Tuesday, 2 November 2010

The Desk - a long story!

I finally finished painting my husband's desk! This desk has been with us since we were first married around 21 years ago. It was our first trash rescue as a couple. It was being thrown out and was across the street on the kerbside looking sad and lonely. We waited until it was dark, and tiptoed with it it across the road to our first apartment.

It had been painted in thick white gloss - badly painted - so I stripped it down and painted it with an acrylic satin paint in ivory. I painted a decorative teal line on the side drawers and the top - like a rectangle with a curved indented corner. It was very Laura Ashley. I wish I could find a photo of the Laura Ashley furniture that I was trying to emulate. We used it in our large dining room as a sideboard/buffet table, and it was very useful.

The next house we moved to, we sadly didn't have room for it, so I gave it to a friend who did. After a number of years we had both moved house again, and this time, she didn't have the room for it and I did, so I asked for it back - I'm cheeky that way! This time it became Naomi's desk. After a number of years it started to look a bit worse for wear. The acrylic paint is never quite as hard wearing as oil based paint, so I stripped it back down again and sanded it ready for a repaint. The desk then came with us when we went off to Belize in Central America for a couple of years. It never did get it's re-paint. I used it as a sewing desk and Naomi still used it as a desk too. It had quite a bit of glue stuck to it, and a number of scribbles in fibre tip pen where she missed the paper. When we came back to the UK, it became my husband's desk, and he has never complained about the unfinished scribbly state it was in. It remained in this sorry state and only now have I finally finished it! I used an oil based paint this time. A Crown satin paint in an off white. I'm not planning on re-painting it again - like ever!

I have changed the handles from drop ones, which were quite pretty, to these drawer pulls. ..I have a bit of a thing for these kind of drawer pulls, plus I love how they echo the shape of the shell on the middle drawer
I bought them about 11 years ago. I think if I could do it again, I would have bought silver handles, but otherwise, I am very pleased. Now the hard part. Getting the desktop to remain tidy


I have a cunning plan. The in-tray has been done away with - it had became a dumping ground for any bits of paper lying around. I have tidied out the drawers and now the top right hand drawer has become the in-tray. I also need to make some kind of desk pad to protect the top surface. As you can probably see we are still carpetless, but this is the last room on my list, so I better get on with all my jobs! Hmm, now for a desk pad.
Thanks for dropping by!

Wednesday, 27 October 2010

Hi !

Hi! I know it's been a while.
Nice to sea you!
Things have been kind of busy round here lately,
and I have not been very good at updating my blog.
But I wanted you to know that I haven't forgotten you.
That you are still loved.
I still have much to do with the house and have been busy painting and decorating this last wee while. I don't have a great deal to show you at the moment, as I have been doing a bit here and a bit there, but hopefully some images will come soon.
So, exactly what have I been doing since I last posted ?
Hmmm...let me think...

Well, I've finished the long hall ceiling and am currently working on painting the wood trim. I have finished painting Naomi's room and am now waiting for a carpet fitter who is coming next week. I have started painting the wood trim in the back hallway. I have nearly finished painting my husband's desk- one top coat to go . I finished doing some touch up painting in my son's room. I fitted some wood trim in the bathroom. Have had a few clearouts and got rid of some junk. I have made two batches of jam. (Strange jam I might add!) Kiwi, apple and ginger jam, and mango, apple and redcurrant jam. Both look a bit like science experiments, but they taste really yum. I have managed to accumulate a huge pile for ironing, and failed completely when it comes to keeping the place dust and cobweb free!

I hope to have something to show you next time I post. Thanks for dropping by.
(photos by Naomi of a rare sunny day at Rosemarkie beach)

Wednesday, 29 September 2010

Peekiboo!

Our house-martins now have a little window on the world. My husband took this photo earlier this evening! Aren't they adorable. This is their second brood of the season.

Friday, 24 September 2010

The long haul... or hall

We moved into this house about 7 years ago and in our immediate enthusiasm began ripping out the awful wallpaper and carpets and starting to fix things up, then there were a few hiccups along the way ...I had a baby, and then we built a log cabin in the garden for my parents to sleep in when they visited among other things... and many of the jobs that were started have been waiting a long, long time to be finished. In some rooms we have had no carpet for a number of years, and we have just kind of gotten used to it. Now we are planning, Lord willing, to put the house on the market and move to something easier to maintain, therefore, I have to get those decorating jobs done now. My list is long, but I am slowly plodding through it. My current task is to get the hall ceiling fixed up.
It is a long, long hallway. The ceiling had some swirly patterned artex on it - (not one of my favourite things I have to say.) It also had some patched up holes where we removed a tiny shower room at one end. I wasn't going to try to fix up the swirls to match it in. It would have been simpler to call in a plasterer (more expensive, but simpler) but as there is a small amount of bounce in the floor on which the walls are resting, this means that there is also a small amount of movement in the ceiling so it necessitates a finish with a certain amount of flex to it...unlike plaster...am I boring you? ...sorry!
Anyhoo, this is as much for my own record as it is for boring you with... this is the before...
...then there is the mid stage... I apply a grey gloop to cover over the swirls, but this does not leave a perfectly smooth finish like plaster. Also it is a very slow process as I apply it with a credit card, because the applicator that you are supposed to use ends up with me being covered in more grey gloop than the ceiling. I have used this stuff before for my kitchen ceiling about 5 years ago, and forgot just how much I hated the job. It's the kind of job that brings me to tears! OK, so it actually did make me cry - pathetic I know!
Then this is the almost finished stage, I have now applied a sort of gritty textured finish to cover over the grey gloop. I need to give it a coat of white emulsion paint now to hide the grey properly.

So I have three separate stages going on right now, and I am just over halfway with the grey gloop. I only have a couple of hours in the mornings to do my decorating while my little girl is at nursery, so that is why progress is slow. Thankyou if you have read this far! I shall keep you posted on the progress of my long haul with the hall. Have a wonderful day!

Tuesday, 21 September 2010

morning bath





These charming little birds - mostly Blue-Tits - were having a joyful time in our bird bath. It was wonderful to watch! Naomi, (my older daughter) managed to sneak by and take some pictures so I could share with you.

Friday, 17 September 2010

quick pressie idea...

The other day I got a phonecall inviting my little girl to a birthday party at very short notice. As I don't drive and have no shops nearby, I had to come up with a present in a short space of time. I rummaged around in my craft stash and made up some little packets with ribbons and sequins and beads. I also added some stickers I had made. The cupcake stickers are made with a xylon sticker maker from prints of my coloured pencil illustrations.
I then made three little matchboxes from my matchbox template which I made a little bigger than usual and then stuck the three boxes together to make a little chest of drawers.
It just fitted some post it notes in the top drawer. Phew...present solved! (I added one of my handmade necklaces to the gift too.)

And this morning, I have wasted at least an hour looking for a piece of leather that I know is stashed somewhere in this rather overstocked house. I have already removed the old fabric from this chair (bought for £1 at my local auction) and bought the upholstery tacs and was ready to get on with this project. The project has now come to a standstill while I have a sortout and clearout in my utility room. I wonder if I'll even find it! Grrr! Yet another project I have started and not finished!


Monday, 13 September 2010

Happy New Year

I came across this photo in one of my folders today,(wish it was a better quality photo), and it seemed appropriate to post it with greetings for the New Year -the Jewish New Year of course. We celebrated Rosh Hashana last week, and are looking forward to celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles in a short while.
This was a picture I made a few years ago for a friend who was leaving to go back to the States from the UK. It shows the seven species, and in the centre has the Aaronic blessing from the book of Numbers in the Bible. It is my prayer for you this new year...

The Aaronic Blessing (Numbers 6:24–26, NIV)

The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn His face toward you
and give you peace.