Well, most of the plastering is done now, except for one bit above some cupboards where he's putting up a panel to hide the stuff at the back (leftover chimney breast, pipes, etc). And he even put some doors on some of the units today, so it's beginning to look finished. Sort of. 

Spent most of today doing decorating type stuff - put lining paper on the one wall I'm bothering to paper - this is the stud wall behind the fridge which is in a location likely to get bumped, so I thought best to paper it. It was a bit of a pain, though, as the end of the wall is only about 4 inches wide, which makes papering it fiddly. Looks ok, though, and I'm painting over it anyway. Did some painting in the dining room and some preliminary painting in the kitchen - as it's all new plaster, I wanted to put a base coat of thinned paint (half and half with water) on before painting - just to keep the plaster from soaking up so much paint. Sarah helped, which she thought was really fun. The main problem with kids is that by the time they are old enough to really be helpful with stuff like that, or housework, they no longer have any interest in doing it!

Anyway, I will eventually paint the kitchen walls all over with a roller (except maybe above the cupboards - I might have to use a brush there!) to make the coverage even & smooth, but not until the builders are done plastering and making a mess and stuff. Eventually I will also repaint the whole dining room and also the computer room (they join together) but I can't do all that until the kitchen is done because all the stuff from the kitchen is piled in those other two rooms, so I can't actually get to most of the walls... And of course, I'll have to do the ceiling as well. Must check and see if I have a roller with a long handle! Anyway, it felt productive, which was good...

So, here's what I found when I came downstairs to my kitchen this morning - he was at least 10cm long (4 inches) - I didn't get the tape measure out and measure him, but that unit he's on the edge of is 60cm deep... Luckily, there are lots of large, deep buckets around at the moment, so I was able to move him outside without too much danger of him jumping out onto me - I don't really like to kill spiders, but neither do I want them crawling on me. I'm funny that way... Anyway, he (or maybe it was a "she" - who knows) is the same kind of spider we sometimes get in the bathtub, so I wonder if he was in the ceiling/bathroom floor & came out when there was no ceiling yesterday. Whatever. Glad he was on the counter, not the floor as I usually come down barefoot & I sure wouldn't have wanted to step on him! 

End of week two in the kitchen, and it's really coming on apace. (I can't believe I just used the word "apace".) Monday is a holiday, so the builder(s) won't be back until Tuesday, but there's not a lot left - a bit of plastering still and some electrical work - at the moment we only have about 3 working outlets in the kitchen, which is slightly inconvenient. They still have to hang all the doors for the units, though most of the shelves are in (I did that myself this afternoon, to get them out of the living room). Of course, even once they finish, it will still need painting (which I am doing myself) and a new floor (no point in doing that until everything else is done, including the painting). But it won't be long until it's at the point where we can use it - I'm looking forward to putting all the stuff back! Of course, I won't be able to find anything once I put it away, but it will still be much better than having it all stacked up in boxes in the computer room. All the stuff like the wall rails with hanging whatsits will also have to wait until the painting is done, but that's the sort of stuff I can do myself - only a few screws involved.

So, here's the state of the kitchen today. The walls look dark because the plaster hasn't dried yet. You can see the new boiler on the wall and the new hob (stove) - also the old cooker is still there because the oven isn't connected yet, so he doesn't want to leave us without an oven, bless him. . The washing machine is pulled out because he's still working on the electrical outlets in that end of the kitchen, but it will go where it is, just pushed all the way back. You can see the drier in place, too, to the right of the sink. Progress... 

Well, someday I'll write about something other than my kitchen. But not just yet. Today they spent most of the day doing plastering, which is good, because it means the walls might be dry enough by the weekend for me to do some painting. My main decision now will be whether to paint straight onto the plaster, or whether to put lining paper up first. I know which is easier! But it might be more sensible to do the paper. I dunno, can't decide. The painting will take at least two coats (the first being thinned paint or PVA mixed with water to help keep the plaster from soaking up too much realy paint). If I papered first, I wouldn't necessarily need as many coats of paint, but I'd need to paper it, which isn't that hard, just a bit of a fiddle. Ho hum, decisions decisions. (And such exciting ones, too!)

They did the boiler today - took the old one out and put them new one in, so there doesn't really look like much difference in the kitchen, but it was a major job, so it's nice to have it done. They still have to take out part of the old chimney breast - tomorrow - but once that's done, the rest of the units can go in, which means not only will the kitchen look really different, but the dining room will too, as there won't be two huge tall units in there blocking the light. I can't wait!

Well, another day, and more progress. Today they mainly worked on the plumbing & the sink and associated countertop & units. And the result is, a working sink. Hoorah. Photos on the website. Nothing much else of interest happening - my life IS my kitchen at the moment...

Just a quickie tonight, as I can't really sit straight at my computer to type without first shifting a large quantity of appliances/appliance boxes. And I can't be bothered. The sideways typing thing is okay for about half an hour, but it's beginning to get on my nerves... Anyway. New pictures posted on the kitchen page for your edification. Or amusement. Or whatever.

Today's main accomplishment, though, was more or less finishing off moving the girls' room to the loft room - formerly the guest room. I didn't get any pictures yet, but I'll do that tomorrow. They are really excited about it, and actually, it looks great. It's really spacious and should hopefully provide lots of places for them to contain their stuff. Of which they have a huge amount. For those of you who have stayed in the room, you might be interested to know that I turned the bed around so that it's under the windows, with the headboard against the space between the cupboards on that side (where the futon was - we got rid of the futon). I was going to put the two new dressers against the space, but they were incredibly heavy once I got them assembled, so I decided they'd go better against the wall, as I'll need to get the Christmas stuff out occasionally (that's what's now in the space between the cupboards). Those of you who haven't stayed in the room are finding this totally confusing - pictures tomorrow, I promise.

Anyway, they are sleeping in their new bed tonight, and are really thrilled. We'll see how it goes, but I have high hopes. And Alex's room looks really empty, except for Alex & his cot full of teddy bears...

I was going to put another kitchen photo up, but decided that was boring & this was much cuter. Kitchen pics later, though, as they spent a lot of time today assembling the units, so it looks kind of fun. And crowded. Anyway, this one is on the beach at Brancater, in Norfolk.  

Well, at the end of day 2 of the kitchen renovation, we had fewer cabinets on the wall, and no window - he hasn't taken the door out yet, as the weather is supposed to be awful, pouring rain and whatnot, so he's hoping for a less wet day before doing that. Perhaps today!

Oh and by the way, I have updated our kitchen page on the website, so there's more fun kitchen stuff there!

Finally got around to updating the website with new photos. I still have to sort the holiday photos, but at least I've done everything before that point. The problem with the holiday ones is I've got one set on regular film (I have a photo disc, but I still have to integrate them) and a bunch from my mom's photos, some of which I'll want to scan in and upload. Not a big deal, but means lots of fiddling around and I'm just too lazy to do any more tonight.

Oh, by the way - notice the new-look blog? Decided it was time for something simpler & fresher - maybe it's the kitchen remodelling spilling over into other sections of my life. And it's so easy to change your whole template on blogger that I couldn't really resist. Makes up for the tons of boxes piled up everywhere in the rest of my life!

Here's the girls inside a large sculpture at Wisley RHS Gardens, yesterday. Anything that can be climbed on, they will... 

Well, only a few more days, and this time it does really look like they'll start on Monday - Andy the Builder actually phoned Wednesday evening to confirm, as he was supposed to do. Hoorah!

Got most of my stuff now, including lights and even paint. Only need a splashback for behind the cooker and a panel for next to one of the units - I'm hoping the builders can get both of those things. And a skip is due to come be parked outside my house Monday morning as well. Progress! (maybe)

This is a picture of the accent tile that we'll be using in the kitchen - most of the tiles will be white (not that there will be a lot of tile, but behind the sink & the cooker), with a few of these accents (the background colour in this tile is actually white - bad photo!), and then a row of border tiles on the top. And we'll pick a paint colour to match the tile - a mid-range teal colour, I think

In an odd instance of synchronicity, as I posted that photo, the phone rang, and it was the builder to say he'd be there Monday morning. Too cool. Must go sort out a skip!

you can't really fully appreciate this unless you are actually here, but these are my new appliances, stacked up next to the computer desk. What the photo doesn't show is the other boxes stacked up against the wall behind me as I'm taking this picture.... Anyway. Soon, perhaps, my builders will come! 

It will, of course, shock everyone who has ever dealt with a builder to hear that they are running behind and won't be able to start until next week. Which isn't entirely expected, but is somewhat annoying, especially as I spent yesterday clearing my kitchen. No way am I unpacking all the kitchen boxes, so cooking this week is going to be minimalist! Oh well, it's too hot to cook, anyway. Perhaps this will be the major problem we encounter & everything else will go smoothly. I shouldn't say that, probably, or I'll jinx myself...

Oh yeah, and of course everything is getting delivered this week, so it's going to be a bit of a tight fit, once the appliances get here! Sigh.

And here's our little temporary kitchen station in the dining room, with the essentials - toaster, microwave, biscuits, gin, etc... 

Here's all the boxes of stuff from my kitchen, piled in the computer room. Except for the stuff we need while they are wrecking the kitchen, of course - that stuff is piled in the dining room...

Well, I spent most of the day today shifting stuff out of the kitchen, which is now virtually empty. I haven't yet moved the kettle & at the moment, there's a chicken in the oven. And I haven't moved the fridge yet. But that's about it. It takes up less space than I thought it might, frankly, which is good, as we still have to put all the stuff that's going in the new kitchen somewhere, when it arrives. Ikea is due to deliver the units tomorrow afternoon, and the appliance place is delivering the 4 appliances (hob, oven, dryer & cooker hood, which I suppose isn't really an appliance, but whatever) on Wednesday morning. I have the sink already. So that's pretty much it. I need to get lights. Maybe I'll do that Tuesday. And at some point, I need to look at tiles, but I think I need to look at the wood on the units before I do that. So, as long as the builder shows up tomorrow morning, we are good to go. :)

Ok, I'm going to get my act together and do a little holiday stuff. Here's the view out of the back of our cottage - there is a big line of poppies at the back fence, which doesn't show up well in this photo. Poppies are big in Norfolk - they seem to be everywhere. The cottage is called "Field End" - you can see why! 

Well, I know I promised holiday stuff, and I'll get to it eventually, there's just too much happening. I knew summer would be worse than usual. And of course, we're getting ready for the kitchen to start. Supposed to be Monday - I do hope it really happens Monday as Ikea is delivering all the units Monday and the appliances are coming Wednesday, so if they have to delay a week we'll be living in the midst of boxes forever.

I do feel slightly better, though, as I just heard about some renovations a friend of mine is doing, which are going to last 16 weeks or something! (Involves having a sub-basement dug deeper and turned into a kitchen.)