Monthly Archives: April 2015

Bedroom makeover

Corner2

As soon as we spotted our house online just over a year ago and browsed the photos and the layout, we got an immediate positive feeling about the property. D was unable to view it that day, but I saw it with the children, spoke to D about it, and he called the agent immediately and put in an offer. Fortunately, when we viewed it together the next day, he loved it too! It’s hard to put into words what is so lovely about it. It is nothing like any other house we have lived in – we’ve had a Victorian terraced house when we first got married, then a traditional, squat, stone, Lancashire cottage, then (as the children came along) we felt the modern, four-bedroomed house was the most suitable, then relocation meant that we rented a variety of houses for a few years. Falling in love with a 1930s semi-detached property last year was definitely not what we expected, but love it we did from day one – some houses just have such a happy feel to them, don’t they, and we knew that this was the house for us.

One of the many reasons we liked the house was that we could see the potential of it. Yes, it was very dated (although in very good condition) due to the fact that a lovely 80-odd year old couple had lived in it for 25 years, so had very different taste from us – so much dark wood everywhere! But, being a 1930s house, the plot size is fantastic (even better than the neighbouring houses, due to the local farmer rewarding the women’s war effort by extending the garden apparently – love a bit of history!), so our immediate thought was that we could add a two storey extension. However, within a few weeks of living here last summer, we decided that this really wasn’t necessary. We had down-sized and de-cluttered to fit into the house, and found that we did so very comfortably, so there was absolutely no need to add more space. And, to be honest, D and I do have a bit of a “thing” about people buying unnecessarily large houses! So, once this decision was made, we saw little point in delaying the modernisation and decoration, and making it truly “ours”. We first transformed the hallway, stairs and landing, and B’s room (which is very “compact”), then we had the kitchen ripped out and replaced. The next project was the sitting room, having cupboards and shelves built into the alcoves, the wooden fireplace and gas fire replaced with a wood burner and a wooden floor installed. We then had a break for Christmas, and started again a little while ago, decorating G’s room, our bedroom and the dining room. Two of these projects are now complete – the dining room floor is being fitted within the next two weeks, so I may post about this then – but for now, here is how our newly made-over bedroom looks.

Bed Mantlepiece
“No one realises how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow” – Lin Yutang
Drawers_corner Drawers

After stripping off the anaglypta wallpaper (there was also A LOT of this in the house!), we had the walls re-plastered, as they weren’t in good condition at all. We then painted the dark wood window frame and all the other woodwork brilliant white ( I do seem to have lived with a white gloss-laden paintbrush in my hand for the past ten months!), and then opted for Cloud Burst (grey!) for the walls. We had had the carpet replaced in the autumn, along with a few others, as the one in our bedroom when we moved in was extremely thin but hardwearing – ideal for an office perhaps, but not great for a bedroom – so this was already done. We then replaced the dark wood curtain pole and deep purple curtains with a white wooden blind, which in itself makes the room feel so much larger and brighter. And that was it, apart from some new lampshades and a fabulous new blanket for the bed! But we are so happy with it! It feels like we are in a swanky boutique hotel, and despite being predominantly grey as opposed to white, feels so much lighter and more cheerful. We absolutely love the transformation. What do you think?

Happy Friday 24.04.15

Juice Scones Smartpups Sunrise

Well, Friday has come around once again! It’s been a busy week, with G and B being back at school, which means I’m back at work, and we’ve all returned to the normal routines. At least the amazing weather has made the transition that much easier.

So, apart from the weather, what else has made me smile this week?

1. One of the many things that I love about warm, sunny weather is being able to eat outdoors, which is exactly what we did on Saturday. I made Blueberry Lemon Scones for lunch, and we ate them (while they were still warm!) on a picnic blanket on the lawn, accompanied by fresh orange juice. Simple but delicious.

2. On Saturday night, we went out for a family meal to Cosmo, in Derby. If you’ve never been to a Cosmo, and I think that there are a few around, it is a casual dining, family restaurant, with a range of English, Chinese, Japanese, Sushi, Indian & Thai dishes, served both buffet-style and from live cooking stations. G had visited previously for a friend’s birthday, but it was a new experience for the rest of us, and it didn’t disappoint. There was a huge range of dishes available – definitely something to suit everyone – and it all appeared to be very fresh and tasty, and we had a lovely evening.

3. This week I have seen some truly beautiful sunrises and sunsets, which are so uplifting to observe. We have really been treated to some gorgeous sights on early morning dog walks and in the car in the evenings.

4. Talking of walking the dogs, G and I did so on two mornings this week before school, and it was really worth the effort of dragging ourselves out of bed early. The park where we walk was quiet, the weather was beautiful, if a lot chillier than we’d expected, and it always feels like such a special way to start the day. I have to say that the dogs all looked very bemused when we got them up on the first morning and put their leads on immediately – they were still looking a little bleary-eyed as we went through the gate!

5. We have been really enjoying our juices for breakfast again this week. I do absolutely love my juicer, and again, drinking one first thing in the morning feels like a great way to begin the day. The favourite this week has been apple, pear, kiwi, lime, cucumber, courgette, celery and spinach. They taste so good!

6. D bought me a lovely white, wooden, collage, multi-opening photo frame for Christmas, and, soon afterwards, I got the perfect photos printed for six of the openings, but I have been struggling to fill the remaining two spaces – a heart shaped one and a smaller square one. I have returned to look at it many times, especially over the past couple of weeks, as I wanted to put it in our newly decorated bedroom. But, eventually, at the weekend, I found the perfect solution – and it’s not photos! All the photos which I had chosen were black and white (so much more flattering, don’t you find?), but for the final two spaces, I found that the Mother’s Day cards, which G and B had given to me this year, would fit perfectly, with only minimal trimming, into the empty frames. They are beautiful cards, both from the same range, I believe, with a kind of lace effect, so compliment each other, and the photos, wonderfully.

7. I had a little “incident” when I collected G from school on Thursday, in that I managed to hit the kerb very hard when I parked at the side of the road – so hard that it made a rather significant hole in my tyre! Unfortunately, my car doesn’t have a spare tyre, but instead has some kind of weird tyre sealant kit, which I dutifully tried, but the sealant simply poured out of the hole. Fortunately, Speedy’s Wheels and Tyres came to my rescue, and were with me within 35 minutes of calling them, and had replaced the tyre 20 minutes later. This definitely made me VERY happy!

8. Thursday night was a lovely evening, as G and I went to the Garrick Theatre in Lichfield with friends to watch the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “The King and I” performed by the Lichfield Operatic Society. I have seen many of this group’s productions over the past seven years – the standard is always phenomenal and this was no exception. All the parts were brilliantly cast, the singing and acting were  exceptional, the orchestra were faultless, and, as for the costumes – well, they just created a kaleidoscopic feast for the eyes. It must be about thirty years since I last saw “The King and I”, so I couldn’t remember exactly what happened, but I was totally unprepared for the incredibly sad ending!

9. Two very smart-looking puppies have made me happy this week! Lottie had her second and Honey her first trim this week, and they both look so beautiful. They had become pretty scruffy over the past couple of weeks, but now they are both neat and tidy – and still smell amazing three days later!

10. The final one for this week is an email I received from one of my closest friends, letting me know her new address. The reason that this made me so happy is that this new abode, unlike her previous three, is in England! She has been living abroad for the past few years, in Switzerland, then Belgium, and latterly Holland, and therefore I am so pleased that she is shortly moving back to this country, as  it means that we will be able to see much more of each other. Hurray!

We are now enjoying that Friday feeling and looking forward to a relaxing weekend, to recover and catch up from some too-late-nights and too-early-mornings. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Sibling Love

Sibling love. What a strange phenomenon this is, especially as it is often manifested as sibling rivalry! But, when you really consider it, why should you love this person with whom you are forced to live throughout your childhood, when you have had absolutely no say in their existence nor have “chosen” to spend your formative years with them? I have not yet met a family of two or more children which doesn’t experience some aspects of jealousy, competition or fighting – honestly, my two can bicker for England some days – and this is a rivalry which can start even before the birth of the second child. It’s frustrating, it’s stressful, it’s distressing, and it’s generally hard to know how to stop it or even how involved you should get, as a parent.

But it is also very usual for them to be the worst of enemies one day (or even one minute) and the best of friends the next, which is, I guess, what sums up “sibling love”, and it is the best of this which we have seen in our home over the past couple of weeks. G and B are amazing at going from seeming to detest each other to adore each other in a heartbeat, but it was very clear, when B went away on his school trip to Italy for eight days, that they do have a profound, if mystifying and perplexing, love for each other. G was upset that B was going and was very aware of how much she was going to miss him. B, in turn, comprehends what a sensitive soul G is, so texted on his first evening away to check that she was okay. The first few days were strange, with a definite alteration in our family dynamic, but we all knew that B was fine and was having a great time, so the week passed quite quickly. However, G was so excited for him to come home, that, by Friday, she had planned a special meal and decorated the house with homemade “welcome home” bunting and postcards. She doesn’t hide the fact that he drives her to despair half of the time, but, at the end of the day, they love each other dearly. As Erica E. Goode said, “Sibling relationships…outlast marriages, survive the death of parents, resurface after quarrels that would sink any friendship. They flourish in a thousand incarnations of closeness and distance, warmth, loyalty and distrust.”

Green

Siblings are the ones who are with you from the very beginning of your life to the very end and it is maybe this subconscious knowledge which leads to this depth of love. All we can do is hope that they stay as close to and fond of each other into adulthood, making the most of this mysterious relationship, which is the result of mere chance.

Bunting

Happy Friday 17.04.15

Bedroom Blossom Ceilidh Georgie

Well, what a glorious week it has been! It has truly felt like summer has arrived  – even though we know it hasn’t really. But that means that we make the most of the weather even more, as we know it will probably last for a precious few days at this time of year.

So, what has made me happy this week?

1. My niece’s 21st birthday ceilidh last Saturday night. It was such a great way to celebrate, was lots of fun, and she had a fantastic night with so many family and friends around her. The dancing was so lively and enjoyable, just as you’d expect – you can’t help but smile (and laugh!) whilst dancing, and even G joined in, despite saying beforehand that she wouldn’t!

2. Part of the attraction of the night was also getting together with all the family. It isn’t often that we all manage to meet up, as I have three sisters, who all have families, and we live quite a distance apart, so it’s usually only on special occasions that we all meet up, so it is always really special when we do. We did miss B though, who was on his school trip in Italy, and was the only one missing.

3. We had a great family gym trip last Sunday, which was so nice. It was the first time that D, G and I all went together and it was fun!

4. My new haircut! I had about four inches cut off my hair last Saturday, and I’m really pleased with the result. It isn’t exactly what I had asked for, but it’s close enough (is it just me who struggles to convey exactly what I want to hairdressers and then struggle even more to say if there is something I’m not quite happy with?).

5. The upside of B being away this week is that I have had lots of quality time alone with G. We haven’t done anything super exciting – we’ve been on the trampoline, watched our favourite TV programmes, planted bulbs in the garden, had a successful trip to Ikea (followed by Starbucks, of course!), etc.  – but we’ve just had a lovely time together.

6. One of the fun things G and I did together was have a picnic lunch on the trampoline. We decided to make the most of the sun and it’s actually a really comfortable place to sit and eat. The only thing you have to remember is that, if you put your plate on the trampoline then climb on, the plate slides towards you and it is very easy to end up sitting in cottage cheese. Ahem – yes, that may have happened to me!

7. We have made yet more progress with the house modernisations this week, by painting our newly plastered bedroom. After much deliberation, we opted for Cloud Burst (grey!) for the walls, and white for the area above the picture rail, the ceiling and the woodwork, and we are so happy with the how it looks. When it is all completely finished, I’ll put some before and after photos up.

8. A list came out this week of the top 50 simple pleasures which make people happy and number one on the list was sleeping in a freshly made bed. I have to agree with this – there is nothing better than climbing into bed with clean, tight, straight, cold bedding, as we did this week after painting our room. It just feels so different, doesn’t it?

9. The final two things on my list this week are yet to happen, but they will no doubt make today an especially lovely day. The first is that G and I are going to my friend’s house for lunch. It will be lovely to catch up with her, and her two young children, who we haven’t seen in a while; to deliver our birthday present for her son, who will be a big two tomorrow; and to see their new house, as they recently moved. A very nice way to spend the last Friday lunchtime of the Easter holiday.

10. The final one which is happening later today is the return of B from Italy! We are so looking forward to having him home. It has been very quiet without him – at home, he never stops talking so is a very constant presence, but he is a boy of very few words by text! We have had a couple of brief conversations with him, so we know that he’s fine and has been enjoying himself, but we’re looking forward to hearing all the details of the amazing places he’s visited. G is particularly excited for him to come home, so has planned a very special meal for tonight. Talking of which, we need to get those ribs marinating!

So we are looking forward to having our little family all back together again this weekend. I hope that you all have a good one – and thank you for reading!

Finding Treasures

In addition to the ten things which have made me happy during the week, which form my Happy Friday posts, I have decided to create a Finding Treasures section, where I will document, once a month, various new products or items which I have found and love.

So here are my treasures for April:

As you know, I love all things tea, and this month I have tried two new teas from Twinings – Spicy Chai and Moroccan Mint. I have developed a huge love of chai tea over the past couple of months (how I hadn’t tried it before is just ridiculous!), and this Spicy Chai does not disappoint. Chai tea started in India, by infusing spices and tea leaves in milk and I do love to add a dash of milk to this one. You can really taste the spices – cinnamon, ginger and cardamom – alongside familiar tea, without it being too strong, so it has become my favourite. D is still to be convinced about this one, but he does love the Moroccan Mint. Since he went to Marrakech a couple of years ago, we have been on the look out for a really good mint tea, as he apparently sampled some truly delicious local variety. I think that this is the closest we have come so far. Sadly we don’t serve it from intricate silver teapots into beautiful glass cups, as would be the way in Morocco, but it’s still pretty good. This again has a slight taste of cardamom, which seems to be incredibly popular right now, even appearing in toiletries – luckily I love the taste. One more point about these teas – just look at the packaging! I love the colours and designs used on the boxes, so these haven’t been decanted into my tea organiser – they’re staying right where they are!

Tea

Dove Summer Glow + Soft Shimmer Nourishing Lotion. Now, when I bought this, I completely didn’t see the “Soft Shimmer” words, so it was quite a surprise when I noticed my skin sparkling with what looked like tiny, tiny pieces of glitter! However, now that I have used it a number of times, this does not seem noticeable – and you had to be very close up to notice it in the first place. As it is a body lotion, it is easy to apply and is very soothing to the skin, and gives a far more natural sun-kissed look to my skin than other stronger self-tanning products. Sales of fake tan products are apparently down by 19%, as people are trying to avoid the TOWIE look (understandably!), so this product is perfect, as it gives a natural glow, which makes me feel happier to show my otherwise very pale skin. The added bonus is that it doesn’t have that familiar fake tan smell – it actually smells really lovely!

Dove

Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner. I haven’t completely missed out on the benefits of argan oil (from the Moroccan argan tree), which has been very popular for the past few years. I have previously used an argan oil treatment for my hair, but have recently started using argan oil shampoo and conditioner, and I’m loving them. Because I colour my hair, it can sometimes be a little dry, but I’m finding that using these products is helping to restore its softness, strength and shine. I also love using both the shampoo and conditioner, as it means that I just use it as normal shampoo, so without adding an extra step into my routine or having to think about using the correct quantity of argan oil.

Argan

Garnier Skin Naturals Moisture Protect Moisturiser. I picked this up as it was on offer at the supermarket a little while ago, and I’m not loyal to any particular brand of moisturiser, so thought I would give it a go, and I really love it. I don’t wear huge amounts of make up, but I find that this is a lovely base for what I do wear. It goes on very smoothly, and is quite thick, so really feels like it is doing your skin good as you rub it in. I’ve noticed my skin seems to have a more healthy glow to it since using this, and I’m happy that it has a SPF of 20, which is really important. I may need to stock up before it goes off special offer!

Garnier

Navy and white top. I bought this top last week, and absolutely love it! It is quite unusual, as it has a real preppy look to the front, with the white collar over the navy blue jumper, but then the back of it has the navy section at the top, with the majority of it being like a white blouse. It is very comfortable to wear, fits well, and is perfect for this spring weather, as it’s long sleeved but quite thin and light.

Back Front

Strawberry scarf. I’ve had my eye on this for a few weeks but only decided to buy it last week – and then couldn’t find it! Fortunately, G was with me and she succeeded in finding one hidden at the back of the rail! I adore it – it’s so pretty, with the strawberries all over it, but in just black and white, which means that it will go with all sorts of outfits. I also love the size – it is a large scarf, which I’m very into at the moment, as they are so comfortable and versatile, and again, great for spring. And as Elizabeth Taylor once said, “Women who don’t wear, scarves have no future”!!

Scarf1

Thank you for reading. The forage for May’s treasures will start shortly!

Happy Friday 10.04.15

Blue flowers Parsley Purple flowers Yellow flowers

How on earth can it be April 10th already? It feels like it’s only just begun but we’re already heading to halfway through the month. I guess the lovely, long Easter weekend made a difference, but really, time is more than flying right now.

We have a lovely weekend planned, with my niece’s 21st birthday ceilidh tomorrow night, which should not only be lots of fun but is also an opportunity for all the family to get together, so we’re really looking forward to it.

In the meantime, here are some things which have made me happy this week:

1. I’m loving the beautiful, sunny, warm spring weather! I was so ready for it and now it’s here, I really don’t want it to end. It makes the days seem longer, and seems to improve everyone’s mood  no end.

2. Our trip to Norfolk which was so lovely, as described in my last post – full of family fun, long walks, delicious food (the best cheese from Creake Abbey Food Hall, as always!) and, above all, relaxation.

3. I’ve mentioned this before but I want to include it again – the blossoming and coming alive of our lovely garden. It has been more apparent than ever this week with being away for six days – it was such a lovely surprise to see all the colour which had appeared during our absence. Unfortunately the grass had also grown a huge amount, so that’s another job for the weekend!

4. A lovely afternoon shopping with G. We went to our favourite shopping centre, Intu in Derby, and made some very satisfying purchases, particularly clothes and some cards and presents for the four birthdays we have within the next ten days!

5. The house is very quiet right now, as B has departed for his school trip to Italy. I’m not at all jealous of the amazing places he’s visiting – Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento, etc. ! Oh yes, I am!! It sounds amazing and is a fantastic experience for him, but it is strange without him being here.

6. As well as the flowers which are blooming in the garden (and what about the magnificent magnolia trees which have suddenly blossomed everywhere? – just beautiful), I am so happy that my herb garden has survived the winter and sprung back into life with a vengeance. The parsley, sage, coriander and mint are looking great – I really need to add some basil now, as I love it!

7. After our excesses in Norfolk, it has been good to get back to juicing over the last couple of days. I love to start the day with a fresh juice – my favourite at the moment is pineapple, apple, lime, cucumber and courgette. So tasty and feels so good for you at the same time.

8. It was a year to the day yesterday that we viewed our house and had our offer accepted. We are so pleased with the changes we have made to it since moving in last June. The dining room has been painted this week – brilliant white – which doesn’t sound very interesting, but we love it -it’s so much cleaner and brighter. We just need to sort out the tiles for the floor now.

9.Sleepy dogs! They have been completely exhausted at times this week, after some pretty long walks (especially for Honey’s little legs!), which makes them so cute and cuddly.

10. The final thing for this week is the book that I’m currently reading, which is Jojo Moyes’ “The One Plus One”. I’m just short of halfway through it and loving it!

A Norfolk Easter

There’s probably nowhere I’d rather be than at our house in Norfolk for the Easter weekend. As I said in my last post, it is a real retreat and just so much more relaxing than being at home for some reason.

Wells beach

Here are some of the highlights of the past few days –

  • Introducing Honey to the beach – she had a great run around and got very wet and sandy.
  • Doing a couple of our favourite walks – the six mile one from Brancaster, up over the common then back along the coastal path and the four mile Holkham-Wells-Holkham one – in the beautiful sunshine.
  • Meeting our friends, the Woodwards, completely by chance, whilst walking along the coastal path, and then going for a drink and snack with them at The Ship in Brancaster.

Beach Huts

  • A morning playing board games as a family.
  • Seeing six seals playing and showing off during one of our beach walks.
  • Talking about our planned summer holiday to Grenada for the whole of our four mile walk!

Marshes

  • Trying out a new recipe on Easter Sunday – orange glazed chicken, with orzo salad and asparagus.
  • Homemade pizzas on Easter Monday, all choosing our own selection of toppings.

Brancaster beach

  • Going out for a meal as a family.
  • The fabulous weather – some of the mornings have been a little grey but the afternoons have been pretty glorious!

Harbour

Back home tomorrow, as it’s nearly time to get B ready for his exciting school trip!

BWCollage2

Happy Friday – on Good Friday! 03.04.15

Dan Lottie Breakfast Boots

1. The champagne breakfast I had with my lovely friend, Hettie, last Saturday. Not only was it a delicious meal but we had a great catch up  – and I think that it really affirmed to us both what a great friendship we have. And we even turned up wearing the same boots!

2. My Saturday night out with D (guess it should be called “date night” but where did that come from? It suddenly seems a very over-used term!) at The Lancashire Hotpots gig – a night full of singing, dancing, jumping around and getting very hot. Just the best!

3. Going to the gym with G and B. Since D took them for their induction last week, I have taken them twice this week with them being on their school holiday. It’s such a great thing to do together – we all get a good workout (especially on our second trip when we had the headphone situation sorted!) and it really feels like a very grown up thing to be doing together.

4. Playing board games with G and B. This is something that B in particular likes to do (as do I) so when we had some time earlier in the week when it was just the two of us, we had a good games afternoon, playing Trivial Pursuit and Top Trumps Tournament. G then joined us one afternoon, setting up a very lovely, comfortable playing area with blankets, throws and cushions so that we could play the logo game together. Just LOVE times like that with them.

5. The Easter holidays! I do love it when G and B are off school, as it seems like such a treat to stay in bed a little longer, actually spend quality time with them instead of them having to do homework or nagging them to do music practice, etc. and everything is so much more relaxed. It’s like the seasons, I guess – I love the changing seasons, so I’m always ready for the next one towards the end of the current one, and I like to go back to the routine of school and work again when the holidays are over, but in the meantime, it’s just lovely!

6. Talking of seasons, the signs of spring which were in abundance on our long journey yesterday. It was so uplifting to see huge swathes of beautiful, bright daffodils on the grass verges and even more so when I spotted two lambs frisking and frolicking around a meadow. How could that not make you smile?

7. We only managed it once this week due to the crazy weather but another thing that made me happy, despite the fact that I have to be nagged to do it sometimes and I think I won’t enjoy it, was playing on the trampoline with G and B. We do have very strict rules about only one person on at a time to bounce, but for the game Dead Man, which doesn’t really involve bouncing at all, we do break that rule. It was only a shame that it began to rain (again!) so our session wasn’t too long – but it was great fun while it lasted!

8. Singing in the car! Now, I am really not the best singer (slight understatement there!) and I wouldn’t inflict my lack of vocal ability on anyone apart from D, G and B, but we are having some great singing in the car sessions at the moment! They usually happen on the way to and from piano lessons, so D misses out on them, but it does really make me smile when we are all singing along together, usually to songs from Spotify. Current favourites are American Authors’ “The Best Day of my Life” and, of course, the Lancashire Hotpots. Queen also featured in our repertoire this week – love how diverse G and B’s musical knowledge is becoming.

9. Norfolk!! We have had a house here in Norfolk (we are here for a few days over the Easter weekend), which we share with one of my sisters and her husband, for almost six years and it really is the best retreat. The north Norfolk coast is one of our favourite places in the world and it is truly stunning. The beaches are vast – our favourites are Brancaster and Holkham, where there are huge expanses of flat, clean sand, and Wells-next-the-Sea, which is often busier but has the added attraction of the topsy-turvy row of almost 100 brightly-painted beach huts. But we love everything about the area – the beautiful countryside and pretty flint cottages in the villages, the friendliness of the people, the myriad of great places to eat out, the much slower pace of life…I could go on and on proselytizing, I love this place so much, but suffice to say that I am VERY happy to be here for a few days and we are all looking forward to introducing Honey to walks on the beach.

10. Quite a banal one in a way, but grocery deliveries really can be great! I usually do all our food shopping myself first thing on a Friday morning, but when we are staying in Norfolk for a few days, I do order a grocery delivery for the night that we arrive. There is just no way that I could fit the food that we need in the car with the four of us, three dogs and all our clothes, coats, walking boots, books and games, etc. so I only fetch the fresh things we have left over at home and something for our evening meal when we arrive, then a friendly delivery person fetches all the rest for us later. I was getting a little worried last night when our delivery was 15 minutes late, but was very sympathetic (and grateful!) when the poor delivery man tentatively knocked on the door at 10.15pm to check he had the right cottage, after driving up and down our road, which is absolutely pitch black at night, trying to locate us!

So happy weekend, Happy Easter and happy chocolate-eating!!