Getting there

I have had a crazy day ending with me being filmed for a possible TV programme (more about that if it comes off).

The room is by no means finished but we are finished for now and can at least sit down and enjoy it. It seems a bit sparse and minimalist but feels very cosy. The red sofas will be at the end of the room with the Christmas tree in, once Christmas is over. We will then put an L-shaped sofa in their place. A window seat is to be built in the bay window where the tree currently sits.


We are waiting for wall lights to be delivered from Jim Lawrence and have some great vintage posters being framed for the walls.



In the meantime we are loving having our sitting room back and the dynamics of the room has changed so much.





Some things have worked really well. I particularly like these vintage glass doorknobs, that I have had for years, perfect for our doors.



I rushed out on Friday to get a tree to make the room Christmassy for the children and drove around for hours with no success. I eventually found one at Cornish Farmers but when I got there I found that they didn't net them. I had bought an 8 foot tree!! Somehow I managed to stuff it into my car and then when I got home, to an empty house, I dragged it out of the car, into the house and put it up. Amazing what you can achieve when you are determined. The looks on my children's faces made it all worthwhile.



We have very few decorations up this year, understandably, and I am not sure how many more will get put up between now and the big day, but I love what we have.



Look at this beautiful doll, called Holly, made for me by the talented Jan.






Nearly finished my Christmas shopping but I have hardly sent out any cards this year. With the chaos that has been such a big part of my life these last few weeks, something had to give! If I haven't sent you a card, I am sorry but I do really wish you a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS. Pin It

Ho Ho Ho!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

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Day 15

Ben and Gary stayed until 3am painting last night to get the room finished. It's all starting to come together now.


The carpet is going back down, woohoo. Paul and Jerry are helping Andy fit it by jumping around like a couple of sillies!





We are giving it a good clean as it goes down and it is coming up like new.





I managed to find some lovely curtain poles this morning and they have been put up ready for the curtains that I am collecting tomorrow.



It's all very exciting now. I am hoping to get a tree and start the decorations tomorrow as well. Pin It

Day 14

Second coat of paint going on now. We are so nearly there now. The chaps have been real troupers, staying until very late every night to get it done in time.





My curtains have been made and so I went shopping for curtain poles today but couldn't find any. I shall try again tomorrow as it would be so nice to have them hung up.

The kids break up tomorrow and this time next week it will be Christmas Eve, eeeeeeeeeek, how has that happened? I still don't have a single decoration up! It makes me feel sick every time I think about it. Pin It

Day 13

I'm so excited, and I just can hide it ...............







LOOOOOOOOOOOK more pink






and woodwork






aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand Paul fixed the heating.



It's not cold anymore, hoorah! Well he had fixed it yesterday it seems or it fixed itself we are not quite sure but Dave, the plumber, came out to look at it at teatime today (whilst I was taking refuge at Mum's with the kids) and switched it on, and it worked. So either Dave is the Jesus equivalent of plumbers or Paul and Gary had actually fixed it yesterday. I don't actually care, it works that's all that matters. We have warmth AND pink walls, all is well.



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Day 12

Look we have pink!!!!!! Isn't it beautiful? I am so delighted with it so far and can't wait to see the whole room finished now. It's going to look fab! Ben and Jerry (yes really), are the master painters on the job and are doing a grand one. I can see the end in sight.





On the downside, poor Paul has spent 12 hours, (and counting) together with Gary, replacing our pump. Taking the advice from 2 plumbers. This has caused all sorts of problems with old pipes and joints and leaks have sprung up everywhere. They have just tried to test the pump and guess what? Still no heating. Poo!




They have taken over the whole kitchen for the day, and all night so far, so I took the winkies out for something to eat at a local pub where poor Lizzy promptly burnt her hand on a woodburner. She has gone to bed clutching an ice pack, poor baby. So another cold night with no heating for us but hey, what gorgeous walls! Pin It

Day 11

Well still have no heating (gosh it's cold) but it's a hive of activity here with painters galore!

The fireplace is looking even better now with its' new slate grate! Can't wait to be sitting in front of it sipping mulled wine.




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We Miss you a Merry Christmas (and a Happy to you!)

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Day 10

We have snazzy new radiators, (which cost a small fortune), but sadly no heating. We have hit our first snag, once the system was drained it caused a problem somewhere along the line and now we cannot get the heating to work. We have had 2 different plumbers out to check it but they could not get it to work either and both said we need a new pump. It's cold in here. Thank heavens for electric blankets that's all I can say!

Vortek finished today. The last job he did was to lay some slate on top of the ghastly stone hearth. Here he is starting it. It looks wonderful all finished. Behind him is Jez who has started the painting.





More photos tomorrow. I'm off to bed for an early night! Pin It

Day 9

Still with me? Ok day 9 and we have all walls and the fireplace plastered. I love the way the fireplace looks now. We have been having the fire on in the evenings to help dry out the plaster ready for painting tomorrow. It looks really nice. Today was hard as we had no electricity for 4 hours this morning as the electricity company were doing maintenance work on overhead cables. This meant that Vortek could not do much and got a bit behind.

All hands are on deck tomorrow and we lose Vortek who is going back to Poland to see his family for Christmas. I shall miss him but I think his family need him more! Pin It

Day 8

Nearly all the walls are plastered now. Just one more and the fireplace to go.







The paint for the walls has arrived from Farrow and Ball, hoorah! I can really start to see the room coming back to life now and imagine how it will be all painted up.

See you tomorrow. Pin It

Day 7

The ceiling has been plastered.






Skirting boards painted with the undercoat.



Thank you so much to all of you who are following and leaving comments. I really appreciate it and it helps me to keep sane whilst all this madness goes on around me! Pin It

Day 6

Well the promised photos from yesterday didn't happen, sorry. Yesterday was a stressful day, not because of the building, which is coming along beautifully, but because I live with a man who changes his mind about everything and doesn't have a clear vision of what he wants the room to look like. I spend hours doing the research for him to say, no, I don't like that light/that paint/that sofa. It can be very infuriating. It just gave me a huge headache yesterday!

Back to the building work, we have plasterboard on most walls now, the others are to be plastered.







The fireplace has been covered up (hoorah)



and we have been testing blobs of paint.



The winner is this one. Farrow and Ball's Calamine, perfect!



Today the plastering is being done so I have to resort to going round the outside of the house again as it is very dusty and messy. See you tomorrow. Pin It