Friday 8 August 2008

Before & After

We have now more or less finished the transformation of the lounge. There are still a few minor things to do but I am very pleased with the result.

BEFORE

AFTER

As you can see we have used the fire surround that my friend had had stored in her garden for the last seven years, it is so beautifully sun bleached.

We recently stayed with my cousin Jane who has the prettiest cottage right on the edge of the river in York. Look what I brought home with me!

Jane had bought this dressmaker's dummy made by the French Bust Co. Ltd. many years ago before they became so popular and had decided to give it to me. I have wanted an old mannequin for ages and just love this one. I haven't dressed her yet but have decided to call her Loveday!

It is just over a year since my aunt died and we visited her grave nearby and took some photos of other graves.


No visit to York would be complete without a photo of the Minster.

Changing the subject completely, I was really annoyed with what I consider to be stupidity on our Borough Council's part this week. Where we previously lived we were supplied with three large canvas bags in which to deposit our garden rubbish which was collected every fortnight and the bags were re-used. We now live two miles away in another borough where I had to travel several miles in order to buy green plastic sacks at £1.50 each. When they had been emptied I couldn't find the sacks so I rang the council who informed me that the whole sack is removed and discarded but it's ok because they are biodegradable!! I am going to write to the council to ask how long it takes for these sacks to 'biodegrade', how much it costs to actually manufacture these sacks and, because most people refuse to buy them how much petrol it must have cost the lorry to collect my two sacks. This is nearly as ridiculous as Southampton council who had paid a company to manufacture small plastic purses (beautifully made) and were giving them out free in the shopping centre for people to deposit their cigarette ends in!! Sheer lunacy! Has the world gone mad or am I just getting older?

Moaning over, have a lovely weekend and I hope it doesn't rain wherever you are.

8 comments:

  1. Your lounge looks so nice, what a transformation!I love mannequins too, I have one very similar to yours standing next to my fireplace and another in my bedroom...I love to see them, they're great display pieces. What a lovely gift from your cousin.

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  2. The world HAS gone mad Ruth..It never ceases to amaze me the stories I hear these days about petty local authority beauocracy. We have our own particular brand of lunacy here in Bath..
    I love your before and after photos.. what a transformation! Beautiful fireplace..
    I would love to go to York.. it is on my hitlist of places to visit..
    Michele xx

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  3. Lovely work you've done there, and what a great looking house - hope you will be very happy living there!
    Sandra.x.

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  4. What an elegant transformation Ruth, the fireplace looks beautiful. Say hello to Miss Loveday from me and my Miss Blossom.
    Kimx

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  5. Loveday - the only Loveday I have come across is Loveday Minette from the Little White Horse by Ellizabeth Goudge, one of my favourite children's books ever

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  6. Your lounge makeover is lovely, and how kind of your cousin to let you have that mannequin, they are very desirable these days, aren't they! As for LA beaurocrasy, don't get me started!!!

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  7. Love the lounge, your new place must really be starting to feel like home now. I think if you sew it is necessary to own a tailor's dummy. About recycling. It puzzles me why they recommend to take your christmas tree to the tip to be recycled, good for the environment and all that. Do they take into consideration the car's engine pollution whilst waiting in the long queue in order to dump it, surely this is worse for the environment? x

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  8. Glad I popped over to see the mantle, Ruth. Love the objects and the non-clutter of the whole thing!

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