Sunday 29 March 2009

Special Delivery


I haven't been online much the last couple of weeks, only to check my emails. Most of my time has been spent delivering these.


It's not something I do regularly, in fact this is the first time I've done it - but needs must and all that. It can be quite monotonous so whilst on my rounds I decided which houses I would like to live in and which I wouldn't. Some made me feel very dissatisfied with my own house and some made me feel very grateful. I re-landscaped gardens and tried to peek inside front rooms. I also made some observations about being a delivery person.

1. A trolley-load of phone directories is very heavy.

2. The phone directory has been cleverly designed to be bent and squashed through even the smallest letterboxes.

3. If you aren't careful, some letterboxes could snap off your fingers.

4. People who happen to be outside and helpfully take the phone directory from you are not being helpful - we have to mark the delivery method on a sheet (the default being letterbox) and this slows us down.

5. Letterboxes are not always where you would expect to find them, one house had the front door fitted upside-down with the letterbox at the top. I couldn't deliver to that one.

6. All that walking is very good exercise, but I don't think I'd want to be a delivery person full time.

All this extra work didn't leave much time for thrifting, but I did manage to pop into the charity shops one day after job no. 1 last week and found the beautiful candlesticks at the top of this post - it's been a while since I found anything that made me catch my breath like they did.

This is my own front door - UPVC - I don't like it, not one bit, but it came with the house. Sadly the previous owner also removed the original tiles and brick ledges. I won't even start on what he did inside the house!


Anyway, I've put a few plants and ornaments out there to distract the eye. Shelves, cherub and ceramic flowery orbs in the porch.

Greenery and moon-gazing hare outside, plus tiny mouse on windowsill.

I could really do with some spring colour in those pots, but I probably shan't get around to it.

I much prefer my neighbours front door across the road which has the original intact. Her frontage is also much better tended than mine (but then she is retired). I wonder if she'd like to swap houses with me. Still, the positive thing is, when I come out of my front door, my view is her pretty door, whilst her view is my not so pretty door.

I do have an original 1930's front door stashed away - I rescued it from another neighbour who was replacing his (with UPVC) with the idea that we could replace our 'not to my taste' front door with a lovely original one. We haven't yet, but maybe one day.


I ordered some Moo cards last week, they should be here soon, I'm so excited about them, here are a few of the pics I used (blasts from the past):


Thank you Clare at Daisy Darling for awarding me the Kreativ Blogger award - check out Clare's lovely blog and website if you haven't done so already!

My posting may be a little sparse over the next few weeks as I really need to get on and make some things for the Vintage & Handmade fair, which is looming a little too close for comfort now.


Enjoy your week!
Lucy x

10 comments:

  1. Hi Lucy!

    Sounds like the same person owned both our houses... next door has an original wooden front door and Victorian mosaic tiles on their path, we have UPVC and concrete, yuck!

    Love those candlesticks, they are beautiful.

    Not surprised you've been too busy to post! By the way, Miss Maybelle is very happy and especially so as she is being molested (sorry, cuddled) less by the girls ;)

    Mel xxx

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  2. Wow what a pair of cracking candlesticks, those are wonderful!
    I know all about delivering things, once did kleeneze and your post brought to mind all the weird and not so wonderful letterboxes, those that practically snap your hand off should be illegal! However I too would redo gardens and change curtains etc, sometimes it can be good fun.
    Rosie xx

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  3. They are not so careful here in the States. They deliver your phone book by driving by in a car and tossing it out the window, sometimes it makes it to the porch and sometimes you find it a few months later hidden in the shrubs.

    Love the candle sticks. I am really enjoying your site. It's just pink and pretty.

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  4. Now why on earth would anyone put their front door on upside down?!!
    I'm waiting for some Moo cards too, how exciting! I just hope they arrive as the postmen here are very light-fingered.

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  5. I think your doorway looks perfectly sweet and I am glad you didn't point out what you think is wrong with it because I liked it and could see oneself knocking on that door and stopping by for a pot of tea!
    Speak to you soon, Postmadam Bloom. ( OK I wanted to write Postman Pat even though he doesn't deliver telephone directories and is a male mail type person but didn't and now all I can think of is that song going around in my head about Pat and his cat Jess).
    Aha.....see now you are humming it as well.
    Kiss Noises Linda

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  6. I think your door looks great, too. Now mine is really terrible...wooden but way past the shabby chic stage. I'd trade my door for yours in a second! I have a postage stamp size porch and no room to put anything pretty there. I long for a big porch I could sit out on and view wonderful scenery. My view isn't there either.
    Hugs, Susan

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  7. Hi Lucy
    Good for you, as you say sometimes we have to do things we may not really chose to do but your hard work delivering these books will pay off. I love those card designs, they are very good Moo. I have done similar things with them too.
    Congratulations on your award!
    Good luck with the build up to the fair.
    Isabelle x

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  8. I don't like UPVC doors either - ours are old but they do let the drafts in! Bet you don't get mice squeezing in underneath either like we have!

    :-)
    Jayne

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  9. Hi Lucy just catching up again!!
    I love 1930's doors
    oh and I love your peg dolls they are so pretty.

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  10. I really enjoyed this post. Lots of interesting things to read and look at. Those candlesticks are lovely, lucky you finding them. Our front door is similar to yours and I can't wait to replace it. Next door have the original Victorian door and everytime I walk past theirs I curse the previous owners who replaced ours. They have also removed the original bell pull too and not done a very good job of it either. I have ordered moo cards, postcards and business cards and love them. The quality and service is brilliant. I like the photos you are having printed.
    Ruth x

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Thank you for your comments - I am not always able to reply but they are always appreciated.
Lucy x