Bookcase in progress

You might remember that I splurdged on an Etsy bookcase a few months ago and that I had said I would paint the ugly coloured door another colour. Well, It's finally happened! Only 3 months later! It's a november miracle! Nothing like going away for a week to get you to do the stuff you've been putting off for months. Does anybody else find that? 

Anyhoo. This is what we started with: 

A hot mess of duck egg, aubergine and teal. Not my favourite colors. Give me grey and white and pale yellow any day of the week. It's a real shame the doors couldn't be sanded down and varnished in the original wood colour but I couldn't really see that working out now that it's 5 degrees outside and raining most days so I decided to give them my next best "fresh new look" treatment: white paint.

Then something else happened: I g̶o̶t̶ ̶l̶a̶z̶y̶ thought the end result might look better if I painted the entire doors and not just the squares. Also, it took me about 15 mins just to tape off the first square. As one of my former colleagues (a marketing executive, not that I'm biased at all) explained to me once after asking me to translate something even though she spoke English 'fluently', this "just isn't the best use of my time". So after a little ripping off of tape and wiping down, I was ready to go!

I'm not sure how many coats of paint it took in the end, let's just say I need to thank Netflix and Modern Family for entertaining me so well during this process. 

It looks less striking than it did in my mind, but still lots better than before.

For some reason the doors won't quite line up now that they're back on. I've tried tweaking the screws a bit and will have to try some more to get them perfect again. I also need to find a better place for those blue containers, and a pretty box for storing tourist brochures. It's all part of the plan. Remember this only a "progress" post!

A random picture of flowers, because I've got a fancy camera now and need to practice. This is my attempt at getting the manual settings right. Some stuff is in focus and other stuff is fashionably blurry. Success!

The whole bookcase is looking a bit too busy for me so I'm considering getting some grey toned mod-y fabric to hang behind the glass, that way the white doors won't look so out of place. It will also hide the books and protect them from the light. Bonus!

I've been spending far too much time on spoonflower searching for the perfect print. What do you think? Today my favourite is number 2, but I'm worried that it's the safe and boring option and I'll tire of it (here are 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6).

Tell me your favourite! In the meantime I'll be busy adjusting screws and getting things to line up nicely. Wish me luck!

Lydgate

Hello bunnies! Well it's been a while and I've been on another walk (surprise) so you get to enjoy this little slice of the Lydgate hillside while I'm in France this week at a book fair. I've got at least 3 house-related posts that are almost ready, so next week should be exciting!! In the meantime, here are som sheep chasing a deer.

Pretty much the best play on words I've seen so far.

A walk to (what felt like) the end of the world...

It's a long way down...

And a long way up in the extreme wind!

Best to lie down and just enjoy the sky then

The sheep were certainly curious as to what we were doing

and on the way back we were ambushed by ponies. They were All over the path! Naturally, I was afraid, and Boyfriend just walked right past, stroking and clucking and nuzzling his way out.

Right, I should be off to eat a caramel crêpes since I'm theoretically in Brittany, but really I've been eating home made bagels, soon to be followed by carrot cake, and probably, later on, SUSHI! Très français, non ?

With the flick(r) of my finger

Hello Bunnies! More advenure-related posts coming soon, in the meantime I just wanted to share my Flickr account with you. I'll be posting lots of random pics in future, so feel free to give me tips on how to take better photos or tell me to lay off the cat photography when you get tired of it. Click here to take a look at my rookie photos. If you need me I'll be studying my Canon handbook...

Yes I Can(on)!

So last week it was my birthday, and I got a present from Boyfriend. Something very special that I'd spent a long time convincing myself I didn't need because I would never have dared to splurdge on it myself. Can you guess what it is?

Technically I did get all of the above, but my actual present isn't shown here. Why? Because I needed it to take the pictures! Because it's a fancy Canon EOS 700D!!! Not that those letters and numbers mean anything to me at the moment because I know nothing about proper photography, but believe me I'm about to learn. Get ready ISO, white balance and aperture speed: here I come!

Family time

A few weeks ago we had family over for a little pre-birthday visit. Boyfriend cooked his legendary boeuf bourguignon, we opened some good wine, and a grand time was had by all.

My Mum stayed on for a few days and we did a fair bit of exploring in the sunshine. Of course we had to go to Heptonstall, my favourite place for a walk.

You can't really tell from the picture but this house has the most perfect lawn I've ever seen. I just want to lie down on it and roll around.

The old graveyard by the church ruins is full of Greenwoods (my Mum's maiden name). Although my granddad came from further north, we decided there may be some of our ancestors in these parts.

I'm not usually a fan of graveyards but this one is quite magical and not creepy.

I'm so glad we made the most of the sun and the outside while we could because today it's absolutely pouring. We don't get that many permanently rainy days but this is one of them. I think I'll be keeping my desk lamp on all day....

 

That was so Hebden Bridge

A few weeks ago we went on another explore upwards. I really liked the fact that there were woods at the end of one of the streets in the posher part of town so we decided to have a walk in them. I wasn't expecting to find a waterfall at the end of it, but I guess that's just Hebden Bridge for you.

We also got chatting to a very friendly lady who showed us various footpaths and took us up to Old Town where we got the most stunning view. Her dogs were really cute and extremely clever. They understood full sentences and were so fast and fearless. It nearly made me want to get a dog again, but then I remembered the hair and the slobber. And the bags of poo. Enough said.

I just want to add that these pics aren't photoshopped or anything. This is pure unadulterated Yorkshire.

There goes our friendly guide, back down the field to pick some blackberries.

While we found our way to the Hare and Hounds, where they rescue hens and pigs and keep them in the back garden until they are old and grey and happy. So Hebden Bridge!