Lamp sprucing

Just the action of opening this blog has made me SO excited about working on our flat, and I've managed to get a ton done since that first post a week ago!

Here's the story of the first completed project.

My dad gave me a lovely floor lamp a few months ago that had been residing in his shed. He said it was broken, which I am well okay with because I love a good project, but then he said that my boyfriend Ed should fix it 'because he's a bloke and he'll know what to do'. What?! Ed isn't an electrician! Why would he know about fixing electrical things any more than I do! Moments like these turn me into an unnecessarily angry version of myself, and even though my feminism is more of the 'you guys, if I shave my legs can I still be a feminist?' variety, it doesn't seem limited to that. I think my dad sort of does it to wind me up.

Anyway. Last week I finally got to work on 'fixing' it. Turns out the light was definitely not broken, something in the fitting had just come loose so I took it apart and put it back together again, and now lookit!

A working lamp! Plz ignore mess plz

The cream paint on the wood was very poorly done and streaky so I decided I wanted to strippit. I got some eco-friendly paint stripper (yes it totally exists, you can use it inside and accidentally get it on your hands and stuff!) and went to town. Paint stripping is both frustrating and satisfying in the same stroke, I'm glad it's over but it was definitely worth it. It took me about six hours over two days to get rid of every bit of paint (time mostly taken up trying to scrape the paint from those annoying but beautiful nooks and crannies) The most exciting part was finding out what sort of wood was underneath!

Yum

Funny picture but maybe it'll help you visualise!

So, with the lamp base finally done, I needed a lampshade. I went looking for one online and totally hadn't realised how expensive they are. If I'd had to spend £30-40 on a plain lampshade, it would be another few months before my project would be finished because of my tiny budget, and where would the blogging fun be in that?! Luckily I'd heard once about how easy it was to make your own lampshades, so I went in search of a kit. Lo and behold:

A proper good kit

This kit was amazing. It was £14.99 for one with a 45cm diameter, and it included everything you needed except the fabric (which I luckily had here already - just a plain white cotton)

Lampshade rings, a roll of sticky back PVC and thorough instructions

I got to work. It must have taken about 2.5 hours in total. Ponyo (the cat) watched.

Fancy cat

I have to say, it was ridiculously easy to make. I heartily recommend that you also do it if you fancy having a new/bigger/smaller lampshade but don't have much monies or have a specific fabric you'd like to use. I am absolutely in love with the final look.

It sort of looks like Ponyo is admiring it too but actually she was just asleep

So this is it. The first step on my journey to getting the flat I am dreaming of....using the stuff I already have. I have a few more projects to show you, but they require my bedroom to look photograph-worthy and that day definitely isn't today.

Ta daaah :D

Oh, hi there!

I just took a little walk around our flat. I am so used to how it is that I surprised myself with how much crap there is around, things that are destined for 'future use', cupboards that don't exist, a recycling centre (but we don't have a car)... Even though it is big for a one bed flat, I feel like we could be making more use of the space! It's not awful or anything...but it could be SO much better. Also, it's a very dark flat...

I feel I need to explain that the blinds aren't usually down in the daytime.

See, it is a basement flat. I live here in Brighton with my boyfriend Ed and tiny cat Ponyo. The flat gets very little light in the summer, which is a little sad but hey - we're in Brighton! With a beach 5 minutes away! And CONSTANT sun. (or so they say)

But, the arrow of time dictates (as my friend Dan once said in a semi-serious manner), that winter is coming... And I have decided that I need to get my decorating act together before it gets too depressingly dark. I'm so excited about the idea that I can take control of our space and make it lighter, brighter, more 'us'.

Chinese Lanterns... Aren't they beautiful?! Well done evolution

Luckily our landlord is a total dream. Not only did he let us get a cat as a compromise for not having new carpets (firm but fair, like a good...peach), but he also makes sure we are looked after, has given us permission to paint AND put nails in the walls. Most of our furniture is second hand, but I think it can all be worked with. And we have a little patio area outside (you can see that from the photo at the top) which is a true mess at the moment but it's on my list of projects too!

My orange sofa is so high on my 'to-totally-overhaul' list it often gets the munchies and marvels at double rainbows

Looking around...I have a LOT of stuff. I have a feeling I could easily halve(? don't quote me) my belongings without really missing anything  ... (? again, don't quote me). I have a little issue that lots of 'my' stuff actually belonged to my mum who died almost 12 years ago (please don't feel awkward/sorry, it's just a fact of my life and I feel like I can't explain who I am without also mentioning it). So when I think about getting rid of the stuff she owned that I don't necessarily like, I feel like I'm trying to get rid of her, without fully knowing who I am yet...what if the 'real me' actually wants that textile picture of what looks like a man, planking on a wall, smoking. With an umbrella. And....is that Big Ben?

Just chillin'

Or maybe the older me will like it? Don't we all turn into our parents?? ... I need to stop having crises in the middle of bigger thoughts. The healthiest thing to do here is to make sure all the stuff I own is stuff I like and not stuff I'm keeping for nostalgia's sake. Maybe I could take a picture of the things I rehome. This is not the point. Look, a cat:

She thinks she is the queen and I humour her. (Obviously I am the queen)

I am 24 in December and I can't wait! We're going to the Harry Potter studios to celebrate, and my gorgeous geordie sister Beth is coming to stay for a weekend. She is the type of woman who breaks a sweat at the thought of dried-on food, let alone unfolded laundry. So this is my short term motivation: to make our sweet little flat more presentable and festive for my leading lady. Here goes!