Tag: Friends

Back in the groove of things!

It’s been a while… I know, one of these days you’ll get sick of hearing me say this, I’m sure.

With my head playing up like it’s been doing the last few months, I’ve learned that I have to pace myself when doing things.

Even though you haven’t heard from me in a while, it doesn’t mean that B and I haven’t been up to anything 😉

We have been a little busy actually! Mostly doing other people’s stuff.

This is a quick recap of what we have been up to since you heard from me last:

  • I’ve been dealing with insurance stuff for my step-mum, after a young man hit her car and ran away without leaving a note (thankfully there was a witness).
  • We have been flexing our handyman skills at a friends place, installing a couple of ceiling lamps, changing door handles and oiling up a couple of doors and swapping out some reeeaaaallly rusted outdoor ventilation covers.
  • We have helped my neighbor with moving some clothing cabinets, installing a couple of bunk-beds and a desk. Mostly just helped her set up her daughters room so it’s easier for them to share a room and still have a private corner.
  • My stepmom wants heated floor in her condominium. This task has turned out to be a bit more work than we though.. and deserves a blog-post of it’s own 😉
  • I’ve been dealing with a lot of admin stuff related to the row of townhouses I belong to (which is still an ongoing task, not quite settled, yet)

Have we done anything for us?

Well yes, as a matter of fact… we have.

You might remember from earlier this spring that we built a patio at a friends house? From that job there was some leftover decking material.

I’ve had a couple of plans for those leftovers, among them I wanted to build a “big” planter/storage box. So about a week ago, we kinda finished that box 🙂 It’s on wheels so it’s easy to move around (it would be impossible without wheels, as it’s large enough that you would need three super strong men to move it, if it is ever filled with soil and plants).  I will be using it as a combination planting table and storage box for material, like pots, mulch, sand etc.

As I’m planning on using it as a storage box and as a planting table, I need to add a lid at some stage. A lid with not only keep everything inside dry, but also give me a surface to use as a table. I haven’t quite figured out what I want make the lid from yet. I’m thinking either treated plywood, or maybe try to make a lid with the leftover decking. When it’s done I’ll show you, but for now you can see how the box looks today. I’m really happy with how it turned out  😉

So what about decluttering?

You would think that with all the stuff going on for everyone else, that I took a declutter break! And in a way you would be right 😉

My decluttering has been a little on and off since you last heard from me. A little here, a little there….

Some of it has made it out of the house.. I’ve got pictures 😉

But some are still hanging around in my catch-all room (guestroom) – gotta take pictures for the blog and all, you know 😉

So what has actually made it out of the house?

1 concrete side-table – sold today
I box filled with decking cutoffs
49 old no longer usable decking boards
(the rest  of the stuff in the car is old flooring from step mums place.. so that’s not mine to count 😉 )
21 books

Out-the-door = 72 items

Which brings my grand total for 2017 to 1017 🙂 

 

Guess this is it, for now! You should be all caught up.. kinda 😉 So hang tight.. and I’ll see you soon!

Finally out of here…

Here we are!

Another pile of stuff going out-the-door!

Phew!

Remember I told you (both on October and November tally), about this pile of things I was holding for my neighbour to have a look? Well, we finally managed to find five minutes to look through it 🙂

This weekend she took of with a couple of boxes with stuff! She didn’t take it all (and I didn’t expect her to) but she still relieved me of probably about 95 percentage of my pile – and I’m ever so happy.

I have to admit, it’s just so much easier to “declutter” when there are people you know, who might find them useful.

And here it is, the stuff she took and a few things extra, my pile of stuff out-the-door – 90 items:

  • 2 magazine holders
  • 3 microwave items
  • 1 ice cube tray
  • 3 plastic boxes to store food in + a box of ziploc bags
  • 1 serving tray
  • 3 candle holders
  • 1 pack of plastic spoons
  • 1 pack of plastic straws (should be a hit with her kids)
  • 2 wine openers
  • 3 wine stoppers
  • 1 huge sport drink reusable bottle
  • 1 reusable lunch bag
  • 1 small porcelain bowl
  • 4 long stemmed wine glasses
  • 1 tea box full of different teas
  • 1 plastic box (the one with an X I’m keeping for now.. I have an idea and if it works I’ll post about it 🙂 )
  • 1 cut board
  • 1 decorative glass bowl
  • 1 tiny shots glass
  • Bunch of rubber band (bracelets) – count as 1
  • 7 watches (she took a couple for her kids)
  • 18 Christmas decoration items
  • 1 box of decorative tiny apples (Christmas stuff)
  • 3 bean babies
  • 1 head light
  • 1 big storage box (all the stuff she took with her fit in the box – it’s that big 🙂 )
  • 1 pair of running shoes (another friend took earlier)
  • 2 medium size storage boxes (perfect for her kids toys)

67 items 

And then there are some clothing I do not have a photo off, that also went out the-the-door this weekend:

  • 1 pair of jeans
  • 6 bras
  • 7 pantyhose
  • 3 pairs of socks
  • 2 short sleeved bicycle tops
  • 1 pair of shorts
  • 1 pair of dress pants
  • 1 t-shirt
  • 1 sleep shorts

Another 23 items 🙂 

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A wonderful mention!

Last night I found out that I had gotten a wonderful mention from Laura over at The Next 50 Years.

Saturday was her 1 year blog anniversary!

Laura decided to honour some of her fellow bloggers, and could you believe it, she choose me first. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it, I was completely floored, and honoured.. and did I mention floored?  Not only that she would choose my blog, but also for her lovely words. You can read her post here.

Laura found me December 23rd 2013, 10 days after I started my blog. She have practically followed me since the beginning.

I love Laura’s outlook on life, how she embraces single living, how she completely nails it in some of her single living specific posts, how she makes me grin or even laugh out right.. and not to forget… she makes me think!

It’s wonderful meeting bloggers and making new friends. And I can’s say how much I appreciate Laura being a part of my world. Should I ever be in her neighbourhood (in the US), I’d love to stop over for a cup of tea and a chat 🙂

Congratulations on your 1 year anniversary, Laura!

I hope you’ll continue to share your thoughts with us for years to come, I know at least one who will enjoy that 🙂

I invite you all to mosey over to Laura at The Next 50 Years, for a looksie 🙂 Enjoy!

An utter mess…

With all these small projects I have going, you know… the photo collection, my dads boxes, DVD project and collection all sorts of stuff in boxes for my neighbour to have a look, before I get rid of them, my house is in shambles. Serious shambles! And I just can’t procrastinate any more (which I have done a serious job at the last couple of days), and today I just need to get it done.

Do you ever find that you have so many things you are working on at one time, that you are suddenly overwhelmed with stuff?

Well that’s been me (and my living room) the last week or so. Right now I have so much photo stuff stacked around my living room table that I can hardly get to my sofa any more, without stepping over piles. Or for that sake put down my morning tea, without having to move several stacks away..  even just writing this post I have to dig out some space on my table for my pc…

Well enough of that, I’m going to put everything back where it came from, clean up the place and start over, one item at the time, one box, one album!

I might not have the same progress on the projects (you know – out of sight, out of mind) but at least I’ll have some piece of mind when I’m sitting in my living room.

Oh yeah, I should probably let you in on one more incentive! My neighbours mum is coming over on Friday for a cup of coffee… another good reason to get my house in order, wouldn’t you say? 😉

A Tiny Village 2

I don’t know if you remember me telling you about I was bringing with me half of my KLM house collection to Houston , to give to a friend of mine, whose mum collect them.

A few days ago, I shipped off the rest of the KLM Houses to my friend, and I just got an email, confirming it arrived.

I decided to keep 8, for now… but you never know.. they might leave the house sometime later 😉

That makes for another 14 tiny houses leaving the house (29 all together). Slowly but surely things are going out-the-door again 🙂

 

The last 14 – shipped off

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A Tiny Village

Since 1952 KLM have been handing out Delft Blue Miniature Houses that are replicas of some of the Old Dutch Houses situated along the canals in Amsterdam and other age-old towns in Holland. These are normally given to people that travel in business class.

I’ve been traveling a bit over the years and between me and friends traveling on KLM, I have acquired quite a collection of these houses.

In the name of decluttering, I have decided to downsize this collection a little, I don’t really need them all, and they take up space. So I’m keeping 9 (for now) and giving away the rest.

I have a friend of mine in Houston, and his mother is a big collector of the KLM houses. So guess where my left over houses are going?

YEPP, you’ve guessed it 😉 I’ve packed about half of the give always in my suitcase coming over to Houston, and I’m handing them over today!

So today! 15 Tiny houses goes out-the-door (or out-of-suitcase as it is) 🙂

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Another crazy purge! And a very happy neighbour.

Last week, I must have inadvertently eaten a pep pill or something, cause I roamed around the house tearing stuff out of my cabinets, drawers and “loft” space. And ended up with a pile of things to get rid off.

I have a neighbour who just moved in, and since she pretty much came over with nothing but a few suitcases and boxes, from the US, I was hoping there would be a few things she could take off my hands!

A couple of days ago, she popped by to have a look, and I couldn’t believe it, but she took most of my stuff! She looked really happy with the stuff, and even came back to get me, to show me how the things fit in her house 🙂

When I counted up all the stuff that went out-the-door, I couldn’t believe the numbers!

Have a look…

  • 5 notebooks – for her kids to draw in
  • 2 “baskets”
  • 1 furry pillowcase
  • 1 furry blanket
  • 1 wool carpet
  • 1 file organizer
  • 1 Ikea storage box
  • 40 hangers – counted as 1
  • 4 packs of hanging “lamps” – now hanging in her kids play corner 🙂
  • 1 empty tea box
  • 1 roll of stretchable wire
  • 1 wineglass box
  • 3 presentation portfolios
  • 2 packs of table decorations
  • 1 sauté pan
  • 2 purple pillowcases
  • 2 large candles
  • 1 glass container for candles or flowers
  • 1 picture from Virgin Islands
  • 6 cloth place mats
  • 6 plastic place mats
  • 4 Texas cloth napkins – counted a 1
  • 1 plastic table runner
  • 1 red cloth pot holder
  • 2 green glasses
  • 1 bag of decorative rocks
  • 1 glass soap dispenser – given to a friend
  • 1 bamboo plate
  • 2 more large candles
  • 4 bags of decorative stones
  • 6 white wine glasses
  • 6 red wine glasses
  • 2 camping chairs
  • 4 flowerpots
  • 2 glass plant watering things
  • 1 outdoor recliner
  • 2 big floor flowerpots

That’s 81 items – and with the exceptions of a few items, my neighbour took them all! 🙂

How’s that for a purge 😉

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I’ve been partying!!!

I’ve been out of touch the last couple of weeks, so what on earth have I been up to?

Well, let me tell you. It’s been really, really busy, and fun 🙂

September this year, I’m turning 50 years young 😉

I figured a 50 year birthday is worth celebrating properly!

On my actual birthday I’ll be in Houston, celebrating with a bunch of friends and loads and loads of margaritas 😉

But I decided I needed to have a Norway celebration as well! So last weekend I threw a PARTY, with friends and family at this end of the world. Woohoo!!!

The plan was for an outdoor grill party, but the weather gods for some reason just wanted to throw rain at us, so it turned out to be an indoor grill party. Good thing it was a smallish group with only about 20 people, since my house ain’t that big 😉 I do however, feel sorry for the grill-chef that had to spend all her time outside gilling in the rain (I did fix a temporary roof over her, but still…).

Even if it was a small group it was a wonderful mix of family and friends. Mum and brother from UK, stepbrother and girlfriend from Bergen, friends I haven’t seen in like forever, mixed with friends I see all the time. It was a great opportunity for all of us to catch up.

It was a party filled with fun and loads and loads of laughed, I don’t think I have laughed that much in a long time (yes, tears rolling). I love throwing parties like that 🙂

Definitely worth a repeat. Now if I could just find an excuse to throw another one… 😉

One small positive thought…

One small - ordtak

I’ve been battling a bit of a headache the last few days and it’s not exactly been doing any wonders for my mood 😉 I was sorting through some documents at my office and I came across this quote, and it hit me right in the face, and completely shifted my attitude 🙂

You know the saying “starting the day off on the right foot”. I think “starting your day with the right thought“, is the essences off that saying. One small thought, either positive or negative, has the potential to influence your whole day, or even days.

Your thoughts can colour your day. Now off course things happen and we can’t always control everything that happens around us, but what we can control is how we react to what happens.

Your thoughts and mood can influence how you are with your family, how well you perform at work and how you relate to friends, colleagues and strangers. Fortunately we have the power to to choose. You can choose positive thoughts and gratefulness, or you can choose negative thoughts and pessimism.

I choose to start on a positive note. How do you choose to start your day?

Loosing a loved one…

Today I got some sad news from a friend of mine. His mum had passed away quite suddenly. Losing a loved one is hard and my heart goes out to him.

It brought back memories from times I’ve spent together with both him and his mum, and I just want to give him the biggest hug.

Writing this makes me think of all the people that have been part of my life. They have been in my life for a lifetime or a moment (and everything in between). And one way or another they have all been important.

Some have come quickly and left just as quickly, but even so, they’ve made an impression. Some have stayed awhile and left footprints all over my heart, and some have changed my life forever.

Some I’ve tolerated and some I have liked. Some I have loved lightly and some I have loved deeply. And in the midst of all this we have all been in each other life’s for a reason. To teach, challenge or love each other.

What happened today, reminds me that life is short. And we should all embrace the people that comes into our life. If they are here for a reason, a season or a lifetime!

RIP.

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