Computer breakdown..

I got a bit too grumpy the other day. My laptop collapsed totally. I love my laptop. I miss it. It is at the repairshop and if everything works out I will get it back next week. Pictures I wanted to share with you at this blog is probably gone, meaning more work for me. Luckily I love taking pictures and use time in front of the laptop so I kind of look forward to it too.

I wish everyone a great Christmas, if you don`t celebrate Christmas I just wish you a really good time!

I`ll be back.
Lots of love to you all!
Grumpy

Christmas- so awful and so beautiful

It is that waiting time again- advent. The darkest time of the year where I live. This calls for lots of candles, christmas music, we might bake some cookies etc. I love this wait. I decorate more and more througout December and I totally enjoy it! When I was a grumpykid my mother decorated just before Christmas, but I think that is waaay to late. Christmas ornaments, candles etc should be enjoyed as long as possible. More is better!

My dream Christmas is the Disney kind, at least as close as one can get! The thought of a happy family together is simply to intriguing. Hopefully when grumpykids have grown and have a family of their own we will manage to produce a Disneylike Christmas.

Our own Christmas is a bit like Disney (when it comes to decorating at least) but mostly it is like that "Christmas with the family you don`t get that well along with".
I am convinced I am not alone about this.
I hate pretending things are fine but what can one do? It is Christmas and then you just have to pretend, right?

Besides all the obvious awful things about Christmas- poverty, unfairness, loneliness-  I think pretending things are fine for a week or more is just too much. But still- I do it every year.

I do it because I love the idea of Christmas- sharing, kindness, beeing with your family, meeting friends, enjoying some time off, there might be snow, good food, decorating the house etc etc. (I am not mentioning Jesus- I am not a christian.)

As you see I am full of mixed feelings. I think I build up big expectations through advent and when Christmas is here- the finale- it always disappoints.

Today I have been decorating and as always it was a joy:)  Can not wait to continue! All our Christmas stuff is in the loft- a room I am not so fond of anymore after Mr Grumpy spotted a rat there....

Rat poison is thouroghly placed- and we haven`t heard or seen any more from the rat, but I am sure it is up there somewhere.

Enjoy advent- maybe Christmas will be a good one this year!

Urgent!

I think things are in need of speeding up. Mr Grumpy is so tired of working at grumpyhouse he does some kung- fu style- kicks at doors and walls in frustration. I gave him a powerful right cross to wake him up and now he is at it again- Grumpyhouse that is.

I understand him- he is used to working out quite hard and now he hasn`t done any exercising for almost a year so I don`t think we can wait much longer to send him off to the gym.

But we are soooo close to the finishing line! Just a couple of weeks more!
As long as I am stronger then him I will use my punches to keep him at the scaffolding...
We are both familiar with marshall arts so I am sure it will be a good fight if he dares to counter back!

Meanwhile I am indoors unpacking Christmas decorations while I listen to Christmas music.
One of my favourite songs is this one: Magical!

December mood

December tomorrow. Been another busy week, I can`t relax until tomorrow afternoon. Gotta go to work tomorrow. Have managed to get some decorating done in the late evenings though.

It is time for stars, logfire and hearts..... There is snow outside-
which is always very relaxing.

 

Hope you will enjoy some decorating this weekend!

PS: Until I have the time to watermark my pictures- please respect they are my pictures.... Thanks.

Cottage dreams

We meant to go for a weekend trip this weekend to visit friends at their cottage. Weather changed our minds and we postponed the trip until we see some snow... Today it is pouring down constantly like a non- ending shower of rain. Makes me so tired!

We would like a cottage of our own but it won`t happen in years- if ever ( At least if grumpyhouse continues to be so expensive!).
We`d like a modern, new, up to date cottage- one old house to care for is more than enough.

I find this one beautiful-  it is modern, full of light and with a roofed terrace. That comes very handy since we have rain 250 days a year. Full article here!

By Landsbyarkitektene- Bibbi

I will have to do some christmas planning this weekend, christmas is like the peak season for all serious interior/ design bloggers. I am not sure I`ll manage to keep up with them. It is such a busy season for everything. Christmas party`s, shopping and lots of other christmas events.

I find that christmas is both beautiful and awful- I will get back to you with a dedicated post on that!

Now I`m about to drink a huge coffee with milk followed by tons of chocolate!
Talk soon!

Ground rule 2

When you live in an old house anything can happen, ANYTHING. Even when you are prepared.
You have talked to the people with knowledge, you pay them to help you and still- the one thing you think you are so prepared for happens. Grumpyhouse strikes again.

It might happen like this: you find rats in your basement, then you contact the pest control people, they help you put out poison etc, in the meantime you close all possible rat entrances in your basement. You don`t see or hear rats for a year, you are relaxed.

Then- one night- just before you go to sleep you hear those characteristic sounds of rat teeth gnawing on wood- from the LOFT!! What? You get out of bed, up the stairs to the loft and there it is- a rat- in the loft. Where did it come from?

Chills. Yuk. Just another great day in grumpyhouse. I am going to my happy place now. I want a cat.

Beautiful sight!

Remember we found NO isolation behind the cladding? Read here if you don`t remember :)

Now look!! 

Isolated, windproofed and cladded wall.
I love it!

My fantastic Mr Grumpy have done real good!!
We are not finished yet, still one wall to go, but it is the easiest one according to Mr Fantast...
sorry- Mr Grumpy that is :)
We can not know for sure of course (this is a grumpy house) but we will probably be done by christmas.

That is the prize we have our eyes on-
Christmas with our feet up and a little cafe avec...... 

And after that -
the sabbatical year of 2013!

No- absolutely no renovation planned!(Ok- there are some finishing touches to do but that will be like a walk in the park..)

I am certain that grumpyhouse holds a surprise or two up its sleave for us- but at least that will be all.
2012 have been a year of planned renovation plus grumpyhouse surprises and we are barely keeping up.
We are drained- both financially and energetically. Grumpy and Mr Grumpys relationship is strong but I can not say it is a romantic one these days. I have advised Mr Grumpy to step it up in 2013. Fingers crossed! As for know we both are in a " Keep calm and carry on" mode.

Tonight though we have the evening off. No renovation or house cleaning.
We both look forward to it.

Wishing you all a great weekend!

House make up

Living in old houses means challenges when it comes to getting that perfect look (if that is what you are looking for). I am now quite skilled in covering up holes in the floor, cracks on the walls and how bad I am at sewing straight seams.... (I have "fixed" a lot of curtains with safety pins....)

Here are pictures of some "make up"I have done on the floor. Of course I should have had a picture of that huge crack we have in the living room but we covered it up with trowel when we painted this summer. I was so happy to see it go away but I am sure it will turn up again soon-  grumpyhouse does not stand still... I do not mind the holes really, it is bad feng- shui I know, but I have befriended myself with the fact that I have to live with them for some time. In the future I see a new fantastic floor but that`s like years away!

Besides, holes in the floor are good to have when you want to brag a little in that refurbishing chitchat next time you go to a party :)

(Pictures show jungle camouflage make up and a rather dull make up with mousy- grey rug. Both work pretty good-  can you spot the hole?)

Dull rug make up



Jungle make up

PS:
If I had the money I would just get workmen to renovate the whole house to modern standard- but I don`t have that kind of money. So me and Mr Grumpy are stuck with this huge DIY project. Besides I think that the soul of grumpyhouse might disappear in such a huge renovation.... No cracks- no grumpyhouse.

Weekend

Been a busy busy week. Grumpyhouse has been filled with guests, Grumpy has been the almost perfect hostess and mr Grumpy is out nursing grumpyhouse with isolation and windproofing. The rain is pooring down, wind blows hard around the corners, it is dark and we are all tired. Really looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Hopefully I will find som inspiring pictures or other cool stuff on the web, I might bake a bread or read a book. Anyways- we all need some tranquility.

Reboost your batteries this weekend- ok?
Talk soon!

Cushion madness

Some ladies have a thing for handbags, others for shoes. I like handbags and shoes and I don`t think I have enough- but my biggest weakness is cushions...
I have struggled with myself the last couple of years and instead of buying four new ones each month it`s more like four cushions each year. Sadly that means the ones I do buy are way more expensive than before. I even clear them away when I have visitors (did I just say that out loud..??). It is a horrible truth I know- shame on me :(

These are my current favorites:

From Van Asch:

And from Darling Clementine:










Some from WestElm:

Love this pattern from MarleneM:











Although some of the cushions from VanAsch are to shabby chic for me I do love the one with the dragonfly....

Cutting down on cushions have taught me to have patience when I decorate. Before I just bought the things I liked when I saw them. Now I wait and I wait until the discount is 50% off, then I wait some more and when it`s 60% or 70% off I buy it!

This is good because some items I am convinced I just got to have, but with time (waiting for a discount) I lose interest which is healthy for the shopping gene and surely less expensive!
Now I only buy things that I can not stop thinking about for a very very long time.
Living in an old house is extremely expensive and you have to cut back on everything to manage all the expenses. Learning how to decorate and live in a simpler and less expensive manner is good for me. After all I am privileged - few people in the world have "cutting down on cushion buying" as their biggest challenge in life, right?

So please, if you can- rest your head on a nice cushion today!
Enjoy your weekend!


PS: Ooops I just bought that dragonfly cushion... but it is only the fourth one this year :) Still- I think it will be wise to hide it from Mr Grumpy for a couple of weeks....
"This?? Bought it ages ago! Haven`t you noticed?"

PPS: This is how it really looks in my couch (after all- this is a home.)

Another quaint house

Look! I LOVE this!!! We have a stair in our house- an old beautiful one that runs over three floors. Wish I could make it just as useful as this one! Check it out!

So clever!

Enjoy each step next time you walk up a stair!
Talk soon :)

Puh!

Going away means things to do just pile up in enourmous amounts- really fast!!
Suddenly I haven`t had time for blogging in over a week! Hopefully next week will be better, I have some posts ready to be published- just needs some finishing touches.


Until then- relax! Weekend is almost over....

Lisboa love

Just back from a combined business/ leisure trip to Lisbon. While I had to be the serious one Mr Grumpy could enjoy Lisbon`s wonderful atmosphere. I managed to sneak off a couple of times to get those mandatory tile pictures and a stroll in the narrow streets. Love it!

It was our second time in Lisbon. Last time we just walked around randomly, soaking in all the impressions and the atmosphere. This time around we spent some more time shopping (when I could get a free moment). Came back happy with good wine, good jam, sardines and a leather handbag :)

Lisbon is also a huge inspiration when it comes to tiles and I keep looking in my own house for something to tile!

Nice combo of stars and stripes!

Back home everything is the same. I kicked Mr Grumpy back out and on to the scaffolding again. He promises to finish by Christmas so he better hurry up!

As a good grumpy lady should I open the window now and then and yell out :
"Come on Mr Grumpy- hurry up!"
Just to annoy him, and to my amusement it works!
(No wonder he is grumpy)

Have a proper grumpy night- and if you can- take a trip to Lisbon!

Interior eyecandy

I am in love...
Just found two new sites, Dusty Deco and Bla Lotus-
some of these cabinets goes straight to my wishlist.
(Father Christmas I have been soooo good! Promise! Cross my heart : D)  Look!

And for the oriental touch look here:

Drool...... (Even Mr Grumpy ended up spending time at this site- he saw some KungFu fighting on one of the cabinets and he was sold.. yey!)

Sunday glamour

Found this amazing picture of Marilyn Monroe via automatism:

Read more here!

Enjoy your sunday!

Why?

We have been living in this grumpy house for around five years. Renovating it bit by bit. Finally we see some light at the end of the renovating tunnel and the next year or two we will do nothing other than normal maintenance (which can be more than enough when I come to think of it!).

One of the last things we do in this round of renovating is to isolate and windproof the oldest part of our house. We thought there would be a small layer of isolation material so all we had to do was to add an extra layer.

Again our old house surprises us- there was nothing- NOTHING! I ask myself WHY?
People have been living in this house for over a 100 years and no one have thought of isolation? At all?
This part of the house has been an apartment, a bed room and is now our tv room. Did they like to freeze?
I have spent five FREEZING winters in front of the telly- I did not enjoy it!
We have so cold, damp and windful winters around here. I don`t get it. I`m probably stupid.

WHY?

Unisolated wall soon to be isolated :)

Homemade tortillas and grumpy house mould attack

Today 2 good things happened when I got home.

1) the mould growing in our apt to let is not dangerous and very common everywhere (puh!), it is just a question of my tenants to learn how to live in a grumpy old house. They better behave or grumpy house comes back with a new mould attack!!
(seriously?- my tenants are great and we have all been worried! better now :D )

2) I tried making tortillas and they were very good!
Here is the recipe- simple- try it!

2 cups flour
1,5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons oil ( I used sunflower)
3/4 cups warm water

Mix the dry, then blend in the wet, knead the dough for a couple of minutes, let it rest around 20 min.
With a rolling pin make round tortillas and fry them in a dry frying pan (no fat!) for about 30 sec on each side.
Very very good indeed!


Have a brilliant weekend! We will finally see some sunshine- YEY!

I don`t play around- I am a superduper housewife!!

Instead of our regular (ok- maybe not that regular..) sundaytrip we decided to stay at home today. This encouraged me to do some serious housewifing. So far I have baked and decorated two cakes, baked two different types of bread and a rustique meat soup is cooking on the stove (the kind that you have to cook for hours of course).
Soon I will sort out the laundry, change linens, make my grumpy kids happy ( in a very educational way) and read aloud a chapter of Harry Potter 3. Tonight I will relax with a smile on my face- looking my absolute best!

Old townhouse had a little surprise for us today as well- all of a sudden our balcony door was impossible to close, but Mr Grumpy fixed it straight away. He is, as me, on top of everything- it is our philosophy.

How good have you been today?

Style? what? which?

I find it difficult to stick to one style when decorating. There are so many nice things out there! I have tried shabby chic but got bored of it, I love the minimalistic nordic style but it is slightly too cold so I always end up filling spaces with those unecessary out of fashion ornaments ( I have an eye for that industrial look too when I think of it).

I do not think I am alone ending up with a mixed style. I am quite picky about what I like so sometimes people say my style is cool others just raise their eyebrows. I always end up mixing authentic and new retro stuff, old and new furniture, modern chic and kitch. Some might call it an eclectic or bohemian style, but it doesn`t really matter what you call it does it? If you like it and your home feels like just that- a home- well in my opinion you are successful. Let`s face it- overstyled homes are boring. (One should not be afraid of spilling that red wine late at night.)


This style tells me this is a home- not a showroom (ok- maybe it is a mixed showroom home...).
One day maybe I will be this good at mixing!

More eyecandy to be found here.  Happy (or frustrating) decorating!

Paint tip!

Use floor paint for skirtings, windows or other surfaces exposed for rough use. It is water based, easy to apply, have almost no smell and you still get that nice shiny result that looks good! We have used it to repaint our kitchen, windows and skirtings. Very happy with it so far- we will see if it stands the test of time. All paint manufacturers have a line of floor paint- we have used Beckers.
Happy painting!

Quaint house

Found this- I love reading about quaint houses tucked inbetween its neighbours:

http://www.ideastosteal.com

Ground rule

First things first- do not even think of living in an old house without being prepared for a lot of work! It needs your constant attention! Like a child unattended you never know what the next surprise will be. Funny enough surprises always cost a LOT of money. Well- time to go to bed. Good night!