Exciting weekend ahead!!

Sorry about not posting last weekend, but I was so busy!!

Went to Manchester on Saturday morning to see Batman Live at the MEN Arena. I was really just chumming Russell and didn't think I would enjoy it so much! It has been getting rave reviews and certainly lives up to them. We had a great times, had really good seats too!

Tried the Metro park and ride this time and it was much better than having to park in the town centre. Cost £4 return for the tram and it took us right to the entrance of the Arena.

Had a look round some shops in the afternoon but I have never been impressed with Manchester, 

much prefer Derby (Westfield Centre) shops. 

Stayed in on Saturday to start cleaning and tidying for my sister coming to stay next weekend, but it was so hot I didn't get a lot done. Did pop out in the afternoon to pick up a welsh dresser (pic below) that I won on eBay, and while I was at the sellers house also bought a table and a dressing table :-)  so I now have 7 items packed into the shed waiting to be transformed!!

Really excited about my sis coming to stay, first time since we moved down here nearly 3yrs ago. Planning to take her round a few pottery factory shops and possibly Dagfields, and of course....

Buffet Island.....love that place, but not great for my diet :-(

So it will be a couple of weeks before I get any more furniture up for sale, but I did finish off a nice plant stand, that I gave a couple of coats of Old White then stencilled with ivy leaves ;-)

Only about 5 weeks till we fly off to California for our road trip, so excited. Ending our  trip with 4 nights in Vegas staying at the newly refurbished Tropicana Hotel !!  Woo hoo!

and Russell has bought me tickets for my Birthday to go and see Cirque de Soliel Show "O" in Vegas, supposed to be the best show on the Strip!!!! Can you  tell that I am excited !!!

3 days off!!

Decided to take some time off work for a break as it is a long time to wait till my big holiday in September. Decided to make it a long weekend and took Thurs, Fri and Monday off this weekend. Been busy though  -   Tidied up all my paints and brushes and took them all out to my new work shed :-). I have all my furniture out there now and the house doesnt look so much like a furniture store any more....which is nice! Got the bureau finished...hooray! Turned out really well too so it was worth persevering with the paper on the work area.

 

 See the finished bureau listing on "Unique Chic" shop on Folksy

http://www.folksy.com/shops/UniqueChic

Spent most of Friday out in the garden photographing jewellery for my new Folksy jewellery shop

http://www.folksy.com/shops/RedKittenCrafts

Managed to get most things listed same day, and plan to make some new things too so will get them on asap. Tried to keep my P&P charges as low as possible too to encourage more buyers ;-)

Saturday, we headed up to IKEA, thought we might pick up a few bargains as the sale ends Sunday, but not a lot left. Had a nice coffee, and bought some storage stuff, light bulbs, etc. Just been on the website and saw this -

Maybe that's why there weren't so many bargains, but it was the busiest I have ever seen it in Warrington. Screaming, bored kids everywhere!! was glad to get home at tea time and order in chinese for dinner (all pointed on Weight Watchers!). Lost another 2.5lbs last week making a total of 5.5 :-)


Watched a good Australian horror film last night too - The Tunnel - "An investigation into a government cover-up leads to a network of abandoned train tunnels deep beneath the heart of Sydney. As a journalist and her crew hunt for the story it quickly becomes clear the story is hunting them". Very creepy, edge of your seat movie. 

 Planning to watch another tonight - Gacy House - "A group of paranormal investigators enter the abandoned home of pedophile and serial killer John Gacy, hoping to find evidence of paranormal activity. Upon entering the house they set-up cameras throughout the abandoned house while going room to room with hand-held cameras, performing séances and asking for John Gacy to come forward. As the evening progresses it seems the investigators are not prepared for the horror still within the house.

Right, nearly 9pm (movie time), going to go look out some popcorn!  I'm headed to Manchester Arena next Saturday morning to see Batman Live! Starts at 11am so will hopefully get a chance to head to the shops after (my reward for driving us up, and chumming Russell ;-) )

Have a good week!!

Bureau de Change

Sorry for not posting last Sunday but I pinched a nerve in my shoulder first thing and was on painkillers all day. Needless to say I didn't get much work done, but I did go to the boot sale and found a garden table and chairs set that will look great painted up.

This has been a good weekend for getting on with things. Another good car boot sale this morning and got a lovely dressing table mirror that I plan to shabby chic and keep for myself. I am also on the look out for a narrow chest of drawers to sit it on, and will paint it all in Old White and lightly distress.

The shop in Cornwall paid me this week for their first jewellery order, so that was nice. I was beginning to worry that it was a con to get free samples. I have supplied 8 items in the first order so will wait and see now if they come back to me for any more.

Had loads of people coming this weekend to pick up all the stuff we sold on ebay from the shed clear out. We sold everything but sadly a few items sold for next to nothing and once ebay take their fees there won't be much left. Never mind, I now have a big empty shed to store all my furniture and equipment so really happy.

 

I went a bit mad buying teddy bears today at the boot sale. I though they would look really cute to dress up furniture I'm selling. I have noticed on ebay that the items that are well dressed and photographed go for a lot more, so well worth a try. Didn't spend more that £2 for ALL of them, and I had to stop myself buying more!!

Also bought a Royal Winton large jug and bowl "Country Diary" range. Will either just sell it on eBay or it would look good on a dresser.

Had a bit of a disaster today with the bureau. I painted it all and started waxing it yesterday and today I was going to glue the nice Paperchase paper onto the work area, however, it didn't work as I expected it to. The paper stretched, bubbled and creased, and in the end I had to scrape it all off and then sand the area back to the wood. I suppose this is how you learn if techniques are going to work, and I will not try this again, I will use wallpaper which is more suited. I did happen to have some nice shabby chic rose design paper that matched the green very well, so I have now used this and varnished over.

 
I finished off the photo frame I was working on, and also a pair of candlesticks I bought last weekend.

 
Having a 3 day week this week at work and having Thurs, Fri and next Monday off, so hoping to get loads done, and maybe start making some new jewellery and get my new Folksy shop "RedKittenCrafts"stocked up. Just never enough time at the weekend. I would also love to get my sewing machine out and make some little cushions and little shabby chic hanging hearts, I have loads of ideas for them and have ordered some material on ebay today.

Right, better go and get the dinner on, I put on a pound last week at Weight Watchers and I was so upset. I have been keeping to it rigidly this week so I should be ok. Less than 8 weeks now till California so will keep going till then and will not feel as guilty when I pig out on my hols!!

 Have a great week!

Well, I had a lovely long lie this morning, then cooked bacon and egg for breakfast (which is actually very good for Weight Watchers). Diet is brilliant, managing to keep to it without feeling deprived and lost 4lb at my first weigh in on Tuesday!!  Yay!! Having a chinese takeaway tonight too, my Saturday treat, and plenty of extra points that make it allowed.

Been a busy week at work so decided to have a lazy morning. Well by lazy I mean sitting on the recliner with my laptop planning a Christmas shopping trip for my friends at work.

 
Think we will probably go to Chester at the beginning of December, the shops are so lovely there and it will look gorgeous with all the Christmas lights on. Have sent a Doodle poll round work to see how many will be coming. Last one I organised was to Edinburgh two Christmasses ago, and 12 of us flew up and stayed in luxury apartments at the end of Princes St.        http://www.princesstreetsuites.co.uk/
I dont know how I managed it but it only cost us £25 each for the accommodation. It was brilliant - we had a lovely meal out at Bella Italia on the Royal Mile before being scared to death on the underground vaults ghost tour

Luxury apartments at Waterloo Place, Edinburgh

Started work on the pine bureau this afternoon and it is looking good with it's first coat of Annie Sloan "Versailles". I have some really nice Paperchase paper to put inside on the working area and inside the drawer. Can't wait to see it all finished. Will post some pics of work in progress tomorrow.

Sold the 3 painted garden chairs at the beginning of the week too. Lady paid full price for them on eBay which was nice, and she was really happy with them too :-) Drove across to Crewe last night to pick up my latest eBay purchase, a nice old fashioned sideboard in excellent condition I won for £22. I think it will look amazing after it's make over. Not sure what colour to do this one, may just stick to Old White with some distressing.

Must also pick up some crackle glaze as I have always wanted to try that


Watching HBO series just now, Game of Thrones, so will probably watch a few episodes this evening

Hoping the rain will stay off so we can head out carbooting tomorrow morning.

Hot Hot Hot

Well, I moan my head off about the weather - how Summer just doesn't seem to have arrived this year. Then all of a sudden......29degrees!! Planned to get a lot done today but I am sooo hot!!

Nearly finished the first order for the shop in Cornwall, just waiting on varnish drying on these hand made paper beads so I can make 2 x butterfly necklaces up. Rest of the order is ready to go.

 
Went "up 'anley duck" this morning to the Hinde St car boot sale. It was very busy and I thought I was bound to get tons of stuff, but ended up only getting a large china teapot. It is a very nice teapot though, in excellent condition and BIG! and I only paid £1 for it. It will look lovely in the garden with a plant in it :-)

 
Cant remember if I said before but I picked up 3 tatty wooden garden chairs a month or so back at a car boot sale. Have painted two in old white and the other in paris grey. This afternoon I have stencilled a nice rose design on the chair backs, and once they have dried (which will be soon in this heat!) Decided not to wax them as I think they will look really good as they weather and distress with use, they can then be freshened up with a coat of paint if needed.

Planning to put them on my new Folksy shop as I only have one thing on there just now. Will also get started on the nice bureau next weekend, dying to see it painted, always such a transformation

While I was waiting for paint drying I also put a first coat of paris grey on an old frame I had sitting about the house, will add another coat then distress and wax (will post pics of finished frame next week)

Watched a Nick Cage film last night (Drive Angry). I was just in the mood for an action film with some cool cars in it!! Also had our Saturday night chinese takeaway, which I enjoyed even more this week as I started Weight Watchers on Tuesday and have been strictly keeping to it all week. Their new diet allows you an extra 49 points to spend on anything you like through the week so takes the guilt out of having some treats at the weekend, which is great! I have just over 10 weeks till the California Road Trip so will be "good" till then. Already thinking forward to next year's holiday too, and thinking either a Florida Road Trip or driving coast to coast across the US. Very exciting!!

Can't believe its after 6 now, where do the weekends go? Going to go and get dinner in the oven - Tandoori chicken (low fat version) ;-)

 

Hope you have a great week!!

So Distressed!!

Well, what a weekend!! I havent even left the house!
Got the inlaws coming to stay next Friday so the big push was on to get Sandy's furniture finished. Will be nice to have our conservatory back. I have had to work in there as it has rained all weekend, and I have made a bit of a mess sanding etc, so will be nice to get it back to normal so we can eat in there again.
So .....  table sanded and has been treated to 2 applications of danish oil and it looks amazing. It will need another couple of coats to finish it off, but it looks great and I cant wait to see it back on the stand. Yesterday I painted the 2 chairs and table base with 1 coat of Versailles with a coat of Old White on top. left them to dry out overnight, then distressed with fine sandpaper and finished off with a coat of clear wax. I will take some pics once I get them all delivered, but here is one of the table top before and after

 

Had a nice Saturday evening. Ordered in chinese and watched a really scary horror film - Exorcismus

Hoping to go to Dagfields Crafts & Antiques Emporium next weekend with the inlaws, and maybe a car boot on Sunday if it's nice. Dagfield may have some nice knobs and handles for my furniture :-). Gardener should be coming this week to do our once a year tidy up so will be nice to be rid of all the weeds and if the weather in nice next Sunday we will have a barbecue for Father's Day. 

 Only 11 weeks till we go off on holiday so starting back at Weight Watchers on Tuesday night. My friend Kerry has lost 3 stone and she looks amazing! Even if I can lose a stone before I go I will feel much better. We are going on a road trip to California, and we are so excited about it. I will write a blog soon and tell you all about it!!

Going for a long soak in the bath now to ease my tired muscles, will be nice to have a weekend off the furniture next weekend, but the inlaws are quite hard work too!  ;-) @ Terry!!!!

 

Our own Cup Cake Wars !

Went for breakfast at Subway and was not impressed :-(  Xmen movie was brill though and cinema was lovely and quiet at 11am. Weather horrible today so no barbecue as planned. Hopefully have one through the week.

Just had to write this quick extra blog to show you what we got up to this afternoon........

They taste as good as they look too!!! 

Diet starts tomorrow!!