So I have a dressing table and a mirror.  My next challenge is to make an appropriate stool (I have been using a bright pink swivel chair!)  Freecycle came up trumps as usual and produced a “dressing table stool”.  When I picked it up, I realised that it was much too modern for my table.

This blue stain and beech coated chipboard was well-made, but the wrong era.  It had a navy blue velvet seat as well.  With just a little customisation it will do for now.

So I set to work with my pens and notepad in order to solve a household issue AND a dressing table stool customisation project in one go.  The domestic issue is that JT likes to pair clean socks.  As a result, we are always left with a huge pile of spares on top of his chest of drawers.  I have a notion that washing machines eat one of every pair of socks and then spit them out again months later at random.

I settled upon a design whereby I could remove the lid of the stool and replace it with hinges.  I would place another piece of chipboard at the base of the top of the stool (if that makes sense?!) thus creating an unobtrusive sock container!

To solve the design issue, I decided to paint up the stool in the same colours as the dressing table and mirror and replace the seat fabric with something more fitting.  I hope to make curtains and some cushions from the same fabric.

Cost of stool: FREE
Fabric: £3.50 – The Range
Hinges: 99p
Wood: Free (we accidentally broke our wardrobe and will be recycling it!)
Paint: left over from the bathroom!

Bargain!  It is not finished yet (it still needs more paint and the box action fitted) but this gives you an idea.  I will show you when it is done!

(shame about the carpet!)

Marvellous.

I was very grateful to get my Amazon package, of course, but given that it was in a cardboard box, it was a good job that it wasn’t recycling day!!  There was about £50 worth of stuff in it!  “We now take cardboard!” say the council.  “Excellent!” says courier.

Or in other words…  An excuse to look ridiculous for one night only!  Tim and I certainly managed that.  A good night was had by all and due to Tim’s expert 80′s musical knowledge, we were able to win the quiz!  Winner.

Oh dear.

I read a brilliant exchange of emails today.  They are incredibly rude so don’t look if you are easily offended: http://www.27bslash6.com/p2p.html

It represents a problem that I encounter a lot from certain types of people.  They are the types of people who go into the Dragons’ Den with no real business proposition (i.e. “I am convinced I can make loads of money from selling personalised socks with Comic Sans names on even though the unit price is so low that the profit margins are tiny therefore I’d have to sell billions to make any money, but people won’t ever buy billions.  Oh and I value this company at £2.5 million with no justification because I made up the figure.”)

I am sick of people saying the following:

* “This could be worth millions” (‘could be’ being very different from ‘is’)
*  I haven’t really got any money to spend (then why are you here?  Stop wasting my time)
*  Would you like to swap a complete branding exercise including a website for my services? (No, because if you pay me, I can buy your services if I want them, but a painting that I don’t like won’t buy my dinner)
* I don’t really want to spend much money (Hmmm well I don’t really want to do much work, then.

It just amazes me, that people will start up a business and be determined that it will make them loads of money without any investment from themselves.  It is all take, for themselves. And why do they always try to skimp on design?  It is like me going to the supermarket and saying “I’ll have this shopping but I don’t want to pay for it” well then I can’t have it can I?  Or another classic analogy: “You can do all of my accounts for me, but I am also getting other people to do them and if I don’t like yours best I won’t pay you and all your time is wasted.  I might keep yours for next year though, but I’ll put my name on so you don’t get paid.  I just copy your work.”

You just don’t treat people like that in any other sector so forgive my short fuse on the issue.  If you think you can do it yourself on MSPublisher then please be my guest.  If you can’t then please treat me fairly and accept that I have to earn a living, just like you.

You do, however, get dream clients.  These are the people who acknowledge that design has to be done properly, that it increases the company value hugely and that it works.  These people put in a budget for their design work and, if they cannot do it themselves, employ someone else to and accept their authority on it.  I love these people.

Looks like my predictions are on course!  As predicted…. Jamie is out!  Such a shame because he is good.

Hmmm… The garden is, again, full of poo.  Not cool.  I am already at home whilst someone services the boiler but cannot miss more work waiting for drain men.  Will tell the landlady tonight methinks.  YUCK!

This morning I received a card from Royal Mail saying “MERRY CHRISTMAS!  Here are all the great services we are offering you this Christmas….”  I felt like sending back a postcard saying “Wish you were here”….!!

Hmmm… Not what you want to wake up to!?  This has happened several times since living in this house and yet again I am sitting at home awaiting the services of Cotswold Drains.  YAY.  I am supposed to be at work, but our landlady doesn’t have much concept of work, as she is the lady of a manor and owns half the street!  She is quite funny, we told her the gate was broken and she said “Do you NEED a gate??”  Well, yes, since it is the only thing separating our garden and house from the general public (not to mention the shed housing our bikes which is held together by a series of kicks in the right direction and a small padlock!!)  I should imagine she has a gate about the size of our house.

Anyway, today she phoned to say that the cooker and boiler need inspecting, on separate days next week and that one of us needs to be there.  I did try to point out that we both work, but to no avail.  Still, I am glad she takes safety seriously at least!!

The drains people were supposed to be with me within an hour.  Here I am 2 hours later, none the wiser.  The poo is drifting towards next door, which really is not a great plan!

I found a glazier round the corner from home and…… TADAAAAA!!  One mirror, fashioned from an antique gold picture frame that my friend didn’t want.  YAY!  This will now stand on my dressing table.