Paint Pots

We've been trying to get on top of our house a bit more lately and jolly up the faded bits. 

In reality it's a battle that will never be won completely, but that's half the fun of a lived in family home.

My first promise (which I failed to keep last year) was to decorate Miss Millie's room.

For a whole week I painted like a demon. Sometimes the girls helped me too, but the man of the house kept away from the painting as he's just no good at it (or is that a ploy?).

There's lots of things still to be added as we go along, but the room itself is finished and my girl is thrilled with it. 

 For a few years she's had her eye on this shelf that I found one day at a beach junk shop. 

It travelled on my shoulder, across the river onto the boat ferry and has sat waiting for a wall to be hung on ever since.

A dab of flamingo pink paint completed the job and some scrappy dingly dangly bunting for a colour splash. 

For Millie the best bit was arranging all her nic nacs on her new shelf.

There used to be a huge unused French Armoire in this corner. The corner wall had become black from damp and so the inside of the Armoire smelt so musty. It was a big job sorting those walls out and made me so happy to make it white and clean again.

Miss Millie's room is the largest bedroom here. A big L-shaped room full of light and cosy as it's above the woodburner.

As this part of the room needed to breathe, it seemed the perfect spot for a desk. That meant going off desk hunting as Miss Millie's old desk was a lift lid school one that was far too small for a high school girlie with tons of homework.

I convinced her that a formica table would be so much better than an Ikea job and then hoped the one I'd seen months ago was still in the shop. Big result it was still there and she loves it so a big win.

Between the nook that her bed fits in and the desk side is a gorgeous fireplace that was all faded white paint. Black railings paint brought that back to life and a quick and easy lampshade kit meant I could make her a new shade from fabric she chose from my stash. 

Looking at the chair reminds me I need to recover that too.

Alongside the pink paintwork to offset the white Miss Millie chose turquoise to update her bookshelf. When we finish clearing the garage (this weeks major task) we'll be able to get to the old wardrobe I've promised her. I plan to paint that the same colour.

On top of her bookshelf is a very very special piece of artwork indeed. A few years back now I asked Vanessa Caban (the artist who used to blog at do you mind if I knit) if she could make one of her papier mache creations for Millie's birthday based on a photo and her adoration of sheep.

Miss Millie has called sheep Betty's for as long as I can remember so this sheep is elderly and called Beautiful Betty. A while back I was asked by a lovely lady to make a couple of Leaping Hare brooches for her. She told me later on that one was for her friend the illustrator Clara Vulliamy (Shirley Hughes daughter) as she knew I loved her work. I then told her about reading the Hughes poem of the elderly sheep Betty in Olly and Me to our girls and how that had ended with us shouting "hello Betty's" to each field of sheep we passed. Now our tale and how much it means to us will be passed back to her.
I love when life moves to connect even the smaller pieces together.

On the radiator are pictures and hooks still waiting for me to get my drill out again. 

The fly a kite print I bought a while ago from Jane at Teawagontales fits the room and my youngest girlie perfectly.

While one of my friends Sasha's creations dangles merrily alongside.

The main problem we have in Miss Millie's room is storage. Although her room is bigger than her sister's she just has lots more stuff.

I thought an Ottoman would solve the problem perfectly, not that I expected to find one the first week I headed to the car boot in search of one.

Turning a corner I saw exactly what I was after and for peanuts as the woman hated 

it and wanted rid of it quickly. 

The next day I got to work on it. 

 Sadly the fabric on the top was all ripped and stinky so no saving that. I was really generous too as I covered it in what I had left of my favourite ever Heals fabric. A generous slap of bright pink paint and bashing in upholstery tacks and I was done. 

The other great bargain for her room were the M & S pink curtains which I got at the fleamarket in Southwold a couple of summers ago for £3. This room has been planned for a while you see.

So just a wardrobe to sort, pictures up and bunting to be made and I think I've finished.

My other plan before I go back to work was to finally get our larder decorated. For eight years or so it's languished being useful but hidden out of sight. 

One whole day of paint throwing and a bit of double sided sticky tape to hold the stripy curtains in 

and Punch and Judy's Palace was ready to take its rightful place showing off in the kitchen. 

It's just a bit shorter than it should be as when I dragged it through (being too impatient to wait for my man to get home) the legs fell off!

I just love it so much. There's a bit of larder love going on over in Instagram world too.
After a bit of chat back and forth, I was inspired to make some tiny sausages and bunting for my larder. I'll show you if you like once they're all done.

I'll be back sooner than I have been for a while to show you my latest makes.There's a coat that I've nearly finished and I'm so excited by it.

Bye for now.

Tick Tock

Lately of an evening, I've found myself stitching tiny clocks out of felt. This is my favourite so far, but I do think I need to try out a few more shapes before I'm really happy.

I've also had some secret making of an evening too as Miss Rosey hit the grand old age of 14 years on Monday. After seeing her sisters Bunny doll (made ages ago) she asked for a monkey version. 

I hooked one up for her birthday complete with a curly wurly tail and monkey ears. 

She's been named Gloria in case you wonder these things.

Other excitements around birthdays have been fabric finds as usual with a barkcloth that makes me dream up so many ideas. I fancy a coat, but would a dress not be a safer way to go?

 

Either way I've got the most perfect foxy footwear to go with it.

The saddest news wa the return to school today of my girls. This officially signals the end of carefree days and summer capers for another whole year.

We certainly packed in a few more happy memory days over the last few left to us. 

We went boating at Thorpeness to explore the islands and bob on a boat. I was chief rower as it turned out my man had only ever rowed once before. Years together and see I still don't know everything about him. I taught both the girls to row so that they'll be able to take turns next time.

Once one cygnet wanted to check us out all his mates joined in too. Miss Millie loved it, Miss Rosey was a bit worried and yelled row faster, faster. I did as I was told to calm her down and so they swam faster and faster. Never ever try to outrun a cygnet is my advice to you.

At a party by the sea we ventured off to see the classic cars on the cliffs. 

Dream cars were lined up. We oohhed and ahhhed for a while, before heading down to the shore below.

A stroll turned into a very long explore. It was a heavenly evening, the tide slipping in while we gazed into rockpools made from the chalky cliff base.

Finally we turned inland and climbed the cliff path away from Sheringham to head to Beeston Bump.

Over that ridge was the most glorious view and the path back to the party we'd been away from for quite a while.

Thankfully we have understanding friends.

So here we are in September. 

A wonderful month where if we're lucky we are blessed with an Indian Summer. I always see it as a time of change.

An ending of things and the start of the new.