Merry Christmas..........

Merry Christmas! I hope you are all ready for the festivities!
We have my folks driving up from England and my sister and her fella coming from Australia this year...... its the first time we have been able to celebrate Christmas together in 8 years so everyone is very excited. Getting this project house ready for guests both in terms of finishing the main rooms, and renovating bedrooms and bathrooms to accomodate guests, has meant a rather intense few months of non-stop DIY.
Mostly for poor Euan who is the builder, the joiner, the electrician and the plumber......when he isnt doing his actual job.

Frustratingly we just needed another week and all those unfinished things wouldnt have been. But we are out of time (and money!)  Time for the christmas decorations!

The hallway off the kitchen was a lot narrower 6 months ago (you can see from the ceiling lights which we havnt yet moved or replaced) and just didnt feel right so we played around with the layout in this part of the house which is an extension. We also put in a drop-down attic ladder.I will write a post about all that work after Christmas!
But its looking pretty back here with a real tree and some maileg pixies.
I love my antique Mora clock, it makes such a beautiful sound when it chimes and I had been waiting for the right place to put her.

We have changed a few things in the living room since its big renovation 2 years ago. I repainted over the magnolia on the walls....I didnt realise how much I hated it or how 'dark' it actually was until it was gone. I reupholstered the coffee table in some Linwood wool fabric bought for steal on ebay and we treated ourselves to some new sofas at long last.

We have had the famous Ikea Ektorp ones for the last 6 years. They were cheap and cheerful and they did well but became so uncomfortable that I have actually preferred sitting on the floor for at least a year.
God bless DFS and 4 years interst free credit. These are the Loch Leven ones from the Country Living range in Oatmeal and are massive in comparison to the old ones, incredibly deep and very very comfortable.
For all our good intentions to 'not let the dogs up on the new sofas'...I know it wont last so we have some quilts on them to protect the fabric.

There was another reason I sat on the floor though......this is what happened all too often on the last sofas... 

We also replaced the carpet (after the great new-carpet dissapointment of 2013.........)
 

We would have loved to have the Kitchen Island built in time but it would have been too expensive at the moment. Its on the New Year to-do list.

Have a really wonderful Christmas however you are spending it, hope Santa brings you what you are hoping for .......and fingers crossed for some snow. xxxx