Slowly but surely we have been getting through a variety of shapes and sizes of sand paper. Large odd shaped rectangles on an industrial floor sander, round disks on an extremely heavy orbital sander, smaller rectangles (half sheet) for our hand held sander and the smallest rectangles wrapped around the block for hand sanding.

Starting at P40 going all the way through to 120. I definitely feel like my knowledge of sanding has come on a treat. My hands and nails do not feel so good. Maybe wearing gloves is a good idea, they just don't feel good.

The wood floor is looking good. Stripped back. Just a little bit more under the radiator and around the door frames to do. Phew! I say phew but L has done most of it. Alright 98% of it. I just did the hand stuff under the radiator where no machine would reach.

The weather - typical English spring days with every day running the gamut of sun, grey cloud, rain, cold wind and then sun again.

A free month of Netflix has seen us watching a couple of films, plus a couple of food documentaries that are making us seriously think about going vegan. Which is going to be difficult...maybe not difficult, just require a lot of change and thought, changing habits of a life-time.

Other thinking has been about the garden and growing vegetables, with a trip to the local library providing a host of books to read on the subject.

A's highlight of the week: enjoying warm moments in the sun - in the garden with a cup of tea and dog walks.
L's highlight of the week: taking the sanders back to the hire shop!

Happy Easter! Hope you're having a wonderful day with your loved ones eating a tonne of chocolate and chilling out. A and I are currently having a bit of a movie marathon and on Friday we headed out to enjoy the Kent countryside (post on Tuesday!)

To celebrate my love of mini eggs I created the above illustration, it's sad to think another year of eating them is over... but I can't wait for the warmer weather.

A's Highlight of the week: Wandering around the Kent countryside in the sun on Friday.
L's Highlight of the week: Same as A!

Enjoy the rest of the Bank Holiday!
L x

We interrupt our usual scheduling for a DIY update...

Having spent years dreaming of a Carrie Bradshaw wardrobe (sigh) the progress on our current project is super exciting. The transformation from dingy old airing cupboard to walk in closet is almost complete, so I thought I'd give you an update.

Here's the space at the start, a big cupboard with really high ceilings that contained a massive water tank, some shelves and a lot of pipe work. As we were installing a combo boiler the water tank and pipes went and were replaced by a small boiler. Once this was done I took down the shelves carefully so we could re-use the lengths of wood as shelf supports. The ceiling was plastered to get rid of the Artex and finally the entire space was painted white.

When the space was empty and we'd settled on a design (see Tuesday's post) we headed to B&Q with A's very detailed shopping list in hand. After arriving home construction began, we started by putting up the shoe shelve supports, then onto the rail followed by the full length shelves above. At this point we actually adjusted the design slightly, only doing two shelves above instead of the planned three. We also put in brackets to support the shelves as they were 150cms long and wanted to avoid them bowing.

Moving on we created the shorter base shelves, putting up the wall supports, centre Mdf piece held in place by brackets and then finally adding the shelves and banged them down.

Then we moved onto the smaller shelves on the left which are for shoes. As the space is small they ended close to the other shelves so we cut the edges and sanded them to give it a slightly rounded edge. This took no time at all but it really makes a difference not having pointy edge hit you in the arm when you're reaching for a pair of jeans!

Finally once all the shelves were up it was time to paint. We went with white paint for the walls and shelves as it makes the small dark cupboard feel bright and bigger. No pictures here unfortunately as I was so keen to get my wardrobe in I completely forgot. So here's where the wardrobe is at now, all painted and filled with clothes...

plus beauty products and shoes!

I'm so happy with the design A planned and the small alterations we made along the way. We've maximised the space but not overcrowded it. Now all that's left is to source storage for the shelves and paint the floor... I'll keep you posted.

A's highlight of the week: L's homemade bread, dog walks and starting another DIY wardrobe.
L's highlight of the week: Using my new wardrobe!

Have a great week and Happy Spring x

How are we on the tenth Sunday Summary already?! This weekend we've been busy painting my wardrobe, which will be unveiled soon, tidying up the garden ready for planting and heading out for walks across the fields. The latter being Monty's favourite, as you can see below.

While scrolling through my YouTube subscriptions earlier in the week I came across a Waitrose video on Hot Cross Apple Scones and after practically drooling on my screen decided to head to the kitchen and bake them. Now I will admit that they weren't perfect and I'm not sold on the cross on the top, it's just flour and water and gets in the way of the filling, but I reckon after a couple more batches I'll have them down. Plus I am perfectly willing to prefect them as they taste delicious with the spices, sultanas and apples. Perfect with a cup of tea and a spread of butter.

Whilst out this week it's been impossible not to notice all the Spring flowers both in bud and bloom, can you tell I'm slightly obsessed with taking pictures of nature and flowers?

Yesterday we walked Monty through a wood of rhododendrons and trees couldn't help but get a little excited for when they sprinkle the green with bursts of pink.
Also a prickly bush I've never noticed before provided flashes of yellow amongst the green of the trees,
and blue of the sky.

A's Highlight of the week: My Muddy Sprocker Illustration that L turned into a GIF.
L's Highlight of the week: Painting my wardrobe and starting to put in all my clothes.

Have a lovely week!
L x

So today is Mother's Day here in the UK and to celebrate we had breakfast in bed followed by a very chilled day at home. When you've got a dog breakfast in bed becomes a real treat but even still we were up and out walking at 9am. It's crazy to think how many Mother's Day's we have celebrated, twenty-four in case you were wondering, how many cards, bunches of daffodils and mornings scrambling out of bed before she wakes up there have been. The relationship between Mother and child truly is unique and special, Mum's really are there through thick and thin, for the tough times and the good, through sleepless nights when their children are little to dragging teens out of bed at noon. Anyway before I get too soppy wherever you are, be it Mother's Day or not, give your Mum a big hug and say thanks! 
Speaking of A she's currently busy working on some new Monty illustrations having gotten the idea when having dinner at a friends to celebrate a new kitchen. Plus she's working on some more flower watercolours, it's incredible what she can create using a bit of water and paint. Meanwhile I've been loving all the blossom that's appeared over the last few weeks and took my camera out to snap some shots. I love this time when there's just a sprinkling of colour amongst the brown before everything bursts to life.

A's Highlight of the week - Mother's Day; breakfast in bed, a sunny walk plus my bunch of daffodils and handmade Mother's Day card!
L's Highlight of the week - Create A's Mother's Day card from my Forget Me Not alphabet, I love creating something personalised for A.

Hope you've had a wonderful Mother's Day.

L x

Isn't it weird how when you start a project you get completely absorbed and determined to finish it. Ok some get left by the wayside, or paused half way but generally single-mindedness wins through and TADA you finish. That's how I feel right now having spent this entire week working on an illustration /print project. I even have the square eyes to show for it!

So other than working on this project, which will be unveiled tomorrow, I've found a new favourite lemon drizzle recipe (all hail queen of baking Mary Berry), baked some healthy orange and carrot cupcakes and another barbrif loaf. Also we have flowers in our garden, dotting the green with bursts of colour making it feel like Spring.

Staying on the food track (anyone else starting to feel peckish?) today we had one of our favourite's roasted chicken which we cook in a brick. Yes a brick. It may sound strange but trust me if you want tasty, moist chicken every time this is the answer and it is oh so easy.
L's highlight of the week: Finishing the illustration/print project!
A's highlight of the week: Food! Roast chicken, beef bourguignon and two homemade pizzas.

Have a lovely week x

How is there only one week left in February? A has spent the last few days painting away as... drumroll please... we've decided to start posting a new illustration every Monday, so look out for our first artwork post tomorrow.
Another week filled with art, DIY and cooking, it's funny since beginning this blog and writing a weekly summary it becomes really obvious what you do each week and the moments that bring you joy.

A's Highlight of the week: Turning the old airing cupboard in L's room into a wardrobe.
L's highlight of the week: Well not banging a nail into the centre of a water pipe... being almost finished with my cupboard, I've always wanted a walk in wardrobe and it is so close to becoming a reality!

Have a lovely last week of February x

This week I (Alison) have been playing with watercolours and working on more drawings of Monty, re-drawing a few times trying to get them looking right. Also studying calligraphy, repeating the alphabet in different styles and mark making - a brilliant way to spend Friday and Saturday evenings!
The DIY continues, slowly but surely. Sometimes it feels very slow. The walk-in cupboard was measured and a plan drawn up. A rail was bought, holes drilled - twice in one wall as the first ones didn't work (don't ask!) - and put up. Lengths of wood were cut to support the shelves. We did this with me as the clamp, standing on the wood and L using the electric saw. L became a dab hand last summer using the electric saw to cut down every shrub in the garden that had been left to grow into a tree. Next job, drill holes and make counter sink for screw heads.... next week.
L's Highlight of the week: Baking sweet potato chips and ginger oat cookies, this Waitrose recipe is great.

A's Highlight of the week: Eating the sweet potato chips and ginger oat cookies. Seriously. Delicious!! And from Deliciously Ella's first cook book I made Pea and Cannellini Soup - yum!

It was a fun week. All this creativity feels good for the soul. It has been a few years since I did any painting and drawing and I had forgotten how wonderful it is to get lost and absorbed in creative projects.

Have a good week. Ax

L's Highlight - Planning and starting converting the old airing cupboard in my bedroom into a wardrobe, so far we have batons for the shoe shelves and a clothes rail.

A's Highlight of the Week - Keeping up my New Year's resolution to go to the gym more regularly, Yoga, Pilates and a swim this week.

We planned on going to a National Trust House as a day out/treat after spending the last few weeks solidly DIYing. Going online the day before, it turns out everything, yes EVERYTHING, near us is closed until March. To cheer ourselves up we baked, so we might not have had a day out but at least we had a sugar high to cheer us up!

Monty had a blast when we took a trip to the woods, where he raced around sniffing for squirrels and chasing his ball.



Since finishing the sitting room we've assembled the shelving unit... which led to opening boxes and Marie Kondoing (!) books, CDs, folders, papers and art materials followed by a trip to the tip and charity shop. It's amazing how much stationery you can acquire.



On Sunday morning woke up to a snow covered homes, gardens and trees. Then spent another day tidying, it looks better now. Promise.



A's Highlight - Finishing painting the sitting room.
L's Highlight - Baking, nothing nicer than homemade treats.

Have a lovely week!

We've finally finished the wood floor, in the end it was far more time consuming than originally anticipated but we're happy with the results... one bedroom down, one to go. Although we're taking a break and painting the sitting room at the moment.Finally a place to hang our coats, dog lead and Christmas pudding hat. After months of hanging coats on the back of chairs enough was enough and a coat rack was constructed and put up by the back door.

A & L x