The Scrap Heap

25/10/2026

Bedroom Renovation Update
We're Getting There!

I've been a bit quiet on here for the past week...

I had a bit of a shock during the renovations, which really threw me for a loop. Let's just say there was a fair bit of stress, a few emotions and a definite dip in my enthusiasm for pretty much everything!

But Mr B came to the rescue, as he always does, and thankfully my stress levels have settled, my mood has lifted, and I'm feeling like myself again!

I'll share the details of my scary renovation experience soon... because of course, no renovation would be complete without a little drama!

But in the meantime... a bedroom painting update!

After finishing the gorgeous green feature wall, I patiently waited a full 48 hours before daring to put masking tape anywhere near my freshly painted masterpiece. I wasn't about to risk peeling off all that hard work!

Then it was time to tackle the Kauri Cliffs walls properly.

First, I finished off the first coat on the walls I'd only managed to get about three-quarters of the way through. Then came another two coats, because apparently I enjoy painting the same walls over and over again!

Finally, the moment of truth... peeling off all that masking tape!

A few little touch-ups here and there, and THE PAINTING WAS DONE!

And you know what? I absolutely LOVE it!

Don't you just love that feeling when you've had a vision in your head for ages, and then suddenly you stand back and realise it's turned out exactly how you imagined? That feeling makes all the hard work worthwhile!

I'm so happy with how the colours have come together. It's starting to feel like the bedroom I've been dreaming of rather than a never-ending renovation project!

Next on the to-do list:

Sanding and finishing those beautiful old rimu windows.

Sanding and painting the skirting boards and door frames.

And then... the bit I've been hanging out for...

DECORATING!!!

I'm getting ridiculously excited about finally bringing in the furniture, artwork, plants and all those little finishing touches that make a room feel like home.

We're so close now I can almost taste it!

One more little push, and hopefully I'll be swapping my paintbrush for cushions and pot plants!

And stay tuned for the renovation drama...

20/10/2026

Apparently this is called a Fairy egg .... who knew!

18/10/2026

The existing garden is coming to life! 🥰

17/10/2026

15/10/2026

Garden Update #9
A Little Bit of This and That!

Just a little update this time… although somehow even the little jobs seem to turn into bigger ones around here!

Now that the garden beds and pathways are starting to take shape, I've been thinking about what I actually want to plant where.

The plan is to fill the garden with lots of lovely herbs and flowers, creating a beautiful, productive space that's not only useful but also attracts plenty of bees and other beneficial insects.

So I gathered up a collection of empty pots and started placing them around the garden to mark out where I want things to go.

A bit of a sneak peek at the garden that's currently living in my imagination!

I also did a bit of plant foraging… from my own deck!

A few flowering plants that had been living in pots got relocated into the garden beds, where they'll hopefully spread out and make themselves right at home.

Then came the workout of the day…

MULCH! And lots of it!

Wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow, carted all the way from the pile out the front to the backyard.

I'm starting to think I don't need a gym membership with all this gardening!

But what a difference it makes! The mulch is really helping to define the garden beds and make everything look a little more finished.

There's still loads of planting to do, pathways to finish and plenty more ideas floating around in my head, but I'm actually feeling pretty pleased with how it's all coming together.

Not looking too bad, if I do say so myself!

And the best part? So much of this garden is being created using things I already have.

Slowly turning a pile of bits and pieces into my own little garden paradise!

14/10/2026

Garden Update #8
A Bird's Nest, Some Bad Weaving and a Bit of Recycling!

So, we're going to rewind a little for this garden update, back to before I started ripping up all that grass!

I'd decided to give the garden a bit of a tidy-up, starting with a rather random plant that had completely taken over my apple tree.

Now, this plant had pretty flowers, but it had gone absolutely CRAZY! It had grown right up through the apple tree, and looking at the photos you'd be forgiven for thinking my apple tree was looking wonderfully covered in leaves.

Nope! Not a single leaf belonged to the apple tree!

They all belonged to this mystery plant that had decided the apple tree was the perfect climbing frame!

So, out came the cutters and I started chopping it back. It wasn't really a vine, more like a collection of enormous, tall branches that had made themselves quite at home.

I'd already cut through the main stems at the bottom and was starting to pull the branches out of the tree when I spotted something…

A bird's nest!

And not just a nest, there was a Thrush sitting in it!

I immediately stopped what I was doing because the last thing I wanted was to disturb her.

Unfortunately, because I'd already cut the plant at the base, all those lovely leaves eventually died and fell off, leaving the little nest completely exposed.

Sadly, the bird abandoned the nest, and I discovered there were three tiny eggs inside.

I felt absolutely terrible! It certainly wasn't what I'd intended, and if I'd known the nest was there, I would have left the whole lot alone.

The little nest was just so beautifully made, though, that once it was clear it had been abandoned, I decided to keep it as a little garden feature. A reminder to check more carefully before getting carried away with the pruning next time!

Anyway, back to the mountain of branches I'd created…

Originally, the plan was to chop everything up for mulch. But as I was cutting the branches into smaller pieces, I had one of those WAIT A MINUTE… moments!

My nasturtiums were sprawling over the ground, and I suddenly thought I could use some of these sticks to make a little rustic trellis for them to climb over!

Brilliant idea!

Except…

I'd already cut most of the sticks too short!

So what followed was a rather questionable attempt at weaving, using whatever bits I could make work.

Let's just say I won't be taking up professional basket weaving anytime soon!

But you know what? It worked!

I managed to create a little rustic stick trellis that lifted my nasturtiums off the ground, and I actually quite like its slightly wonky, handmade charm.

And the rest of the branches?

Well, they look rather lovely stacked up in the fire brazier, ready for a future fire!

So, one overgrown mystery plant turned into a tidier apple tree, a little garden feature, a homemade nasturtium trellis and some firewood.

Not quite the garden tidy-up I'd originally planned, but that's becoming a bit of a theme around here!

Nothing goes to waste if I can possibly find another use for it!

13/10/2026

Garden Update #7
Getting the Edges Sorted

Well, it's time for another instalment of my never-ending garden makeover!

This time, the mission was to get the garden borders in place.

Now, as you probably know by now, I'm a big fan of using what I've already got lying around rather than rushing out to buy new things. And luckily for me, I had quite a stash of old wooden garden edging just waiting to be put to good use!

First, I mapped out where I wanted the borders to go, then cut away the cardboard along the lines I'd marked out.

Next came digging a narrow trench with the spade, just deep enough to get it started.

Then out came my trusty mallet again!

Honestly, that thing has probably been my most-used gardening tool lately!

Bit by bit, I hammered the edging into place, and suddenly the garden beds started looking a whole lot more defined.

Of course, in true DIY fashion, I got almost to the end before discovering I was TWO boards short!

Luckily, I do have one more length of edging tucked away, so I'll cut that to fit another day. Close enough for now!

I also spent a bit more time properly mapping out my garden pathway using my collection of broken bricks, pavers and random bits and pieces.

It's starting to take shape, but one thing is becoming VERY obvious…

I'm going to need a LOT more broken paving!

This path is definitely going to be one of those projects that evolves as I go, and I'm perfectly happy with that. It's a bit like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle, except half the pieces are missing and I have to go hunting for them!

And can I just say, I'm really loving how my old bathtub and sink are looking at the moment!

Who would have thought a couple of old bathroom fixtures could look so at home in a garden?!

There's still plenty to do, but every little job is making the whole space look more like the garden I've been imagining.

Slowly but surely, it's all coming together!

12/10/2026

Garden Update #6
The Great Garden Path Puzzle!

So, now that I've finally got the basic layout of the garden sorted, it's time to figure out where the pathways are going to go!

I've got quite a collection of old bricks, broken pavers and random bits of stone lying around, and rather than getting rid of them, I thought… why not turn them into a garden path?!

The vision is a rustic, slightly mismatched, winding pathway through the garden, using all these different bits and pieces, then filling in the gaps with little stones.

Sounds simple enough, right?!

So I started laying out my collection, moving pieces around, trying different shapes and sizes, and slowly mapping out where I wanted the path to go.

It wasn't long before I realised one small problem…

I'M GOING TO NEED A LOT MORE PIECES!

So out came the trusty mallet again, and I started smashing up some of the already broken paving stones into smaller pieces to fill in the gaps.

Who knew garden landscaping could be such a good way to get your frustrations out?!

I've now got the basic shape of the pathway mapped out, and I'm actually really liking where it's heading!

Of course, there's still a LOT of collecting, breaking, arranging and rearranging to do before it'll look anything like the picture I've got in my head.

And knowing me, that picture will probably change about 20 times along the way!

But that's half the fun of creating a garden like this. I'm not following a fancy landscaping plan, just using what I've got, experimenting as I go and seeing where it takes me.

This one could take a while… but I'm excited to see how it evolves!

One broken paver at a time!

To be continued…

11/10/2026

From the Archives
August 27th 2008

Ok last night I went to another Product Preview at NZ Scrapbook, Three Bugs in A Rug range. I took along a couple of friends from work, Sofie and Taryn and of course Danice was there too. The Preview kit was a Memory Box. The paper was ADORABLE and I also adored the take home LO kit papers too. We got some little gifties to take home, the take home LO papers, my Boy Box Kit, and the Girl Box Kit I bought afterwards, I adored the girl papers so much and I couldn't do one for Riley only!!! I bought some papers afterwards, The popcorn paper I have a Layout in mind for so watch this space!! The ever wonderful Danice got some albums for me on special at spotlight. She is too kind and generous, I'm going to repay her soon! Not sure how excactly yet but I'm thinking I might have a couple ideas up my sleeve!!! Now over at Scrapbookers Challenge we just all recieved the ATCs from our very first swap and I am blown away!! I Love them!! The ones I made are the orange ones, I can finally show you the WHOLE of them!! Also in the box of ATCs I recieved was a little something extra from the lovely Kristine Well I think that is about it!! I had a great Scrapping day yesterday!