Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Drama Number Two

The second drama is a simple one but not easily fixed.

I am having a built in robe in one of the bedrooms and unfortunately the plans were read incorrectly. The robe is 100mm too short which means a coat hangar will not fit into the robe .... not a great outcome so they have to redo it. Sounds simple right but the problem is that the roof, cornice and all the built in stuff needs to be removed.

They are fixing it not a problem but still ... poor builder!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Drama Number One

In my lovely new kitchen we had a small drama to sort out while we were back.


One of my handles on the wall cupboard above the stove would not allow the door to be opened past a certain point. Obviously for me the ability to open a door is paramount so this just wouldn't work.





Solution - remove handles from certain doors and replace with "push" openers.


Problem Solved!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Let it Snow ...


A very quick one this morning ... I was going to talk about the kitchen but this is so much more exciting.

Look what I woke up to this yesterday morning .... snow.


Just to give you an idea on how sureal this is .... snow on the beach, it was weird.... totally insane that I was walking on a beach covered in snow.




Saturday, February 18, 2012

Up Up In The Air

I can confirm two things this morning ....

1) In the last week I have spent more time up in the air than I have on the ground. I had a whirlwind trip back to Perth not only for work but for my house. I managed to get one post in while back, but most of it was crazy busy catching up with builders, tilers and neighbours about fences.

2) I have just worked out in the last 6 months I have spent more time in Europe than I have in Australia.

Mind blowing things to think about and to be honest with all the heat at the moment I'm not overly upset but coming back for a week does make me miss my lovely little Lacey, my friends and family.

Now for those who are curious about how I am living I have a super cute little apartment in the centre of town.

I have a teeny tiny little kitchen, a bedroom and a lounge with a lovely bathroom.






I promise this week to give you some of the drama's I went through with the house ... but for now .... I was welcomed back to Scotland with a small flurry of snow!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Slight Drama


Sorry for being MIA - 2 days of flying plus a few days of severe jet lag mean that not only have I missed posting but I have struggled just to tie my shoe laces.

Firstly let me say .... its hot. Oh my god is it hot! Coming from an average temperature range of 4 and -4 I have to say .... its hot.

But onto other drama's - it looks like our fence is about to fall down so hubby and I dragged our very jet lagged selves off to try and steady it temporarily.

Oh the joys of building a house .... bendy fences, sand in your shoes and naughty neighbour dramas.


Sunday, February 5, 2012

Aberdeen - City of Oil

Wandering around all the old buildings its easy to forget that Aberdeen is actually an oil town. The choppers flying in and out, the tiny specks on the horizon are actually supply vessels waiting their turn to dock and unload. Its easy to forget all of this when sitting back amongst the grey granite buildings and castle ruins but hubby took me to the Maritime Museum today and also down to the docks.

Its not just amazing but kind of great to know that im a part of what drives this city .... big headed I know but im a tiny bit.





St Andrews .... More than just golf


So when I think of St Andrews I instantly think of golf and to be honest when I was planning the drive I thought .... maybe a few hour stop on the way home to look around but never in my wildest dreams did I expect to love the little town. St Andrews is Scotland's equivelent to our Margaret River.... except it has a hell of alot more history.

Firstly its a fishing town and secondly it had a rather major abbey and castle situated here back in the day!




The ruins are really easy to look around and in the very centre of the castle ruins was a well. Hubby and I decided to throw in a coin and make a wish and I have to say, after having such a lovely time looking around I was thinking in my head as I threw in the coin .... "may we finish a lovely house and have lots of little babies running around it" Oh yes I was thinking babies and here is where it gets funny .... I threw my coin and then everything slowed down (picture slow motion camera) the coin bounced on the chain link well cover not once but twice before shuddering through the gap and then landing on a miniscule ledge and there it stopped. It never moved and I looked straight up at hubby and said ... "does that mean im not going to get my wish"


Apparently not, so all of those with itty bitty little baby booties and myself in their minds ... I'm sorry it doesn't look like that's possible based entirely on the rules of well wishes.





Oh  yes ... just in case you think that golf didn't get a mention in our visit ..... this picture says it all.





Friday, February 3, 2012

The Creepy House

I have been dying to tell you this story - so last weekend we went away again and decided to spend a night down near St Andrews (which is amazing but I will tell you more about that tomorrow) So we googled trip advisor, picked a big old manor house and booked a night. I have to admit, driving up to the house at dusk i was more than impressed, I was really really excited.


We parked the car .... gathered our belongings and made our way into the rather large foyer .... and waited, and waited and then we waited a while more until a lovely little Scottish lady bustled in with a key and walked us to our room. This is where the creepy start, we asked her how she knew who we are because she didn't ask our name before taking us to our room ... she replied that we were the only ones staying in the house that night. That's right, we were the only visitors in this 50 something room manor house out in the middle of nowhere. Straight away Ben joked about how in all the horror movies he had seen it was always a young couple stay in a house alone.



The room itself was enormous and quite amazing, the ceilings were 2 storeys high, the windows looked out over the gardens but the bathroom was down the hall. That's right, that meant walking down an old cold hallway to use the bathroom. We didn't think much of it because we were the only people staying but still ... this is something a little bit different.

The second little bit of creepy was when laying on the bed I felt ... watched. Now I am not in the least a nervous person but looking around I noticed all the pictures in the room seemed to stare at the bed. Think I am just slightly sensitive .... have a look at this picture of a small girl. Look at her eyes .... creepy.


Then it just got weirder, walking down the stairs there was a guy .... flesh and blood I'm sure standing in the hall at the bottom step, Ben realised he had forgotten a pen and ran back up the stairs to our room while I finished walking down the stairs to wait at the bottom. I said hi and smiled as I walked past but he didn't even look at me .... just kept staring off into the distance like I wasn't there. Ben did the same but still no joy, this guy did not even register that we were there.




While I was waiting I actually had a look around, there was a piano full of hats, under the stairs there were old prams filled with dolls with no eyes ..... At the top of the stairs was an old fashioned wheel chair, babies cribs sitting in a hallway.





Everything was weird and obscure and although the house was beautiful it appears as if nothing had ever been thrown out, a perfect example of this was a row of old coffee cups lined an old bureau. Really .... coffee cups.

Now totally and completely freaked out we grabbed the car keys and headed for the closest town hiding in the tiny little bar there joking with the locals until we were to tired to even worry about the house. Although we did brave the house I am more than happy to admit that a huge weight seemed to lift off my shoulders as we drove away the next day.


It was certainly an interested experience but I cant say a completely enjoyable one. Also, I am sure looking at the pictures you are thinking to yourself, it doesn't look so bad. Our lovely camera seems to lighten pictures up beautifully but the picture below shows just how dark the whole house was.....

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Miss Vintage ... Jetsetter!

So up to London for a business trip today and I will admit as it was only a short trip I was excited but also dreading London Hotel's tiny little rooms and horrendous crowds.


Why on earth was I worried. Upon checking in I was updated to the penthouse .... yup you heard right with a perfect view of the tower of London and tower bridge. 






How totally heavenly  right, so this morning I woke up over and over again just to look out my window. I am amazed at just how much I'm enjoying my working away jaunt. Obviously I miss my little baby Lacey and also my family and the house but seriously, how often do you catch a taxi bast Buckingham Palace and have a coffee on the Thames under a ridiculously old church???


Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Perth .... thats right Perth


Apparently we visited the original Perth yesterday and being from Perth myself I had high expectations but the truth is "Perth" and Perthshire as a whole a particularly beautiful.



We found the most amazing antiques store and browsed for what seemed like forever through musty and dusty rooms.... had lunch in a quaint little pub and froze our respective bottoms off by the river looking at a very old very pretty bridge.


Driving around the countryside and stopping where ever we feel like is certainly a different way to explore than we have ever experienced before but we like it. Other than the small arguments between hubby and myself over who knows best with regards to directions and road rules its been fun.... challenging but still fun!