Thursday 6 May 2010

Kitchen makeover..............On a shoestring. Watch this space!

Gosh!! Is it really Friday again! Hello all.. happy Friday! Thank you for your kind wishes for George's poor back, It is much better now thank you!  Sorry to all of ny  bloggy friends  who I may have neglected a bit this week, but I have been so busy drawing and painting for my secret project, and when I get going hours can simply fly by, I get a headache from all the close work (must get new glasses!) and the housework and all else goes out of the window!  Here is another little glimpse of what I am up to! Maybe I should rename this blog Itch2draw!

Anyone for cake? Not quite finished yet!And not good reproduction as I took a photo instead of scanning!

Yes! As a matter of fact I forget to do housework, the dinner, to get dressed.... I become like some hermit creature busily engrossed in my little make believe world!  Then I remember all the other things that need doing and I have to whirl about like a whirling dervish trying to catch up! 

Archibald Peabody-Smythe, being the attention seeker of the Sroka household is not at all impressed with being ignored!

No! I am not talking to you!

It is no use hiding behind those flowers you know. We can see you! HELLO-O!

Now, on to something else! What is your dream kitchen? Country, modern and sleek, traditional.....? 

I love this kitchen... this is my dream kitchen.....


Come to think of it,....... that is my kitchen, or rather it WAS my kitchen in my last house. This picture does not do it justice, it was not orangey  at all. Made from reclaimed pine, with a belfast sink and granite tops and a chinese slate floor.....

This picture shows the colour of the cupboards much better! The top pic was the one taken by the Estate agent, and don't they take awful pics?!  If we had stayed, I was going to paint the cupboards cream.

Is it at all decent to miss a kitchen so much???  Well I do! I even left my range cooker behind... boo hoo! 

Anyway, We are soon to do a kitchen makeover. This is my kitchen here......




A single oven , with the grill in it! A fridge that literally fills up with water and a white cushion floor! I mean... white, and me with 3 dogs! Mopping doesn't work, you literally have to scrub, and life is toooooo short! 

So stay tuned, as I am about to shake this baby by the neck! On a very, very tight budget, I intend to make it look as good as I can. This is my challenge. A vert strict budget as all of our money was all spent up in the last house! We have the 'new' cupboards in the garage. My friend has just had her kitchen done, so we have bought her old cupboards, which look as good as new. How much? £200. That includes the sink too (and taps)  Yes, cheap! Not bad I think. You will have to wait to see them in to decide whether I have pulled off my hoped for transformation!  

In fact we have the whole house to do on a tight budget... as we want to move back to Poulton soon, we have found that we really miss our old town! SO! If you would like to share our journey, I will keep you up to date!  The challenge in our home is to make the house look as beautiful as possible, as cheaply as possible!

A thank you now before I go for another week. Thank you Angel for these lovely awards!


You are such a kind lady, and I am really so happy that you picked me!  I award these awards to all the lovely talented bloggers that I follow... thats why I follow you.... because you are all sooooo darn good! 

Now, at the risk of boring you, here are 7 things about me that you may not know.  I have decided to tell you funny things!

1:  I went through a spell of falling over.  Hey! I had a lot on my mind at the time!  Once, I fell at the feet of a very, very old lady. She bent down to pick me up and said " shouldn't this be the other way round?" Another time I slipped and fell into a very large puddle, which resembled a small pond! This would have been fine if I was the only one in the car park, but a man was stood watching me, and didn't have the decency to look the other way, or to stop smiling to himself! To make it worse, one of my shoes had flown off, and I was flailing about in the water trying to find it! He stayed for the whole show by the way!


2:  I hated sewing at school...I  loathed it!


Now anything involving a sewing needle is just heaven to me..This is one of my drawings which I made into a cross stitch! 

3:  At school I got in detention.. a lot... usually for laughing. One term I got in detention 22 times and some of the detentions were given to me while standing in detention,  for giggling!  The boys in physics used to knock me off those very high stools That they always have in those classrooms, and the teacher would stop writing on the blackboard, not even look around, and would say " Get off the floor Calderbank"... he just knew it would be me! Mum was not impressed... being a teacher!

4:   I was once a hoffman presser at a dry cleaners. Very hot and steamy! And very smelly too! Yuk! The dry cleaning does not remove BO, pee or other smells. the steam released them... straight into my face!
I once forgot to take my thumb out before closing the lid, and then actually pressed the steam jet... OUCH!

 5:  When I was 12/13/14 ish I used to make my Dad howl laughing by shouting at the top of my voice in a very silly accent.."WELL SLAP MY ASS"  and by shouting "CHARGE" as I ran down the stairs very fast, (inspired by the film with Cary Grant, Arsenic and Old Lace!)

6:   About the same age, I discovered a Rugby song book in my brother's bedroom... I had heard him singing them quietly in his room, but Mum didn't know he had them. So I snook into his room when he was out and swiped the offending item. Being aqauinted with the tunes.. I quickly put together a fine collection and memorised the songs. Then I hid the book. At first I sang them quietly, and then began to get a bit louder! When at last the melodic notes of Dinah, dinah show us your leg, (and others which are way too rude to be repeated here) finally reached my big brother's lugholes, he came flying in to try and retrieve the book. Ha ha what fun I had watching him trying to stop me!  I had to get him back somehow for constantly dead legging me, stuffing his dirty socks in my mouth and hanging me over the stairs! You would never believe it of him, he is a respectable member of society now.. a solicitor! He he!

7: Years ago I was walking my first Old English Sheepdog Dylan, when he decided that he wanted to go one way, while I wished to go another. Hey! He was bigger than me!  He had seen something so interesting that he actually knocked me over and proceeded to drag me along the ground and then to my dismay.. through a bush! At that point I let go of the lead, stood up and frustrated and rather sore shouted to him " you can go to hell and back". Then I noticed a woman and her very well behaved Chow dog stood across the road, both looking at me with disdain!

I often used to come home after taking him onto the fields with cowpats and dyke slime on me and him, after trying to.. a) stop him eating the pats, and b) having to jump in the dyke to get him out!  I have had 4 of these comical, loving, soft creatures!

Oooops I did it again! I meant to write only a short post today, and still have managed to waffle on and on! I hope I haven't bored you too much... can I hear someone snoring?!!!

Have a rather jolly weekend all! Lots of love  Suzie.xxxx


33 comments:

  1. I so enjoy hearing your tales of "Life with Suzie"! A new chapter every week. :) It's very fun and heartwarming to read about you and your life, thank you for sharing it with us.
    I LOVE your drawing!!! I could see that on a kitchen wall. You have a lovely kitchen now so I can't wait to see how it turns out with your creativity. My kitchen is fairly small an no counter space so my dream kitchen would have plenty of that and a nice walk in pantry. Granite counter tops, large stainless steel sink with one of thoes pull out faucets. Nice industrial sized stove, oven and fridge. Pull down cupboard shelves since I am short and the things I want are always up high.
    TA again, can't wait till next Friday! xxxxx

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  2. Oh Suzie girl I have to tell you that there could be no one in the world feeling low, disgruntled or not up to par in the least that by coming by for a visit to your bloggy would not leave here feeling happy. You just have the God given talent of making people feel good and putting them at ease. You are such a love. And your funny escapades are a hoot. I can picture each and every one of them. I will be eagerly watching for the make-over and am sure it will be nothing short of magnifico! The drawings and the stitchery well, they are adorable and so well done. What a talent you are! Have a happy and wonderous weekend! XXLuvs ya, Mollye

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  3. You work better on me than my antidepressants! 2 things....you're so damn funny & so damn talented! Can't wait to see your kitchen. xxx

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  4. The kitchen will look fantastic, you are so talented Suzie it could be nothing else. I am sure you will get back to where you want to be eventually. Gald George is on the up too. Take care and watch out for a parcel

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  5. I love the post. Love the painting. You have cheered me up yet again!

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  6. Oh Suie (how is your Z this week? here are a few of mine in case yours give up ZZZZZZZZZ)
    You are such a busy girl- can't wait to see the kitchen, go on inspire me ready for the cottage if we ever get there!! I too dispare of the kitchen in this house- cream carpet! would you believe?!? What goes through people's minds? With only two dogs now but it is a converted barn and straight outside is farmland or should I say mudland! It's rented so we cant rip it up- I am actually looking forward to going back to the old house in 3 weeks to the not much better black slate kitchen floor! (On my knees scrubbing but at least I can scrub it unlike a cream bl***y carpet!) Hopefully not for too long - fingers, toes and everything else crossed for todays viewers.
    Sorry I went off on a pet rant- like Kay I could see your secret project on my new kitchen wall. My dream kitchen mellow scrubbed pine mixed with cream painted pieces, wooden worktop, belfast sink and a 50s gas cooker pans hung where I can see them and a pantry, a proper old fashioned walk in pantry for all my jars of baking ingredients- oh and sensible terracotta flooring! I haven't been thinking about it much - honest!!
    As for your 7 things we didn't know... I like you more every day- you cheered me up no end!
    Have a good week Jx

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  7. Oh dear you do make me smile and this morning I really needed that! your relationship with your brother sounds so familiar... except I had 3 older brothers 2 of which were usually pretty horrid! the eldest went to uni when I was 8... our springer spaniel use to eat and then roll in sheep poo! mmmm yummy!

    big hugs
    Alex
    x

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  8. You really do make me laugh out loud:)
    Can't wait to see progress on your kitchen and as for your painting..........WOW, you are one very talented lady.
    Have a great weekend!

    B xxx

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  9. LOL!!!! you are funny I can just visulise the doggy capers too, I have two dogs. You have really cheered me up I have just had a row with a lorry driver over parking and his was a chauvernistic, biggotted pig, Oh I won the arguement by the way with intelligence! But what a PRATT.
    Love the illustration. Have a fab weekend.
    Nicky x

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  10. Oh Suzie you are a Hoot - he he Owl Cottage Hoot. Good luck with the kitchen - I'd have a perfect home if hubby spent as much time working on it as he does his boat ! but then we wouldn't have a boat !
    If your sewing teacher could see you now ..... xx

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  11. Lovely stories, and looking forward to seeing how the kitchen develops, Suzie!

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  12. Can you hear me laughing??!Ha ha! You're such a joker! Have a good weekend xxx

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  13. I just adore that picture! I hope my Mum is reading you this week! You are one of her favs. You and Dotty Angel are her number one kindred spirits I think:)How did you turn your beautiful drawing into a cross stitch? I would love to do that. is there special graph paper you use?

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  14. I love your posts Suzie! They are so much fun to read. I will be looking forward to see your kitchen makeover. :)
    xx

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  15. Thanks so much for the graph paper tip. I think my best bet is online to get it.

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  16. Hi Suzie

    Good luck with your kitchen makeover. It sounds like a good challenge! will look forward to the results!

    Loved your funny stories. Glad its not just me then!!! lol

    Take care and have a great weekend.


    MBB x

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  17. Your artwork is beautiful and I thought the cross stitch version so pretty too. A great blog post, so please don't apologise for it being long and not brief.
    As for the kitchen makeover, we did the same. We had a small kitchen, used to be the surgery for the acupuncturist who lived here before us and so we found little needles all the time. I had the idea to extend it into the two outside attached coal and bike stores, making a longer kitchen. We then had units on the wall and base units, but after a few years I found this too claustrophobic. The last makeover involved removing them, painting the plain shaker style doors in a colour like good vanilla ice cream, plain round wooden handles in a lovely green from Farrow and Ball, with the walls in the emulsion version. Patchwork tiled splashback had it's tile paint removed to restore it to the original I created which is browns, cream and pink, and this runs the length of one wall as well as behind the sink. We bought reclaimed pine shelving for plates etc., and for my collection of Cottage Green ceramics and one for spice and herb jars etc., and with a built in double oven, separate hob, and new terracotta tile flooring, I love it, love being in there... it is definitely COUNTRY! The sink needs replacing now... but I can't decide on stainless steel or butlers sink, or something else entirely! So much choice these days doesn't always make life easier does it?
    Thanks for dropping into my blog and leaving a message at laburnumcottage.blogspot.com
    Enjoy the weekend... envious of your OES's!
    Maggie

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  18. Lucky you Suzie, I do love a kitchen makeover, it is my favourite room in our house!
    I was also engrossed in painting bluebells yesterday, so totally absorbed dinner was V. lATE! Sorry Mr.Lane!
    Have a brilliant weekend,

    Sarah.

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  19. very much looking forward to seeing the makeover once it's completed!

    LOVE the picture of Monsieur Archibald, so gorgeous!

    And I'm not saying anything about falling over given the current state of my ankle. Ahem!

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  20. dear Suzie, I love that pretty picture!! I am so looking forward to seeing your home improvements, as they take shape!!! I cannt believe some of the things that have happened to you!!! The rest of us lead pretty tame lives in comparison!!! It's so funny!!!
    xxxx

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  21. Suzie, you are such an amazing, talented, funny lady...:0) I love reading your blog, and I'm looking forward to seeing your new kitchen.
    Your cake picture and your sewn cross stitch are amazing...
    Thankyou so much for leaving such nice comments on my blog, they make my day :)
    Have a good week Suzie, and yes, I am looking forward to next Friday morning to read your latest instalment....
    Donna xx

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  22. Suzie,
    There is never a dull moment on your blog--if I'm not going crazy with admiration for your newest stitching or drawing, I'm laughing my backside off at your stories!
    You prove once again that the old saying is true--that well behaved women rarely make history, and they certainly aren't very much fun to be around! Cary Grant would be pleased!
    Happy Mother's Day weekend!
    Love, Valerie

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  23. I wish I had you for my best friend in school. I was quite the giggler, too...and still am! What a fun post! Your kitchen looks nice! You'll have fun changing it! What will you do about the floor....hmmmm! Interesting challenge!

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  24. Congratulations on your latest awards, Suzie! Again, they are very well deserved. :) Your new cake painting is DIVINE - yum yum yum! I am happy to know it's not just me who gets so engrossed in creating things that I forget the housework, the meals, and getting dressed! LOL I hope you have a most enchanting weekend!!! Theresa

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  25. Ahhh Suzie! my old friend ... wonderful!
    Your Dylan story reminds me of when I had a 6 month old Labrador called Honey and a 4 month old Yorkshire Terrier called Lulu.
    I had only just had my daughter Sam and my son Nick was only 20 months old.
    I used to make an effort to take the dogs for a walk with Sam in the pram, Nick sitting on the pram seat, Honey doing her best to make us go faster and poor Lulu bringing up the rear doing her best to keep up without being strangled.
    What a sight we were for any passers by!
    Take care sweetie
    Love Gaynor xxx

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  26. I can’t wait to see what you do with your kitchen. Mine’s nearing completion (I’m limited to what I can do as it’s rented) and I’m now considering painting the walls and I also have plans to spray the fridge pink to emulate the Smeg fridges!!!

    Have a great weekend

    Victoria xx

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  27. So exciting! Your old kitchen was lovely! Can not wait to see what you do next!

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  28. Man oh man, I could write ya a letter on here. I think I'm just as crazy, just as hilarious and just as bold as you. We are two Groovy Girls living it up...OUT LOUD.

    Yep, I laughed when my St. Bernard knocked over the nasty old granny at the top of our hill. I wouldn't laugh today (at least I hope I could refrain) but I laughed out and gave old Blazer a good boy pat on the head!

    Kara and I laughed till we almost wet our pants when the dashing young gent came out of the elevator this weekend, making eyes at my daughter and then we realized he left that elevator with a not so pleasant smell. Gorgeous men, get real! That is not the way to a girls heart!

    Okay, I like your kitchen now but I do have sympathy for you mopping up after 3 dogs gone wild! I like the gnome chairs...they have a charm that makes my heart beat. You are stepping into modern my dear and I must hold you back and don't let go of those cute chairs!

    I LOVE your new art work...The best work is done while the dishes pile up and the dogs are barking and nothing is getting done except art sweet art!

    Believe it or not, I'm finally getting your box from Gnomes Ahoy together and posting it off to you soon...don't loose hope! I'm flying as fast as I can but I tend to make a few stop overs on the way...Love you big!
    ~the girl with the curl~

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  29. Thank you all for these great comments... Love them all! xxxxxxx

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  30. Oh and hey the girl with the curl, I would never get rid of those chairs, they were one of the first things that George and I bought together. So they have been with us 26 years! They stay put... not a chance in hell of me going too modern or miminalist! xxx

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  31. Love, love the owl templates here, so cool :) Big congrats on the awards too.

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  32. Oh I loved every single word of this. And I too loved your old kitchen. I should think it would have been such fun to cook in there. I am especially impressed with your painting! It's lovely!!
    And those sheepdogs.... well, you know how I feel about them!!

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  33. Suzie I hope you have had a lovely couple of weeks - I have been somewhat absent so am enjoying some time to catch up with everyone's posts this evening. Your drawing is fantastic my favorite subject ... cakes :-) Also loving the piccies of your fur babies - I am on the dog rescue trail at the moment to find a new companion. Lots of luck with your kitchen project can't wait to see what you do .. then you can come and do mine as well please xx

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I love getting comments and I read and appreciate every one of them. I always try to answer them, but if you don't get a response it will be because I couldn't find a link to you. Suzie. XXX :)