Images Of Barnstaple.

Just a few more photos taken in Barnstaple yesterday as I have spent the whole day in the kitchen. My only foray out into the crisp cold air was early in the morning to feed the hens and pour hot water over the ice in their water bowl. 

This bike rack almost looks like a piece of modern art.

Poor Pete has been ill for 3 days with a stomach bug and now one of our visitors has gone down with it as well. Not a nice thing to happen when you are on holiday. The rest of us are all wondering who will be next. Each twinge of indigestion could be the the start of the galloping lurgies. Hopefully I will be taking some of the youngsters into town for the New Year's celebrations in the Square- bands, fancy dress and fireworks. 

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Beautiful Bathroom

This bathroom designed by Ami McKay is just divine! So fresh and clean...exactly what I want in a bathroom. LOVE that tiling and sink!

Have a safe and SUPER FUN New Year's Eve everyone! :)

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How to decorate our home - Home ideas

It's easy to decide that you want to change something in your home. More difficult was the choice how to make it. Not always necessary architects and designers. There is much more simple and inexpensive ways to decorate your house or apartment and sami.

1. Invest in the best

Instead of the full house with junk and cheap souvenirs, you better choose something you really like. Enjoy the process a little less desired decorate a room in a way that will matter vazhita not only at home but also your guests.

2. Change Color
Everything from cloth and has a color, not like you or just tired, can be replaced. Find the workshop, which deals with a dye fabrics and bold approach to the selection of new ones.

CHANGE WALL COLORS

3. Make room friendly
Select light tones to make a room warm and welcoming.

4. Use the available material
Discover the advantages and disadvantages of each room and they decorate the rest of the house. If you have high ceilings, place the long curtains. If the apartment is small and dark, do not try to change it. Clean white walls sometimes can only make it look uninspired and tedious. Instead, Try to create atmosphere.

5. Light

No matter how small it is set, place at least three light sources. Ideally would be if you set a high floor lamp and combine it with two more small table lamps. So will make room in Ray.

6. Antiques are chic
Invest in antiques. You may place one in each room, fixing the tone and mood of the whole apartment.

7. Think outside of the front door mat
Not neglecting the front door. Look on it as a unit, which prepares for what will follow. The entrance to meet the style of your house, but at the same time contain anything in particular that causes guests to want to see more.

8. Collecting
Collecting more objects that best speaks to you. No matter what will be, this number plays an important role.

9. Place small locker for small objects
Small lockers in the office or hallway at home may prove extremely useful. They can store shoes, rucksack children, mail and more.


10. Wallpapers

Not necessarily to put wallpaper or use paint to change the walls at home. You just pretapitsirate them with a cloth on your taste. So will make the rooms more comfortable and luxurious, will further isolate them and you can come out much more expensive than ordinary wallpaper.

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Transform your kitchen cabinets

Old cupboard in the kitchen you were a pain to omraznali. White getinaks navyava only boredom and your financial capabilities are limited. Top - easier and cheaper to replace kitchen cupboard door or a little more resources and skill to create nastroenie.

We ten ideas on how to change to neuznavaemost door with nothing inconspicuous cupboard. The easiest way is painting, n ow you've decided to prevaplatite in artist, you can make picturesque canvas of white doors - here's how:

1. Choose the appropriate car paint colors and within minutes they will become unrecognizable. Background is a stop - fairness, but what will narisuvate then - the choice is yours.

2. How to prepare the door? To begin with washing and drying them well, then with fine sandpaper izshlayfayte them to be able to hold paint. Then prime with colorless nail polish. List keynote Two hands, then narisuvayte a template or a free hand desired picture. Top fix with colorless nail polish - this will be easy to maintain hygiene in the kitchen.

3. Melamin plates are sold in stores, there are two persons in two colors, handy if you were alone can skroite doors, with or without binding cord - a matter of taste and desire. The color you choose, by and comply with other kitchen equipment.

4. Another easy way is to be self wallpaper or foil. Offered in stores in different colors in stripes, with floralni reasons - so you can add new colors in your kitchen.

5. One way to change is this - buy from the shops of rattan roll, you can easily razkroite and paste it on existing loopholes or within, a matter of taste and desire is whether it otsvetite or will remain in its natural color. It is beautiful in itself.

6. If the table in the kitchen you like wood and rustic style, you can make wooden doors and letvi.

7. Another way is to pin sachak where you wish to frame him.

8. If you have a traditional thinking and extravagance like, you can paste on the metal doors in different picture film - moon, stars and more.

9. It is very fashion presence of textiles in the kitchen. So door base cabinet can successfully replace with curtains, in line with the tablecloth, gloves and various kitchen accessories you - cheaply and effectively decide on the kitchen of the house.



10. The last and decisive touch handles are (hand). They can be wood, metal, plastic or brass - the choice is a big market, they give your work finished.

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Quick refreshment around the house - Ideas for home

The first thing we see in one house, its appearance and spatial layout, so place a place of occasional visitor and see the side home - what are its advantages and disadvantages, what can be preserved and what changed? Next ideas can help refreshed vision of home.

1. First, you need to do is make a few pictures of the house and possibly by all sides. Looking countries will help to Distance from home and to look with greater severity. Once you have completed your photographic exhibit multiplied photos so that they can to paint on them - add a decorative timber shaped paths and flower trimmer - something like a cheap software that will save you a lot of nerve, resources and time.

2. If you have qualities such as skill and enthusiasm, alone can produce a low ornamental fences for color trimmers or effective trellis for the inlet area of the yard. Large chain stores usually have a section for gardening, where you'll find all the necessary materials and tools. The end result will be more than satisfactory.

3. Instead of concrete, gravel or use river stones to cover the lanes - they will have much greater decorative value. Alternatively, replacing the standard mall in the grassy part, is making plochopateka - several large flat stones that are arranged one after another - a decision which carries east broadcasting.

4. Near the trees or bushes can put large plaited baskets to be focused. A small baskets then be filled with artificial apples, squash and other fruits to remind for this season.

5. Use awning and sheds. They are ideal choice for summer, and a cool time - from the sun, from rain and snow. For entry spaces is particularly advisable to provide peak above the door.


6. Lighting should not be forgotten. It is the final touch that creates original garden accents and lanes.

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Four seasons of gardening

A warm afternoon (more like an occasional late February day) encouraged moving leaf mulch, some light weeding and tidying of winter beds, and musings about planting time. In our climate, more of us should really think more about four seasons of gardening, from vegetables to landscape plants.

The winter honeysuckle is flowering now, prompted by the warm weather. It normally is in full swing by late January and February.


I think I'll sow some winter lettuce in the cold frame tomorrow and set up the heating pad and lights in the garden shed. I'm anxious to start some hardier transplants (kale, broccoli, collards, and mache) and sink my fingers into the damp earth again.

All the covered lettuce beds in Italy this time of year were amazing -- why not here? The hoop frames were simply providing a bit of protection and increased warmth (I think) -- no supplemental heat or light.

I ordered seed potatoes today from my favorite source, Wood Prairie Farm, and onion and leek sets from Dixondale Farms. If I'd kept better records (or had the patience to go back and dig up my notes), I'd know which potatoes did best here, and which varieties from my last year's experiments with onions were most successful, but basically, I love to experiment in the garden -- and every year is different, after all, even with tried-and-true varieties. I haven't yet sorted through my seeds (I'm sure I have plenty already, but maybe I'll find something new I need.... the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed catalog is a wonderful inspiration).

I WILL be rotating more diligently this year (AND KEEPING AN ACCURATE MAP), hmm, is this a New Year's resolution? And, I'll be adding new beds to expand the rotations. Perhaps the trade-off for a mild winter climate is an abundance of potential problems, from fungal wilts to harmful nematodes.

But it's hard to complain about a mid-60° F day in late December, even if it's unusually warm.

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Reflections.

It was an early start this morning as Kate's car was booked in at the garage for 8.00. There was quite an obvious petrol leak but it turned out that when it was serviced before she bought it 2 weeks ago they had failed to put a jubilee clip on the petrol hose to secure it. This potentially very dangerous fault was fixed for a minimum cost of £12.00. I just thank God that nothing serious had happened while the petrol was dripping out under the car. Being nice and early the supermarket was almost empty as I stocked up on food. After that I walked over the bridge into town for a meander round the shops.

There was a cool golden light over the river and lots of reflections in the still water.

An hour later the High Street was busy with 'Sales' shoppers. The low winter light was creating an interesting back-lit effect on the crowds.

On the way home I finally managed to get a Buzzard to sit still on a telegraph pole though it's a shame that the camera didn't focus properly on this and closer shots.

 

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Aubergine and Teal Bedroom

I love this bedroom featured in Ideal Home with its combination of eggplant (ahem...aubergine) spiced up with the teal. That Graham & Brown wallpaper is gorgeous!

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Late December

Arriving home, we were surprised at how mild the weather was, definitely warmer than Italy. A clear blue sky, with well-dampened earth (a good thing), greeted a morning check of the garden.

Everything is in winter mode now, with deciduous leaves fallen. The garlic is up, as are fava beans, planted in a last minute experiment. The parsley is still green, and the collards look fine. I spent some time reviewing seed catalogs this morning- what fun.

We received a giant load of leaves today, thanks to the city's vacuum trunk, an excellent addition for winter mulching. My gardening companion had called before we left, but flagged the driver down this morning.

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Bursting At The Seams.

This morning a heavy frost lay on the ground and stayed for most of the day.

The morning was spent in a frantic rearranging of rooms  ready for our final guests. We have several spare bedrooms but they  been appropriated and turned into a study or a gun store or music/drum room. There was much agonised shouting (me), moving of equipment/pcs/clothes (youngsters)  followed by a quick hoover and tidy up.  Our friends arrived at lunchtime and now every room is occupied. Romas did ask if another friend could come and stay over for the week but as he would have to sleep on the sofa I didn't think that was too practical.

Milo, our friends' Jack Russell, in his favourite position underneath the (lit) woodburner. 

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Beautiful Blue Dining Room

I hope everyone had a terrific Holiday! Just a couple more days now until New Years Eve. I love this time of year....always so much fun to be had!

Isn't this dining room designed by James Michael Howard amazing?! I've never seen anything like it. I love all the shades of blue. The walls....they are just so beautiful. And that chandelier...oh my!

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