Category: Family life

March 8, 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

March 3, 2016

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

February 29, 2016

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

February 24, 2016

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

February 23, 2016

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

February 22, 2016

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

February 17, 2016

Projects x

I read an article once that said it was only ever possible to have two out of the three of the holy grails of building works: Cost, quality, time. I think the similar principals apply to children at halfterm…happy children, messy house, cost…only ever two at one time..but at least acknowledging these salient truths makes wading through the detritus of my present house so much easier. Which is a good thing, because added to our layer of general chaos is the fact we have the school quiz next week – this was last year – so why should this year be any different? We’ve started working on the costumes..and discovered a new creative product – ever come across thermomorph moldable plastic before??

It’s amazing stuff. You add these little plastic balls to boiling water.

And wait 2 minutes till they go clear.

Then you take it out and wait just long enough so no-one will get scalded.

And start molding…into anything you want.

It’s amazing stuff – the time line between being soft and hard is quite short – but you can just drop it back in the boiling water to soften again. And they dry totally opaque and white. What we were making I can’t say…except all will be revealed next week…

Laters, Kate x

February 15, 2016

Ceilings x

Probably the coldest morning of the winter today – the perfect conditions for clearing the garden of Molly’s now solid brown presents. Makes me wonder if someone has invented a poo-freezer yet…no! not somewhere to store her daily offerings! but something Ghostbuster-like to make the job even slightly more fun..a bit like the paint I tried on the ceiling this weekend. I hate painting ceilings..but there’s more of a twinkle if it’s an ever-so subtle shade of bubble gum pink..

What do you think? A design step too far??

Good job it turns white after an hour…hehe!

In principal it’s a great idea..but does make you realise how hard/long it takes to paint cornice properly..

Laters, Kate x

February 12, 2016

Small steps..

This weekend marks the start of moving towards a less wasteful life as inspired by this post. For me, it’s not about wearing a horsehair shirt but finding simple solutions that work and moving away from the total belief in mass produced, mass marketed products we pick up without thinking. The first experiment neatly fits in with my own eco philosophy – it involves dryer sheets – which to many would be an environmental oxymoron, but as a dryer works for us as a family it stays – and the spotlight goes onto what goes into the dryer..

From my research, there seem to be two basic methods – the first involves using ready made (you could make your own..there are recipes..(I’m not there yet)) fabric conditioner. Strips of old towels or sponges are soaked in the solution and then are used either wet, straight from the pot or can be dried before hand.

(All pics Pinterest and View from the Fridge)

The next method requires a larger leap of faith…the cloths are stored and left soaking in a mixture of vinegar and essential oils (any combination you fancy). They say, when the clothes come out, any smell of fish and chips has evaporated away…

The kids could be grateful it’s half term next week…

Laters, Kate x