Say hello to our new oven!

Well not new so much - in fact far, far from it. St George made it in about 1950 and it came off their production line so soon after they started that its numbered 2342. Its in incredible condition, has two ovens, two warming drawers and even an old fuse box in the bottom. The clock (which is the only thing that doesn't work) looks like the one in my grandad's Morris Minor and is absolutely beautiful.

After my experience with the St George at Whale Beach, I found it on ebay and as it was local, I felt I had to have it. Especially as I found myself thinking about it a few days later. Yesterday afternoon though, as four of us struggled for an hour to get it down the front steps, I wondered whether it was a foolish move, especially as it has nowhere to go yet except sit on a trolley, looking confused in the living room. But it gives me a chance to get it looked at and to find and fit new seals to make it more energy efficient. And when its done, it will fit perfectly... even if we have to have a new kitchen.

One thing's for sure, at over 200kgs its not going anywhere else again!

Water water everywhere

Many months ago I read about a water bottle on Springwise that can be filled from the tap, but purifies as you go. Now I'm far from perfect on the green front, but I do like to do my bit and being a sucker for anything beautiful, it had my name on it too!

There was something else that urged me to buy. The concept was crowdfunded. This can mean lots of things but in this case, the designers put it into production only after a certain number had been pre ordered. It felt open and honest and as if I were part of it, so I ordered two.

I had absolutely no idea when the bottle would arrive - and actually due to a couple of moves on my part, it was almost a year between order and delivery. But clever marketing kept me posted and I continued to lust with patience.

Finally the bottles arrived and even the packaging didn't disappoint. The filter works in a similar way to a coffee plunger and comes with spare filters. And best of all, I've noticed my water consumption go up because I'm carrying it around so lovingly all the time!

Money makes the world go round

Next week we are completing on our purchase and with the money to pay for it in a bank account in the UK, I've had the challenge of juggling it over to make the most of what is a very poor exchange rate. What I hadn't realised is that when I looked at the current exchange rate, it was not what I would be getting from my bank and these rates are for 'corporates' only.

I found a service however, called Currencyfair, which matches changers of one currency with another and allows them to pitch for the best rate. You can either take the current rate offered, or put in your order and wait for someone to match it. I did mine in dribs and drabs, partly because of the exchange rate and partly due to fear but next time I would do in one hit. In the future, I would also put my money in way ahead of time to get the best possible offer. Even so, I saved myself about $13000, which is a new kitchen.

There is a tiny bit of hassle at the beginning as you need to prove who you are, but as they allow you to take a picture of a bill and email it across, it was hardly a hardship, but you should allow a couple of days for the process.

Thanks to Tobin Black for the image.

Next stop - Northern Beaches

Somehow I managed to loose this page so here it is again! The big news... a new house! Can't wait! 7 moves, including 2 countries in 3 years... This time though, the boxes I've so carefully stored each time will be freecycled as this one will be ours!

Its a little cottage on the side of a hill, between the sea and Pittwater. It's currently 2 flats but its got the bare bones of a lovely little house which feels just right and we're going to have fun playing with it and making it ours. It has a whopping garden, which backs onto a reserve. The garden needs to be shown some love and I can't wait - the current owner hasn't ever been to the end! Its also got a chicken coop so I think we're about to turn all Good Life. M has plans of vegetable patches and I think I will be quite happy with the view of a sea of green until it meets the ocean in the distance.

To get there I have some serious moving to do and being the only non-worker, I know that will be on my shoulders. But it will be so worth it in the end and I'm so looking forward to putting down some roots again.

Home... until next Thursday

For the past 4 months we've been staying in a house with this gorgeous view. Sadly, next Thursday, this phase is coming to an end but gladly will be starting our gradual move to our new full time home. After 6 moves in 3 years, I'm looking forward to passing on the boxes I've so diligently saved each time and never seeing them again!

This house has been a treat. The perfect place for Christmas and for a summer that has been rough in places with plenty of rain. Its up on the Northern Beaches, overlooking Dolphin Bay, which is near to Whale Beach. Unlike other houses closeby, its not glass/steel perfection and is pretty close to its original state with 50's bathrooms in swimming pool blue and diving mermaids etched into the glass. The kitchen too still has its original oven. Its these things about it that we love, coupled with the ever changing vista from the front deck and a wall of rock at the back that turns into a waterfall when it rains.

Its been my sanity during these never ending days of waiting for my visa. I've had great walks and swims, along with space to think and plan. Its helped me to fall back in love with Australia again and made me OK about staying.

Rather bizarrely, once upon a time back in London, I tore out a picture from a magazine of a sideboard I liked and have been carrying it round since then. That picture was part of an a photo shoot featuring Mark Tuckey, a furniture designer, taken in the house. I had no idea about the coincidence until I read this post from Table Tonic. How spooky! Here's the article and the chest.

If you want to know details of the house, mail me and I'll happily share. Its surprisingly affordable in comparison to its neighbours too.

One girl's treasure

I've talked about rubbish collection before. Back on dry land though there is also a six monthly collection of junk which means that everybody has a good clear out and piles it up outside their house in advance. In these days of vintage and distressed looks, its serious business to drive around and score something that might turn out to be your treasure.

Being up on the Northern Beaches, there's plenty of gems ripe for the picking. This week alone, I've scored a very old wicker bench and a coffee table, along with assorted bric-a-brac, cake stands and the like. There's a pile up happening in the garage as we speak, ready for the refurb action to begin.

I think the bench is going dark grey and I'm thinking of denim for the cover, with a couple of bolsters to finish it off. Alternatively, Im thinking of tea-staining some oversized roses print fabric but that's possibly a bit too obvious. The basket table is actually a lot nicer than the picture shows. Im thinking lime green... Any thoughts?

Quorn's here

Flavours, along with smells of course, are things that bring back memories. Sometimes even the thought of those tastes are enough to drag you back kicking to other parts of your life and you can recall those tastes as easily as if you were about to tuck in. Take MacDonald's for example. Love it or hate it, I can still recall the taste of a quarter pounder with cheese, or those dry tasting fries, although I haven't eaten meat for nearly 20 years. We're a long way by ship here so if you haven't brought it with you, its likely to either not taste the same (like chocolate), or cause you to remortgage.

My dad arrived at Christmas with a 'stash' literally, of PG tips. He had de-boxed them and put them in clear plastic bags, so with the air squeezed out of them, they looked so like something he should have been banged up for, if only he wasn't 82 and busy thanking the air hostesses. His delivery however, saved me a fortune, and brought M, the PG tips addict, much happiness. (sadly they were finished by the time dad left!). My Marmite, carried, and declared by me involving a long queue and plenty of verbal abuse from the Australian customs, is carefully counted to last until the next visit. NOBODY is allowed to touch my Marmite. Including The Boy who was overheard describing it to his 8 year old friend as 'Vegemite for London people'. I don't think so!

And I could kill for a good pizza. I've sidled up to Italians and asked for recommendations - the lower ground floor of the Post Office building in St Martin's Place seems to be it and I would rip off your arm for a Giardiniera and although my desire may be slightly biased, I'm far from alone. One of my reasons for being accepted into M's family is my closeness to a discount!

Now, I'm not saying that the food here isn't good - superb even. I don't think a single country on earth comes close to the Japanese offering but Australia isn't too far behind. Except in one area. If you're not a meat muncher, you're stuffed! Dried out bits of olive sausage is about all you can expect if you're a vegetarian at a BBQ, and we can nibble all we like on the skankiest 'schnitzel' from the freezer section that is worse than carpet food, but nobody is fooled.

But not any more....! Woolies have started sell Quorn.... Proper, good old fashioned Quorn, albeit with a new label and only one choice of sausage. But its still a Quorn sausage... We've had bolognaise today in two houses and I even got a call to tell me how much The (vego) Girl liked it... I still have no idea what's in it but I don't care. Its delicious!