Sock it to me...

This isn't a post I had planned. I spent today sorting through my clothes and I fear I have inherited my mother's clothe hoarding skills. I moved here with two suitcases and now have enough stuff to fill two huge closets. EEK! I guess its mainly because I have to have a whole different wardrobe just for winter stuff. But anyways, back to the sorting. I noticed I had a few shirts that had turned grey in the wash and I googled a way to get the white back. After watching a video on adding baking soda to the wash, the video continued on teaching how to fold clothing. What!?! Doesn't everyone know how to fold? Duh.

Well let me tell you my sock folding world has been blown away. I learned today how to fold my socks so that they aren't annoying bulging balls that take up loads of space. Instead they are square bundles that can be stacked! Wow. I know this must sound really daft but I have such limited space so I quickly refolded all of my socks and then was enjoying it so much I did some of my husband's too. So if you want to revolutionize your sock drawer here's the video link.

The English Countryside

Part of my new job working for regional newspapers and magazines takes me out into the countryside. I went to shoot an event near the sea side today and on my way I found a store that sells "Shabby Chic" furniture. I popped in on my way home and found loads of old farmhouse tables, which I have been looking for to add a touch of old to my modern home. There was also a Victorian school desk for only £60! I really want it but I have to get the okay from my better half ie my half that is actually responsible with money.

A few days ago I went to photograph a fatal train accident and afterwards found two amazing antique shops. The first one had an amazing old police bicycle and a vintage body form in amazing condition. In the second shop there was a beautiful leather bag and a set of 6 chapel chairs.

Now I didn't get any of these amazing things but I hope to find more things once I have some moola!

Almost there...

I can't believe it's almost been a month since I’ve posted anything. Tsk tsk me. I finally have the essentials in life:

*a sofa
*a mattress (no bed frame yet because IKEA recalled it for “quality” reasons)
*internet
*Sky (essentially its cable but you can pick different packages- we chose culture and music)
*all of my things from my Edinburgh flat (more on that in a bit)

There is one essential I don’t have though… MY HUSBAND!! Billy got a job! (Yayayaya happy dance) His job is in London and he starts on September 12. So at least I know I will have my husband soon.

On Saturday we went and picked up our moving van and had to upgrade because we underestimated the amount of stuff we own (I moved over here with only two suitcases and that was only 2 ½ years ago). I loved loved loved driving the metal mammoth around which makes me rethink the kind of person I am. I guess it’s the redneck in me coming out.

It took us 3 hours to load all our stuff from our 2nd floor (3rd floor if you’re in the states) Victorian tenement flat (i.e. loads of stairs). We got on the road at 1pm and got into our new place at 9pm. Phew and if that’s not enough we (meaning mostly Billy) unloading half of the truck right then. I really do have a superman husband.

So now our 2nd bedroom has a futon and loads of boxes that I need to sort through in time for our first visitor in October. Now I have to figure out how to decorate my lovely new home. We have tripled the size of our lounge and halfed the size of our bedroom but we also have a balcony which we love. It’s so nice having an outdoor space all to ourselves.

I really desperately want to furnish the rest of our flat in antiques found in this incredible English countryside. I want an old farm table for our dining area to break up the inevitable IKEA furniture so there’s a good mix of old and new. I am however feeling very overwhelmed when I look for ideas online and see such incredible décor creations. I am crafty but I am also impatient and get bored very quick. So we’ll see how long it takes. Oh and we’re still renting so we have to be delicate with our multitude of frames so I’m trying out the Command adhesive hooks (fingers crossed).

I don’t have any photos yet of the before so instead I put up a random photo of my hero.

Me vs. Rupert Murdoch

I am getting settled into my new home sans my husband and I don't like it one. single. bit. I miss my cuddles on the couch and I miss a couch because I am sitting/sleeping on a futon in the living room until Ikea decides to deliver my actual couch/bed. Eek.

The cable guy is due to come any minute now to set up my cable but I'll have to wait another 7-10 days for my Internet!! Oh Internet where Arte thou? My little dongle just isn't cutting it and I'm actually too busy shooting at work that there isn't anytime for looking at blogs.

A quick note: evidently I live in a technological black hole because no one does Internet where I live except, gulp, Sky. If you don't know, Sky is owned by Rupert Murdoch and every inch of me wants to boycott Sky and everything else that's part of his empire, but then if I did I wouldn't have Internet. Oh boy is there a battle in my head. For now I've caved and my need for TV and Internet has own out. But that doesn't mean I have to like it.

I leave you with a photo from my recent trip to Florida. Yes that's me! and Yep that's an alligator! I'm so brave (note: There was tape around the gator's mouth that magically disappeared in the editing process to make me seem cooler than I am.)

Happy independence day!!

Yay it's the Fourth of July and I'm home with my momma (or mo'ma as Billy calls her) and she is in the kitchen as I type making my favorite, fried chicken and potato salad! Yum. It's been a wonderful holiday thus far. I have my yellow nail varnish on my toes, I have sunburned skin and all my freckles are out. I forgot that my face is pretty much covered in freckles.

Life is good. We have beached it up and Billy and I have rode bicycles almost everyday and we both have read about five books each. I finished my last book on the hammock in the backyard sipping on sweet tea. Oh what a life. Its so relaxing here. And I still remember how to drive on the other side of the road.

Tomorrow Billy, Mo'ma, my 16 year-old nephew Dylan and me are heading down to Miami for the night and staying at the art deco Avalon Hotel on South Beach. The next day we are going to Gator Park for an airboat ride in the Everglades and then we're going to stop to see the Coral Castle on our way back.

Its been wonderful and the only bad thing is we have to leave!

Holiday in the sun...

I'm away to Florida tomorrow and one of the first things on my list to do is a mani/pedi. I haven't had one since my wedding two and a half years ago and my poor toes are in need of some tlc. My feet have always been my favorite part of my body. Weird eh? But I have cute feet and I always have varnish on them.

But I want something cute and summery so I've been looking online for ideas and yellow keeps coming up and I think that might be my answer. It's not a colour I'd normally use so I think it may be perfect. I never know if I should get the same colour on my toes as on my fingers. Such choices! I'll have to wait and see.

Not vermin...

I have packed all my craft supplies except some cross stitch supplies. I attempted to cs once before but it gave me a tremendous headache so I stopped. But I found the cutest patterns from Sewingseed on Etsy.

You can see a lot of the aida cloth through the stitches so I'm not completely happy with it, but its a squirrel so its okay. I had a pet squirrel when I was a wee lass and his name was Baby the Squirrel. His momma was run over by a car so we saved him and he'd would sleep in my momma's shirt because he loved her warmth and the beating of her heart.

So I like squirrels even poorly cross stitched ones.

a new home- well kindof

The next 6 months are going to be a odd for Team Sully (yes that is what my husband and I call ourselves Su + Billy = Sully please don't judge us to badly). We get back from Florida in July and the day after I have to move all by myself down south. We're not sure when Billy will be able to move too because it all depends on his job and/or finding a new one.

We are definitely counting on being a part for two months but hopefully it won't be any more than that. So we will both have a flat and our stuff will be separated between the two.

So I am filling my pre-move days looking for stuff to fill our new home with. We have a very limited budget and as we are going from a fully furnished flat to an unfurnished one we will have to rely heavily on charity shops and yes, Ikea.

We are in the market for a new couch! Years of having a narrow two seater has given us a great appreciation for comfy couches. We love love love the Emlyn couch at Habitat but the price tag isn't very loveable. Yikes. So instead we will probably go with an Ikea 3-seater. I think it's really important to have it washable because Billy is very clumsy with his wine glasses (he's broken most of them and spilled loads everywhere).

We also need a bed. We will be going from a queen sized (there isn't a king size in the UK maybe because there isn't a King?) to a double and I'm not that keen. I like my cuddles but then I like my space when I'm sleeping. But we are probably going for one with storage underneath (yay I don't have to be afraid someone is hiding there when I'm all alone!!). But to start off with we will probably get a futon-ish thing while I'm on my own so I have a couch/bed which will later be moved into the second bedroom (yes we'll have two bedrooms!!).

Okay so I should add that I've never really felt like I've had a grown up place because I lived like a college student long after I was out of college (hey photographers aren't paid well in the states). But now it feels like whoa I'm married and we are putting together a home.

Here are some more things I want to make on my lonely nights in England:




(1) http://www.edytaszyszlo.com/blog/2008/10/08/diy-home-decor-with-your-wedding-photos/
(2) http://swelldesigner.blogspot.com/2009/04/colorful-mosaic-wall-on-cheap.html
(3) http://www.ladiesandgentlemenstudio.com/megadoily
(4) http://www.adventuresindressmaking.com/2010/01/i-am-so-proud-of-my-diy-zig-zag-rug.html
(5) http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/05/diy-project-kates-pretty-paper-coat-rack.html
(6) http://metalandmud.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/how-to-freezer-paper-stencil-pillow-cases/
(7) http://melissawilliamsonphoto.blogspot.com/2011/01/great-ideas-for-wall-displays.html

I hate packing!

My sewing machine, knitting needles, and all other craft supplies have been boxed up even though I'm not moving for ages. We had to pack up my box room/ craft room/ photographic gear room first so that we can pack everything else up in there. I don't have a flat to move into and we're not giving up our flat here until August (maybe I'll be able to catch a little bit of the Edinburgh Festival).

Billy's job has decided to be fairly uncooperative in our move, not allowing him to work from their London office. So now we are not sure when he'll be able to move in with me. Grr.

I have been on a lot of sites getting inspiration for my new flat, wherever it may be, and I'd like to get started but alas I must wait until after the move in July. I guess I'll have plenty of time to do crafty stuff when I am sans husband.

ps this is a photo I found of the town we will most likely be moving to. It's Britain's oldest recorded town and was a Roman centre so there is loads of quaint cottages about. It is also a large London commuter mecca so I'll probably be in newish housing which isn't great but we'll see.

Big News....

So I’ve been incredibly busy the past month and I spent the better part of last week down in England. A very, very long story short, I have accepted a job as a senior photojournalist. So I will be living 50 minutes outside London where my husband will have to commute (if his job will let him) while I cover a large area of England.

I have been in a constant state of flux for weeks and I am really happy that a decision has been made. I can’t go into details quite yet so I have to be careful not to seriously spill the beans until I get the go ahead.

The sad thing is that my husband and I will be separated for a while until his job gives him the go ahead to work out of their London office. Boo.

And I will really, really miss Edinburgh. I love this city so much and now that I can navigate it so easily I am picking up and leaving. I have moved so many times in the last decade that it’s not a huge deal but this was my first marital home so I will miss it.

(PS The photo is my husband's taken on a recent day out in Edinburgh- see how pretty it is here!)