i have seen the light

whilst perusing ebay for a lamp shade i came across a couple of items i just had to share

a pair of vintage ostrich leg lamps. yours for £150.






http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vintage-Ostrich-Leg-Lamps-/120716287253?pt=UK_Antiques_AntiqueFurniture_SM&hash=item1c1b405d15



a porcelain finger oil lamp. yours for a much more bargainous £2.99.



http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MINATURE-BLUE-WHITE-PORCELAINE-FINGER-OIL-LAMP-/250811219690?pt=UK_Antiques_AntiqueFurniture_SM&hash=item3a65837eea





herbs in the 'burbs [and other sunny shots]

i am so glad i bought a house with a garden. whilst flats in the west end are beautiful and i miss my old one with its basement patio, i have to say that my sunny south facing garden makes me happy every day. i am planning on creating a cross between country garden and wild meadow plants - hopefully easy to keep. have potted up some herbs [which will only do well if i don't end up using them all in cooking before they bed in] planned other flowers to plant in and even bought a hose - a first time ever purchase...

yep, loving the garden. especially with the stunning weather at the moment and when swingball is out.

herbs in the burbs - garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary, mint, coriander and lavender

blossom blanket

official swingball site 2011

shaming

recently i was shamed into weeding my front garden. it hadn't been touched since we bought the place last summer and i had been blithely ignoring it - until my brother in law commented about the rampant state.

whilst this could all sound like a bizarre euphemism, a broken back later i can assure you it is not.

not being the most prolific gardener, i stuck to the reasoning that if it was growing happily and excessively / taking over, it most probably needed removing. my garden now looks a little bald...

at least the sun was shining.

the items that maketh the house

so, diy is not inspiring me much anymore. in fact since moving in it is a chore-ache.

more fun is to blog about items i  likey. found this retro beauty on ebay - maybe not everyones cup of tea but what i call functional and practical - and needed in my pantry!

holy guacamole, we made it

as you may have guessed from blog-silence, its been a bit busy.

jan 28 was d-day and it has been a mighty effort to get the house ready (ish), our gear at the flat packed up and also attempt to tie in builders, tilers, electricians, carpet fitters and removal men in one crescendo at the end.

needless to say, it didn't work - our crescendo was more of an 'attempting to play the piano drunk'.

carpets didn't arrive, tilers were delayed, people were sick - you name it, it happened - and to top it all, i decided to do a beeney and be preggers (no lifting for me).

but move in we did, and i now sit at our dining room table a week later, listening to our carpets being fitted at long last - ahh a beautiful sound.


so where are we in the world of do-er uppa? is the house liveable??

door strips - twit-twoo!

come paint with me begins

paintpardy

who ya gonna call? (paintbusters)

paint dat lounge - and dance!

tiler arrives

door gets a coat (not the stripped one, that would be madness)

wall get a coat

view from the hall

what's that? stuffed in

unpacking action

sans me at the dining table

right here, right now - carpets go down.

so yes, we made it - just! the last week has been one of sleeping, working, painting, unpacking. but slowly and surely it is coming together and feels like home.

ps. whilst it may appear that all i have been doing is swaning around taking photos of others working, i can assure you that (despite no photo appearances) this is not the case.

new year, new fear

ok, the title is a leettle bit excessive. i am not in fear right now, but it is a new year and by the end of the month could very much be in fear.

but to the more interesting update first.

so, the wall has come tumbling down - and the room looks transformed. even in its infant state with dirt and dust and raggedy wall edges, it looks so much better - light bounds in from the doorway and windows, bouncing round the massive space and you know it has all been for the best.

a right beam-er



it's tool time (grrrrrr)



barney rubble

the clear up has begun (the first of many). the dust that has gone through the house is incredible and a hoover doesn't do a thing. back to old fashioned scrubbing and a good old wipe down - though not too much as there is more dirt to be spread with sanding and plastering still be done...

looking good (though nowhere near done)

and the kitchen is now in the process of being built. it arrived - only a couple of days late despite winter weather trying its best to steer us off course - and none damaged. yet to find out if key parts are missing (!)

it feels like we're finally putting the house back together after ripping it apart.

it has been a very busy end to the year / start of a new one for us none builders too. the lounge has been stripped of its bamboo print paper, lined and picture rail reinstated from whenever the previous owners decided to remove them (same time as the orginal fireplaces no doubt). the fun part of choosing a colour scheme is now in place, ready to be painted in when the dirty protest has been finished. green or red is currently favourite - must be the time of year.

the master bedroom's feature wallpaper (green, pink and purple swirls - mmm tasty) has also been stripped and lining paper installed. the remaining anaglypta paper has been left ready for painting over. picture rails still to be reinstated (this weekend's job).

the bathroom is the fear. it currently sits unloved, just a loo in a broken room. yes, fearfully i keep my beady eye on the move in date and pray it will be complete before then.