Sunday Selections # 380 (I think)

Welcome back to Sunday Selections.

Begun way back in the mist of time by Kim of Frog Ponds Rock and now continued by me, with a drastic relaxation of rules.

Originally meant for showcasing old photos lost on your files, never seeing the light of day, the meme has morphed into photos of your choice, new or old, good or not-so-good, anything you please, but nothing rude please.

If you are participating, please leave me a comment so I can buzz along and have a look.
Elephant's Child always participates, and her pictures are always worth seeing.

this week we're taking a little wander around my city, viewing some pretty clever graffiti art:

I'm not sure this represents anything in particular,

it's on the back wall of the  Mr Sym Choon building,

while these two personalities are on the side facing the alley. Mr Sym Choon is a menswear store with very nice clothing.

this dragon is on a support pillar near a restaurant near the Waymouth Street end of Topham Mall, which runs between Waymouth Street and Currie Street.

these  next four chocolate and coffee coloured creations 

are part of one large mural

which I really love

the detail is amazing

and here is the whole mural. Clicking on each will enlarge them and I think the artist scrawled his name in the middle on that banner.

this pink and blue mural goes all the way along this wall

from end to end and top to bottom

but today I'm only showing you these few pieces of it.

I like this doorway, but not the big red lips.

I believe these two names are the very clever artists.

More next week.

 

Wednesday's Words on a Friday

The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over by a moveable feast of participants when Delores had computer troubles.

The aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to mind.
If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along and read it.

This month the words are supplied by Margaret Adamson and friend Sue and can be found here.

This week's words are in actual fact, two photographs, supplied by Margaret's friend Bill, which I have included in my little whimsy:

Bob Seagull: I really hate off-season, the beach is so quiet with no families around.

Nancy Seagull: not a chip to be seen for miles. We're going to have to forage in the waves again.

Bob Seagull: should we wait for the others?

Nancy Seagull: probably, but I'm getting a bit hungry. Where are they all anyway? 

Bob Seagull: They're in that disused Railway Tunnel over by the breakwater. Felicity Tern's eggs are beginning to hatch and Kevin Tern hasn't yet returned from scoping out that new fishing ground, so she's a bit stressed, Angie and Janet are keeping her company, while Felix and Bobo are out looking for Kevin.

Nancy Seagull: Felicity's eggs are hatching? Why didn't you tell me?? I should be there! Why didn't you say something? does she not want me there? why doesn't she like me?

Bob Seagull: don't carry on like that. You remember she built the nest way back in the shadows and you don't like the dark so much. 

Nancy Seagull: oh that's right. Well, I hope the hatching goes well. Let's not wait for them, I'm really hungry now, how about we fly over by the old jetty and see what's washed up?

Sunday selections # 379?

Welcome back to Sunday Selections

Begun way back in the mist of time by Kim of Frog Ponds Rock and now continued by me, with a drastic relaxation of rules.

Originally meant for showcasing old photos lost on your files, never seeing the light of day, the meme has morphed into photos of your choice, new or old, good or not-so-good, anything you please, but nothing rude please.

If you are participating, please leave me a comment so I can buzz along and have a look.
Elephant's Child always participates, and her pictures are always worth seeing.

This week we are back in my garden:

my jades are covered in buds,

some of which are about to open. In a short time the bushes will be a mass of starry pink blossoms.

my elephant ears are doing very well, multiplying at a great rate

and look at these aeoniums!

the black ones are doing better now the summer heat has passed, but the roots are shallow and they keep falling over. I should have buried the stems deeper when I planted.

the coprosma doesn't seem to be making any headway at all. According to the label, this should be 1.5 metres tall by now, instead it is stuck at 50cm, but at least it is still alive and colourful.

this pelargonium is leaning quite a long way, reaching for the sun, if I anchor one of the stems with a tent peg, perhaps it will send down new roots and stabilise.

my rhubarb has a few red stems, probably ready for cutting, but being short and thin, they won't go far. I can stew them with just a couple of apples for a single serve dessert.

the 'hen and chickens' that I have forgotten the name of is spreading quite wide now, I had several of these, but pulled out most of them as they were intruding upon other plants.

the white geranium is looking nice and lush too

the succulents in the bird baths...

are being quite badly chewed, I suspect earwigs, the garden is full of them.

my cat mint bounces back every time I remember to put some water in the pot, Lola loves to roll around in a couple of stalks when I pick some for her.

on my porch table, the Angels have exchanged positions, the base of the larger one fits perfectly on the base of the upturned empty pot.

now let's take a quick look at something I saw on V's verandah, which has a roof shading it from the hot sun:

her zygocactus is flowering!

it has about ten of these lovely salmon coloured blooms.

Wednesday's Words on a Friday

The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over by a moveable feast of participants when Delores had computer troubles.

The aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to mind.
If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along and read it.

This month the words are supplied by Margaret Adamson and friend Sue, and can be found here.

This week's words are in fact not words, but a couple of phrases:

1. off one's rocker

2. hit the sack

here is my story:

“Off one’s rocker” was the general consensus as I waxed lyrical about the joys of brush painting and the fabulousness that would ensue.

A day and a half later, I had to concede they’d been right. I must have been off my rocker to start this project. I stared at the mess a while longer, then hit the sack and fell asleep instantly, to dream of perfectly finished and polished antique tables and cabinets.

After rising the next morning, I sat, chin in hand, waiting for the kettle to boil, while looking at the half-done job strewn in pieces around the tiny living room. What had gone wrong? I’d painted furniture before, every lovely looking piece in my bedroom was testament to how easy it was. Where was my mistake?

I finished my coffee, rinsed my cup and got back to work. The sides and top of the chest had not gone well and were now several shades too dark, not to mention patchy, with some areas almost black. I realised I would have to recoat the drawers to match and set to work, no longer caring as much and dripping the gloss stain everywhere.

The drawers finally finished, I left them to dry. It would take a full day, I knew that, so I changed my now stained favourite khaki pants and went visiting. Hours later, after chatting to V (last week’s birthday girl), I walked in the front door here and began clearing away newspapers, rags, then cleaned the brushes and the stirring paddle.

The drawers were dry enough to move, so I stacked them in front of the chest and avoided looking at them as much as possible. But I couldn’t help stealing glances at the glossiness of the top of the chest. From all the way across the room (three and a half steps, ha ha, it’s a small room), it wasn’t looking so bad.

I realised what I’d done wrong. Everything I’d painted up until now, had been done with water based acrylic paint. Coloured acrylic paint, which hides imperfections in wood grains as well as being easy to apply and clean up after. I had already chosen a colour for this job, but many friends and neighbours were insistent that wood should not be painted. Stain was the way to go, to show off the beautiful grain.

The grain on these pieces was most certainly not beautiful, but I caved to "superior" knowledge and bought a stain/gloss mix. BUT, it was an oil based product and any experienced, professional painter (not me) could have told me this stuff is much harder to apply AND get right.  Boy, did I learn a lesson!

Morning three and the drawers were dry, finally. I screwed the knobs back on, put the drawers in the chest and started scraping dried drips off the floor.

Knock Knock on the door. Who’s this? Another neighbour. V and I are going to Mount Barker for lunch and a good scrounge through some op shops (thrift shops), would I like to come?

Heck yes! 

I topped up Lola’s kibble, gave her fresh water and locked the door behind me. We were gone a lot longer than I thought we would be, but we’d had fun and I’d found a few bric-a-brac pieces that pleased me, so it turned out a good day.

I packed all the things back in the drawers after I’d eaten dinner, just a sandwich and fruit and decided things hadn’t turned out so badly. I still had a useable chest of drawers, the floor was clean again, and I know now that I should stay away from oil-based paints and stains.

and here it is:

taken from across the room

see how dark the top became after much bungling on my part?

this is the colour the whole thing was supposed to be, the drawers here have only one coat and would have been finished with an extra coat of clear gloss, but the rest of the piece was already two coats darker :(

this has turned into a nightmare

an honest-to-goodness nightmare! 

Remember I mentioned the pine used in these chests of drawers has been pieced together from many smaller pieces with different grains on each one? 

Each section is taking the stain differently, so the colour is coming out patchy and uneven and while I thought a stain and gloss combination would be easier (one application) it really isn't.

A better way would have been the old-fashioned stain applied with a rag, then a gloss finish sprayed on. But even that method would colour unevenly with the different grains.

Too late now.

The top of the cabinet in particular looked awful with just the one coat and a second coat has made it very dark, not at all what I wanted. 

Here's a tip: when an unfinished piece from Ikea says "ready-to-paint" that's exactly what they mean. 

Paint.  PAINT.

Which easily covers up all the different grains and tones. 

I should have painted. 

There will be no pictures and the second chest of drawers may not get done. 

Sunday Selections #378

Welcome back to Sunday Selections.

Begun way back in the mist of time by Kim of Frog Ponds Rock and now continued by me, with a drastic relaxation of rules.

Originally meant for showcasing old photos lost on your files, never seeing the light of day, the meme has morphed into photos of your choice, new or old, good or not-so-good, anything you please, but nothing rude please.

If you are participating, please leave me a comment so I can buzz along and have a look.
Elephant's Child always participates, and her pictures are always worth seeing.

A little project I'm about to embark on:

an upgrade for my chests of drawers, I have two of these, bought cheaply from Ikea, made of pine. 

I had these a full year before the awful fresh pine smell dissipated. 

Let's take a look at that front left hand top corner:

you'll notice it is slightly darker. That's from a single swipe of a polish laden cloth. I'd already put a layer of the polish all over the other chest and began this one before realising I was going to have to empty and move the bookshelf sitting on top of it. So polishing this one was abandoned. The bookshelf is choc-a-block with dvds. All three shelves, double layered.

this 3cm is how small the original flat surface knobs are, I've put up with them long enough,

and they will be replaced with these not much larger 5cm knobs, with a slightly rounded surface.

a light sanding of the polished one, then  a single coat of stain-and-gloss, applied with a brush, because I do like brush painting.

this is the colour I chose after studying far too many boards with small samples of colour and not finding what I was looking for until quite by accident I turned one board over to discover more choices, in larger size samples, on the back side. Why didn't the assistant tell me that before she walked away to help someone else? Anyway, Choc Walnut.

here is the one-coat-of-polish chest with the new knobs, so you can see the difference in colour and the difference in knobs size. Although they don't look much different here, the difference in real life is a great improvement.

my original idea was to buy gloss paint in this colour for both chests, instead, after the gloss stain is dried, I'll find (or make) satin damask table runners in this shade and lay one across each chest of drawers. Maybe.

Tuesday is a completely free day, so this is where and when I'll begin. Move everything and start the sanding. When it is completely finished, the much longer task of unloading the bookshelf on the other one will begin.

Wednesday's Words on a Friday

The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over by a moveable feast of participants when Delores had computer troubles.

The aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to mind.
If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along and read it.

This month the words are supplied by Margaret Adamson and friend Sue, and can be found here

This week's words are:

1. baptism

2. dregs

3. pinafore

4. exploring

5. sugar

6. beehive

and/or:

1. heart

2. meddling

3. primary

4. contrary

5. mug

6. kitchen

Here is my story:

Wandering sleepily into the kitchen, I emptied out last night’s dregs and started a new pot of coffee brewing. I reached for my favourite mug, then set about exploring the kitchen cabinets for breakfast items. The sugar was easy to find, next to the coffee beans, right where it should be, but the rest of the cabinet contents were jammed in all higgledy-piggledy, put away in a hurry by Gavin when we moved in two days ago.

I’d been thrust unceremoniously into a new position in a new town, when a branch manager died suddenly. I’d applied for the job, but expected a more leisurely induction period, not this baptism style that resembled being thrown in at the deep end of the pool. My predecessor, Natalie Conroy, had simply dropped to the floor one morning while arranging her hair in its customary beehive style. An autopsy had revealed a badly damaged heart, yet her husband Eugene declared she had never had a sick moment for the entire forty years of their marriage.

Being the primary candidate for the job, the “big boss” had phoned me even before the funeral, stating a house had been made available and I should move asap. Gavin sprang into action finding cartons to pack stuff in, hiring a moving truck for the furniture, arranging to have our mail forwarded. He was hopeful that he could also find a new job in a new town, having been ‘let go’ six months before when his company downsized, which is really a fancy word for “we’re going to make our stuff in a cheaper country so we don’t need you anymore’.

As I searched the cabinets, Gavin walked in wearing one of my frilly pinafores and steered me towards the table. “Stop meddling about in my cabinets and sit down,” he said. “I’ve got breakfast all sorted. Contrary to all previously held beliefs, I am not incapable in a kitchen. You just never gave me a chance.”