Rearranging

 I've kept myself out of trouble again today, as indeed I think I will be for the foreseeable. Today was the day I decided to tackle the back room, or the room of requirement. It has had many incarnations since we moved here, but generally is the crafty, busy room. It has been my office since last Autumn, and since finishing work and being unwell seemed to morph instead into a landfill site. 

My shameful before picture.

I started by clearing off and cleaning my work desk, which I then luckily managed to rehome straight away to one of my neighbours. I had thought I would keep it, but I have a desk in the bedroom also, and I seem to have become so excessive always wanting more of this and more of that... That made a bit of space which we had intended to fill with a sideboard that lives in the cupboard under the stairs, as Will is planning to build shelving in there for shoes and boxes of hats, gloves etc. But once the desk was out and I'd had a rearrange of the furniture I found I really didn't want to add any more in there, so the sideboard has found a home upstairs instead. I think it will be a sensible place to keep all of my knitting supplies together. 

Besides that, I swapped around all of the furniture and painted below the dado rail white, which previously was *shudder* magnolia. I haven't done the window wall as I noticed there is a bit of penetrating damp down that corner of the house, and I need to call a Man to look at it. 

I am planning once I really start to get going with the cleaning to repaint all of the wood work in the house. The most dire of jobs, but it makes such a difference, and it's mostly in horrible condition here. 

I baked a cake yesterday for the girls lunchboxes. The plan is that I shall go back to making everything from scratch once again, as with the job I became lazy. Too much money + not enough time = buying rubbish to compensate. Anyway, instead of sprinkles I thought I'd enjoy decorating it instead, and spent a happy half hour. I am really trying to allow us all more time to take things slowly and enjoy the moment. Next week I will let the girls decorate it.

I am going to a swim in the sea tomorrow morning with a friend, and am really looking forward to it. I've only been for a few swims this summer, and mainly alone. My friend who I used to swim with once or twice a week started working which has restricted her time somewhat, and that combined with a social faux pas made by me a few months ago on a night out with her and her friend has made me feel quite strange and awkward about our friendship. A very harsh lesson in not trying to make jokes after a couple of pints of cider. That's a bit personal for this blog really, but I mention it because I've been thinking a lot on etiquette lately and how important it is. It is equally important to give people grace and not attribute malice to clumsiness. 

Enough of that. Finally, over the weekend Will started work on my pantry cupboard in the kitchen. He is going to put in another shelf, and a back as well, so that the cupboard accessible from the kitchen is separate from the one in the hallway. We weren't sure how to do the door, so I suggested just keeping a curtain there for now. We had a busy floral one from our old house up, but I scratched around and found this sheer peachy one instead which is ideal. I have since trimmed it down.

Onwards and upwards.