Saturday, 30 January 2016

SALE ends!


Our SALE ends on Sunday

Catch a bargain HERE whilst you can x

Week 13 - build update


Week 13 has been a little frustrating - the builders didn't really get going until Thursday morning. Post birthday celebrations, bad weather forecasts (although the weather didn't turn out so bad) and I think a little procrastination of a job they didn't want to do but once they got going again, it was back on it in their normal fashion.


 This week the plasterer has been my silver lining - he worked so hard, was here until 7.30pm on Tuesday and worked non stop to get the kitchen plastered and finished.


The windows arrived in time for the weekend, so we are now all secure downstairs and you get more of a feeling of it being a complete room.


The builders eventually got on with the job the building regs guy has asked for - fitting a cascading channel into the side of the house. It's costing us a small fortune but will improve the join between the new and old house. 


Next week this little lot is being tidyed up - I feel so sorry for our neighbours having to look out onto this every day. Hopefully next week the plumber is coming back to do the water in the new bit and get the underfloor heating on! The painters arrive to do a mist coat and then the kitchen unit bases are going in. The guttering and soffits are going up, the side wall rendered , then the scaffolding at the front and side will be coming down. The new front door should be going in and the old front door used when the knock through happens, to connect the new bit to the old house. eek!!! I think that's it - still lots more to do but a huge amount being ticked off along the way.

 Let's see how much of the list gets done! 
Have a good week x


Thursday, 28 January 2016

Getting there!


My new kitchen!


Well, my new kitchen space!

The walls have now been plastered, windows arrive tomorrow and hopefully the painting will start next week and kitchen units going in!!



This will fit along the wall in the above pic - ignore the brown cupboard, that'll be my 1950's blue cabinet and the blue wine racks on the wall will be my old pigeon holes.

(pigeon holes)


The units and counter then follow around the corner to the back door.


This is the back wall and will have french doors opening out into the garden. To the right will be a little study corner, with a desk and computer and to the left my old french grey cupboard, which will be home to all my nice bits of china. I'm hoping to buy a couple of movable comfy chairs so they can look out into the garden or face into the kitchen.

(source : pinterest) 

There will be a large sliding door panel (see pic above) along the back wall to go over the french doors, so the houses behind can't look in when the lights are on, should make it warmer too.

So this is more the style I'm going for this time, a little different from before but once all my bits and pieces are moved back in, I'm sure it won't look that different in style. I am planning on a good cull and de-clutter though and with any new space, the layers of 'stuff' build up gradually over time as you add things. Just need to be patient now - I'm not going to organise it properly until all building work is done and the dust has chance to settle!!

Saturday, 23 January 2016

Sunny Sorrento

We weren't going to go on holiday this year because of the cost of the build and because Sam hates the heat. Last year he spent most of the holiday in his room, watching Jeremy Kyle and Happy Campers, just so he could be in an air-conditioned room - so not the best way to spend 100's of pounds! But Sophie was disappointed not to be going away so.....


.... her Christmas present and exam treat was .....


She choose Mum (thankfully!) and together we ended up deciding on a week (I know not a few days!!) in....


....Sunny Sorrento.

We decided it would be better as it was just the 2 of us and the first time we've travelled without Jeff, to go with a Thompson package holiday, so flights, transfers, accommodation, food etc was all sorted. 


What we have done however, is choose a really cheap 3* hotel, half board, with a small pool but right in the centre of Sorrento, right by the sea. We plan to use it as a base and go off exploring to Rome for a day, Pompeii, Capri, the Amalfi Coast ..... 


We go after Sophie's exams and prom during the last week of school term, when Sam is still at school, Jeff will have broken up so can do the school run and that way it works out cheaper. I last went to Italy when I inter-railed in my early 20's so am really looking forward to going back to Rome and seeing Sorrento and the surrounding area. Obviously it would have been nicer if Jeff could come too but ..........Sam has said he wants to see the Northern Lights, so maybe that's a future trip for the boys x

Week 12 - build update!

What a full on busy week -  3 builders, 2 groundwork men, 2 plasterers, an electrician, carpenter and a plumber and the boss!


So the kitchen floor screed went down on Monday.....


....and the roof tiles went up on Tuesday.


Plaster board got finished on Wednesday and a little carpentry, ready for the arrival of the plasterers on Thursday.


This will be the view of Glastonbury Tor from our bedroom window!


Dave, the ground works man and his labourer came back to swap over to the mains drainage and new water mains. The front wall has come down to widen the drive and the hedges cleared.


The bath has come out and the loo moved to it's new spot. We've shopped for new bathroom fittings and are hoping it'll get done in February half term - we'll have to make use of the local swimming pools showering and toilet facilities that week lol! 
The kitchen people came for their last measure up and all is now ordered.

So next week the windows should be arriving, the kitchen plastered, the roof on the front finished and side wall rendered ready for some of the scaffolding to come down. Maybe even the cut through downstairs from the front hall into the kitchen done - I'm dreading that but I have to keep telling myself that all the mess and dust is now a means to the end........

Friday, 15 January 2016

Build Update - Week 11


So it's week 11 already!
Time flies when you're having fun and I'm just loving seeing such great progress week on week. It's all been pretty much work on the inside, sensible considering how cold it's been.


Last weekend Jeff and I were marking out the space with a piece of chalk and this week it's all in place! The cupboard spaces have been stud walled out, insulated and the plaster board has gone on.


The electricians have been in do the first fix - it's been great that I have been able to be around to answer questions and check that everything we discussed in an earlier chat, all made sense.


Upstairs has been plaster-boarded throughout and the wall that's due to be panelled, has been battened out ready.


The kitchen floor has been prepped and today the underfloor heating has gone down. 


I can not recommend Thomas and Thomas builders enough if you are local - they've been fabulous throughout the whole process so far.

Next week is going to be pretty busy too - the floor screed goes down on Monday and the roof tiles should be arriving, electricians and plasterer's arrive on Wednesday and the final measure and fit of the kitchen is scheduled in for the end of the week. I'm looking forward to the windows arriving a week on Monday because once they're in, then the floor tiles can go down and the kitchen in!!!

Patience Becky! but boy, it's getting exciting now x

Sunday, 10 January 2016

Week 10 - build update



So with the Christmas break over, it was time to get building again. I did slightly worry that it would be a slow start, with not much progress but how wrong could I be!


The gable end got finished and the last of the brick work done at the front and back.
We have chosen the roof tiles and ordered the windows. 
The electrician has had his first walk through for everything.


The 'knock through' was been made upstairs, so we can now go between the two bits internally. I was dreading this bit being done and all the mess but they taped up the door and it was done in a day. The downstairs will be the worst as it's all so open to the rest of the house but I have another couple of weeks until then.


So the upstairs room is going to be huge!
Jeff and I went in there yesterday to measure up and work out where all the furniture is going to go and it's so spacious. We've put in planning to change the velux to a dormer window, as the view of Glastonbury Tor is too good to ignore. So there is a 3 week consultation period until that can get started but the builders said they can work around that!


Whilst Jeff has still been on holiday, we've ordered the floor tiles for the kitchen floor as we're now having under floor heating and we've gone for the aqua splash-back for behind the cooker, to add a splash of colour. The bedroom floor is a white floorboard laminate, so at last I get the white floors I've always wanted!

So it's full steam ahead with all next week planned out - it won't be long now until the kitchen goes in  and by early March we should be finished xx

Friday, 1 January 2016

HELLO 2016!



Pinch and a punch ....... hello 2016!


I love New Year - not the actual evening as such, we don't tend to do very much other than challenge ourselves to stay up until midnight, to watch the fireworks bring in the New Year! It's a fab chance though to look back on the past year, it's highs and it's lows and think about what the year ahead might bring.


This photo pretty much sums up 2015 for me. It was a fantastic year - I lost weight and kept it off!

 I now run!! I have a healthy BMI for the first time in 19 years! I made it into the National Press!!!!! I went blonde and feel 20 years younger! Moving house was the best decision ever and I look forward to showing the new house/build off to it's best in 2016! As this year ends, I thank Jeff for always supporting me, believing in me and being my biggest cheerleader



So here are a few challenges that I've set myself to focus on in the year ahead.
(all achievable)


My word for 2016 is CONSOLIDATE 


2015 was such a great year for me, I just feel this year I want to keep things as they are, maybe deepen them into my core a little more, with my eating & exercising & weight maintaining. Life is good at the moment and that's how I'd like it to stay - a good, steady year ahead for me please x


Wishing you all a very Happy New Year  x