Before ... and After

I've been busy, busy, busy lately, and finally had my new windows fitted.  I was very unsure as to how I would feel, as I loved the old ones.  It was an original 1936 stained glass bay window as I mentioned in a previous post, but was damaged, leaking and costing us a fortune in heating bills. So with a heavy heart it had to go ...

View from outside, not so pretty!

There's no going back now ...

Oh, what have I done?

Now they're finished I love them, they really open the room up (need to do something with the bright orange fencing panels at the back of the garden!), but they do look a bit blingy and BRIGHT WHITE.  Now the decorating begins.  I can wallpaper, but not perfectly, but thought I would give it a go.  First of all my husband and I painted all the woodwork using Farrow & Ball Vert de Terre (my favourite at the moment), and as I was off work I set to with the papering.

A couple of months ago I visited a charity shop I hadn't been in very often as it always looked the same in the window and not very interesting, but I ventured in and found that I knew most of the ladies who worked in there.  One was a retired midwife and had actually delivered my firstborn son nearly 26 years ago!  Anyway, I rummaged around and then I noticed a little alcove in the back of the shop and asked if I could look in there.  "of course you can love, but there's not much in there".  But there was! A bag with 4 unopened rolls of beautiful Laura Ashley wallpaper which I knew would go perfectly somewhere in my home ... for the grand sum of £2 for the lot! And ... a pair of lovely long Sanderson type curtains for £4.  They have been stashed away until I decided where they would go.  Didn't have to wait too long ...

 Sorry about the ladders, not very aesthetically pleasing!

Now it's done I'm really happy with it as it looks like it's always been like that ... I know I'm strange but think I've mentioned before I don't like shiny, new things, I like them to look like they've always been there and even though the doors look new, they are blending in.

It hasn't all been hard work though, after the decorating me and gorgeous girl went on a jaunt to find treasure for the upcoming Village Vintage Hall fair at Greenodd.  On the way back, we took the scenic route along the Coast Road and passed the golden temple of the Buddhist Monastery.  My daughter said she had never been there, so after a quick u-turn, we quickly remedied that!

The Monastery itself is in a beautiful, old mansion, set in lovely grounds and woodland, with walks down to the sea, but it is so PEACEFUL, there is just such a lovely air of tranquility, even though there were lots of visitors that day

and the temple itself is very impressive

I'm sorry but I can't take you inside, but when you are in there, the feeling is of a complete detachment from the outside world, and you become lost in your surroundings.

On Saturday I was invited to lunch at the home of the lovely Maria (Rosey Tinted Spectacles) and we put the world to rights!  Lunch was delicious ... homemade Leek and Potato Soup, Prawn Sandwiches ... and of course nothing can be complete without tea in a china cup and saucer, and Fondant Fancies!

A lovely day, and nice end to a hardworking week!

Hope you have a happy, productive week ...

XXX