Bathroom.

It's not much better but livable - THAT RED'S NOT GONE YET THOUGH!!!!!


Basically, I scrubbed it clean and painted and refloored (same vinyl as kitchen - bulk buy and all that)Yes I know it's husband in pictures doing all the work - but I am there and he never takes pics of me!!!!

and now I can live with it - but soon - oh yes - soon - I can start showing you the progress we are making on our downstairs bathroom - the grown up bathroom - sigh........my long awaited Christmas present. Finally I will have a shower.


Fleur

xxx

Poppy's Palace

Well it seems like an eternity ago, but it was actually only March, when we first entered the smallest of bedrooms, which is now Poppy's, my youngest. On the right wall was a huge, black built in shelving unit, that we took out, otherwise poor Poppy wouldn't have got in! There was mouses and cobwebs and all kinds of interlopers.

Poppy's chosen colour was yellow. The ceiling was repainted white, the cracks were filled and a new carpet laid.

A few months down the line and Mummy has chopped up some long gingham curtains and made drapes for the alcoves, behind which I don't care how messy it gets!

I painted chest-of-drawers - which needs new knobs. A few pretties and her school desk and there you go. One little girl's bedroom - and she likes her tiny space very much. For how long though?
TTFN -
Fleur - xxx

Up a Ladder or Creek - unsure?

Before we start - my Mum said I should have shown a wider angle of the living room in my last post- so always doing as Mummy says - here is one. What do you think?

Look at the slate state of that roof!

Well this week has all been about the roof (or lack of it). Fed up of being dripped on as we descended the stairs for breakfast every morning, Karl put off the inevitable and brought out the ladder. our next-door neighbours gave us some old slates (bless 'em) and Karl bought relevant mending bits (no idea what, on a need to know basis only).

However, the tiles that needed replacing were in a very awkward space and even Karl showed his nervous side about going up there.

"I need some weight on the bottom of the ladder - you'll have to sit on it....please" my husband dared to ask.

Me at base of ladder lending my 'weight'.

"Are you honestly taking pictures for your blog right now?"

"Are you saying I'm fat?" I asked.
Long conversation ensued.

My weight worked - Karl did not have a ladder fly from under his feet and the job is now done.
We shall see how well at the next rain fall? However, as we do not have a shower yet (ahem) - perhaps I should embrace the trickle of fresh rain water I get in the morning.

TTFN

Fleur

xxx

PaintingParty for One.

So the painting brushes came out in full force this weekend - and once I started I couldn't stop - to the house's detriment perhaps - you tell me???

So, I started with the front door - pics to come shortly - then I started on those cursed beams. Which cursed beams? The ones held together with cement after the adjoining wall was brought down - those. Now I know, I know - it's a cardinal sin to paint beams rather than sand them back to their original, glorious wood - but - big but - mine aren't glorious -mine are frankly, rotting away. So, she says with a big forced smile - paint was my answer to holding them together, so paint them I did. Firstly I bought dark brown, that just looked awful, my beams looked like ....well nuff said. So the only option was black - and after a few "oops" moments....

.....they are now done - and they look better, not perfect but better.

So, then, I faced my fireplace - and thought about whether it would look fresher, neater, brighter in white?

Friend said no - the smoke would dis-colour it eventually. Husband said no - it would make the room look smaller. All signs lead to "don't do it". But I had the painting bug, and it kept calling me and before I knew it I had started....and therefore had to finish.
Not sure whether I have created some kind of igloo in the middle of my living room? But it's done now and I can rest in peace. Or pieces. Jury's out.

Fleur
xxx

Living Room

Sorry for the long gap in posts. You know how it is. Well, also, I am a little bit embarrassed by my living room. The kitchen I am loving as it progresses - but the living room is just not me - at all. We slapped down a cheap, yukky brown carpet, just to have the place carpeted, but it looks vile. And the over sized fireplace is a monster, it is only a small chimney, so why it is that size I have no idea - it takes up so much space. I am thinking of painting it white - it can't look any worse. All my dark furniture which used to look fine in a large house - now darkens the room, so I may attack everything with a white wash. Anyway here it is. I bought the settee and chair off Ebay for £20 all in!!!! And that is the look that I will try and nurture - bright, fresh, floral - something, clearly it isn't yet - but - it's comfortable and you can see by the before picture that we have come a long way in a few months! We do need to paint those beams where the wall has been knocked through and hide the wires hanging from the ceiling though.


I will try and update more I soooo promise.

THANK YOU all for the sweetest comments you have left - they mean so much and make my day. I'll head over to your blogs now and have a nosey!

Fleur

xxxx

Kitchen Update

I love my kitchen, or at least what it is slowly becoming. Frankly, every small achievement makes me deliriously happy, especially when I look back on these 'before' pictures......

BEFORE

AFTER

(my microwave looks like an old TV - cool eh?)

BEFORE

AFTER

What do you think of my papered ceiling. Great for covering over the cracks - but seriously difficult!!!!! Here it is in close-up.....

BEFORE

AFTER

I love having free standing cupboards, even when they have a handle missing! The one on the left was from Ebay, before these kind got super expensive and the one on the right was rescued from a skip.


I'm sure I've shown you this before, my painted cupboard? I painted it ages ago and has been used as a toy cupboard, craft cupboard, junk store.......but now is back where it should be and I love having everything in one place.

BEFORE

AFTER

So it's getting there - well it's certainly comfortable, clean and prettier! And don't the summer months make a difference? I can't tell you the feeling I get when it's a sunny morning and I come down to my 'dream' kitchen. Proper old farmhouse stuff isn't it? Very, very rustic, but I love it.

Living Room to show you next.

TTFN

Fleur
xxx

Kitchen Update

It's a Sign......no really it is.

I thought we needed a better sign to our house - more so now, as we are starting to invite people over - and we are tucked away a bit. Below was our current sign - one we inherited - barely visible. I decided anything would be better than this so with little patience or time, set about knocking one together.

A while ago I looked online for some apple transfers, but the only ones I could find were ceramic transfers (and I'm not even sure they are apples!!!!) I decided to give them ago anyway- unfortunately they didn't come with any instructions - so I had to wing it.I used an old cupboard door from the kitchen and painted it white. (very quickly and very badly)

Then the transfers.....and by trial and lots of error, discovered if I soaked them in boiling water, they lifted from the paper and then I just stuck them in place. Unfortunately, I now realise I put this one on backwards. Nevermind - who'll notice?Then what I should have done is traced some lovely typeface, but I didn't I free-handed it (mainly due to broken printer). This sign was going to be VERY shabby - maybe not even chic with it!
A few more transfers and Hey Presto! A house sign!!! Not perfect, but neither's the house.

Slightly more welcoming?

TTFN
Fleur
xxx