Getting There Slowly

The last rose

Hi everybody and thank you for all your wonderful comments on my last post!

I'm so glad you enjoyed the inspiring interiors images, and I have to say you are a very encouraging lot when it comes to the decorating.

So armed with a bit of determination and willpower, not to say paintbrushes and stripper, and fortified by your uplifting comments, I have managed to spend a few days over the last week moving the hall decorating forwards a bit, and am pleased to say I am Getting There Slowly :)

Now - still unfinished but progress has been made!!

The Latest - see above - handrail stripped, primer/undercoat on rest of staircase, and the stairwell walls with the first coat of paint.

Below is the estate agents picture of the hall before we moved in.

Too much dark wood for our taste, and it made the hall very gloomy, and the walls were painted a dark coffee colour (much darker than it appears in this photo)

Photo of staircase from estate agents details - ie. what we moved in to

Below is a photo of the staircase half primed, and before I stripped the handrail - see the original dark colour still on the wall up the stairs?

Getting there......

As we are now - still a way to go but so much lighter!!!

So back to it when I finish this post!

Mr G has had a few days off for half term, and one day last week we had a trip out which included a visit to an auction house viewing day.......

..........two days later, after lots of research, some rather exciting and nail-biting online bidding, we found ourselves with some lovely new paintings.

Four oil paintings and a watercolour altogether

This lovely (signed) oil painting of a moonlit bay (possibly Monaco according to the info) - I was over the moon (groan!!)that we won this one!

A painting of a San Fransisco street scene (signed)

This was Bella's favourite

An ENORMOUS oil painting of a lady seated by a dressing table - this stands over 1m high, and is destined for the wall at the foot of the stairs - I just fell in love with this one

A 19th century watercolour - in the style of the Victorian watercolour painters of rural cottages and scenes, such as Helen Allingham

 And a little Dutch oil of a winter river scene

Now we will have to push on with decorating the rest of the house in order to display the paintings properly!

We are well into Autumn now, and the last of the tomatoes and peppers have been picked

Halloween has come and gone already - not much happened here except a pumpkin was carved for the porch and a tray of treats was ready for the few trick or treaters who visited

The countryside around here is clothed in its autumn colours, making our school run through the lanes an absolute delight as we hurtle through a landscape of red, russet, orange and yellow

Our dog walks through the nearby woods reveal other autumnal sights

And as usual there has been plenty of relaxing going on here by the four footed furry members of the family

Bessie this morning..................

It's all so exhausting.........................

I can't believe we are in November now, and after bonfire night this weekend we will be in to the (too) fast run down to Christmas!!

Mr G has surprised me by already buying the charity Christmas Cards........

Image from Vintage Home

Have  a great week everyone!