SUNDAY CATCH UP

So another week's gone by and we are rapidly approaching May ! I thought I'd start this Sunday catch up post with a few photo's of a bust we bought a few weeks back originally for the garden.

But she's so nice that by the time we got home, we'd decided to place her on the ledge of the small window that is in the stairwell. However because the light was behind her, it was hard to see her face.

So we've moved her into the porch area where she can be seen and enjoyed more.

I think she looks better in this new position.

The kitchen is coming along very slowly at present ,although we are finally making decisions about the final look. We have had to change the blue we bought for the doors!
I asked Paul to paint the three drawer fronts he'd made, so that the handles could be attached and we'd also finally see some of the colour in place.
Well it appears that Valspar paint for wood is just a nightmare for coverage! Having undercoated the drawers, then applied a first coat, the result is very poor and shows that to get a nice even and deep finish Paul would need to paint at least four or five coats !
When you are having to paint 16 door /drawer fronts that's just too many coats ! Also the colour was not quite as dark as I'd wanted to go. So yesterday we searched for the right colour but in a different paint range.

We've settled on Farrow and Ball a maker we have used before and found just the colour I was after.
Hague blue, in a eggshell finish.

 It's nice and dark but with that richness of blue that I'm after. Of course we could not go and pick it up off the shelf, we only found two small tins of the gloss, so we've had to order it for delivery.
I had planned to paint the top doors either in a white or a pale yellow but after seeing some of the images of kitchens in the Hague blue, I'm considering having the top doors also blue and a white / pale back splash.

This photo shows what it could look like all blue , top ,bottom and back splash , although this shows  the gloss paint.
With the all over blue , this could be too dark for us, so we will probably have a break between with white. Although I love how rich the colour looks in this photo.
We've also finally decided which sink to go with and tap! Who thought it would take so much effort to chose a sink? We've gone from black/grey, to metal and then back to black and finally white! Well that was up to yesterday.. until we actually go and buy it anything could happen!

Next weekend is another bank holiday, so we are hoping to get a fair bit done in the kitchen, all being well.

The hallway is not being totally forgotten, Paul re-boarded the stairs where he'd had to remove the old boards to re tighten the stair treads.

Meanwhile on the doll front, I've wandered over to the side of the dolls house..

My manager ,at work , asked if they could have use of my dollhouse for a mortgage campaign we are having for the summer. In stead of the small 1950's Triang one , I offer up my Georgian unfinished  house.

So this now sits in the banking hall and because of that I've bought and added some wooden flooring , some people and decorating equipment. I'd meant to take some photos of this but forgot, so I'll get some in the week and share them next Sunday. However now I'm seeing it almost on a daily basis , it's fired me up to try and get it finished, so little bits are being purchased so that I can set a room or two while it's at work and also work on the front facade so it can be attached once it's home again.

I've also purchased a book or two on dollhouses plus a kit to make a lovely rug for the dolls house.

So between the house and the dolls house there's been no spare money for any doll /clothes purchases and also no doll play. There's been a lot of complaints from the Sasha studio, grumbling about being neglected and 'orphaned' ! So I'll be needing to go and have a talk with the kids to hopefully keep the peace until times allow play!

Hoping you all have a lovely healthy week ahead and a reminder that it will be the 1st of May on Thursday and therefore doll photo's will be required not long after.

Dee

GUESS WHOSE IN CHARGE ?

Yes you've got it , Casper and Rufus ! Closely followed by the Cats ! one of whom ,Milo,
may be getting a little forgetful since he eats his food, leaves , then returns twenty minutes later expecting to be fed !!

But be assured we'll not go down without a fight!


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OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING

OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY !
I'VE GOT A WONDERFUL FEELING
EVERYTHING'S GOING MY WAY
OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAYYYYY !

Just a quick burst of song to help put you all into a good frame of mind for the week ahead. Today is Easter Sunday and the weather here in the England is set to continue warm and wonderful.
What everyone needs to help lift their spirits, along with the long Easter break of, if you are lucky , four whole days off from work.

The awning is now back on the gazebo and the cushions on the sofa and I've stopped insisting that Paul teach the dogs how to close the door behind them when they go in and out to the garden !

The warm sunny weather is wonderful but also sets in motion all those thoughts of things that need doing. Where as in the winter , you could ignore work that needed doing as it was too cold, too wet, too dark etc, now you can SEE it and it's not going to vanish under a darker sky or a freezing day!
So the garden appears to have sown it's own grass but in the borders or the gravel path alas not on the churned up race track that Casper and Rufus made while chasing each other round the flower garden!
Plants along with weeds are growing aplenty in every border or space available, climbers needs tying in or chopping back, the list is endless!

And lets not forget about the kitchen refit which is coming along slowly, that needs to happen along side the now gardening work that needs starting !

Clara, Courtney and Mike visited today for Easter and we had a great time helping Clara re find the five wooden coloured eggs to fill her basket again and again.

So wishing you all a lovely Easter break, I'll be back soon with a longer post.

Dee

THE FIRST SUNDAY OF APRIL

So a quarter of this year's already gone! We must be having so much fun since time is flying by!

We're just had a week of very cold weather ! with snow falling in the northern parts of the UK, thankfully we only got one very icy shower where it tried to turn to snow but didn't make it! But still a shock to all the poor plants that had decided to was time to start blooming and growing!
Hopefully it won't have killed any of them off , just set them back a little.

I was pleased to see that the Magnolia Black Tulip's flower buds are opening and only one or two have any damage to them.

I love the colour of this Magnolia, it's one of my favourites that we have here.

Now on the kitchen front it's all coming along slowly... evolving as we go, which is our usual way of working. I had secretly hoped to have new granite worktops but instead have given up that dream for a nice solid oak one.
It's on order and will be delivered on Monday, we've also decided to change the butler sink for an inserted sink,one with drainer, so since that's all being changed I told Paul we may as well replace the bottom units instead of him trying to take the fronts off without damaging the units beneath. Which means new taps and also we'll probably need to get in a plumber!

I don't know about you but I love house programmes, either where they are refurbishing them or just showing round them. I recently came across a series called The Best House in Town, where four homes in different categories ( semi detached, terrace, detached, unique ) , were visited by five locals, who voted for one to go forward, into a final vote at the end of the week , to win the best house in town. It was great looking round each house and seeing who went forward and who won. They visited York, Cardiff and St Alban's. Of course I didn't agree with some of who they put through or who won a couple of times but it was lovely following them round looking at the houses, flats etc.
It's amazing how people decorate their homes and just how you cannot read a book by it's cover ! The insides were totally different to the outside look.

I also love watching Dream Homes with the Scott brothers and also Escape to the Chateau with Dick and Angel Strawbridge, Angel is just so creative and makes the most wonderful design decisions. The turret walls in vintage wallpaper in a harlequin design is but one of her magnificent ideas perfectly executed.

Well worth watching if you have some time. Hey ! I just had an idea I could do this in my hallway.... mmm since I don't have any old wallpaper I'd be forced to buy lots of single rolls of wallpaper and since I've never been accused of cheap taste.. it would probably cost me a small fortune just to get a dozen or two rolls....mmm maybe not such a good idea... although think of all the fun I could have buying wallpaper !

Back to the kitchen, we were at my youngest daughter's about two hours away and decided to check if they had any of the larder units, of course they didn't but they did have the two packs you could use to make them up yourself. So out of curiosity I checked my local store, who now said they had the make up packs available, so Saturday we went and bought what we needed.

So old display cupboard and drawer unit were removed and the new cupboard put together and put in place. You can see by the old drawer that we've put at the bottom that it's wider so we will gain more space. Paul now needs to make up the three drawers we have bought which will go at the bottom. It leaves a space under the mircowave , which we'll put a drop down door on and then the shelves above mircowave will have a door covering them. We are getting there piece by piece.

On the doll front , I'm being extremely good and have only bought a couple of dresses for my Kaye Wiggs dolls, who hardly ever get a change of clothes.

Due to the mess everywhere I had to clear a space to take a few photos of them all together and prop a book up to hide the food mixer. Elora is sitting on a tin of undercoat paint and Elfine ( Lilac hair ) was sitting on a tin of paint that's now just off to the side. She's now sitting on some paperback books while Hope sits on the worktop in front.

Well i need to go and sort out all the things that have never been used or not been used for years that were in those drawers, so I will wish you all a lovely healthy week ahead.

Dee

APRIL DOLL SHELVES

April already ! So let's get started ..

From Jane W , we have these lovely lasses, Lola, Esme, Sophie, Rachel and Ruby all with their Easter baskets.

From Rosie in Ireland we have these sweet children getting into the Easter spirit, the colours make one feel spring is truly here and the sun will shine.

Oops she's rushing off to hunt for Easter eggs but it does allow us to see the lovely deatil of the chicks on her sweater.

Everyone's on the hop over at Gregoropolis ! Looking forward to Easter which is rapidly approaching, even Anthony's getting in the spirit.

What's that Anthony? Daddy Steve made you wear this when you wanted to wear your sons of Satan top ! And it's ruining your hard man image ! Oh Anthony we think you looks so cute in your bunny top....

My shelf photo this month is of my three Kaye Wiggs girls in their new spring/summer dresses.

Many thanks to those who have sent in their photos , I've still to add mine and I'm happy to add yours when you send them in. Keep them coming.



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RED IS THE COLOUR

That suits Claudia the best, well so I believe.

On Sunday I went in search of Claudia because I wanted to change her into the new Petrana outfit but when I found her I thought she looked so pretty in her red checked dress and shoes that I decided to keep her in them.

Claudia is such a sweet girl, who always brings a smile when I see her.

She is standing on the front step beside the bucket of spring blooms that my daughter Courtney sent me after I'd been to help her when she had Clara. You can see that the bulbs are all coming back into flower again.

well it was starting to get chilly so I took Claudia back indoors where we discussed maybe finding her a new red outfit for this year.

Don't forget those doll shelf photos only three days to go!


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