Sunday 23 June 2013

Sanity almost restored

Well its been quite a week really but things are much calmer now. I spent an hour every evening last week, varnishing the attic floor. Obviously this then meant that I has less time to keep up with the house work. On top of this the washing machine blew up on Tuesday morning so I did begin to feel a little defeated by Friday morning. I looked at the house and wondered how I was going to sort it all out by next week. Anyway, that's it for the self pity for now!

Friday evening was busy to say the least. The new washing machine was due to arrive on Saturday so I decided that whilst I had one less item in the 'Sun Room' I may as well take the opportunity to lay down some cheap flooring in there to clean it up a little. (I have ambitious long term plans for this area so there is little point doing anything too expensive or permanent.) I called in to my second home aka B&Q on the way home from work and picked up some pre-cut Lino for £48 that was almost the perfect size. A few hours and bruises later and this is now my 'Sun Room' (named, as only estate agents can, when I bought the house) looked...


So as you can see, the new washing machine has now arrived too so at least we all have clean clothes. I don't tend to get that excited about laundry appliances however, when it reached the end of it's first wash and played me about 30 seconds worth of Schubert's 'The Trout' I was quite amused by it. I'm not sure next door's dogs were so pleased and I also think the novelty may wear thin over the coming months but it made me laugh at the time. You have to love the Korean's for their sense of humour!

Back to Friday evening then. With the attic floor varnished I was finally able to move out of the front room and restore that back to a living area again (I couldn't even get the hoover in there properly to clean it while it was a bedroom so you can imagine the mess!). I was so so so pleased to be able to sleep in the attic again with all its light, white walls and open window, it was bliss! 

So today, I was contemplating a trip to the Blakemere Craft Centre mostly because they have a lovely little wool shop there but I was very sensible and reminded myself about the bags and bags of wool I already had. I raided the cupboard and found one of many stashes that I had forgotten I owned and set about searching Ravelry for a suitable pattern.  I came up with a cowl ( a bit wintery but if I don't make them in the summer than it doesn't seem to happen until it's too late)...


It's a cheap 'Wool MIx' batch of wool from Aberkahn, its really soft and chunky but I just hope it remains so after washing it. It won't take long to finish though as I'm using big 10mm needles. 

I got a bit homely and baked a batch of cheese scones that I had been thinking about making all week.


Finally I have to show you 2 more pictures. The first is something I noticed about 15 minutes ago when I went to put some rubbish out...


Roses!!! I grew those! In a pot! The plant even had greenfly at one point too. Look...2 of them! It made me smile lots.

And this one, of 2 of the nest after a summer fayre at the school...


My eldest clearly proving that you are never 'too cool' to have a dalmatian painted on your face. 

Let's hope next week is a bit less busy! Enjoy your week. 

Monday 17 June 2013

The Attic Floor!!

Short and sweet post just to show you this...


Yes, my brilliant Joiner who lives next door (everyone should have one - it's just so convenient), has spent his day doing this for me. I have since spent the last couple of hours sanding, cleaning, cleaning more and then varnishing. There is still more varnishing to be done but it already looks beautiful. The whole process, if I'm honest, is a bit of a mission, but every hour I spend working on it gets me a little closer to moving back up there and I CAN'T WAIT!!

Back soon x 


Sunday 16 June 2013

Completely in Love

It's true! I am completely in love. Who? A Man? Well I might be but that's not what I meant. I am currently, totally and completely in love with Vivod again. Just like when I first found it. I adore it . I, once again, want to make Vivod the most beautiful and loved home on the planet. I love coming home, love cleaning (! seriously), love just being here and love love love doing things to make it more beautiful. This weekend I have devoted a lot of time to doing just that.

My weekend project has been the stairs. It's taken a while to decide what to do with the stairs. I was planning on a stripy carpet but then somebody suggested stripping the bannister, and painting the spindles white. Initially I wasn't sold on the idea but then a little googling later and I extended that concept to the stairs too. (Stripped and varnished steps with white risers.) I think the arrival of all the flooring for the attic may have helped this idea along too. It is beautiful, after all.

So let me remind you. This is how my stairs have looked since I moved in...



Grim really. So I dug out the heat gun, the sandpaper, sanders, and even purchased a little corner sander too. I made a start, there is plenty more to do but I already love the stairs that are done (that's very much the minority too!)...



Plenty more to go...


It's not easy. The heat gun makes the whole area like a sauna and I've burnt myself about 4 times so far. The sanding with the electric sanders is ok but it's far from simple, and that paint and grime has been there for years and years so persuading it to leave isn't easy. The little sander for the corners and stubborn bits is ok but takes ages, and then the hand sanding, well, that just isn't fun and dries my hands out loads (not ideal for wool lovers!). But it's worth it. Each little sanded area is like a triumph. It's great.

The unsanded ones look so dirty now though. It's probably a good thing because it will motivate me more to get on and finish them. This week I also hope to be busy varnishing the attic floor so that I can move back up there. 

So other than the stairs I have spent the weekend hooking along with the blankets (some of which was done in the park while child #3 launched himself off ramps on a BMX - still scary). I've cleaned, tidied, and spent time googling other ideas for Vivod. 

Hopefully I can show you the finished stairs quite soon.



Tuesday 11 June 2013

Sunny creative days

I LOVE summer. Lately I've spent the majority of my spare time outside, mostly in my own garden now I have my little 'Pocket of Paradise' at the end of it...

This was Sunday pretty much...

Sat amongst my blooming pots and hanging buckets...


Rippling away...

Reading magazines and, at the end of the day, drinking a nice chilled glass of wine.

I'm being very creative lately, I feel the need to do homely things too and 'make pretty things'. Of course, as usual, I have lots of things on the go but nothing finished to actually show you. 

I have done lots of Ripples and Stripes...

This was taken before the weekend so its actually quite a few ripples bigger now.

I'm beginning to adore this one too.
I've also found a use for one of the places in Vivod that has bugged me for 2 years because it seemed like such a waste of space. It's the landing, beneath the attic stairs. Since we moved in its only ever been a dumping ground and it's driven me mad! Then I realised that if I cleaned up the old dressing table that was left in the house, and reorganised it all it would make a lovely little work area (or blogging area as it's being used for right now) so I made the effort and look...



I have a few more plans to make it nicer but its functional as it is now which is making me happy. (It's also handy for sitting at while I make sure that Child #3 stays in bed when he is suppose to be - its practically right outside his bedroom door!)

See that chair? I have plans for it. It was £10 from the second hand furniture shop just at the bottom of my road. The best thing was that when I went there to get it I also found this...


I have been looking for a rocking chair for AGES, and it was nearly my birthday, and I did haggle the price down a bit too - so quite justified really. Obviously, though, it needed a little bit of attention, and currently looks more like this...



Its far from finished but you will see the final product shortly (when it stops being so sunny and I actually want to stay in and paint).

Anyway, I think that's it for now. Hope you are enjoying the sunshine as much as me!


Saturday 8 June 2013

Attic Renovation Part III

Well it's been a little while since I gave you an attic renovation update so I figured it was time. 

Since my last attic post I have vacated the attic, and my 'bedroom' is currently the front room downstairs. This is far from ideal...no privacy, noise, too hot and can't open a window, barely any space etc etc. It's all for a good cause though and lots of progress has been made upstairs.

First of all the plasterers arrived. When I first met the Plasterer and asked "What are you like at curves?" he responded ... "Well I can do 'em".  Hmm. I wasn't convinced but he was recommended and I decided that the worst case would be that the work was a disaster and an agreement reached on the payment following this. I left them to it.

Turns out the man does curves. Really well...



Ok, so it's not painted yet. I thought that when I painted it I would maybe see that it wasn't quite so perfect. I was wrong.


Still perfect (not that the camera really liked capturing purely white walls!)

I've not finished painting yet although I am impressed with this first coat considering this was B&Q's value paint at £6 for 2.5 litres. I did hover to the slightly more expensive stuff at double the price but I decided that as I was only using it as base coat that I'd stick with the cheap stuff. Good decision.

We now have heat in the attic thanks to Flintshire Plumbing and Heating. (Not that I have it switched on in this current heatwave but it will be a luxury this winter.)


So, its the floor next and hence on Wednesday all of this arrived...


22sq yards of reclaimed pine, pre sanded. I love Vivod but it is a standard 1900 terraced layout. Consequently there is no way that 9ft floor boards can make it from front door to attic via the inside of the house. Child #1's bedroom window was really the only option. I think the process amused passers by and a couple of the neighbours. 5ft 2" woman Vs 9ft plank I guess is sightly comical to watch. Anyway 2 hours later the above wood has been relocated to the attic or here...
(The Landing)

So now I am getting a little excited at the prospect that once the floor is fitted and I've varnished it I can actually move back upstairs again, I can't wait! The downside is that I have to do the second coat of paint in the attic as soon as possible, and this weekend I should be relaxing and celebrating my 35th birthday instead. I'm sure I can find the time to do both though if I try.