Thanks everyone, for being so nice and welcoming. Sorry I have been a little MIA, but here's my entry (finally!)
Credits:
Catherine for the idea of using terrainpaint underneath the swingset. Saw it in your pic and had to try it out for myself!
HugeLunatic, meriel, Lina and MissSimpleton for CC Walls and Floors
One of the perks of being new to TS2 is that I don't have a huge downloads folder that my fingers are itching to use. I've challenged myself to learn two new tricks each round, although this round was mostly about ingoring my TS3-reflexes (*oooh that's a nice chair, let's CASt... oh wait....*). TBH, it was better than I thought, what I struggled most with was landscaping, that is so much easier in sims3.
Sorry to hear about your cat, Catherine... Can't imagine how painful it must be to be faced with a decision like that. My thoughts are with you and your family