My Own Worst Critic!

Firstly, thank you to everyone who has entered my Blogoversary giveaway so far...you have until Friday to leave a comment. I'll keep things fair by using a random number generator to find the winner, to give all who enter an equal chance :) Good Luck!

I am very grateful for your visits to my blog - those who come by regularly will know that I am not generally a negative person, in fact I would prefer not to post on a 'down-day'. I suspect you also realise that I'm not particularly good at, or including, anything too personal on my blog too; but today I thought I'd wear my heart on my sleeve...just for a change...to see how it goes...

Hubby and I have been working very hard recently on various projects in our back garden. Our garden isn't a 'pottering' sort of garden, but more of the 'hack and slay' kind! Constant taming of mature shrubs and trees and regular repairs to the old stone walls and general maintenance of the borders are what's required. This has meant that we haven't been out on one of our little local jaunts for a couple of months now...and I missing them. I wouldn't go as far as to say I'm suffering. Cabin-fever is a little way off yet ;-)) But I guess I could do with a break really...

I am a 'doer', rarely procrastinate and like to see a job through to the end...But just recently I've been feeling like I'm getting nowhere fast...sorry, I'm getting a bit heavy here - not like me at all to give too much away...and I certainly don't want sympathy, as my life is very good, thank you! In fact, I was reading my recently delivered copy of Somerset Life in bed last night and inside was an article written by Tiffany Kirchner-Dixon, who was saying that she lives by the quote 'If life doesn't get any better than this, I am happy'. She went on to say that 'if life doesn't get any better than it is right now, it is great; I choose to be happy. I want to be happy. When I am happy, people around me are happy.'

Such wise words Tiffany, I couldn't agree with you more and I think that even if this positive attitude isn't one that has been instilled at childhood, it is one that can be learnt and will be discovered with age...'older and wiser', as the saying goes...

In the past I have been extremely self-critical, consequently I lacked confidence. I would become cross with myself when I didn't achieve all that I set out to, and would not allow myself time-out to relax, which obviously led to some bad days...Friends were sympathetic, for which I will always be grateful, but taking time to find the happy-place first time round is a better way of existing, I think.

Working from home means I lead a fairly solitary lifestyle, so being in a happy frame of mind will reflect in my work. I used to think that I should be creating 24/7, but now know that its OK to take a tea break, or take a bit longer making one of my dolls, for instance, if the end result is going to echo the effort involved. The pressure I put on myself to constantly have my web-shop refreshed and restocked was unhealthy. Yes, I need to earn a regular wage, but reaching a balance is important too.

Part of the reason for my setting up the secondary blog was to serve as a reminder to me as to how hard I have worked over the years, and to see the proof of all my hours of sewing.
The listing of each item for my on-line shop is what takes a large proportion of my time, along with answering emails, packing parcels and dispatching them - after a large update, it can be a week before I have a moment to start sewing again, and then when goods are created, there's the listing...yes, that is the nature of selling on-line and I guess you'd say I've made that choice and, of course, am very lucky to be making some sales.

However, I did enjoy making for the V&H fair recently. The fact that I could take my time to make each piece and then carefully pack it away for the future fair was refreshing. Of course less was added to my on-line shop during this time, but I was able to tell myself that something has to give now and then! Something friends have been trying to tell me for years - Thankfully, I've got it now guys! ;-))

Right, I'm not about to become a lazy-lass and skive at every opportunity! But I have booked the next V&H fair in November and although that sounds a long way off just now, stock doesn't make itself. I would like to have a good range of items to take to the fair , as well as to work on some special Christmas pieces. Please forgive if I don't restock my on-line shop quite so regularly. I do receive quite a few emails asking when I shall be adding new dolls to my shop - I am thrilled by your interest and will endeavour to do so as often as I can...juggling it with the gardening and running the home! (School hols coming up soon too! ;-))

So, if you're still with me and haven't left because I've bored you rigid! - to continue with the rosey pictures... I shall share with you what I achieved over the weekend.
Now I'm sure you all recognise this wallpaper design below, and don't need me to tell you where you can buy something similar! In my opinion, this lovely lady receives too much free advertising on Blogger as it is! ;-))

Don't get me wrong, I admire all that she has achieved, its just that I will always prefer to buy authentic vintage goods whenever possible, rather than repro. In fact, I did try wallpapering a bedroom wall once with vintage paper, but it was so brittle, it kept cracking and breaking....it was a pretty hideous job and I had to have a rethink!

So I think this pretty repro paper was a wise choice! Having said that, it is at least 5 years old(?) already...this cream version was discontinued some time ago and I was able to snap up several rolls for £5 each! They've languished in the attic all that time, as when I suggested to my daughters that they have a pretty feature wall in their bedrooms, they turned up their noses!

Well, our back hallway has been looking in a very sorry state for a couple of years, if I'm being honest, so the weekend was the time for action. I rootled around in the cellar and found half a tin of white emulsion paint which was perfect for the ceiling. Then I found the cream satin that I had used to paint two of our kitchen chairs a few weeks ago...

Just enough for the skirting boards and architraves. There are 5 doors in this tiny space, which is a lot of architraves! Once all the painting was complete, I could tackle the wallpapering. It took me all day, but I'm very pleased with the final result and all for a bargain price.

Looks pretty from the kitchen too, echoing the red and cream scheme in here.

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The pine pantry door has always had this funny little hole in it. When we first moved in, it had a fine mesh stretched over to stop flies getting in, but that meant you could see into the pantry. Not good when it wasn't tidy! So I replaced it with a section of chicken wire, which I have now backed in a piece of vintage fabric.

A pretty rose fabric, naturally ;-))

Thankfully the old lampshade looked fine once re-hung again, so that saved me another job.

The final task that does need doing though, is to sand and re-varnish the old back door.

Having such a busy pattered space does mean that additional accessories aren't required - I think a floral framed print, for example, would be lost. So it will be nice to keep this area clutter-free.

And when I stand in the corner of our back living room and look first left, and then right...
...where we have the white version of the rose wallpaper, the effect is cohesive and calming.

Of course a weekend spent wallpapering on the spur of the moment, did mean that one on-going project at the end of the garden has been a little neglected...and there I was saying about seeing a job through to the end?...I'll get right on it!

Hope you're having a lovely week,

Niki x