Diary notes published from my phone :)

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22.8.12
John, the plasterer, plastered today. We only found him yesterday and he has done a fab job today! Will be back tomorrow and Friday to finish the fiddly bits. Mike has just about got all the units ready for fitting and I have been testing paints on the doors. Very heavy oak worktops arrived today and dishwasher (shhh...girls don't know!) arrives tomorrow. Lots of work to come but going to look great in no time :))



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23.8.12
What a busy, busy day! Eleven doors and four drawer fronts are painted and will be distressed before bed (but not as much as me!) The plasterer has plastered more walls and will be back tomorrow to finish. The dishwasher has arrived and is safely tucked up in Mike's shed out of sight from the girls who firmly believe we are the meanest of mean and are not putting one in :) And.....dah dah ddaaahhhh! We've ordered the range cooker! Yay upon yayzers!! Cannot wait to get cooking :)))

Mike has had the big guns out chasing walls for wires and drilling holes for taps, amongst other things....(he's well into this plumbing mallarky now!) He's spent a lot of time contacting trades and trying to plan fitting the kitchen around builders, plasterers, electricians and worktop fitters (we have a solid oak worktop going in that is soooo heavy Mike will need someone to help with the fitting)

The house is in complete uproar again and will be for the next couple of weeks :(( But it will be worth it :))



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24.8.12
Woodworm is worse than we thought..mike looking at replacing the whole dining room floor :(( Cooker coming wednesday..sparky coming thursday....sink being taken out tomorrow...probs no kitchen for a couple of weeks. Floor needs to be sorted before island units can be fitted. Oh joy! Doors and drawers have had first coat of wax and plasterer has finished....looks lovely! :))



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25.8.12
Been a tough day, I won't lie......

Much debate over floorboards, decision now made and they will be delivered Tues. Kris turned up with his trusty tool kit and helped Mike remove the sink and start the cabinet fitting...didn't get far; drain and gas pipe in the way behind the old sink unit! But we have yet another plan, it will be sorted. Mike re-plumbed the outside tap so we have somewhere to fill the kettle..most important :) And it rained and rained; most units and all painted doors, inside and dry now. Bodies and brains aching, we will sleep like logs....



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26.8.12
Today has been a better day...what a difference a bit of sunshine makes :)

We have been counting our blessings as we dried everything out! 3 wash loads done and dried AND the first kitchen cupboard fitted, fixed, on the wall and filled with mugs! Second coat of wax on half the doors....no room to lay the rest out so will do them once these are dry and polished. Slight problem with the dishwasher....can't make it work! Just a little inconvenient as we now don't have a sink! Ah well, camping bowl under the marque it is then....will just imagine we are holidaying in the south of France :D We're feeling more sorted and way less stressed. Glass of wine, telly, bed and we'll be ready for another day.....car boots tomorrow for a bit of light relief :)))



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27.8.12
This morning, we took time out to wander around Moss End car boot and garden centre....managed to miss the rain and pick up some bargains (thank you Sandra and Claudia!) including a couple of shrubs and perennials for the garden...end of season stuff...always the best way to buy as they were cheap and will look fab next year :))

This afternoon, Mike has cleaned and scrubbed and made sure the freezer and dishwasher that came with our second hand kitchen are working well before he ebays them! And he has prepared the door for what will be our larder...looks brill :) I have been waxing and painting and planting..... Now, microwave meal and alcohol whilst watching the pipes and drums to finish off the day... phew... :))

Wondering whether to add a bit of colour to the glass in the door in the pic....watcha reckon??



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28.8.12
No dishwasher until next bleepin' Tuesday!!! Ggrrrrrr....it isn't working; baumatic have to send an engineer out; can't get one here until next Tuesday; if he deems it faulty, then....and only then...will it be replaced. Until then, we continue with the hose, camping bowl and kettle in the marquee :/

On a more positive note, Mike has fitted the door for the larder....just waiting for a top coat and a latch.....then new shelves inside, see the back of the builders and mess...and I can fill it :D

And...another positive note...Ali Pally has visited for a look round, to play with the dogs and sit in the garden for a chat...lovely! Thank you for our Tit boxes! We will find a place in one of our bushes for them to nestle and await the results next spring :))

Our floorboard delivery never materialised.....another ggrrrr...more phone calls tomorrow!

Now, it must be nearly time for bed. :))



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29.8.12
Builders..windows...floorboards....cooker....all arrived today, at about the same time! Add to that inquisitive dogs and rain and, hey presto! Mayhem!! :))

Mike hid in the lounge for most of the day with the dogs and his laptop and I escaped to Festival Place with Steph for a spot of retail therapy :D

We now have a cute little kitchen window where the door used to be and a new window in our shower so, once that area is tiled, the bathroom will be completed! Yay! :)))

Tomorrow, we are off to the big smoke to see Stomp and leaving Steph in charge of builders...is that wise? I'm sure it is! We should come home to another new kitchen window and a back door (in a different place) Then upwards and onwards towards a new kichen! Looking forward to that :)))

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30.8.12

Up early to manouvre and cover as much of the kitchen as we could before Dean and Charlie arrived to crash about the place, knocking walls down and taking windows out.

Escaped to Stomp...hope to come home to new door and gas pipes removed.....thanks a bundle, Steph, for staying home and taking care of everything. It's been such a treat to escape!

Now..sitting five rows from the front waiting for the show to begin......

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31.8.12

Notes from today.....new door is great, new cooker arrived ('tis loverly!) Sparky came to wire it in, finish sockets and put downlighters in the kitchen. Mike painted the ceiling. Caroline came to visit and brought Japonese Anemone roots...thank you Caroline :))

Most of the trades have been paid, rest will be sorted next week....

We are looking forward to getting on with the kitchen at our own pace....just the worktop fitter to call in when we're ready for him.

Now taxi service and bed. :)

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2.10.12

Lovely new sink, trying out it's new position :))

Mike has spent a long, long time, today, sorting out the plumbing for the sink and dishwasher and rejigging the cabinets so that it will fit!

Yesterday, I planted Caroline's Anemones and Izzy and Harry helped Mike to hang Ali's Tit baskets :)) We are all now excitedly awaiting flowers and inhabitants!

Back to work tomorrow.....I will enjoy coming home each day to discover what Mike's been working on! Pictures will follow :)

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3.10.12

Came home from first day back at work to find three cabinets fitted, the back room cleared ready for woodworm offensive, a parcel addressed to me and Mike had worked his magic on the dishwasher........it's working! Yay!!

The parcel turned out to be our new whistling kettle; the picture is of the view of the room as we come in the back door......it's coming together nicely :)))

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4.10.12

Came home tonight to half a floor missing and a very tired man.....those floorboards took some getting up! The wood that is left has been anti-woodworm coated. We will be up early tomorrow to go to Wickes for stain/varnish and joist supports as the little blighters have chewed through some of the original joists! May see some new flooring down tomorrow :))

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15.10.12

Just hugged Hannah byebye in Bournemouth....Uni life calls! Now, back to kitchen updates :))

Found this on my phone this morning.....my intentions were good! :))

PS this is the pile of woodworm infested floorboards waiting for bonfire night.....should be a good one!!

I will be back with more and pics later today (Ali).....promise! :D

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Bye for now!