Living Room Disatisfaction

One sunny September afternoon I came to view the house we are living in now. We had been looking for somewhere bigger to rent for a while and nothing was coming up in the area that we live in, when my brother in law told me about the house we are in now. I fell in love with the house because of the space. The large garden, the huge living room, the big halls, the kitchen dinner and the 3 decent sized bedrooms. However, after 3 months living here I am dissatisfied again. I don't know if that's just because that's the type of person I am, but I really can't get my living room to work! I wonder if its maybe too big, I know its definately too beige!

Here are some pictures of my room. Critisism welcome. I need help!

 The fire place. I love the tiles and style. I don't like the plaster frame above. The coloured jars are just my latest thing, they look so cosy at night. I do need to find some nice permanent nic naks to be displayed on the mantle.

 My second hand re upholstered sofa. All adding to the beigness of the room! I think I need some bright cushions in pinks, rasperberry and plum to go with the tiles on the fireplace.

 Some wall art, grouped in threes as you are meant to. I love hearts.

 Some fabric hearts I made.

 A lovely clock my Mum lent me. Dont think she'll get it back!

 Tiles on the fireplace

 Window seat. Cushions made my mum. More beige curtains!

 
 Farm house chair painted duck egg by myself.

 A view of the whole room. The rocking chair was mine as a child. The blanket box was a buy from an auction.

Ebay Chairs with plain white throws, cushions made by myself. Nest of tables were ebayed, painted by me. The Enid Blyton books are mine from years ago.

 My favourite ebay buy. A £10 dark dresser, painted and handles changed. All the blue and white bits were car booted last year. The blue jars are tea light holders made by me.

Blue hearts made by me, for the blue side of the room.


Its just all too much space, and too much white and beige!

Spring is in the air!

Oh yes, told you!

My wicker heart has been hanging in the sunshine today. It'll probably be all faded and horrible come august and falling apart even more than it is now!

I decided to move my collection of Enid Blyton books today. Harris has been taking them off the table and ripping them up!!!! I think I have lost 2 or 3 to such behaviour! One of these books is a first edition, and has in the inner of the book. "Merry Christmas.........., love Mummie, 1947". Unfortuantley on all the rest of the books its says "Aimee Leigh Crawford, Araminta, West Lund, Kirkbymoorside, 1990" Why oh why did I destroy all the books in such a silly girly way. All of these Enid Blyton books have been rescued from mum's loft. Most I picked up from Carboot sales in 1990, some were bought new for me as presents.

Somewhere I do have most of the Famous Five Books. I thought they were on a shelf somewhere. I am now wondering if Harris ripped up all of those books!!! I used to love Enid Blyton. My Favourite books were the Faraway tree & Naughty Amelia Jane.

Room Projects

I have lived in this house for 3 months now, and I still don't feel that its anywhere near finished. It is rented, and its all plain and beige.  I have been trying for ages to brighten it all up. Beige walls, carpet, sofa & wood all over. When the weather is better I'll be painting some bigger pieces in the garden. I am so messy I get it everywhere, not good in a rented house.

Harris' room is probably the brighest so far, in a beige way! He is nearly 2, and will be getting a new bed for his Birthday. I wanted a white painted pine one, but we are going to go for a red car bed. He will only sleep in our guest double bed at the moment, not his cot. I am hoping the lure of a red racing car will get him in his own room.

 The Gollywog was £3 from a charity shop, he still has his label on. I love him. OH hates him, Harris has named him Terry. The chair was 99p from ebay, as part of a dinning set. It was dark wood, so I painted it red gloss. I love it.

 Red bus theme also in the room. This was from Home Bargain about £1.99 last year. I love it.

 Not a very good shot! The shelves are a summer painting project. I will just do them white. They are just ikea basic storage shelves. The bunting and heart garland that you can see are made by me. Paddington Bear & the Tower of London Guards are from my mum from Boot Sales she picked up last summer for me. Iggle Piggle is on the shelve as he was attacked by Mum's jack russell's. After some major surgery his arm was replaced, but he'll never make a full recovery. He was full price new as well!

This toy box was mine, from South Africa. We lived there for 3 years as a child. It was horrible orange pine. I rescued it from my mum's loft and painted it red gloss.

I am continually ebaying for some wood chest of drawers so I can paint them white and get rid of the beech veneer argos ones. His wardrobe is in my mum's garage. Its a 40's style deco one, that's knackered. I got it from an auction but haven't got it from Kirkbymoorside to Durham. That's getting painted white as well.

Hope you are surviving the wind!

Picture Perfect.

In November I got a DSLR for Christmas! Early I know but I was desperate for one for years and we had some spare cash. I am still learning how to use it, it's very technical, but its the best money I have ever spent. I am trying to self teach, and practising lots. To document my journey in photography I have started the 365 project. I've really enjoyed it, I think I like my pictures more than other people do!

What to make?

My health has been restored. You forget how debilitating flu is. I am still trying to get through the piles of washing that mounted whilst I was on my death bed for 10 days! I even had 3 days off sick from work. They were ok about it actually, but I know they were busy and the shift was short. I got no end of digs when I got back about being ill on the weekend night shifts.

My sewing machine did get a work out, as I started to recover. I finished of the bunting that I made for H's room ages ago. He has some on one wall, but I still had loads of flags left, so I finished another row. His bedroom is so big it needs the decoration. I made him some curtains, they are ok, but needed to be wider! Silly me. I have nearly finished his room so I will put some pictures up. I need to make some wall decorations. I want to make a fabric number wall hanging and some applique pictures- red buses I was thinking. Bit stuck on how to start!

I have made a list of the next load of things I want to make, I keep buying fabric with no purpose! I want a fabric beach hut wall hanging for the bathroom. I am obsessed with beach huts! I want one. I want some funky bunting for my sewing area, and I want to make some door stops. I have seen other people make them and they look fab. I am going to work out how to do them, or if anyone has a tutorial!

This afternoon I need to collect 6 farmhouse chairs! I won them on ebay for the starting bid price, so I am well chuffed. I am going to paint them bright colours, thinking a pink, green, yellow, lilac, I already have blue, red & white, thinking maybe some pastel beach hut colours for these!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Hope 2011 is a good one for you. I know its late as it's the 10th already, still better late than never!
I worked all between Christmas & New Year, and was so looking forward to Thursday that's just gone as it was the first day of my 8 days off, time for some cleaning, organising, crafting, a family day out, starting photography club, just generally being productive. But no, I have the flu! I was in bed Thursday afternoon, Friday, Saturday and on the sofa yesterday. I am ok if I use no energy but useless if I do anything! I just want to be well. Its made me realise just how much I take my heath for granted. I am always well, so when I get an illness, usually every 2-3 years I am floored.

I am back at work on friday for night shifts, I bet I am fine then. I'm so annoyed. I need to make H some curtains. I have this lovely Sunderland Football Club inspired material for them.

Sorry this is a whiney post! I suppose I should really say Good Health to everyone in 2011. x

Bah Humbug!

Well that's it over for another year! Christmas, and I was back at work again yesterday. Bah Humbug!!

 Again I haven't been posting much, no excuses from me, I'll admit it. I'm lazy. I have been reading other peoples blogs though. That has been my greatest experience of 2010- getting into blogging. I love all the inspiration I get from seeing what other people get up to. I don't think I could ever make anything without the inspiration, it doesn't come naturally to me.

2010 has also been the year of the SEWING MACHINE! At school I failed my sewing machine test, the only person in the class. I didn't get it, it frustrated me, so I hated it. My mum had one at home and regularly made things but I loathed them, fast forward 20 years, I hit 31 and something inside me wanted to sew. Sewing is amazing, you can make anything from nothing, create so many fabulous things.
2011 is the year I get GOOD AT SEWING!