Perfect visitors

We have had a lovely week with our first visitors. Couldn't have been more appreciative and helpful. They heaved furniture willingly, made and cleared up meals, took us out to dinner and taught me how to paint furniture. And they are lovely people too.

All the painting we did was with  Annie Sloan chalk paint from http://www.thomasandlucia.com It is brilliant paint and Sue turned my neglected, dead looking stripped down cupboard into a beautiful glowing finish. Still retaining the old look but nourished and loved and a beautiful colour.

 

We also had a go at the mantelpiece. Slightly different waxing and colour mix but they both please me enormously.

 

Today, I was left on my own and had a go at the orangey pine frame of this picture (sweet picture of random children that are just like ours were at that age - except M never wore short shorts, by the time he came along, shorts were longer. And HO had a dinghy at that time too.)

 

and the orangey pine of this mirror.

 

Turns out we have a lot of orangey pine when we start moving furniture. We bought such a lot of stuff in the 70s, and we've still got it!

 

What shall I paint next ..........................................................

 

 

Every day's a holiday

We are loving playing at house. Some things, like the view, are a continuing delight:

 

Some, like the kitchen table, are a remembered pleasure. Just hoosh the clutter along a bit to make room for lunch.

 

 

The spotlights in the kitchen are brilliant - literally. After worries that all these new-fangled bulbs would be too dim, the spots over the worktop are wonderful. At last I can see what I'm doing but just over the worktops so that the light doesn't intrude on the rest of the kitchen.

 

The cooker is wonderful. Everything I hoped, such a joy to cook properly again.

 

The upstairs landing is a lovely space. We are still playing at moving furniture. Just bringing over the bits that will fit and then moving them three times before deciding. 

 

The view from the guest shower is amazing - well if you're six feet tall or above anyway!

 

Altogether lovely.