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House Blessing

2011-11-12T13:24:00.001+11:00

On 5 November 2011 marks the spiritual cleansing of our new home. It's a custom tradition for Catholic Filipinos. And, it's our way of thanking God for giving us this blessing. So, we decided to invite a priest.

Father Joey Echano , a Filipino priest, has come all the way from Kew, Victoria. He is a member of the Redemptorists who live in the community for the sake of preaching the Gospel of Jesus. He was the parish priest of the very famous National Shrine of our Mother of Perpetual Help in Baclaran. I am very pleased to have him in our house.

As soon as he arrived, we lit up the candles then he read us the prayer of Gospel. He walked throughout the whole house starting from the entry door and blessed each room, including our backyard.

It was a mostly sunny day, 29 to 30 degrees Celsius. Everyone thought it would be one of those finest days. Yes, it was in the morning but the minute the people were arriving, the heat was coming as well. For the record, we had a total of whopping 70 guests. Out of which were three babies getting irritated with the humidity. It was a Philippines-weather-like experience...hehehe Well, at least a perfect house WARMING!

A Filipino House Blessing is not complete without a ton of food! I have to give lots of credits to my mum! She's done most of it all in just 1 1/2 days. What she did was an absolute ACE!

I'd also like to thank a few friends who brought their specialty dishes to the table for everybody to share! They were all yummy!

Here are the photos:

We also had a simple celebration for my daughter's 4th birthday after the blessing. I bought a maxi bitesize cupcake from The Cupcake Bakery and mini ice cream from Bravo Gelato for kids and kids at heart to enjoy. Thanks to Medina-Coates for the tiara and accessories, she's been like no other than a Princess! And by the way, those high heeled shoes these little kids wore until late! They sounded like a herd of Shetland ponies as they clip clopped over the wooden floor. My ears bled!

This will be the last blog topic I am writing before I send this to USA for printing, but will still be blogging when i get a chance. I just can't wait to see my first created coffee table book up close! =)

P.S. Thanks to Romeo Pulido Jr. who has helped us out all the way to make this house blessing possible. A million thanks to you friend! And, to JP Cabalce for the photos at sure na ikaw na talaga! =)

In my Crib

2011-08-26T15:39:00.001+10:00

I AM BACK!

After seven weeks of adjustment in traffic and working hours, I finally have some photos to share with. We're so happy with the outcome of haggling back and forth which I give credit the most to the hubby; he's been able to use his knowledge of purchase power..wink, wink, wink ;-)

While some of the areas are still in progress like the study nook and backyard, we don't want to hurry coz we still have our dining table yet! I am already itching to complete this missing piece in our house puzzle. By next week, hopefully, we get a call from the furniture shop and give us some bloody good news coz I am so sick of waiting!

OK, let's cut this whinging short anyway and go back with the photos that I am very proud of and is the purpose of this blog. They are looking the way we wanted them to be and, without any bias at all I think they look really good in these photos (nice job done editing)...hehehe The beauty is in the eyes of the beholder anyway so let's hear from the critics and get to the business:

Our lounge area:

The kitchen:

This is my favorite area so far - our alfresco:

P.S.

We have not attempted to hang picture frames as such our walls would still remain empty for the meantime..So, that's another mini project on the way. I'll post photos once they are ready to be shown...:-)

Settling in

2011-07-07T09:24:00.005+10:00

Who would have thought we'd be able to move in three days after the PCI**. Hehehe It was a whirlwind decision, though a few things still need to be fixed; we're hoping they're going to do them sooner than later.

My husband and a few chosen friends did all the hard work and helped us get through this bloody way of moving house, BIG TIME! How they've done it? I have no idea! Undoubtedly, they did a very good job I was so impressed they worked like pros. Well done to the hubby who drove the truck just as easy and smoothly in the freeway while he maintained the inside unshaken. Spotless! It took them 4 hours to load the things but it only took them one hour to unload. Far Out! This is not possible without the help of our Filo friendships!

Our deepest thanks to Romy, Paul, Rico, Fhedz, Molly, Jeff, Ryan, and Lorie for the borrowed time. We owe you guys so much!

This is the picture of our first night in our dream house. We're sooo tired that right after this shot, we were knocked out!

So much things still need to be done. Hoping by the time I report for work next week, all is settled....til next time, thanks for reading my blog....

**29 June - PCI (my 3rd year in OZ)
30 June - Settlement
02 July - Move-in

Hello...Henley??

2011-06-22T20:13:00.000+10:00

We have no inspection done in the past, so we're going to bring our own inspector for the first and last time...The anxious hubby called Henley today becoz we need to have a D-A-T-E! Regardless how many times he'd been transferred, he was able to book in the New Home Presentation/PCI date on Wednesday! Woohoo! I know it's a bit odd calling them, but we're just making sure this house is worth paying for before they hand it to us.

Still in panic mode, our SS has no choice but to "eat" his previous words...house is still not finished; settlement is not gonna happen one day after PCI.

We're hoping to get exactly what we expect, although we already missed the more important things to check at least all visible aspects of the home are met. So, before we jump for joy I'm crossing my fingers and toes hoping for no major issues at all...goodluck to us!

Closed Doors

2011-06-13T10:23:00.000+10:00

We decided to drop by yesterday and found out that all the doors are locked....for the first time!

We still had the chance to check out the latest inside by peeking through the sliding doors of our alfresco. They are still working on our floorboards. Dust is all over the floor, some skirting are in progress, and the carpets have not arrived yet! I saw a lot of red dots around the house, which they are going to fix before our Practical Completion Inspection (PCI). How are they going to finish these by 16 June???

We were pumped to see our french front door out standing and unstained. T'was really nice to see it from afar and in between there's water dripping towards the foot path because somebody has just watered our plants! Whoah! We're almost there....

Panic Attack!

2011-06-06T21:27:00.003+10:00

Got a call from Henley today and they finally gave us the move-in date. Guess it when?

E O F Y !

How about that?? It's already June!!!!! I think we're the only new owners not excited with the move or should I say we're just terrified of the reality that we're about to face...hehehe Tomorrow we'll ring the real estate agent advising them of our intention to leave their property, start boxing our stuff, contact a removalist, ring electricity/gas/internet/phone providers, and contact God to help us with these things!!! OMG, this is now getting serious don't know where to start....=(

Also, we met the super young good looking SS today and we were told that our French door was stolen last week! What the! Oh well, if it they have not left it lying for two weeks inside, no one had been interested..

I'm still in awe while writing this blog that it won't be long and we'll be living our dream house for the next 30 years of our lives...will miss the St. Peter's church here in Bentleigh and the rest of the community...♥♥♥

No Entry!

2011-06-05T20:35:00.000+10:00

Our wooden fences are now around the house so, yeah, no trespassers please! =) Yay, are we nearing the end over err handover of the keys??? Yehey! I think we need to start packing...and throw our things to the three boxes we just pinched from our friend over the weekend...hehehe

This is the latest photo of our backyard with the fence. No complain at all, just enough play field for my daughter...:)

I just don't understand why until now our main front door is not installed???? Hmmm...can't find the door we saw last weekend inside the house. Did they end up sending the wrong one to the supplier??? Tomorrow for the first time we will have the chance to meet the SS, so hopefully he's got satisfying answer for us...

Other stuff that we spotted when we sneaked in while the cats are gone - STACKED STONE! Woohoo! They look terribly fat and good! How good things are when you get them for FREE! Can't ask for more...

Electrical outlets, downlights are now in place. Oh we've got our powder room already set up as well...hmmm...hopefully it has not been used now the portalet is gone...=)

Look! we've got stainless steel sink drain...=)

Last but not the least, our rangehood is now in with the kitchen sink. Not the fanciest hood but they are lovely to my eyes! I feel like a masterchef contestant...hihi

We also organized someone to measure the windows and doors for the blinds tomorrow. Haven't clearly organized our thoughts which one to choose from the five options my hubby listed. I'll put these five in my next blog when we finally decided...=)

Til then!

Garage Sale

2011-05-28T20:36:00.002+10:00

One thing I noticed when we visited our soon to be home today - no more fences! Yeah, they are starting to unpack their things one by one...and, our excitement is getting closer day by day...whew!

Well here goes the update:

timber windows awning are now stained
our front door and stacked stones are delivered
architraves all installed satisfactory plus house fully painted
bathroom tiles in progress
GARAGE and DRIVEWAY done!

Bet you'd like some pictures to feed your imagination, so here they are folks!

In the coming two to three weeks, the SS would be able to tell us our move in date which hopefully by end of July. So, please hang in there til our most awaited journey begins!

Check-In

2011-05-17T18:59:00.004+10:00

At long last, NearMap (nearmap.com) has finally taken time to get an aerial view of our suburb! It's been six months and some of our future neighbors have finally settled in with their new houses and some are still on the deck to handover of the house keys....

In the meantime, here's a better view of our block of land with roof tiles all mounted as of 7 Apr 2011!

The Ministry

2011-05-15T22:25:00.002+10:00

I was told that fixing stage is finishing this week so painter and tiler could start really really soon. The cornices have been fit and installed, however, some of the architraves have not been done so most probably this stage will go for another week. I know they've been very slow but that's alright we are not bothered because the build contract is until August.

The most anticipated of them all is now standing before our very eyes! The kitchen cabinets! Here are some of the favorite angles of our kitchen. I don't really cook, but with this huge and beautiful kitchen I am definitely would be hanging out here more while the hubby is cooking...=)

Look how wide our benchtop is, we might not need a dining table for a while...=)

I did have second thoughts when we chose the color and design of the cupboards but everything is looking great, especially the glossy look above! I thought the color will complement with dark floorboards and off white walls to achieve the modern contemporary feel of the house. My husband and I are so delighted with the result.

To feed your eyes more, below are some of the pics of the progress:

laundry

common bathroom

common shower

master's ensuite

my little girl hiding inside the built in wardrobe of her room

view from the theatre room

view from the butler's pantry

window siding in the theatre room but not sure what does this mean...

Nothing much has happened outside the house except the rendered pillar is now colored light brown haze. The other pillar is still bricked which is good because that means they have not forgotten that they will put feature stones as agreed and signed. ^_^

Til next time friends!

Gimme a Brick

2011-04-17T16:04:00.008+10:00

It's all looking good now...at least, the facade that we've been trying out to imagine using the Studio M http://www.studiom.com.au/envisage is now taking it's shape, for real! One of the two pillars will be rendered and the other one be filled with stacked stone...Don't know if they will look good but I'm crossing my fingers and toes now that they will bring a different accent.

So much have happened in weeks' time...the interior has now a different ambiance and hopefully we can get rid of the display house's orientation off our minds to ours in the coming months. :D Honestly, we're still confused of our house plan...hehe

From the rolls of insulation inserted between the studs to the plastering, here are some before and after photos:

One thing that was totally a miss! We were not able to put additional soundproofing materials between the walls of the theater and bedroom. So much time to ask, I even mentioned this to the husband but didn't do anything until I spoke with my boss. Unfortunately, plastering has already begun...Geeze, what a slacker me! Hopefully, there will be no night shift working in the household otherwise, it will just be a pain sleeping. =)

Our solar hot water has also been "roughed in." However, can't reach the roof to get a close-up view, so til our next post! :)

Packed to the Rafters

2011-03-30T19:30:00.001+11:00

Thanks to our good friend Romy for taking time of doing this indie/documentary/first amateur video of our unfinished home!

The place was abuzz! We were not expecting a jam packed full of site "supervisors" but we hope we had been wonderful hosts...hehehe

The lid of the house had been put on and while we were doing a bit of tour to our first guests, hope you are liking the behind the scenes look at the creation of our first crib...

The Pink Room

2011-03-20T11:56:00.005+11:00

At the onset of the construction, our little girl knows that she'd be having her own room and where it'd be. So, every time we visit our home she always go straight to that room, tell me where the T&B, and where her wardrobe is. She tells me what color feature she likes and that's always been, no other than

P I N K! Afterwards, she'd wave me to go back to our room.

Oh yeah, she's wanting privacy now!!

how about a cheeky pose while leaning on the
entrance door

feeling the view from her bedroom

Here are some decorating ideas my daughter would probably like to have on her room. I let her choose from these photos. Guess, what she picked?

She chose the 1st and last pictures combined...

"As pre-schoolers they like to showcase their developing personalities like these drawings on the wall and their favorite toys; while tweens are usually preoccupied with favorite accessories just like this pink bedlinen."

Well, I am no surprised by the things that captures her attention. It's good she knows what she wants and that's what makes it easier for us and hoping we can fit these in our budget! =)

Til our next post!

P.S. Photos taken from http://www.homelife.com.au/home+ideas/galleries/decorating+ideas+for+childrens+bedrooms,12469

Gullible's Travel

2011-03-13T21:14:00.011+11:00

300 metres from afar I can see our house from the opening of a round-about section in our estate. I thought I was looking at a different house because I was expecting a more or less complete roofing tiles installed, as I've been told "halfway there already!"

Holy crap! I think I've been gagged for days! There was not even one tile on the roof! LOL

Anyways, everything is in order and "on the floor" for Stage Four to begin. Roofing materials will be installed, windows and exterior doors will be placed, and facade materials such as bricks and siding will be applied on the coming days. Can't wait much! :)

Wall sheating and aluminium windows are attached

our timber doors and windows

our roof tiles

the bricks

P.S. Ken, I will have my sweet revenge and I will make sure that one day will be mine! LOL

WOODSTOCK

2011-03-05T20:55:00.010+11:00

Since the weekend, we expected nothing much to have happened at the site when we arrived there today. But we were astounded and thrilled to see that all the posts have been stood up and the beams are already in place!

Wow, it's really beginning to look like a house!

We are amazed at the outstanding job the Site Supervisor has done to keep this site clean and tidy at all times. Hopefully, this will last until the final stages...:)

Getting at the site, we caught the tradies jackhammering the slab which they kept us waiting for 2 hours before we had been able to take pictures. They had miscalculated the area of the dining and would give us a smaller alfresco if they have not found it just in time. I am afraid that the measurements are just numbers to me!

Overall, we're overwhelmed with the outcome as everything went pretty smoothly in just two week's time! The timber looked as clean and good as the look of the house, the nails were properly penetrated on the woods, and poles quality treated and installed.

Here are some photos of the house. We mixed up some rooms at one point as we were still getting a bit of a feel for the size of the house :D.

the etnry porch

hubby cleaning the soon-to-be benchtop. Lounge on his right.

the alfresco

ishi's tent is waiting to be stood up on our backyard

the side of the house looking the alfresco

our theatre room!

dining area

butler's pantry

side view of the house

another photo of us when this porch is finished! I'll keep you all posted! :D

SLAB-o-beer!

2011-02-19T21:58:00.016+11:00

Nobody tipped us off of any progress, so we just went to the site and here ya go...Oh it's slabbin all the way baby!!

I don't think the SS is here and I don't think these tradies do care, so I asked the husband if he could get a bit of what they are doing while I take photos of this beautiful slab.

If you were with me, I don't think you will see my excitement coz I was kick'n my feet, wavin my arms, and leanin forward in my bouncy! ^_^

This is Waffle Pods slabs. The styrofoam works as formwork; better in clay soils as they sit on the ground not in it and the clay is free to expand and contract. They say foam would last 100 yrs out of the weather!

Laying of concrete underlay and reinforcement in the beams and slabs

Tradie's shoes need cleaning :D

With the boxing in place and the mesh in the trenches, we just need the weather to hold until the concrete is poured!

One week later....

If this slab has any cracks appearing, it's all because it didn't keep it wet enough! But alas, so far so good!

With the boxing off, we can begin a better idea of what will go where...

we tried out the step from the entry porch welcoming our guests!

Never never land...soon!

2011-02-01T21:32:00.011+11:00

It's been two months now and the land is still a land...The excitement will peak one day but I can't tell exactly when...but i know from the pictures below it's coming our way soon!

Site works preparation for footing and slab

It's ok to sneak out...:D

Utilities connections installed

Service Pipes installed

Before fencing

a safety sign which means something big is coming soon!

as the levels are formed and the trenches dug, it's all beginning to take shape

The Moment of Truth!

2011-02-01T21:28:00.006+11:00

This is a huge rrrrrelief! The moment we've been waiting for has come! After 3 long months of preparation, we have finally secured an unconditional loan approval! Woohooo! Now what???

The secret should be revealed and the rest of the deposit be made ASAP...=)

"Yes, we are serious enough about buying a house..."

Done Deal

2011-02-01T21:20:00.002+11:00

Ooooopppsss! Now, we've finally signed the contracts we have no reason to back out at all.

So fingers crossed,

prayer mats out,

breaths hold at this stage until the bank loan approves...

Spying from space

2011-02-01T21:09:00.006+11:00

I am getting bored of looking at my blog with no updates at all! While us waiting for the land title to be released and with the wide network of our friend Ken, he shared to us this site nearmap.com to get updates on our land via satellite.

Here it is! A land is still a land....=D

aerial view as of 28/10/2010

House Plan

2011-02-01T21:06:00.004+11:00

Edgewater is the brand Henley uses for their specific homes. Homes which are built and sold as is.

We are just lucky to have found the perfect house plan for us so easy...A lot of extra time, a lot of extra money, huge headaches and countless sleepless nights are saved!

This is not the original facade we chose because for some reason, five houses away from us is a similar design. Bloody council, eh? As a consolation, we could still get the stacked stone originally in the Summer but we're not sure if it would look good..hehe

Living Style: Open plan with large living areas and windows.

Oh, btw our garage is situated on the left! :D

internal color

external colour

A Secret Between...

2011-02-01T20:24:00.002+11:00

this is the piece of evidence of our decision with Linda G...my husband and i kept it a secret to our friends because we wanted to get finance approval first..for a simple reason: we just thought we'd be declined...=)

Ocular Inspection of Botanica Springs Estate

2011-02-01T20:11:00.003+11:00

It is located 35 km west of Melbourne's CBD, a country living with city convenience, and has a welcoming entrance framed by distant hills - Botanica Springs Estate.

Our friend Mark showed us the vicinity and introduced us to Linda G, Edgewater's sales agent. And, the rest is history...

Stage 14 estate plan

At the roundabout, take the first exit...

It's a 512 sq.m. block of land that we are eyeing to purchase

to Botanica Springs blvd.

to nowhere

view from the land with the "little boss"