Hi! I'm Susie
Welcome to housemehappy! This blog is still fledgling in early 2020, and I'm adding to it as I can, while renovating our 1910 weatherboard villa in Auckland, New Zealand and living the mumlife to two little people.
I'm bringing our house kicking and screaming out of the 80s, which is about the last time it was touched! This means I'm slowly painting every single piece of skirting board, door and frame, window and frame alongside overseeing the house renovation like a new kitchen and garden, and just wait until you see my original ski chalet bathroom!
I have renovated 8 houses in England, Australia, Guernsey (my beautiful childhood home) and now Auckland, some for sale, some to live in. While I often have to get professionals in, I do most of the grunt work, all the while navigating around family life.
In case you didn't think I was enough of a sucker for punishment, I've also moved internationally 3 times, and we've moved house 11 times in 16 years. Phew!
Hopefully you'll like what you see and stay to explore for a while.
Hi! I'm Blue
I'm a 2 year old Australian Red Kelpie and a rescue dog from the RSPCA in Auckland. When I was first adopted I was very fat and unfit, and I could only walk for 5 minutes without needing a rest.
Now, I go running 3 plus times a week (with the husband, who likes to run ultramarathons for fun. Sometimes without much training. As you do!).
I am a pain in the backside because I chew EVERYTHING, especially cushions and dressing gowns! I particularly like eating little plastic toys and then vomiting them back up on a rug.
I get attention by chirruping loudly until someone fetches my ball from under the sofa.
I do not help with any decorating or renovating. I can hunt down a roll of masking tape from a mile away as the glue is so tasty to chew!
Training is a slow process but these humans give me so many mixed messages...