Life Begins at ... 35?

Tete_en_l'Air

Morning all - another busy day today *roll eyes* but I have a free day tomorrow and want to get my head around where I am with everything.

As I said last week, the decorator has been and done all the wallpapering which is fab but there's a lot still to do myself. I did have a bit of an epiphany on Sunday though - I had bought some sets of blinds online thinking they'd be easy enough to fit, but then I struggled with drilling far enough into the lintels to fit a wall plug. I put the blinds aside for several weeks and didn't know what to do short of paying someone. Then I remembered No More Nails. I did google it first and there were a lot of warnings about it bringing the plaster down but I tried it on my french doors and it's held fast so far, and they're really long. It looks so much better and more 'finished' and I feel like I've been freed and can get on getting the rest up - no more naked windows here!

I'm having mantelpiece issues though. I love the fire and marble surround but want to replace the dark wood mantelpiece with something a bit lighter, however it seems that my fireplace is a bit of a weird shape - about 15cm wider than any of the ones I could find in any shops at the weekend. The only solution (other than spend £££ on a whole new suite) seems to be to paint the existing one, but it's highly polished wood and has some quite intricate carved bits, so I feel it would be a bit of an undertaking - any ideas on making this an easier task?

What else have I done since I last wrote a list post? I banked my £350 cheque from Dad's union so that'll help keep me in blinds and wallpaper; I went to get my puncture repaired (I had been expecting a new tyre at around £50, so repair at £15 was a nice surprise); the bulky waste has gone; I bought some old fashioned bevelled mirrors on ebay for a display in my bedroom (at one place I went to pick one up and told them what I was doing and they had two more in the garage so the search is over!), I've paid £40 for four mirrors when a lot of similar styles are listed for £60 each, so I'm pleased with that.

OK, here comes a mega, stream-of-consciousness list:

- TODAY - plan Spanish lesson
- TODAY - clean up kitchen
- TODAY - take gran to hosp appt
- TODAY - teach Spanish class
- WEDS - committee meeting agenda printing
- WEDS - committee meeting minutes
- THUR - working
- THUR - send report to work
- FRIDAY - Ikea trip - make list and check measurements

Other:
- Send timesheet to work
- Send availability to work
- Paint touch ups in kitchen
- Paint kitchen windowsills
- Make roman blind for kitchen window
- Order blinds for rest of house
- Go through charity bags for ebay fodder
- Sort coats for homeless
- Start taking charity bags to charity shops
- Ebay listings including small items of furniture
- Arrange charity furniture collection
- Phone man about shelves*
- About ten loads of washing

*These are the built-in shelves I want putting in either side of the chimney breast, but actually the more I think about it the more I'm tempted to do it myself. What I'm unsure of is how deep I want them and how many, not how to actually do it. If I can find a place that cuts the wood to size then I think I could have a bash myself - I've got a drill and a spirit level...

Right, I have a Spanish class to plan...

FacelessNumber

That's a hell of a list! You could try an electric mouse sander to sand down the mantelpiece to then paint it? Makes the sanding quicker and easier, if not the painting.


We're currently working out how to knock down a stud wall and put a new one up with soundproofing.....my DH assures me he has it under control so fingers crossed he knows what he's doing, then the painting and decorating will be down to me!

Tete_en_l'Air

Thanks FN, there are some really detailed carved bits though, which is my main concern. I've found a 'liquid sander' online which may be worth a shot, at least I'll be able to get it into the nooks and crannies... Sometimes I wish I'd never started on the redecorating! It will be worth it in the end.

Erm, all I know of soundproofing is egg boxes - any help to you?

MistyMountainTop

I've just read through your diary, you've had such a time. There is something about it I can relate to although our circumstances are very different. Subscribing!

poddle911

Hola Tete, I've been lurking as per ...

Nice to see you back with a new diary and renewed enthusiasm! Brava on all your progress with life, job and DIY. Glad the house is taking shape nicely. I've just been reading a book on living more Danishly after seeing the author giving a talk about it and one of the things that struck a chord was about how important our surroundings are - especially in a very cold climate when you stay at home for hours/days at a time - and why they feel OK about spending £400 on a designer Danish light fitting (:eek:) Most of the positives only seemed possible if you actually move to Denmark... Anyway, it was a fairly good read and I'm definitely on board with eating pastries and getting 'hygge', but I just don't call it that!

I was just going to say that a heat gun might help paint stripping on the fireplace? It's basically just a hairdryer and you can get them for under £15. I've been using one to strip our door frames and it's good to soften the paint so you can get in the grooves with a little shaped tool. It is very effective, but I will say that sometimes it catches fire a little bit (oops, my fault) and sometimes I wish I'd never started - it's a reet pain in the bum!

PS. Love your 'getting slinky for Santa' challenge :rotfl:

Bobarella

You sound like you've done a lot today again.

Tete_en_l'Air

Hello Misty and PODDLE!! Long time no see, how are you?!

Not really Bob, I never get much done on a Tuesday as planning my Spanish always takes me so long. I'm really torn about whether to commit to after Christmas because I always enjoy the classes so much once I'm there, but it just takes up so much more time than just those two hours and I don't like being busy three nights in a row every week (and I'm not willing to give up yoga and running on a Mon and Wed).

My grandma's hospital appointment also took up quite a bit of time, not least because she insists on being an hour early. (And then is extra cranky when the appointments are running over by like ten minutes, because she's already been waiting for 60 *rolly eyes*) Anyway she's going ahead with cataract surgery and her next appointment is to measure her eyes, which I can't make because I'm working. Hopefully I'll be able to take her to the actual surgery appt though.

Tete_en_l'Air wrote: »

[STRIKE]- TUES - plan Spanish lesson[/STRIKE]
- TUES - clean up kitchen
[STRIKE]- TUES - take gran to hosp appt
- TUES - teach Spanish class[/STRIKE]
- WEDS - committee meeting agenda printing
- WEDS - committee meeting minutes
- THUR - working
- THUR - send report to work
- FRIDAY - Ikea trip - make list and check measurements

Other:
- Send timesheet to work
- Send availability to work
- Paint touch ups in kitchen
- Paint kitchen windowsills
- Make roman blind for kitchen window
- Order blinds for rest of house
- Go through charity bags for ebay fodder
- Sort coats for homeless
- Start taking charity bags to charity shops
- Ebay listings including small items of furniture
- Arrange charity furniture collection
- Phone man about shelves
- About ten loads of washing

I'm free all day today til 5.30 when I need to go to running club for the committee meeting (and I'm going to pop into B&Q on the way to pick up the spider plant that I haven't been able to stop thinking about since the weekend...) so I'm aiming to do all the red things before then.

It's also just occurred to me how close the 25th November is - I'm going to London for the weekend for the Harry Potter studio tour and to see Fantastic Beasts at the IMAX, and have stupidly declared I'll crochet four house scarves for us all. I'm halfway through a Ravenclaw with three Hufflepuffs to go :eek: So once the kitchen is habitable again that needs to be a priority.

FacelessNumber

I like the idea of learning to crochet, I'm a bit too busy at the moment though! How long did it take to learn? Did you teach yourself? Good luck on the list!

Bumblebear

Hello Tete, I'm a diary- lurker :-) I think that sounds worse than it is...

Anyway, I just had to ask, because I wonder if you and I are the only people in the world with this problem, about your blinds! I've done the same thing as you, ordered some install-your-own-custom-fit ones off the web to save money. I was pretty chuffed with myself, I'm pretty handy with a powerdrill (for a 5'2.5" girl anyway), so a definite money saver. I thought. Except like you I couldn't get through the metal lintels... My question is, has your No More Nails done the trick?? I've got two 'wood style' venetians and a roller black out blind. They are not saving money sat behind the sofa!! If yours are still up, I'm off to B&Q this weekend :-)

Speaking of common problems, I do hope you're over it now, but I might be able to help with your facial pain. I've also go the same problem, had it years, recurrences of exhausting, sharp, eye watering pain that does not go away for days/weeks/months in a bad case. I've been told it's not blocked sinuses, but it's damaged nerves in the sinuses from previously having sinusitis infections. Does that ring a bell with you? I've tried lots of things from the doctor, but in the end I accidently came across a locum, who personally had the same problem and sympathised with the pain. His remedies remain the best for me - yes to steam, and also, this is gruesome but I promise it works: mix half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, with half a teaspoon of salt, in a pint of water. And you're going to have to snort a whole tablespoon of that up each nostril. Yuck! But it does provide relief. He also recommended blowing up balloons (to puff out the sinus cavity). Also, decongestants are the worst possible thing to take, when it hits I take a strong anti-inflammatory, which I think takes some of the sting out. The last point is perhaps more obvious, but I would never have tried the water thing in a million years if he hadn't told me!

Also, also, and this might sound really cheeky, and I'm sorry if it does, but I'm not adverse to a bit of running natter myself. I'm an endurance weightlifter so I train cardio (running mostly), and barbell work for my overall training programme. There is a lot to be said for getting some lifting in to help with run times - we've got runners on the team who have found they've improved since lifting; and also had sports teams come in and do a weekly lifting programme to improve the running in their sport. I've also found that my run times are better (and dare I say routes feel easier), the more I lift. The other benefit of all of the above is that lifting burns calories during and after you lift, running stops the extra burn once you calm down, so it's a great metabolism booster (people are often surprised at how much I eat *smug face*).

I hope you don't mind me wading in with my opinions and unrequested advice, but I particularly didn't like to think of anyone else suffering more than necessary with rotten sinuses :-(

ZTD

Tete_en_l'Air wrote: »

As I said last week, the decorator has been and done all the wallpapering which is fab but there's a lot still to do myself. I did have a bit of an epiphany on Sunday though - I had bought some sets of blinds online thinking they'd be easy enough to fit, but then I struggled with drilling far enough into the lintels to fit a wall plug.

Why? What kind of drill bits were you using? What kind of lintels were they?

Tete_en_l'Air wrote: »

I put the blinds aside for several weeks and didn't know what to do short of paying someone. Then I remembered No More Nails. I did google it first and there were a lot of warnings about it bringing the plaster down but I tried it on my french doors and it's held fast so far, and they're really long. It looks so much better and more 'finished' and I feel like I've been freed and can get on getting the rest up - no more naked windows here!

Be careful with glue putting things up. It can dry and crack through over time. Then a sudden failure... :eek:

Tete_en_l'Air wrote: »

I'm having mantelpiece issues though. I love the fire and marble surround but want to replace the dark wood mantelpiece with something a bit lighter, however it seems that my fireplace is a bit of a weird shape - about 15cm wider than any of the ones I could find in any shops at the weekend. The only solution (other than spend £££ on a whole new suite) seems to be to paint the existing one, but it's highly polished wood and has some quite intricate carved bits, so I feel it would be a bit of an undertaking - any ideas on making this an easier task?

First check to see if it is wood - or "wood". A manufactured composite (like MDF) is going to be more difficult to change. When you say "highly polished" - do you mean something like french polishing, or something a little less than that?

The intricate carving will hinder the stripping - you'd probably just have to go with a chemical stripper. Sanding it will lose the detail.

It may be as well with giving it a fine spray "misting" with lighter coloured paint if all you want to do is lighten it.

Tete_en_l'Air wrote: »

*These are the built-in shelves I want putting in either side of the chimney breast, but actually the more I think about it the more I'm tempted to do it myself. What I'm unsure of is how deep I want them and how many, not how to actually do it. If I can find a place that cuts the wood to size then I think I could have a bash myself - I've got a drill and a spirit level...

First you need to understand why the lintel didn't work.

poddle911 wrote: »

I've just been reading a book on living more Danishly after seeing the author giving a talk about it and one of the things that struck a chord was about how important our surroundings are - especially in a very cold climate when you stay at home for hours/days at a time - and why they feel OK about spending £400 on a designer Danish light fitting (:eek:)

They're not that keen...