dirt path 
Renovating an older home has a way of destroying the yard. We are currently left with large patches of dirt here, there and everywhere... which has not been helped by the extremely dry weather we've been having in Brisbane.

When the external side stairs were rebuilt, we pulled out an old garden bed and removed a lot of old...

On the weekend Chris and Susan invited a few people over to their home to meet a lady named Dell who used to work for  fashion designer Gwen Gillam.

For those who don't know, Gwen Gillam was an extremely popular mid-century dress designer in Brisbane - there is an exhibition currently on at the Queensland Museum showcasing her...

... what does a rather dapper man in a powdered wig...Jason dressed as Hornblower for a nautical themed work function.
He was driving in this image and about to give a bloke in a truck, who cut him off in traffic, the finger.
Newly constructed valance under a bay window...

I thought it was about time I showed you the latest from the Renovator's Rescue house I have been stalking for the past year or so...we drive past it on the way to school. Yesterday I stopped to take a quick snap.

It seems like the bulk of the hard work is now done to the external façade  The stairs are now up, the garage door...

Well that house that sat behind the Sow's Ear is well and truly gone. It was burnt badly during a fire in May and last week it was progressively demolished. Here is a pictorial of its demise.

This photo was taken late 2010 when the house was still intact and when we had  overgrown bushes
The day after the fire in May 2012
The...

...

If at first you don't succeed try, try again.


After Jason's first attempt of the valance turned slightly pear shaped, he's made some adjustments and is much happier with the how this attempt has worked out. It's a more solid construction so it should stand the test of time.

Jason started another valance under our bedroom and will slowly...

It's been crazy scary around here this afternoon. Jason's been working like a man possessed trying to fix up a  little fubar on the newly erected valance he finished on Sunday.  Here's the story...

Jason took the day off to escort Son #3 on his Kindergarten excursion to a farm. After dropping off the two eldest boys at school,...

We are all about the decorative bling here at the Sow's Ear.

Today, Jason spent most of the morning erecting the decorative valances (or skirt battens) which are found between the stumps of a traditional Queenslander where the weatherboards end.

A valance is mostly a decorative device from what I can gather - a supporting frame is...

The worst thing about renovating is the amount of building detritus that one accumulates in one's backyard.

The last exterior project managed to produce a large pile of old fired bricks and some square concrete pavers which we no longer needed. Fortunately our rubbish happened to be someone's treasure, with Mr D, our thrifty builder,...