Days off

Wow This is my 3rd day off, in a row. It is so great. I have been incredibly lazy, scrapbooked, been out for lunch, gone to a couple of photography things... and just tried to relax. Amazingly my agency hasn't rung to over me work so I havent had to try and turn it down. They rang today to offer me a night tomorrow... that works! I mean, I love working coz I really do like getting paid. We have decided to go to Ikea on Sunday and spend some of our hard earned cash on the furniture we have been wanting for Ben's bedroom. It has been in the planning stages all year, so we decided it was time that Ben got his upgrade. Poor boy, he has been making do for the last 2 years with a divan bed from the Salvos and a dodgy chest of drawers which don't open and shut too well. So off we go on Sunday for the big shop, new bed, new drawers, new desk! I might even splash out on some new sheets... although to be quite honest I bought him black duvet covers (those are doonas if you are Australian) about 3 years ago at Target and they still look great. They match everything and sort of work for a teenage boy. That was when I went for the black and red theme and bought the most fantastic bright red sheets from Big W which were NOT colour fast and now years later they still make everything else pink. I am sure they are at least 4 years old and still they run!
So.. Sunday shopping trip, definitely looking forward to that. I love Ikea, it is a real passion for me. I wander for hours. It is great that they have food and toilets because it means we don't have to leave the shop at all. And in the restaurant they have maple pecan danishes which are also one of my favorite things.
Once I have done Ben's room, then we are getting close to finishing the inside of the house. I do need to curtain the rumpus room, and it has such large windows! I had the fabric all picked out so maybe I will make that my next saving goal. Then of course I need to do some finishing in the family room. We have curtains to put up on the sliding doors, but need to buy track, consequently curtains are still in a cupboard - i was thinking it would be nice to have them up for winter. They are nothing flash, but were given to us by someone who didnt want them any more. And then there is my big project. Recovering my bargain couches. You may not know this about me but I Love to junk shop. I adore charity shops, jumble sales, garage sales, demolition sales, I have even been known to rescue things from the dump. I just can't help myself. So we have two of the most disreputable couches in the world in our family room. They were once cream or lemon (not sure which) but they are discoloured and marked and faded and they look awful. But I picked the pair up for $40 at a junk shop and they are originally Freedom couches and are really comfortable. On another of my bargain hunting shops I found a roll of upholstery fabric which cost me $20. So all i have to do is recover them. Piece of cake huh? I have done a little bit of upholstery in the past and am hoping i remember how it is done.
I have made a couple of layouts to show you. First up my St Patricks day layout with some pictures of my trip to Ireland.
Not sure that it is my most inspired work, but i wanted to do something green and Irishy! Here is my other layout for today. Now this one I love. I think this is the most gorgeous photo of Lucus.
wow.. the earth just moved again. Freaky. The other day when we had an earthquake it was the first for 10 years. And now we had another! That is kind of bizarre. The whole house shook for about 10 seconds.
Last night we officially finished our photography course. Now I think we just have to practice, practice, practice. Am looking forward to going to NZ so I can take tons of photos.
I think that is all the excitement I can share for this sunny wednesday. see you later