Oh for goodness sake!!

What was destined to be a great day turned into one of those frustrating, annoying and downright idiotic few hours with a few bright spots!

• Rain, so no roofers.
• Burglar alarm man came, went, and we await his quote.
• Trees will be gone on Tuesday, cut down, it turns out, by one of the mums from nursery, and her father-in-law!
• TV sideboard, which we have awaited for a fortnight, came and went without leaving the UPS van as the guy discovered it had a 'broken leg'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Long phonecalls, angry me and the promise of a whole £30 back for the further 2 week wait until they can deliver a new one.  Grrrr.
• 'Quick' call to IKEA to see if the 'bit' was on the van today, only to find out that the previous 2 chaps I had spoken to had not set the request up correctly, and so it was going to have to be re-ordered, and had I not been such an impatient bugger, we would have been waiting indefinitely!  Double grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
• M&S delivery of bathroom storage and the little table...

So not all bad, but could have been a heck load better!

So to reward your patience for listening to my day, take a look at this beautiful home - now, I usually skip through the daily Apartment Therapy tours, liking a couple of rooms or a lamp or something, but today's whole place is just lovely!  The owner's blog, which can be translated with google translate from Dutch (well, sort of!), looks pretty special too.

Happy Weekend everybody x

Quick hello from me...

It's late, I have had a second wind of the 'unpacking and getting sorted' variety and I have only just sat down.  But a few more boxes have been unpacked, the girls have smashing new bright pink valance sheets (oh how they hide a multitude of sins/toys!), and my 'to do' pile looks a little more manageable.

Success on the HUG too last night - I finished the top flower row (not sure that's an Emily Peacock term, but hey...).

So things are advancing at a pace - still waiting on that IKEA 'bit' though.

All white now...

It's all about balance; so to counteract my love of all things bright and beautiful, we need to keep everything else simple, otherwise I think I, at least, would go bonkers, (hush, I can hear at least 2 of you saying 'too late!").

I would love to live in a clean white palace, but I have too much stuff, hubby has too much stuff and the kids, well, I needn't say a word!

So today's delivery was a white one. 

OK, so it's only a laundry basket, but it hides the horrors-within in a very 'aesthetically pleasing manner', and replaces a rather grotty cream canvas number that had seen better days.

But enough of the simple things, I need to crack on with the HUG - I managed to finish the row of flowers, but didn't have time to stitch the surround. 

I did discover that I was 2 stitches short of the number required though.  Oops.  So I soon rectified that.

The best laid plans...

Tonight I was going to regale you with tails of DIY and our smashing new bedroom furniture, instead I am in a mood because 'someone' packed an incorrect piece into our Hemnes 8-drawer chest, scuppering our plans until a new bit can be sent this week :(

So just to cheer myself up, here's a peaceful corner of our home.  Flowers just about still going from last Sunday, and a picture my Dad painted as a wedding present...

Also a reminder to check out the HUG progress on flickr; I feel I am going great guns for a couple of hours per evening, and tonight I am hoping to get the flower row completed.

No Entry!

This little shelf of wonderful books, crammed with what seems like a lifetime of projects, is out of bounds for now.

I am loving the HUG so much that the ironing, the unpacking (I know it's been 4 weeks, but we haven't got all the new furniture yet!), and all the jobs that should be getting done are waiting, but all the lovely extras have been put on the back burner too. 

So it's time to get motivated to fix up the house...

By the end of the month, it is my 'plan' to have all the unpacking done, furniture 'placed' and the children's rooms to look like proper kid's rooms... the hard work starts (again) tomorrow, with a day off work and a succession of delivery vans... bring it on!

Size matters!

Well having 'given' hubby free-reign on the new TV, we are awaiting the arrival of a whopper!  OK, so 40" in some circles is still a bit quaint, but to me it's enormous!  Hence my dilemma of trying to find something big enough, stylish enough and maybe even magical enough to be able to detract from the mega-box that will be perched on top!

So here is the result of my hours of searching...

In an attempt to lure the children away from the 'big screen' we will also be ordering some bar stools for the conservatory/kitchen bar.  As this is a converted kitchen window, it is, as we are now finding, a lot higher than most stools seem to rise to!  But I think we've cracked it, (and the kiddies will grow soon enough so that they can get their chins above the edge!!).

All this shopping and no action is making me a dull old bird, so I think, in fact I promise, that tomorrow I am going to make a start on one of my Emily Peacocks.  For now, the frocks on Big Fat Gypsy Weddings are taking my breath away!

...and I'm back in the room!!

Hello world!  How have you all been?  I will try to drop by your blogs over the next few days to catch up - I bet I've missed loads, and I have missed you loads!

It's been a long couple of weeks, but BT and Virgin finally got their act together, so here I am at long last!

The move went as smoothly as it could despite the torrential rain - the removal guys were great, the money moved around the virtual universe quickly enough for us to have the keys by midday and dear son came home from school just in time to see the last bits being unloaded.  We put the girls in nursery for 'long days' for the move and following day, so they didn't see the house or garden in daylight until the weekend, but they have all adjusted to the mayhem very well!  No-one misses the old house at all, me included.

We are still surrounded by boxes and piles 'to be sorted', but after the months of packing and deadlines, it's quite nice to know that we only need to unpack to keep our sanity, we can take as long as we like.  The fact I have not seen my new iron, or a few other probably quite crucial things since we've been here is a bit of a drag, but we can survive for now.

My urge to get on and make things has been kept in check by utter exhaustion, but I did make a couple of trinket pots for the girls from kits that their great-aunty sent them for Christmas, (not the easiest with a plastic needle provided - but all my bits and bobs remain as yet unsorted!).

I must confess that we were back online yesterday, but there are so many things to buy for the house, that without the internet we were going a bit mad, so surfing for a TV cabinet/sideboard took up most of the evening, with a quick diversion c/o Mandy at Simply Solids for a little shopping spree including an 'Its A Hoot' layer cake to make some bunting for the girls' bedroom.

Some of my lovely things have made it into the open already, and the stained-glass leaves from Dad have taken pride of place in the conservatory and cast the most amazing coloured shadows.

I have received some great mail in the post here already, some unexpected fabric, with the sender's details obliterated by the redirection sticker and my fantastic '40' sign thanks to Benita of Chez Larsson.

We have ordered some furniture from IKEA - some tall white Billy bookcases that would never fit in our car, and some bits for the bedroom, and I spent last Saturday evening putting together a superb Lotus lampshade from Next, which we haven't put up yet, but I'll take a picture when done.

So much to do, and so many (changing) ideas... but it's good to be back!

All good...

Just a quick note to say we are all moved and awaiting internet access - it's been a good week xx

Back to school...

The Doctor, as he now wishes to be known, started at his new school today, and it seems to have been a success.  By bedtime there seemed to be some realisation that he no longer had a 'best friend' there, but it's only been a day; so even if I am going to worry, he's been told not to!

As for the packing - our belongings seem to be multiplying!  We didn't stop until 9pm, and there's still so much to do; we'll be having a takeaway and a very late night tomorrow that's for sure!

Unfortunately once we move, we won't have an internet connection for at least a week, so I am not going to be able to keep you updated ('Oh thank goodness for that' I hear you all shout!), but if I can wangle it, I might be able to post a line or two from work before I start, but no pictures :(

So until tomorrow...

I'm making a list, checking it twice...

...except mine revolves around the most non-festive things!

Today though, I ticked off the next two biggest 'items' on my list, after 'sell house' and 'buy house'!:

• get confirmation of son's school place for January; and
• complete girls' online school applications for September.

This house move is 50% about getting the kiddies into a lovely school, all together.  So today that part of the dream was pretty much fulfilled, (OK, we have to wait until 1st April for the girls' places to be confirmed, but that should only be a formality - remind me in March when I start getting the jitters!).

PS.  I have all but given up on that little cross-stitch, it was just looking ugly!  But with all my lovely things now packed, I can see me trawling the magazine racks for more 'freebies' to keep me going on a small scale!

Happy Happy Happy!!!!!!!!!!

We are moving on 6th January 2011!!!

We have just exchanged...  I am so happy I am literally telling the world!

So now off to my work's Christmas lunch with a smile on my face :)

I'm loving angels instead...

Stressful day, agony prolonged, but these little angels took the edge off!

Time now for a little stitchery; the freebie card I got with The World of Cross Stitching, but I am fearing as 'cross' is my over-riding emotion at present, it might not end up looking like the pattern!

The Black Hole...

This evening I saw inside our garage for the first time since we've lived here (over 4 years!).  It was very cold, very dark, and very very full!

So on we plough, reducing, re-using and re-cycling.  We are single-handedly keeping all the local charity shops and bin-bag sellers in business. 

All these good deeds are all well and good, but they are not getting 'Christmas' made.  And I have the little matter of a pair of angels to make outfits for, so watch this space for some ethereal pillowcases!

Good Intentions...

I had all good intentions of making and photographing sock owls in progress this evening, but no.  I have been sorting through old bank statements and other thrilling papers that are now all destined for the shredder! 

It's taking ages, but I am clearing out so much - I can't believe I have kept practically every piece of post I have ever received by the looks of things!  Dear husband took a couple of bags of books and toys to the local Marie Curie shop today, and another few bags to the tip, and we haven't even looked in the loft or garage yet. 

We took advantage of the dry morning and took the trampoline apart, cleaned off all the sandpit toys and rescued Buddha from the bindweed!

Last night I finished the cross-stitch, now I have to wash the soluble mesh off and sew the purse together.

So this week I promise to complete the purse, try and produce a tutorial for the sock owls and get a bit more of the Christmas quilts ready for binding... if I don't, I expect you to point it out to me in no uncertain terms!

Saturday sorting...

Today has once again been consumed with the house, sorting, chucking, re-cycling, and generally getting in a de-cluttering frame of mind.

I have an old book, which, to be honest has probably sat on the shelf since I bought it way back pre-children, Mary Lambert's Clearing the Clutter.

I am going to have that as my bed-time read this week.  I think it is aimed at getting you to 'let go' of things that you really don't need.  It must be said that I am already being pretty ruthless; this evening I have disposed of payslips from year-dot, all the duplicate tax credit notices and car insurance documents for cars we no longer own...all gone!

Just in case we are at risk of going too minimal, I picked up the second issue of making;  I've only had a brief look, and it's looking jam packed with quilty, crafty loveliness.

A little bit more...

Today, more chucking out and re-cycling of old magazines and papers that I have been hoarding for too long, which means a clearer home and a clearer head; I am on a roll!

This evening I stitched a few spots onto dear son's jeans for Children In Need tomorrow, and got on with a little more of the cross-stitch.  I really am loving it.

I also had a really good chat with our buyer, and I am feeling at ease about all that...long may it last!

Blonde moment of the day though, dropping my mobile phone in the sink (full of water!).  Thought I had dried it, but it kept making crank calls, so it will be spending tonight in a bowl of rice to dry it out! Doh!

What a difference a week makes!

Well after the Friday from hell last week, today has been the exact opposite - phew!

Dear hubby's birthday, another day off work, and we found a house and had our offer accepted!!!!!!!

OK I don't want to jinx anything, but I think we will be so much more happy than in the 'other' one; it's already beautifully presented, in a wonderful village, and the people selling sound infinitely more honest, reliable, open and generally 'normal' than the confidence tricksters that purported to be moving on from the last one!

So hopefully I will now get my crafting mojo back, and be able to relax and finish some of those Christmas table quilts soon...just one more birthday party this weekend, and dear son's big day next Wednesday, then Chrimbo here we come!

Another Giveaway...

Super-talented Helen over at Aunty Henny's is having a 100 followers giveaway with a prize for her original century of fans, and another for any newbies. 

Good luck, and I actually mean it this time, as if you become a new follower, you won't be reducing my chances at all!!

Other news... today we saw the most beautiful family home, newly renovated, beautiful finish, vacant possession, but ONE TOILET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:(

Kirstie and Phil, we need you!

It's been a very bad day. 

That'll be typical holiday weather then!

After a gorgeous day yesterday, including a trip to the beach, today was just what we were expecting from a half-term holiday, rain.

This morning we had our house valued by our buyer's mortgage company and I sorted a 'nursery' package to sell via the local twins club, to start clearing some room.

My babies' things!

...and I have just finished the mini Bliss quilt!!  I will take some pictures in the morning light.

I also wrapped and addressed Tracee's parcel all ready to post tomorrow.

Busy, busy busy...