Recounting First Day Driving

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

Ready To Drive: Photo of Me with Posh Crash Helmet and Safety Glasses

When I woke up on my second day in England, I was gripped by the panic of driving. My hubby was going to work the next day, and I would need to drive for errands, grocery shopping, etc. Grab the horns of that big bull!

We bought a used SUV for a variety of reasons - I like to drive up high so I can see better; we can shuttle more kids; better for long trips. What we didn't realize was that it would cost $150 to fill the gas tank!!

First of all, I don't have the mountains as a marker to indicate which direction I'm driving. On cloudy days, I don't have the sun either. My guess is villages popped up throughout the countryside and spiderweb-like bridal paths connected them. So I find it very difficult to get my bearings. Even my satellite navigation system is often confused or frustrated. But we do our best!

Let's Just Say This Is What I Drive, Because I Wish I Did
Nissan Figaro

Anyhoo, we needed to buy a TV in a town 20 minutes away. This was my first time to drive on the wrong side, or as they say, 'the right side'.  Fortunately our car is automatic, otherwise the stick shift would be in the left hand. I took a deep exhale and we were off ('Mommy, why are you always breathing like that?' referring to my Mommy Exhales).

So I started the car, and with my right hand I went to put the gear into reverse. But that turned on my wipers. Oops, use left hand for gears. Then I started backing out and realized my turning radius was not so hot, so I jumped the curb and almost hit my neighbor's car. Went into drive and swerved trying to figure out where the heck I was supposed to be.

'Concern' started to creep in when I had to get on a busy street. Along the way we went through many two lane roundabouts, which were VERY busy. The mere g-force of being in that darn thing made us all yell, and wouldn't you know it, we got spat out at the right place every time. Miraculous! Yet accompanied by 'Don't hit that car/ person/ curb/ motorcycle!'

At several points, the road turned narrow. Cars were parked along my side, which gave me only half a street to drive on. I straddled the line as cars came the other way, feeling like a game of 'Chicken'. With a long line of cars behind me, I pushed on, practically peeking through hand-covered eyes. Who could bear to watch? I literally thought I was going to throw up. My hubby said my face was flush, I was sweating, and I definitely needed a paper bag for hyperventilation. Skydiving and bungee jumping seemed safer than this.

And the kids? They kept saying, 'Please let Daddy drive. Please?!'  Poor, sweet things. And my hubby may have sprained a muscle from failed attempts to slam on the brake on the passenger side.

Once we arrived at the parking structure, we all took a Mommy Exhale together. Just like when your roller coaster ride is over and you come to the stop and it is time to get off. You survived.

We bought the TV and my hubby drove us home, to everyone's relief, and I took a huge nap. Neurons were firing that had been dormant for decades. But I have to say driving has been a bit of a snap ever since. Now I can check that big bull off my list : ) Mission accomplished.

Wanting more? See my other posts here

XO
Laura

Garsons Farm - Pick Your Own

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

Last weekend we went to Garsons Farm. Spanning over 100 acres, we were able to pick our own fruits and vegetables.

Raspberries

There was a lot to choose from: carrots, spinach, potatoes, cucumbers, squash, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, and much more. Some things I'd never heard of such as mange tout, marrows, courgettes.

Cherry trees were under the netting. I've never seen such beautiful cherries.

Beautiful strawberries too

It will take at least a week to eat all we picked. The kids (and I) had a hard time not over-picking because it was so fun!

Click here for Garsons website

[You're Invited! If you enjoyed this post, please consider following me: www.HappyHomemakerUK.blogspot.com ]

XO
Laura

Not Your Typical Move, Part II

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

First, I want to say thank you for all the comments I've gotten on my posts. It encourages me to keep writing and I love hearing from you!

So, I am sitting in my kitchen, drinking a cup of tea while my kids sleep in. Love that! So here we go with my story worth writing...

[The Move]

So our container arrived an hour before the movers. The container guy was not so pleased, but fortunately I took my mother-in-law's advice and had tea and biscuits out and ready for the movers. That seemed to please him.

Once the movers came, they had trouble getting the container unlocked, but were successful after a half hour. The crew of two were able to unload our boxes and furniture in two days while taking many many breaks for tea (I did all the unpacking). All of this was relatively uneventful.

Wilson Gets Cozy In Linen Pile

[The Movers!]

Okay, but here's the unusual part. So what would you have done? Turns out the movers lived 4 hours away and were with a traveling moving company. They move people all over the UK, so they sleep in their moving truck. My neighbor said she would offer them a spare room if she had one. So, yikes! Am I supposed to offer mine?! So now the movers are sleeping in the room next door? Awkward! I don't remember seeing the protocol in my London guide book on this one.

We did not offer our spare room - just too creepy. But they did use the 'loo' and the shower. They didn't have a smaller car to drive in, so we brought them dinner and the cigarettes they asked for. They seemed mildly grateful for my hospitality (fed them 3 meals), but I got the feeling I'd done less than most. Needless to say, we didn't tip them.

Good news is we got everything in perfect condition and a colorful story to tell throughout the years!

XO
Laura

Art attack

Firstly I wanted to thank everyone for your get-well wishes - you guys are so sweet. I'm feeling much better today, and I'm sure those couple of lazy days doing absolutely nothing have helped no end. So while I've quite enjoyed kicking back, watching dvds and catching up on reading, I do find it quite frustrating not to be working on my cabinet makeover - especially when it's sitting right in front of me! That's been set aside for when I can muster the energy, so in the meantime my thoughts have turned to painting.

When it comes to my art, I probably have enough ideas to last a lifetime. This week has been great for giving me time to plan, refocus and potter around my studio - I've cleaned and tidied my desk (which was no mean feat!), finished a couple of orders, and started to pull together some bits and pieces for my next piece. I've also organised to frame this work my youngest daughter did at school recently:

I love it, and the fact that she designed the whole thing herself is pretty impressive I think. Once it's framed, I'll hang it in my studio, alongside some other masterpieces by my older two.

Right, now that I've spent most of this post bragging, I'll show you a few of the things I'll be using in some of my own works. I'm always on the lookout for really diverse bits and pieces, and my plan is to incorporate them into some mixed-media works that will soon be for sale. 

Japanese paper, wood blocks, hand-made parchment, jute twine...mmm

I'm really keen to get started, so I'll catch you all soon!

Not Your Typical Move, Part I

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

[PRELUDE TO A MOVE]

We had prepared for almost a year for our move abroad, yet it still didn't seem like enough time. Many details needed to be taken care of at the last minute, such as utilities in the US and in the UK.  As my also-moving-to-UK-friend stated, 'It is a tsunami of details'.Well said, girlfriend! Thank goodness for the internet and faxes, for those international phone calls would have cost a fortune.

Our last day in the US involved me with my home phone on one ear (I was on hold), talking on the cell phone on the other ear, and working the computer at the same time. Meanwhile, my husband was doing the same thing next to me. It was madness. I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and it was the perfect 'I Love Lucy' episode. And with teary eyes, we said goodbye to the US and our beloved friends.

And so the local movers packed us up in 2 1/2 days and put everything in a big container like you see on the back of a semi truck. The container was then put on a train to go to port in Houston, Texas to be shipped to our new house in the UK. And magically it appeared on our doorstep last week, almost exactly a month later : )

First sneak peek of our block! Londoners call our area 'leafy'. I like that. It was the first day of rain the whole week, but I didn't mind. I was so excited to get 'situated'. Will write more tomorrow...

XO
Laura

I'd rather be here today...

...because I'm under the weather with a lingering flu bug. Of course, the chances of me spending the day in bed are next to none, but hey, I can dream can't I?

So my lovelies, I'm thinking a lazy day is just what the doctor ordered, and I might use the time to catch up on some reading as well.  

photo courtesy lazybones.com.au

Now that I think about it, my day is sounding pretty good right about now! 

Catch you all soon,

Four Cool Things About Living In England, So Far

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

[LETTER CARRIER BY BIKE] His name is Mark, and he seems to be a nice introvert who was surprised when I chased him down to introduce myself. You may not know this, but my dream job is to be a letter carrier, by bike even better. Seriously : )

[HOUSE KEYS] We have a different church key for each exterior door, of which there are many. I hope we don't lose any of them!

[HYDRANGEAS] These hydrangeas are outside my back door. We can't grow this variety in Colorado, which makes them more special here. They are many in the neighborhood.

[LIBRARY CARDS] Each of us chose our own design. I wanted the pig and elephant one, but it was reserved for kids. I'm glad Little G chose it.

Our container of furnishings arrives tomorrow! Happy day!

XO
Laura

How excitement!

Just a quick visit to blogland this morning - I have a big day ahead! This morning, I'm catching up with an old friend I haven't seen for ages (Hi Susan!) and she's popping in to have a look at my newly painted kitchen. I'm really looking forward to it, and thought you might like to see what I whipped up this morning:

source

Domestic goddess - you betcha!

Then, later today, I'm going to head off to meet someone many of you will already know: the creator of this

 and this..

Yep, that's right - I'm catching up with my namesake Kerry...

...from A Tranquil Townhouse!

How excitement! So, if you're in Brissie today, and you happen to see two crazy women talking ten to the dozen in your local coffee shop, it will probably be us! 

Hope you have a great day too, and I really wish you could all join us. Maybe there needs to be some discussion of a future bloggers' convention......?

The Chaos Theory

Those who know me well also know that I can be hugely a little on the messy side, especially when I'm working on a new painting. And to make matters worse, after a while, I find it impossible to ignore the chaos. That's exactly what's happened this week. I've had quite a few ideas for new artwork, but I just can't manage to get going on it when my studio looks like it's been ransacked. So yesterday, I spent a few hours tidying up, and while I still have a few things to take care of (like organising my tax return paperwork - argh!) it's looking much better, and already I'm feeling clearer and more focused. While I'm honest enough to realise I'll never be capable of keeping a fastidiously tidy studio, it doesn't stop me from being smitten when I spy lovely examples of serene (and tidy!) work spaces. And if said workspace happens to overlook a stunning garden (and maybe a pool?) then who am I to argue?

Maggie Tabberer's barn in the Southern Highlands

 

Avalon stunner via realestate.com.au

source unknown

source unknown

Would it be too greedy to want this next one just a little bigger? Probably, but hey, this is my fantasy studio, so I'm going to upsize my order.

via traditionalhome.com

via canadianhouseandhome.com

via verandah house

Inspired yet? I am!

Ok, back to work for me. Have a great day everyone,

UK Tidbit: Water Butts

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

While reading a brochure from our water company, I was intrigued by how I could save water by using my 'water butt'. At first I was wondering if I should be offended, but then decided to delve a little further. It is a barrel to store water at the end of a gutter. Here are some photos to clarify:

This is a 'slim' water butt

My favorite, the 'ROBUST' water butt

And the prettiest water butt

[You're Invited! If you enjoyed this post, please consider following me: www.HappyHomemakerUK.blogspot.com ]

XO
Laura

Virginia Macdonald Photography

Over the weekend, I managed to stumble upon the work of Virginia Macdonald. This Toronto-based photographer is seriously talented, and her portfolio is full to the brim with beautiful images.

Gorgeous, no? And you have to check out her website. It's totally worth it for all the stunning pics, but the topper is her bio - priceless!

Btw, not much progress was made on my cabinet - sport on Saturday and a netball carnival all day Sunday. It's definitely on the list for today though, so I'll keep you posted.

Happy Tuesday,

We're Off!

Posted by Happy Homemaker UK

Our bags are packed

and I can finally say we are moving to England today!

I am hoping this is the car my husband will pick us up in ; )

XO
Laura

I've made my decision.........

Thanks to the gorgeous Maria over at Dreamy Whites, I've made my decision on what to do with this old cabinet:

Maria recently posted these stunning pics of her own cabinet (note to self - must try to take better pics, Maria always does such a great job with hers) and it was just perfect for what I had in mind. She painted the interior a combination of white and pale grey, which gives just the right, not-too-perfect finish to complement the cabinet's original patina.

must also track down a collection of grain sacks so my cabinet can look this good!

just right - perfectly imperfect

Thanks must go to Maria for letting me use her lovely photos. If you haven't already (and I find that hard to believe - her blog is hugely popular, and I'm sure you can see why!) go and check out her blog. She's also guest posting over at Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which is a now on my list of must-reads too.

So, I know what I'll be doing this weekend! I'll do my best to get it finished so I can show you the result next week. 

Have a great weekend everyone,

Spanner in the works!

When I posted yesterday about what to do with my dining table, I knew you guys would come up with some great ideas. But just when I thought I'd narrowed down my decision, I find myself with a conundrum of sorts - a new player has entered the game! Thanks to all the great ideas you've come up with, I'm now thinking zinc might be just what I'm looking for. Tricia Rose and Jules (gorgeous girls - you really have to check out their fab blogs if you haven't already) suggested zinc, so in the interests of research, I found these lovelies:

 

source

 this combination with the tolix chairs - oh my!

 source

 this base is very similar to mine

source

 source

 

 source

So now, before I make my final decision, I'm going to check out the availability of zinc sheeting, and also the price. I love that it gets better with age, is durable and hard-wearing, and looks amazing to boot. 

 

Thanks for the feedback everyone - I love that decorating has now become a collaborative process!