Sunday 14 April 2019

Holiday round up


I over did it on the painting front.  I know I had a deadline for the carpet to be fitted (I set it myself so I'm not complaining!) but I pushed myself too hard.  There are still a few niggly finishing off bits to do especially as OH has been drilling holes for new handles and hooks etc.  I'll do them next weekend I think.

So I spent the remainder of last week doing some crafty things and some gardening (mainly tidying up).


I painted some gold photo frames (donated by my Lovely Mum) and the Dream cutout for my bedroom in Graphite chalk paint.  They were a bit boring.  Then I found some Glitter finish when I was browsing in B&Q.  What a difference a wee bit of sparkle made to the black!!


I printed off some quotes I saved on Pinterest and here they are ready to go on the wall in my study.  I posted this photo in my Thrifty Recycling Group on FB and got a fab response.  So I've entered these pics into the monthly 'Make it Yours' Rustoleum competition.  Looking at past winners I might be be lucky enough to pick up one of the 10 runner up prizes of a goodie bag!  Fingers crossed 👍


I made some Rhubarb vodka with some forced rhubarb from my garden and Elderberry vodka with some dried elderberries.  I love the contrast in delicate pink and almost black colours after just a few days!!



I started sorting some craft materials.  I found things I don't even remember buying 😳 I found a bag with 9 balls of Rowan Biggy Print (discontinued).  It's a super chunky wool that needed size 20mm needles!  The biggest ones I  had were 15mm ones.  I could only get 30 stitches on the needle!!!  I knitted 3 squares to stitch together to make a wee throw to go on one of my living room sofas.  The colours are even more vibrant in real life.


I went to TK Maxx to look for a large white plate/bowl to sit on my dining table.  I got a white picnic basket.  No idea what I'm going with it but I couldn't leave it!


I also got some bargain priced quinoa for my storecupboard.


And some green tea (I've discovered making cold brew tea!!)

I also got some PJ bottoms, a glass water jug and the white plate I was actually looking for!! 😆

Today is the last day of my holiday.  I think we're going to go out for a spin on the motorbike later.  Tomorrow it's back to work for 4 days then I'm off again for the long Easter weekend.  It's going to be an interesting week as I have a student teacher on his final placement.  I've already had the heads up he needs "a bit of support" and not to commit to other duties in school "in case you're needed in the classroom."  I'm trying to be positive and hope I can be a good mentor.  My last experience with a student was 'interesting.' 😒

I've also been given another half day to work with other classes to raise attainment in writing.  I love doing this!  So from now until the end of May I won't actually be teaching much.  Could be an interesting term!

Tuesday 9 April 2019

Decorating on a budget and The Great Escape


By far the cheapest way to decorate is to DIY.  Once, many years ago we paid a 'professional' decorator to paint our living room and dining room.  He dribbled paint on the carpets and left a few hand prints on my dining chairs.  And he overestimated how much paint he needed to buy.  That was the first time I realised that I could do just as good a job.  It takes me longer but I get there in the end!

In the last few years I've realised that painting is cheaper than wallpapering (unless you get a really good EBay bargain!) and white paint is hugely cheaper than colours.

I like Dulux paint, I know not everyone does. It's more expensive than a DIY store's own brand but I think it's better quality and I use less.  In B&Q a 10 litre tub of Dulux Brilliant White Emulsion is £22 or 2 for £40.  Same paint in a colour eg Natural Calico (that I used in my living room) is £20 for 2.5 litres!!!  About 4 times the cost of plain old white!  (to be fair I had loads of leftover Natural Calico from my previous house and only needed to buy 1 tin).

Same goes for the Satinwood I used on the woodwork.  £24 for 2.5 litres of Brilliant White or £18 for 0.75 litres of a colour!!

So for my dining hall and stairs I bought 2 x 10 litre tubs of Emulsion (£40), a 2.5 litre tin of Primer and Undercoat (£34) and a 2.5 litre tin of Quickdry Satinwood (£24).  Grand total of £98 for paint.

If I had wanted to use a coloured paint it would have been so much more expensive.  Hmmm, I'm now thinking the difference in cost between wallpaper and coloured paint might not be as big as I thought.


I did make a mistake though.  I bought specialist floorboard board for the actual stair treads.  It was nice but the colour was too yellowy beside the Brilliant White banisters.  Hopefully I can use it on another project.


All the walls, stairwell, treads and banisters are finished but I still need to finish off the half landing area.  These are the only windows so the room can be a bit dark.


I need to sand the stained wood and the weird light beige surround so it can be painted Brilliant White too!  Then I'll whitewash the floorboards and put down a rug.  Shouldn't take me too long.


I made a start on clearing out some craft stuff from the guest bedroom.  I found these 5 wee pictures I made ages ago for a craft fair.  I've put them up in the Family Room.  They're strategically positioned to cover a few holes in the wall!!  😄


The chickens spent today in their run with the gate closed and they were NOT happy hens!  Ginger MarmaLady escaped yesterday.  Luckily she only got as far as next door before my neighbour rescued her.  She managed to squeeze through a teeny wee gap round the side of my house and walk along a narrow wall before going under another teeny wee gap under the fence.  Sheer luck really!  The gap is now blocked and OH will add some chicken wire to the bottom of the fence to prevent another escape!  But they're confined to barracks for now and I have put lots of different treats in there for them.  My Lovely Mum is coming tomorrow to help me do a Spring tidy up outside so they might get back out if they behave.

Hopefully it will be another lovely sunny day like today 😎

Monday 8 April 2019

Finally...


...it's FINISHED!!!  The carpet was fitted today and it looks good.  OH and The Teenogre will help me move the furniture back in tonight.



It's been a long slog but I really am pleased with the end result.  I'm not even going to get annoyed that the carpet fitters scraped the wall along the front door and I'll need to do some repairs.


All the hard work on the orange woodwork has paid off although I'll think twice about doing that again!!

I started it mid February, working mostly at weekends and then spent a whole week (last week) on it.  OH helped with some of the sanding and obviously the electrical stuff.  I'd estimate I've done about 85% of it by myself.  I was determined to do as much as I could myself despite offers of help from my Lovely Mum and OH.  Total cost is just over £1000, with £800 going on the carpet, underlay and fitting.  Eeek!

I still have the upstairs landing to finish but there's no rush for that.  I'll not be replacing that carpet until I do youngest son's old bedroom.

My next project is the downstairs guest bedroom.  I'm desperate for some colour after all that white paint!! But first I'll need to empty the Comedy Cupboard of all my craft stuff.  That's what I'll be doing later this week 😎

Saturday 6 April 2019

All white


Apart from a visit to my parents on Wednesday and an afternoon with eldest DS, I have spent ALL week painting everything white.  I have used a whole 1 litre tin of undercoat just to eliminate the orange wood!!!


Painting stairs is tricky as you have to make sure you can still get up and down them!! 😄

I'm hoping today is the final painting day. I just need to do a last coat of Satinwood. I ache all over and the smell is giving me headaches.  Low odour paint my arse!!

My new carpet is getting fitted on Monday.  I need to get finished today so I can lift the old one tomorrow.  OH and The Teenogre will help me move the furniture so the carpet fitter has an empty room.

Next week I am planning to do some nice crafty things and get into the garden (weather permitting).  

Nearly there!!