A lot has happened...

Well...a lot has happened in last 18 months for absolutely everyone. I have been working from home for the NHS since March 2020 and it did take some time to adjust to a new way of working. I have always been a people person and am extroverted, so going from working in a bustling office environment to suddenly working from home everyday and not seeing human beings face-to-face was a massive change for me (as I am sure it was for a lot of people!). 

Silver linings of working from home:

1. I was at home throughout the duration of our dog being ill; he had a malignant cancerous tumour removed from his paw (which we caught very early thank god), however this resulted in him then now having Epilepsy and it has taken until now to get his meds about right for him to only have a seizure about once a month.

2. We have been able to get along well (but slowly) with our house renovation.

3. Time and travel costs have been saved, as I no longer have to drive to work and back.

The house renovation has continued slowly despite a massive increase in the cost of materials (I am sure you have noticed the increase too!). Thankfully we don't have to worry about most of the labour costs, as my fiancé is a self-employed Joiner/Carpenter and I do the painting and general odd jobs I can e.g. Wallpapering etc, so it is just the time that needs to be found by both of us. The living room has been completed now, in time for enjoying a snuggly Christmas! 

We were supposed to be getting married in Jamaica in November 2020 but the plans for that went down the pan unfortunately, everything was against us and it was too stressful to think about in the midst of the pandemic. We didn't know what the travel situation would be like and were not prepared to possibly lose a great sum of money if it didn't go to plan, amongst other things we also were worried about our dogs health and how he would cope for two weeks without us, and finding someone we could trust to give him his meds 3 times a day etc. So the sensible thing we have now done is opted to get married in the UK in July 2022; it will still be amazing and the venue (Stubton Hall) is absolutely stunning; plans for this are full steam ahead and we are very excited.

I have been looking at ideas for the bathroom, as this will be the next room to be completed, then lastly the kitchen, before we come to sell the property next year after the wedding and move onto the next renovation. There are SO many amazing ideas on Instagram and Pinterest, too many in fact, that it was hard to decide. I suppose it is about getting a good balance between cost and style, with us renovating to sell. I have settled on White with Brushed Brass accents (Shower, taps, toilet flush etc) as I really think it looks chic. The below two images from Instagram are the aim and I can't wait to share the final look with you.

Instagram @therroseandthewood ^

Instagram @athomewiththeparkins >

So all in all, whilst the renovation has been slower than expected due to the circumstances and the massive pandemic...it continues! We cannot wait to sell up and move onto the next project. We aim to complete the next project in a much shorter period of time (6 months max), and then it's onwards and upwards from there to continue on the renovation journey. We genuinely enjoy the process and can't wait to get our teeth into some larger renovations alongside our own homes! I have been researching funding options for larger renovations and will share my found knowledge in future blogs; however please feel free to comment and share your knowledge too :)