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!

5 Months!

Hello, I have been meaning to keep up with my blog for ages! I didn't want to post about the state that we have been living in. Things have been quite depressing. Refurbing a  100 plus year old terrace set in the 70's with a 2 year old is really hard work. Trying for a baby as soon as you get your bed in the house, was a really crazy idea. Finding out you are pregnant 1 month after moving in to the house of horrors is shocking. Being debilitated with hyperemisis was the the icing on the cake for us!

But, we are nearly there!!

We've had leaks, leaks and more leaks. We've had mould, damp and things going over budget. But we now have a working kitchen, a nice bedroom, a done hall and living room. Then we have a back bedroom that is currently undergoing transformation to a cool boys bedroom, a bathroom that needs overhauling and a landing that needs something doing with it now we have steamed off the artex!

My OH has worked so hard. When i met him he couldn't do a thing round the house. Now he's done all my skirtings and artraves, laid all our wooden flooring and built me a kitchen. I am so proud of him.

I am having another boy in April, well it will probably be May! Harris who is two, has been very sweet about it all, and understands that he has a brother coming and that I have a baby in my tummy. No more babies after this! I have been in hospital 3 times with the sickness, and have spent 4 nights there. I just don't do growing babies!

I would leave you with some progress pictures but I have no card reader on my new lap top, so soon I promise. Here are some ideas of my themes & inspiration.

Our bedroom is black and white. I am trying to find a cheap king headboard from ebay to upholster, and I also need wallpaper. Do i go floral, birds or damask!

I need this wallpaper! I have lusted it for months, but it seems there is nothing at all like it!!

My living room is hot pink, not this hot pink though!! Do I get some Laura Ashley Elvden Cranberry wallpaper to tone down the pink?? I can't link the page or post the image!

TBC....early next year!!!

Hello.

Is anyone still here?


I have lost 2 followers and gained one new one, so not bad going.

I have missed my blog.

I have missed so many car boot sales.

I have missed painting, sewing and taking pictures.

I have no inspiration at the moment, just an over whelming sense of feeling sorry for myself.

I have hyperemisis. If you know what that means, great. I will be back next week hopefully with an official announcement, and a little bit of inspiration. I can see some light at the end of the tunnel.

Hard Work and Hospital Trips!

We have finally had the keys to our house for just over a week now. We got them last Friday, Ian really wasn't very well on the Friday but he struggled through. I called my mum and dad to come help us, they are just completing their first self build house, well with a little help from professionals. I felt bad as they are nearly there with their own house and knew that they were going to get cracking with their free weekend. Anyway they came to the rescue, and by Saturday night Ian was in A&E, he was admitted that night with E Coli. He spent 3 nights in hospital and came home a lot thinner, weaker and worn out. It's 6 days since he came out and you wouldn't believe the transformation. He is much better now, just being careful what he eats.


Here are some starting pictures of the house..

Back room, lovely fire and carpet. The sofa had to be sawn in half to get it out of the house!

Hall- The dirtiest carpet in the world, and minging painted vinyl on the walls. I spent a lovely sunny yesterday afternoon & evening getting that off.

Lovely glass partition wall between the two rooms.

Rooms cleared out, artex steamed off, carpets up, double door way created and some stone chosen for a hearth. Looking much better. 

Stupid kitchen lay out. Everything has now been ripped out, wood cladding off, and tiles off. Not sure when I will get round to getting a new kitchen though!

I'll leave you with a picture of me with H, and my friend's twins. They came up to visit for the day from Harrogate. I spent all morning looking after my niece who is the same age- 8 months. Half an hour after she left the twins arrived. I was in bed at 7.30pm that night. Twins and a 2 year old are hard work and that was with 2 adults. A fortune teller once told me I would have 3 children, a boy then twins, a boy & girl. The first one is right, I couldn't cope if that was the case! The girls were born at 29 weeks, but are absolutely fine. They are really thriving. 

I'll update you with the next house installment soon. 

AWOL

I was hoping to post about a new house, new makes and great car boot sale finds. However, I am still drowning in packing, a terrible 2 year old, and working shifts. The house buy is going slow! We were hoping to complete by next week, but I am not that positive.

I am really sorry to my swap partner as well. I have not posted your swap parcel, nor have I collected the one I was sent, it's still at the post office. I am terrible. I am going to sort everything out on Monday/Tuesday. I have loads of belated birthday cards to post as well. I am drowning at the moment, all my own fault I am so disorganised!.

I am still managing to read other people's blogs though. I love reading about other people's makes & finds.