hazeljoy

new shoes

i sometimes sit and ponder the journey my life will take. the things that i will see and do, and the decisions i will make.

a mini survey

oh my life.

i have a quandary: i have been offered a kitten. a very cute, runt of the litter, kitten. and she's lovely. but i just don't know.

i had a couple of cats when i was little, and several of my friends have them, but i have always considered myself as more of a dog person (and a dachshund person at that). see, i quite fancy a pet, and let's face it, i won't be able to afford a wire-haired miniature dachsie in a long time. cats are good - they entertain themselves in the day, don't need walking and are snuggly enough when you need them.

but the question is do i really want one? the responsibility of any pet is quite a lot to think about. i don't know whether i want the tiedown. having to feed it everyday isn't much, but who'll do that when i'm not here? and what about when i go on holidays? and then if it gets ill i'll have to sort out going to the vet. and then there's fleas. not to mention the cost of the food.

so this is where you come in. help. should i do it?

nearly*

i can live without a bathroom (indeed, i nearly am). i can live in a hideously decorated bedroom. i can live without central heating. i can even live with a dusty living room. but i cannot live without a kitchen.

well, not long to go now.

 

finishing off jobs:

a few doors, handles, a shelf, end panels, lighting pelmet & under cabinet lights, plinth (under floor units), a length of skirting board, door frame.

then i can put up pictures and organise the cupboards.

next? we're onto the central heating and the bathroom.

*this one is for the lovely janet - my house is indeed getting habitable.

another sweet weekend..

yes, another sweet weekend under the belt.

this time a wedding of two of the nicest folks you could ever meet. i hadn't made proper plans - no idea how i was getting home or where i was going to stay, but it all worked out a treat thanks to some excellent friends.

these lovelies arrived in the post whilst i was away this weekend.

first up: photogram from mr yen (etsy shop here).

i love photograms (that the actual name? it's what we called them when i did gcse photography) and this one is a real delight, including loads of delicate detail and a lovely composition. 

i think it looks like a buttercup or maybe a poppy, what do you think?

secondly: cool art postcard from my pal mickey in atlanta, georgia.

i love his drawing style (he draws like no one else i know), and this one is particularly cool. i particularly like the balance of the black stripe on the right.

bit o' pretty

i just had one of the greatest nights out ever. a surprise birthday party that turned into the best catch-up event of the last 5 years. so many successful, beautiful people (seriously, how is it possible that i have so many good looking friends?), so much laughter and so much fun. i can even overlook that didn't get in until 4, when i wandered home accompanied by the rising sun and a chorus of birds.

life is sweet right now.

bathroom

don't ask why this got started too, what with the kitchen in the state it has been, because logic and sense don't enter into this.

 

hideous wallpaper stripped, tiles removed, cupboard (inc. spitting ancient shower and old water tank) ripped out.

seriously, don't ask.

slow progress

the walls were boarded

a real floor laid

then they were plastered

and given a first and second coat

 

 

and finally, a new floor

 

stepping forward

the floor came up

the joists were treated

a new floor was laid

then the walls dry lined

and if that weren't enough, work on the bathroom has begun.

without plaster (expanded tweet from 25th april)

last night: half past midnight.

walked into kitchen for drink in near-sleep stupor. tripped and stubbed toe on pile of wood. light on - i have no plaster anymore. all bare brick save for a thin strip. THIS IS A BUILDING SITE.

oh, and there isn't a sink anymore either. so the journey was a complete waste of time. joy of joys.

the actual floor is coming up (i.e. out) next week.

garden corner

shells from this walk