Man is still at sea, and no doubt now hoping he'll be at sea a bit longer too! Ah bless him, he just cannot stand home maintenance, and he really truly didn't know that until after he'd bought a small, bizarrely constructed 1906 three storey town house, every inch of which in dire need of repair or replacing... He is, fortunately, a trusting soul and so far has not objected to my little touches... the (now covered in cushions) window seat I had put in the living room, the not gay at all rainbow tiling in the bathroom... I'm sure the yellow dotty flooring I've just picked will go down a treat! Well, he will leave it to me...
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| Photo from the website - Avenue flooring, bubblegum range (Man loves it by they way - yay!!) |
These are my little happy treats, and they cheer me up when the house has been getting me down. Its not always nice being on your own in an old house, especially when you're a paranoid numpty like me. If you're going to be living alone and you want to get a pet for company and reassurance I can tell you now that a scaredy cat is no bloody help at all! She gets freaked out by noises as much as I do...
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| "WTF was that?!! Did you hear it???" |
There was a cracker the other day, sounded like rubble sliding down a cliff face.... I'm assuming some dirt just slid down between the wall and the plasterboard. And don't get me started on the musical floor... There's barely a step on the stairs that doesn't talk to you when you tread on it. Such are the joys of old houses!!
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| No, not where I live... This is Park Hall. (I should point out its not a "good stone building" either, it was one of the early concrete houses. Still stunning though, and one I absolutely love!) |
I have always been a passionate advocate of old housing. I have indeed been known to rant like a mad woman when I see yet another soulless, identi-kit house
Anyway... I digressed. Just a little... but you're lucky I can string a sentence together to be honest! I did get a bit of sewing done before builder started, but I didnt get photos.... It was just doing some free motion quilting and then binding on a childrens panel to finish up one of the quilts for my local Project Linus. I hope to do a lot more of that this year too.
Well, quilty plans and ideas are brimming to overflowing in my tiny brain just now. I wonder if it coincides with my least active periods on purpose?! To update the situation with my FAA membership (Fabric Addicts Anonymous) I have failed big time. I must be due a suspension... or a hefty slap on the wrist at least. I have 2 parcels on their way. They will be the only arrivals in February though, of that I am quite sure. Right, I think that pretty much covers the last 2 weeks! The thick grey soup has lifted from the sky and the house is actually not dark for the first time in a long time. Damn... now I can see just how badly I need to hoover... better try and do something
Laters peeps x
I am with you on the old building love! We had an ancient flat and I well remember the constant maintenance (and the rain falling inside the bay window on one memorably wet Scottish day) but we loved it so. And we will have another one day. Preferably when spouse doesn't have an on-call week one in every three! DIY is satisfying but time consuming...
ReplyDeleteI agree on the new soulless houses, and who doesn't love the beauty of an old, well loved and lived in home! Hope the renovations aren't tooooo painful. : )
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering what fabric you have bought now, plus February is nearly over.....so I guess if you ordered now it would arrive in March!
ReplyDeleteI hate house noises. If himself is home I just let my brain think it is him - if he isn't here the imagination runs completely OTT. I would love a brand spanking new house, warm and dry and no creaking squeaking stuff, but of course built with style and individuality. All I need is that lottery win now.
ReplyDeleteLovely pic of Ellie cat! I completely relate to what you wrote about a scaredy cat not being any support at all. On the contrary: if you as much as imagine hearing a strange kind of noise, the cat will definitely start acting spooked. And the vicious circle is started! Been there too many times! (... But the rest of the time, cats are the best.)
ReplyDeleteEllie cat is hilarious! You're cracking me up over here :)
ReplyDeleteI live in an old house. I do love them. But not the negative sides to them so much :-)
ReplyDeleteOh not more building work! Still, it will be worth it in the end! I'm rubbish before 10am let alone 8am!! Hang in there chick! Jxo
ReplyDeleteOh, forgot to say, love your new header! Jxo
ReplyDeleteWell I do hope the sweeties come with the flooring, that would make it doubly fun! Ellie cat looks a tad possessed there. Just sayin' ;o)
ReplyDeleteDid you have to post the sweeties eye candy pic?? Really?? I heart liquorice allsorts and they only have very nasty shoelaces here :-( Love the sound of your old house (perhaps not the noises) and the window seat and the bubble gum flooring - sounds wonderful to me! :-)
ReplyDeleteI love my mum & dad's cottage, but kind of like the no hassle factor of our 70s-build. Because I am too busy sewing!!!
ReplyDeleteHave fun with the builder ;) xxx
Your house sounds very like ours, full of creaks and hidden (and usually not fun or cheap) surprises. But still so much better than a modern one. Love the yellow floor - very cool.
ReplyDeleteI had a room in a very strange house, with weird house-mates, in Lochgilphead when I was in my early 20s. After a weekend away I came back in the dark and everyone else was out. The dog went in first and started growling like mad, I got very scared and picked up the kindling axe and followed the growling......into a room where he was trying to scare off the other dog growling back at him from the mirror! Not the bravest dog.
Poor Ellie cat. Juliex
I love the character of a period property, but not the bills! But then my house is getting old at 25 years, and showing its age too! Like Hadley, I'm too busy quilting to do stuff about it, til I have to! The new header is great, loved your postcards too! Chin up, snooze happy and I'll think of you when I get up for work at 6.30 (n godly hour of e morning!)
ReplyDeleteLove your new header and your choice of flooring! (Do you get sweeties with it or are they extra?!) I hear you about the early starts - do you have to be up and ready for the day by 8am or just up?! Hope they're finished sooner than expected...yeah, right! Archie's not scared of funny noises, he could come up and train Elliecat for you, if you like?
ReplyDeleteP.S. Consider yourself well and truly slapped on the wrist! Now, get back on that wagon!
Love you and everything you've written here.
ReplyDeleteyellow card and a stern stare! Did you bought lovely lovely stuff? *living vicariously through you*
ReplyDeleteYou're right on topic for me tonight. Hubby and I had a bit of a spat earlier over the merits of old houses. Basically it comes down to I like them and he doesn't... sad day. I love the idea of a window seat! My wish is that we'll find something with character eventually, not some cookie cutter box house on a tiny lot.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the early mornings. I certainly wanted to stay in bed today adn was a bit of a mess after having dragged myself up anyway. I asked a bunch of dumb questions at work and I hope I didn't make myself look too bad because of it :/
Love the pic of Ellie. Too funny.
ReplyDeleteHope the work goes quickly and painlessly.
I love old houses too, but I also like new ones. Just not the kind of new ones they build in the UK - where streets are made of identical houses with no soul or character
Oh brilliant pic of Ellie cat. Love the picture you have painted for us
ReplyDeleteI love old houses too, which is lucky as we live in one! We get the stuff falling behind the wall noises too :-) sometimes it's mice (traps) sometimes it's of unknown origin - settling maybe?
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see pics of your not gay at all rainbow tiles :-) sounds so cool!
I, too, am NOT a morning person! I would prefer to sleep in until 8 or 9 every day if I could! Good luck with your remodel!
ReplyDeleteI hate to have contractors around. I am constantly watching that the dogs don't get too friendly or that the cats don't escape. Plus I don't want to use the lady's room when they are anywhere near where they might hear me! Horrors!!!
ReplyDeleteI thought of honeycomb when I saw that flooring and then hexagon quilts. I am assuming the actual bubblegum wasn't the floor, right?
Hope the remodel goes quickly for you so you can get your life back to yourself! I would love to be able to have an old house to redo. Enjoy! :D
Two posts in one day! (Or did you just forget to set the schedule!?). Like the flooring and love the pic of Ellie. Would it be too trusting to give the builder a key and just stay in bed?
ReplyDeleteLove your cat, she's a sweetie. I too love the idea of old houses, but with fuel prices the way they are, am pretty happy we live in a modern one. Fair play to you for staying on your own, I'm useless.
ReplyDeleteI have a scaredy dog who barks at a lot of nothing - seriously we go and look to see what got her going and absolutely nothing there!
ReplyDeleteSending huge sympathies for your early mornings - hope the upheaval doesn't last too long. Love that yellow floor... Totally fab - I want some of that in my kitchen right this minute!
ReplyDeleteA big, probably slightly belated hug to help you survive the builders.
ReplyDeleteI've never lived in a house, but I stayed at my aunts beautiful old wooden house on holidays and it can be quite scary with all the creaking floors and walls.