Fancy Living in an Old Corner Shop? Ours is For Sale!

***NEWSFLASH*** Under Offer in less than a week!

Hello stranger!

Here are some snaps of our old shop house, tarted up ready to sell. I thought I'd post them just in case any of you who read this blog over the years would like a sticky at the finished product. 

As I write this I'm thinking about the 'heady' days of blogging and how much fun it was. I'm also wondering what you're up to, and that it's probably a waste of time publishing this because chances are no one will see it anyway...

  
Anthony and I worked our butts off renovating this house. There were times I hated it with a passion, but now that it looks so shiny and lovely I want to move back in! Funny that!

Anyway, here tis

Before I sign off (quite possibly for the last time) here are a couple of before pics to remind you of what we were dealing with. It looked waaaay better in the photos than it did irl! Seriously! We could it the sh*t hole!
Now to get started on the next one (newish and on the sterile side).
Take care, thanks for reading. Over and OUT!

Yuk!

Check our 'famous' loo here.

More For Sale info and photos here

x

  

Castle Fun Park

When I was a kid I used to beg my parents to go to Castle Fun Park, but they always, always said "No!". It didn't matter how artfully little me posed the question, their resolve was steely, they never cracked! (they just cranked up Roger Whittaker or Demis Roussos on the car stereo to drown my whiny pleas)
So for years, the only glimpses I got of the closest thing in Perth to Disneyland, were from the back seat of our Kingswood as we drove past. Sniff. Their refusal to budge still hurts actually - because I really, really wanted to tell my friends that I'd swum in a pool shaped like Australia and sat on a (real life) throne! It's all a bit sad really...and it gets sadder. You'll see in a sec because a couple of days ago I finally got my chance to visit Castle Fun Park - or to be more precise, what's left of it!

CFP was built in 1979 and abandoned in the early 2000's. Subsequently most of it was destroyed by a bush fire. Vandals have all but finished off the rest.

The Bavarian Castle then  

image via. 

(and no, I didn't nick that swan Sue!)

and now

Lucky duck! I'm still a little bit jealous! Image via

And I was scared before I saw this!

I would've thrown my twenty cents pocket money into the wishing well if I'd had the opportunity...perhaps I wouldn't be here now if I did - I might be living in a castle instead of the wonky old shop house...

This aint Disneyland!

Things aren't what they used to be that's for sure!

Check this neat little video to compare and contrast and for a hit of 80's nostalgia. The soundtrack alone cracked me up. 

And please send me a note if you were one of the lucky ones who got to paddle in Tasmania(!) 

Knit Wit

Remember that "riveting news" I mentioned in my last post?
(I'm talking knitting here, not my fringe) 
Well, I wanted to show you the beanie I made.

Officially it's called the lumberjack beanie, but because I made it for Anthony who is no lumberjack, and because we've spent a few days at the beach I'm calling it the fisherman's beanie.

Anthony, Melros Beach, yesterday.

So Frenchy, he's chic ;)

Admittedly it's a bit wonky and my pom-pom needs work, but I'm pretty pleased with my efforts. I've discovered (for me) knitting is much less headache-inducing than sewing (which I've all but shelved), and most importantly, Anthony isn't embarrassed to wear it in public. He says "it does the job" 

he might be a man of few words, but he's no fool! He probably wanted to say "it could double as a tea cosie!" but he didn't. I bet that's what he was thinking though. I bet it was on the tip of his tongue ;)

What more can a beginner knitter hope for?!

In Da Club*

It's official! I'm a bona fide, honourary, paid-up member of the Manchester Modernist Society!

 Look, here's my membership card

 and my badge

I'm going to wear it to work tomorrow and my work-mates will look at me with a "what the?!" expression.

Why Manchester? 

(Liverpool, Sheffield and Birmingham have Modernist Societies too)

Well, if Manchester's good enough for Johnny Marr, it's good enough for me!

(obviously I'm a Smiths tragic)

And, unfortunately there's not an Australian Modernist Society, perhaps there should be? Perhaps there is? Please let me know. 

Sadly, after eight years Modernist Australia is no more (as far as I'm aware it was as close as we got...) Patricia and Pete certainly increased awareness and appreciation of Australian mid-century architecture, and I'll miss their posts.

(another good blog bites the dust!)

Here's the link to all four societies if you'd like more info.

Other riveting news: I've got a fringe and I'm teaching myself to knit.

* 50 Cent, 2003.

When we were in Albany (was it only a week ago? It feels like forever!) we popped into St Joseph's Catholic Church. Not to attend mass - just for a bit of a sticky. St Joseph's was built in 1877 - this was a nice little coincidence because the last time I visited St Joseph's was in 1977 during the Saint Pius X Year 7 camp (now that was a long time ago!)
The thing that struck me most about St Joseph's, apart from its beautiful vaulted hull-like ceiling, were the red-hot pokers (I love them and have them in my garden) arranged so beautifully in front of the statues of Mary, Joseph and co!

Apologies to Joseph for chopping off his head. I'd offer up a Hail Mary, but somehow that doesn't seem quite right...poor old Joseph, he always gets a raw deal!

I love the symmetry of those candlesticks, et al. 

Here's that ceiling I mentioned...you can just make out Anthony pondering his days in the Melbourne Grammar School choir. Not.

I like the juxtaposition here. Pope someone-or-other and leopard print cushion. Nice.

The doors to the confessional remind me of your front door Dana ;)

Where I used to spend all my pocket money! Remember I'm the kid who wanted to be a Nun when I grew up!

I think this is a good place to end, don't you :)

Thanks for reading x

The Giant Ram

The Giant Ram, Wagin, Western Australia.

Well I had to, didn't I?!

Buster Gonad's got nothing on these!

The Giant Ram was constructed to commemorate Wagin's role in the Australian wool industry. It is nine times the size of a live ram and is said to be anatomically correct (ahem!) It was erected on site in May 1985 and sculpted by Andrew Hickson, who took eight months to create it.

Fake It Till You Make It

 Dear Ron,
I think your little nod to Goya's Antonia Zarate is lovely.
IMO you've done the Old Master proud. Antonia's eyes follow me around the room better than a portrait in a B grade Gothic horror flick.

I just wish you didn't sign your name with a permanent marker! A little scribble in a bottom corner would've been so much nicer.

Love, Kylie

"Spanish Eyes" (portrait of Antonia Zarate 1805, after Goya) Ron Clarke, 2011. Two dollars op-shop. 
Are You In This? Original British World War 1 recruitment poster. Anthony's Christmas present last year. Priceless.
The quoits were my Nan and Pop's and the primitive little table is from the Depression era.

Note: apologies for the preponderance of real estate posts. I know they're not everyone's cup of tea (and that most of the homes I've featured aren't either), but as I've mentioned before they're an easy way in and I've had fun writing them. I will write about other stuff - I'm not a real estate agent in sheep's clothing. Promise ;)

As always, thanks for reading x