Remember me...I'm still around...

Haven't done any blogging for a while, and totally behind on last years excursions, so have given up and forgotten all about them

It's been a vile 3 months, as Homer was diagnosed with terminal cancer in October.  I'm neurotic he is going to keel over every second, but at the moment he is fine and as much of a nightmare as he ever was.  Massive tumour, removed, but spread to his lymph nodes, so outlook is bleak

But my little bald dog is sat on my foot as I write this, so for that I am grateful, and I will enjoy his company for as long as he decides to stay with me

The small 3m bell tent came out at New Year and was camped on a delectable site in Plymouth (the daughters back garden).  4 days of storms and heavy rain, it threw off the weather admirably, and was nice to snuggle with my little mutt again

Looking to 2014, I  have a few camps booked, one to Thistledown in Gloucs (where i went this year, but pretty certain I didnt blog it, so you can have all the glorious details this year), and another back to Nantcol for this years big meet. After last years Fairy themed Sunday, we are going with Monsters and Aliens this year.  Not your average girly type hen party fancy dress, but then we're not your average group of women

So back to today, on the crafty tenty side I decided I wanted to shabby chic/french stencil/ruin a piece of furniture

Unfortunately everyone is doing the same thing, so after searching on ebay for that elusive piece of gorgeous furniture to makeover, and finding that the only things in my price range were 3 legged tables, chairs with stuffing hanging out, broken lamps and ikea laminated desks, i gave up.

Grudgingly visited my mum yesterday (i know, i know, ungrateful child, but its hard work visiting the oldies in my action packed life) and robbed her.  Walked away with a small table she had no use for - it's ok she has another 10 small tables that she has no use for, so it wasn't totally barbaric

Did a bit of googling and found the 'recipe' for chalk paint (as opposed to buying Annie Sloane Ranger chalk paint which was as cost effective as Nectar).  So first mission was to find plaster of paris - initial thoughts were I have to break my arm, and and ask nicely for some surplus stock while in A & E.  Turns out hobbycraft sell it (£2 per kilo - loads more than needed)

Then went to B & Q to fetch paint to mix in with it.  Left B&Q empty handed, went home and checked which paint I needed (gloss, silk emulsion, satin emulsion, enamel, clueless?)  Evidently I needed 'latex' paint only available from the local DIY hardware chains located in California and the Western coast of America.
Went back to B & Q and just bought a tester pot of emulsion (Dulux Bitter Chocolate Shade 3, £3, used less than half the tester pot).  Also bought a small tester pot of poo brown for the stencilling.

I forgot to mention the stencil. I ordered a stencil last week and it was delivered.  I have a stencil now (Must google what it translates as, as not entirely sure what 'Moulins of the Provence' are)

First job, saw the legs down, hope it doesnt fall to bits, but it's too high for the bell tent (not saying that the bell tent is less than 18 inch high)

Also for some reason there are 3 connecting 'facia' bits (sure they have a technical name but not being a carpenter havent a clue), and one end hasn't got any - either at the top of bottom.  So once legs were sawn off, i robbed the bottom piece and 'hard as nailed' it to the top, so it looks the same from all angles. 

I have no idea why they sell tables with 3 sides finished, other than to humour my mothers requirements.  It will have been bought from one of those 'Old and infirm, we want your money' leaflets they seem to send to my mum and no one else.  I narrowly escaped a 'nice silk shawl with butterflies on it, like I always wear' for xmas...
1.  I dont ever wear silky shawls, never mind ones with butterflies. 
2.  I am so glad there are other mothers out there who bought the entire stock for their daughters

Anyway, next step throw a layer of chalky plaster of paris paint mix onto my table (quite apt i was putting plaster of paris on its broken legs really)

Wait half hour. Get bored. Throw second coat on.  Smudge first coat.  Wait an hour and repeat process

Wait an hour.  Get stencil out of packet.  Throw on table.  Splodge through open bits with brown tester

Wait again.... (im useless at this waiting stuff, have no patience)

1 hour later, got the sandpaper and rubbed off in appropriate 'where it would wear off' places. Table now resembles exactly the same as it did after the first coat of paint (neednt have bothered with subsequent layers really)

When it was nicely dried overnight (2 hours later), I found some Ronseal liming wax in the shed, so splodged a load of this on to protect it. 
Although it is highly unlikely to get broken in the future armed with his plaster of paris armour.

And there you have it.  Mums old 3 sided table lovingly made over for the bell tent (translated as more crap I have to force into the camping trailer)

And another picture with props, because google images demand props see.  Although not sure middle of kitchen will be its natural habitat

 

(blobby paint bits are because its still wet...hopefully)

The End

PS: Happy to report after being left alone overnight, all splodges have dried nicely

PPS: Moulins de Provence translates to 'Mills Provence'

PPPS:  No idea what Mills Provence is either.  Have googled it again and it comes up with 'A bakery, cafe, meeting place offering fresh baked goods, sandwiches, soups'.   No doubt my table will be a meeting place for all that fodder as well....

Still on the stencilling....

Plain Jute rug (b & q) + stencils off ebay sat in cupboard for last 2 years....+ black dylon fabric paint

Before..

After...

(and i know what this translates to :) )

what will hopefully be a table runner from a scrap of cheapo calico...

And finally...the camping cupboard got a makeover too....

Mr Bump is still hidden underneath it though...

Treasure and flip flops in Rome

 

Day 1

No camping involved, but a 3 day getaway to Rome.  Purchased on Groupon from a dodgy Travel Company for the OH's birthday, it was no hardship going along with him (well it was sometimes tbh)

After checking with the airline and hotel that they actually had our bookings, we flew to Rome early Sunday morning

Customs were interesting.  15 minutes while my bag was packed, repacked, pulled apart.  It was a teensy cabin bag, so wasn't really expecting this.  It turns out my 'flick knife' was causing concern.  Once the whole of Birmingham Airport had seen my entire baggage contents, and luckily just before the anal searches started, they found the 'flick knife'

I am just composing my letter to boots about their travel toothbrush design

Dropped the bags off quick at the hotel and planned to go straight out, but I couldn't work out why the wet wipes I used kept changing purple.  It was only when the OH said you are purple all over that I had to investigate further.  On taking off my practical new purple t-shirt, it seems that 99% of the dye was now adhered to my body.  It took 3 showers to actually remove all trace of the bloody dye.  Now i know I am gruffalo obsessive, but I have no intention of walking round with purple prickles all over my blummin back

A quick rinse....

The plan was to do a few geocaches around Rome so that we could take in the sites, but find some of the more offbeat places on the way.  As a large amount of walking was planned, we both brought out heavy walking boots.  At 34 degrees, these were perhaps a bit impractical, so first call was kitting Steve (the other half) out in flip flops.  Easy task you would think, but obviously no.  To most people wearing flip flops is a simple process.  But it transpires Steve has flipflopphobia.  So 3 hours of whinging, moaning and ranting followed.  He would not put his toes in the shoe as he got blisters.  Then he moaned they were too small and his feet were hanging over (which they were because he wouldn't put his bloody toes in them)

Getting the hang of them now...

Didn't get an awful lot done the first day apart from a few geocaches mainly around the colloseum, but at least Gruffs is a bit of an expert now (he was more pleasant company than Steve and his bloody flip flops by now)

 

 

 

 

 

It was getting late so we finished off with a meal and a few cocktails. Shame the youngsters can't keep up

 

 

We obviously drank more than the average tourist as they started serving us every bit of left over food in the building

Then it was back to the tube for the trip home.  I'm not sure what speed these actually travel at, but I think they actually warp from station to station faster than the speed of light....

Had the usual game of spot the 'looky likey' on the tube

Amazingly, after ridiculous amounts of alcohol this actually was Jeff Goldblum, and was referred to as 'The Fly' all the way home

Day 2

 

Up bright and early to do the tourist bits, visiting the sistine chapel, vatican etc. 

We were stopped on the way in as we had to cover our shoulders and knees.  Had to buy a couple of scarves so we could go in.  Unfortunately a bit got lost in translation, so Steve thought he had to cover his knees as well (being 4ft 2" there wasn't a lot showing anyway) .  On re-entry the security pulled him aside and asked him to remove the scarf as it wasn't a 'carnival'...oops....

David Beckham eat your heart out...

Brief walk up the basilica (551 steps in 34 degrees was interesting)

 

Just have to walk down again now..

 

More steps...

 

 

 

Inside St Peters

 

 

 

 

Think I would have been bodily removed if I took pics of Gruffs lighting a candle, so I didn't attempt it

No photo's allowed in the sistine chapel, so here is a photo in the sistine chapel from behind a newspaper...

loads of corridors like this, so took stupid amounts of pics and have to post them now

woohoo the pope has a veedub!!

i dont think he actually wanted it, it was a present. Makes a change from bibles and rosary beads i suppose

Gruff sized carriages

Brief stop for a ice cream complete with pope wafer...

 

A scared looking Gruff being accosted by some strange beggar woman.  (he had no money on him, didn't want to buy an umbrella/scarf/hat so dunno why she robbed him)

 

 

 

In the afternoon we went mooching again, combined a couple of geocaches with the sights.

The Spanish Steps were hard work for Gruffs little legs

 

Then next stop was the Trevi fountain

 

 

Cmon Gruffs make a wish...

 

 

well...it seems to have worked...

 

 

Stop for ice creams was longer than expected as we sat rattling to some brits for about 2 hours

 

 

 

 

Then back to the colosseum for more alcohol and a meal before another early start tomorrow

 

Day 3

Yet more geocaching around Circus Maximus and the Forum

 

Spartacus race track....(actually is just a grassy bit now - you need a good imagination for Rome)

 

 

 

 

Then a walk up through the parks to out of the centre as I wanted to visit a keyhole....

 

So up to the Villa Malta until we found a few people hanging around a door

 

 

 

Steve first....

 

 

Then gruffs of course...

 

 

Then trying to poke the camera through to get a picture...

 

 

And off we went!

 

A visit to the mouth of truth next

 

Had to queue

 

 

 

Gruffs escaped unscathed, but that little crappy mouse would have been eaten for being a nasty liar

 

 

 

Finally back to the colosseum to actually get in when it was open..

 

Went to check the colosseum geocache, but they obviously take this geocaching very seriously in Rome.  It had it's own security parked by it

Did finally log it, and got 2 trackables, one from canada and 1 from Austria which was exciting. The unfortunate people who left them there will now find I have removed them and took them to craphole in the Midlands

 

 

Bloody hot at the colosseum

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another meal in 'gay street'. We were treated to an outdoor disco tonight

 

 

And thats about it!

 

Quick tear arse across rome in the morning (we were late) and back to Birmingham for 1pm

 

An emotional reunion...