Painting..lots of it!

 

Hi, notice I've changed that awful blog background. Haha, now that was awful. I hope the muted lilac tones I have changed it to does not make you all feel so sick!

Since arriving back from the holiday I have been doing lots of painting. I hate painting by the way, but just wanted the outside of the house to be finished before winter sets in.

I am so glad I chose this lilac colour for the outside doors. I love it with the  black handles.  All the outside doors started off a very dull reddish brown...horrible. I've always hated that colour wood stain, its sort of a mahogany colour..not for me!

This door was a nightmare to paint. Obviously I had to leave the door open all day to let the paint dry which I expected, but despite it being really hot and sunny the paint took an age to dry.

My parents have been down to stay for the week and my Dad has done so many jobs for me. He changed the handle and letterbox from the old brass ones to the new black ones. All I need to complete the outside now is a new outside light and a new doorbell. As you can see, the outside light is missing, it was the one that was here when we brought the house so it was pretty old. I never realised they were so expensive though, those outside lantern lights..its replacement might be a while!

Here's the back gate. Same lovely purple with the new 'Beware of the hens' plaque. My Dad has put some new wood around the frame which I haven't painted yet as you can see. If the rain ever stops its my first priority job.

Do you remember earlier in the year I posted this picture?

.....and this one...

They were of my dining room, in the gutting stages.  I have lived with this room gutted for quite a few months now. As you can see it was an eyesore.

It wasn't quite as bad as it looks in the above pictures but it was still seriously bad and crying out to be finished.

My Dad spent all last week decorating it for me. He ripped off the old skirtings (as I made such a fuss about not liking the type that was there!) He cut new ones to match the lounge and changed the architrave around the door to match the lounge too. He put a new picture rail up and papered the walls for me ready to paint.  It looks very different now.  I have just spent the last two days painting with a little bit of help from Grant.  Today I have spent the entire day glossing the picture rail, skirtings, door frame and radiator. I'm so glad its all done now, I really do not enjoy painting at all. Especially when everything I am painting is white!! It was cheap and cheerful so everything is now whitewashed.  I still need to get a new radiator for the room but I think if I get the same size it won't mess up the decorating.  Thank you Dad for all your hard work, you won't recognise the room next time you see it, with all the furniture back in there and prettied up :o)  The carpet is staying for the moment. Under the carpet is laminate flooring and I was very tempted to take the carpet up and use rugs. The only thing that is stopping me is that the floor isn't insulated under the laminate and it was freezing when we first moved in.  In fact we lasted one month with laminate flooring before we put down carpets on top as it was so cold and drafty.

Here is the room as it looks tonight. The gloss is still wet and its getting dark when I took this photo. Take the fact that I have no digital camera anymore as a certain person has it and had to take this picture with my iphone and you will get why this picture is so seriously bad! You get the idea though. Better photos to follow. I will get my little instant digital camera out and read through the instructions to see if I can remember how to work it

The gardening has sometimes been too much for me, but when we had the dry weather a few weeks back, I decided to tackle next doors honeysuckle. It has been growing and hanging over our fence for a while now.  It looked like it could rot the fence so I spent a good few hours cutting it back.

Well, I made a good job of cutting it back but I'm not too keen on the view of next doors shed!! I think it looked better before I cut it back actually!

This one is next in line.....

On Saturday we went to Bexhill On Sea, just down the road from where we live. Kellie wanted to see the De La Warr Pavillion as her head teacher had mentioned the vehicle hanging over the top of the building. It is a coach that rocks off the edge of the roof.  We didn't go right over to it but you can see it in the photo behind Kellie.

Before I went on holiday, I emailed my favourite sewing magazine 'SEW' with a picture of the dress I made from the Cath Kidston duvet cover. You'll remember it well, I posted enough pictures of it!! LOL.  They printed my letter and I won a £10 voucher to spend online in a fabric shop :o)  Yes, sad I know, but quite a nice surprise when my I opened my sub copy that arrived when I was away on holiday.

I can't wait to get my sewing machine out again once all this painting is out the way.  I'm also planning a sewing space where my machines can be ready to use at any time. Covered up obviously when not in use but, my own little space...quite excited about this. Of course pictures will follow once it starts to take shape.

Until next time x