Oh yes. Slowly but surely the man is moving in, if not in body then at least in terms of turning my once bijoux bohemian cottage into something Steptoe wouldn’t turn his nose up at…
So dull things like pasting tables and car alternators are living in my dining room: the porch is full of engine oil, and the bedroom resplendant with more computers than one man could ever possibly need. Readers my heart and my head are banging in fright, because his own house isn’t even half empty yet, and yet empty it must be if he is to rent it out and move his mind, body and soul eight miles up the road by the day of the wedding. Which surely means there is more to come…
Hell yeah there’s more. There’s the ugly big speakers he’s insisting on bring. A stack of Men’s Health magazines he has clearly been collecting since he was three, a set of knives he will one day no doubt slice my moaning throat with and last but not least, my Dears, the much dreaded cats, Nimbus and Socks, who are cute when they live twenty minutes down the road but surely not so much when they finally arrive here in all their furry, noisy, clawing, slobbering glory. Oh lordy, I am DREADING it and kicking up a bit of a stink in favour of the kind of compromise that says one cat is enough in a pint-sized cottage and the other could, I’m sure, go live with his sister who refers to Richards feline friends as “the babies”. No really. The Babies. Somebody shoot me. She is forty two with three all grown up human babies of her own!
So thank heavens there is a smidgen of pretty to save the day. I LOVE the coffee pot now gracing the blue bookshelf and do believe that little Crown Devon pot is just begging for a certain person to go pluck me a rose from the garden to grace it, and truth be told I have even grown somewhat fond of Major John, currently to be found presiding over the fireplace and who will, rumour has it, rule this house with a military iron fist once his great grandson has got that wedding ring firmly jammed on to my finger. Heaven help me.
And then there is this. Hmmmm. A Francesco vase in all it curly scary splendour. It’s not exactly me. I don’t know whether to love it or hate it. ( Thoughts?) So until I decide it’s staying right here and avoiding the fate of all Richards remaining belongings currently being shifted into
Heck. He’s going to kill me when he reads this.
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Sorry, i do not like the vase!!!! but thanks for some pics around you home – i love seeing what books people own xx
I am still torn on the vase… last year I saw an article in Elle Decoration where an artist had been spraying objects like this in flat cream paint… and somehow this rendered the ornate mess somehow beautiful…
And yes, I agree you can read a person by the books sitting on their bookshelves…!
Just a thought Alison,but have you room for a shed? xx
Woe is me, we haven't Gena. In fact we haven't room in the garden to swing (two) cats. The people who owned the house before me, sold our Victorian quarter garden to the Scout hut… I rue the day.
Oh you tickle me….but truly, for some reason Guy Stuff seems to always be so bulky. My sympathies are with you, sweet thing.
Bulky and apparently absolutely ESSENTIAL!
I second the thought about the shed…you know, a man-space that Richard can store the bulky speakers in and the pasting tables, and sit there in a comfy chair with a cup of tea. The vase with some posies in it can go in there giving it a homely touch. 😉 Ah, the compromises and joys of marriage…enjoy every minute of it.
Anna Marie, he has been teasing me by saying that he is going to keep his entire big house as a man bolt hole… I think you will agree that is a compromise too far!
Oh, that is always a hard part — bringing his stuff into your house that you have set up the way you like it. Although we have to compromise, I feel that the majority of the decorating should be done by the woman. (I put up with a few paintings I'm not terribly fond of, and way too many antique stoneware crocks!). As far as the vase, I like your idea of trying the spray paint. But if that doesn't work, perhaps an unfortunate dusting accident would solve the problem!
My husband dreams of a "game room" where he can display his things (we actually do have a game room now–but it is within the house, so it's still my territory, lol!)…he has fantasized about this "room" for ten years now… 😉
It'll all come together, in time, Alison!
When I began my shared house adventure, many things I was not so fond of became acceptable when I began researching the values of some of these formerly ugly items. If the value is nil, perhaps in getting rid of it you/he won't feel so guilty. But with his monster speakers (as my husband has), you two can have some wonderful and raucus concert DVD/movie nights (as my husband turned me on to)! Maybe try the concert DVD of U2 360 (or other favorite). If you like U2, you'll fall in love with Richard's speakers as much as you love him! You know, after years of mutual accumulation, my house feels small. I can no longer ponder over a cute side table or dresser I may see at the market. 🙁
Ooooooooh! I LOVE the Francesco vase! A keeper! I wouldn't change a thing about it! Oh, and I enjoyed looking through your 'library' as well!
I've been single for so long and in my flat for over a year the thought of "a man" moving his things in would horrify me!!! LOL! Although some of his treasures have fit nicely and I actually like the vase, it's the sort of thing I'd look at and go it's awful but I love it!!!
Victoria xxx
Will laugh my socks off the day you are referring to the cats as babies, running to town to buy them treats and having a picture of their cute furry noses as your screen saver! Cats have a way of doing that to you….
Another thought, at least the cats would make a good scapegoat to save you having to have too many "unfortunate dusting accidents"!