Goodies

I went to my local market on Saturday. It was freezing! I can't quite believe the crazy weather we have experienced in the UK this past 6 months. It seems like a never ending winter and I cannot wait for it to start getting warmer. However I was very pleased to have made the effort to get out and about as I came back with some goodies!

I have been after a wicker basket for quite a while. I really liked the look of the Laura Ashley Kubu Storage Trunk as it's both beautiful and practical. However I could not afford the £80 price tag so I carried on looking.....


Well look what I found for £12 at my local indoor market!

I'm really pleased, this will be very useful for storing linens and look great on top of my wardrobe (when I get round to painting the wardrobe). Plus I have saved an awful lot of money! It shows that it pays to be patient and to keep on looking.

Whilst browsing I also noticed this duck jug. How cute! I couldn't resist and he came quacking home with me and is now proudly sitting on my window sill. This was only £8 so another bargain!

It's sometimes easy to forget how good markets are. My local market has an indoor and outdoor section that sells vintage goods, as well as modern furniture, electricals, toys, clothing and food. I always find it more satisfying to buy goods from a market stall rather than a national chainstore or supermarket. In terms of food produce the chain from farm to consumer is reduced which can only be a good thing both environmentally and in terms of quality due to the stall owner having more knowledge of where the produce came from in the first place. Plus it's helping small businesses to survive in an economic environment that is incredibly tough. So if you've never been to a market, have a go as you'll find it fun and you'll be amazed at what your pennies can get you!

Some good news!

We are very lucky in the UK to have the NHS and all the people who work for it work very hard. The work is difficult and the hours are long. However due to patient numbers exceeding NHS capacity it can take a long time to get answers to health issues. As mentioned previously I injured my back last year, 4 months later I had an MRI scan, 3 months on I was still waiting for the results. I was told it could take another 3 - 6 months for the results. In the end I paid for a private consultation (which I got within a week!) in order to find out what was going on. Well it has been a bit of a nightmare but it looks like I have turned a vital corner.... I don't need surgery! Yeah! I am so pleased! I have got some issues: a disc bulge, nerve impingement and a degenerating joint. So I'm now booked in for a course of physiotherapy to strengthen my core stability and £260 poorer!

To celebrate I bought myself some lovely Cath Kidston provence mugs with my House of Fraser £10 rewards voucher and £10 gift token (so technically I didn't spend a thing!)

Aren't they lovely?!

Kitchen dramas

Last year I made the big decision that we needed a new kitchen, there were very practical reasons to needing a new kitchen. However there were very impractical consequences. We live in a lovely little Victorian terraced house that was renovated in the 1980's (read original fireplaces, windows, doors and other features removed - including we think the cellar being filled). As with all old properties this one has it's quirks - you know not quite straight walls, floors and a few small cracks here and there. After speaking to a neighbour we found out that after an investigation a structural engineer had confirmed that the terraces had moved slightly when they were first built (1890) but had since settled and were sound. It's nice to know that everything's fine.

This is what we started with (we had replaced the cupboard doors initially and kept them for a few years).

Not bad but not great and with plenty of problems (including very naughty kitty cats!). Therefore we made a start.

I call it the industrial look. What, you mean you wouldn't want to relax in this fine space? But you could bake such scrummy cakes in this oven!

I had a little break

Hi, I took a little break from bloging and have now decided to return...whoo hoo!

I injured my spine last year when the handle of a box of tiles I was carrying broke. I caught them but felt a hot jolt of pain in my lower back. After a trip to physio I developed a large lump on my sacrem (lower back). So I have been back and forth to doctors and hospital and am awaiting my MRI results. I may have a prolapsed disc (no one is really sure what I have - it is not reassuring when all doctors say 'Ive never seen anything like that in my life'!). I have also been told I have a curved spine and one leg longer than the other - I never even realised!

So it's been a bit depressing and upsetting as my movement has been very limited, bizarely sitting down is the most painful and I'm unable to sit properly. It's amazing how we can take for granted painfree movement. However it's not all been bad as I've received a lot of help from my family and partner. I have to say a massive thank you to everyone who's helped, especially my mom and dad for all those shopping trips and OH for putting up with my moaning and making me lovely meals!


Onwards and upwards!


Ooops!! Forgot to say thanks to Pip for making me laugh!