Post Comment Love 16 - 18 February

February 16, 2024

Hello there, and welcome back to this week’s #PoCoLo - a friendly linky which I co-host with Suzanne, where you can link any blog post published in the last week. We know you’ll find some great posts to read, and maybe some new-to-you blogs too, so do pop over and visit some of the posts linked, comment and share some of that love.

Please don’t link up posts which are older as they will be removed from the linky, and if older posts are linked then please don’t feel that it’s necessary to comment on those. If you were here last week it was great to have you along, if you’re new here this week we’re pleased you’ve joined us.

We’ve had a busy and productive week here, and one that’s been blessed with peculiar weather and some glorious sunsets. We definitely notice the sunsets more here than when we were in London, and I think that’s partly how our house is positioned but also because there’s a lot more space around us. It’s definitely not a complaint though!

This week’s photo is one of those glorious sunset days. It had been raining on and off, but mostly on for a couple of days, and we nipped out for a brief walk during a break in the rain. That thankfully lasted for the whole of our walk and I was able to snap this photo on our way home - it has a look of the Old Masters painted quality about it, doesn’t it?

Have a great week!

The year of the shelves has begun

February 15, 2024

At the start of the year I unofficially christened 2024 as the year of the shelves. I think MOH thought I wasn’t serious, but actually he knows me well enough to know better, and so it’s good to report that the year of the shelves is officially underway.

One of the things that’s obvious about moving to a new build is that you’re the first person to live there. That means there’s a lot of things you usually take for granted that just aren’t there. I think I’ve spoken before about light and curtain fittings and toilet roll holders, but today it’s shelves.

These aren’t the first shelves for MOH since we moved as we ordered some self-assembly freestanding shelves for the utility room and pantry at the end of year, and which tested the patience of a very patient MOH. I’ll share these here soon, as they look great and have made both of these areas incredibly usable.

MOH’s also recovered sufficiently, so it was time to reintroduce the need for more shelves. We have three spaces identified, plus the shelf above his workbench in the garage, but first up was the bathroom cupboard. It’s a big cupboard and will be great for storing towels but to make the best use of it, yeap - shelves. We’ve already added a open shelf unit for cleaning stuff, toilet rolls and such and a washing bin (both from Ikea) but even so, we weren’t making the best use of the space.

I wanted some simple slatted shelves, which MOH said he could make. When we bought the wood for the hooks for tools in the garage we bought extra knowing that there were more shelves on the horizon, which given the price of wood was a smart move. It also gave MOH enough to get started, but getting started meant nailing down the details, which is where my handy drawing came in.

A working plan for our bathroom cupboard shelves including measurements

While it may seem overkill, it was a great way of explaining what I had in my mind’s eye, and helped MOH envisage the end result. It also meant I didn’t have to answer 101 questions like did you want it like this, or that as he went along. And it meant that I was in for a fab surprise when I got back from my last gelli plate printing class to this work in progress.

I perhaps need to get out more, but it was just what I wanted. Sadly though he was out of wood so we needed a trip to get some more, and I found myself pondering life choices after spending way too much time in the screw zone, where you can pick up ‘pick and mix’ screws to fill a pre-determined sized and priced bag.

Shelves of multi-purpose screws - in Zone A

But it wasn’t long before the bathroom cupboard started to look like this.

The startings of 3 shelves inside my bathroom cupboard with the spirit level across the middle shelf

And then this.

The three completed shelves in my bathroom cupboard

Originally my plan was to lightly paint these white, hence the white blocks (which I made MOH buy specially!) - but seeing the shelves in situ I changed my mind. I like the natural look of the wood and so we’re keeping them like that for now at least - there’s an option to paint them at a later date, but right now that’s a long way off.

Don’t they look great?

It looks even better with the towels on, and as well as it being another job jobbed, it’s another space that now has functional, practical and good looking storage, and means our towels are now stored together. It also highlights that we have a penchant for cream and blue towels!

After a suitable shelf-break, next up for MOH is some shelves to maximise the space in our pantry! He really can’t wait…

8 cards bringing warmth on dull winter days

February 13, 2024

When I received the cards in my most recent card subscription box from the CardBoys I thought they were from a spring box and I’d missed a box somewhere along the way, as I was pretty sure the last set had arrived in autumn. And they had, but actually it’s no bad thing that the February box has a spring-like feel as I think it’s something we all need after what seems a long, wet and windy winter, which I’m sure isn’t over just yet however nice it is to see the days starting to extend slowly but surely again.

As ever I have mixed feelings about these cards, as I can’t wait to use them but also don’t want to use them either as I want to keep them all too! Keeping them all isn’t an option though, and having a stash of cards in the house is really handy, especially now that we’re a lot more rural than we were in London.

The cards in this box evoke warmth with their colours and decor, and that’s much needed on those dull days. Even though the sun has been out, and it’s oh so good to feel its warmth, it’s still pretty chilly isn’t it? Earlier this week I finally took down my winter wreath and while I’d timed it well avoiding the rain, I still needed a sweatshirt on as I stood at the bins pulling as much of the greenery out as I could, recycling it in our brown/garden bin.

I don’t think there’s a card which didn’t make me smile in this box, though I think I’ll have to choose the recipient of the card above carefully - as a thank you card it works, perhaps not so much as a birthday card or note.

And don’t you just want to climb those stairs in the card below, hopefully a thirst quenching drink would be waiting for us at the top.

There’s a few artists in this collection that have a couple of cards, and it’s easy to spot these through their style and the colours they’ve used isn’t it?

It’s amazing how a piece of art - as let’s face it, these are mini works of art - can influence your feelings, from the calming coffee scene above to the tumbling rainbow person below.

My favourite card this month probably isn’t a surprise - but it’s the daisies below, it just something that speaks to me, so this is one that I’ll probably be hanging onto for a while, until the perfect opportunity to share arises.

This box really was a box of warmth, which arrived in the post box. I can’t wait for spring-proper to arrive!