A (Final) Reno Christmas

Well, just like Nigella’s, my Christmas kitchen is looking seasontastic! Errrr, well, not quite. As hard as we’ve tried to work faster, for this past few months the house has been filled with huge chunks of timber windows as the two new bays have gone in, and as all renovators know, there are only so many hours in each day. So, I’m still cooking in my scruffy temporary kitchen up on the first floor of the extension and tripping over that flaming cable in front of the oven. Every day.

Plastering, skimming & painting has been happening in several rooms which we’re now *nearly* there with and I can finally see bits of luvverly stuff peeping through….

But none, admittedly, properly Xmas decoration and turkey ready. Now, any sensible person would have taken up the incredibly kind Drunken Butcher’s offer of finest beef rib for the big day. We’ve dined like kings with Iain and Heli for the past two years and boy, I was sorely tempted to decamp for the last time and head to theirs but you know, something stopped me. We’ve worked so very hard this year on what feels like each and every square inch of Moregeous Mansions, not cutting any corners or making any compromises. I just want to be here and enjoy it, on the one day we won’t actually be doing any DIY!

Sooooo, I’ve bought the turkey and all the veg and will endeavour to turn out a spectacular roast dinner with only my oven and microwave and no hob. There’ll be limited work space but unlimited fizz and I reckon I can do it. From the kitchen above I’ve to walk down the corridor then down the stairs…..

Then down to the fridge and back….Getting water en route from the bathroom basin which has finally replaced that bloody bucket. Luxury eh, not having to bend down to get water, he’s really spoiling me this year 🙂Our Christmas Eve today will be spent buying presents and then trying to get this living room below, currently housing lots of bathroom bits being sold on Ebay, in some semblance of order so at least we can have a table up and the wood burner roaring.

All totally achievable and not crazy at all and by 2pm I definitely won’t be considering selling the turkey and ringing Iain begging for that invite to be re-opened 😉