{quotable thursdays/garden study}

Hello dear blogland!
I know I've fallen behind on blogging recently. But there's been lots of stuff going on in my life and this weekend marks 2 years since I moved into Chota House! It's been an exciting two years, making this little home my own.
My garden study is now almost done, with replacement light fixtures and some artwork and plants... I've come a long way!
So today's blog will look at the improvements done in the study. What I love most about my study is that all year round I still feel like I've brought the outdoors inside...and that relationship to flowers and birds and plants is calming!

{wild things}

Even on the darkest winter day, the place feels light and I have never had to put the lights on in the day....

{I collected ferns from a nearby walk & pressed them}

{plenty of entertainment for Simla, who watches the birds from the window}

{light and airy, the outside feels like it's inside!}

Before I moved in, the previous owners had done the extension and used it as a breakfast room. The red and stripes was a theme throughout the house (not particularly to my taste!):

{BEFORE}

{AFTER}

{BEFORE}

{AFTER}

The red carried from the kitchen to the study, something I quickly changed with a few coats of paint!

{BEFORE}

{AFTER}

{AFTER}

& those sconces, they really had to go!

{oh dear! are we in a bad hotel from the 90s??}

{after = antique brass sconces + picture frames}

It's now simply a lovely place to work, that ties in with the garden theme outside...

How I feel at home! and what a productive space it's been!!

xo

L

{quotable thursdays}

Happy Thursday!
August is looking a bit busy for me--no summer vacation, but two book manuscripts due...my own and a textbook I'm co-editing.
So, remember ladies & gents, before embarking on any project, build up your strength with tea:

{first tea}

& then remember that often, for the creative juices to work, you sometimes need to stop thinking and let go for a bit: 

{let go}

Easier said than done, especially when you've got deadlines. And...it's so very easy to procrastinate when you've got writing to do...but the best advice is also just to sit down and get a start. and most importantly, remember that there will be edits, and more edits, and more edits.

On another note, I painted the shed, the garden seat and the kitchen door on the weekend. The best thing about painting is it has an immediate result--unlike a book which can take you years to write and you feel like you're never going to see the end of it(!)

What do you think of the new paint colour??? It's Cuprinol's muted clay

{relaxing with my new patio furniture, a cup of tea & a cat!}

{the garden seat (which came with the house)}

 The fence needs painting, & I want to put some grass down, but that's for another summer!

{kitchen barn door}

xo,
L

{chota house-a year on}

{keys!}

A year ago today I got the keys to my house. My parents had told me that I should be prepared for a bit of disappointment. They were right--I was so excited to walk through the door, but when I opened it, the house seemed a bit more shabby than I remembered, the rooms were smaller than I had thought, and I was overwhelmed by a long list of jobs that needed to be done. Where would I start? Every room needed to be painted. All the carpets needed to be taken up and floors refinished. What would I find under the floors? Immediately, I thought "Quick, let me try to get this carpet up in the living room and see what lies beneath." A quick tug on one corner and voilà- wooden floors-phew!
I certainly had grand designs before moving in...& had a whole lots of ideas... but I suppose it's that excitement that gave me the energy to do all the work. Even though I still have a list of things to do (tile the fireplaces, paint the shed, get some grass down in the garden etc...) I have to say I'm pretty proud of all that I've accomplished this year. I'm even more proud to say I didn't hire a single person--of course my parents came to do the floors, the built-ins, and the picture rails, but all the rest has been moi.
So, here are some pictures from the last year, to celebrate Chota House and all that has been accomplished this year:

In the first week, it was a few paint jobs:

{walking into the house for the first time as owner! the paint! the carpet! ahhhh!}

{the first room to be painted was the bedroom--had to get rid of those stripes!}

{walls painted, carpet torn up}

Then came painting the downstairs: 

Then the removal of the carpet (flea-ridden at that) & boards: 

{woohoo!}

Painted out the stripes in the study too: 

{BEFORE}

{AFTER}

Then the removal of the carpet in the hall & the painting of the walls (goodbye lime green):

{before}

{in progress}

and finally with the finished floors: 

Then I attacked the kitchen, painting out the red walls, and finally changing the knobs & painting the cabinets:

{goodbye 90s knobs}

{goodbye fake wood}

{hello lovely blue & gold!}

{& recently I got rid of the red tile!}

Then my parents came and redid the floors for me:

& they built in cupboards & bookshelves:

{Simla helping out!}

Then in the bedroom, my parents made me some lovely wardrobes:

{BEFORE, as previous owners had it}

{in progress}

{after!}

 & then they installed picture rails throughout the house:

 

& then just recently, I've managed to paint the spare bedroom, getting rid of the last of the wallpaper in the house:

{BEFORE}

{AFTER}

& also paint the exterior of the house:


So my Chota House has come A LONG WAY in the last year:

I now feel pretty happy to call this place my home!
xo
L