New Things

What's your latest "thing"? Mine is fairy lights! I have always loved them, but I have been maybe going a little OTT on them at the moment. I love the LED lights. I find them cheapest on ebay but leave the international sellers out on this one. There are a lot of bad reviews! I have them in the bathroom (battery), bedroom, living room and car lights in the boys room.

Lights on the shelf above my bed.

My fireplace lights. I have moved my bookcase into the hall after completing it's make over. I bought the book case from a car boot sale for £7.50 two years ago, always meaning to paint it. Well I finally gave it the Annie Sloane treatment over the summer. I actually painted it with a grey Farrow and Ball undercoat, as I have been having problems with the orange pine coming through. I know you are not meant to with AS, but I have.

I am quite happy with the little set up, and I can still get the pram passed it! I have all my interior magazines on it to, so I can grab a few over a cup of tea. This was the before!

My mum was chucking out a load of stuff, she has sold our childhood home and needs to clear out loads! I started with an old camera, and a shadow box type cabinet. The camera is on display on the new shelves. I love it.

Wallpaper!

I finally have done something I have wanted to do for years, and that is have some wallpaper in my house! After months of getting samples and taping them to the walls I finally decided to go for something a little different, bold and a bit retro.

This is my dinning room come play room, so I wanted it quite bright as this is where I spend most of my time with the kids during the day.

I finally got round to spraying lots of car boot frames and have a wall starting of my favourite family photos. I am just a bit gutted that the car boot season is coming to an end, with the weather and a new baby I have only got to 3 this year! They really are my favourite part of the week. Ebay and Charity Shops just aren't the same. I am desperately seeking a TV unit & sideboard to replace my beech veneer items downstairs but I can't find any on ebay. I am hoping to get on with a few projects now that H is at nursery and that Jude is getting a bit older. I've discovered enamel paint, and I am loving the bright colours. I have moved away from a white neutral loo and gone a bit mad on pink and blue! I've also bought a new lens for my camera, and I am very happy with it.

Projects!

Jude has finally settled to be a good sleeping baby, having a 3hr & 2hr sleep each day, which is giving me time to get my house finally finished off. Well, it will always be a work in progress but I want to get cracking with the decorative side of things. I have a few ebay purchases that I am working on.

I finally bought a good sturdy 6 drawer pine set of drawers. I have been looking for ages and they always go for ridiculous prices but I got these for £32, only to find it was my mum I was bidding against!! AHHH. I started to paint these with my new Annie Sloan paint, but I am having a nightmare as its not agreeing with the orange pine, no primer required...hmm, I don't think so.

My OH picked these up and I still haven't even had a look at them yet, they are in the garage. There is slight damage to them apparently. I just hope it is slight.

I got this bargain head board for £10. Again I had been looking for a long time. This is getting covered in black velvet.

I went away last week with my mum and dad and the boys to Luss, on Loch Lomond. I have been bored at home on the nursery run, and time just seems to slip away without achieving a great deal. So I hijacked their peaceful holiday! The weather was nice for an afternoon and half a morning but it was nice to get away. Harris loved the Loch.

Jude has turned into a lovely smiley happy baby, and he sleeps! Boy, does he love to sleep. He's not what I remember of the first time round. He's a joy. After a spirted first baby, who's become a well opinioned 3 year old I need a go with the flow No. 2! Hope to be back soon with my transformations and hopefully I will have decided on some wallpaper. I want some for my day room/dinning room, hallway and my bedroom. I've been looking for a year now!!

Baby Jude

Hello, quick update...Baby Jude was born on Friday 4th of May 2012, weighing a surprising 11lb 7oz!!

I can feel my creative juices flowing already, and contemplating the Car Boot Sale on Sunday!!! I need picture frames!

Been busy

not doing anything creative but growing this

It's a big one, and still causing me grief! Water infections, anemia, low platelets, measuring too big, and breach so far! I have to have a glucose tolerance test next week, and then see the consultant at the end of the month. Then we are on to April and baby is due right at the end of April. I can see the end in sight.

And boy I have so much to do. It's scaring me.

At least spring is nearly here now.

I am still enjoying reading everyone's blogs even though I have no energy to do anything myself. I am sure all my enthusiasm and creativity will come back over the summer.

Hope everyone is well. xx

Work in Progress

I finally tidied up and took a few pictures of some of the better finished areas of the house. It's good looking back at progress as sometimes you get lost in where you are going and where you have come from.

The ghastly before pic is here.


The units are all Wickes white gloss. The worktop is B&Q, and the floor is Homebase. I am really pleased with the floor as it was only £6m2, and think it looks nicer than the engineered wood through the rest of the house that was more than 3x the cost! It's not finished yet, but it's nice it just needs a few finishing jobs and a tidy up! No brush kicking about and donuts on display!!

This is the before picture from the living room.

The white painted furniture is all second hand. The dresser was ebay - £10, and the shelves £12 from an action by my mum. I have had them for a white now. The floor is engineered wood, and is from a local carpet place, called Calverts. We ended up paying a lot for it, but it will be there for ever, and is so much more child friendly & clean than carpet. The lights are B&Q, only £25, very pleased with them. The chaise lounge was half price in the Next sale and the sofa is Barker&Stonehouse. I love the draylon/chenille fabric. I absolutely hate leather sofas, but needed something neutral and hardwearing. The colour theme for the downstairs room is bright pink, which came from the bargain curtains my mum got me from BHS. They were reduced from £120 to £30. I love them.

My dad is coming over to do us a fireplace this weekend. I have had the oak beams forever, I just need it fitted. My OH is a bit stuck with it, so I can not wait for my Dad to show him how it's done. I have persuaded my Dad to stay all weekend with my mum and finish off loads of jobs for us. My mum is going to help me get the kids bedroom wallpapered and finished off. I can't wait, more excited than Christmas!

This is the before picture of the entrance hall.

It has just been painted white, white and then some more white after it was all replastered. The floor is the engineered wood which is used throughout the downstairs. When i get round to it I will be displaying all my favourite snaps. I just need to get them all printed out first. I love having a hall, rather than going straight into a room. They just don't build new houses like they do old ones.

I'll leave you a picture of me and H, with a 5 month bump on Christmas Eve. I am 26 weeks now, and feeling much bigger than a few weeks ago. Time seems to have speeded up, and that I am getting there in my pregnancy after a hideous beginning, it's all downhill from here!

This weeks project will be painting a Tallboy bright blue. It's currently sage green & looks very Laura Ashley but I have nowhere for it to go, so I am thinking blue and into the boy's bedroom. I will hopefully be able to update soon with a finished room!

Oh, and Happy New Year!