All finished!

I didn't want to post photos earlier because I wanted to wait until our furniture had arrived before posting the finished pictures.... so without further ado, here's the completed room:

and outside the patio is all grouted, and the paths round the front and side all done. 

 

Really pleased with how well this turned out - when they first started digging out, they discovered the raft foundations for next door's house under our original raised patio area... hence the little row of raised slabs on the new bit to cover it again!  You can see all the turf is up ready for the sand base and the artificial grass to be laid this week, can't wait :-)

We both can't believe how perfect everything is, well worth the 10 year wait lol.

Almost there!

Well the builders have had another good week, and we are right on schedule to finish next week.  Here's this week's photos:

the inside is all plastered :)  

and the patio is coming along nicely too....

Can't wait for it to be finished, it's exactly as I pictured it in my head before we even got the plans drawn up.  I am one happy bunny :)

3 weeks on.....

... and our extension is built!  The roof just needs cementing but it's on and the velux windows are in.

The builders have had to wait for the electrician, plumber and window supplier to do their bits before they can carry on with the inside.  We have cables and should have pipework for radiators this weekend.  Window being fitted and patio door moved middle of next week.  In the meantime, the retaining wall is built (just the copings to go on when they arrive) and the patio has been started.  And the huge pile of mud that was on the grass has been either used to back fill the wall, or dumped.

Another week of good progress!

Retreat LOs

It's been a manic few of weeks since we all met up, but I've finally got round to finishing the LOs I did at the Crumblies' retreat. I always take sketches with me so I can concentrate on chatting as well as scrapping!

This is the October week 2 challenge on UKScrappers - the criteria was to use 3 photos, handmade embellishments, a folk song title and to use city photos.  Didn't have any city photos with me so couldn't do that bit.  Big thanks to Kay for the cotton bud sticks so I could make the little flags, and to Sal for drawing me some clouds :)  I used a sketch from sketchsupport for this one and it's papers from a Total Papercrafts kit from last year (!).

I did another LO using the lush MME Follow Your Heart range and a sketch from the Sketch Savvy blog that I found on pinterest.  The boys are so pleased with their new bikes....

Next is a DLO again based on a sketch from sketchsupport (they have really nice DLO ones!), this time with photos from our trip to The Lost Gardens of Heligan while we were on holiday.  Loved the papers but have to admit I wondered what on earth I would do with the kit having 2 boys who are not in the least bit pink!  But these photos work well with them I think.

I used another DLO sketch from sketchsupport, this time using photos from our trip to Avebury Manor and papers from another Total Papercrafts kit (yes, I have a bit of a backlog!!).  I had only done the basics while away, so I have finished it to fit in with the UKScrappers October week 5 challenge.  The criteria was to scrap something new, no pink or blue, small embellishments and 2 of something.  The boys loved it there as you can touch everything, and sit on the furniture etc - as the journalling says, a new experience for a NT place.

I've still quite a few LOs that I have started but not got very far - need to crack on with those as I also have a backlog of kits.....

Extension update

Well the bricks didn't arrive until 4pm on Wednesday, so obviously that affected progress this week.  The builders still kept busy though, put the foundations in for the new retaining wall and started building it.  On Thursday they were really cooking on gas and had another person on site to help get as much bricklaying as possible done.  They really went for it, and made up the lost days.  Here's where the build is up to...

all ready for the roof to go on next week.  They said if the weather is kind, we should be watertight by the middle of next week :)

We've found the artificial grass we want, it's so lifelike I don't think you'd be able to tell it wasn't real.  Just a real pain that we have found Homebase is one of the few places that act as an agent for the supplier and typically they had a 15% discount weekend.... last weekend!  Hope they have another one soon as it's a pretty big order and worth waiting for.   I hope it's not too long a wait as I have no patience, and it takes 2-3 weeks for delivery according to the website.  I'd love it all to be finished in time for Christmas!

A week on.....

Just a quick post to share photos of the progress on the extension.  Work has slowed on the building side as the bricks for next part of the walls haven't arrived yet :(  Due next week and I hope it's Monday so the builders can crack on.  In the meantime they have lifted the rest of the patio, added the drainage pipes for the gullies and put the hardcore down.

Bless our little walls all covered in hessian - but the first frosts are here and they need a bit of protection. 

And finally as promised, here is a photo of Liam dressed as a Fletcher for the medieval day his year had at school on Tuesday.  He did lots of research as homework and thoroughly enjoyed the day :)

Work begins

After what felt like a very slow process to get to this point after getting plans drawn then passed by planning and building control, our extension build has begun!  The builders are lovely and very hard working, so here's hoping for a couple of weeks dry weather to get the outside finished.

Before photo:

Work started on Wednesday and they are all dug out and ready to start cementing the raft on Monday :)
I'm ignoring the mess of everything....

The builders said the boys could sit on the mini digger if they wanted to... they didn't need asking twice!

We are going to take photos each Saturday so we can see the progress being made.  Builder's schedule of works says it will be finished in 5 weeks as long as there are no big surprises or lots of bad weather.  Can't wait!!

UKS October week 1 challenge

Here's my LO for last week's challenge on UKScrappers - I couldn't get a decent photo last night and this morning's isn't much better I'm afraid as it's very dull and drab today....

The criteria was to use a Beatles song title or lyrics (my title is a cover version they did so I hope it's OK), at least 4 lines of journalling, use black and white (white cardstock, black letter stickers), and one or more circles.

UKS September wk4 challenge

I've had these photos ready for scrap for ages, along with a sketch that I found online - think it was an SEI challenge as that is the name I saved it as.... but it was so long ago I can't be sure!

The criteria for the challenge was a 1 to 6 recipe using the ingredients in the mixing bowl.  So I have:

1 cardstock
2 words in the title
3 embellishments (2 bits of twine and the heart)
4 patterned papers
5 photos
6 circles (5 on the tags and one as the O in the title)

All finished!

We're celebrating here.... we have done some DIY which involves plumbing and have remained married!! lol.  We hardly ever argue, but when we do it will be while DIYing.  Add plumbing to the equation and the likelihood increases ten fold.

Anyway, we've taken our bath out and now have a full length shower enclosure for the boys to use.  They love it!

Here's the before (taken a couple of years ago for CC class LO I think, forgot to take some before we ripped the bath out!)....

... and the after.  Decided to make it a bit 'younger' by replacing the brown blind/towels etc with that nice teal colour that is very popular at the moment.

Love those funky hooks for the boys' dressing gowns - it was an over the door one but neither of them could reach it {rolleyes}, so Dave cut the top bits off and we screwed it on instead.  Have to admit I'm still in the novelty phase of thinking 'it looks great' everytime I walk past...

And for those at crop who remember my joy at discovering Lime Lite - UniBond Grout Revive is my new best friend.  A bit of a faff to clean all the tiles off after applying it, but wow it really makes the grout/tiles look like new again.  I can highly recommend it - I'll be doing the ensuite and kitchen when I get some time.  Was a bit worried it might wash off etc but I've scrubbed the whole lot since I've done it and all fine.  Quite expensive but the tube goes a long way, I've done all the bathroom and still have about a third of a tube left :-)

A catch up post.....

I really don't know where the last couple of months have gone - the time has gone so quickly.  We had our week in Cornwall at the end of August, and the boys have been back at school for 3 weeks now.  I was going to post some photos from Cornwall, and then decided to just wait until I have scrapped them, and then post them (plus I haven't had the chance to edit them yet!).

Here's the obligatory back to school photo - Liam seems to be spurting upwards again!  Both have settled in really well into their new classes and both their teachers are really nice.

Clyde really missed them, as he had been used to them being at home all summer.  Was so sweet when they got home and he was all ears back, tail going like the clappers!

Liam turned 8 last week, and he gave us all the birthday money he got to put towards a new bike.  It's an adult size bike, with posh clicky gears :)  He is very pleased with it and was out for a long ride on Friday and Saturday.

 
We had an all day crop last weekend to celebrate running for 6 years.  Was really good to see everyone and I managed 2.5 LOs which is probably a record for me!  Here's my page using the July sketch challenge, I combined it with the September house challenge on UKS which was to use the words work, rest and/or play as inspiration.  I went with play...

 

and here is my page for the August sketch challenge, which is to go alongside the Go Team GB one I did a few weeks ago.

and finally the page I had to finish at home which was for the UKS Sept week 2 challenge.  The criteria was to use the sketch provided, chipboard, washi tape or ribbon and sewing (faux or real).  These are the photos from Liam's birthday last year!

The maths monkeys have been launched at school and guess who is the first to bring it home from both classes..... yep that'll be us!  We need to think of some fun maths to do with them now!! 

Monkey Mayhem

Once upon a time, two female humans decided to make a group of Maths Monkeys.  One of said humans, that will be me, should have known that any group of monkeys, regardless of size, would be trouble bearing in mind the year of havoc we had with our Monkey Adventures.

Surprisingly he was nowhere to be seen when we returned from holiday, but the new residents seem to have settled in well - possibly too well!

They started with self portraits....

and then all joined in

As we checked out the other rooms of the house, they were everywhere....

 

 

some being more adventurous than others

 

Hopefully they will all be leaving for school soon and creating mischief there instead!