Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget.

joedenise

Nice you see you post again @helensbiggestfan.  Hope you've enjoyed your break from posting, the thread has been quite quiet recently.

Enjoy the run up to Christmas and of course, Christmas itself.

phoebe1989seb

Good to 'see' you, LL  Glad things are going well for you and yours x

Lots of little champagne moments happening here.....

I finally got around to ordering the new 9 x 12 rug for the snug from irugs at the beginning of the week. It's due for delivery on Monday....yay!!!

DH has made a fantastic start on some built in shelving in the newly created rear hallway upstairs that will house all sorts of oddments in ikea boxes/baskets. This should be completed by the weekend  Then we need to crack on with building the remaining stud walls and creating a new office area.....

Rather disappointingly the bathroom still isn't quite finished as we're awaiting the heating guy who is coming to swap the old radiator for the new heated towel rail. There is also a tiny bit of tiling/grouting to finish. 

My discounted bare root David Austin roses are on their way as are a few more solid pewter knobs for the kitchen cabinets which were on a black Friday deal.

Not very champagne-y, but our huge rubbish pile from the latest phase of renovations is being collected on Friday which will clear a massive space on the drive 

And I don't want to jinx it, but there might be some good news on the window front too......

Hope everyone is enjoying plenty of champagne moments!

helensbiggestfan

Fantastic news re vaccines. 🥂💃🥳.  

joedenise

Absolutely brilliant news.  Light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak

Bubblesmum

Dear all
Just wanted to say.... I’ve been awol and caught up, and wanted to say how I’ve lived all your champagne moments and I hope this thread keeps going....

Phoebe  just followed you on instragram and your photos look fab.... and I love the vases 
Sugarbaby - how is the weight loss and writing?

Helens biggest fan totally understand but shall miss your posts

Our champagne moment this week is a new roof ! No more leaks and with grateful thanks to my Dad x 

sugarbaby125

Hello Bubblesmum,

My weight loss is going in the wrong direction at the moment, I have gained 2lbs but I have been getting back on track, so hope to continue losing weight again. 

I have been doing new pieces of writing, now that I am part of a creative writing group which inspires me to be creative. 

phoebe1989seb

Thank you, Bubblesmum 

Sugarbaby, glad to hear your creativity is flowing 

Champagne moments here this week - we heard from our missing in action joiner (!!!). He said that two of our windows will be ready for fitting next Friday    As it's well over a year since we paid our deposit and for much of that time he's refused all attempts to communicate, I'm remaining slightly  sceptical, despite wanting to get excited, but DH - who has been dealing with him recently - is convinced that this time he can be trusted to deliver the goods......

The built in shelving in the upper hall is finished and for a fraction of the cost it would have been had we needed someone to build it for us!

I've identified more storage for the 'office area' that will need to be purchased but for a maximum of £300 which is well below budget as well as a second hand sideboard on fleabay that's the perfect size to use as a TV stand in the snug, replacing our antique sideboard which will be moving into another room. We'll be adding brass sheeting to make it more *our style*

The 9' x 12' rug I ordered on Monday from I-rugs (an American company who ship from there) was delivered yesterday! I'd been tracking its progress across the US and on Thursday night saw that it had touched down at Stansted airport. Amazingly quick service considering it can often take longer for a delivery within the UK to arrive 

Rather surprisingly, DH loves the rug - as do I, although the colours are definitely not what were described in the pics or accompanying text. Main issue was that it arrived horribly creased from being folded into a tiny package.....I'm hoping these will fall out (assisted by the strategic placing of heavy books and overweight dogs on the worst areas 🙄), but tbh I've mixed feelings about our purchasing experience.....

Some last minute fleabay bargain purchases (several lots of ribbon for tying Christmas gifts plus a final stocking filler for DH) also arrived in record time too!

Had a lazy morning today - was supposed to be writing Christmas cards but couldn't find the enthusiasm 🙄 - and later we're off to choose a tree. It's much earlier than we normally do our decorating for Christmas but I think everyone is making more effort this year! However we won't be putting it up just yet - although I did succumb by putting a small vintage tree up in the kitchen alongside the advent calendar earlier in the week and have just hung our giant star decoration (in lieu of a wreath) on the front door where we also have a small potted (and yet to be adorned) real tree......

Have a great weekend everyone!
 

Wednesday2000

I have watched two online concerts this week. Blossoms and Liam Gallagher.

I really enjoyed seeing "live" music again and I was thinking how much money we would have saved than if we had attended a live concert. The ticket was obviously a fraction of the normal price and we didn't have to pay to board our dogs in at the kennel and we enjoyed it from the comfort our living room! Usually at a live gig we would be surrounded by tall people and a lot of them would be filming on their phones and annoying us! We didn't have to pay for overpriced drinks as well.

Definitely champagne on a lemonade budget.

mrs_slapshot

Hello all - I have been away from here for a while, looks like there's been lots of news and champagne moments while I've been gone! Sorry you've decided to take a break LL, hope we will still see you on here from time to time? Phoebe you have been busy!!

I've been very busy at work, and also trying to sort out my house move which has hit a few obstacles, mainly related to solicitors dragging their feet and estate agents taking their eye off the ball....not even sure if I will be moved in time for Christmas at the moment. Taking each day as it comes...

In the meantime, lots of champagne moments - bought a lovely wooden TV unit from eBay for £26 as my old one won't fit in my new house. Also sold a few bits on eBay meaning the unit cost me zero!! Have had a few Sunday dinners cooked for me by my best friend which has been wonderful (I am 'bubbling' with them..sort of). Like you LL my investments are back up again, at about where they were pre-Covid. I won a lucky dip in last night's lottery draw, it's my birthday today and I had a lovely family virtual catchup this morning. I am now 55 and able to draw from my private pension if I choose to, which is an incredible 'cushion' if I need it. And of course we have the vaccine news - wonderful!

Hope all of you (including those we don't hear from often, and those that read but don't post) and your friends and family are well, and looking forward to some Christmas time together.

Wednesday2000

Happy Birthday!