A week's leave - bliss.....................

I am on a week's leave now with Alan. I need to get out of the habit at work of saving holidays in case the kid's are ill!! They are now old enough to look after themselves - so I end up with days to use up in the Spring which isn't a bad thing but you end up scrabbling with others trying to fit them in. Anyway its a lovely day here in North Yorkshire, the sun is shining but it is cold still better than the forecast tomorrow. I have had tuition on my lovely visit to Marmalade Rose so I should be able to add pictures in a professional manner - Hmm we'll see.

I took my two beautiful Lillipegs (made by the very talented Lucy Bloom ) on my visit to MR, she was delighted with them as I was and I am sure anyone that has bought any will be impressed by the quality of workmanship. They sit resplendent on my shelf next to the mice and Lucy's box shown in the previous post and one is wearing an outfit to match the box.

We had such a hard frost last night it was a real surprise as I watched Kate and David go off to work only to see David arrive back an hour later after his boss reminded him he put today in as a holiday about four weeks ago!

Alan is currently painting Kate's fitted wardrobe doors which she hates but quite honestly we could not justify changing - they are just plain mdf and not offensive in any way. So he is painting them the same colour as her paintwork a colour called 'buff'. We have bought some long handles from Ikea to update them. She has then chosen to have two walls in the buff emulsion and has bought two rolls of leopard print wallpaper which is actually very nice and not as bad as it sounds.

It is now Friday and I wrote the beginning of this on Monday! We have sweated and painted and stripped and painted and sanded and painted and painted. I will take pics later. Kate is very pleased and now she has to have a big clear out of clothes and possessions which will overtake the new room if she doesn't. She did remind me that I have clutter and she has clothes and her clothes only take up one room unlike my clutter!! This is true and I can't argue with that !!

We acquired a little 20's/30's cast fireplace in creamy browny colours for our bedroom on Monday. I know that a little black one would have been lovely but this is more authentic ( and a bargain) I know it is right when I look at my 1930's books and we have one of the pieces of oak we took off the side of the front room fireplace that will do for a hearth- its just the right depth. This means I now cannot put furniture against the chimney breast and fill the room too much. We also have to cover the Lloyd Loom ottoman in the bay which holds Alan's motorbike suit and boots! We have had the foam and the material for months now but haven't got round to it. Ooh to have a bit more time I could do so much.

We went to Richmond today to visit Alan's Mam but we went for a look around the town and some lunch first (don't think we are mean his Mam would not have come with us for something to eat) If you ever visit Richmond (North Yorkshire) please go to Trotter's near the Museum in the market place it is small but the food is fabulous, fresh and the service fantastic. We had a good mooch around and I found a lovely tablecloth in one of the charities with four corners beautifully embroidered. We always go to York House which Marmalade Rose has blogged about and she added pictures. It is a treasure trove with new delights and upstairs antiques crammed into every room - bliss but I was good and only bought a lovely fridge magnet. If Alan hadn't been with me I would have 'run amok' I could have spent a fortune. I am hunting for a new bag at them moment but I am very fussy as I rarely buy so it has to be right.

I had a go at remembering how to embroider last night and managed a couple purple daisy-like flowers, I need to try and create hollyhocks next after being inspired my Marmalade Rose. I have spent the morning cutting out bunting Laura Ashley fabrics. I am making a lot of stuff for my friend Helen show will have some of her friends round and they can buy my bunting and hearts and some of the ideas that are still in the making! The girls I work with have been badgering me to get on with project for ages so I am off the starting line now having cut out 120 flag shapes. The temperature in the conservatory was 82F I had to have the door into the garden open it was glorious. I have already made a test piece of bunting almost three metres long with a daisy LA fabric and another LA 'dressing up ' fabric, alternating. I am pleased with the result, its double sides and looks substantial unlike what I have seen in the LA catalogue. I have also made two hearts as prototypes. I took them all to work and they were well received by everyone so that has spurred me on.

Whilst I was doing all this Alan was helping an electrician to do some jobs, my brother is an electrician but he is more use to me using his plumbing skills ( he fitted our bath last weekend) and I dont like asking him to do electrics as well. So we asked a young man we know who has set up his own business. We now have legal lights in the bathroom! and they have bigger bulbs so we can see as well. We also have a switch near the door into the garage from the utility which is great as I had to go the full length of the garage before in the dark to get the light on! We also have a new light fitting in the hallway - we added an extra one near to the kitchen door where I always felt there should have been one now I need to find three matching shades for the hallway and landing.

Back to the bathroom - the new bath is in situ now - it's lovely very plain and with great taps. My brother is off to America soon so when he comes back we will have tiled around the bath and tongue and grooved the rest of the walls ready for him to change the sink and bath. I will be glad when the upstairs is done though we are on the home straight now. Oh the bliss of some stair carpet I cannot believe how much dust is created on them by us. We have chosen tiles but are still torn between white and cream. We are going to keep it plain and pick up the black panels in the shower. So we are doing two rows of 6inch tiles then a black pencil tile then a row of 6inch again and a black dado tile at the top. The 6inch tiles would be cream or white I know the bathroom suite is white but I really do prefer cream I am not a white person at all. Anyway we need to go and order them tomorrow so will sleep on the decision we are taking our new loo top to the showroom to have a look.

Well my son and his fiancee Vicky are coming tomorrow as we are cat sitting whilst they visit friends in Immingham. She has her dress chosen now but we are not allowed to see it! I love it when they visit and the cats are lovely but frantic!

I must get some pictures organised - just pretend this is wordless Wednesday!