Astraea, when I emptied mum's unit, I just absolutely turned everything upside down and inside out. Luckily I found money in the first drawer I opened that put me on my guard. Talking about going out in the car reminded me - mum had a disabled parking sticker that had to be attached to the windscreen if the car she was in was parked in a disabled parking area. When she came to live with me I kept it in the glovebox of my car at the ready, but somewhere along the line when mum had first got the sticker someone must have given her very clear instructions to ensure she kept the sticker with her at all times as they were readily stolen. Obviously whoever had explained said that it had to be displayed on the windscreen when the car was parked, but mum, in the fog she was in by this time, didn't get that bit. One time I had to go to the RTA to have mum's address changed to mine so of course I had to take her with me for her to verify things. I parked in a disabled spot as they are wider for wheelchair access, put the sticker on the windscreen, got the wheelchair out of the boot and got mum into it, not taking any notice of anything she was doing. We got into the RTA, took a number and waited a while before we were served, then I took mum over to the counter and explained the situation, whereupon mum pulls the sticker out of her handbag to show the clerk. Of course I freaked as they are very quick to book you if you are illegally parked in these spaces and told mum she wasn't to take it off the windscreen again. Mum felt she was really going to get one up on me as she was always going crook at me putting it on the windscreen for people to see it and break into the car to steal it, and told the clerk to tell me the rules how I wasn't to leave it in the car. I think the poor woman wet herself seeing the comedy side of it, but trying to keep a straight face while she tried to get through to mum that it had to be on the windscreen. Of course mum just kept arguing with her then that she knew better because of what she had been told. In the end the clerk told me to get back to the car before I got booked but said to let her know if I was and she would try to clear things for me. Fortunately I wasn't but after that I had to be so careful to ensure I put the sticker on my side of the car (which it wasn't supposed to be) but it was the only way I could stop mum getting to it.

Hi Sam, I know where you're coming from, I too wanted to buy such a beautiful ornate table for my new home still under construction but it just wasn't going to look like it matched the modern home I wanted to put it in. I also wanted to feel like it could be used as most kitchen tables in a home are used, especially for me living on a farm, for eating or repairing something on some newspaper etc...impossible to do on such a beautiful table, you would ruin it to see it scratched !!! Not to put a damper on your tastes but your home will look so much better and have more style if you continue to try to match what you already have and that's at least a stunning kitchen that you've shown us all on this forum. If you think of the style and colour of your kitchen everytime you want to buy something or decorate, it will hep ground you to keep it similar. I understand there are people who say it's nice to have countless pieces of furniture that are all different in some way, as it can look like you acquired them along your journey in life but I think that this mixture of designs and colours doesn't gel in a modrrn house very well at all, perhaps a quaint old cottage but not a modern home with a lovely kitchen like you already have!!!

ok hubby tucked in bed now. where was i? this is gonna sound crazy, but i read this once and adored, just have not gotten enough jeans yet. a woven jeans rug! but not the old timey wrap in a circle type. This is like those pot holders we used to make on a loom...you know you go over and under, I can only find the pic on pinterest, and they won't let me download. I also like recycled leather like belts, maybe you could them as an edging. I would make my rug square I think. i am also constantly trying to come up with ideas for old ties. You get them cheap enough and they can be so cool. but you have to mix them with something?

Julie I love that tan lounge. The only reason I’m thinking of changing my sofa is because we are thinking of putting a mirror tv where the mirror is and starting to use it as a nice family room. The current sofa isn’t that comfortable. So a new sofa is on the cards! Now you know I want to start with a blank canvas do you think I should introduce the tan leather or get a fabric grey sofa instead? And does the sofa colour affect the final colour of dining chairs?? Thanks so much for your advice!!