Have a white Christmas, everyone!

Click to enlarge:

Deck the House!

We've put the Christmas tree in the kitchen, along with a vintage sled holding all our (my) presents! I found it at an antique fair a couple of months ago.

I've padded out my nativity scene with a new camel and two additional shepards:

The pine table wreath is on our living room table:

And my new buy this year is a pair of Royal Copenhagen tea light holders, so pretty:

Even the downstairs loo doesn't escape the festivities!

I've got other bits and bobs around the house, including the crystal mittens from the Canadian Mum tied around a lamp, but I haven't taken photos of all of it.

Brand New Boss

After two-and-a-half years in my current job, I decided to explore other opportunities within the bank I work for. My decision to look was based on the fact that my boss will soon be moving back to the land of the free. I didn't want to leave my future in the hands of whoever would step into her role.

So a couple of months ago, I successfully applied for and got a job with a Director on the finance team. He is tasked with transforming the company strategically so I suspect there will be exciting times ahead! The fantastic thing about him is that he worked on our Small Island for some years in the 90's, so is familiar with our culture. From what I can tell so far, he has a very good sense of humour and seems to be a positive person. He is in high profile role so I will have lots to learn and have a new bunch of colleagues to get to know.

Today was my last day with my current team and it was indeed bittersweet. While I am looking forward to working with my new boss, I am also very fond of my old boss, in spite of all her little quirky ways. She hasn't always been a easy task master, but we have shared a lot of laughs together and a colleague once said we spoke to each other like sisters. I also now get along really well with the other members of my current team and I will miss them a lot.

I will update you on how it is all going once I've settled into my new job. In the mean while, roll on Christmas vacation!

The House of Style

This weekend, we visited my friend the Capable Dane and her family. I have known her for a very long time, in fact, we went to high school in the land of the free together.

We have seen each other intermittently throughout the years and have always kept in touch, first through letters and later via email. I have stayed at her parents' amazing house and in her apartment when I visited her in the 1990's. Likewise, she has stayed with me several times in the various cities I've lived in as well.

In the 24 years that I've known her, I've always held her in the highest regard. She has always been a calming influence in my life and has what I consider the 'complete package'. The Capable Dane is everything I admire. She is attractive, intelligent, unflappable and creative. Not only is she a whiz in the kitchen, she also makes her own stylish clothes, designs jewellery and can tile a floor. How many people you know can do all those things and do them well?!

She has always had exquisite taste and a unique sense of style. However, nothing prepared me for how beautiful her current house is. She and her hubby moved in about ten years ago and in that time, they have extended it and put their own stamp on it. What amazes me is that they have done a lot of the work themselves, bar the electrics and piping, which they are not allowed to handle by law. They have ripped down ceilings, taken up the floors, put in a kitchen and bathroom, etc. The Capable Dane's equally capable hubby even put in a mini loft (yes, you read that right, LOFT) in their eldest daughter's bedroom!!! When I was given a tour of the house, I was seriously gobsmacked. All you could hear coming out of my mouth was 'wow' and 'OMG' and 'I love that'!

But enough words, here are some photos to show you what I mean. It snowed all weekend which made it really special.

The front of the house:

Detail - plants by the kitchen door draped with outdoor fairy lights:

Going into the house, the kitchen is to your left. I adore the huge white antique mirror and floor candles:

The ceiling beams are my favourite feature in the kitchen:

Everything in the house either has a function or is beautiful, often both. Detail - colourful tea caddies brighten up a window ledge:

The dining room and living space run along the front of the house and wrap around one side of it:

The living area reminds me of a New York apartment with its white walls and huge colourful paintings (the gorgeous brown lab Maggie and the red balloon on the chandelier are evidence of a household with three young children!):

Detail - a group of mismatched but similarly-coloured candlesticks add interest and mood lighting:

The view from the living room (I know, wow right?):

In the basement is the guest/au pair's room. All white walls, a tactile concrete floor and a wrought iron bed induce a feeling of calm:

Detail - pressed flowers in a gold frame sit on a vintage chest of drawers:

The basement bathroom has a free standing bath that just makes you want to jump into it:

It also has a stand up shower and a stripped wooden door that reminds me of a rustic farmhouse:

Being interested in interior design myself, I am always looking at photos on the internet or watching programmes on the telly to get ideas. To be honest, I am not often impressed by what other people have done in their homes.

However, when I walked through the Capable Dane's house, I was completely inspired by her style. I don't even know what you would call it. She mixes modern with traditional and somehow, it all fits beautifully together as is shown by the photos above.

Simplicity in the backdrop and tasteful objects, both expensive and not so expensive, live side by side in complete harmony. Both P and I were truly impressed and I felt very proud for all that the Capable Dane and her husband have achieved. They have also done a really wonderful job with their three children, who are well behaved, intelligent and talented.

On the Saturday evening, the snow stopped for a few hours and we went to Tivoli Gardens to see the Christmas Market. The kids had a great time going on all the rides as well. It was beautiful but really really brrrrr.......!


All in all, a great trip to bring in the start of the festive season. Ho ho ho!

Chynna - Brochure Star!

Since January, we have been visiting a residential home with Chynna, a registered Pets as Therapy dog, almost every Sunday (we only skip visits when we are on holiday). During this time, we have gotten to know the residents and staff very well. Chynna has made such a big impact on all their lives that she was asked to be in the new Brinsworth House brochure!


She appears towards the end under 'Special Activities'!


She is one year and eight months old now and we are so proud of her. She is a wonderful visiting dog, happily laying on the sofa with her head in their laps and getting her belly scratched. She particularly likes getting her chin tickled!

Georgia Rose also comes with us and she sits with a few of the calmer residents. We call her our 'Therapy Dog in Training'...with lots more training to come! She is too young for official visiting work but still loves meeting different people.

We have been invited to the Christmas party on 5 December and will probably drop by on Christmas Day as well. Some of them are taken out by friends and family but others will spend the day at the home.

Many of them look forward to seeing her every weekend and a few of them have really benefitted by calming down since she started her visits.

For us too, it has been an amazing 10 months and Chynna, P and I have learnt a lot from the residents. They have led amazing lives which they are more than happy to share with us, should we wish to ask. We feel really privileged that they enjoy having us there and I pray that we can continue for many more years to come.

Autumn Activities

I can't believe that we are in the last quarter of the year and that we now need our heating on in the house! Where has time gone?!

We have been very busy settling into the house and bringing up 'baby'. Georgia Rose is already four-and-a-half months old and developing really well. She walks almost perfectly on the leash and is slowly getting the concept of obedience. :-)

I took these photos of her this afternoon.

Sleeping on mummy's legs:

Getting older and prettier every day:

Last weekend, we went to Tunbridge Wells with some friends. It is a pretty little town about an hour's drive from here with lovely shops and scenic countryside. We came across an antique market in the town hall and I picked up these lovely Fleur de Lys shot glasses. There were only five of them so I got another set of three to mix and match.


Afterwards, we drove on to Bateman House, a National Trust property that Rudyard Kipling used to live in. He wrote the Jungle Book, which we all know and love.

His house is absolutely amazing and I couldn't resist taking a photo of his study:

The gardens are simple but beautifully maintained:

And I saw the smallest apples of all time. These were taken against my hand to show scale:

As the days get shorter, colder and darker, we need to organise life so we have things to look forward to. Next week, we are going to a huge antique fair at a racecourse and in mid-November, we are heading to the Country Living Fair in north Blundon for all things shabby chic. Towards the end of November, we are visiting friends in a nearby harbour city. There will also be a Christmas Fair there, my idea of heaven! Can't wait. :-)

Bow wow wow

We picked Georgia Rose up on Wednesday and we've just been living and breathing dogs, dogs, dogs since then!


Georgia is much smaller than Chynna was as a puppy. At almost 12 weeks old, she is just a teeny tiny 2.2kg. Chynna at 10 weeks was already 2.35kg. Georgia is a very unusual colour with a red tint to her head but from the neck down, she is a silvery grey and black with a dapple pattern all over. Her socks, snout and eyebrows are a browny tan.

Georgia can't quite make it through the night without needing several toilet breaks so P and I are really exhausted! However, the good thing is that she will whine and scratch the cage door, so we know she needs to go out. She does her business in the garden quickly, then we go back to bed for another couple of hours before she has to go again.

Speaking to the vet, this is very normal. We didn't have to do this with Chynna, who could hold it the whole night from the first days she came to us. But then Chynna is one in a million and we are very lucky with her.

Georgia really loves Chynna...though I can't say the same for Chynna at the minute! Although she does enjoy a run around in the garden with her, she just doesn't have the same energy level as a puppy. When Chynna tries to sleep, she will nibble on her tail so I am constantly disciplining Georgia. It is a work in progress!

Here are some pics of them in their bed:

The Little Copy Kat!

Chynna: I remember when my bed was my own!

Three dawgs in a bed

Today, we took both of them to the residential home that we visit every Sunday. Georgia was a huge hit! Everyone thought she was so cute. She was petted and cooed over. We are slowly trying to socialise her with children and other people. When she is allowed out and about next week after her vaccinations kick in, I will also let her play with smaller friendly dogs.

We went to the pub for lunch and these table of older folks were really interested in her. I brought Georgia over in her little carry bag when she was sleeping and they took photos of her on their mobiles. When I turned around, most of the people from the adjoining bar, around 10 of them, were gathered behind me goo goo gaa gaa-ing over her! It was definitely a rock star moment. :-)

Now both Chynna and Georgia are fast asleep in their bed and I can feel my eyelids dropping too. Time for me to join my girls for a nap zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Introducing Georgia Rose

P and I have some big news...literally. On 8 July, we bought a house! It is a newly built three-bedroom semi-detached in a lovely residential neighbourhood not too far from where we live now.

I haven't been writing the blog as we have been busy packing, driving boxes to the new place, unpacking, putting up shelves and mirrors, gardening, etc, etc, etc. All the exhausting things you have to do when you move. We are happy as it's nice to have a place to call your own. I did have to sell my apartment on the Small Island to put a bigger deposit on this house. But it was time to do so and we are really pleased with the new property.

I will post photos once it is ready. We have ordered white shutters for all the windows and also the kitchen door which will take about eight weeks to arrive. I have always loved them as they remind me of the deep south of the Land of the Free, very 'Steel Magnolias'.

Talking about the southern states, we will have a new addition to the family as of 18 August. We are getting another dog! This time, we have chosen a short-haired silver dapple miniature dachshund. Her name is Georgia Rose and she is now seven weeks old.

I saw the ad for her some time last week and thought she looked beautiful but didn't look up the contact details of the breeder. However, she was somehow still at the back of my mind two days later so I looked at the ad again. This time, I decided to give the breeder a call and arranged for P and I to see her.

This is the pic of her that was in the ad:

We drove over two hours (one way) to her breeder's house yesterday and P and I both warmed to Georgia upon sight. She will be slightly smaller than Chynna and I hope as laid back. She seemed a confident little pup who was comfortable and didn't shiver or show nervousness when we picked her up. She is part of a dog family of about seven so she is very well socialised. The breeder has even started house training her in the garden. :-)

Georgia has very unusual colouring with lovely markings. She is mostly silver grey with a bit of black, tan and even red on her head.

Check out them rusty puppy paws:

Just call me button nose:

We will be very busy the next few weeks but once the internet is up and running in the new house, I will send more updates!

One Week from Shabby to Chic

Late last year, I bought this cabinet online:

I have always liked it as it is very old and unusual. If you click on any of the photos, they will enlarge so you can look at the detail.

However, the dark wood didn't suit the rest of our furniture, which is mostly off-white, creams and pale colours. I have said to P many times that we should paint it but somehow, we never got round to it.

However, last weekend when Yeller Fever and his girlfriend went back to the Small Island after a wonderful two-week holiday here, I was at a loose end and wanted something to do. P took me to the DIY store and we picked up a sander, primer and some brushes.

I did a bit of research on how to properly paint furniture and there are loads of steps. The first is to sand, which took P over two hours. He also helped me to tape up the glass frontage so that I could paint the woodwork. I then wiped all the dust off and painted both the cabinet and the two shelves with the first coat of primer:

A couple of days later, I primed it with the second coat:

After a gentle sanding and wiping down the cabinet, I painted the first coat of Farrow and Ball's 'White Tie':


F&B do the best vintage period paint colours. A small tin costs £15, but the finish is amazingly beautiful and tough. You don't even need a sealant or wax.

It looked much better after the second coat went on:

After that dried, it was time to distress the paintwork. Yes with shabby chic, you paint it on just to take it all off again! Or at least sand off certain bits to bring it back to the wood base. This part took absolutely ages and my arms (not to mention neck/back/shoulder) were aching. But P was a real star and helped me again with this bit of hard work.

Here is the finished result:

With all my trinkets, photos and vintage china back in it:

Do I love it? Yes, I do and so does P. It was really hard work and took over 20 man (and woman!) hours, not including purchasing the items or drying time. However, we now have a cabinet that is completely unique. It was really nice to do something together and have a wonderful new piece of furniture (and not to mention a ginormous blister on my thumb) to show for it.

Will we do it again? I'm not sure but now that we have the sander and the know how, it seems a waste not to!

I Met My Idol!!

Yesterday was undoubtedly THE best day I've ever had in Brrringland. "Why?" I hear you all ask. Well you all know that my favourite home design style is shabby chic, and I only met the Queen of Shabby Chic herself, Ms Rachel Ashwell!!!!!

But I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let me start at the beginning.

It was a dreary Saturday morning as usual, with the rain falling and grey clouds all around. All I could see ahead of me was another boring old day in boring old Blundon.

I was having my morning coffee and surfing the web when I decided to click on www.shabbychic.com. I sometimes check out Rachel Ashwell's website to keep up with what she is doing and to look at the beautiful photos she often posts on her blog. I knew she was opening a new shop in Blundon, but had no idea when that would be. Imagine my surprise when I saw the opening hours under the Blundon shop address. As soon as P woke up up, I told him that I wanted to check it out.

I have been following Rachel's story for a few years. She originally started the shabby chic craze in the 80s when she scoured flea markets for pieces of furniture. She would then refurbish them in her distinctive style by painting them white and distressing them. These pieces sold like hot cakes and her business expanded rapidly. Her decorating palette uses mostly pale colours and imperfect items are perfect to her.

She was successful for many years until the credit crunch hit a couple of years ago. To my (as well as many of her other customers') dismay, she had to close down her shops for some months. However, she is back in business again with three new stores, including the one in Blundon.

P drove me the 12 miles to her shop and we parked up. When we walked into the store, who should I see sitting on a big comfy sofa in the middle of the store but Rachel herself!! I was like,"Oh my god, you're here!!!" ha ha. Playing it so cool...not! Anyway, she was really friendly and said that she spends most her time in her other two shops in the Land of the Free but she happened to be in Brrringland to help set up this one.

I was so excited but tried not to gush too much. We looked around and although we didn't buy any furniture, I did pick up two copies of her latest book. She signed one for me and the other one for my stepmum. I also got my photograph taken with her. She was actually wearing the same pink top as the one on the cover of her book.

Her furniture is expensive but very high quality. After we move house later on in the year, I will definitely go back there and pick something up.

When we got out of the shop, I finally let rip and jumped up and down, squealing, "Oh my god I can't believe I met Rachel Ashwell, OH MY GOD!!!!" P could not stop laughing. He knows that I am never going to have an affair because my only passions are jewellery, Chynna, property and of course, shabby chic. :-)

I could not stop smiling all day and even when I think about it now, I am still very happy. I feel extremely inspired. She was so lovely and meeting her really has made my year. Actually never mind that, it has made my entire two year stay in Brrringland!

I've Joined the BIG 4-0 Club!

I wrote my last blog as a 30-something, but write this as a 40-something. In between the two entries, I left my youth behind and became 'middle-aged'!

On 19 March, friends and family descended on us for my 40th birthday celebrations. My dad and stepmum flew in from the Small Island and others came from various parts of Ewww-rope and Brrringland.

We had a Thai buffet lunch at the local pub and there were 16 adults and six kids. We pretty much took over the whole place and a great time was had by everyone. The kids played with toys that my stepmum had brought with her and she and my dad were a big hit with the children.

I sat safely esconded in the 'adults only' table drapped in mink and bling. P and my friends all chipped in to buy me a Paraiba Tourmaline ring surrounded by diamonds. I had several vodka cranberries for company too so all was well in the birthday girl's world. :-)

We spent the aftern0on eating, drinking, chatting and generally having a super time. I had friends there, both new ones that we've made since we moved here, and close friends that I've known for over 20 years. I did miss some other friends from back home...but I know that it wouldn't have been possible to have everyone I love all in one place at the same time!

The day really flew by in a blurr, as did the rest of the two weeks that my parents were with P and me.

We packed so much into those 16 days that both my dad and I got sick with terrible hacking coughs. However, that didn't stop us from being on the go! We visited P's uncle on his farm, saw my dad's sister in the countryside and made lots of side trips in between.

P and I both really enjoyed having my parents with us. My stepmum cooked us some delicious meals and she was wonderful company. We had lots of lovely chats and spent my actual birthday shopping at a country fair. Seeing my dad was great too. It was really hard to say goodbye to them at the airport at the end of their holiday and I miss them so very much, but we have lots to look forward to next year.

We plan on visiting P's parents in Oz in July 2011. My parents will come with us so it'll be a proper 'in-law' family reunion! The last time we were all together was at our wedding in 2007 so the trip should be a good laugh.

P's dad is also arriving here on 20 May for five weeks. He won't be with us the entire time but will use our house as a base from which to visit friends and family. His trip slightly overlaps with Yeller Fever's, who will be here with his girlfriend on 11 June. To say that I am looking forward to seeing all of them is an understatement.

While I feel settled here now, my family and friends have become more and more important to me. I am used to the Brrringlish ways and I do like working in this country as employees have a lot of rights. P and I are even thinking of buying a house here later this year. I only wish I could see my parents and friends from the Small Island every week like I used to. Then I think, life would be just about perfect.

I may not write much over the next couple of months as we'll be very busy. With the warm weather arriving, P and I have spent most of this weekend gardening. We also have a couple of weekend trips planned. However, do know that I'm thinking about all of you and I'll be back when I have some spare time in between all the visits and activities!

Broadstairs Bowwow

As we haven't taken a day trip for a while, P and I decided to drive to the coast today. It was meant to rain but instead, we got glorious sunshine!

On the way to the beach, we stopped in a cathedral town for a couple of hours. If you don't believe me about the sun, here is the photo to prove it:


We also saw this quirky little building that has a crooked door:


When we go to the beach at lunch time, it was cold but perfectly crisp. These amazing staircases lead down from the promenade:



Chynna absolutely loved the sand and tore round and round like a little turkey! She was inviting every man and his dog to play with her. There were two huskies on leashes that outweighed her by 25 and 44kgs respectively. She would run up to them to get them riled up, then at the last minute when they tried to lurch at her, she would tear away ha ha ha. It was hilarious.

When she finally settled down, I managed to get these two snaps of her:



Just under four weeks until my parents arrive but who's counting?!!! Me me MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!