A Lot of Activity and Some Garden Purchases - W/E 20th July 2024 - Part One

This week started off with a free day to do as I pleased on Sunday. I got up and did a bit of sorting in the sewing room and found a few things to donate. I also found a dress that I was going to sell as it didn't fit, but when I tried it on, it fitted perfectly and I really liked it, so that was a win.

In the morning, OH and I ventured to the allotment to pick some lettuce and water the plot. There were a few berries to pick and a few peas, but the latter ended up being eaten by me straight from the pods.

We then wandered up the high street, which has a Sunday market. I needed to get some white spirit to clean up the shed windows after painting and we needed some food, as there wasn't much left in the fridge to make lunch.

After lunch, I attempted to clean the shed windows, but the white spirit didn't work. Instead I had to use nail varnish remover, as the acetone in it worked a treat. Who'd have thought.

Later, OH and I went out to B&Q to look for some garden furniture, but when we got to our local store there was very little choice. We did get a curtain pole for the shed though and OH put it up later.

When we got back, LB was in the middle of re-organising her room, but was suffering from overwhelm and needed a hand, so I spent a couple of hours helping her move furniture and clean up. She was happy with the outcome, which is what matters. After that I just chilled for the evening, whilst OH watched the football final.

Monday, was pretty standard. I went out of town to do the weekly shop as usual. I managed to get everything we needed and then I needed to go to work.  Work was very quiet, probably due to the torrential rain, which meant that I got to leave a little early.

I found a rug for the shed at work. It cost just £17.99 and is washable which is great. Here's a picture of it in situ:

 It's starting to look cosy in there now.

On Tuesday, I booked myself into the gym instead of going to my usual class. I quite enjoyed the change to be honest and came away feeling like I'd had a good work out. I still haven't shifted the few pounds that I put on on holiday, so I'm working at getting it off again.

On the way home from the gym, I spotted a vintage secretaire/bureau in a local shop. I really liked it and I needed a new desk as LB was taking back the one I've been using in the sewing room. To be honest, I don't use it to sew on in any case, as I put a board on the bed and sew on there as it allows me more room.

I did still want some kind of desk to sit at and journal though and this looked like a good solution as it fitted everything neatly including my sewing machine and I could even lock it up as it had a key.  I decided to buy it and brought it home, polished it with beeswax and put it in situ. I'm very happy with it.  It's a very simple piece from the 1960's and fits in well with all the other vintage stuff in the sewing room.

It also takes up way less space, which helps when this room is also being used as a spare bedroom for visitors.

Other good news on Tuesday, was that LB found out that she'd got the job she'd interviewed for the week before. She starts work on Sunday. She'd also posted a few things on Vinted and sold some overnight, so that was another financial win for her.

Later on Tuesday, we all went to IKEA and B&Q in Greenwich, to source some garden furniture. After a bit of deliberation, we settled on two chairs and a small table from IKEA, as we don't have too much room in the garden for lots of furniture. Here's a picture:

It just gives us somewhere nice to sit out in the sun. We also bought a garden bench from  B&Q which was a steal at £62 on clearance. I've always wanted a bench, so I was very happy. It is now situated underneath our cherry tree.

It was quite a successful shopping expedition. I also bought a pair of tab top curtains for £10 from IKEA. These are to partition off the storage area of the shed. They will save me a lot of time making some and there will be lots of spare fabric too to make cushion covers or blinds, as they are way too long.

All I now need to do is make the sofa cover and hang the curtains, which I'll do once our weekend visitors have been and gone, We are also still awaiting delivery of the solar lighting that I ordered last week, which I'm hoping will arrive soon. We've furnished the shed on a very small budget. It is fine for our needs. We can sit in there and I can do my weights in there, which was the original purpose we had in mind. It gives a different perspective on the garden too.

So a busy few days, but we achieved a lot in a short space of time.