Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget - 2021

sugarbaby125

My Champagne moments yesterday:

I went to the Mental Health and Wellbeing discussion group at Blackfriars Settlement from 11am to 12.30pm.  I signed up for the music appreciation sessions that will begin in mid June. 

I had lunch in a local fish and chip shop, as I did not have time to go home from Blackfriars Settlement and then get back to The Young Vic for 2pm. I had fancied fish and chips, but changed my mind when I realised it now costs £12.50. I ordered 5 hot wings and chips for a much more reasonable £5.75. It was lovely to be waited on and to eat in a really well appointed and spotlessly clean local restaurant/takeaway. 

I went to see the musical Oklahoma again at the Young Vic and I enjoyed it just as much 2nd time around. I was given a special code to purchase my ticket for only £10. It is sold out for the remainder of the run, so it is a good job I bought my ticket in advance. 

We celebrated my daughter's 30th birthday and she was so happy that her Dad and older brother came to see her in the afternoon with cards, gifts and money for her. Then her older sister came to visit her in the evening with flowers, a card and money. She genuinely liked all of her presents from me and her personalised birthday card.  She was really surprised that I gave her £300 as well as her presents, but I just explained that in my family, we always make the extra effort for milestone birthdays. 

Wednesday2000

Thanks guys. I am really happy living in such a nice place.:)

£12.50 for fish and chips! I read that 1 in 3 chip shops will have to close down due to the price of oil or the shortage of oil.

Wednesday2000

liberty_lily said:

That looks lovely, Wednesday, reminds me of when we had a house not too far from Frinton-on-Sea 😊 I do miss the sea (30 mins drive from a mostly deserted sandy beach now), especially as I'm a Pisces and was born in a building overlooking the Hampshire coast

I haven't been to Frinton yet. I've heard it is nice. I'm a Pisces too.:)

helensbiggestfan

Good Morning.  

Lots of nice posts recently all sharing your champagne moments and good times,  lots
of happy times Here too. Making cracking progress. Photos done, nearly ready to launch. Just a few final tweaks and flourishes.  😂. 

I'm both excited and nervous in equal measure.  But in reality I think the excitement and anticipation of all the good stuff lying ahead outweighs any stress and anxiety.  It will all be worth it. 

 I am soooo ready for a different kind of lifestyle. Downsizing, simplifying, letting go of the past, freeing up capital, time and energy for travel, adventure and more fun. 

Wednesday. You've done it, and you are now living your dream.

I'm right behind you.  🤞. 

This time next year.......maybe sooner.  

liberty_lily

How exciting,  Helen, please keep us posted on how things progress 😊

sheilavw

Champagne moment this week was going to see The road dance, really enjoyed this film

candygirl

Wow I'm so excited for you  , downsizing is my dream, but I'd need to sort this place first  .
Just had a lovely champagne moment; Mum brought me an Indian takeaway round. It was sooo good x

liberty_lily

Still having connectivity/signal issues but it's ok if I go to the furthest end of our half acre plot, lol, which is fine on a gorgeous sunny day like today 😎 

Today's champagne moment - the lovely little Crosswater basin for the cloakroom we're creating by carving a portion out of the old snug has just been delivered. By shopping around online I managed to save over 50% off the £540 RRP 😃 It was challenging to find something of decent quality that was slender enough to fit in quite a small space. DH - who, having historic links to the design industry is extremely picky with regards to sanitary ware  🙄 - gave it his seal of approval, pronouncing it to be "sexy" 😂😂😂

We're pairing it with the Gessi brushed brass tap etc I bought at a bargain price on ebay in 2015, intending to use it at our last house 😉

liberty_lily

Out and about so signal/connectivity ok for now 😁

Champagne moments today - it's sunny and warm again so I had breakfast in the egg chair overlooking the new (old dry stone) wall DH is building behind the *hot beds* where I've been doing more clearing in readiness to plant it up.

We've got so many old tree stumps and decaying logs that we've taken inspiration from Chelsea and are going to create a stumpery in one corner.  We'll plant it with some of the many ferns we've had to remove from amongst the weeds 😉

Many of the 63 roses we planted over the past four years are really starting to blossom now. Here's Roald Dahl....

In the little walled courtyard abutting one side of the mill, my Empress Josephine clematis (that cost just £3.95 back in 2017 just before we sold our old house) has a record 21 flowers this year - hopefully it's finally getting established 😃

helensbiggestfan

Beautiful Phoebe.  My son bought me a rose last year for my birthday. It's definitely going with me when I move.  

Here's some of my front garden. Pride of place at the moment is a bank of peonies I planted in memory of my mum.  Her favourite flower.