A few more improvements.

So it probably seems like we're moving at a snails pace around here. In our defense, we had to go to the coast for 2 days to catch some waves. Luckily we returned refreshed (and sunburned), and Kyle knocked out the shelves on either side of the stove. They still need the wood panels behind them, the Zodiaq countertop and the kickplate/foot cover, but it's totally got us excited! Our countertop slab should be in tomorrow and they can come do the template and get it installed pretty soon! Too bad I sunburned the crud out of the tops of my feet- just when my hip muscle had gotten back to normal. I should just get used to hobbling around the house like an 80 year old. Who knew swollen, crispy foot-tops could put such a crimp in your stride.

We get to go see my friend Pati's house this weekend- this is the house I would *love* to inhabit. Check out the pics at http://miesandcarrots.com/, you have to scroll way down past the treehouse article.

We've also been able to get alot of our stuff sold either through craigslist or shoppin' it around town. It feels great to lighten up, but wow, there's still tons left.

In the pic of Kyle he's sitting in a chair that had washed up on the beach, next to a 50 gallon drum (which he then log rolled down the beach). You find the weirdest things on San Jose Island. This was actually from a previous trip.

This house is renovating my marriage!?!

I knew a renovation was a stressful event, just like planning a wedding. Before the latter, I kept telling myself, "I'm a professional in this industry, how hard could it be?". Well, two crying breakdowns later, I was on the honeymoon. Never underestimate the emotional component of a major life event.

So you'd think I would have learned a thing or two... Nope. At the start of this project I said to myself, "I used to (kind-of) be a professional in the interiors industry, how hard could it be?". The landscaping- no problem, it even turned out better than expected. Then when the paint color I chose ended up Day-Glo yellow, I put it off to bad luck. More recently, I chose a fabric for the exterior of the kitchen partition. First let me say that I had about 24 hours to run around town and select a fabric (on a Sunday). This eliminated Kyle and I's first choice- Chilewich woven vinyl in a metallic tone, which would have taken weeks... So we settled on ultrasuede- we just had to pick between chocolate and khaki. I vehemently persuaded Kyle that the chocolate was perfect, etc., etc., no question. Later, after spending hours stapling and glueing, we set up the first panel. Imagine the sinking feeling in my stomach as I realized how *awefully dark* it was. Funny how the 4 inch swatch didn't seem like a life-sucking black hole when I'd held it up in that location. So, many apologies later I was back at the fabric store buying the color that Kyle had picked out- which turned out just perfect, as you can tell in the picture. So maybe we won't be house flippers, or at least not with me as the designer ;).

You can also see the beautiful eucalyptus wood fronts on our cabinets- stainless steel bar pulls coming soon. Can we pack our NZ container with this kitchen?? Guess what, just heard Ikea is opening a Wellington location. My prayers have been answered.

Also on the home front, I've been researching building a home in NZ, and have stumbled upon a few interesting links: http://www.earthhomes.com/ and http://www.architecturenz.net/. How small of a rammed earth house can I live in? If lots there are over $200K, we won't have anything left to actually build a house with.

Floor...done!

Joanne was kind enough to help us lay the bamboo flooring this weekend. Here's a shot of how far we got on day one. We finished up the next day, all the way into the kitchen. It looks fantastic! Already got several scratches and dents to make sure it matches the bamboo in the back on the house ;). House prices are still going up in Austin- can we get half a mill for this place?? Only if it was in California.

Unfortunately I worked so hard I can't stand up straight now. Seriously, I can't walk without excruciating pain running down my leg from my right hip. Hopefully a massage tomorrow and some yoga will do the trick, if not, I'll be wheelchairin' it to NZ. We both woke up this morning saying, "Is it worth it? Are we crazy?" We've got a great support network here, we love our house, blahblahblah.... We just can't wait to get there and see if it's what we envision.

Off to hobble into the bedroom for a rest.

One fat cat and a broken window later

It's been a trying few days, as Billy can attest. As soon as we'd get a cabinet built he had to give it the nap test. Yup, that one passed. At least we got all the cabinet bases assembled with only a few mysterious parts left over :0. Unfortunately a window in the shop had to give it's life for the metal cabinet bracket. Oh, well, maybe the new owners won't notice. The sink and lights all went in with only minor cursing, and Kyle's mom has arrived from Connecticut to lend a hand (I mean look for a house in Austin).

I keep pestering the floral shops in Auckland for a job, and most actually write me back, tho none with a job offer. The owner of a particularly good one has asked me to send my CV (resume), and I realized I would have to get one designed and back to him. One more thing to do in the Sisyphian task of moving continents.

Our newly textured couch...

Welcome to our new kitchen! ...Ahem, I mean... Welcome to the Ikea catalog page that our new kitchen will resemble! So it's all been ordered and will be arriving in Houston in 2-3 weeks (expecting it to be longer, with our luck).

Anyway, Kyle has happily been texturing away to obliterate all signs of the hideousness that was there before. He asks me as he's spraying, "Am I getting any on the couch?". I laugh, as the couch is a good 15 feet away, then realize the beams on the ceiling and the refrigerator are both nicely speckled.... "Oh, crap." Twenty minutes of scrubbing with wet rags later, and it's almost like a new couch. It needed a good going-over anyway.

Then our neighbor, who's a professional contractor, stopped by, and gave us a bunch of tips. The look on his face when we told him our timeframe for completing the project was priceless. Oh, well, maybe we'll see some you for Christmas this year!

Kyle's still pining away for good surf, I'll see how long I can keep him on-task. ;)

Stuck in Molasses

Hey everyone,

This is us, Brooke and Kyle, for people who may not know us yet. We're well on our way to moving across the ocean to New Zealand to live, explore and otherwise turn our normal lives upside down.

We decided to tackle this adventure while on our honeymoon in Aug/Sept 2005- against the advice that one should never move to a place based on a vacation experience. The night we returned to the US, Kyle sat up in the middle of the night and proclaimed that he felt more at home in NZ than in Austin, TX, and that we would be crazy not to follow our intuitions. Since then we have tried to educate ourselves, from half a world away, about what it would be like to move and live there.

We have plenty that we'll miss in Austin- our friends and family (new and old), our house, my business (www.pollenfloralart.com), all the wonderful things that Austin has to offer. But we've lived here, and we can always return if we need to...

So it's been a long wait, what with Immigration, then the Kitties, now the house renovation and sale. It looks like we won't be able to ship out until Dec. '06. Ack. Our 2-year visas start ticking this month, so the race is on. It's a weird sensation of being on a bullet train, and stuck in molasses at the same time.

We'll keep you posted :)