BOXES BOXES EVERYWHERE!

 

So the new kitchen's arrived and the place is now covered in cardboard boxes! In the scheme of things the whole thing could be in within a few days, however we need to have some plug points moved etc, so we are waiting on our electrician to arrange the day he can arrive and do his part! 

Which means we are doing what we can while we wait. The gazebo is full of boxes of china and glass  and whatever else came out of the cupboards. The carport is full of the old units until we decide if any can be used in Paul's workshop, given away or need to be taken apart an taken to the recycling centre!

In my defence I have to say I was all for just replacing the worktops and cupboard doors while maybe replacing the existing range with a new one. It was Paul that wanted the new oven in an upright unit, which then had the knock on effect that then required just ripping the whole kitchen out and starting again!

Now if we can just get the electrician here to do his part, we will be up and running!

STARTING THE CHANGES

 Well the new years changes are happening ! The living room is looking a lot different than it was in December with it's addition of two new sofa's and a new rug!

The smaller of the two sofa's in the fabric I loved and would have also had on the slighter bigger sofa, if I could have, however due to the style of the other sofa's back cushions the check would not sit in such a way as to run true, so I had to pick a different fabric for the second.

This is my 'old' lady sofa ! lol Bought because it's much easier to get out of and supports your back. The colour, lavender, is a little paler than I expected but does match in with the checked sofa without having to go green.

With the new 'joseph and his amazing technicoloured dream coat ' rug! Which I love ! Not everyone reading this is going to be a fan of any of this which is fair enough, each to their own, but being a lover of colour this is right up my street and now on my floor!

We made a point of putting the blue/green end of the rug by the green/lavender sofa. Which put the pinks and purples down with the lavender sofa.

The colours in the floral curtains , look fine with the check sofa and balanced by the blue sideboard. I've ordered a new shade to replace the red one.

and here is the new shade in greens.

At present the teal footstall is now in front of the smaller sofa, because there is more space there and this photo is taken when curtains closed. I may change the curtains to a plain mid or dark purple but will wait and see. There are decorators who believe in multiple patterns working well together and I have seen rooms in  homes where this as worked well, they would usually have about three different sizes of cushions in three different patterns on the sofa, which can look good if you get the patterns right, But I decided not to worry about any cushions, on account of the dogs! Who believing that they need to run around with my cushions when they are excited ! and I have had to rescue them time and again from the garden etc !

Speaking of the dogs, they are loving the new rug! Probably because it's a deeper pile than the last one, so much more cosy for a snooze.

Now I thought I'd save Paul a job and sell my big kitchen table and eight chairs and buy a second hand old style oak extending table and four chairs. But I'd need a sixth chair, i had my desk chair I could use, if we extending the table for more visitors. Naturally being me, I went looking for suitable chairs having seen a lovely oak table with four matching chairs that I had my eye on and having listed my table and chairs on marketplace.

I saw the perfect old oak chair that just needed a new seat cushion and a little TLC in the clean and waxing of the wood, so I asked about delivery and made an offer. Which was accepted and the chair was on it's way. In between time, I'd shown the table to someone who was interested in buying, only while I was showing them I'm thinking, this is a good sturdy set which I still really like and maybe I  should just have Paul cut the table down and sell just two of the chairs! Yes you've guessed it! That's what we did, keep our table and cut it down.

So Paul took the table apart and we went from this to 

this. It does not look that different but he did cut fifteen inches off the top. But I wanted a table that all the chairs would fit under, I hate those six seaters that the end chairs cannot fit right in due to the side chairs. So a couple of hours dismantling , cutting, then re mantling the table and job done and with not expense... well apart from the extra chair I now don't really need....

But look ! It's a lovely old dinning chair and even has some William Morris Honeysuckle fabric on it! It will be going as the pattern is on sideways and well I cannot miss an opportunity to get just the right fabric in WM for the job, now can I ?  Especially since I have to remove it anyway , in order to repair and repad out the seat cushion.

Zac is todays headliner. Poor boy is still wearing his outfit from the chat n snap , when he was a South London lad who'd been evacuated. But in my defence it is a warm outfit with brushed cotton shirt and long cord shorts, it's only a little draughty round the tops of his socks!

On the doll front not much is happening, but then I have not really been sorting out that side of things. I did have an offer on a doll but had to decline as it was too low. However despite being on my best behaviour and busy with the house , I did manage to buy a Sasha ! and a couple of outfits!! 

Truly there is no hope for me...

So on that note I'll wish you all a happy healthy week ahead and will no doubt be back to share this unplanned purchase and the clothes.

Dee

A STORMS COMING..

AGAIN! Seems this is to be the ninth storm to hit the UK in a short space of time! The wind's already picking up but thankfully we don't have any plans for Monday, so will just need to batten down the hatches as they say and wait it out.

The work on the house is slowly moving forward and deliveries are happening earlier than stated! Which is great. The new sofa's are due to arrive this week, so yesterday we went looking for a new rug, to help tie them into the room. That's now coming on same day as the sofa's. The old sofa is being taken away and we put an ad to give an unneeded arm chair away which was collected this morning,

Meanwhile the new kitchen is being delivered at the end of the month, so we have an electrician coming to see about moving/adding some plug points etc and we've already moved some of the old kitchen across the room, so we can use it while the new kitchen gets fitted.  

So it's all happening ! Which is lovely 

Now on the doll front...

well it appears that a ginger headed baby has arrived ... but in my defence I find it every hard to resist the red heads and it was the baby or a much more expensive Sasha, that's still calling my name as I type! And if I was not in the middle of work on the house I would have been very tempted to buy! 

I did own Gorgeous George for years , also a baby ginger and he was one of the last of my babies to go, so it's nice to have another one. He's telling me his name is Peter! despite me trying to chose his name myself, so for the time being I'll let him win and see how it goes. He's using some of Elton Ron's clothes for now but I will need to buy him an outfit of his own.

Granny Fortuna is in the middle of her school shoe selling month, which at least means she's stopped complaining about nothing ever happening around the village and how much does some story telling mojo cost cos she knows someone who needs it!!

Now I'm off to enquire about pink coats, to save myself a small fortun..a ;)

Have a great healthy fun filled week

Dee

SUNDAY SUNDAY

 

Hello, well it's a new year 2024 ! I can still remember all the fuss about it turning to the year 2000! Everybody was expecting tech to fail and all the businesses prepared for the fallout that never happened.. or maybe it was just eight years late?

I've been unwell on and off since the end of last year but am now ,hopefully, on the mend, fingers crossed! But it's not stopped me from getting a few things sorted since the start of the year. 

Before 2024 we did order a couple of sofas in the sales, above is the fabric choice of each one. Totally changed from original plan but luckily the living room is quite neutral and will only involve a couple of tweaks to smooth them into the scheme.

I don't know about others but almost as soon as the year changes, so I start thinking about what needs doing and this year is no different. Almost no different , because we are planning some big changes indoors, the photo below is how the breakfast/dinning area looked last year

but now it looks like this..

because it's all change! We have removed the larder cupboard, which I am pleased to say we have repositioned into the main kitchen area, however that's involved moving the fridge freezer to where the larder cupboard used to stand until the rest of the kitchen is replaced. It's meant my 'doll' area is no longer!! Shame but needs must. It's enabled us to turn the table and open up the space in front of the french doors. Naturally one of the three lights that were above the table is in the way for tall people, no me, but its been tied up after Paul smacked his head on it twice !

Paul's made every kitchen but one, in our 48 years of marriage, so I thought it was time he didn't have to make this new one, however alas he's not escaping completely as he will be fitting it! It's on order but there will be plenty to do before it arrives. One of which is take up the floor tiles! A nightmare of a job which we are hoping will be easier than expected! 

We have also had to move the small freezer, which was always meant to be hidden inside a cupboard along with the boiler! Now just the boiler needs hiding in the cupboard. As is usual when doing these things, you have to empty cupboards etc and realise just how much stuff you own and never use or don't really need! The local charity shops will soon be awash with lovely unused or nearly new items to fill their shelves and rails in the coming weeks!

There is a programme in the uk where a lady called Stacey Solomon comes along with her team and empties everything you own into a massive warehouse and then you have to decide what goes back home, what gets sold and what goes to charity. I sometimes think that would be so useful to have a team of people take all my stuff to a warehouse and then only be allowed to take so much of it back home! I'd need my eldest daughter with me as she's very good at getting rid of things and only keeping what's used and needed, but I could see us having a tug of war over things I think I need to keep!  If I tell you I have just counted 21 bags for life ( shopping bags you can use again and again ) but have another load in the cupboard you may understand the problem! I could probably reduce them down to say ten and give the rest to a charity shop to use or sell on, but I may need to lay down first ! lol

No I am much better at getting rid of things than I used to be ten years back, my problem is I still good at acquiring things!

So the next month or so is going to be very busy round here, so I may not be around much, but will keep you updated if you'd like.

Arabella is this posts headliner, she is wearing one of her favourite outfits , which she hides away when not in use , so none of the others can 'spoil' it !

There are plenty of rumblings coming from the doll cabinet, although a couple are out on the dresser, so they can report back each night on what's been happening in the house to their siblings. I'm sure some may want to help with the work ahead, we'll see.

So I will wish you all a happy new year and a happy healthy month ahead.

Dee

PS Mm seems I had already used the lovely Arabella's photos on the first but she is a girl worth a double take ;)

IT'S THE FIFTH , SO PHOTO DAY

 Five days into the new year already, so time for those lovely doll photos to share.

And what a great photo to start this year's doll photos with a group of button nosed Gregoropolis family from daddy Steve. They told him they were welcoming the new year with ginger beer... at least he thought they said ginger beer..

Here in the village a young bear cub is hiding behind a Christmas scene while explaining to granny Fortuna that he was tripped up and robbed of his clothes! Granny rolls her eyes knowing just who the culprit is!

Meanwhile some young toddler is hanging with his crew and very pleased with himself!

Chris from the north sends us a photo of her sweet red head with teddy.

From Chris in the south, we have Hattie with her teddy.

From RoRoPo ,Clara is wearing her summer hat, just in case it arrives early, summer that is!  while Holly ,  Julchen and Adelheid know that winter is still going to carry on sweeping across the country !

Thank you to those sending in their photos, still time to have yours added, just send them in.

TWENTY TWENTY FOUR JANUARY 2ND

 

 I hope you all had a lovely restful Christmas and a good new years eve. 

So a new year starts and who knows what it will be bring us. Here in the uk, it's more grey cold days at present with only the odd burst of sunshine but the shortest day's been and gone, so the days will get longer and hopefully brighter.

Here in the Sasha village it's going to be the year of the house and garden, well I say garden but in truth it's always the year of the garden because something always needs doing!

But now we are getting older and so are some of the things in the house, so we will be having some work done to get the place sorted for our old age! 

It's also appears to be a green year with a splash of lavender/ purple! One of the first things we have done, even before this new year started, was to go and order two new sofas for out living room. I'd already seen and decided on which style of sofa I wanted but needed to go to a showroom and try it out and see it in the 'flesh' so to speak. Now as you will all know, what something looks like in a magazine or advert, can look a lot different when seen for real.

I have seen a year or so back an armchair in a beautiful William Morris fabric, in a golden yellow which I loved and then they started showing it in a red version. Perfect I thought! I could have one of the sofas in the WM fabric in red and another in a plain red to compliment it. So sat on sofas, got a swatch of the colours, got a price, but was going to wait for the sales to start after Christmas before placing order.

But even while I was in the showroom, I stated that the swatch of fabric was different to the colours in the armchair advert photos, oh no they say it's just how it's been lit! Yeah right. So once back home I looked at the fabric and decided that it was nothing like the fabric on the advert and if I did order a sofa in it, I would be bitterly disappointed in what arrived! I had also suggested to Paul about having two different sofa's, which he'd disagreed with at the time. Another thing about taking some time to decide. allowed me to realise that we were about to buy sofas in almost exactly the same colour we always seemed to have bought our sofas in! 

So once the sales started we went back to the showroom, but took Lindsey with us, to have a sounding board, a great help. She agreed that two different sofa's would work which allowed me to have a beautiful checked fabric I'd seen that wouldn't work on the bigger sofa due to lining up but would work on the second smaller sofa, then I found the perfect swatch! Gorgeous greens with a splash of lavender! It sang to me! So once that was decided on, it was easy then to get the bigger sofa in plain Lavender! A big change from the deep burgandy red of our original choice! It means we may have to tweak the room slightly, since it's mainly blue and red but so be it!

 

Libby and Magda wearing this years house colours. One of the reasons I say it's going to be the year of green and lavender/purple is the kitchen! Yes I know we did start but ever really finished the kitchen and I was very happy with my deep dark blue cupboard doors, however it's not been finished and over the last year I have decided that it's too dark and needs a total refit! I know I know again! But yes it does and funnily enough I decided that a mid to pale green would be the answer to brightening it up! This was before the sofa colourway was decided! In fact I looked at lilac's and lavender too! 

Now it seams that the breakfast kitchen area of the downstairs is to be completely changed about and cupboards etc moved and changed made. Naturally I'm all ready to empty cupboards and start moving things that we can, while Paul's we need to order in the new appliances and units etc before we start! Mmm , so I have started emptying a few cupboards of things we never use, so the local charity shops will be getting some good quality kitchen/dinning items over the next few weeks and if a small cupboard finds it's self suddenly moved across the floor so I can 'see' if an idea will work, well it must need doing!

On the doll front, I nearly ended the year on a new doll purchase but it was half hearted, so I was outbid ! A shame she was a nice doll but it wasn't meant to be. Everything else is calm and still in my doll world at present and likely to stay that way for a while , what with my tooth extraction happening on Wednesday, and the house refurb decisions being made, but hopefully the Sasha will be appearing on and off over these coming winter months. I will do doll photo day again this year on the fifth of each month, you are welcome to join in if you have time to take or send in a photo.

Now I'm off to find somewhere I can store all the things that will need moving while we pull the downstairs apart over the next few months.

Wishing you all a happy healthy fun filled 2024

Dee

2024 HAPPY NEW YEAR

 

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR