Your garden - a fire pit

40 face bricks (R6 each at Cash Build)
5 packets cream coloured crushed stones (R50 each at Builders Warehouse)

R490 total

1. Arrange the 40 bricks in a circle on your lawn (holes in the bricks facing in towards each other)
2. Mark the outer edge of the circle - we cut the grass with a spade
3. Careful dig siren to about 8 cm and remove the grass in chunks that you can replant
4. Dig down the breadth of a brick, plus a bit more
5. You want the bricks be slightly slanted so use some dirty to build up a bit of the outer rim of the circle so it isn't as deep as the inside of the circle
6. Place the bricks
7. Place some soil in the inner circle so the ground slants downward from the brick to the centre of the circle
8. Pour stones between the brick and spread the rest out in the centre of the circle

Your garden - the tree house you always wanted

The original

Being taken down

2017_3_21 transporting it home

2017_3_25 taking out nails

2017_3_2 orgaring the holes

2017_4_5 putting up the platforms

2017_4_7 nailing in the side panels

2017_04_15 putting up the roof

Making your house a home - geological etchings

I found these in the dumpster outside the geological building at work. I can only assume they are brass etchings used to make pictures before the digital era

They look great against a plain black piece of wood. And for those of us with geological backgrounds the variations in textures are also interesting!

2015-10-19 alternative working spot cause of wits student march shutting down campus

Rietvlei...while waiting for Scott doing boot camp

2015-10-18 moms bday

Scott and dad playing badminton

Making your house a home - veggie and fruit boxes

Get your favorite colour chalkboard paint and cover your fruit and veggie boxes and then play around with different fonts to fill your house with uplifting words

Clothes you love without the costs you hate - crochet jean skirt

Ok, I won't lie the time cost of crocheting this is big, but ultimately worth it

Pattern was off etsy:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/116168684/pattern-crochet-skirt-poncho-neck-warmer?ref=transaction_complement_original

But used thinner thread and 2.5 mm needle

Because i used a thinner thread and needle the length of the crochet skirt wasnt long enough to reach from my waist to my knees. So I sewed the crochet skirt to the jeans just where the undertops I always wear (with lace at the bottom) reach to, to cover the plain jeans

Note: Don't sew with a machine! See by hand first in case u aren't happy with the lay of things

In terms of cutting the jeans:

1. Cut off the legs to match the length of the crochet skirt once attached

2. Cut up the legs 

3. Overlap the front parts of the two legs and back parts of the two legs and sew...there will be more overlap near the crotch. Note: try the pinned skirt on before sewing to make sure it still fits you!!