Category: 2016
RIP Kiwi..
Bella and Charlie had a lesson in the fragility of life this week when one of their much loved dwarf hamsters, Kiwi died.
I think as a parent part of the reason you agree to pets is to open that door to the experience of the circle of life: To love something, be totally involved…and then to lose it…death is the bleakness lurking in the shadows..it’s the moment the clouds close over the sun..
They decorated the coffin, layered it with love..and Charlie wrote a poem..
We did a funeral service..I sang (probably not the highlight) but I’m hoping this experience will give them something to remember when something more serious inevitably happens. It makes you sadly realise how jaded you become as a adult – and how the innocence of childhood needs to be treasured: Little things do matter.
Laters, Kate x
Food for Breakfast..
Things are moving on a pace on the renovation…painting has started on the cellar, lights have gone up and the hallway, which was boarded up for protection by the builders has been opened up again..it now feels twice the size. More paint samples have been bought (I swear this is where paint companies make their profit)…but at least they’re starting to make sense. Pictures will follow soon…
Outside the sky is brilliant blue and it genuinely feels that spring is knocking on the door..hence of the appeal of these spring pics from Toast, suggesting bare foot easy living with simplicity the main ingredient and quality the key.
I want to be here.
Toast also do the best summer scarves..expensive, but worth every penny.
In contrast their Swedish clog shoes are great value – just £65..
Goes to show…there’s always something exciting around the corner…
Laters, Kate x
Succulent Sorbet..
There’s ways and means of going light..thinking contrasts, warmth and the unexpected.
Set off against the grey = pure lush..
Hmmmmmmmmmm…
Laters, Kate x
The Underworld x
As the kitchen has been progressing, so has the cellar..the bookcases are finished and the faux fireplace/black-box-storage-facility now has fancy detailing..
(We bought these terracotta plaques nearly fifteen years ago on a very memorable trip to Sicily involving climbing volcanos, exploding boats and great friends)
They’ve been waiting all this time for the perfect place to shine…and now they will forever make me smile.
The carpentry on all the storage cupboards is also complete.
And the stairs are done – it just all needs a lick of paint now…and will be the next room to be decorated. Time to re-cap on the inspiration shots..and start buying paint samples.
Not long…
Laters, Kate x
The Kitchen’s Arrived!
And all hail the Gods of colour…it’s a lovely dark….GREY! Not a hint of brown in sight…
Phew. Phew. Phew.
And it looks pretty dramatic against the white…
Now it’s the simple matter of getting it all fitted…
Plus some of the other little extras I’ve been waiting for. New coat hooks?!
Laters, Kate x
The Quiz..
Our school quiz is a major fixture in the yearly calendar – it’s a good life in a bonker’s world, where winning the costume prize is the greatest accolade: It’s go large or go home…
So amongst the paint pots and drill bits the costumes were all handcrafted with love and terror and pinned, primed and pimped for the big night.
This year our theme was horror and freaks (who needs costumes some would say?)..
I was a killer-mer-maggot…carried by a zombie
Su was Freak girl carried by a scary friend..
The Husband was a head..being eaten by Hannibal Lecter..
We had Sweeney Todd complete with pies (how often as he been photo-bombed by Donald Trump?)
And we had a vampire baby with a taste for the heavy stuff..
I didn’t get a good pic of Sandeep – he was the body in the bodysnatcher’s sack..
And this is my best one of Steff..
It was interesting dealing with such characters..Hannibal was permanently hungry..
Death was having a love-in with David..
Even though David kept telling him to f-off…
And guess what..we won!!!
It was a huge hurrah for the mad and happily twisted..
Laters, Kate x
Happy birthday..
It’s Finery’s first birthday – it seems hardly believable they’ve been around for such a short time.
It’s such a great label that fills a gap in the market you never thought was there. Until they started.
On the one side it’s reflective, mild mannered and be-spectacled.
On the other, clever, en pointe, different.
This is a label that joins all the dots.
And does the best trousers. Stalk them.
Laters, Kate x
The Hall x
The kitchen still hasn’t arrived – some hold up at the spray painters. I wait for it with baited breath because I’m desperate to know the colour as it will have such an impact on what happens next both in the hall and in the sitting room.
I have the empty pot sitting on the fireplace as a colour guide..and it looks a greeny grey.
And the colour samples on the wall…which look grey.
But I swear when it was painted it was a seventies brown.
The stairs up to the first floor are already painted this colour (not a picture of them – too covered in dust (another ceiling went this week..the last one) (over our temporary kitchen mind you!)…but does it stay? I’ve also noticed that all the staircases that tick the box have no runners….not an option for us. And if a staircase is dark, the walls are white. Not great with kids. And what runner works on a dark staircase?
There’s always the option to go lighter..
I was going to use a kilim runner as a stair carpet down to the cellar/underworld. Maybe I’ll move that idea and use it in the entrance hall instead..add a bit of much wanted colour and texture..
I think I’m going to run with it (hoho)..and see what happens…
Nothing ventured, nothing gained…
Laters, Kate x
Procrastinating aloud..
No more this. Begone..
Or this. All dark thoughts to be obliterated (or possibly left to the cellar underworld to (hopefully) fulfil..we’ll see..)
Welcoming this.
And this.
Clean, calm, tranquil. Spilt tea, homework, functional, practical..
And this.
No. Not this. (Must learn..)
This. Which could be approximately the colour the units will be (despite having painted the whole room – I still have no idea what colour it is – officially it’s called Umbra grey)..But it’s what it’ll look like in photos..the actual colour is more earthy? (How could I have chosen such a non-colour??)..
This picture has made the cut because of it’s contrasting pale colour – I think I’ll need one..(will it be a green, grey or cream?? Depends on the colour of the units…)
Contrast colours..
Subtle contrast colours.
Not sure I’m very good at subtle.
Laters, Kate x
Disaster..
So here’s the thing: This weekend I finally started to paint the kitchen..
I pulled out the big drums and polyrhythms and went with what my heart said..dark. On the sample it looked grey – in my tin – grey. On the wall – brown. In pictures – black. My mother (who saw it) is still convinced it was green. To be honest..once it was on, it just looked promisingly awful. Not at all what I had imagined.
If you’re an uber cool couple with no children..then it certainly makes a statement. Sadly our space is less flickering candlelight more spilt tea and homework. I even unwrapped the mirror to see if stuff on the walls made a difference – and like the skidmarks of a bad crash, that’s when I discovered the next tragedy – the mirror had woodworm…great with a brand new oak parquet floor..
I know I’m not the only one to be suffering colour sample polymorphing..the truth is – the only way to know if you really like a colour is to paint a whole wall..or if you’re mad like me, a whole room. Sigh. And then be prepared to stand back and admit you’ve made a mistake: I like to believe I have adventurous taste but to have kept this just to prove a point would’ve made it the worst fake since…well, Madonna. So whilst I lament that it’s the wrong story…and it breaks my heart – the salient fact is it’s only paint and we all make mistakes: Nobody has died. It’s just my very own, very sad bad….that will be paid for in blood and sweat..
There was no time to faff with new samples – it needed to be finished by this morning (Monday) as the kitchen was due to arrive back for fitting. The only option was to go big and go white..
Have you ever painted over black before?
I gave up at one o’clock this morning..
The whole design now needs a new re-think…and I’m suspecting that only way to make this work is to embrace everything Scandi.
Never thought I’d write that..
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 