Angel Jem's City Cottage

I am really enjoying my holiday. This week I have taken off every one of my commitments; no where to g, no one to see, just a chance to DO stuff in the house. I know I work what is laughingly called 'part time', but it really stops me getting things done. I miss whole days just pootling, or taking a sickie from supply to paint or decorate a room. Now I must really store up my plans to do during holidays, and I have done precious little over the last couple of years. This year I want to get a lot done. I've started this week with the boys' room. It hasn't been decorated for 13 years, and they aren't the little children they were then, so a more adult approach to the room seems sensible. Above is the before shot; blue walls and piles of everything. Don't get excited, the after doesn't look a lot different. I gave the lads the choice of colours, and they said they liked the colour it was, and why did I have to paint it at all? Duh. Part way thr...

 I will apologise in advance for the length of this post; there's a lot of pictures and I can never just sum up things in a word or two. When Man invented so many excellent words and ways of saying things, why should we reduce it to a few terse interjections?  And besides which, I have thank you s to say to my Yorkshire friends, without whose posts today might not have happened. I can't even remember who visited; I know Diane of Heart-Shaped did , but I'm sure somebody else did as well. Apologies. If it was you, comment below!  The children (young adults) are with my Mum today as we have a weekend just a deux for a change. We like heritage and industrial history so when Mr AJ asked for suggestions, I said "Saltaire.". He hadn't heard of it before, so he looked it up, agreed it sounded good, and took me there. The picture above is of the United Reform Church. Saltaire is a model village built by mill owner Titus Salt. He and his family are buri...

I set myself a challenge; to read 2 books a week in the summertime. This is my list; wish me luck! https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5BYpKO-OK3cbmtsa2xwUGdBUnM/edit?usp=sharing

This post goes out to Crafty Northerner who has sent me a care package, a most beautifully wrapped and delivered little parcel of joy. Thank you, most beautiful lady, for this act of kindness! I love the knitted.... strip. I think it might be supposed to be a bookmark? But I'm going to sew up the two sides and make a usefully sized holder for some more stuff in my bag. I love the polka dot badge. I have a bag already marked out to carry this symbol of friendship. And the pink socks with blue hearts are very cute. I think a certain daughter already has her eyes on them so they may not last long in my ownership!! But cutest of all are the stickers, with the woodland creatures. I have pages ready for these in my planner already! And finally the yellow striped straws, proper paper straws. I am going to break these open on Thursday 22nd July when I am at last and OFFICIALLY on holiday!!! Thank you so much Sally, I am so blessed to have friends in the blogo...

The last few weeks at school are always a mad race. I'm finding that between actual timetabled work, the extra time I give because time is so short and my extra curricular lessons I give from home, apart from everyday life as a wife and mother, that my life is beginning to resemble one of these; And I don't do well when life gets like that. I don't do multi tasking. I just stop. So the time has come, dear readers, to apologise again and to say that I shall be here again come September in a regular rhythm and pattern of writing, reading and responding, but that this summer I am practising the art of Dolce Far Niente . I haven't read Eat Pray Love (yet) but this might be the summer that I do. I intend to blog less and to do Instagram instead as a quick, easy and immediate form of journalling. My posts will always need to be #keepingitreal because I don't do pretty (ever) but if any of you are on Instagram and fancy spotting me over there, I'm on as angelj...