Category Archives: home

night lights

23 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by in casa azahar, home

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So I don’t know about you but I CANNOT sleep in a totally dark room. I know lots of people install black-out curtains or blinds so not one bit of lights sneaks into their bedroom at night, but for me this is like being inside a coffin. Opening my eyes and not being about to see ANYTHING. GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH…

And so, when I moved into the new Casa Azahar I realized that my bedroom, which has a window opening onto the shared patio, doesn’t actually let much light into the room at night. I have been used to bedrooms with balconies that face onto streets, so there has always been streetlights and moonlight to keep my room gently lit during the night. At first I tried to brave it out, thinking I’d get used to it. But there was no way. I started leaving one of the bathroom or hallway lights on all night, but these were actually too bright. And then remembered night lights.

You know night lights. They are usually for kids who are afraid of the dark and need a bit of a glow in their rooms so that when they wake up in the middle of the night (just like me!) they don’t find themselves in TERRIFYING TOTAL PITCH BLACKNESS. So I had a look around the shops but couldn’t find them anywhere. Then a friend recommended the obvious – Amazon – and sure enough, there they were. So I bought a 4-pack of these guys, which were the style I was looking for, that plug straight into the socket. The only thing is that there is no on-off switch. They are light sensitive, which would be fine in a room that actually got bright during the day. So as they are on almost all the time I’m not sure how long they’ll last. I’m even travelling with them this week as my friend’s bedroom (with the blinds down) is a bit too dark for me. Love ’em.

lessons in lounging

14 Monday Aug 2017

Posted by in cats, holidays, home, sevilla, sevilla staycation

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This week (other than one tapas tour on Tuesday) I am on a “staycation” in Sevilla, and here’s Luna giving me a lesson in lounging. This is her favourite lounging spot in the new Casa Azahar. No doubt I’ll be spending too much time lamp hunting, but I also hope to relax before going off to Málaga next week.

It’s been a busy summer and so some “down time” is probably a good idea. I’m not actually very good at relaxing, but it’s nice having a change of routine this week, and also looking forward to seeing the sea again.

design challenge!

11 Friday Aug 2017

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So now that I am FINALLY BOX FREE I can turn my attention to other things, like getting light fixtures for the living room, bedrooms and hallways. Any ideas for what might look best in with this plaster ceiling detail? There are two of them in the living room, and I’d like them to be quite bright as I will only use them during the day. And no, I don’t think I’ll be going back to IKEA…  😉

IKEA nightmare almost over…

10 Thursday Aug 2017

Posted by in azahar, casa azahar, cats, home

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So this is basically what all the fuss was about. A simple cupboard 60 x 60 x 140 to serve as a pantry because the kitchen (to the right) doesn’t have enough storage space. It’s handy, just the right size, fits into a space I wouldn’t use for anything else, blah blah blah…

WHY it took over a week to organize the delivery and assembly is beyond me. The guy who showed up today to put the cupboard together said “August with IKEA is always like this” (leading to the obvious question… then WHY NOT HIRE MORE PEOPLE IN AUGUST???). But it wasn’t his fault. I’m sure places other than IKEA contract his company’s services, and in fact he was very friendly and helpful. I couldn’t have been happier with him.

One glitch (of course!). See that cardboard package alongside the cupboard? Well, that’s the cover I paid extra for. Turns out the covers need to be CUT TO SIZE depending on the order, and my guy wasn’t told this and didn’t have the right tools, so there it remains until IKEA sends someone out to do this. But at least it doesn’t affect how it functions. Which means that already three boxes are gone from the hallway and by tomorrow THERE WILL BE NO MORE BOXES. I almost can’t believe it.

Now that it’s (almost) over, I am so relieved that I (almost) can’t believe how upsetting all this was. I think that because moving is so stressful anyhow that when things get fucked up they feel even more stressful. Also, had everything been delivered and assembled last Friday – LAST FRIDAY!!! – as promised, the new apartment would have been pretty much set up over the weekend. Instead it’s been another week of BOXES and feeling disorganized. Yeah, I know, first world problem and all, but it still sucked. Especially as I’m supposed to be on holiday this week, and it sure hasn’t felt like a holiday. BUT… big deep breath… it’s all looking better now. How’s your week been?

sunday song – you are the sunshine of my life

06 Sunday Aug 2017

Posted by in cats, home, music, sunday song, video

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August 5th 1993 was Sunny’s birthday. He was born into my hands when I was living in Salamanca, and he died in my arms in Sevilla 16 years later. His name suited him so well because he had such a sunny personality, and he truly was the sunshine of my life. Such a loving and darling boy, a total pleasure to have around. Still miss you big guy… xx

settling in

03 Thursday Aug 2017

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Some things are different, some have stayed the same. And some are a bit of both. The girls love napping on my cool new wheelie office chair (just like they used to on the old one). Unfortunately, nobody can see how cool it is (including me) because if I don’t keep it covered up it will get ripped to shreds in no time. Actually, the old one got ripped to shreds even with a cover on it. Oh well…

It’s fun watching these guys settling in. To be honest, I think they are really going to miss all the boxes once they finally get unpacked and everything is put away.

market targetting

02 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by in home, retail therapy, sevilla, spain

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This was not a good day. And not JUST because I had to go back to IKEA 😉 , but because things got off to a weird start and then got positively exhausting.

Woke up with tons of things to do in the new Casa Azahar, and also had errands to run before a lunchtime biz meeting. Errands such as going back to Emasesa (the water company) to change the contract to my name… FOR THE THIRD TIME. I had kept forgetting this or that document, but finally I was all prepared and got the deed done. While I was there I was told that there was a last-minute opening to “empadronar” (register for the census) which is necessary to prove how many people live at my home, and which is also important because the more people living at a dwelling means you get a cheaper water rate. BUT, I had the biz meeting planned so had to forfeit the appointment – next opportunity won’t be until September, and so until then I’ll be paying a higher water rate.

Got to the meeting point early and – not having had breakfast – ordered a tapita to keep myself going. But when the person I was meeting arrived, I was told our meeting was cancelled. So I not only didn’t get the meeting, I lost a chance to “empadronar” (and save money on my water bill!), and also ended up on a bus to IKEA at the worst possible time of day (for taking a bus – HOT).

Finally got to IKEA and somehow it took ages, even longer than my previous visit, when I bought half the store. I think I was just so disheartened about how the day had been going that everything felt like like a massive chore. There was no joy in any of it. In fact, I ended up forgetting a couple of the things I’d gone there to buy, but at least I got the most important thing – a nice storage unit to act as a pantry for the extra stuff that won’t fit in the kitchen cupboards.

Then home again… blazing heat… long wait at the bus stop… was EXHAUSTED when we finally got back to Sevilla. And so on the way home we stopped in for a snack at a place near the new house that I hadn’t been to in years, and that cheered me up. The guys were so friendly, the food was nice, we had some wine…

Anyhow, I also took this photo while at IKEA, which I found amusing. A dressing room display replete with feria flamenco dresses. So very Sevillano that it made me smile. They say that moving house is right up there STRESSWISE with having a death in the family. God knows it’s been a crazy few weeks, and at times I’ve felt stressed beyond what I thought I could handle. So it’s important to find those little things that make you smile.