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Bedroom renovating part 1 – Making a reclaimed rustic wooden headboard

October 22, 2016

I watched back the September Favourites You Tube video I made, and I don’t think my tone of voice was sarcastic enough when I said that next time I’d be in the bedroom with a white headboard with fairy-lights and a vase of flowers and candle in the background! (This seems to be the setting of 99% of monthly favourites You Tube videos.) When I made that video we had no headboard at all; flaky plaster; holes in the ceiling and a lot of mess. Last weekend though, we got busy in the bedroom(!)…..

My Cornwall photo on canvas! Printed by Printerpix

October 6, 2016

Chris and I are very fussy about art for our walls, and we don’t always have the same taste. We compromise by never ending up getting anything! However, when the opportunity came up to have one of my photographs blown up and printed onto canvas, I was really excited by it. I have a massive 60% discount code at Printerpix for you at the end of this post. I chose a picture I took during our recent campervan trip to Cornwall. The old disused mine is easy to find on the North coast road near Morvah. It’s a popular spot for rock-climbers and hundreds passed us on the footpath towards the cliffs, lugging their gear with them. It was fairly early in the morning when we went photo-spotting, and I turned away from the sea and looked back at this ruined mine building….

New and old items for our Living Room

September 21, 2016

Following on from my last home blog post about moving the living room around, we needed some things to fit the new configuration. Preferably I’d have some antique furniture that would not only be beautiful, but also serve as a handy prop for Oshun photoshoots. Unfortunately our budget doesn’t run to that, but we found some really good alternatives…..

Re-arranging the living room – phase one

I am beginning this post on the 25th March, though I am sure that by the time you are reading this, it will be several weeks later. Today, after talking about it very briefly last night, we suddenly decided to completely change the layout of the living room. It’s a pretty big rectangular room, so you wouldn’t think it would be too difficult to sort out; but with three doorways, a staircase and a fireplace, it proves a little tricky….

Rayburn 345w advice

The practicalities of wood-fired heating & owning a Rayburn

December 15, 2014

My posts about the Rayburn 345W are still some of my most popular as there is so little information about them. Now we’ve had ours for four years, I thought I’d put together a list of practicalities that should be considered if you’re thinking about heating your house with wood….

View of Glastonbury Festival

Living by Glastonbury Festival. Part two

‘So, do you camp in the festival or go home?’ Is a question often asked of me these days. Of course I go home silly! (though I am much more polite when I actually say it.) Wouldn’t you? I suppose it’s not as simple as that really…

view of Glastonbury Festival from the tor

Living by Glastonbury Festival. Part 1

There many many Glastonbury fans out there; a large proportion of which get a bit nutty about the whole thing. I know, because I’m one of them! And I mix with others on the e-festivals website. The fact that I live in Pilton is quite intriguing to a lot of people, and before I moved here, I always wondered what it would be like. Here is a taster of my experiences so far, and the build up to the festival which will be in full swing in three week’s time…

Living in Somerset

Saturday was our three year anniversary since moving to Somerset. This time three years ago Mum, the kids and I went for a walk while Dad went to B&Q for plumbing bits to plumb in our dishwasher and washing machine for us. Before we moved, we said the first thing we’d do is walk up Glastonbury Tor. Three years later, we finally did it! Anyway, here are my thoughts and feelings about the move now.

Not all posh paints are good paints. I have really struggled to find a healthy paint in hot pink. Paint companies should realise that the place we want healthy paint the most is in our children’s bedrooms and many a teenage girl (including mine) wants their bedroom painted in a bright shade of pink. Well my best bet turned out to be the Acrylic Matt emulsion from the Little Greene Paint Company. Here’s my verdict…

My extra special log basket

Have you ever had something made especially commissioned for you? An item of clothing made to your measurements perhaps? A portrait of your child or pet? Well, I never ever had, until recently. I asked friend and willow crafter Amanda Rayner to make me a log basket.

The Paint Runner paint roller

You may have seen the adverts on shopping channels – this morning I saw Tommy Walsh (from Ground Force and challenge Tommy Walsh) advertising one called The paint wizard pro. It’s the type of roller that you fill with paint on the inside, therefore no need to have a paint tray.

Plastering Rain’s bedroom

I never intended to plaster; it seemed well and truly a job for the professionals, but 20 months after the walls came down, and the money tree has failed to grow, I thought it was about time I tackled it myself.