A mornings work.

I am totally impressed with myself! I bought a pine shelf, about £8, painted it with the same paint as the walls, found the additional tiles in the loft, (to go above the shelf) They are made by Neken, and are brilliant, you can even cut them with scissors. Re-painted the wall also - still the rest of the room to do! But I am the type of decorater who paints a wall and re-hangs the pictures before they are dry.... The units at either side used to be on the ends of a wall cupboard, which we took down, a) because it was about to fall down,and b) being small I don't 'do' wall cupboards. Brilliant! If I say so myself.

Pretty (?) patio

All I can say is wow. There was a patio there before, but it hadnt been laid properly, (nothing to do with me!) And there were no wee steps. I cant wait for the gale to stop and get out there and finish the prettying.

I may have to do some duck prevention as any plants or pots they dig up. Unless I can get very tall pots. Nice bit of gravel round the edges, my table and chairs, and I can just see me drifting out there in my dressing gown of a morning, or better still, in the evening, then I can have a wine down.

It does seem odd having someone in to do the work. Bit hard is the paying for it part! But it does get done! Upstairs in the two bedrooms, and the bathroom, all is calm, neutral and tasteful. Gone is the black wallpaper and ceiling in the bathroom, the 'barbed wire' loo seat, now the bathroom walls are a pale pink, the bedrooms 'soft linen'.

I am so impressed I have got the chap to quote for papering guest room one and our bedroom. Must remember we are supposed to be moving......

I am a fish!

This was taken at the Macduff Marine Aquarium. Behind my daughter and grandson is a very large fish tank with very large fish in it.
The best part of the trip was seeing the cuttlefish being fed, and I didn't get a picture!
A first today - I am having a chap come in and do some decorating. Always done my own before. He is to transform upstairs, coat(s) of paint on bedroom walls, and wallpaper in the bathroom. He is also to re-lay a patio outside our bedroom, so I may just be able to enjoy a glass of wine out there, before it becomes too cold. Cheers. Slainte.

A whole month gone by!

One reason for no blogging, playing with my grandson.

Another the b&b has been amazingly busy, the whole of September with people staying for two, three, four and five days. Ancestor hunting and re-visiting their roots, mostly from Australia.

The Best of Banffshire and Buchan Bed and Breakfasts re-met, after the Summer, with lunch at the Scottish Lighthouse Museum, overlooking the sea - fantastic!

We had our annual inspection from Visit Scotland. I am still 3 stars, though near the top, whatever that means. Apparently the seams on my wallpaper are 3 not 4 stars.

We are now having a two week break from guests to just relax, pick up a paintbrush, and remind ourselves that we live here - and I cn walk round in my pjs and dressing gown, WHENEVER I WANT.........

Getting there...

Our bedroom finally gets a make over.
Reason being we are putting Greenbrae on the market. So everywhere has to look good! Not just the guest quarters.
My health - and both of us now ready for a life style change we hope that someone else will fall in love with Greenbrae.

Catching up!

Not exactly walking down the aisle, walking down one of our corridors.

However, they will be one day. This happy couple stayed with us Friday night and Saturday night. He has been on the telephone to us almost every night for the last two weeks. His intention - to propose to her. I had to source and obtain a very expensive bouquet of flowers, chocolates and pink champagne. Got myself into a right state wondering what to do if she said NO. However, off they went Saturday morning and he apparently went down on bended knee in the ruins of spooky Slains Castle and she said YES. This is them off for a celebratory meal at the Kilmarnock Arms, who also pulled out all the stops for them.

I am now going to market us as THE place for a romantic weekend.......

We have been very busy , very, very, busy. So it was nice to refuse bookings for the weekend so that they could have the place to themselves. We also benefitted as we could go to a friends barbecue today, Sunday. Rain, wind of course today....but who cares!

Back to...

ploughing the furrow. And ironing, bed-making etc.

We have just had over a week of wall to wall sunshine and the temperature well over 20 degrees. The farmers are very pleased as they begin to cut the crops it lessens them having to use the dryers on the cut barley grains. At night when it is quiet you can hear these dryers mumbling away.

Our visitors are mainly from Europe. French, Belgian, Spanish and Italian. Next week the Australians, seeking ancestors. More of these in September. In fact we have guests in every night now until mid September. So its on with the ironing.