This blog documents a family renovating their house and developing property in a beautiful corner of Australia. As we wish to maintain a level of privacy, we do not publish our exact location or names; however, a contact page may be added soon, for those interested enough to wish to ask us specific questions.
Slick, the head of the family, is a qualified Carpenter Joiner. A combination of his creativity, innovation and life experience has led him to master skills far beyond this field, however, and this circumstance happens to be very handy for renovation on a very limited budget. Plumbing, electrical work, plastering, painting, glazing, landscaping, stonewalling, welding, metalwork and even blacksmithing are included amongst his accomplishments, along with sculpting and other creative processes that have yet to be named. His has been the vision and driving force behind the renovation and the creative problem-solving genius that has largely caused all initiation, progress and completion.
Llick, the 'other half', is the person around whom the household revolves. She is a teacher of seventeen years practical experience in one of the hardest, yet most rewarding, spheres: the home. Llick has homeschooled all seven of her daughters - with two completely through, two in high school and three currently in primary school. Llick is also a keen and highly experience gardener who grows not only for our table and pleasure, but also for the cut flower market and wedding flower arrangements. And last but not least, Llick is the family's Designer-in-Chief. As the interior decorator and designer, she worked closely with Slick to plan almost everything, from floor plan, to landscaping, to paint colour, to fence designs. She mixed or chose most of our final colours, inside and out, and sews our curtains. All this amongst food shopping, cooking, sewing, accounting and being 'Mum' and wife. She is a highly accomplished and priceless part of the team.
Click is the eldest daughter, a budding editor, chief blog-writer and chief assistant to the Carpenter and Designer, both. Years of working alongside Slick, both at home and on jobs, has rendered her a skilled carpenter's assistant. Natural inclination, however, causes more of a leaning toward the theory of design and psychology of space, and her level of perfectionism causes her grief when it comes to dealing with the less precise allowances involved in structural work.
Tlick comes next in age, and - among many varied accomplishments and skills - is our Painter, Photographer-in-chief and classical musician. Fortunately for the rest of us, Tlick is relatively happy to paint - even including cutting-in and fiddly windows and doors. Most of the rest of us loathe the job. Almost without exception, the photos to be seen on this blog were taken by her. On her camera. Many of the non-photographed parts of the renovation were instead treated to the sounds, echoing from various parts of the property, of her clarinet practice.
Blick is another of Slick's assistants, though more design/colour oriented, due to her artist's eye. She is also a dancer and might sometimes be glimpsed in photos in rather unexpected postures. Some things just need to be expressed! She is also Click's main rival when it comes to plastering, but is handicapped by even more of a perfectionist nature.
Mlick is our resident glazier, drummer, 3D artist and nurse wannabe - again, among many other things. She likes nothing better than to operate on someone's splinter or delve into all the goriest details of a wound or injury. She found her particular niche in the renovation through a series of unfortunate accidents involving various windows. Putty is a practical outlet for her artistic leanings.
Klick is our quietest achiever. She is gentle, perseverant, neat, methodical and faithful. She is another of Slick's assistants, a dancer and a bookworm like the rest of us. She also can be distinguished by having by far the longest hair, generally to be seen in a long, heavy plait.
Alick and Glick are both apprentice assistants and are finally getting beyond that annoying habit of making a mess as soon as the last mess was tidied up! Alick is very hands-on and physically oriented (loves gymnastics and sport generally) and has lately been noted for her spacial awareness, revealed in her eye for stone wall building and co-ordination in sport. Glick is the precocious youngest, exhibiting a tendency toward book learning and constant questions, and has recently displayed a knack for cake making.
To God be the glory in all ways, for he has provided for all our needs - from this house and property, to equipment and raw material, to money to pay the bills and keep bodies and souls together. His name be praised in all things.
