I know you can’t really be at liberty to say “My favourite place on earth” until you’ve actually travelled most places, but for me, if I were to take that liberty, I would most certainly say North Cornwall. It has been my happiest place for many years, and the place we go to escape whenever times aren’t as happy.  So when Joules asked me if I would like to partner with them to take my Mum on a girls trip to one of my favourite hotels, the answer was a pretty obvious one. Here is a little round-up of our break in one of my favourite bays…

I am saying part one, only because I am assuming that this is destined to be a two (if not three!) part-er.  I know, who would have thought there was that much to say about a kitchen extension, but trust me when I say I could probably go all day (It’s at this point I should probably say that I am surprised I have any friends as we near the end of this project, I must have bored them all to tears with my kitchen chat over these past months). If you missed the first post about our plans for this project, you can find that here.

I feel like we are nearing the final furlong with this project, so with that in mind I thought it was a good time to document what these past few months have been like.  Aside from not having a washing machine, or indeed any water downstairs for the past six weeks, I would say that all in all it’s actually been easier than I thought.  Saying that though, we did tactically plan a two week break in Cornwall when we knew things would be at their worst, so that when we came home it would feel like were on the home straight to completion.  I know everyone says this, but the only thing that I have really struggled with during this entire project is the dust and mess the work creates. I tried to keep things clean at first, and then gave up about six weeks in as the dust and dirt would come back in pretty much instantly after I cleaned. Sometimes you just have to admit defeat and wait for the worst to pass!

Well, three times actually; and it has made me think long and hard about whether to post this. Left me pondering that I might be turning into a one woman pity party? Or perhaps, I fear that I might be shattering the illusion that happily ever afters come easily to those who have already endured enough heartbreak? When I read it back to myself I thought “Well, you couldn’t make this sh*t up if you tried?”

I suppose that is my reason for posting; that I considered that there might be more of us, the unlucky ones, the ones who chase that rainbow, that “happily ever after” for far longer than they have the energy to. The ones who feel battered, bruised and broken by it all, who are on the precipice of giving it all up and chasing another dream.

It’s here, it’s actually imminent, and I cannot quite believe it.  When we moved into this house at the end 2014, I was certain we would have a new kitchen extension within a couple of years. Then, what with one thing and other; namely pregnancy, birth, death and re-building our lives, it’s never quite taken shape.  We had originally planned to start last spring, but with me knee-deep in writing a book and having to do that from home, well it didn’t seem like the best project to throw into the mix. So we saved and juggled our finances a little more until we could afford to pull off the changes we have really been dreaming of; and I cannot wait to tell you what they are.