Alchamillamolly

Happy New Year

2012-02-10T11:42:00.000-08:00

Yes I know it's the 10th February but it still a new year!

I ended up in A&E one evening and the result of that was the need to have an operation 'in the new year'. So here I am on the settee with stitches in my navel!! delightful....................... I have a sick note for two weeks when I was only expecting to be off for a week so don't know what will happen at work. I have been working like mad trying to get the work done again by the deadline and was expecting to be back soon. even worked Saturday and Sunday to get some more done. Mind you the way I feel now I am not surprised they said 2 weeks. This is very sore (umbilical hernia) and it took me three days to get over the 'general' anyway enough of that.

I have added some more bloggers to my side bar today, more lovely people for you to read about.

I have the laptop on a long cushion on my knee so it doesn't touch my tummy so have had a lovely afternoon clicking on people's lives all over the world. It has also motivated me to make some vintagey cushions for the next time we have a stall in the Spring.

Kate turned 26 on Monday and Adam will be 28 next week - how to feel old eh? They are lovely all of them, Kate is concerned that she has moved into another box on forms because she is not 18-25 anymore !! She is convinced she is going to be a spinster after another of her relationships bombed! What can you say to her, most of her friends have partners or are married. I have told her better to meet someone right than the wrong person too early but that doesn't help her when she is a single amongst the doubles..........

Right off for some Ibuprofen and an early night.

Merry Christmas to one and all

2011-12-24T13:08:00.001-08:00

Well here we are on the 24th December 2011, I have finally got my feet up ............... what a long day, this has to be the record year for me being behind with everything. Wrapped all the presents this afternoon with Celine Dion belting out to sing to, chopped everything in sight and finall got the cards up on ribbons on 7pm!

We have Alan's Mum, Pat here for Xmas, she is lovely and settles in straight away. Looking forward to tomorrow, Mum is having her lunch with my brother Peter and family and we will see her shortly. The turkey crown is roasting and smelling lovely, should be ready about 9.45 then I shall be up the stairs.

I had a night in our local hospital a couple of weeks ago and it turns out I have an umbilical hernia so will be getting an appointment in the New Year.

I 'got' my job and now do the work of three people, we are flat out at work so glad for the break now, they are shutting the whole building this year and we put leave in for the days between. Its a good job I love what I do because the last month has been so hard, I have worked long hours every day just to get the work done. It should ease off a little after Xmas, it is always going be very busy but not like it had to be the last couple of months but three of us have pulled together and got through it, unfortunately all this stress has meant us consuming food ! and all of the 16 pounds I had lost have crept back on again with an extra one for luck!!

We have moved out of the main building and now work from the former caretakers lodge which is quite nice but unfortunately has a proper kitchen which means there is a toaster and a microwave which means there are food making facilities thus the extra consumption!!!

Alan is settling in to being retired unfortunately he thinks that role of house husband is a TV critic!! We have words most days about the lack of progress with the house that still need doing as well as the lack of housework being done. I don't think I am asking too much for him to do some of the chores when I am working all day and the last 3 weeks until 6.15 every week night.

Anyway sorry to moan, Alan now has bronchitis quite badly so we are getting our feet up over the break and I am determined to get some reading done and some sewing hopefully.

All the best to everyone (anyone??) who reads this, I intend to do some serious blog reading in the next few days, hope Santa brings what you would like and you all have a lovely time.

Time moves on........................

2011-08-19T14:39:00.001-07:00

Hope you like my jumble sale doggy, he is so lovely but do I rehome him??

This is my gorgeous niece on her wedding at the end of July - the weather was perfect

This is my auction house buy - he is wonderful too.

Well here I am in August last post was May so not the most frequent blogger on the block!

The pictures above are of my two dogs purchased earlier this year, the big one was from the local auction and the little one from the jumble sale I help out at once a year. They were taken out and washed with shampoo and then showered and allowed to dry naturally in the sunshine we had in about May this year, they came up so well and I live them to bits!

I am still working and it doesn't look like I will be able to leave as planned. My job was officially deleted from the County Council a couple of weeks ago. My line manager and I had to go for the higher job that was available or we would not have been eligible for redundancy. Anyway Norma got it which is right because she is a higher grade than me and I am pleased for her, she has also sold her house and got rid of her mortgage, which is a triumph these days. The job has still not been graded through job evaluation so it may not even turn out to be a higher job.... the joys of local government.

Anyway the next news is that one of the women whose job was saved ( the same job/salary as I do but on a fixed term contract) requested voluntary redundancy because of the imminent stress that the job would cause her due to the restructure - lo and behold she was granted it. Now this job is one that was carried out by two full time people with two people helping out a claims times, it is now a post for one person only. I have to go for the job as I am doing it now and again would forfeit any redundancy if I did not. They then decided to let her go early (today) and left me doing the job on my own. They would not advertsie her job until she had gone and I am not 'ring fenced' for it as it was not part of the unit's restructure! So it will be advertised next week when they get around to it - in the meantime they are not bothered because I am sat here doing it. I hope you are keeping up ......................

I have to go for jobs as they will not let you get redundnancy if you don't - my date for leaving is 27th October. I have decided that rather than take a job I don't want or don't know anything about that I am better to go for the 'devil you know', so I will apply for it when it goes on the bulletin. I equally cannot assume that I will get the job because our boss has not been successful when she applied for her own job nor the one underneath. We do not know why, but we do know that her face obviously doesn't fit - she is fantastic at her job and has so much knowledge that if she goes we will struggle to carry out the funding programmes without her.

So, if this job (if I get it!) is the one for me then I have a contract until December 2013 and hopefully by then I may get redundancy as Alan will be 67. It has been a long summer we have all been working so very hard with no time for holidays from work, I had this week booked off but had to cancel it due to workload. I may get a week in mid September after all the claims are done.

It has been strange weather up here in the North and the garden has been scorched and then battered, water logged and burnt, good old Blighty eh, never lets you down when it comes to unpredictability.

Alan is enjoying his retirement ie he is not doing anything! We were notified of an old pension from a job he was made redundant from and it was a lovely surprise, it isn't a fortune but we were able to take a lump sum, so he did and he is now the owner of a Mini Cooper S!!! Is this a mid to late life crisis I ask?? It is lovely and more comfortable than I expected, he started with a mini van in the 60's and now he is back in one, though this is a much improved version. Needless to say as I am still working we will hang on to my Fiesta - which has a sensible boot and will allow us to do our Fairs.

What a ramble that was - we have had our Niece's wedding which was wonderful. The day was perfect in every way and we could do it all again.

The picture of my niece Louise with my brother and his wife, looking beautiful and a radiant bride- has to stay there as I can never position these bloomin' photos on the blog. She has been making stuff for her day for months now, including 70 metres of double sided bunting, little pot tealights with doily patterns imprinted on them, all her invitations, and favours. She also made and hand printed all of the orders of service which were lovely and a perfect keepsake. The service was in her local church and was perfect, then back to her new husband's farm where there was a beautiful marquee and a small band playing, the sun was shining and everything was lovely and vert English. There was a converted piggery (beautiful) with doily bunting and fairy lights leading to the marquee, she had tables laid out with vintage crockery and cakes and little eats as well as a table with old jars and inside were old fashioned sweets and an old typewriter for you to type your good wishes on home made cards for her to keep from the day, this girl must have been making this delightful stuff for months and months. There was even a corner with little tables and colouring books and puzzles for the little ones.

Everyting had been so carefully planned and

The food was superb, the venue was stunning and we had the most perfect day...........even down to the vintage cups and saucers for the tea and wedding cake at the end to the vintage tablecloths adorning every table - vintage bliss.................................

I am off today, Friday - we are sitting here with the heating on low getting snuggly and now I am going to pick up my good murder and snuggle in.

A post at last - where has 2011 gone?

2011-05-08T03:43:00.000-07:00

This is the osteospernum that has come out early with all of the sunshine over the past few days

This is some of my bunting from last year, I am making some Cath Kidston types this year as they sold well at my Spring Fair at Masham.

This is my lovely 50's (?) sewing suitcase it is about 10inches x 6inches and perfect for the job

This is me this week, making bunting on an evening for a stall at Masham Town Hall on Saturday!

Hello to everyone out there in blogland - I have never stopped reading and commenting since my l last post but not written anything myself.

Life has moved on, though the fat is not moving very quickly, I have lost 13 pounds to date, so slowly but surely the body change is taking place.

On Thursday I found out that I was redundant from my job in Economic Development in our County Council. This is a big restructure and cost saving operation. My job has been removed and also my line manager's, though there is higher job added that she could go for ( no different to what my LM and myself do already) but this is also available to those above us to apply for and as the system starts from the top it will go to someone higher and they get pay protection for 2 years so they will be happy to take it.

We have 30 days consultation and then 90 days notice. We are now on redeployment but so are others ( and coming on redeployment daily) and there are very few jobs to go around.

As I am 55 in July the CC has to pay my pension to me now as it stands on the day I leave which they do not like to do so they will try and find me another job which I will have take because if I refuse it I do not qualify for redundancy etc.

I am feeling miserable and though I expected it, it is a horrible feeling that all the work and dedication you have given for over 12 years means nothing. The work is still there but will have to be done by those remaining. I am not alone at the end of the restructure there will about 5 people altogether who will not have a position but at least they will have had the chance to go for a position in our department which I will not. I think most of all I feem embarrassed that they do not want me - though they keep saying its the post not the person. The thing is that post keeps me busy all day for 37 hours per week, so where is all that work going to go?

I am lucky because Alan and I did the 'downsizing' 3 years ago ready for his retirement and paid off the mortgage. My LM has put her house on the market a couple of weeks ago knowing that this would probably happen and she will try to clear hers or at least have a very small one. So I hope she is successful

Part of me is glad to have the opportunity to leave and take my pension, miniscule as it is rather than having it frozen for 11 years (till I am 66) at the same amount. Alan is retiring at the end of June and this could be an opportunity to have a different life but when you have been used to two salaries - not huge but good, we will go to Alan's small pension and mine (mine will cover council tax, gas and electric and nothing more) Will we manage?

I thought we could do more of our vintage and retro fairs ie every weekend as we will have all week to do the things we used to do at the weekends like shopping an housework. I know that you can't buy time and I would like to spend more with Alan as he is 10 years older than me and he is looking forward to doing things with me. We don't take foreign holidays, drink or smoke now so we can't give them up!!

I love my job and myself and my colleagues have all been together for a lot of years. Our work is very interesting and rewarding and we meet and deal with many people outside of the county council so working in a different department doing monotonous work will be difficult.

Alan and I have always fancy doing the housesitting that you see advertised, it would be nice to do something different like that. There are options out there aren't there.

Actually writing all this down had made me think - Hey - this is an opportunity to go and do things with Alan that we could never think of before.

Gosh I hope that people who are redundant and not as lucky as we are ( having no mortgage) will not think me selfish.

I am feeling angry with the authority and those who make the decisions as they have not taken our ideas into account but we never expected them to! I am worried about Norma my LM as she is younger than me and will not benefit from the pension yet, so she needs to find a job as her husband is not able to work because of illness and he will go onto a state pension soon.

I see that Carol at Carol's Kitchen has posted again after her mother died before Xmas, with more sad news, so if you want to pop over and send her your best wishes it would be nice.

I am sure that there are many of you in a worse situation than me in these changing times but when you read of 'cuts' in your local council you can be assured they will not be management that will be losing their jobs they will be the workers at the bottom. Most managers can go off for a month and noone notices but when the lower staff go off for a week people are running rould saying 'how does he/she do this'? - guess that is life and I have to see this as their loss!

My Mum is doing very well and we are all slowly coming to terms with Dad not being there. We have sorted out the loft, shed and garage and done the garden so Mam can sit back a bit now with her memories and not have to worry about where to start.

My brother and son both work at Teesside Power Station which is owned by a French company - they are reducing the number of employees from 98 to 32 as it is cheaper to bring the power under the channel than produce it in the UK. They will find out if they have a chance to apply for a position next week or if they are redundant. Adam has a lovely girlfriend called Emily and they are very good together, they seem very happy with each other and we are slowly getting to know Emily. Vicky is getting on with her life and has had promotion at work which I am pleased about for her, she has also had an Australian holiday so I wonder if she will go over there and work. I only wish her the very best, she was very dear to us.

So lots of changes ahead for not just Alan and I. I have had some lovely finds in the past few months especially in the 'dog on wheels' department.

In the meantime sorry for the rambling blog with only a couple of pictures!!! I hope some of you will leave advice or ideas of what you have done after a change in your life?

Moving on a bit further........

2011-02-07T12:03:00.000-08:00

Hi to all you bloggers out there, who's ramblings give me so much pleasure these days.

We have been clearing out Dad's loft for a couple of weekends and even my Mam was amazed at how much stuff Dad had hoarded, including a radio from a Lancaster Bomber!! He was a radio ham and had worked in a radio television repair workshop before and after National Service and then joining ICI Wilton in the 1950's. He never lost his love of old radios and all the relative components and like we have vintage and retro fairs, he visited radio shows. There were boxes and boxes of old radio valves and 24 radios in both the loft and garage. A couple of his radio friends have been through his 'radio shack' aka the little front bedroom and taken away some of his quite expensive receivers and things to sell fro Mam.

The loft was full of memories of our lives and Mam said that a lot of the stuff was put up there 43 years ago when they moved in.

There were boxes of radio magazines, first day covers, newspapers in boxes of important dates in life. The best things were the boxes of old books we found that belonged to Dad and Mam when they were little and then teenagers and she was so pleased to see them, having forgotten about them. We will be sorting them out later and mine can go on the new shelf unit Alan has made me for the little front bedroom where our vintage stuff is accumulating.

There was a flying suit from WW2 as well as two leather jerkins that the despatch riders wore. We are contacting some re-enactors to see if they want them.

Then there was my Nana's stuff which Mam thought had all been sorted but no Dad had secreted it away, so there was all that to sort out.

We did two trips to the charity shop and two trips to the tip in estate cars so you can imagine the amount of stuff. My brother is putting some things on ebay and we have all taken stuff to our homes, as we obviously have Dad's genes...........

Mam is doing very well and we see her as much as we all can as we come to terms with our greatly changed lives. We did a laugh a lot whilst we were sorting mostly because of the stuff Dad had kept. He and Mam are of the war and post war era where you always mended everything and never threw anything away in case you needed it! So some things had to be prised from Mam as you could see her thinking ' Hmm could this be useful? '. We had to assure her that if it had been in her loft for over 20 years then it probably wasn't useful.

I am going to wash up now as out dishwasher (inherited in the house) gave up the ghost at the weekend, we await a new one from Argos on Thursday.

I have been doing Weight Watchers now and have lost (slowly I might add ) 5 pounds to date. I cannot say I ma hungry but I would love a big bar of Dairy milk!!

I am making curtains for the front door from some lovely LA Sitwell fabric in blue and taupe, lovely. The job has been held up though because of my car accident last week!!

Speak to you later...............................

Getting on with life

2010-12-13T14:46:00.000-08:00

Well its several weeks now since Dad died and I can't say life is any easier without him but I have stopped walking round in a daze so much and started to move forward.

Mam is doing so well, she is taking charge of her life and her future, she breaks down a lot but she picks herself up and carries on, I am so proud of her.

This Christmas will be difficult but we will still have each other and we will be remembering Dad with us all together as a family and probably laughing as we remember how he hated Xmas and its trivia. Dad will be watching us I know and I hope he is free from pain wherever he is.

The threat of redundancy hangs over so many of us in Local Authorities and we are waiting at the moment for news of the latest restructure. Then if our department comes through it unscathed or reduced we then have to go through another possible restructure as we move elsewhere as a unit. It is never ending and this will be our 5th restructure in the same number of years. Alan is counting the days to his retirement and has been told that his post will not be replaced but his job will be spread around five others to take on!! I told him they would miss him when had gone. He is ready to go and he is not one of these people who wants to carry on after 65. He is planning his retirement with enthusiasm and finsihing in July is going to be revitalising for him. Lets just hope that my income isnt lost as well, though as Dad would sat - you cut your cloth!!

We have been doing a few Vintage and Retro Fairs through seeing Julie (www.theclothshed.blogspot.com) at them and being encouraged to give it a go. We have been selling the extra stuff we do not need! and also selling some of my lavender bags and hearts made from old linens as well as cushions. I like making things and its my way of enjoying creativity. Its especially heartening when people want to buy what you have made. You meet some lovely people they are particularly friendly up in Durham and Northumberland.

I have just been ordering BBC comedy audio books from Amazon and ebay for Alan now he is in bed.

Our dearest Dad has gone from our lives

2010-10-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

On Monday my Dad decided he did not want any more treatment and wanted to come home, he was deteriorating and we agreed with his wishes as did the very kind, doctors. He came home and my Mam, myself, our family, some very kind carers and district nurses all made his last few days as comfortable as possible. He passed away with us sat with him talking about old times on Saturday evening at 7.15pm. Our hearts are broken and will always have a gap even when they have healed a little. He was the kindest, caring, generous Dad my brother Peter and I could ever have had as well as a loving husband for my Mam.

A friend of Mam's said that she thought it was a privelege we had had to nurse him through his last days with us all around him and do you know she is right.

Goodbye Dad we will always love you

PS we could not have done this without the help of the excellent NHS employees around us, they were magnificent and so were the carers, I felt very fortunate to have a system that just kicked in straight away to provide him with the care he needed.

Update on life!

2010-10-17T14:53:00.001-07:00

Hi since the last blog my Dad caught the 'C Difficile' infection and had to return to James Cook and be barrier nursed (and us). He has gone back such a long way and now he has had to start getitng better again, it took them a week to decide he had the infection and in the meantime he was a very weak man of 84 getting up sometimes every 10 mins to go to the loo, with a catheter in and hardly able get up. We were happy when they finally moved him back to James Cook. He was a lot better today, we asked them to give him an anti depressant to help raise his spirits and hopefully that will kick in soon as he has some bad days. We have a stair lift in place at Dads and a bath thing(!) and Mam will hopefully get some help with Dad when he gets home.

IN the meantime between hospital visits! we have had a stand at the New College Durham Vintage and Retro Fair which we did well at again. We have decided to try our luck at Hexham and I am currently making pictures and cushions out of old fabric. We have also been to the auction and bought a few bits to piant like mirrors for Hexham as apparently visitors there like painted furniture.

I also bought at the auction a huge load of boxes of buttons! Where do I start there are thousands of them in boxes, huge, tiny, coloured, cream, grey, horn, you name it we have them. I am thinking of putting them on ebay in lots of say 10, any ideas??

In the two boxes of linen and china were some wonderful pieces including several pairs of beautiful ladies evening gloves and a pair of the finest kid leather gloves I have ever seen.

Better go to bed now long day aheas tomorrow at work and the 20th October draws nearer as I am a public sector worker and Wednesday is the day we know a little more about our future. There have been plans made all over the Council for redundancies behind closed doors and I guess they will surface in the next few weeks.

We are still around after some grim weeks..............

2010-09-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

Hi I haven't posted for a long time - first we were busy then my Dad was very very ill in hospital and almost lost him to pancreatitis. We were warned we were probably going to lose him very shortly but remarkably he pulled round and is still with us. Ironically the pancreatitis is nothing to do with his cancer but it has left him exhausted and he seems to have aged very much over a short time. He was in high dependency for a long time and then another ward, now he has been transferred to a local GP run hospital onlty a few mins from my Mam's house but she doesnt drive so is reliant on lifts. Dad had his 84th birthday in hospital but he is so depressed and down. He keeps telling Mam he is so sad, it's awful she just wants him home and thats where he wants to be, he isnt going to get much better till he gets there.

We now await the care package they will put in place and Mam is having a stairlift fitted as soon as possible.

We had a fortnight off and planned to venture down South again to find some of these wonderful places we see on the blogs. However we ended up spending the fortnight going back and forth to the hospital. Then we went back to work and carried on with the trips, trying to support Mam however we could.

On a more cheery note we spent the August Bank Holiday Mnoday having a lovely day on New College Durham Vintage and REtro Fair. Thanks to Julie at http://www.theclothshed.blogspot.com/ for encouraging us to try a stall and being so friendly.

We had a very fruitful day and were very good and didn't buy anything. We are venturing forth again on 10th October for another Fair. We sold lots of things from around the house and loft etc and can do a few more stalls before we need to start looking for stuff! how bad is that!

I also took some of my lavender sachets, pictures and cushions etc. I have made some more of them for next time out of some lovely vintage fabrics. It was so nice when people complimented me on what I had made, it feels good doesn't it.

We did manage one day out when we very kindly offered some free folding shelves from a lovely lady called Tracy at http://www.thepicketfence.co.uk/ . We went up to Blackhill nr Consett to meet her and her lovely family who were so friendly but then County Durham people are known for that.

We went on to Corbridge and the famous shop called RE - wow I loved it but was very restrained.

Will try and post some pics of some of my makes and some of my recent finds after I have to replace the stuff that has gone and will go to the Fair !

We are off 'down South'

2010-05-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

We are leaving early tomorrow morning to visit Alan's son and family in Tunbridge Wells. They moved from East Dulwich last year and love it so they are putting their house in London on the market and looking for somewhere permanent in TW. Neither of us have been there before so I am looking forward to it.

I meant to ask on blogs if anyone can recommend places to see but forgot and now its too late.

Paul and Sue Mee are taking us to to Lewes on Friday whilst the children are at school for a grown up day! and I know some people have put on blogs about it but I'll be blowed if I can find them. Still I am assured by others that it is very nice and full of my kinds of shops.

I see the temperature is going to be good this weekend so it should be nice though I dont like the heat with my own hot flushes being so rampant at the moment.
We are staying in a B&B in TW as they only have 2 bedrooms where they are renting, the B&B is just a few mins awayfrom the Pantiles whihc looks fabulous.

Anyway I will have lots of blogs to read when we return - I will try and remember to take pictures.

Time moves on..........

2010-05-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

This is me on the left and my friend Norma on the stall I had at Masham!

Last week my son moved back into his house and his lovely wife Vicky moved into a rented house. We are going to see her tomorrow night - it will be awkward but we want to see how she is after several traumatice weeks. Adam is settled as well and feels calm and content.

ON a more cheery note I had a stall at a spring fair in Masham which is about 25 mins from home. There was only one other lady with handmade goods, the rest were fairtrade, bags, jewellery etc. I did very well and sold quite a few things. The best thing one was that Vintage Heart came from Richmond to visit me and it was fantastic to meet her - she is lovely and she bought some bunting and a pot off me. It was an experience - there was tea and coffee and cakes etc and in the morning all the locals came in for their regular Saturday chat and five ladies moved their chairs around the table next to my stall and then proceeded to make a cuppa each last for almost an hour - during that time noone could get near to see my stuff!! They then all got up and came over and started to 'look ' at my stall.

I had a canvas over which I had stretched some lovely 'scottie dog' fabric - one lady said she liked it to her friend and then said I want a pinboard - I said it isn't a pin board - her reply was "so it's not useful then?" I said " Well not particularly" I explained it was fabric over canvas and her reply was " So what is it then?" I said "it's a picture" to which her friend replied " Come on , you can make one of those yourself"!!! As we say in Yorkshire - There's nowt as queer as folk!

I am pleased to say that later on a lady from Solihull (on a coach trip) loved my 'useless picture' and bought it for her daughter she restored my confidence and faith in humanity.

I have packed it all away now but it is ready to transport and I will look out for another 'do' and in the meantime I will make more bunting and some of the pictures I made with vintage fabric and frames and wadding.

Changes afoot

2010-04-08T15:01:00.000-07:00

My son and his recently married wife Vicky have seperated - he came home and told us that he did not love her anymore and did not want to be with her. We are devastated for Vicky as Adam was her life and everything she had ever wanted but it is not to be. I just wish he had called it a day before he promised his life to her by getting married. She is lovely and she is totally broken by his decision I just do not know what to say to her. I am not taking sides but cannot help but feel desperately sorry for her. We keep in touch by email and text and have talked a lot about how she feels, she is a broken person and has been very brave.

Adam is living here with us until Vicky finds somewhere to rent ( we think she is fixed up now with a house) and then he will move back. He was already in the process of buying his little house when they got together so it is in his name and he doesnt want to sell yet because of the fixed rate penalty and alomost negative equity at the moment. As he is still married they are both signing a document saying how they split things up and that when he sells the house he will split the profit with her as they have both paid equal money into since moving in together - though he put down the deposit etc. They were only married in August but had been together 3 years. It is so sad, he told my parents tonight - we have been putting off telling them cos of Dad but they were really ok about it.

I am in the meantime sewing lots of things amd making things to sell on a stall at the end of the month in Masham - there is thread everywhere and my head is full of ideas with not enough time to make all the things I want to. There are 12 different types of cushions cut out, gift tags printed, fabric pictures made and bunting to sew up as well as hearts and lavender sachets made of vintage linens.

Little Red Stove

2010-03-16T16:06:00.000-07:00

This is the shlef we used the dresser base brackets for because of the weight of all the stuff we actually used the l shaped metal brackets on the top of the shelf and the thick wooden ones for show but only you know..................

We have recently removed a non-working living flame gas fire and had the chimney sealed etc as Bob the Bodger who has caused us so much work since we bought his house had in fact had the fire people round a couple of years before and they warned him not to use the fire as the chimney wasnt sealed etc - but he 'forgot' to tell us obviously - he just elft a note on the day we moved in saying the fire wouldnt stay lit. Anyway the last of our downsizing profit later we have a beautiful red Franco Belge multi fuel stove which is nearly as lovely as the dresser top!!

The heat it puts out is amazing and as we spend a lot of our time on our own as the adults kids living with us are always out it means we only need to heat that room and save some energy money.

This is the surround we took out and they cleaned out the cavity and bricked it up.

Where did February and nearly March go..........

2010-03-16T15:32:00.000-07:00

I am just going to get on with writing and hide the lack of presence on the blogging front as usual I am avidly reading them all but then too tired to post one of my own!

These are some beautiful ribbons I have bought from a French website after finding some lovely French ladies' blogs. The picture does not do them justice and the service from the Stephanie was fantastic, each ribbon was wrapped individually in red tissue paper it was such a pleasure opening them all.

I have aso been buying some fabrics lately - the top pink one is an old Laura Ashley it was a single gathered valance and has given me yards of material in a very usable strip for £1.25!
The middle left is finally a purchase from Cath Kidston in Harrogate on Sunday as well as the piece on the bottom right. The shop is a dream isn't it -especially the lovely old quilts used as changing room curtains.

Bottom left and top right were vintage fabrics bought on Sunday from the Vintage and Reto Fair in Harrogate - quite small as the lady had had several cancellations 'cos it was Mother's Day.

All the rest have been bought of that emporium known as ebay - another reason why posting time on the blog is never enough as I love to search.

Below is the wonderful dresser top my Husband has made me for the bargain dresser base we bought a few months ago. This was originally a base cupboard with a an extra deep solid oak worktop and the other side was panelled with big brackets under the worktop to make a breakfast bar. We took the brackets off and cut the worktop back (we used this piece for a bedroom hearth and a shelf) We got the shade of paint of the people who made the base and off we went - I was foreman and Alan the joiner! I am so pleased with the result and very proud of my clever husband. This is a picture of it before I packed it with vintage china with a close up of my favourite three pieces (off ebay of course) It is not glossy its the sun!

Spot the Lillipeg girls from Lucy Bloom and my Nana's sugar shaker and the bowl I found to match it.

I came down on Sunday morning and the sun was streaming in through the velux window above the dresser and I was in my element finally achieving the look I have wanted for so long we would never have been able to afford the top from the people who made the bottom.

Thanks to Sal's Snippets

2010-01-23T13:02:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to say thank you to Sal for her lovely giveaway. These were photographed when I came in from work last week but first chance to post.

Have been to a lovely felting day today - really enjoyed it. Will take a photo later of my effort which I am so pleased with..........

Have picked up a few bargains before Xmas and read some lovely blogs lately - there are so many clever people out there - also bought my first purchase off Etsy successfully.

Notes from an appalling blogger

2009-10-18T06:07:00.000-07:00

Well I can't really call myself a blogging poster but I am still a blogging reader! Its 3 months since my last post which is particularly bad I should think I have been erased from any previous readers of my blog - which I totally deserve. The photos above that even with tuition some time ago from Marmalade Rose I cannot get in the right place! are of Scarborough and my son's wedding in August

I am now officially a mother-in-law which is lovely as I have a smashing daughter-in-law. The wedding day in August was perfection. There were 30 guests and it was intimate, perfect and memorable. The hotel which was Chapters in Stokesley were discreet, professional, well organised and made the dat into one that was better than any of us expected. The food was sublime, very special and well thought out. The weather was OK not fantastic but pleasantly warm, it rained when we were eating inside but got out again when we were mingling they had huge parasols in the garden which meant we were under cover. The next evening they had a 'do' for 100 with a fantastic disco who were also a live Blues Brothers which were as good as the real thing. Vicky danced the night away in her wedding dress and sparkly flat shoes! A great time was had by all.

My Dad is OK at the moment still with us but tires easily. He has gone with the caravan to the War Weekend at Pickering and then they will shut it up for winter. We had a lovely family bbq in September for his birthday and a gathering atmy brothers for Mam's birthday. He loves it when we are all together and thought the wedding was wonderful.

We went to Scarborough for a few days over the Bank holiday and had a lovely time- the weather was good and we walked miles. We are very lucky to live in such a lovely part of the country and it was nice to stay away for a few days especially when the weather was good.

A month ago we had a traumatic time with our daughter. She had been going out with a nice guy and she was very happy and we were cos he seemed lovely. Whilst we were in Scarborough she and he were driven down to Worcester by a car salesman friend of his to buy an Audi TT. We discovered later that he couldnt get the finance to buy it and he persuaded Kate to take it on as they were now 'together' she didnt think she would be granted the loan but she was (we knew nothing if this until later when she told us) and so there she was with a £16.5k loan over 5 years - aaaarrrgghh - Yes its a lot for someone who actually earns £16 per year herself. Anyway a couple of days after getting the car he was never available and started over the next couple of weeks to cool off and started telling her he had been seeing someone else etc - just generally being horrible and she could never drive the car. This is when she told us what had happened and that it actually belonged to her in the finance and the DVLA log book. To cut a long story short when she asked him for it back he siad he would trash it and cancel her from the insurance policy so she got nothing for it and would be left with the loan. In the end we got the police to go round and point out that he was driving her car without her permission. They got the keys and the finance documents off him - he was threatening her within minutes on her phone. We took the car straight to the local Audi dealer and explained the situation - we were anxious to get rid of it before the first payment was take out of her bank. Wegot a trade in of £12k for it and a financial settlement figure of £16,696. So had to find £4,696.

My parents have £3k put aside for the grandchildren to go towards a deposit for a house when they are ready so we persuaded them to let Kate have hers now - we then had to lend her £1,696 to pay the car off completely. As to the ex boyfriend he kept calling her (we advised her to ignore him) and then the nasty texts for three days until she checked her online banking and realised that he had used her card once several weeks ago to top up his phone and of course it kept the details in his phone - he had been topping up his phone (£40) to send her the insulting texts!

At ths point she changed her phone number. All was quiet till he somehow,through someone else got her phone number and it all started again so she had to change her number again andthat was another £35!!

It has been a strong learning curve for Kate she will be paying us off for a long time and her heart has been broken in the process as she had real feelings for this guy...........its hard being young isn't it and you can't be everywhere looking after them especially at 23 but I would love punch this lads eyes out for hurting my daughter so much.

The worst thing is that he has no debt, there were no charges against him and he is swanking around conning other people now. I wanted to write to his Mum and make sure she knew exactly what her son has done but Kate is scared of the recriminations that might follow.....so I have to live with it.

Right I am off to bed now - we have doors on the landing to paint as the bathroom is almost finished and the cushionfloor will be fitted at the same time as the stair carpet (which has been in storage at the shop since last September!) the tiling will be grouted tomorrow by me and the frame around the bath can go on - the panelling there can go on after the cushionfloor goes down - I am sooooo excited.

Hello there I am back!!

2009-07-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

I will start my post with some of the bargains we have had from the auction since my absence. We have had the best bargains in the last couple of weeks but havent taken any pics of them yet. This little set of arts and crafts drawers were £5 you would weep if you saw the stuff that people dont even buy but I just dont have the room to store it. I have all my material in these as well as the bookcase cupboards in the conservatory. The clock has been waiting to go on the wall since before Easter.

This little desk was a bargain and we will use it for the computer once I have found a piano stool at the auction to sit on.

This is my auction bargain which is lovely and wide and really comfortable I would like to change the front legs but cant this is going to the upholsterer soon and will be covered in a grey deco type material for the back room - it was £18 and is better than the one in the Laura Ashley sale at £680!

The above pic is for Marmalade Rose who wanted to see the shower we had fitted before Xmas. The bathrooom is still bare walls and the new bath is in. The old sink and basin are left in place at the moment. The DIY has been held up here - Alan spent 5 weekends on the trot trying to fix his leaking waterfall he eventually gave up and now we have a one layer waterfall instead of three! Then he tiled round the bath - lovely and now he is slowly adding the panelling to the lower half of the wall. Then I have the task of deciding what colour and deco to do. The shower is lovely and a pleasure to use. Its amazing how you get used to living like this! and we still have no stair carpet down though it is now paid for !

Sorry to have been away so long. It's been a bit harrowing here - Dad has been told his cancer is now aggressive so we are spending as much time as possible with him - he seems fine but tires very easily. His favourite times are when any of his family visit - he perks up so much. Outwardly he appears to be OK but Mam says he sleeps quite a lot some days - he is not in any pain at the moment but has been told that he has months not years. My Mam is handling it a lot better than I thought she would and remaining cheerful - though goodness knows what she feels in those quiet moments on her own. We have told the kids - because they aren't kids anymore. Adam and Vicky have been great - they are visiting and talking to them about the wedding. We know Dad will make that date definitely and he and Mam have their clothes sorted for the 'do'.

Likewise I have my outfit for the day and another dress for the night do the following day. I went to Ann Harvey in York where they cater for the larger lady!! I am really pleased with what I have got - a cerise pink silk jacket, very fitted with 3/4 sleeves. The dress is a pink and aubergine circly pattern. I have pink strappy sandals and will get a bag in our local shop which I saw last week. The night time dress is navy with a sort of cummerbund in the same and I am looking for a silk warp to cover my fat arms!! My daughter told me she will put tan on me (she is insisting I dont show my legs on the day without it!) and has bought me a very light tan cream which we will experiment with shortly. Had a perm last week so it will be good on the day and my hairdresser will come on the morning and do it for me - I am really excited now and so looking forward to it.

There is some cheery news on the job front. My colleague and I are still waiting from March 4th to know what is happening with our jobs and have been told it will be September before we find out. In the meantime a couple of weeks ago it was decided that the new Chief Executive Officer of the Tourism Partnerships needed some help until the posts in her time are advertised and filled. I let it be known that I was very interested in being seconded and it has happened. So last Monday I started working in Thirsk, its about 15 mins from home and is the town where the vet James Herriot had his practice (it is now a lovely visitor attraction) I am working in the market place above the Tourist Information Centre and everyone is lovely I am so happy to be there. I would like to get one of the jobs that will be advertised if possible - they are a great team and the new CEO is an American lady who is so enthusiastic and works so hard. She has been working on the English Riviera for three years and before that Wales. It is such a positive place to be not like where I normally work. My poor colleague is missing me a lot and wanting to follow me!

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

2009-03-02T03:05:00.000-08:00

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!

Only a few weeks late..................................

2009-02-11T11:17:00.000-08:00

Hello - yet another upside down post - I need tuition!! Please read and bear with me whilst I get to grips with the problem - some of you must be veryadept at this posting lark!! and some of my pics leave a lot to be desired!Lostthe text somehow - this was my Nana's and the original pencil is still fasteed on the back yet I always remember her using it all the time.

My Emma Bridgewater teapot - bargain charity find £3.99! Love it......................

This is a vase I bought with my Xmas moneyfrom a little gallery in Ripon but can't remember the name of the lady who makes them she is from Lincolnshire and I love her stuff. Plus its very well priced.

The teaset pieces below were £4.00 and I am hoping that when I get back to Elsecar next month I can still buy the rest - I bet its gone I ummed and aaahed over the set and then didnt get it and regretted it all the way home. If its there then I will use this everyday for tea etc as it is so beautiful and should be used and loved. The colours are lovely - so fresh.

This is my bargain shelf from earlier posts it has now moved to the other side of the kitchen and we have added a radiator shelf for more display and it proved to be a good move you can feel the benefit of the radiator much more now and I am happy to have more 'stuff' space! I am wanting to T&G the bottom of the kitchen walls and them add some wallpaper on the top half it shouldn't be too big a job for Alan! we have done it in the last two houses and I love the look - then I can incorporate a nice slubby creamy F&B colour. I love the wallpapers that 'Little Red House' has in her house in America and I know we can get them over here.

The radiator shelf is where my gorgeous box from Lucy Bloom sits with my little mice in it. The two small ones where Xmas decs and reduced to £1.99. They had quite harsh whiskers in black so I took them off they are so well dressed I love them and these mice arent 'just for Christmas'!

These are my Beatrix Potter figures which I have mentioned below. Thispart of the post was the first bit originally I really need to get my head around laying out these posts but not this am. I did this Thursday and its now Sat am just having a cuppa then lots to do. Though Alan is quite settled watching 'Dave' channel - he doesnt know he is going to North Yorkshire Timber shortly to purchase some long shelving for above the kitchen window and door.

I am back in the land of posting having never left the land of blogging, I have been reading more than ever actually finding more to read all the time. Do you ever read a blog and then click on links within the text to another then another until you think - now whose blog did I start reading an hour ago??

On the home front my Dad is not as bad as we first thought. He saw the consultant in early January and he stopped his water tablets, increased his hormone levels quite a lot and sent him to see the kidney man telling him to come back in April. He does not need radiotherapy at the moment. He took some tests and he is going there soon for the results, in the meantime his GP told him that his kidneys were not as bad as they first thought. Dad bucked up so much after the appointment in Jan in fact we all have. Mum said this week he definitely has small breasts forming and sore nipples - Dad doesn't care!The whole family has bucked up after quite a rough Xmas so lets see what 09 is going to bring.

My son and his fiancee have finalised the food for the wedding - they are really glad they aren't spending much on the day and are both quite contented with the plans they are making. Vicky went to Hartlepool (for anyone who watches the news they don't just break up ships with asbestos in them there!!) to a lovely bridal shop and is making her mind up at the moment as to which dress she will have. She discussed with my Mam this week about the cakes as Mam is a wonderful cake lady and her friend Marilyn ices exquisite cakes, its just a matter of deciding on decor now. They are having a fruit cake with royal icing on the day and one for the night do next day along with some big chocolate cakes. I think that's wise then you cover all tastes.

I think I am feeling excited now but am not thinking about what I am going to wear yet! That is too traumatic though there are only 30 people going for the wedding lunch and I know most of them.

Kate's boyfriend returns from training in the Falklands for Valentine's weekend so we won't be seeing much of her! We are cat sitting for Adam and Vicky so they can see friends in Immingham. We will probably start Kate's room whilst she is away.

Whilst I have not been posting our son's little bedroom has been transformed. This is the room we have built out onto the wall facing you as you go down the stairs. He now has a wardrobe built in that space and we have fitted in a 4 foot bed and a chest of drawers. It's a bit like a ship's cabin- without the bunk! but he is so pleased with it and the fact he has some carpet at last of wich there is about 3 feet showing! He says his bed is really comfy and he has at last enough space to spread out to sleep.

There was an awful mirror with a really rough surround left above our bed which we put in the garage it was rescued by Alan who cut hardboard pieces mitred them round it and painted it white it is perfect for Davids room. We have added some floating shelves and just have another two to go up this weekend and some spot lights then its done.

I am going to try and add some pics of my little cabinet that Alan has rescued for me with some paint. We added some dolls house wallpaper and some ribbon on the edge of the shelves. It is to put my Beatrix Potter figures I love so much. I have collected on ebay sets of books and stuff like bookends ready for the childrens, children to enjoy the stories and animals like I did.

This is the end of a very upside down jumbled post hope it doesn't put any of you coming back!!

Happy 2009

2009-01-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

Hi I am back in the land of the living - have to be its back to the coal face tomorrow! I am dreading it - time away from work always fills me with dread. Does it you?

We have had a quiet Xmas here - spent time with the family and especially Mam and Dad. He goes for an appointment on Wednesday at the hospital they want him to see the Renal specialist as there is apparently some damage to his kidneys and they need to be careful with the medication they are going to prescribe as part of his new treatment plan in order not to cause any more damage. They are increasing his hormpone treatment and starting with radiotherapy. My brother is going with them in order to ensure we know as much as possible about what is going to happen. Dad isn't driving at the moment so Mam is very cut off- they live in quite a big village but it has no real facilities and she is 80 and doesn't drive. So we will see what Wednesday brings.

I am pleased to say that I am now in aroutine with the tablets (Metformin) for the diabetes. I lost a stone over the time I was ill and am not pleased ot report that 2pound of it has returned!! Still its given me a kick start on what is going to be a very long journey ahead. I have to ring tomorrow to see how the blood sugar is coming along since starting the tabs, so fingers crossed for that.

I have become an ebay addict again over the Xmas break I am sad to say though I spend a lot of time watching instead of bidding! I have just sold my daughter my car though I didn't get any money for it just a standing order to the bank for £100 per month! She now has her own insurance and is no longer on mine. She reversed into some one in the summer - it was a touch by her and hardly a mark on the car but sh thought she had damaged the other car above the wheel arch. To cut a long story short - my husband took pictures of the cars amd measurements of the areas and they simply did not tally ie she could not have caused the scratch along the top of his back wheel arch unless she had gone along side his car with the side of hers. However the insurance would not accept our dispute with the damage and myself and Kate now have to report the incident for five years for insurance purposes. It was a complete farce and now because I only have on more chance before I lose my protected no claims we decided it was time Kate was on her own insurance!

I appealed some time ago at work after my job was evaluated and I lost £2k per year and just before Xmas I found I was successful so I am due a lump of back pay at the end of Jan hence the car change!

Some of it has to go on my son a new bed. He has the little bedroom at the front of the house and we have built a cupboard on the wall that faces you as you go down the stairs but accessed from his bedroom. Its about 25 inches from the florr but gives him a good sized wardrobe and room for a chest of drawers for his undies. It has been really worth it for the difference in his room. We had a chat and agreed that he would like a bigger bed and use the room only for sleeping in ( he and Kate have the front room to themselves for tele etc) so I need a four foot divan now and the decorating begins again!

We now have a beautiful, gorgeous classy shower installed at the cost of an arm and a leg I might add! It is wonderful and we were so pleased with the workmanship we have booked them for end of March to do the rest. This is my extension money I am dipping into but I would guess that by the time we are finished the kids will have left and I wont need one!

I will post pics later - we had some but they got deleted by me in error. I have been reading all the blogs since I posted my previous one and you have all kept my spirits up.

I have been lucky as a person and a family not to have had any illnesses or loss so what happened came as a shock but I am well aware of how lucky we are and I am approching this year in a much more positive frame of mind now. We would cope with what happens with Dad and will just increase our love to him. I am also adjusted to the dreaded Diabetes and the doc was sure that once the sugars ar a bit more controlled I should be able to decrease the dose (it is giving me a terrible tummy!!! I cannot be fair from a loo at the moment - it is one of the side effects!!

So heres to a good 2009 for all of you out there - back to normal tomorrow - but I have had a good break - right off to Ireland to my new Maeve Binchy book - bliss. Was it just me or was the tele pretty diabolical over Xmas??

Finally a post after a long absence

2008-12-08T06:10:00.001-08:00

I am writing this in the kitchen at home where I am the worse for wear. I am off work with the end of a virus I have had all over the weekend and today have been to the doc's and have a prescription for my chest - I also cannot speak as my voice has gone and my throat is raw.

I haven't posted for a while I have been reading and ocassionally commenting and sometimes buying but I havent had the heart to blog a couple of weeks ago as I had planned.

I know we all try and be cheerful on our blogs but I don't feel that way at the moment. I suppose I am wallowing in self pity and anger at this time. A couple of weeks ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetis which was a shock to say the least. My colleague took my blood a couple of times ( she is a type 1) and was concerned so I went for the tests and lo and behold there it was and high cholesterol. I am annoyed with myself for getting this way and am working hard to get the cholesterol down and taking the tablets for the dreaded 'D'. I am enjoying all the wonderful side effects of headaches, nausea, and the runs.

I am feeling angry that I have not been sick for over 2 years and was feeling fine and dandy until this happened. Now I am living under a constant worried cloud - trying to cut out the things to get the cholesterol down and wondering if all the fruit etc is bad for the 'D'. When I left the doctors I was given no advice, no paperwork, nothing just told to come back in a month to see how I was dealing with the cholesterol. I know its my fault - the lack of exercise - I certainly do not overeat and we eat very healthily its just the lethargy that sets in after the chores are done after work and we dont even have a wlak in the evening anymore. I am overweight and I guess this is a wake up call to get me to deal with it. So that makes me angry with myself.

I started on Thursday feeling sick and hot and by Friday was away with the fairies. I felt terrible and then the voice went - I know this is coincidence and nothing to do with 'D' and even 'C' (cholesterol) but it takes me down further. However my woes are superficial compared to my Dad's.

On Thursday I had the worst news I have ever had in my 52 years. My Dad has had prostate cancer for over 2 years but it diminished with drugs and was at bay. Now however the tumour has got bigger and seems to be on the move - his kidneys are clear but we hear on Thursday what is the next thing to happen to him but they have said they won't operate. Now I see that as a bad thing - does it mean its too bad or what? We have been a lucky family with illness but we are a small family and this is my Dad we are talking about - who has always been there for me - even when my Mam wasn't! He is so very precious to us all and it is going to be hard to feel festive this year.

I know life goes on but we are all in deep shock at the moment..................... I have thanks to post for purchases and some pics to add but not today.

I hope no-one minds me posting such a blog but I want to let people know I am still here but sad

Bargain Sunday!!

2008-10-13T05:37:00.000-07:00

Went to Elsecar on Sunday and found exactly what we have been looking for the conservatory. I wanted a smaller table than the old Ercol we had in there - to give us more room and small enough that we could eat at it and I could sew small things at it!.

I am off today on a flexi day - what is this weather like - I have been washing and cleaning today and I cant get it out fast enough before it dries. Bad news though that means I should be ironing now instead of going off into town.

The table was originally £125 reduced to £85 - Elsecar has a collectors fair once a month but there is a building full of booths and cabinets that is there permanently and it was in one of those. The guy had left his phone number on the wall so Alan gave him a ring to ask his best price - which I thought was cheeky when it was already - he said he could have it for £75! I nearly fell over. He then rang one of the ladies who work there so she knew what he had said - it fitted in the car so off we went clutching our gorgeous table.

I have also managed on Saturday to rearrange the conservatory so I now have my two sewing/crafty boxes handy and have moved some of the books to the front room. Two of the pics are of the shelves Alan has added around two walls of the conservatory - it is 96degrees in there at the moment and I would love to spend the rest of the day in there fiddling about and reading but I have to go to the butchers and the bakers etc! so we can eat.

We went to Bedale on Saturday and were pleased to see that the shops we liked had got better. There is a shop called the Red House and it had the most gorgeous stuff in it. I saw some lovely Art Deco original border tiles that I really want for the bathroom I was going to go off white and aqua's and F&B greeny blues, but then I saw these tiles they are just off white with a soft checkered pattern on them in a soft black sounds silly but they were it wasnt a harsh black - they are lovely - need to persuade Alan now. Bedale is only about 5 miles away but we havent been for ages we have had DIY free weekend because of the weather this might be the last weekend like we had.

We were thinking about going to the Vintage & Handmade Fair but its a lot of petrol and we need to stay two nights - so we are thinking its a lot of expense. It will at least £300. I would dearly love to see all the bloggers in person but its a long journey for us Northern Ladies! I am going to very jealous when eveyone is blogging about the day and how they met up - my friend at work is going to ban me from reading blogs in my lunch break after the 22nd November because it will put me in a mood!

The trouble is that money would buy me a bath and taps and maybe even a basin for the bathroom wouldn't it. I have to get on and get it done asap because the carpet for the stairs is waiting to be fitted and ther is no point until all the mess has been up and down them from the bathroom.

Right I must go - I have just added my old Ercol table and two pine chairs to Freecycle - so I have no excuse now to be on the laptop.

We are decorated and carpeted - blissful nights ahead

2008-10-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

Another post that is a bit upside down - ie I wrote the bottom bit first so the title refers to further down in the posting. Just a few pics around the house and some of this weeks creations.

I got these little tiny cupcake candles in Whitby this summer and the little hive candle in a charity shop in Pickering - I have had the other bits of china for a long time but they all live happily side by side in the dresser
This pretty cup and saucer was a recent bargain isn't it lovelyThe two little black bowls were Nana's, one is glued together very badly but I still love them and the little jug was a charity shop buy this year - I think it was 99p This is what is on the top of my bargain dresser - we haven't really had the weather to get it outside, strip it and paint it this year but I have high hopes of using the garage later on though I haven't told Alan he thinks its a job he has got away with doing yet! The original Roberts radio was picked up about 5 years ago in a fleamarket for £4 - it gives perfect reception and will go in the conservatory at the weekend. I must get that picture hung up on the wall - there is a velux above the dresser so its lovely when the sun shines - whats that you say? I'm afraid I should have zoomed in on the image a bit more.

This is the gorgeous box I bought off the very talented Lucy Bloom some time ago - I was so thrilled with it aren't you envious???

This is our printers tray in the kitchen it hung in the hall in the other house - I think we probably have enough stuff to start another one! Alan got loads of printing bits from a bin that were being thrown out at the Police HQ - they are brilliant and very different. There are lots of old police badges and lovely signs - see the direction ones on the top of the tray and there is a bobby with his hand up to stop on the top left. There are tiny teddies and little ornaments that were in my Mam's jewellery box in the bottom underneath the tray. I have the box and when its unpacked will post it - her Dad made it for her and it is so simple - she didn't want it but I certainly did. I wear a lovely old gold ring that was my Nana's instead of my wedding ring which grew too tight(!) and this weekend it snapped luckily I was at home and felt it fall off - Alan is going to see if we can get it mended. I am not a jewellery person at all but do love that ring very much as she always wore it and she loved Alan and I getting married very much. She was almost 99 when she died and left me with lots of lovely memories and things ......... She was a perfect Nana when Peter and I were little - she always had time for us - she even had a bag of sand which ashe would haul out onto a blanket for us to play with in winter!! and she always gave us tinned strawberries with evaporated milk - yummy I can taste them now.......................

These are guilty purchases from LA - I know I can make them but I am never going to get round to it and those chairs are hard!!! I got 6 pads and they are so soft

3 reversible cushions not 6 different ones! From my fabric stash - to match Arundel (LA) curtains that are now three widths wide not two - what a job it was like hauling a sail around the table. The carpet is down, the curtains are up and there are even cushions made for the bed! No pix up on the walls nor shelving for my bits yet and no bedroom door on as it needs planing post carpet being fitted and we forgot to do a second coat on it as well.

Apart from spilling 750ml of F&B oil eggshell paint on the floorboards, down my blouse, trousers and shoes - through the floorboards as well the job went fine. I had to remove my trousers in the bay window! to drop them onto the newspaper that David ran and got for us as the disaster took place. I had to scrub myself with turps on my leg in the shower before it would come off and everything had to go in the bin!

We have no wardrobes yet either as they need building in - Oh but the bliss of carpet under your feet and we even freecycled the big old dirty rug.

We finally fitted the shelves in the downstairs front room after making carboard templates and then cutting the shelves to suit. Worth it and a useful tip for fitting shelves into old alcoves.

We could hardly get out of bed on the Monday am after working flat out all weekend but it was worth it. We are tempted to find a little bedroom fireplace and cover the badly finished wall then it will stop me filling the room with more furniture but then a little narrow table would be nice instead................. we will see.

Its the auction again this Friday so we will take a look - we are looking for a small table for the conservatory instead of the old Ercol round one we have in there now - something we eat on and I can do my sewing on as well. I was able to extend the kitchen table and position the ironing board at the end of it with a piece of plywood on top to give the me the length to turn back up the curtains. I sewed one triple width hem and lining during Saturdays Strictly and the other during the Sunday results show. We were lucky with the bay window in our room as someone in previous years had painstakingly cut and fitted wood around the curve of the bay ceiling so we could hang tracking from there, instead of at the window itself so we put up new tracking and thought it was all going too smoothly.

When I went upstairs on Sunday night after Alan had hung the curtains ( I was determined to go to bed with curtains up that night! and then I closed my eyes to get the full effect...............Hmm - the bay window seems to lift at the right hand side as it gets to the end nearest Alans side of the bed thus the curtains seem to rise up and they are two inches too short at that side because of it - I could have cried but I was too tired and panic if I can't get to sleep on a Sunday night. So I gritted my teeth and went to bed. Its only a room I know but I sweated doing it all!!

We are facing the problem at the weekend as its no good attempting jobs during the weeknights - plus the rerun of Goodnight Sweetheart has started again and when I get in Alan is watching the tele - whereas he would do a job in the time before we had tea - no more alas - he must have seen that series at least four times all the way through.

Now on a complete chage of subject

Has anyone ever had a glitch with a subscription with Country Living - I finally got my subscription started after writing to them several times - then I only got two issues - I have to be honest I havent read many mags they were sitting in plastic wrappers until about August - so I started ploughing through them all and noticed there werent any American CL's since the May isssue. I got out all my correspondance tonight and went on the website - when I checked my details it said it was undeliverable due to incorrect details and the account was suspended. Why didnt they email me and say something. The strange thing is that the details they hold are correct so I emailed Customer Services to ask what is going on. I will keep you informed but has anyone out there had problems.

Right I must go to bed and continue to try and catch up with my magazine backlog - its now one hour later it took me all that time to add the pics at the top and a bit more blurb

Good night all

Bunging on some pictures and not much text

2008-09-19T07:23:00.000-07:00

As usual got the pics in the wrong place!!

I am not going to go on the internet this weekend as we are having a blitz on jobs and once I get on thats's it - hours disappear and so does the weekend. We hope to get upstairs and sand and paint our room. Some of the pics are the back room finished with the wall lights finally up and the front room fireplace with the offensive oak sides removed, painted and shortly (Sat am ) to have new glass uplighters added. Also the promised picture of the lovely bargain chair which is so comfortable I sat last night in the conservatory on it with Karen Black singing to me it was blissful.

So here goes - but I bet I sneak on to read blogs secretly!

My other house

2008-09-16T12:10:00.001-07:00

This is one of our hobbies that has been neglected over the past year but it is finally in place in the conservatory. It is a house with a shop at the side and the shop belongs to a man who makes and repairs chairs - hence the workbench - this room is my husbands work and is the only room we have done to date.

We have four boxes of things we have collected for the house and now we just need time (!) and we may get some more decorating in the house done (the dolls one of course)

I came home tonight to a surprise - Alan had come home in his dinner hour and fitted my wall lights in the back lounge they are lovely - he will attempt the centre fitting tomorrow but my daughters floorboards have to come up to fasten the fitting to the ceiling - there is a ceiling rose and it is wrong in the 30's house but its far too much work to remove it now.

We now have some small spot lights to attach to the beam in the conservatory and then at last we will have lights out there as well.

My friend and I went to the local auction in our lunch hour on Friday and saw some carver chairs which I wanted for the kitchen. I knew Alan was coming back from Skipton and finishing early so I rang him and asked him to look at them and bid if he thought they were OK.

Anyway he rang to sayhe hadn't bought the pair but had bought the other chair that we had raved about and sat in and thought would go for a lot of ££££. He got it for £40 - it is a real chair for Father Christmas to sit in or Grandads to read books to children in. Its coming into the kitchen when all the light boxes have gone and the shelves and brackets for the conservatory are not being stained and the shelves for the front room aren't being painted etc etc. I will take a photo soon and show it off on here. We aren't going to touch the colour of the chair its lovely and worn in all the right places yummy.

I am off to read one of my mags now with a cuppa and then an early night I think - the last few nights have been long and uncomfortable as I woke up with sciatica on Sunday morning - can't seem to shake it off - a visit to the osteopath would do the trick but as the local diy stores and lighting shops have gobbled up the ££ this month I am putting up with it.

Night night

Update on 'Bloody XL'!!

2008-09-15T05:17:00.000-07:00

Adam has re-booked the flights and Vicky's Dad has been assured he will get some of the money back but not before the holidy. I just hope that whoever they have the flights with doesn't go under before they get there!!

Bloody XL Holidays

2008-09-12T05:57:00.000-07:00

My son Adam and his fiancee Vicky and6 other memebrs of her family were off to Florida in 5 weeks - they have lost everything. They didnt want to have credit card debts so they have been planning this for 18 months - her Dad paid for the flights and accomodation so he has lost £6k. Adam and Vicky paid for the minibus for the lot of them for 2 weeks and bought their attraction tickets in advance so they have lost £1400.

Adam has never been anywhere like this so he was so excited to be going. They are all gutted and I don't know what to say. They might get their flight money back but not in time

Back after a long blogging break.......................

2008-09-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

Sand sculptures at Filey - this is another upside down post - its late now and I need to think about adding pics - I will fathom it out another day!!

Hi there to everyone - I have returned after a long break. I felt that my postings were just about everything that was going wrong - so I have been there reading and commenting on others but just getting the bad things out of the way. In the greater scheme of things they were not important but at the time they seemed so.

Anyway in the meantime I am pleased to sat we now have new laminate in the hall and front room and a new carpet in the back lounge - the carpet is heaven after so many months of hard flooring. The sweet peas above must have been the first ones from the garden as I have had the Laura Ashley eau de nil polka dot table covering on for several weeks now - up to now I have had twelve jugs of them and even taken some for my desk at work - they have been glorious. We have munched the beans - eaten the strawberries - with difficulty I might add to say they were tart would be an understatement!

We have the composter bubbling away after moving to a better position and have cleared another small area for more veg - the beetroot and carrots are looking good - though my Mum will be given the beetroot to 'do'!!

At last I have a chest freezer in the garage (which we can access through the utility) I spent many winters trekking across the garden to the freezer in the garage in my last home so this will be bliss. It is at last filled the ginnells - now we can start enjoying the smaller shopping trips - I hate grocery shopping so the less trips the better for me

Alan and I have been on leave since the bank holiday - we havent been anywhere except for days out. I am happy to be at home quite honestly - I sit at my desk longing to be there reading or doing a jigsaw ( my unwinding time) so that is what I have done these last few days.

We went to Filey one day and I went to 'Summer by the Sea's ' lovely shop - her very well behaved and very polite children were there. She is lovely and it is so nice to meet a blogger in person. I can read her blog in a different way now - we had a lovely day in Filey - its a lovely seaside town with a tremendous beach- huge, clean and very very long................. Here are some pics of the sand sculptures people had made - the day was a bit overcast but lovely and warm

We went to Reeth yesterday in Swaledale and then over to Barnard Castle - the day was lovely but very windy - then onto Alan's Mum for a visit. Forgot to say we went to visit the Fat Sheep where Marmalde Rose has some of her lovely bags on sale but it was shut - I was just telling her in a comment that I had said there wouldn't be much open on a Monday and it occurred to me that that may be why Alan was so keen to go out!! No he wouldn't do that - would he??

Beans, apples, water lilies in the sunshine

2008-07-15T08:37:00.001-07:00

Here is the unit from the shed we just need some new kickboard now - its Wednesday tomorrow so Alan will go with his 'pensioners' card and a list and get 10% discount!!

Because I am not normally home during day this is the first time I have seen the one of the water lilies out in bloom - havent caught it very well but you can see one of the fishes head out of the water!

This is Alan watering our beans and sweet peas. We also have spring onions and lettuce growing there. With leeks just along to the left. I was munching the first dwarf beans last night - they were lovely. I went to get the dozen blueberries I have grown to top the fruit salad last night and everyone had been eaten by the birds! Needless to say they now have netting over them.

These are the dwarf broad beans they are ready to eat now but the ordinary ones are not full yet.

This is the decking - obviously - we think it has been built too high?? What do you think - we thought we might chop a bit off the spindles and put it all back again!

This is my apple tree - our neighbour said they are lovely - I can't wait. We have planted carrots, onions and beetroot at the bottom of the garden and they are all coming through. Our other garden was different levels but this flat and I can see more of it going over to produce to be quite honest we were late getting going this year but potatoes are definately going in at the end of the year.

Well this has been a more cheerful post than of late - we are having a break from the house for a while after the back lounge is done - fund recovery is necessary and energy levels are low. We need to sit back soon and enjoy the fruits (and veg!!) of our labours.

A cheery post!!

2008-07-15T08:19:00.000-07:00

This is the 1930's fireplace removed from my brother's house and fitted in my 1930's house today!! Yippe we are getting there at last. I feel like we are on the home straight now. We have to line two walls that aren't so good - they are originals and the rest have been replastered by the previous owner - he put thick polystyrene in the alcoves for noise reduction and then plastered over them - I must admit we have never heard a sound from next door. New dado has been added as his was too high and new coving in the extension after the ceiling was down. Still searching for light fittings at the moment and have decided to go for downward shining ones so they dont highlight the ceiling!

We had a gap in the kitchen and had the spare tumble dryer parked in there as Dad got me a condensing one and its in the utility but as we dont know how long it will last and ours was relatively new we decided to keep in in the garage covered over for the time being. There was a little 300m cupboard next to it. This was removed and left a 1000mm space and in the garage had been fitted a 1000mm cupboard. So this has been cleaned up and fitted in the space. Its marvellous and I have gained so much storage. The space in the shed has been filled with the dresser base I had in the kitchen when we first came and that was in the garage. That space has been filled with the Ikea basic shelving we had had in my workroom at the old house and Bob's your uncle! Now has anyone else grown up with that saying?? Everyone has storage where they want it and we can rest for the day. Tomorrow the lining paper goes on and then the big job of THE WALLPAPERING starts............................................... Pause for music!

Plaster disaster update!!

2008-07-09T04:25:00.000-07:00

Well today is Wednesday and we now have a newly plastered and coved ceiling at the back of the disaster lounge - Richard once again came to the rescue and did a wonderful job. I think he should be knighted!

On Sunday night we were brushing water out of the garage for 35 minutes in the tremendous downpour - we couldnt let it in because there are lots of boxes in there still including Kate's new bed and drawers. By the following night we had sandbags inside - that was lucky because on Monday we had another one identical but only for about 25 minutes - the sandbags held. Richard and Alan are going to add a soakaway thingy. Last night Alan was sanding ceiling again - its pretty good considering its 1938. We are going to put a coat of emulsion on so we can identify any rough areas still there. We have also decided to sand the two original walls (the others have been plastered by the previous owner) and line them with 1200 grade lining paper before adding Percy to the walls, after so much effort it has to be right. We will be restoring the picture rail asap and that will make the room lighter and the papering easier.

We are still having problems with the laminate flooring man. He has been and relaid the hall but has now decided that he doesn't think its right so he said he had arranged for the rep to come today. Surprise, surprise the rep isn't able to come now after we once again emptied the hall and cleaned the floor ready for the visit. When he came to sort out the hall he was also supposed to change one of the boards in the lounge as it was dipping - he forgot to do that! I just want to say ************** and pay him and get on with life! sorry still no pics to add - mind you they owuld only be off horrible old walls etc etc. I forgot to take pics of the disaster day as well

Well the weekend that was!!!!!

2008-07-02T05:08:00.001-07:00

Well- the weekend!!

We had booked a plasterer who said £200 and he would come and PVA the ceiling Friday night then him and his mate would come and skim on Saturday.

What really happened was this: He turned up with his gear on Friday night and dumped it on the drive - we were worried it might be pinched so hauled it all inside. He was in a rush so said he would PVA tomorrow and come Sunday to skim. Last words - see you at 9.00am

Saturday - Richard came at 8.00pm and made a splendid job of making the hatch bigger and fitting our gorgeous QVC steps - great. By 11.00am I rang the plasterer - no answer so I texted him - got an text back at 1.20pm!!! to say - sorry he couldn't lie he had been at an all night party - you know how it is!!! No actually I don't!! - He would be there in half an hour. He finally turned up at 3.00pm and PVA'd the ceiling and went off saying he would be back at 11.00am on Sunday.

Sunday dawned - I left Alan in waiting for him. I was in Homebase using my 15% voucher on paint etc and replacing Alan's Black & Decker Mouse sander. Alan phoned at 1.10pm to say he hadn't arrived yet and would I ring him - so I did - he said he was having his dinner first and he would be there in an hour!!! He finally turned up at 2.15pm and started to plaster leaving a hell of a mess as he worked.

After about an hour (he was huffing & puffing and sweating - I kept giving him water - I am sure it was drink - he was red eyed) He shouted me to come quick - there were huge blobs appearing in the plaster and it was dropping off the ceiling and taking the artex off with it!
He said that he could only think that whoever had put the artex on hadn't PVA'd the ceiling first and because he had wet it with the plaster as then the plaster dried it was pulling it off - it was falling off as he was speaking! If it wasn't so awful it would have been funny. So he and Alan decided to quickly scrape off all the plaster and the artex came off as well but you can imagine the mess that created. It was everywhere - he hadn't at that point done the extension ceiling at the back of the room which was the reason that we were skimming the ceiling!

Anyway off came the plaster, I started scooping it all up with a shovel and so did Alan - the guy said he would give us a hand but then proceeded to remove his gear which coincidentally took as long to remove as it took us to scrape it off the floor and bag it up. (he did take away the bags of plaster for us) Hey - who needs a sauna!

We then asked him what we could do with the back ceiling - he climbed up and peeled the tape off which was masking tape! stuck on over unplastered plasterboard. He said he could only suggest Alan steamed off the artex and then had it plastered. He was most concerned that we would say he was rubbish at his job and that it had never happened to him before - we assured him it wasn't his fault as it wasn't. I could have said your reliability and timekeeping are rubbish but I didn't. We asked how much he wanted and he said £100 - so we paid and he went off to the pub!

So - after a cllo drink - it was so hot - Alan gets the steamer set up and starts to steam and scrape the artex off - after about 10 minutes the plasterboard started to disintegrate and fall off. So he pulled down the ceiling and coving (just in the back area which is about 13ft x 6 ft. What a mess - all had to be bagged up again by us!

It was so badly done he was glad at the end he had taken it down - we rang Richard and he came the next night to inspect it all! and he is coming to re-plasterboard it on Sat am when Alan has added more noggins etc.

Whilst it is open Alan called my brother (an electrician) becuase he could see the wiring for the lights and we wanted to add another light at that end of the room. That was fitted last night.

So what a long winded way to get a wall light up! and artex off a ceiling - hope you haven't fallen asleep reading this - it was so awful at the time we just laughed and I still love my house after all this - Mam and Dad were appalled at how much we are having to do but it is our choice.

Waht I forgot to mention is that Sunday and Monday evening Alan has sanded the main ceiling with his little Black & Decker Mouse (wonderful tool thoroughtly recommend it) and it looks lovely - just a couple of littel cracks to fill - I can't unerstand why they covered it in artex.

Last night we spent hours hoovering the plaster from the under the skirting boards and getting the dust up, now the floor is washed it looks qquite presentable - an any one else's eyes its actualy a dump but after Sunday afternoon when it was covered in huge lumps of damp plaster and artex its paradise.

Sorry I have no photos to add and its just boring writing .................

Weekend Working..............

2008-06-27T04:25:00.000-07:00

Busy days ahead over the weekend here in bay window land. Richard who is our favourite chap (he does loads of things for us that Alan doesnt know how to and Alan assists and learns at the same time) is coming to widen our loft hatch on the landing, fit a very clever ladder we have bought off QVC and then hopefully Alan will supervise our two sons putting flooring down in the loft. I am so excited because then we can get some boxes up there out of the way at last. I would love to be able to sit in the wonderfully sunny conservatory we have without having to wedge a chair in between boxes and spare furniture.

The back room that we are currently decorating has taken a bit of a turn for the worse ie the decarting has ground to a halt. We have an extension (it added about 6' to the room) and the ceiling is awful you can see the tape on the plaster board and its also where the flat roof leaked so there is a nasty stain. It is artexed which I hate but only very slightly so we are having the whole room ceiling skimmed over the weekend. He is coming tonight to do the first stage and then Sat or Sun to do the rest of it. Then we can get on. The fireplace almost fell over when we removed the fire surround so Alan had had to make brackets to fasten it against the wall. The surround we have from my brother is lovely but the opening is a bit bigger than the fireplace so we are busy modifying it with black painted wood! It will look good - honestly! Alan also blacked the fireplace last night - it looks very good. We are getting there. It will be so nice to get the paper on at last I have always coveted the 'Percy' paper from and it should be an improvement on the room hopefully making it lighter as it is prone to being a little dark.

Have been trying to source some wall lights and a centre light fitting that we both like and can afford some of them are astronomic. So any pointers to websites or shops with good selections would be gratefully received. We prefer double wall lights and I wanted a triple centre fitting we also need four sets of wall lights hence the bargains needed.

I have written to the local council this week to ask if they have any record of our foundations being dug deeper than required for the garage then we can start investigating the cost of it all.
We are now trying to distribute all the things that we got together and Kate bought for when she was moving out. She is still looking for a house share with girls as she says she is ready to move out anyway. Hence I now have a new microwave because I bought her one! mind you mine was a bit dodgy and had a hole on the top side where I melted it by leaving a hot lamp next to it after a power cut!!

My gorgeous blue delphiniums were snapped in two by the viciuos wind we had - I was sooo cross. Am also cross with myself for deleting all the before photos of the garden. Anyway we got some more lettuce, carrots and beetroot planted this week.

Other big news here is that my son Adam and his fiancee have booked their wedding for next August. They have been very sensible and booked it all in a lovely local hostelry and we are having the ceremony there as well. It has a lovely riverside garden and they prefer to do small 'do's'. There are ex-parents to invite etc etc but they are determined to make it 20 close family for a wedding lunch (its a Friday) and then a do at a cricket club on the Saturday evening for the rest of the family and friends. So my frock won't need to be posh! and Vicky wants a really noce dress but not a wedding dress. They have both said they don't believe in spending loads of money on one day - it well be better spent on a wedding as they want to move to a whole house (ie not the quarter sized one they have now) as soon as they can.

Right must go and get on - but first be warned I had to give in with Supanet and pay them £103.91 to get out of the contract. Please, please be warned about these Internet Service Providers and read the very very small print - they have you every way you turn. In the end I just gave in and paid as I was starting to lose sleep over it. I would thoroughly recommend 02 we were up and running in one week which is fantastic.

See you all later, hope you all have a good weekend, in order to keep out of the workmens way I have offered to check out the charities and the Laura Ashley sale - now aren't I kind!!

Exhausted from stripping..........!!!!!!

2008-06-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

These are some of the
things I have in and on
top of my dresser - I have
so many other boxes to
unpack yet I am going
to have to be selective
and maybe sell on some
of my 'stuff' !!

Don't worry I haven't got a night job - stripping the walls and washing off horrible gluey paste - yeuk. Poor old Alan thought we were finished and then I pointed out the wall at the top that is where they added an extension on - so more water in the steamer. We had the conservatory doors and windows open and it was pouring outside - all the windows were steamed up and so were we. More gardening last night after stttling own for a cool drink after tea and a 'watch the pond' session we made some decisions on the garden and got up and did it there and then. Shrubs out, acers moved. path planned, carrots moved!! all go.........

Tomorrow should be adding dado round the room, then painting of dado and all paintwork. Have had a delivery of my brother's unwanted 1930's fireplace. Tall with an oval mirror -in lovely condition. So tomooorrow I can see it in situ as the horrible dark shiny one is now off - so the nice clean, decorated front is piled high with 'stuff' again. Still we have broken the back of the job today and it was pouring down anyway - what more could you ask to be doing on a rainy afternoon - Yes I know, reading , resting , watching an old film, those days are on hold in this house.

Right its 9.30pm there is film I would like to watch but typical of tele now it starts after midnight and we only have trash all evening - we haven't even had it on tonight. May as well go to bed with Alan, tea and Country Living!

Houston - We have lift off - Hurrah for 02

2008-06-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

This posting is almost upside down so please bear with me when you read it.

Some more goodies acquired lately-wll there should be more pictures but blogger won't let me add anymore and as there is an orderly queue now we have broadband I will say goodnight - its good to be back and I have lots of pictures to add.This is the green shelf unit I showed a couple of postings ago - it now in situ with 'stuff' on it - I shall be moving it soon as I want to add a plate rack so I can unload the dishwasher onto it like I had in the previous house. I found them on David Mellors site so will treat myself next month and the unit can move ot the other wall - Alan is not completely aware of the imminent move - I have told him but he wasn't listening at the time - I know it..............This little beauty is my sewing box - it holds all the things you need to hand for speed and then often holds a current project. It is a great size and it good condition from a charity shopThese are my little vintage suitcases they are quite small - think the one to the front of the picture might have been for a small instrument. They are sitting on the top shelf of an Ikea wall mounted coat hook stand - I love themBeen so long since I blogged properly I cant remember how to add the pics where I want so excuse the jumble! The pictures of the panelling are for Lucy Bloom to see. We wanted to try and make it more like we think it would have been and the wall where we added the loo would normally have been wooden so we added wooden strips like we saw after trawling through books of the era. WE then painted and sanded the plaster wall and the wood together in satnwood so it looked all the same. It actually looks like wood and our carpet fitter came in and said ' Hmm original panelling eh' - we were cock a hoop!

Anyway the big news today is that Kate and Ross are now no longer moving in together - she has decided she isnt ready to do so yey - she says that passing her test has opened up her life so much that she wants to go out and about and enjoy herself !! Hmm I seem to remember saying something like that some time ago. Ross had apparently agreed and siad he wanted to go travelling before he setled down anyway (!! was that without KAte then??) Anyway he rang her today and said as she wouldnt move in with him then there was no point in continuing etc etc. She has gone to his house tonight to get her stuff and talk. I am hoping this is it and they stay unengaged to be honest. Although I have lost my plumber now and he took the radiators off the back room wall on Sunday so we could decorate more easily............and what about my bathroom???...... Aaaaaargh

I dont know if anyone agrees out there but although these young adults think they are soooo grown up now they arent really - everything has to be so intense in their relationships - they must understand that life isn't like Hollyoaks and the soaps, but hey what do I know. So we will see what happens tonight when she gets back -she was a bit fragile when she left Signed up for 02 last Tuesday and here I am. Just got to a financial battle with Supanet now but I am so happy to be independent again. I am going to add some photos of the hall which is now decorated I am pleased to say - I didnt want to keep the spindles - we wanted square ones and we wanted to stain the handrail but there is so much to do we compromised and I must admit the hall is lovely and light an clean now. We arent having any carpet fitted until the bathroom is done because we all know its going to be messy isn't it! This was to be the start of the blog I seem to have to think about the end before the beginning when I post - is it the same for everyone - when adding pictures or am I stupid??

Forgot to add the Wisteria!! after all that

2008-06-04T05:21:00.001-07:00

Grrrrrrh .............no internet access

2008-06-04T05:06:00.000-07:00

Well I cant send all my pics to work to add them to blogger because I have no broadband! and I have loaded them off the camera onto the computer so I can't even bring them here and put them on as I thought I was clever and deleted them off the camera - so I have one pic I took this am of the white wisteria on the garden side of the pergola.

Having arguments by letter with Supanet - gosh you must think I am simply awkward and argumentative with everyone as this sounds like the move but I am not like that at all -its these big companies who don't do their job. You feel so helpless.

A guy from our IT department came to give us new PC's and he was saying about just moving and how awful it was - he was in our chain!! with the same solicitors as us and he had the same terrible time - he was the second in line from the bottom of the chain. Mind you at least he is finished and in and not being accused by Customs & Excise like us of not paying our stamp duty - Drrrh!

Right must go, had my dinner break! Will read some blogs tomorrow - I dont go out at lunchtime on my errands anymore 'cos I have to quickly read blogs!

I think Kate is moving out at the weekend or next weekend. She and Ross got a 3 seater and 2 seater leather sofa less than one year old - they were almost £2k new for £700. They decided if they have not much else they can sit comfortably. They are big but I said if they don't fit you can always sell them. The couple she bought them off were splitting up which is sad, Kate said they obviously hadn't spent enough time snuggling on the expensive sofas. She has turned inot a little bairgain hunter like her Mum. They bought a second hand fridge freezer and the couple threw in a free dishwasher!

Right must go!!

Sorry for not joining in lately

2008-05-29T04:34:00.000-07:00

We have no internet access due to arguing with our provider so I am adding this message from work.

Day off tomorrow due to fact that my laminate is being laid in the hall, front room and cushionfloor in the loo! Hoping they are coming early and then I can have some 'me' time and I am not spending it in the supermarket!

The wisteria out now on the pergola and it is lovely - there is second one as well which is coming a liitle later it was just flowering in a few places this morning and its a white one. The garden is coming along well, we have added lots of car boot plants lately and things in pots that we brought with us. We bought a pear tree with some vouchers we got off my brother almost two years ago but we were hanging on until we moved here. The garden is proving to be perfect - it gets lots of sun when we want it and there are shady places as well I can see we are going to have some lovely times in it. Alan extended the fence upwards at the back with extendable met posts and we are now nice and private and it makes the gardne look a lot wider. The pond and its inhabitents are lovely to watch and we are now the proud owners of (we think ) about 10 babies and a new pond vac!

I have exchanged my oven and hob from my old house for a desk that we don't need - so it has gone back home and my old oven has been replaced at the previous house with a swish range cooker. The one I inherited here whistles all the time and it doesn't have a seperate grill - there was nothing wrong with the one I left so I was glad to have it and it was going to the tip if I didn't. Ross will have to put me in a gas pipe to enable me to fit the gas hob that came with it. I have an electric one which drives me mad - its either on full or almost off - not very efficient at all.

The next job will be the bathroom so we decided against having the stair carpet done yet as there will allsorts of stuff going up and down the stairs whilst its done.

I am enjoying a sandwich at the moment full of my own lettuce - we have broad beans, spring onions, lettuce and tomatoes growing there at the moment in a tiny but productive place.

My brother got married last weekend at York Registry Office and he is having a bbq on Saturday where we will meet his new wifes family. They have been waiting to be married about 8 years! as kids grew up and settled and finally there are together and Peter doesnt have a long journey to make every weekend. Hope the weather is OK - I have to make a huge fruit salad as my contribution.

Kate and Ross are now setting up home together - they are renting and should be moving in in a couple of weeks - so we are shopping together on Sunday for housey things whilst Alan goes to Croft with his eldest son. Andrew lives in Wales and has just been confirmed with MS so we will be pleased to see him - he is marshalling at Croft so he must be OK at the moment - apparently his eyes are the problem that triggered off the investigations, Alan will be glad to see him.

Well better get back to work - I am reading other blogs and commenting but can only get on at work and obviously not for too long!!

No internet access in bay window land!

2008-05-21T05:01:00.000-07:00

Have no internet access at the moment - don't know why?? Adam will sort it out at the weekend - so popped on at work to leave this message.

Have loads of photos to add of befores and afters as we progress through the house and one of the imminent wisteria which we knew we had in the garden but if it all comes out it will be breathtaking.

Managed to find a pic of the dresser

2008-05-04T05:53:00.001-07:00

This is the dresser I got from ebay and this is the picture they used to display the dresser for sale - it looks like its the light oak finish that is i the shops now rather than the oak varnished piece it actually is! Right back to work - just had a break to eat - we are putting up dado rail in the hall up the stairs etc. We have been going since 9.30am - its 2pm and are just about to put the long piece up the stairs - we have spent hours measuring and making angles on the wall! We will get there and it will be worth it! we should have bought an extra length for mock ups of angles - I bet we dont have enough now - saying that it is looking really good up to now.

More pics - less time

2008-04-28T01:41:00.001-07:00

This is my bargain shelf unit - was 49.99 reduced to 19.99 - its a much deeper green than the photo and is distressed with terracotta underneath this is not blood smeared across it which is what it looks in the photo! Now its up we are leaving in that colour - its really nice - have taken a photo of it full of stuff but cant find hubby's card reader at the mo to publish it. It is beautifully made, can't believe the price.

These are my bargain knobs off ebay - £1.99 for the dresser - which is growing on me. Have discovered that the main thing I didnt like about it was the panelling on the base doors - after investigation we find that the panels will come off and can be reversed to plain - that will make such a difference and give me more of the look I want to achieve. The handles will be perfect - the tile is one of 5 we have put above the sink in the new loo they are much deeper blue than the photo and I keep opening the door to admire them!!

These are samples of oilcloths from ebay for the new kitchen table (aren't they gorgeous)I wanted reds and I could not resist the paisley below plus it was £14.99 for 5 metres so I have enough for the outside table in the garden as well. I almost went for the roses on the left which was very pretty but its shiny and I prefer a matt finish. Plus I can't resist a bargain.

I had to leave it long enough for when the table is extended - have just realised I took this before I cut it! so its not as long as it is here. I love it ............ Below are some jumble sale finds

Cream lampshade - loo roll holder - brand new and Hornsea pots which I thought I was going to make my fortune with on ebay but they only go for 99p! then I dropped one - Alan loves the retro look of them so we will keep them.

Lovely books which I will read one day!

Lovely childrens books

Have a day off today - so have cut foam for seat pads for kitchen chairs - to be made in LA Heath Green check- daughter has car! and is still at Ross' as she is also off today - guess she will tootle back home when she has had lie in! so I am wheel less - cant find any of my sewing reels they are still packed - where I do not know, so will have to go and buy some cotton! Thought I would add some jumble sale finds from weeks ago - thought Alan had deleted them from the camera but they were there after all. Daughter is back - I have a car - will go in to town in a mo and as atreat will 'do ' the charities and get some cotton! Gosh that took ages my pics always come in at the top of the blog so I have to sort of work backwards - anyway off now to town before daughter thinks of somewhere else to take my car!!

Update on the dresser and life here......

2008-04-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

Hi all, well today my daughter passed her driving test - she has taken Ross out for a drive and a meal! Well done ........

The dresser - well after all the hype this is the first thing I have won on ebay that I have been disappointed with. I know I am intending to paint it but there are loads more scratches on it than were mentioned in the ad. However I fawned over it when they came on Saturday - as you do. The thing is in the picture I was expecting a fairly modern looking oak dresser like you see in the shops at the moment. It is actually the type that my parents have in the their house. Its OK but just not what I expected still never mind its packed with loads of stuff and will be painted one weekend in Summer. I was intending to take off the middle glass door so I had some open space but because it has two long shelves inside that wont be possible - still I have my wooden bargain knobs (ebay 1.99 for 8 tho I need 9!) mahogany to stain like the Smallbone kitchens or paint -we'll see.

Can't post my dresser pic from ebay as Isaved it in Word. Daughter just came back on a total high - she and Ross have been looking at moving out and his boss has offered them a place to rent about 11 miles from here - they hav been sat with us working out how much money it will cost to live together - she came back down to earth with a bit of a bump! Still I reckon they would manage. Hmm I won't be able to persuade Alan to extend now.................I must come back tomorrow and post the jumble pics and some I took the other of the dresser. Night night

Whoops nearly forgot we are now on the eau de nil match pot from LA we need the pale one I think but they didn't have any! I will get this hall and stairs painted eventually - in the time I have taken Alan has been concentrating on the garden - he has done loads and all I do is sit with the paintcards and tell him where to plant stuff we brought with us - its looking good.

Perfect evening with lovely company............

2008-04-18T04:26:00.001-07:00

Ross's parents turned out to be lovely people and we had a lovely evening - they even put the lights off around us to give us the hint to leave. Perfect food and perfect company. Have probably decided on Clubch for the hall and stairs?? Who knows - might have to go home via Homebase for another couple of match pots?? Just to make sure??

Meeting Kate's fiancee's parents tonight aaaargh

2008-04-17T05:02:00.000-07:00

We are out tonight for Kate's fiancee's (Ross - who put our heating in!) birthday and we are meeting his parents for the first time. I am looking forward to it because Kate says we will like them lots. Its still a bit nerve wracking though - but I love the place we are going to eat. It's called Joe Rigatoni's in Yarm. I shall have to drag out my glad rags.............

I bought a dresser on ebay (bargain!!) and the sellers are delivering it for us on Saturday - then they rang to say they could come Thursday night, I was gutted, we never go out from one week to the next and the one night I could have got my dresser early we are out. So its coming Saturday am instead. Its oak with three glass doors - I have bought it to paint, possibly cream with cooking apple green inside - however hubby thinks it will be criminal to paint it but you don't know what its really going to be like till we see it in person. I also know if its ok I will be so glad to get all my bits out and in situ - that will mean about 4 big boxes and 4 small ones unpacked - Whoopeeeee.

I will add my finds from the jumble sale to my blog when I find the camera. We are painting the hallway at the moment and the walls have Clunch, Pointing, Teresa's Green, Ringwold Ground, and Dimity (Farrow & Ball paints) dotted around them whilst we decide which colour is right. We can't make decisions any more!!

Realised I hadnt put the table and chairs pic on yet!

2008-04-03T23:29:00.000-07:00

Here they are - I think the chairs are a bit bright am wondering if they would spray them over in a darker shade that Cooking Apple or perhaps a bit darker cream sort of a mucky version?? Ideas please on a postcard.........
We already had two chairs in a smaller version but I would like another odd windsor for the end, pluss it extends another place setting so the smaller version chair will go with the small table in the conservatory - where it may become blue!!

This is Alan's shed/workshop - he loves it and has it nearly all shleved out. He has just left with some stuff - we are at the annual village jumble sale tonight - where we help out and get first choice of everything!! Excited or what?? I love this jumble sale...........................Hope to have some goddies to show you tomorrow when its snowing??

Pics in the early morning before the PC slows down

2008-04-01T23:04:00.001-07:00

Our seller did leave us some nice fish!!This is the true state of how we are!! These boxes are 6 deep and we think there are still 42 to unpack. We cant get the loft boarded out as planned and a bigger entrance and ladder installed because we think we might convert it after bad news over the side extension. Our seller bless his cotton socks - submitted plans for an ordinary garage extension and when he was doing it decided to dig the foundations properly for an upper storey at a later date. Unfortunately the planning didnt show this - so we understand we would have to have professionals in to dig down to the foundations and then a structural engineer would have to come and verify that the foundations were deep enough. That would take a lt of our money put aside for an extension so we are going to be cheeky and look at some ofthe loft conversions along the road. So theres no point in boarding the loft out and filling it with 'stuff' at the mo. Once again our seller hasnt quite told us the truth about what he had done....................Buyer beware - perhaps part of the HIP thing should be a truth test!! Oops better be off its 7.15am and my hair is drying fast!! Lots to accomplish before leaving for the coalface.

Second attempt tonight to add pix to a blog!

2008-04-01T14:27:00.001-07:00

I have added this pic to show the curtain print its charcoal and I thought it would go well with the pinky reds of the settee and chairs. I have finally worked out that I can add a photo at the top and then write after it! Have spent 50 mins doing just these few so off to bed now its 11.06pm!

This is the fireplace which everyone likes but me! - its very red glossy mahogany varnish and instead I am having my brother's 1930's oak fireplace - high with a mirror - Alan is happy to change it for that one as he loves it too. The fire is gas and the seller left us a little note saying it doesn't work! We are thinking of a real fire instead but the gas one only needs a thermocoupling so I bet it will be a gas one for now - there are just too many other things that we need first. We bought Ikea units for the alcoves as it will be a long time before we get around to building in what we want and we have to get some stuff unpacked.

This is the view of the back lounge from the conservatory - the room is actually mustard on the bottom and yellowy on the top - I don't like the colours and some of the paper had to come off when the radiators went in. The dado is also about 5 inches too high - we would like to remove it and just have a picture rail so we will hopefully do that quite soon when we can summon up the energy. We have LA 'Percy' natural paper for this room as its a good colour fot the background of the curtains. These were made by Montgomery in their half price sale and are my treat to myself for the move - even these were a bargain and extremely well made. You can see my bargain red leather sofa in the pic - its a pinky ed and goes very well with the chairs recently recovered befroe the move and loved to bits.

Here is the back lounge looking into the conservatory. That isn't carpet you can see but chipboard flooring that our seller had put down and on top of that was glued laminate which had to be ripped up by my son - it was a terrible job to do. This is a rather dark room because of the extension (thats where the £2k roof is!!) but then when the sun shines in the conservatory it is lovely and very warm

Here is my new loo under the stairs

At last - published photos!!!!

2008-03-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

WELCOME - this is my front door we have just put up the Ikea hall rack on the right hand side and alan has cut off 4 inches from the depth of the radiator cover as it covered a storage heater before. He also added two top vents as he thinks we will lose a lot of heat using it! We want to paint the banisters cream and stain the handrail mahogany and the walls are yellow at the moment which I hate - so thats the next paint job maybe next weekend - just need to decide on the colour - which means sleepless nights ahead as I try and make a decision.........................There was laminate flooring in the hall but it was glued so it had to come up for the radiators. We will try and paint the paintwork over the course of the week at night so as to be ready for the walls on Saturday - will mention this to Alan tonight as he just drops off to sleep and by morning he might think it was his idea???

This is my new loo under the stairs it smells of lovely new paint. The other pic is my lovely old mirror that I have saved for a long time for the right place for it to hang - its perfect. We have five little blue tiles above the sink which were fitted whilst I was at Homebase as a surprise - except I spoilt it by phoning Alan from there to see if he wanted mt to get tile trim and he said it was too late to buy any as he had just that minute fixed them on the wall! PS THE PICTURE OF THE LOO HAS DISAPPEARED AND AS I AM LOSING MY HAIR THRO' THE MENOPAUSE! I CAN'T AFFORD TO TEAR IT OUT IN RAGE - SO BE ASSURED MY LOO IS LOVELY!!
My vintage mirror

This is the corner on the left of the kitchen where I hope to put my bargain painted dresser when I get one! and fill it with my vintage stuff - however at the moment I have put in place the old dresser bottom I painted in Bone some time ago - it was in the garden room in the last house. There is a lovely velux window above this which makes it a sunny corner

Well here goes - I have busy today taking photos in the lovely sunshine on our last day off work. W have had a lovely long break since Good Friday. I am so happy at home I was never cut out to be at work but I do find the salary comes in handy especially in this house!

I have taken pics warts and all.............remember the flooring all came up for the central heating to go in apart a lone bit of carpet on the landing. So please excuse the mess you can pick out in the background - that applies to all rooms!!.

We brought a rug from my Mam's to put down in our room to give us a bit of comfort as that will probably be the last room to be done. I bought a lovely bedspread and thought that although it was so beautiful I couldny use it with my Arundel curtains, so it stayed in its bag unopened. On Sat am it was sooo sunny in the room I thought I would try it - its so lovely I have left it on - see what you think. I will put on the photos bit by bit at least they will serve as 'before' photos for when I finally do the 'afters' .
We have been painting today so excuse mess in corner of kitchen as well. The table legs and base and 'cooking apple green' and the chairs are buttermilk. I already had two smaller versions of the chairs and the windsor is an old treasure - I may just paint the other chair but can' t see Alan letting me paint the Windsor . The other pic is of the kitchen as you come in from the hall. I am painting a little shelf unit for the new downstairs loo as you can see. We have just painted it (the walls) this week in Ringwod Ground for you F&B afficionados! Ihave intentions of painting the cupboards a taupe/maybe sahde and adding dull metal handles in the future - haven't approached this idea with Alan he is on overload with my ideas for this place! The tumble drier you can see is to be saved for my son as I have one my Dad got me - its a condensing one so it is in the utility. We are going to try and get a unit to match the others to fill the space but in the meantime it can stay there.

I cannot for the life of me get these pictures to go where I want so the blog is a bit disjointed.

Right I am off for an early night - we keep saying its going to be hard getting up for worl on Monday after a week off but I have been up at 6am on my hols just because I wanted to spend precious time at home here. Night night .

Hello from bay window land!!

2008-03-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

Here it is then the house that we fought for!! Nothing monumental about it - very ordinary and very ours!!

Well I am finally sat in my newly painted kitchen - Ringwold Ground Estate Emulsion - is on the walls but not above the kitchen cupboards yet - thats tomorrow. We had a deadline today as the new table and chairs were being delivered between 4 & 5pm. so we were in Homebase when it opened clutching my discount voucher ( you need one for F&B paint!!) got New White for the paintwork and we will use that all over now 'cos its a nice cream.......??

Anyway here we are merrily cutting in and rollering when the phone goes - can we deliver at 2pm? Yes I said that is fine - HELP! We decided to concentrate on the main areas - hence the painting tomorrow 'up top'. I was just washing the floor when they arrived dead on 2pm. Ladies it is lovely - it is so long since I bought something that someone had done and not me and hubby. Its lovely and very well finished - here is an advert for them - Mary O'Brien Pine in Stokesley. They will make anything you want and paint it - they spray it with pigment so the finish is awesome. I still dont know whether I should have had Cooking Apple Green chairs - the cream chairs are a bit loud - should I have gone for a darker cream - anyway never mind I love it.

Now I need some oilcloth to go over the top of it for workaday days. Looked on ebay was surprised how much it was. Fancy Sanderson Rose and Peony or Willow Bough minor - rang my local shop and its cheaper there, and I can check out the LA Erin and Polka dot but it needs to match the base of the table. COMMENTS WELCOME AS I DONT DO DECISIONS VERY WELL ANYMORE!!!

Have been watching dressers so I can buy one for the corner of the kitchen that will become my little 'vintage heaven'. They are mostly north of here up to now which means a courier at £40-50, so I need to get one cheap to make it a bargain!

Well here in bay window land we are all very happy - the gas central heating is bubbling away and keeping us cosy, what a difference having lashings of hot water. Daughter Kate has announced she is intending to rent with her fiancee shortly - I am happy about that because they will find it very hard to live together and its better they find out if they can do that in a rented place. The trouble is I am sure she will come back (twice before!) so there is no point in moving David into her room...............

Remember the issues with moving well I could write a book about my hassles with N Power but will do that another day and this is a happy blog without solicitors or buyers or sellers...........

We now have a new flat roof and are £2k lighter which was my carpet and flooring money! so needless to say after having the heating fitted we have floorboards everywhere, but at least we will decorat now whilst they are up. With just the kitchen paintwork to do that is one room done. Tomorrow Alan will sand down in the new understairs loo (my favourite room for its convenience!) we will emulsion that - was going to put up some olvely bin end paper but as I havent found any yet it will be emusioned for now. It has window into the utility which will be blocked up tomorrow and little shelves inserted in the recess. If you imagine it was the pantry underthe stairs originally and the window would have looked on ot the drive but the garage and utility are there now. My utility now has shelving down the side of the tumble dryer and fridge and all my loo rolls, cleaning stuff, polish, cool box etc are resplendent on them I love it. I put the clothes on the airer in there and the sun comes throught the velux and dries them. There is now a door into the garage from there as well which means I can pop in there with my recycling etc. It is slowly coming together - the seller hadnt plastered the wall when he pinched the utility space off the back of the garage so the other wall is breeze block but I see it as a perhaps a nice duck egg laundry room. The shelves are all bits of wood we brought with us but Alan has made them nice and deep and they will be painted the smae colour as the walls eventually. We might tongue and groove it first to save all the plastering. We used the metal uprights and vrackets for ease and couldnt believe how much they had gone up in price. Alan reckons his B&Q trips are never less than £20 a go - he tries to buy on Weds as its 60+ day and he gets 10% off.

I shall endeavour to take pics of the table and chairs tomorrow, right now I am off to have a cuppa and bed. So night night to all...................xx

Hello - have given up waiting and gone on at work!

2008-03-04T05:15:00.000-08:00

Well - no broadband yet - why am I not suprised - they told me it would be 21 working days from the 4th February so tonight I do battle on the phone! I need a prescription now for it as I am getting withdrawal symptoms - I have had no ebay for weeks!

Now - the house - we absolutely love it as I said on 1st February the house just opened its arms and wrapped them round us all.

There are loads of unexpected jobs to do now we are in situ but it won't detract from how we feel about it. It is turning into a money pit! The flat roof needs desperately replacing and that is costing an unexpected £2k! but it will carry a 25 year guarantee so once done (this week) we don't need to worry about it. It leaked the third day after moving in and it is like a lace curtain so due to be replaced. The gas central heating should be done this weekend by Kate's fiancee Ross and his friend Ben - hence me walking in the door last night and finding Alan piling up laminate flooring he had removed from the front room! the gas pipe has to come across the house so all floors will be coming up - apparently we have busy evenings ahead! The storage heaters have been a nightmare after having gch for so long - the lack of water is awful - we were spoilt before.

I love my kitchen - I was sat last week after work chopping veg and chatting to Kate and Alan at the table - its exactly as I wanted to happen, we all migrate to that spot and my lovely family are around me. Even David with his tiny bedroom loves the house - he also loves having the front room for him and Kate and friends. I had unpacked lots of book boxes at the weekend at several things found their way into the front room - Kate was away on hols and when she came back she and David wanted to to talk to us about some ground rules about what is put in the their room!!

The multi fuel is fantastic - not a good idea to put it on though - we just sit in front of it and don't move - its gorgeous. We are thinking of changing the back room gas fire for a real one as the kids dont like us vegetating in their room!

I am so looking forward to the better weather the garden is going to be lovely - it gets the sun for hours and hours and there are loads of things coming up now, hopefully if the weather is good this weekend we will get out and get some of the plants we brought with us into the ground. Whilst the boys destroy my house!

We have a toilet under the stairs now - it was hard to lose the lovely space where the dolls house fitted so perfectly but the toilet is wonderful and such a relief (!!)

Right - lots to tell but can't be much longer now as need to get back to the coalface............... Meant to take before pics under the stairs etc and forgot - the whole place is in a mess now but I don't care..........................

Sneaked on at work to update

2008-02-01T05:53:00.001-08:00

Oh my goodness its 150% better than I thought it would be - this house has wrapped itslef round us and is a home.

We have a BT line today but no broadband. Rang them and it will be at least 12 days before we can get it sorted. So thanks for all your lovely comments we are all so happy.

The best thing is that because my son Davids room is so small we have said that the front living room is for him and Kate use as their own, they have spent every evening this week in there together watching tele and chatting - which they havent done for many a long day - they dont spend any evening time in their rooms anymore - what a bonus it has turned out to be. Still loads of boxes to unpack - I said to Alan last night I am so happy I can't even be bothered to complain to the solicitors and estate agents about the problems we had. We lost the cat for a couple of days but she turned up happy and well fed!! Will try and take some photos asap. Need to get clothes rails up in alcoves tonight ready for fitted robes later.

The men said they had never seen anyone with so much stuff - they had a big box van and trailer and had to go back for another two vans!!!!!

I was off on Tuesday on my own for a potter and unpack day and I was sat there in the kitchen having a little cry because I was so happy and contented. Going to order the kitchen table tomorrow and chairs - exciting. Hopefully Ross is coming with a toilet to fit under the stairs at the weekend - we decided to forfeit that area which is fab rather than the utility which would be problematic to install a loo.

Any ideas on tracking for a curved bay ??

Will keep checking you all out at lunchtime at work next week

Catherine (bay window hugger)

CONTRACTS EXCHANGED - WE ARE OFF ON 25TH

2008-01-21T12:16:00.000-08:00

Nothing much to say apart from YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Thanks for all your messages of support - you kept me sane with your encouragement. Need to post a photo and a story about how not to redirect your mail!!

xxxxxC

You will NOT believe this tale

2008-01-18T14:24:00.000-08:00

We did not exchange contracts today although the deposit arrived eventually. At 3.00pm our buyers buyers solicitor announced they had not had a signed form back from their clients. Although this form does not legally have to be in their hands to enable exchange to take place because of the 'Best Practice' this firm operates they will not allow the exchange. So it will now be Monday which is cutting it VERY fine with the record of these jokers involved in the chain.

Late this afternoon I got an email from Stuart at my agents to let me know the above info (the sols had told Alan) but he also wanted to let me know that the lying estate agent from previous blogs had told the other agent (not mine) that there had never been a deadline set by anyone nor had anyone threatened to pull out and that Stuart was lying about it. I was furious - I rang the agent who had been told and put her right and about the other lie at Xmas and emailed her email I sent to my solicitor showing I was threatening to pull and the date. I then rang the offending agent and said I was sending a fax - I sent a copy of the email by fax and they rang straight away and denied saying it, and then said my sol had told them there were never any problems. I just said I was putting the phone down and to keep a copy of the email. Then my sol rang me in 2 mins and asked if I was pulling out as we had agreed on Monday. I told her I would get Alan to ring her on Monday - I want her to sweat over the weekend. I told Stuart what I had done and he said now he knew how I felt about Rentons lying to me - he was quite hurt at what they had done and I don't blame him for feeling like that

Tonight I got a call from my seller to tell me the form that has held everything up is because our buyers didn't ask permission from Yuill to erect a satellite dish and the new owners are having it - they have had to sign a form from Yuill to say that they can keep the dish up now they have permission. Now was that worth the hold up till Monday. I said I wouldn't be blogging but I have to keep typing what is happening as it helps to write it down and it shows how ludicrous it all is.

I am back! to update on the nightmare

2008-01-17T08:40:00.000-08:00

Its 4.40 - had the day off to change addresses etc but as we dont have a date I have cleaned, packed and bought an Italian red leather sofa on ebay!! Still shaking after that one but I did say months ago - whatever happens, wherever we go this is my chance to get a red leather sofa to grow old on in style!

Anyway Alan got a call today to say would he agree to exchange without the deposit at the front of the chain - he said Yes - but one solicitor wouldnt agree - you see the first time buyers deposit is in the ethos - it hasnt arrived. So no exchange - they are now trying to contact her to see if she did a BACS transfer or a Chaps as one takes three working days (taking us to next Monday at the earliest) and the other is instant - so they are assuming it was the first one. So if we cant exchange till Mon/Tues that doesnt give the money time to come through for the 25th.

Nothing to report apart from a solicitor with no manners

2008-01-16T14:08:00.000-08:00

No contact whatsoever from my solicitor, no email, nothing. The agents have been ringing all day with bits of info and cannot believe that the solicitors havent contacted me - remember I gave them a deadline of 9.30am and they simply didnt respond then or later.

The agent discovered that the hold up was the first time buyers solicitor not letting an exchange take place because there was a gas fire fitted in the house she is buying. There isnt a 'pink' certificate with it and the council have no record (under the new laws) of it either. Her agent said but she is removing it so she is happy to go ahead, They tried to phone her to get her to phone her sol and tell him to exchange but she is in school and couldnt be reached - just left a message. At the end of the day she had rung her agent and said she told her sol that info last week so she would ring again - apparently contracts may be exchange tomorrow morning.

I gave my sols all day and at 4.59 they were sent an email telling them if they now wanted to contact me they do so by letter - I will not speak to them again. It was only common courtesy to contact me today even if only say we are doing our best but not to make any contact at all when I gave a 9.30 am deadline is disgusting. I told them I am not in the office tomorrow and left them Alans number - he can deal with them - I have simply had enough.

The agent caught me as I was leaving and I told him what I had said to them and he said Oh well they need verbal confirmation from you in the morning and I said well they ring Alan them - I am not dealing with it anymore. I have simply reached the point where I couldnt care less and I wish my parents had made the offer. I am hurt that I have been so flexible and bent over backwards for everyone. Night night - I dont think I will post for a while now - I am drained and you must all be heartily sick of this but I have needed to share it.

My idea didn't provoke any activity

2008-01-15T11:29:00.000-08:00

My husband phoned at 3.00pm and was told they didnt have a date but they were still trying to contact everyone. I emailed at 4.40pm and had no response still - so I rang at 5.00 when my boss had left. I spoke to my solicitor and she said she couldn't give me a date yet but possibly tomorrow might come up with one. I asked if she had read my email as I had given her an ultimatum of 5.00pm and she hadnt even bothered to contact me. I said what would it take to get them to sit down and phone all parties concerned because the top three of us in the chain have all spoken to each other and know we can do the 25th, so why is it so difficult. She didn't know. I said you have had 8 hours and you obviously don't think I am serious, did you tell the other solicitors that you had a deadline ? She had and she said all I can do is ring in the morning and mention ( yes - mention!!) that you will pull out - I said you have until 9.30am to agree a date and exchange . I also said all I am asking for is a reason or explanation why you can't come up with a date, if there is a reason then lets talk about it - she said she didnt think there was a reason. I was steaming - she didnt even make an effort to enthuse me that she might meet the deadline....................

So I called at my agents at 5.15 - they had no idea that I had given a deadline - they rang our sols senior partner immediately but there was noone there! they then rang the agent who has the first time buyer and next property up and they said they can do the 25th, their solicitors know that and they didn't know of any problems. He rang the other agent ( that lies all the time) and they had gone. So we established sitting there that 5 out of the 6 in the chain were OK! how long did that take - 10minutes. The agents said they would contact the our sols senior partner again and find out what was happening.

We have had a call from our seller tonight to see if we had heard anything. He pointed out that they 7 working days to get the money through for all parties so tomorrow is the deadline really. I told him what I had said to the agents but convinced him I still wanted his bay windows to hug! and it was just to try and get things going.

Naughty me

2008-01-15T05:05:00.002-08:00

I have done something naughty this morning and I hope it doesnt backfire on me but this morning I sent my solicitor an email:

Email
I had a message on my home phone last night from Mr N***** of Crosby to tell me that his solicitor had told him everything was geared up for the 25th and contracts would be exchanged on Mon, Tuesday or Wednesday.
So that makes three versions of the chain situation in one day.
a) Some people think it may be 21st
b) someone can't do 25th
c) everything is hunky dory and the 25th is fine

This is now the situation with us:
My parents and my brother and ourselves held a family conference last night instigated by my parents - the reason we are moving is because we are downsizing in order to pay off the mortgage in readiness for my husbands retirement in 3 years time.
My parents and my brother have agreed that if we wish I can have 'early inheritance' from my parents to pay of the mortgage. This would mean we would be able to stay at Mill Hill Close. These funds are available immediately and I am in a position where I simply obtain a redemption figure, pay off the mortgage and withdraw from this sale, as I understand that until contracts are exchanged that I am not legally bound to go ahead.
So - We would like you to inform all parties concerned that if contracts are not exchanged and a date agreed during office hours today (taking into account anyone who may need to leave early because of childcare) then we will withdraw from this sale and purchase, pay our fees and return to normality.
We have no alternative but to make this statement in the circumstances.

end of email

I got an instant response to say that she had been away from the office yesterday and had I spoken to her colleague - I said yes and havent heard anything more. The above email is not true by the way but I thought it might get something to happen. I hope I havent shot myself in the foot. I don't like telling a lie but everyone else in the shebang has!!

Monday - another fruitless day of stories

2008-01-14T12:03:00.000-08:00

Today I got a call from our agents to tell me that they had spoken to the agent at the bottom of the chain and they had been expecting the completion date to be 25th but had received a letter this morning asking for the 21st! but she didnt ask who the letter was from!! Nothing all afternoon - I emailed the solicitor t oask if they was any progress but no answer. Bearing in mind all this time I also have a full time job to do!!!! never mind contacting all these people. At 4.55 I telephoned my solicitor and lo and behold they put me through. I said I guessed that the lack of contact means no exchange. No was her reply apparently someone in the chain now can't do the 25th - pause for "I don't believe it". I told her about the 21st being mentioned in a letter -she nothing of that, I also said I had discovered that 18th had been OK after all but the solicitor in question hadnt passed it on - she actually had a sharp intake of breath at that one..........

So she said lets see what tomorrow brings. Got home and there was a message from our seller - he had phoned his solicitor who said Oh yes definately on for the 25th we will exchange Mon, Tues, or maybe Wednesday. So he a) doesnt know the 21st is being bandied about by someone by letter, and b) he doesnt know that one party can't do the 25th.

I couldn't make this up - if it was on tele you would have turned it off and said it was a badly made soap. I rest my case.

PS almost forgot my solicitor asked me to tell HER who exactly was in the chain and when I did she said Oh its not as long as I was led to believe!! Now that is worrying.................

Thank you for your support

2008-01-13T07:12:00.000-08:00

Thank you for your lovely comments - I do know it will happen eventually but Friday's farce was just unimaginable.

Our buyers phoned me Saturday afternoon to say they went in to their agents on Saturday am and the agents deny anyone ever said anything about their house being leasehold to our agents before Xmas - now why would my agent make up something like that? They said that there was yet another hold up on Friday with our buyers buyers which is not what we were told and those people are using a partner of my solicitors - so I would have thought they would have told me that themselves? Anyway who knows - my buyers also said that their agents assure them that contracts will be exchanged on Monday and the completion date will be 25th. So lets see if thats the one bit of truth those agents have managed through this fiasco. I shall post on Monday to let you know if it happened.

I have been to Laura Ashley today at Teeside Park - its a bigger one now as it was just in Homebase before. They have a sale on and luckily it doesn't end until 27th so I have time to bag a bargain. Some of their fabric is 50% off plus another 10%. I would like the Annecy wallpaper in lichen - I dont mind where I use it its just so lovely, but didnt buy it today - will have a look in our branch tomorrow to see if they have more - I think the pattern is ok for covering walls with all our pictures but would appreciate any comments on that thought. I bought my friend one of the sets of boxes (pink & green flowers - gorgeous) for her birthday - we always spend time oohing at them in our local LA.

I also bought the little stripey jug in red and it will be packed last so it gets unpacked first at the other end as I need to see what red accessories look like in the kitchen colours. They had loads off the seat pads in red floral and the green and blue but I just cant decide on which - hopefully I will ne able to pick all these things up on the 27th on the last day of the sale.

We were over that way because we go to the collectors fair but it was very poor - lots of stalls missing especially the lovely local hospice. I did manage to get a lovely little teapot and stand off the £1 stall and an old edition of the water babies but that was all. Right off to watch Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face - np packing or cleaning cupboards this afternoon. x

Dismal day in North Yorkshire

2008-01-11T23:43:00.000-08:00

Well it didnt happen yesterday....................

Thursday - had to agree to pay for Chancel Repair insurance on new house and existing house but agreed just to get it sorted. Started exchange on Friday am - all of a sudden my solicitor finds she can send messages by email! - why couldnt they do that before? They received a telephone call from our sellers sol early Fri am and they offered 25th - I said OK - earlier would have been better but hey lets go - my sol replied - so do you want me to push for the 21st (Monday) - I said Yes of course I would? - I thougth we had agreed that earlier in the week? Later came an email sayingall parties can only do 25th cos of our buyers not being able to do 18th. So off we go - never assume that contracts have been exchanged!

3.15pm received email to say that they were unable to exchange contracts as our buyers solicitors had left for the day before exchanging - so do not book your van for the 25th!!!! I was livid and emailed our sol to tell her so -more about the others inefficiency than hers! No reply to that one!

Rang our buyers and left curt message saying - "it was bad enough that we couldn't complete on the 4th, 11th, and 18th because of your solicitor now the 25th may not happen" When I got home she phoned back to say she could move straight away and she was as surprised as us at them not being exchanged. I pointed out that the 18th would have been better for all - she said well we left a message for our sol on Tuesday saying that the 18th was fine now as we had help even tho' hubby was on a course! Its gets better doesn't it - she then said "Oh well our sol has a child to pick up from school thats why she would have left early" - now if I was her solicitor I would have sorted it before I went but heigh ho why be professional?

So our buyers are obviously not bothered. I then said how our Xmas had been ruined because of the news of their property being leasehold and the delay that brought and we had thought that their buyers might pull out 'cos its leasehold. Guess what - it isnt - they had no idea we had been told before xmas or about the hold up on building regs etc on their buyer. So their agent just told a blatent and totally unneccessary lie. Why??

I phoned our seller and told him it hadn't happened and the news that the 18th could have been OK if the info had been shared down the chain - he said "Oh it'll happen in the end".

So here is me bothered about him losing his rental property and trying to get things moving and quite honestly neither our buyer or seller seem grieved by whats happening.

I am so aghast at the whole thing.

I don't believe it!!

2008-01-07T13:59:00.000-08:00

Yes folks another up and down day here at 'move of the year HQ'.

Emailed my solicitor to let her know that we had discussions with our sellers and we preferred the 18th Jan. Put my hols in and so did Alan. Then Alan phoned me and our seller had phoned him to say that his solicitor had called and that our buyers have the week 14-18 pencilled out because her husband is on a course!! apparently he found out because our buyers are using another partner and they had liaised. The thing is our seller can't sign up for his rental property until contracts are exchanged. So I rang our solicitor (wasn't that brave of me) and told her the news. She said well we can't exchange anyway because your buyers buyers (they are the ones who held us up over xmas with the building regs approval) haven't had their mortgage certificate yet and until that turns up nothing will happen.

I let our agent know and apparently he had just had the update on the lack of mortgage cert. He said well I would have thought that if 5 out of the 6 in the chain want the 18th then it should happen but I can't see that. The worst thing is that our buyer (the woman) told me that they are having proper removals to come and pack and move them in - so why does she need her husband there - unlike the rest of us who will be humping and dumping ourselves. The thing is it could be the Monday 21st but that means everyone needs holidays and thats why Fridays are good cos everyone gets a couple of days to get settled.

So bloggers - I hit rock bottom again this afternoon............watch this space.

Perfect Day

2008-01-05T14:22:00.000-08:00

Found a large Emma Bridgewater teapot in the charity today (slight second but who cares) its lovely - what a find - £4.75. Plucked up courage to ring our sellers this afternon and they said come round..............Yippee.............and measure. So we did and my daughter and her fiancee (plumber!!) came as well. Ladies - I loved it even more.

The smallest bedroom is a bit smaller than I remembered ie tiny! but we have a shoehorn to put David in and out on a morning! Kate loved the house and was very impressed by the downstairs. She even liked her bedroom (phew) - we measured all the alcoves doewnstairs - four alcoves, ladies - bliss. There were lots of things different about it that I noticed but they were all for the good. We are buying the dishwasher - never had one so excited about that. The laminate was a lot nicer than I remembered. We may have a problem putting the loo where we wanted it cos there is a manhole cover near to it but that is for Ross (plumber) to sort out. If we can't have one its not the end of the world I will just get fit running up and down stairs every half hour!

Anyway we have agreed with them that the 18th is fine and I came home and booked a van with a man and a man!

WE ARE OFF.........................Tally ho!

PS I cleaned my hob top and oven shelves and added the fabulous Lakeland Oven Cleaner to my hob bits (the bits where the gas comes through) - not realising you are not supposed to put it on aluminium. I have used it before jusy for a few mins and cleaned them off straight away but this time I thought I would be a good housewife and left it on overnight - went to clean them this evening and they had gone black! Poor Alan has been sat for ages sanding the black off them - they look OK now -not perfect but they will do. Motto of the day - read the instructions on the box even if you have used something before!

Today I discovered that my solicitor could ring out from her office!!

2008-01-04T05:01:00.000-08:00

Got a call this am at work to say that the information was sorted and when she received the appropriate papers she would contact all parties to see when mortgage monies could be arranged. She said that would be at least five working days and she hasnt had the papers yet. So, ladies it won't be next Friday 11th unless there is a new year miracle! It looks like it will be 18th January - pending no more hiccups. I said you dont have to contact us to ask us what date is OK - just say one and it will be OK with us.

?????????????????????? Could we be off at last??

Oh my goodness ! Watch this space

2008-01-03T12:47:00.000-08:00

Had a call at work this afternoon from our agents to say that the issues were sorted out! - he was so laid back about it all - with 'Oh yeah it was just that the neighbours were a bit over the boundary" - so what about the building regs and the council etc?. Then "the leashold is OK so you can call the solicitors and tell them". Er No 'You' can phone the solicitors for me for once. He called back and said the solicitors will all talk now and COME UP WITH A DATE - yahoooooooo. We are sat with our mouths open here - we cant believe all the angst we shared this Xmas and then just a short couple of laidback calls like 'what were you worrying for'????. Do you know these agents and solicitors should be shot at dawn................

So hopefully it might be next Friday or the Friday after - I shall keep you posted.

PS I have a big grin on my face at the moment - I am now sooooo excited - cant wait to meet my bay windows - I shall hug them...... Good night

A Very Merry Xmas to all of you out there in the world

2007-12-23T00:41:00.000-08:00

Good morning - I am up and ready for the scrum that we know as Tesco & possibly a little smattering of Sainsburys.

I have to thank you all for your wonderful comments they are truly heartening. At the end of the day its only a house move isn't it - there are people out there with nowhere to live at all and on reflection yesterday when my son and his fiancee visited and we had such a lovely time its easy to see its just not important. I miss him so much - I have a lump in my throat writing this - when do we Mums ever accept our children have moved on and don't need us anymore?? and the answer to that ladies, is 'never'. My heart breaks a little bit when he leaves but he is confident and loving and mature and thats all due to us isn't it................... We were saying at work how we miss their 'little' years so much and then you see them as adults and are so proud - we were all in tears and laughing at the same time mopping up tears - theres nothing like a good cry and now I have just had one now - so better change the subject.

I have to say to you all and I know I have said similar things before but finding you all out there in the ethos has filled a gap I had in my life I of knowing people with the same thoughts, tastes , values and interests. This has been a strange few months with the changes going on at home with the move, Adam moving out, and the horrible time at work as we lost large amounts of salary and colleagues found them set against each other (truly awful). Through all this I have read about your lives and laughed with you all and taken you to my heart.

So I thank you all for being there for me and each other, things are in perspective now and I think I got a bit wrapped up in the whole moving thing- I know it doesnt matter - but we are all home lovers aren't we and they are very important to us. It just feels so strange without my things around me at the moment I know they are only possessions but even David (who is my baby and was 20 yesterrday) said the house didn't feel like ours anymore - this comment from David is a big leap as he normally wants to discuss an exhaust system with you!

Poor Kate has been off work with a really bad bout of tonsilitis and of course as she is temping at the moment she doesn't get paid for sickness and of course the bank holidays that loom. We wont charge her board in January! She is on the mend now, arguing with her fiancee Ross because he bought himself a digital camera yesterday and she got him one for Xmas! I leave them to it, having lost the energy to argue with Xmas looming.

I was in our local garden centre yesterday getting my Mum her annual poinsettia and saw the lovely decs that are still left on the shelves and vowed that I shall be there after the event and buy some new ones for next year ( I do love a bargain) - there are some beautiful ones around this year aren't there and som many of them look vintage. I also found this year a lot of things that you could have out all year. There was also the most beautiful nativity set which I shall look out for first - I really think I need to remind myself sometimes why we are celebrating this event.

Right enough musings I must do my hair and grab a trolley with the multitudes. Have a very lovely Christmas all of you wherever you are. I shall add a picture of my Laura Ashley bargain from 2 years ago - I dont know where it will appear on the blog and will try and add one of my mantelpiece which I decided to decorate last night - even though I said I wouldn't!

Bye - have a lovely friendly family huggy time xxxxxxxx

You may consider that these protracted ramblings are a little boring but.........

2007-12-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

Todays news is yet more fascinating and unbelievable.......

Once upon at time there was an estate agent who loved lying......

It turns out that when my agents rang this am to tell me that the property with the building regulations query wouldn't be able to be inspected until after Xmas and I completely lost it and told them that was ridiculous and the building inspectors will come out the same day for a matter as urgent as this - it made him phone their agents to ask them to get their act together for the sake of the rest of us in the chain. It was at this point that those agents (they have been the atrociuos ones all the way through) hadn't been quite truthful and there was also another overlooked matter - that our buyers property now turns out be freehold and the 'management accounts' have to be provided before signing can take place!! and guess what they wont be available until after Xmas!.........................What can I say?- our agent has sold two properties on the new estate that the house is on and they havent been leasehold so it is just a pocket of housed that are?? Who knows.......So thats where we stay on this helter skelter of ups and downs.

Would you believe I finally shed a tear at the sheer frustration of it all. Then I left the office for the first time in ages at lunchtime and our phantom solicitor phoned - yes bloggers she does exist. This was to tell me that the transfer deed for our new house needed picking up urgently and returning tomorrow, signed by us. So we have done that. The letter with the papers also said that there are still issues with the 'chancel risk indemnity policy' , so I wrote back tonight and said to avoid any further long protracted discussions between solicitors we will pay for the house we are buying and the house we are selling and LETS GET ON WITH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Night night its 1205am and tomorrow I have the day off work to do some shopping...........

A 'maybe' date!!!

2007-12-18T22:59:00.000-08:00

We signed our contract yesterday - they sent it in the Xmas post! I have always been and signed at the solicitors office in the past - but hey - lets not have any contact eh??
We found out that the 'issues' that our buyers, buyers are having is that they don't appear to have buildig regs for their extension and they are now awaiting a mortgage amendment letter which they also need before they can sign! This means that the 4th January can only be the DATE if they sign before Friday am.

So - we cant arrange anything yet and most people will close on Friday so I just hope if it is the 4th we get chance to arrange a van. The gas etc I can do whilst we are off for Xmas but its the van thats crucial. Weare having a 'man with a van' we shouldnt need the extra man because I have 2 strapping sons but if its the 11th then its not so easy for them to take hols. Hmmm so its a waiting game again.

I saw the lady who wanted to buy our house intially she has moved to a lovely victorian Terrace next to where I work. She was a little offhand with me at first - but when I said we were still trying to move she was very angry - she hadnt viewed anywhere else but ours until the agents finally said ours was gone but she had no idea that the agents had said she was ' too far down the line' when our chain fell apart earlier. She was furious as she had said they must let her know if anything happened with ours. She had had to find somewhere else but even her sale wobbled seriously at the end. They had a date to complete and two days before, they discovered that her buyers solicitor hadnt realised that her buyers cash which was in a trust fund and needed a weeks notice to withdraw the cash so the whole thing had to be put back a week. Why can't these professionals get it right. Anyway she parted amicably but so mad that she had missed our house (its in the village where her Mum lives and now she has to use the car ot see her every day instead of walkng about 600 yards) I don't know whether she will ring the agents to give them a rocket. Actually I would have loved the house she has bought but it only had a courtyard and thats what put us off.

We spoke to our seller last night and he is OK with either dates so lets see...............we are buying his dishwasher (now thats going to be a new experience!!) if his wife agrees and visiiting a couple of days before to get instructions on the ghost carp he is leaving in the pond etc

Merry Xmas!

2007-12-16T07:16:00.002-08:00

An unfestive picture but just noticed this picture as I was looking at the ones I have taken to add to the my blog and thought how lovely the colours are - these are my Lauras Ashley Arundel curtains in the bedroom - I am taking them with me - the chair is one of the pair I have recently had upholstered.

Now for Xmas!

Not a very exciting tree this year I'm afraid but it looks pretty in the corner of the lounge - I am regretting saying I would leave my curtains now! they are 3.5widths and 89 drop so they would have gone somewhere in the new house and now we find our sellers are taking all theirs which they said they were leaving - I didnt like them but they would have tided me over until I have some chosen. Anyway back to the tree! I made myself put only the red things on this year and I have packed up the other ornaments - Having taken a photo of it it looks rather bare but never mind. Do you like my wall decoration - I wanted these (there are two) for ages about three years ago - they were in our local department store and they finally reduced them on Xmas Eve to £9.99 each so I decided they had been waiting for me and bought them. I am just going to put my swag on the fireplace and that'll do for this year. Now we might have a date we have realised how many things we havent even looked at packing yet. So I have made myself a list so I do at least one thing every night - well one Xmas job and one moving job! That will mean one drawer sorted or cupboard each night and one Xmas chore like wrapping some pressies. Just got to finish the cards - I did some last night until 'Hope and Glory' finished - I love that film - especially the house on the river and there are loads of pre-war semis to look - just think next time I see it on the tele I will be in one.......................can't wait. Went to town and forgot to go to L Ashley - can't believe it. After seeing Lucy Blooms bargains I meant to go. We used to call in most days in our lunch hour but we havent really been out much at the moment - we have all been taking minimum lunch hours so we can build our flexi to do shopping nearer the time. I know I can make curtains but it would be nice for someone to take on the job for a change - have just met a friend in Sainsbury's who had some made and she will give me her number. I am hoping to find something in the LA sale - I say that flippantly - I am the world's worst procrastinator - I am totally incapable of making a decision on fabric for myself. I used to go with people to choose fabrics and styles etc when I made soft furnishings at home but not for myself........I think its because I want things like that (ie big purchases) to last for some years and I dont want something I will tire of. I love William Morris classics but the trouble is that there is too much choice out there now. Right must go and get some chores done. Festive greetings to you all x

PS I can never get my photos to add where I want within the blog ?? They always go to the top of the blog - any hints on how to have more control over them??

Dare I say a date is in sight???.................

2007-12-14T14:25:00.000-08:00

Had a call from the estate agent who said that the first time buyers have signed and he was ringing round checking everyone had signed or was about to! He asked me to contact my Sol and ask if we could sign on Monday, Tuesday at the latest so everyone could complete on 4th January - Yes bloggers a date looms................................

So I rang and was told how busy they all are on a Friday because everyone wants to get sorted on a Friday - excuse me thats what we pay your bloomin bills for! She suggested that I email my sol as she was out at lunch till 2pm (this was well before 1pm!) so they must have been very busy.......
Anyway I emailed explaining what had been said by the agents and asking if she had resolved the 'chancel liability' problem - at 3.30pm nothing - the agent rang again and said that one of the vendors (the ones who were late getting their mortgage when we assumed they had it all sorted) could not possibly sign and complete on that date as they had outstanding issues - the agent said he thought that meant - "we arent prepared to rush anything for you lot!" Anyway it is left that those peoples agent will try and find out what the hold ups are on Monday and hopefully our solicitor will eventually find out who is paying this ruddy chancel money and we may sign on Tuesday?? Who knows......still 4th Jan would be great. So cross everything you have two of and lets hope it happens. Yip - thats not a full yippee just a tentative one!!

PS we finally got the form our sellers had signed showing what they are leaving after 4 letter requests, two emails and then a phone call from hubby this afternoon. Obviously they only answer to requests from men!

Update on the non-move!!

2007-12-12T13:10:00.002-08:00

On Friday we had a letter from our solicitor asking us to send a copy of the survey report to her so our seller's sol can see it (we had written on 21st November with some queries raised by the survey a friend did verbally for us and our seller rang straight away and discussed the queries - we were happy with the answers and thought that our solicitor had been informed by his!! - never assume - so thats over three weeks to respond from our solicitors - can they not phone or email - are they allergic to these methods??

So, we spoke to our seller again on Sat am and he agreed to chase his sol. on Monday am. We discussed the problems we have had with mortgages and chains etc etc and he said he would write and ask for completion asap as he may lose his rental property if he can't sign for it soon and it has to be still available for others to rent until then. Anyway I mentioned the ludicrous 'potential chancel repair' indemnity to him and he said he hadn't heard of it so I explained it. He couldn't believe it.

So off we went to Alan's Mums and on our return we found another letter from our sol. She said that as our seller would not agree to pay the chancel indemnity for us she had notified our buyers sol that we would therefore not pay for theirs as we would have to pay for two policies. She has also said we won't pay for the planning indemnity as the sun room is so old etc etc. - which is fine. She then told us that our buyers are signing on Thursday but their sol says no completion before Xmas and would we agree to completion in the New Year! What else did she expect us to say ??

Anyway as you can see the two versions of our sellers thoughts on the chancel repair appear to differ! I have written again and asked her to clarify the situation and if possible do it by phone then maybe we can sign this week as well - nothing! the line of communication has gone dead again. I also asked for the third time if we could have a copy of the form showing what our sellers are leaving.

So it's official bloggers - we are here for Xmas. S0 I have had a deep and meaningful conversation with Alan. I have put our old artificial Xmas tree on freeserve tonight (we intend to get a new in the sales!! after we saw the bargains last year) and we will buy a small real one and get the bloomin thing up - I am unwrapping some decs and lets get some festivity into the house!

We are putting back some pics at the weekend and I am happy! ( Alan will get a surprise when he sees some decs he doesnt know we have) - I am going for greenery as well and them most of the decs can stay packed - we'll just do the lounge.

My Mam and Dad have also decided to come for Xmas dinner so we will get out the garden table and add it to our little one we have left. Ho Ho Ho - Christmas is coming to Mill Hill....................................the fact that the glasses are packed and the spare knives and forks!! - I have even done some online shopping tonight and will finish at the weekend on our local shops - cant face the towns now - they will be heaving.

So all I want for Xmas is (not front teeth I have my own!) a letter giving an invitation to sign our contract, a completion date and a form showing what we are being left..............Felicitations of the seasons to all of you xxxxxxxxx

Update on move of the century!!

2007-12-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

This is a copy of emails sent and received today re 'the move' - enjoy!

Monday email to my agent - Hi Stuart - Here is my weekly request for an update on the progression (or not ) of the chain!

Tuesday am reply - Hi Mrs M - I wasn't in the office yesterday, I've just spoken to Y*** Move and they are coming back to me when they have chased the First Time Buyer Kind Regards

Tuesday am from me - Thanks Stuart - I was panicking last night when you didnt respond - I thought - he doesnt want to tell me the bad news!! Mind you that might come later this am?? I am absolutely certain this is going to fall through.

Tuesday pm from agent - The First Time Buyer has their mortgage offer and searches have been sent for, so now I'm waiting for R*****s to update me on the next property up the chain to make sure they are all up to date, so I'll let you know later.

Tuesday from agent - The T******* now have a mortgage offer for the purchase of the A********* (our buyers house), so things are moving ahead, slowly. I'll chase again next week about the progress of the searches and the solicitors enquires. Stuart (me - so no rushing about there then - hey whats a week!!!!)

My final reply to Stuart - Thanks very much Stuart - as you are the only person prepared to correspond with me I'm afraid you are the one who's ear is bent!! I wasn't even aware that the T******** didn't have a mortgage offer in place - because they were in the chain before it broke down the first time I stupidly thought that they would have had one ready and waiting! Never assume. I have bought and sold seven houses since 1979 and Alan has bought and sold eight - we have never ever had such an appalling time. This is the 21st century and you would think that communication between all parties involved was using semaphore, pigeons or even smoke signals. We chose our solicitors as you recommended them for their modern approach to conveyancing - I have to disagree with you on that point. It is now two weeks since I answered their latest queries and I don't even get 'thanks for your letter and email' which would take at least 30 seconds of their very expensive time. We do not even know if the information and answers we gave are acceptable yet. If I had known what I know now I would have contacted the R*****s who also wanted our house when we fell at the first hurdle - but you try in this life to be decent and fair to people and the younger couple really wanted our house ............................to rub salt into the gaping wound! I see the R***** sale is completed and they will be in, redecorated and cosy for Xmas (can you detect the bitterness in this email??? ) My compliments of the season to you all - I would ask you all for a festive drink but the glasses are packed and the dining table sold!!

Stuarts reply was he would take me up on the drink and we wouldnt need a table - CHEEKY!!

So folks that is the latest in the saga of my life, things are moving very slowly. I spoke to our buyers (wife) and she said ' Oh we signed a paper that goes back to you on Saturday am" !!! I said that sounds like your contract! I explained that we sign our own then exchange them and then decide on a date to move!!

So we wont be in for Xmas - it sounds like our sellers, us and our buyers will be sat with contracts signed and waiting for the others in the chain to catch up.............................

For those who remember I had a bit of a run in with someone at work - well she has resigned and is going elsewhere! So its not all bad news !!!!......................................

Catherine

Monday update

2007-11-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

Asked for an update this am from our agents and still no news on the first time buyers at the bottom of the chain mortgage. All the agent did was reword last weeks answer! So I thanked him for his prompt reply and likened the sale of our house to a Brian Rix farce and explained he wouldnt know what one was but his boss would - I absolutely give up - is it normal to wait four weeks for a mortgage application to be granted?? Anyway enough of this horrible subject.

Today I received a lovely 'thing' off ebay and wanted to share this lady's skills with you bloggers out there. It is a reversible 'box' bag made from lovely fabrics. The photos on ebay dont do it justice. It was £9.99 plus p&p ann I think a good buy. Her ebay tag is 'annie_linen' worth a look.

Nothing more to report off to look at Laura Ashley 1990 - yummy

Friday update...................

2007-11-23T11:47:00.000-08:00

Alan had a call from the guy whose house we are buying - his wife had opened the letter asking about the pointing on the chimneys and two other queries and they were panicking - thinking that we wanted to pull out of the purchase - Why ?? we were only asking questions about work on the property we are buying! which is quite normal. Alan assured them that it was the opposite and we wanted to get in asap but there were hold ups with our buyers etc etc. The guy has already signed his contract and is talking about the 10th December!! Where are the communications in all of this?? What are we paying for?? We are not prepared to tell him how many hold ups there are to date - he will be appalled as he obviously thinks hes on the home straight. I said to Alan we are paying these agents and solicitors a fortune - its up to them to communicate with each other and keep all of their clients informed of progress etc. We havent even had copy of the form saying what he is leaving in the property yet and he has signed his contract - now thats not on is it!!

I have been to an away day with work today - I hate them - such a lot of money when so many people have lost some of their salary - its insulting. I come back cross at the expense as they are always held at expensive venues with speakers - who were probably getting more for a couple of hours than I get for a month. Its insensitive - especially having these speakers when you work for local government where you cant be innovative and telling you to go and get the sort of life you want etc etc when you just cant do things like that when you have bills to pay etc

I am going to go and sink myself into a nice home mag with a cup of tea - I dont really enjoy alcohol, even wine which gives me indigestion but sometimes I think I should have some to get my shoulders down.

Whoops nearly forgot to tell you about my LA catalogues - I went onto ebay, put a starting bid of £19.99 hoping to put people off buying them and then reduced the sale to 3 days and then added that I had them advertised elsewhere and reserved the right to with draw if I sold them. I didnt know that sentence was against ebay rules and when I got home that night ebay had removed them !! How lucky is that - so come here back to mummy.........I made the mistake with my portmeirion I am not making it again !

More misery today from the solicitors..............

2007-11-21T15:20:00.000-08:00

For all you people snuggled and happy in your homes - DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MOVE!!

Guess what it turns out that our house has a 'potential' Chancel Repair Liability on it. They want us to pay for an indemnity for the purchasers for £170.88 which is more than I expected. I have also discovered that the above law only came in for 10 years and expires in 2013 so why do we have to cover our buyers for 25 years? We are also told that the property we are buying has the same thing and they have to buy one for us. I have asked how much theirs will be and how they arrive at the figures. Update - my friend moved onto the smae road last year and this wasnt raised then,

Our buyers solicitors want the dimensions of the sun room so that they and the buyers can make their own assessment as to whether or not planning permission would have been required. The solicitors feel that building regs should have been obtained and therefore are asking for another indemnity policy for lack of building regs at our cost (no figure stated)

I have spent two hours on the internet and composed a long letter - I cannot see how we can get away with the Chancel thing but I am not happy about the building regs issue. Apparently the new regs only came in in 1991 and the sun room was built in 1966!! The worst thing is why wasnt it spotted when we bought it in 1995 and our seller was still alive to give evidence of when he built it etc. I am so angry - I couldnt even eat (yes ladies not even chocolate!) its now 11.30pm I am off to bed to not sleep!

NB The only good thing today happened when two of the re-enactors we met in Whitby came to collect Alans Dads army uniforms which we offered them for their group to wear. I had the girls email from when I sent her my WRAF beret. What lovely people, we instantly liked them and we had a lovely chat - I think we might be convinced to go to one of the do's and wander around in the clothes. Now how about that for true vintage!!

Anyway I guess we wont hear anything from the solicitors till next week, even though my answer will be in the letterbox in the morning by 8am

Night night - tonight we feel like staying where we are..........................

This is an update at lunchtime on Thursday - Alan went to the Planning Dept and they said they have no right to query the planning or building regs after 10 years and he laughed when Alan said he was referring to a 'sun room' built in 1966. So I have emailed the solicitor as an update to the letter they got this am and told her what we have been told. I ended my email by saying I was not making a facetious statement but seriously felt it might be better if removed the walls, windows and roof and simply left them with a patio area where the sun room once stood. If they still want an indemnity after all this I am inclined quite honestly to say 'stuff it' we will stay where we are................. I know they want our house badly so maybe they will think lang and hard at that point.

A miserable update on the move.........

2007-11-19T12:20:00.000-08:00

I got in touch with the estate agent this afternoon after giving up on the solicitor ringing me. Not good news - it is now 3 weeks since we had the new first time buyer at the bottom of the chain. They have still not got the results of the mortgage valuation and mortgage application back - Why ? we are told continually that the market is at a standstill?? What are they doing at the building society? Their solicitor had advised them not to pay for the searches until they get a letter from the building society. So things do not bode well for a December move if their searches havent even started yet.

Then I went to Tesco to do my shopping (didnt get there over the weekend!) and our buyer was there working - I showed her the email so she is up to date and then she said they had had a letter from their solicitor saying that their buyer has only just paid the search money so their searches havent been started either!

So tonight we have decided to stop packing put some pics back on the wall and batten down the hatches for a few weeks. I can at least grieve for my Laura Ashley catalogues - in fact I think may have to have a look through them - if there are no bids I am going to keep them forever.............and ever..............

Alas! I am bereft.............

2007-11-19T04:52:00.002-08:00

I have had traumatic weekend packing and parting with stuff. My 23 Laura Ashley catalogues from 1990 to 2007 are on ebay! The pile of packed boxes were just getting ridiculous - we are after all downsizing - so - I very bravely opened all the banana boxes I have packed with books - eight in all - and went through them all asking myself what would I really read again - trying to be honest with myself. I am just a hoarder - I confess - and getting rid doesnt come easy. However I managed to lessen the boxes by 3. Some have gone to my friend and the rest were put on Freecycle yesterday - a guy emailed straight away and said he was very interested. I had said there were housey books, non fiction, paperbacks, almost new hard backs etc - it was a fantastic chance. He wanted me to deliver and I said I would within the town area - he didnt reply until very late saying he wouldnt bother! So Alan took them to a little used off the High Street charity shop - Yorkshire Cancer Research - run by some nice ladies - they can have them - some are good enough to be given as presents. I got rid of lots of stuff on Freecycle over the weekend and some will go this evening. I am however not over the LA catalogues - perhaps noone will want them and I put 'pick up only' as they will cost a fortune to post so that lessens the amount of takers. Heres hoping for a bidding war!!

We had a survey done on the house last week and it needs some repointing on the chimneys and ridge tiles and the damp course needs to show two courses of bricks not one. I have sent a letter to the solicitors stating what was found and a few questions that the surveyor feels should be answered. I rang the sols this am to say we had dropped the letter in and could we have an appointment to see her. She seemed very taken aback that we wanted to and asked why. I said well to see where we are at , when the date might be, etc etc. She said she would read our letter and then get back to us. That was 4 hours ago!! We havent a clue what is happening with the move no-one seems to know anything. So I guess we will just carry on packing and packing........and packing.............

I had a lovely rendezvous with Mrs Nesbitt - for a cup of tea - what a lovely lady - we had a natter over a very expenisve cuppa! but the surroundings were lovely and a bit later on in the same venuwe I met 13 ladies I used to work with in the School Dental Service - its about 18 years since I saw most of them - it was so lovely and we are doing it again in a few months. The only problem was they were nearly all retired and having a wonderful time - which made me envious,

Right must go - this was just a quickie - I shall post some photos of my boxes next time - riveting eh!!

Still here - still packing - the sequel !!

2007-11-09T23:44:00.000-08:00

Up early today to take my son to do overtime - done ironing, done online banking - reward is cup of tea and a blog at 7.40am - then packing........................................

We had a letter from the solicitor on Thursday with queries from our buyers solicitors- that took me all Thursday evening to sort out. When we moved in there was a conservatory on the side of the house over the kitchen door (described by us in the agents details as a garden as it is not grand like some conservatories are now) This was of brick construction with mouldy, green windows on top and an old plastic roof. The 'egg lady' who used to come told me that her Mum had lived opposite us from the bungalows being built in 1963 and the addition was made a few months after the bungalow was completed. We didnt need planning in 1996 when we changed the wood for upvc and added a new roof. The sol's are now querying why a 'garden room' is in the agents details when it is not on the deeds. The thing is it didnt need planning in 1963 so the deeds wouldn't have been changed and why didn't our sol's query this in 1995 when we bought the house?? Anyway the neighbours who bought the egg lady's mums house have said they will verify it has been there since they moved in 29 years ago! We also have the agents picture when we bought in 1995 and it shows it clearly on there.

We then discover that we will have to take an indemnity policy out for our buyers in case the vicar ever decides to come and claim money from them as noted in the deeds. This is I believe £58 and covers them for 25 years. When we moved to our previous house in 1990 there were no probs then when we left it in 95 to come here all of a sudden it was discovered that the previous owner didnt have planning for his garage and wayleave. So we had to pay for retrospective planning for it. Now why wasnt that spotted when we bought? There is no consistency in this is there.

When we filled in the form about the property it also asks if there has been any disputes about the boundaries - so as we had a solicitors letter from the neighbour who lives behind us but who's drive is at the side of ours we knew we had to mention it. As it had a land registry stamp on it we thought well they will see that there was an enquiry to the registry we had better be honest. Mrs C died about 3 years ago and the property was sold and no one ever came and queried the boundaries.

These are all things that hold up the process - I asked a lady down the road who moved in recently and their seller had to pay the indemnity policy of £58 to ward off the vicar!! She also had to pay £75 for another policy because the council had no record of planning for her conservatory even though it wouldnt have needed it in case they decided at a later that the may query its existence!

So, we are no further on at the moment ! Alan is up now - so we had better get started

Still here - still packing...............................

2007-11-05T12:47:00.000-08:00

Hi just a quick update - no news on the move at all - have to ring the agents dealing with the one we are buying in the morning they left a message saying they have an update. We are having a survey done ourselves for peace of mind. Packed lots on Sunday - didnt get rid of much. Joined Freecycle and have takers tonight for the exercise bike and the Ikea 5 ft bed frame. Thanks Mrs Nesbitt for having the link on your blog - I didnt realise we had a local group - I am sure there will be lots more going on the site before we leave. I have two lovely new blogging ladies on my sidebar for you to visit.

What did everyone think of the remake of a Room With a View then??

We're Off !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-10-27T06:32:00.000-07:00

Hi all - just to tell you this am we got a phone call - the house at the bottom of the chain has been bought by first time buyers (who are renting) so we are off the starting line!!

Just had a break to watch Move Over Darling with Doris Day and now we are off upstairs to start sorting out - Whippeeeeeee.............................

A lot of work has been done already for our buyers and us and for our buyers buyers! So I dont think it will be that long in happening.

The last of the pics!!

2007-10-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

Having problems with uploading pics so I am going now - hope you enjoy these so far - will put the rest on later in the week.

These samplers were done for us in 1991 when we married by my Mam and my friend Wendy

Hearts for the Bower Birds in Australia

Decided to carry on whilst Alan washes up!

My lovely glass handle on the shower room door and for Carol a tassle!!

Pics after Tea!!............

2007-10-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

This is my printers tray full of lovely bits - lots of metal letters that Alan found in a skip - perfect!

For those who looked at earlier blog pics these are the wardrobes we recently completed in Kates room (see estate agents pics earlier)all in LA duck egg.

This is another little shelf unit - full of vintage again

This the top of the shelves - the faux vine goes round the top of the wall and actually looks good

These shelves are in the garden room as well as you can see I like chickens NB the bottom shelf

The shelf is in my garden room - I love chickens

This a shelf over my kitchen door NB the jugs Claire!!

The chintzy bits are on my windowsill in the bedroom

Some lovely vintage plates - the tiny table and chairs are bakelite and the little flowers are a lovely brooch and earrings from one of those oddments boxes for £2 the lot

My side with books, the alarm clock or we would never get up and you can't see the untidy pile of mags!

This is Alan's side of the bed with his tapes

Here are more 'round the house' pictures

Pics Galore!........................

2007-10-22T09:23:00.002-07:00

Time for tea - will post some later in the meantime this is how my husband cleverly incorporated the meter cupboard into the dado and decor! We couldnt work out how to put the dado up the stairs when we did it and then we were watching Groundhog Day and there was the answer so we bunged a tape and waited for it to show again. Theproblem was actually on the opposite side to the cupboard but I havent taken it as it is boring!!

My landing is difficult to explain - we put stairs into a bungalow so the window that was normal in the bedroom downstairs is on the floor of the landing! so I decided to treat the wall as full length it does actuall work well when you see it!!

Lamp on the landing

Car boot bargain - lovely house tapestry

A very old sampler of mine - I love the words they are so true

Chintzy bits on my bedroom windowsill

Botanical pics for Carol to see!! -Laura Ashley calendar pics - used later as paper/fabric by LA

Barbola mirrors aforementioned bargains in another post earlier

Here goes with pics taken today

Flexi Heaven

2007-10-22T02:38:00.000-07:00

I am at home today on flexi time that I have acquired so this is sheer heaven I am watching a homes programme on BBC and reading blogs - bliss. We viewed the other semi on Saturday and dont know why we didnt go for it in the first place. We have put an offer in this morning not quite full asking price so we will have to wait now to see what they say. Then we will back out of the other one - its six weeks today and we are no further with the purchase of it and six weeks down the route of selling this one.

Watch this space!

TGIF!!!

2007-10-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

Hi there - I dont think many of us have blogged over the last few days - I have sneaked little looks in my lunch break and its been fairly quiet out there this week. This morning I got a letter for an interview for another job. Its a Ward Clerk in the Stroke Rehabilitation Centre in our local hospital. Actually its based in very old building called the Rutson or it was when I applied for the job - a couple of days later the newspaper announced that it would have to move into the main hospital because of work that was needed to the old building! Anyway I have an interview in couple of weeks time. Less money than I get now (so we need to carry on downsizing!!) but it sounds like a worthwhile place to be working and I think I might like it. I have been at the County Council for 8 years this month and it is not the place it was.... I could go on but I won't. We have arranged a viewing for my second favourite house tomorrow am as it wil be six weeks soon since the people who's house we wanted accepted our offer and they have told the solicitor not to release any papers or start proceddingings yet till they find somewhere. So in the meantime we have merrily going along selling ours. We are convinced they will pull out so we are looking elsewhere - I arent as bothered as I thought I would be about walking away from it. My daughter resigned from her job at the County Council with our blessing yesterday. She is floating she is so pleased she has done it. She is going temping whilst she finds something else. She works very hard in her job and I envy her being able to walk - Yes I know its not sensible but she is too young to be unhappy in her job - she has been there 5 years and has given her best - she is very confident and I dont htink she will have a problem getting something else. I have just got my newly upholstered chairs back last night. They were only cheap and I had coveted the gentlemens chair for a couple of years! then the shop changed hands and it was vastly reduced so I bought it and them found there was another upstairs in the storeroom -it was a matching ladies one. So we got them both for £45 together. They are gorgeous and over the weekend I shall photograph them. I think I have a before photo as well - will check. I have still not started my new Robin Pilcher book - tonight I have to think of the viewing tomorrow! My buyers who lost thier buyers have 3 couples viewing this weekend so fingers crossed.

2007-10-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

Hi Bloggers this has not been a good day for those of us with hot flushes. I spent ages doing my thinning hair this morning and by the time I had had two severe flushes prior to going out, my hair was as flat as a table top - not very flattering when you dont have much on top!!

So apart from the heat - I am a bit peeved today - we took a huge quantity of top quality stuff to Oxfam today - it took two of us two visits to carry it all to the shop. The woman on the counter scowled as we struggled past her and Alan knocked on the door at the end of the shop once we had put it all there and said "Hi just didnt want you to come out and fall over this lot" - she peered at it all and said 'Well I hope there's not electrical items in there". Alan said 'No we know you don't accept them' and she shut the door. No thanks - no nothing! If it hadnt been so damned heavy I would have picked it all up and taken to another one - I don't expect then to fawn all over us but I was taught to say Thank You. This was a middle aged lady who should known better. I am cross! I am going to get my son to add the play list and a blog counter as well. Still no photos taken today - didnt get in the loft but did the big cupboard in my old workroom - called 'the study' by the estate agent!

I keep looking out for the new re issue of the Victoria magazine - did you all know it being reissued?? Has anyone seen it a shop shelf yet? I have about 60 copies of mine and they have no pages missing - which any mag I get my hands on usually does after the third reading. I squirrel away all my coveted houses, rooms, things, ideas..........I have spent the late afternoon and evening sorting out my old workroom cupboard and found the details I have kept from magazines on the house I would have if I won the lottery - its not big- its not posh, it's just simply lovely.

The houses are by Border Oak - http://www.borderoak.co.uk/ and the daughter of the owner of the company has a build diary on the website. Her house has featured in many magazines and I just love the simplicity of it. Her kitchen is so wonderful ( it would look better with my stuff in it! ) if you look on http://www.devolkitchens.co.uk/ you will end up salivating over the gallery pictures of kitchens they have completed. Right, it is now 11.20pm - time for my bed - its too late to start my Robin Pilcher book - bargain £2.25 dont think its even been opened. Tomorrow I hope to be baking some cakes - I am inspired by all these cupcakes I keep seeing. Night night

Acers high!! some garden pics

2007-10-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

Apparently according to Alan I shouldnt have had the flash on and thats why its too light but as its almost 4pm and I havent even opened the cupboards yet I must press on

This is the arch that goes around to the raised garden at the back and behind the adirondack chair are the steps up to the raised area . To the right is the side window where I took the pix of the garage from

We have a vine in the garden which was covered in black grapes this year so I thought I would take photo of them for you - these are the only ones left I guess I was first after the birds!

This the view from one of the side windows explained below - we had a huge pyracantha along the side of the garage till last year and we couldnt believe how much lighter the garden was when we took it down. The wall underneath was so clean and new looking. We then added some flower beds and they are just establishing themselves now - these pictures are not good at all.

Apologies for the glare from the glass but its raining out there and I have dried my hair!! There is loads of colour out there but its not captured here today - sorry

Its difficult to describe how my garden is positioned - our lounge is at the back and the back garden itself isnt very deep but is raised and the window in the lounge is low so - when you are sitting there you look out and it very close. It gives a good description of a 'picture window'. Anyone coming into the lounge is always wowed by the greenery before them. Its hard to see in a picture but the wall at the front of the raised area was covered by us with ivy two years ago and it looks lovely now its grown. There is a wide path in front of the window where we have a bench and Alan's plant nursery is under the window - there is a french door as well so you can really bring the garden indoors in the summer. There is then a garden to the side again not very deep and there are two more small windows either side of the fireplace that look onto that. All this makes the room very light and green. Alan grew the red acers from the same size as the ones in the pots and finally planted them last year - they are really sturdy specimens now - he is heartbroken to leave them. We have steps leading up to the raised area and we have added trellis to try and make garden rooms as the tele says! The first red acer is in front of the second with a gap of about 7 feet but its hard to see - they just look like one here

I cannot get the text to go next to the pics so here goes again...

2007-10-07T06:22:00.000-07:00

This is my nautical corner - the lady is from a Cosmopolitan magazine the the 1920's I think. I bought her already framed - she is so lovely. The little pix are of beaches and were a wedding present. The little boat was bought from a market in Pont Aven - the man made them himself

This lovely set was £3.95 which wasn't a bargain !! when you consider the price of the aqua pieces

Hope this text stays here when I publish the blog - this is the left corner of the sitting room with bakelite items and Alan's collection of military Dinky's - he has collected them all again 'cos him Mum threw his own out when he was a teenager - he was bereft............... The picture which has been spoilt by the light is Grace Kelly, the lady to the right of Grace is June Allyson and then Doris Day and a Busby Berkeley dance picture

Right here goes again with adding the pics to this blog - this is the left side of my fireplace - the framed picture is taken from a Studio magazine and is by May Morris (William's daughter I believe) and I collect the silver topped bottles. How do I get these pictures to go under my writing???? HELP - I think this has worked.........................here goes

More pics around the house..............

2007-10-07T05:55:00.000-07:00

Right side of my lounge fireplace - the picture is a pencil drawing and it reminds me of the sands at Saltburn

Two jugs £2.99 & £1.50 and the books to the left were £1.99 each

Can you see all the embroidery?

Here are some more pictures around the house and as close up of Nana's embroidered picture which shows the detail a little better for anyone who might be interested. My downsizing move is now crumbling before my eyes. Our buyers as I said before had a hiccup at the beginning of the week and now their latest buyers have changed their minds and the first time buyers at the end of the chain have pulled out too. So its a stalemate at the moment. What concerns me as well is the fact the our buyers agents still have their property showing today (Sunday) as 'under offer' and it has not gone back on 'Right Move' as available to buy. That is appalling when it has been available to buy since Wednesday am - not a very good service considering how many people now do property searching on the internet.
Anyway back to the current property! here are some pics taken around my home of my favourite things as well as evidence of my latest charity shop finds......................... When these are on today I am going to sort out two cupboards and if I get on well the bathroom drawers. This is not just tidying - this is a 'do I really need this - can someone else use it' situation. I sahll go upstairs and do the bottom of my wardrobe. My son hired a cleaner this weekend to do his car seats so we have cleaned the living room rug, Kate's carpet (the marks of hair dye, tanning solition and goodness knows what else have come off slightly!) and our bedroom carpet. I fell cleansed!

Nana's Picture & redemption of the charity shops

2007-10-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

It has occurred to me that the picture in the previous blog looks lke it was painted - it is in fact embroidered in wools and silks - it is almost 3D to look at and very lovely. I finished work early today ( I can do flexi) and I went to 3 charity shops and scored !! I shall take some photos tomorrow as I must tidy up now. My buyers lost their buyer yesterday but have resold today and there is no chain - so now I am panicking because the people we are buying off havent found anywhere still and now the chain is shorter -----aaaaaargh.............

Whiskers on kittens......pictures on my favourite things

2007-10-01T12:35:00.001-07:00

Here are some kitty pix

- Phoebe has a sock round her neck to stop her scratching! aren't they lovely....

This house picture is something my Nana did for me a few years ago at the age of about 90 - she died when she was almost 99 - there is another picture but its packed away - this is my favourite - she always painted little pictures on our easter eggs when we little like little swiss mountain scenes...... the blue framed picture below is a jumble sale find - I love what it says - "sometimes at night a star falls and breaks into little pieces - and in the morning we find the gift of Forget Me Nots". The picture of the lady is so beautiful it was a recent ebay purchase for 14.99 - she is so lovely I couldnt believe it when I won her. She will be placed n the new house at the moment she is just propped in the spare room. Sorry the pictures are jumbled its so slow tonight I was just relieved to get them on.

The picture at the top - I am getting in a spin here - cant work out how to add the pictures at the end instead of the top!! - Is my husband's camera collection - mostly off ebay and a couple of charity shops. I sent him to a junk shop last week where I had seen to cameras in a mirrored cabinet - unfortunately when he got there, there was only one camera the other was a reflection!! How embarrassing is that!!??

I will add more tomorrow I am now off to bed to listen to the Paul McKenna weight loss cd's I bought last year and have never listened to but am going to attempt to take on board now - I am not mentioning them again !!

First digi pics attempt and naughty purchase!

2007-10-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hi to all - I Took lots of pics last night on my own for the first time - fairly pleased with results but daylight might be better as the flash spoils some of them but if I delete them and try again it won't get done! On Saturday I was very naughty and because I had paid my car off last month I went to town late in the afternoon to buy a book as a treat to me! I was extremely bad and have never ever spent so much on a book and its doubtful if I ever will again - I am not checking the price on Amazon and seeing its nowt with free P&P!! I will never repeat the sheer pleasure of handing over the note and walking out of the bookshop with this volume again.

In the last blog I said I would photograph my daughters lovely wardrobes but I forgot. I am also adding the pix of my sons and his fiancee's kittens that we had the eternal pleasure of looking after a few weeks ago - thought you might like to see them - the tabby is Alfie and the white one is Phoebe they are rescue brother and sister. Here goes to my loading attempt..........Whoops pics are on first!! Sorry

I shall post again to put some more pictures on whilst I am on a roll......

Bedrooms

2007-09-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

Kate's bedroom looks awful its has lovely wardrobes and a desk, and the bed is in the position she likes and not how it should be - but as she is 21 and pays board thats how it stays - I shall take the other side of the room tomorrow -its very duck egg and really lovely and light.

Davids room was his brothers who has just left home (new house new mortgage) and because it was going on the market he left his stuff in boxes (ie his posters of young lady's washing cars - you know the type!) My kitchen was taken two years ago when the house was on the market because Kate left - then she came back and we still needed four bedrooms again - and the kitchen now has a tile look cushionfloor in it as has the garden room.

Re - My Photos

2007-09-21T15:35:00.001-07:00

Right these were taken from the estate agents blurb! The house was tidied to the n'th degree and my clutter was cleared away - lots of it is back but some is packed away now. I shall attempt over the weekend to take some close up pictures of some of my corners and bits. It looks to me very bare an unlived in in the pictures. Gosh its complicated to add them isn't it - I feel quite triumphant getting these on!! Right, night, night I'm off to bed.

Friday - Hurrah..........

2007-09-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

Kate's Room (21)

Side garden

Rear Garden

My Home
Davids room (19)

Our

room

Bathroom

Kitchen

Lounge

Garden Room

I have been so busy reading other people's blogs and leaving comments that I havent posted anything myself. I have seen so many lovely photos this month of other peoples finds and homes it has been amazing. I loved Sophie Honeysuckles blog about the the things considered to be English and then the answers from our American friends - we all have such pre-conceived ideas don't we, of each others countries and lifestyles. Sometimes the American ladies have such 'English' looking homes that I have to check back to make sure they are calling from 'over the water'. I am going to try and post some pictures of my home as it now sold and I am bereft but excited about my new house (only a house yet - not a home!) It has been difficult to make a 1963 bungalow built with rooms in the roof - not dormers, but a French bungalow I was told yesterday when describing it to the lady who was arranging for our buyers surveyor to visit on Monday! Ooh la la......... I love so many styles , art deco, arts & crafts, antique, distressed, country, new - you name it I love it - its difficult to find a style when you love them all - I also think thats what is English style - a bit of everything.

This weekend is for finding all the paperwork for the house for the last 12 years, so I will have a clearout at the same time - we are going to do the loft first which has been far too accessible over the past years - a little door to 'pop' things into - no ladders - no stretching - just a little click, stoop and you are in there - finding a little space for the stuff you put in a charity bag and then went through again in the car park and put a few things back to take home - just in case. There was an article in one of my magazines about the type of collector you are and I was all of them - I can always come up with a reason as to my magpie nature.

As we have a seperate 'front room' where we are going we have decided to take anything with us we arent sure of and put it in there ( we can live in the back room) and then put round the house what we can fit in. Then allow family to plunder whats left and the rest can be ebayed or recycled or shall I pop it in the new cellar..........................apparently the present owner has never been in the loft!!

Not the best start as a blogger!!

2007-08-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hi to anyone reading this - I was going to be so good and blog regularly but by the time I have so many its time to go to bed !!

So this is only my second blog - I have just left a comment on Sophie Honeysuckle's blog re her beautiful new units and whilst chatting to her about what kind of house I was trying to find (and which I never will in this area) I realised that as I described what one of the houses I really like had - how much I actually liked it - so thanks Sophie for making me decide.

I went to a car boot yesterday and bought a lovely pine corner cupboard for £10! I am so thrilled I just need a new house to put it in now. I am looking round here and knowing how much I will have to get rid of - even furniture but I still need storage on the wall don't I. This downsizing is going to be very hard.....................I have viewed two houses this week and I long to find a Victorian/Edwardian house with a garden and no kitchen and just enough £ left from the move to have cupboards like Sophie's. I am struggling to find my vintage house in this area which is where two kids still living with us(21 & 19!!) want to stay. There just arent the properties available. I found a lovely 1928 semi with a lovely kitchen diner - beautifully done, modern and clean looking, a complete contrast to the lovely old fashioned lounge with its original fireplace and bay window. All the doors have been stripped back and beautifully repainted and the original handles put back on. Roll top bath, lovely high level flush! Bedrooms are a bit nipped for a six foot welder son! and a daughter with a clothes fetish! there are fitted wardrobes which will help but they are very modern. The garden is lovely and it has a cellar (no garage) its just that its difficult to downsize. We are doing it now (me 51 and Hubby 61) so we can enjoy the our earnings with no mortgage and no car loan and smaller bills. We have a lovely house here but it has to happen as we are sick of working to live and Alan can also retire at 65. I digress - the other house we visited was soooo sensible (70's bungalow with loft conversion)we wouldnt have needed to get rid of anything but it had no soul..........when I told Alan he said "I didnt like to say but I prefer that one as well but the other is so sensible!"

Anyway back to what I got on BH Monday - a roman blind in exactly the fabric my friend wants which was £4.00 and I will make into cushion covers for her. The boot didn't yield anything else but we then went off to a local fleamarket. My husband was thrilled to get two vintage cameras for a good price and I did well off a lovely stall that has stuff for. I got a lovely vintage childrens book in vgc, an old collars box, a brand new brass triple hook (Past Times) for my new wall storage!, a Denby jug - dark brown with a pale blue inside, four matching Denby cups and saucers, and a little jug . I then went over to a lovely hospice stall where they get the loveliest scarves, hankies and my downfall - old linens. I wasnt disappointed and was happily rummaging whilst talking to a lovely lady who cant resist hankies - I shall loOk out for her at the next one in October - I told her about blogging and she was so excited she was off to have a look at http://www.vintage-home.co.uk/ which is where I found blogging. Anyway readers I got the most gorgeous Barbola mirrors ( the lady I met checked them and assured me they were real) plus this was a hospice stall not a dealers - one was £6 and one £10 - I bought a tray cloth for 20p and the lady let me have everything for £15. I was grinning like a demented woman!!!! I came straight home and cleaned them up very carefully with a toothbrush and cotton bud - the difference was amazing - they have pride of place on my bedroom drawers. I have wathced them on ebau for so long but the command huge prices now.
We are off to Shropshire in the morning to stay in Ironbridge for a couple of days - havent been there before so looking forward to it. Here's hoping I have some responses when I get back -
Alchamillamolly

My First Blog - Aaaaaaaargh!!

2007-08-18T14:09:00.001-07:00

Hi to everyone out there - tonight is my first 'blog' - scary...............
I have been reading about so many peoples lives for about a month now and am so relieved that I am not the only fabric-aholic out there. I have just had my perfect hour in town today - a charity shop and a surprise little 'do' in the Town Hall where I picked up some goodies. The usual guilt purchase of beautiful embroidered linen (£3.00)! ( I have loads of it already)but I cannot bear to see it not being appreciated for the work that has gone into it. A lovely vintage mirror, not a mark on it (£2.00), a mini rug to use as a table runner (50p), three beautiful deco? cups, saucers and plates (£2.75) A triple folding mirror (not old but useful!), a glass jelly mould(50p) and a new M&S make up bag complete with label! - I already have the lovely big folding wash bag from a charity some weeks ago - how wonderful. It never ceases to amaze me what people will discard.

We are eventually going to move from where we have lived for the past 12 years and it will be a big wrench. We want to get rid of the mortgage and car loan etc so we can enjoy life a little more. We have two people wanting our house but its the usual story of them having buyers but those people needing buyers etc. etc. I know it will happen eventually so at the moment I am just enjoying being here with the space I have before we go. I am being nudged by two gorgeous little visitors as I write this - they are Phoebe and Alfie - my son Adam and his fiancee Vicky's kittens we are babysitting for a week! I am in love with them but they adore Alan my husband - I said its because he's always sitting down and they can sleep on him without being disturbed!!

Well - I hope someone picks this up and reads it. Phew.......... I am a lover of: vintage allsorts, shabby chic, art deco, arts and crafts, art nouveau, William Morris, linen, old children's books, in fact anything wonderful, beautiful and handmade.