Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget - 2021

phoebe1989seb

Hope everyone is ok?

Today's champagne moment - I've been shopping my home again...😀

I thought the guest room needed something quirky added to the eclectic mix, but because we're committed to not buying *fripperies* till we've completed the next phase of building work, I didn't want to spend any £££ so decided to look around at what we already have.

DH always gets me a fun element as well as my main birthday present(s) - this year, for example, the most notable were an Alessi egg cup with hammer spoon and (because it has significance to me 😊) a dodo tote bag - and three years ago it was a 60cm high, bubblegum pink poodle statue - a nod to our labradoodle who thinks he's a poodle, lol!

Since we rearranged our room to create the reading nook, 'Rosi' the poodle has been looking for somewhere new to live and I realised that if I gave him a coat of paint he'd fit very nicely in the guest room.

We had some F&B Setting Plaster (a paler, more earthy pink) emulsion left over from painting the bathroom, so I've given Rosi a quick paint job and he's now sitting happily, eyeing the waste paper bin (where Rossetti the labradoodle enjoys diving for tissues 😂) in the freshly revamped room 😄

Quirky element added - total cost £0 😉

Wednesday2000

sugarbaby125 said:

My Champagne moment today was using my 3 Groupons for the local Big Town restaurant. My daughter, my son and I enjoyed the meal even though the plantain was burnt! 

Oh no!

I was really craving plantains, rice and ackee today! I think I might try and add it to my grocery order for tomorrow if I can.

candygirl

Wednesday2000 said:

sugarbaby125 said:

My Champagne moment today was using my 3 Groupons for the local Big Town restaurant. My daughter, my son and I enjoyed the meal even though the plantain was burnt! 

Oh no!

I was really craving plantains, rice and ackee today! I think I might try and add it to my grocery order for tomorrow if I can.

I'm craving noodles,  all the time at the mo 😄😄😄😄

Wednesday2000

candygirl said:

Wednesday2000 said:

sugarbaby125 said:

My Champagne moment today was using my 3 Groupons for the local Big Town restaurant. My daughter, my son and I enjoyed the meal even though the plantain was burnt! 

Oh no!

I was really craving plantains, rice and ackee today! I think I might try and add it to my grocery order for tomorrow if I can.

I'm craving noodles,  all the time at the mo 😄😄😄😄

OMG, that was the other thing I keep craving, you know the really cheap (but delicious!) supermarket noodles. Lol.

candygirl

Wednesday2000 said:

candygirl said:

Wednesday2000 said:

sugarbaby125 said:

My Champagne moment today was using my 3 Groupons for the local Big Town restaurant. My daughter, my son and I enjoyed the meal even though the plantain was burnt! 

Oh no!

I was really craving plantains, rice and ackee today! I think I might try and add it to my grocery order for tomorrow if I can.

I'm craving noodles,  all the time at the mo 😄😄😄😄

OMG, that was the other thing I keep craving, you know the really cheap (but delicious!) supermarket noodles. Lol.

I love the Maggi,  curry ones, with chilli sauce on xx

MrsPorridge

Tonight we are having takeaway fish and chips and later on Gardner's World is back on TV.  I love Monty and his dogs.  So I am counting two champagne moments.

phoebe1989seb

Sounds perfect, Mrs P 😁 We love Monty and his dogs too (I mentioned previously about the brilliant but somewhat poignant Prickotty Bush which is well worth a read) and will be watching too.....

Champagne moments here - paid the deposit on the oak timbers for the replacement front elevation of the existing extension which we'll be reconfiguring over the coming weeks (need to order the four custom shapes double glazed panels next).

It's saving us some £££, as we're building these 'windows' ourselves....gulp! Having previously used the carpenter son of our architect to do something very similar (at another house) and he messed up, we decided to take the plunge and DIY it 😉

We have also arranged for the supporting beams to be delivered early next week when we'll (hopefully 🙄) be ready to fit them.

Otherwise, it's a horrible wet day here....

phoebe1989seb

Two champagne moments today...

Firstly, after way too much huffing and puffing and so very nearly conceding defeat, DH and I succeeded in hauling the incredibly heavy antique chest of drawers up the stairs....phew! Once there, we struggled to actually get it into the room - if we decide to sell up, the blasted thing is staying with the house, lol 🤣

Secondly, that achievement means we can finally celebrate the completion of the guest room 😁

As a result of carving a slice from the bedroom in order to create a characterful winding hallway with much needed built-in storage, the room is somewhat reduced in size, but what it lacks in that department it more than makes up for in quirky charm!

We both absolutely love the stunning sage/gold owl wallpaper, which is definitely my favourite feature 😍

I'm thrilled with the overall look and because we already had the bedding, butterflies, carved art nouveau bed frame and rug, as well as the fab GP & J Baker green velvet damask curtains (all of which were purchased second hand except the bedding 😉), it's been a *fairly* inexpensive - but not without issues - room to do!

I lost track of what we spent on decorating materials, although we got a great deal on the wallpaper and trade discount on the Little Greene paint as well as repurposing a huge piece of MDF left behind by the previous owners. 

Otherwise our total expenditure was - chest of drawers £231 including delivery (eBay), pair of plug in wall lights £40 (Dunelm), 3 x vases £36 (Homesense), Pooky lamp base £80 (eBay) and shade £62 (Pooky), pair of convex mirrors £15 (carboot sale), 4 x knobs £5 (TK Maxx), 3 x cushions £81 (Homesense), scented candle £2 (B&M)....total £552.

Considering that the brand new chest of drawers I was originally considering was £695, I think that's pretty good value for money 😆

The room will be a super relaxing retreat for when guests come to stay...not to mention a peaceful environment for me to escape from DH's snoring, lol 😂😂😂

weenancyinAmerica

Phoebe - sounds like you did a fantastic job. 

sugarbaby125

Phoebe, you and your husband are such a great team when it comes to DIY and making your current home fabulous

Your guests in the future should love staying in that beautiful room.