Mal has worked really hard again this weekend and it’s starting to take shape.  The painting is finished, toilet installed and the vanity is looking great…….just need the shower screen and tiles done and the vanity installed and we are there!  The bath is almost ready to go back in the first bathroom now that the floor is tiled …….a few hooks and towel rails to go up and the timber venetian to hang and that will be finished too.There’s still lots of ‘little things’ do though so it will be a pretty frantic couple of weeks.  Looking forward to our girl’s weekend this weekend though – have lots of fun things planned and everyone is really excited.

Daughter No. 2 competed in the State Gymnastics Finals yesterday – they came 2nd on bars and 3rd on vault – good effort especially since she had been home from school sick all week!  Well done girls!

I got a nice surprise tonight winning Moka Kids competition from the market I went to last weekend.  They make gorgeous memory boards, photo frames and jewellery holders. Looking forward to receiving my prize!!

I picked up a few more items when shopping today – all ‘bargains’ to help decorate Sewjourn.  These are a few ‘red things’ for the lounge and dining area.

And this lamp with a blue shade (looks better in real life than in the photo) is for the back bedroom.  I have some nice fabric with the same color blue in it to make quilts from……..they probably won’t be done for a few months yet though.

Mal has just gone up to Lancefield with a ute full of goodies – including 2 new bunks and a double bed.  Lots of work to be done on the bathrooms this weekend but I’m hoping to spend some time getting everything more sorted out as well…….and there’s still a bit of cleaning up to be done outside.  Firstly though we are all going to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.  The girls are VERY excited – they have been learning lots about the Olympics at school and are keenly collecting the McDonald’s toy mascots – I was extremely pleased when I discovered you could buy them for $2 and the children didn’t have to keep eating ‘Happy Meals’!