Lovely Adventures At Staffordshire Cottage

My dear friends,

I spent the day writing away on fairytales that I am very excited to bring to your darling children very soon. I had the most enjoyment watching Olivier pounce about the cottage. He really enjoys being out in the garden with the chickens. He stays well close to the back door of the cottage. The chickens were especially quiet today. I wonder if the beautiful weather instinctually calmed them to nestle in the trees. They have their particular spots under the fern brush. They have created sand pits where they spend most hours of the day. The weekend ahead is predicted to be quite chilly, which I am looking forward to.  I couldn't be happier. My dear neighbour Joe and his wife have a roaring fire going and I can smell the umbers drifting over into our direction.

I haven't painted much this week, which actually has caused me angst, today most particularly. If I go for extended periods of time and don't paint a little every day, I start to become a bit saddened. I find that my writing most especially soothes my soul as well.

My dear husband disembowelled the guest bathroom this past weekend. He removed the sink. I took over and removed the wallpaper, and ripped the linoleum out. I have selected this style {below} of a slipper tub to put in place of the regular fibreglass one that's in there now. I also found the brass faucet for a good price on Amazon.

I especially love the bronzed antique brass, it's my favourite type of finish. For the walls and ceiling, I will be creating a plastered look. I'll also add some faux wooden beams on the ceiling and a small chandelier above the slipper tub. I have been collecting Victorian hand mirrors, and I will hang those as a collage on the wall. I know this isn't the prettiest image, but I wanted you to see how much I have accomplished thus far. A project is always a delight to follow from start to finish, do you not agree?

Jeffrey will be removing the tub/shower within the next few weeks. It's going to be a bit of a task, and I do believe we will have to rent a certain kind of saw for cutting it out of the wall. It will have to be removed in pieces. When they built homes such as ours in the 70's they actually placed the tubs in first and then sealed up the walls with sheetrock. I have a little porcelain pedestal sink that will replace the old one. Its stuffed away in the garage. I will find a matching faucet in the antique bronze to match the tub. The flooring is going to be wood in hand scraped dark walnut. I have been scouring Lumber Liquidators for remnant sales.

Image courtesy of my local home improvement centre.

I watched a whole season of Downton Abbey and then switched it over to Little Women for a few episodes. I find that if I have the shows on in the background it warms my heart so.

I am all dolled up with my Victorian skirt, feathered hat, shawl and Victorian boots waiting for my BG to come and swift me off to have supper. We are eating out this evening.

I am now preparing for bedtime. I'll finish off my chamomile tea and be off to slumber. I must say I have been missing you, dear souls, ever so much.

I shall write again soon.

Most affably yours til my next swim, Raquelxxx