Apologies from Mitzi

[Mitzi]

I just wanted to make an official post saying how very sorry I am that I haven't been honouring my birthday swap commitments - and am not likely to do so for the forseeable future. When I signed up for the swaps, I had no idea that I would be without any crafting space, tools or materials for so long. I've been planning to get my house done up for years, but then it all happened suddenly, and to be honest I wasn't prepared for the amount of upheaval involved - and the dust! You can't begin to believe (unless you've lived through it yourself) the way that the old plaster dust gets EVERYWHERE - anything left out gets covered in a thick coating, anything "put away" still manages to end up with a fine coating of the awful stuff which somehow seeps into what I thought were quite secure cupboards and drawers.

Although I had a lot of my possessions already away in storage, I didn't manage to pack all my "day to day use" items into boxes myself and so the workmen have shoved random things in together, moved things from room to room, piled things on top of other things, then moved it all somewhere else entirely, until everything is total chaos and I don't know where anything is or, even if I do know, I can't access it! Things have been broken, thrown out without my knowledge, and just generally lost. The latest is my "very basic crafting kit" consisting of a pencil, small ruler, metal ruler, bone folder, craft knife and scissors. I put these items (bound together with an elastic band,) with some other stuff like glue etc., into a box which I labelled on all sides variants of "Keep this box to hand". Sure enough, although the box has been moved, it has been kept reasonably to hand. A few days ago I wanted the scissors, so I got the box down and, although most of the other stuff is still in the box, my basic tool kit has disappeared! I asked my builder and he said "well, if it was on the top, it might have got tipped out, but I won't have thrown it away, it will be somewhere..." Sigh. Is it too much to assume that "keep this box handy" also means "Keep the CONTENTS handy"?

Anyway, didn't mean to go on about my woes, just to say that you have my absolute promise that as soon as I can make cards again (it could be a while but hopefully I'm getting nearer) I will be sending "unbirthday" cards to those of you I've let down.

A pic of the work in progress and some of the piled-up chaos:

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[Jacksmissis]

OMG !! Memories, sympathies and ((HUGS)) like most, we've been there and done that - and I would again IF we weren't living in it, as we were at the time + three kids and a big dog......!!! About 18mths ago we did some work for my daughter at a flat they were renting out and it took us a couple of weeks but we were able to walk away when we were tired or fed up so it didn't become a drudge. You'll get there Mitzi and it will be worth it.

[Waterlily]

Brings back memories for me too Mitzi, we had the whole roof off so bought an old mobile home and lived in that for a few months.

Hope everything goes well with the renovations, good luck.

I had to put a lot of my craft stuff in a damp old shed at the beginning. Our first job was to get the garages built for storage. We didn't need planning permission for that so could start straightaway (just needed building control or whatever it's called).

[Millburn]

(((hugs)))

Mitzi; I'm one of those who the work has meant you've missed; you bought me a card :D and I'm on a promise :D I can only imagine the upheaval; I know we built a new house rather than sort the old one, one of the considerations was my ability (or lack of it) to live in the middle of a building site, the old house is over 260 yrs old, and needed everything doing, it was also cheaper to build the new house, and we got a modern dwelling.

Our builders could make a mess in an empty house so goodness knows what they are like when working around people, again I can imagine the horror, so relax, you are letting us know and I got a card for that day and the promise of the un-birthday card :D and good luck with the work xx

[Deefersmum]

I know just how you feel Mitzi - I never want to see another builder, plumber, electrician etc., as long as I live. Thankfully the next jobs will be outside - rendering the front porch and bathroom extension at the back and possibly (unless we do it) laying the patio.

[Millburn]

forgot to add; I also sympathise with the not knowing it would take so long; our house was supposed to take 5 months, we moved in after 14 months, with it still not quite finished, I spent 4 weeks over Christmas 2010 negotiating the snow to cook in the old house and my gas hadn't been set up :D

[suban]

I've got a room like that! So no worries! It's now an "I'll get it done when I've got the rest of the house decorated" room.

[agelesscraft]

I also know how you feel Mitzi, and I just had the hallway,stairs & landing done Lincrusta ripped off & plastered it took 4 coats and as you say the dust goes everywhere. The painting was done a fortnight ago 4 coats it left me with a sore throat & sinusitis from all the fumes. Why does everything always take longer than they say the painting was supposed to be done in 2-3 days it took 4and a half days. The house is still a tip but cannot be bothered at the moment.I hope it all turns out as you want and missing a birthday cards is not so important in the scheme of things.x

[LoobyLou]

Fess up Mitzi, the pic on the right is because actually you are going to be the next person showcased on 'the hoarder nextdoor'! :devil::mysmilie_454:

[Little Jan]

No worries Mitzi hope that things will soon be sorted and you will have a lovely new home.
I hear grunge is making a return in card making so save some of the dust LOL

[Mitzi]

Thanks, everyone, for taking the time to comment; I feel a lot better for your sympathy and to know that a lot of you have survived similar!

Ha ha, Looby, you may jest... in fact I am something of a hoarder but all my hoard is stashed away in boxes in a storage unit and the mess in that picture was genuinely made by the workmen having moved items from one room to another and then ending up just piling them all up in the smallest room (by which I mean the study, not the loo.) I'm hoping that I won't clutter the house up again once the work is completed and it's all beautiful. (Fingers crossed.)

Millburn, building a whole house was supposed to take 5 months? That sounds unrealistic in the extreme. Even 14 months sounds pretty good to me - I've watched Grand Designs and it often takes much longer!

Suban, the trouble is that it's not just one room; I could cope a lot better if it was. Most of my house is like that to a greater or lesser extent at the moment. I was coping quite well, I thought, but then I had a bit of a meltdown when they told me they needed to start on my bedroom. It had been my little sanctuary whilst chaos was going on all around, but then I lost that too. And I hate gritty pillows!

One reason why it's taking so long is that they keep uncovering more botched jobs done by the previous owner - he seems to have been an enthusiastic DIY'er but with no idea how to do things properly. And I've only got one plasterer, working on his own, so obviously it takes a lot longer than a team of plasterers would take. I have major trust issues with workmen (verging on a phobia, I'd say) so having got someone that I trust to have a key to my house and be there when I'm out at work is really important to me, even though I can't believe how long it's taking.

At least all the electrics are now legal and up to code and, more importantly, SAFE! The old wiring was a fire or electrocution in waiting, it was really lethal. The plastic coating cracked and crumbled as soon as you touched the wires, and one of the power circuits had stopped working due to a short circuit. The cupboard under my stairs was a real spaghetti junction of fuseboxes and switches. Now all replaced with a neat and fancy modern unit.

[Millburn]

Mitzi; if can be done in 5 months; we spent 1 month looking at it and the only thing that was done was my fake chimney, 2 hours work :sad: the good thing about starting from the ground is that there is nothing to undo, like your electrics, the old house electrics has a wooden fuse box, so not up to modern standard, we still had some bakerlite switches

[suban]

Been waiting for Decent Home scheme since 2009 - taking bets now on whether they'll start on it as soon as the decorating is finished! Some stuff in the room that time forgot will now be going straight in the bin - if I haven't looked for it, I don't need it!