Project Window Done...

- I still can't believe how quickly they have managed to put in 9 windows, 3 patio doors and a front door.

The transformation is amazing - both inside and out. 

The lack of draft and noise from the windows has made such a difference - it's quite nice not getting a cold breeze on your neck and back when sitting on the sofa knitting :-)

I thought some before and after pictures was appropriate, so here they are:

Before

After

So whilst preparing the next project, I wish you all a lovely day.

Gitte x

It's raining outside...

- so what's better than having a great afternoon indoors, with hubby on the guitar, the girls playing with LEGO Friends and drawing on the walls (next room to be done up) and myself knitting kitchen towels.

Not bad at all :-)

I wish you all a lovely weekend.

Gitte x

Apples Apples Apples

The apple season is over us, and I have been given lots of cooking apples from a lovely neighbor - like two shopping bags and a big bucket lots :-)

The thing is - I just can't turn down an offer like that, so what to do...

I have tried to do different thing with them - diced and halved some for the freezer, ready for crumble and pie, cooked some with sugar and vanilla to serve with crushed macaroons and whipped cream and finally I made 2.5 liters of apple squash, which is different but nice.

So tonight, since the in-laws are here and it's the girls autumn half term, I found a recipe for apple pie here, but since it's in Danish I thought I'd just translate :-)

Sweet pastry
You need 2 portions, one for the base and one for the lid:
100 g butter
150 g flour
1½ tsp sugar
pinch of salt
½-1 egg

Mix butter, flour, sugar and salt until crumbled, then add the egg and bring it all together. 

Filling
5 apples, halved
4 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
egg for egg wash
sugar for sprinkling

Roll out one portion of the pastry for the base. 

Place the apples on the pastry, round side up. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the apples

Roll out the lid and place over the apples and join with the base at the edge. Cut some holes to allow the steam from the apples to get out.

Finally, bake for 25-35 mins. on 180 degrees and Ta-daaa...

Enjoy :-)

Gitte x

It's amazing...

what you can achieve when you have family and friends - and someone who knows what he is doing - around you.

All the windows and doors on one floor are already in - and only with one broken glass (on one of the old windows...)

The big moment was when they managed to lift out the big front windows without braking it. It took 4 grown men - and 4 girls of various ages to cheer - to do it. It is now up for grabs for free, as long as you take it away yourself... With about 400 lbs and a measurement of 113x62 inches I really hope someone bites as I don't how else we'll get rid of it :-)

Before                 During                        After

         




I can't believe what a difference it has made to the house, both inside and out. I absolutely love it and can't wait until the last four goes in next weekend.

And with this photo and with the smell of hot chocolate and waffles I wish you all a lovely afternoon.

Gitte x 

It just took me back...

Hi all

Having taken the girls to school and nursery and walked the dog I sat down in my favorite chair with a nice warm cup of coffee and my phone - so nothing new there...

The only difference is that I pressed the Pinterest button on my phone, which I haven't done for a long, long time. And suddenly I was back at Louise's, sat in her kitchen with Sarah, Karen and Jackie, Scrapping and chatting (normally mainly chatting...), realizing that I haven't done ANY since we moved back to Denmark last year.

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I haven't done anything creative at all. I've starting sewing again and in the winter I love knitting. This means that the girls have a constant supply of new clothes and my dear husband has finally got his Icelandic Sweater he's wanted for years.

- Oh, and then there are obviously all the things round the house.

And suddenly, for some strange reason, I felt the urge to some blogging, not that I have previously been very consistent or anything... So here I am, back at the computer sharing with you all the project that I am filling my life with at the moment.

Making an anorak for my husband, using his dad's old Tenson one from the 70's as a pattern. 

(Slightly worried that it will turn out looking a majorly home-made)

Getting our new utility room ready for painting by scraping off all the old terpentine based paint so the walls can breathe 

(not my favorite job, but very excited about getting it done)

Putting in all out new windows and doors that arrived just yesterday.

(VERY excited about that one)

So as you can probably guess I am not bored...

Have a lovely autumn day everyone.

Gitte x

Getting Ready For The Floor Man

From the first time we saw the house we knew that all the floors were the original wooden planks from when the house was built in 1938 - and even though the were now very dark from many layers of varnish and many years of use, they were still in a very good condition and only needed sanding down to come back to life.

So the first tradesman we contacted was the local "floor-sander-man", D.B.F. Gulvservice. But before he could start, we had to prepare all the floors and take off any carpets and skirting boards.

My parents were here, and whilst my mum and I were working on taking down the old wallpaper in the bedrooms, my dad's most important job (under strict instructions from Lars, who was still in England at the time) was to get all the floors ready. So the night before, the only thing left to do was to take out the cooker and remove the carpet in the kitchen -only to find:

The top layer of carpet

One layer of vinyl

One layer of MDF

Another layer of vinyl

And yet another layer of MDF...

 

So instead of a ten minute job, my poor dad was on his hands and knees for 3 long hours...

But the result is fantasic - and here are a few photos to prove it :-)
 

Floors before

Floors after

Have a fantastic and hopefully sunny bank holiday weekend.

Gitte x



The Big Move

After a very hectic and - sometimes - stressful few months (hence the lack of blogging...) the big move has finally happened. We have moved back to Denmark and even though it has to be said that it wasn't at all easy to say goodbye to all our wonderful friends back in England, I can safely say that we have had a good start.
 
We have now been here a few weeks, and have moved into a house that we have taken over from an elderly lady who have lived here for nearly 50 years - need I say more. It needs updating, decorating and - in a few cases - moving around, and I am really looking forward to sharing all changes we make and experiences we get along the way with all of you. Any feedback, comments and ideas you would like to share are very welcome so please feel free to leave them.
 
But to start where we started when we arrived just three weeks ago, I think it would only be appropriate to share the very first photos of the house before the Norgaard Family took over.
 
Some might say that the style is so retro that it is in again...
 

The front of our new Home

 



 The Living room

 

 The Dining room - note the hatch to the kitchen!

 

 The very small kitchen - note hatch again...

 

 One of the girls bedroom (the other one is so small we couldn't get a decent picture...)

 

                                 The Bathroom...                               - and the toilet

 



The Master Bedroom

 

 And finally the biggest room in the basement - "soon" to be my craft room

(currently full to the brim of unpacked boxes...)

 

- so until next time...

 

Gitte x