Walks...

Okay not strictly house stuff today but it has been a little mad recently. On top of doing house stuff, socialising, tweeting and blogging for work as well as tweeting and trying to promote the next Series of this, I have also been trying to get fit. I may have mentioend I have a wedding to go to and I am a bridesmaid - the only bridesmaid actually!

A few weekends ago I tried on the dress to make sure it still fitted me. I was aware that my exercise programme was on 'recovery' rather than 'fat burning' but I seem to have gained a few lbs and the dress, well, it was a little snug. Plus, the wedding is in Italy and we have a pool so there is the bikini wearing thing. So the last few weeks, I have also been trying to get fit. As my knees no longer seem to be up for running and my will power is not up for biking (plus I have a puncture and any excuse is a good one) I am trying to get out and do some walking.

To pass the time, I listen to music and recently have been taking my camera as there are all sorts of nice things to photograph. Despite the greyness of the day outside today, I hadn't noticed we seem to have segued into autumn.

The walk up the rake and the tower shrouded in the typical North West condition...


Victoriana...

One of th'Mother in Law's favourite houses. She always comments on how sweet it is...

Pink and green...

Berries already...

Hidden gate...

Just one question. What happened to summer? Anyone?

Coveting...

...union jacks...still. For me, they just don't get old, mainy because I haven't yet got one. But perhaps my desire would be satisfied with one of these:

Or this:


This...


Or even this...

Plus, they are all on sale! It is my birthday in a couple of weeks so if anyone out there (hello family!) who is lacking inspiration about what to buy me you know I would be delighted with the above.

Reunion

This weekend, due the t'husband being away biking, I went to catch up with some lovely people over at a friend's place in Chapel-en-le-Frith. Believe it or not, 'Chapel' is not en France but in the glorious High Peak. As t'husband was taking the car, I decided to take the train. It was a beautiful day and the views on the way over were wonderful. The train station is very sweet with a small cafe and and second hand furniture shop (mental note to visit again) and the walk from the station in Chapel was lovely. A long winding track through lovely countryside.

It felt like you were in the middle of nowhere and as I couldn't see a single house which was beautiful but also slightly worrisome as if I was in the middle on nowhere I was not suitably equipped for a hilly hike having only a wallett, camera and a bunch of these for the wonderful hostess.
Our hosts have also spent the last few years renovating a wonderfully grand Victorian house. In the giddiness of seeing friends, some of which I hadn't seen for a while, as well as all their beautiful offpsring [below and here] I forgot to snap photos of their house or of anything else for that matter.



The house is lovely and they have some really great furniture. But the thing that made me most envious was the garden. It is perfectly formed for socialising. So much so that it even as a bar (complete with pumps and a dart board) in the old outhouses.

I wonder if t'husband now has similar plans for the Garden Room!!

As the weather was playing ball we spent most of it outside (hence lack of house photos I suspect), drinking cold beer, eating the most delicious food and catching up.


Thanks for a lovely weekend guys. We miss you all...

Houses I love....

More Friday house inspiration to fire me up for the weekend, despite the fact I am going away to spend time with some great mates. T'husband is away biking in Scotland so I have a free pass too to not do house stuff too!

Saying that the plumbers are coming over the weekend to fit a shower tray (fingers crossed it fits and they don't ask me any difficult questions) and connect up the downstairs basin.

Anyway, back the the prettiness. I can't remember the name of the person this house belongs to but I heart it. Tis, of course, from livingetc. Where else?!

Loving the built in cupboards, the bright colors against the white walls, the clock and the stove surround / mantle thingy. Wonder if we should get one for our stove? T'husband - what do you think?

Love this stair runner. Apparently, the owner made it by sewing together Ikea rugs...

Love the carpet, the globe, the blanket and that she has similar colour curtains to mine....

A shrine to coffee and stainless steel drawers. I am going to start building one of these and I shall worship there every morning.

The kitchen set up generally (another nice mantle), the island, the stools, the aga. All those cupboards must house other stuffs so only the pretty things are on display. Yum...

Rammy Rocks

So, so, so gutted to be missing this (see here for more deets). We are heading off to Italy for my best friends wedding but even though that is super, super exciting, I am still gutted...

Especially about seeing (or not seeing) these...

We have loved Rammy ever since we moved there nearly 10 years ago (10 years???!). It just gets better and better. It is a great community. The shopping is wonderful: a great market, loads of boutique shops, great places to eat and the countryside on your doorstep.

And apparently, the biking isn't bad either...

So it goes without saying that it deserves it's own community website. And voila...we now have one. The guys are Ramsbottom online are doing a great job.

This is great resource and there seem to be more and more events happening on our doorstep like Rammyfest, the Rhythm and Blues Festival (26-27 September). And, of course, how can I forget the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships (13 September). According to this lady (who is also a resident now) Rammy is the new Chorlton!

Seems what Rammy needs is a boutique B&B for all the out of towners that might come to those events. Now who has a house that might be suitable? Hmmm....

Bohemian babes

For their birthdays I made the girls festival kits for them to take to Camp Bestival. They seem to have taken to the whole festival experience like little diva ducklings to a disco pond. Using their charms to get the best view...

Put your hands in the air and wave them like you just don't care.

The 'don't mess with me or my balloon' look. Looks like a butterfly, stings like a bee...

Super high five....jump Jos!

The Winehouse effect...

Rave on raver....

Mixing with celebrities...



Mesmerised by music....

I love those kids....

News just in...

I have just had a phone call from t'husband. The plumbers have been today to fit the downstairs WC sink (not yet fitted - heavy sinks and plasterboard walls don't go apparently) and get the pipe work in the main bathroom ready to plumb in the bath. They were going to check the plumbing and lay the pipework and then give us some time to fit the floor and then come back and connect it all up. However, in order to check the taps they have had to connect the bath anyway! Apparently it is easy enough to unhook and reconnect it once we get round to doing the floor but for the time being, and for the first time in over 6 months, we can have a bath. Right, I need to get some bubbles as I know what I am doing tonight!


In other bathroom news, we have also purchased a shower cubicle for here (aka top bathroom):

Fingers crossed it will be fitted at the weekend...yay! Plus, whilst buying the shower cubicle, we also found a really great flooring place. The owner was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, informative and his prices seem really, really good. On top of all that he also reminded me of Geppetto from Pinocchio, so I think we will be making a return visit sometime soon with a floor plan and measurements. I heart progress...

UPDATE: the sink is fitted but yet to be plumbed (funny size pipes apparently but isn't that always the way) and the bath was wonderful. We decided that last night was the soft launch (I was concerned the weight of the bath with the water in it would mean it would fall through the floor so limited the fill level) and when we have more time we will christen is properly and celebrate with bubbles (both the bath and champagne variety). I rush to add there will be no pictures of the launch. It is not 'that kind' of blog!

Coveting...

...attractive storage recepticles like these ones on House to Home (and the motivation to use them!). It is a worry as I think I am turning slowly into a 1950s housewife and there is nothing more exciting on my mind than clearing out cupboards but as I said it is a distraction. Do I sound less of a sad case now?

At Uni, when I used to have a lot on my mind, but wasn't getting anything productive done I would spend a good few hours tidying my room. Some might say this is procrastination and they might be right as I am an expert! But I think the processs of decluttering an actual space helped to declutter my mental space or at last gave me something distracting to do so thoughts could simmer until they were ready. There is so much to do at The Money Pit but the things I keep fixating on (apart from the cellar that is STILL leaking - I save that particular worry for early morning anxiety sessions) are sorting out my wardrobe and the pantry cupboard in the kitchen.


I haven't fathomed a good system of 'wardrobe management' yet. Think I just need to chuck stuffs as I can no longer close the door and the back of almost every door upstairs is being used as overflow.

If the kitchen pantry, not only do I want it to be easy to navigate, making it easier to rotate stocks or at the very least give me the option of knowing what we have at a glance, it has got to look nice. Something like this...

So if anyone is at a loss to what to buy me for my forthcoming birthday then pretty storage jars please...

Houses I love....

I am waiting for t'husband which gives me time to look at more house porn! I want this one (from Livingetc) or I just want the owner to give me her stuff for The Money Pit.

I love the pillow (obvs), the button back chair and sofa, the lamps, the clock. Pretty much everything...

Plus she has my dream rug (used as a wall hanging) and I want the industrial light...

The kitchen units, signage and table...

The bathroom slash dressing room. Love that bath and more button backs. She is lucky, lucky, lucky...

And she seems to also be a fan of skulls?! I heart it...

Sigh...

Coveting...

...vintage tourism posters seen here. Although we already have a few...

Fruitshare

I love community initiatives like this one. Here's the skinny...

Thousands of gardens across Britain bear an over-whelming abundance of fruit. So much is produced that a lot is discarded, left to rot and finally cleared away to the compost.

Fruitshare is about making the Nation's surplus garden-grown fruit available for others to eat, to cook and turn into their favourite summer puddings!

I thought of doing something like this with my fellow allotmenteers once I got my hands on one but it seems that I still have a bit of a wait. At least, once I do I will know who to call if it produces fruit abundantly!

Betty...

Well this is not glamping or glamourvanning. This is Betty...

and she is beautiful...

She even has a blog...

Coveting...

Steel wash tubs / buckets for planting produce in the yarden. All these found on Junkaholics blog.

I also want everything she wears...