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Loving all stylish and wonderful things in life, fashion and interiors. I am English but living my life in the fabulous city of Melbourne in Australia. Welcome and please read on.... (contact me at sjstubbs19@gmail.com)

Sunday, November 21, 2010

No charmed life for us this weekend!

First of all thank you all so much for your Moving Day wishes... So kind.



We are in the new place and although not quite organised we are getting there.

Now, there are those who read this blog who accuse Mr SE and I of leading a charmed life and yes, I would agree with you that most of the time we do in a way, but not this weekend....!! Oh no.

We have spent all of Saturday (apart from 2 hours when I was released from duties - more about that later) and all of Sunday cleaning up and scrubbing our old place ready for inspection tomorrow when we hand back the key. Hence the non-charmed life this weekend and it's back to work tomorrow. Have to say though that Mr SE is not one to shirk housework and gladly gets stuck in too so at least we could toil away together. And that was exactly what we were doing when our friend C came knocking on the door - would I like to go to a Salvage Yard with him? Would I? - Yes please (and not just to get out of deep cleaning the bathroom!)



So off we went in the sunshine. I adore salvage yards wherever they are and I had some particular favourite ones in England too. This one was just as fun and had loads to rummage about in - just look at all the 'stuff' above and below photos.... You never know what you might find - half the fun.

Photograph below shows what we had mainly come to see and there was a huge selection happily. Gorgeous old pieces of wood - mainly old floorboards. Not that I am going to put any wood on the floor. Oh no, a much more exciting prospect. Dear friend C is going to make us a huge big dining table from old wooden floorboards and I am so excited! Mr SE is not quite as excited - he is not so into 'old things' and would rather like the idea of a nice clean new dining table I feel. BUT I'm sure he will love the table when it's finished.


We looked at all along the boards. Inspecting and discussing. Finally we found them.



These were the ones. Old Baltic pine - obviously had been a floor in a house once - lots of character and slightly bashed up. Nothing pretentious just good old honest boards. We picked the boards and I paid $100 for 10 - not bad for such lovely old wood. Coming back was fun - the boards stuck out of the back window of the car. C has them back at his house and in fact he has just called me to 'talk tables' - it's going to be around 3ft. wide and around 6ft 6" long (and in metric that is approx just under 1 metre by around 2 metres).

I cannot wait. (OK yes, perhaps I agree - maybe a little bit of the 'charmed life' again - all I know is that I feel very lucky that we know someone who will make me the table of my dreams!)


12 comments:

  1. How exciting.

    Can't wait to see the finished product.

    Glad moving went okay.

    SSG xxx

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  2. Just in for a quick peek, like the new look.
    We have 2 dozen 14 foot long baltic pine tongue and groove boards sitting outside slowly turning grey they have been there for so long! Their reason for being? A table for the kitchen!!! Bet yours is made before mine!!

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  3. Hullo Semi Expat,remember well our forays into reclamation yards especially the one near Minster between Margate/Ramsgate when we were doing up the barn.
    What sort of legs are you having on your table?
    Did you ever work in an antique shop in Hastings or Rye? sorry to sound nosey but just a feeling!!!
    Enjoy reading your blog.Wishing you many Happy,fun filled days in your new home.Ida

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  4. How lovely. I would have all of my furniture made to order if I could.

    Can't wait to see the finished product and your digs.

    Take a minute to breathe, ok?

    xo jane

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  5. Piet Hein Eek uses old wood and designs modern furniture from it. I had a post earlier about his designs. I do like the ready products, but I could not enter a salvage garage or any large open store, as I have a weakness for panic attacks in those places. I have a feeling that I get them, when there is too much stuff around me. At least my weeding need is a proof of that. You are very lucky to have someone make the table for you!!

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  6. hello sarah,

    there is no way you will ever be able to convince me that you 2 do not lead a charmed life! working side by side with someone you love on a shared goal is priceless, in my opinion. even though you did abandon mr. romance in order to buy the floorboards, it was for a good cause and i approve.

    ~janet

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  7. Hope the move went well and you managed to clean up the old place and still have time for a small amount of charmed living! The salvaged wood table sounds fab - I'm looking forward to seeing the finished article.

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  8. The reason I love salvage yards is that they're like a lucky dip, you just don't know what you will get!

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  9. SSG - thanks very much - move went v. well as we did it over a few days after the initial big day.

    Julienne - think my table might be ready before yours - sorry!!

    Ida - hello and welcome to the blog if I have not welcomed you before.. Not sure about the legs yet - something suitably rustic I feel! You are on the right track re: antique shops! And the right area. I worked in one in Hurst Green (on the A21) for a few years called Hurst Green Antiques. My friend Stu Atkinson and Kiel Shaw who now live in France and Ramsgate owned it then .(BUt now it is called Foxhole Antiques - still there and owned by a guy called James) They now have a company called FONTAINE which I have blogged about before and are going to open a HUGE warehouse antiquey place in Margate soon - details on their website. (google FONTAINE).

    FLwerjane - you are so right about BREATHING - I did not take time to and paid the price - sick for 2 days!

    Mette - yes, we are so lucky to know Chris and he is excited about making the table. `

    Janet - he just loved being called Mr Romance and he said "look, Janet noticed that you abandoned me in the house!!"

    TNMA - will be showing (off!) the new table as soon as poss!

    Spots and Stripes - hello thanks for the comment - and you are so right such a lucky dip!
    xx

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  10. I'm so sorry to hear that. Hope you are recovered now. We think we can press on through anything with our mind and will but our bodies show the toll,don't they?

    xo jane

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  11. Sarah, this is so so exciting! I am with you and would just be loving the whole experience! I am sure you can get Mr. SE to come around...you seem to have that way about you :)

    Enjoy working out every little detail and be sure to keep us posted.
    I can't wait to see!!

    Jeanne xx

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  12. Ah yes, cleaning the old place (when you've mentally and physically moved on) is always the pits!
    Hope you are enjoying settling into your new digs.

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