Busy little bees

Holy moly, this last week has been an absolute whirlwind. We've picked up Josh's dad and step mum in Brisbane, and they've been working like trojans to help us get everything finished off before THE GRAND OPENING (yesterday!).

Here's what we've been up to.

• Our new 'Wine Garden'! Josh and his dad paved the weedy/concretey picnic area with some nice charcoal pavers. While the square meterage is actually smaller than what was there, the whole space feels so much bigger! We've then installed some bamboo screening around the outside and added a few plants. I reckon it still needs a bit of greenery, but it's SO much nicer than it was before! If it ever stops bloody raining (three days straight now) we'd be able to put our all our new cafe furniture and set it up properly. 
• Our planter box! Josh's beautiful planter box is now filled with plants! We thought we bought heaps, but it still looks a little 'sparse'. I'm sure it'll fill out quickly in a few weeks once the plants settle in and start growing. 
• Food! I've met with our food rep and we've now got a fridge stocked with lovely cured meats and cheeses. 
• Jam! I've been busy in the kitchen, slaving over molten sugar with my candy thermometer and sterilised jars making jam out of any fruit that's ripe and within arms reach. I've got a total of six different kinds on sale in the cellar door. So far Finger Lime Marmalade has been the most popular, followed by Dragon Fruit Jam. 
• Art! I've been in touch with a few local artists who have let us hang their works for sale in our cellar door. They name their price and if anyone wants to buy them, we take the cash and pass it along to the artists. We have a total of 11 pieces from three artists, and they're doing a great job of covering up our ugly brown walls.