We have a HOUSE!!

Baby Boo and I have finally been allocated a house!! With 17 days left until we move. Luckily we've doing this thing long enough and completed enough manic pack moves to know that everything is always left to the last minute with Her Majesty's fine Army!

I can't believe we actually have an address. Bricks and mortar. It's been a long time coming. We were due posting last November but, due a housing shortage in the area we're posted to, we've just had to sit back and wait. That's the official reason anyway. I reckon it's got more to do with the fact that, due to budget cuts, the Housing Office were told they had to downsize from Krispy Kreme donuts to digestive biscuits at coffee break and this was their revenge. Just a theory, mind.

Still, it's all sorted now. The house is small and the garden is about the size of a postage stamp but, quite frankly, they could have allocated us a tent and we'd have found a way to get the sofa in.

Army houses are always painted Magnolia (dirty cream), have either blue, green, dusky pink or claret carpets, heavily flowered curtains and the kitchens and bathrooms often leave a lot to be desired. If there's one thing you learn very quickly as a soldier it's how to make the best of what you've got. We are masters at finding the perfect rug, whipping up the perfect window dressings and covering the walls with as many pictures and photos as possible. Oh, and we always buy plain coloured sofas. I once made the mistake of having the most gorgeous purple sofa and was allocated a house with claret (dark, yucky red) carpets. Two years of walking in to my living room and having to swallow back vomit taught me a lesson or two.

Also, when you move out of an Army house it has to be left exactly as you found it so we don't often paint the walls. Blu-tack is our friend. Painting them back just adds to the stress of the three million other things you need to do including packing and scrubbing the house to within an inch of it's life. If it's not 'Army clean' you get charged.

So what better way to celebrate than with a big cup of tea, a donut (take THAT, housing office) and a mooch through my inspiration folder?

** I've had the majority of these lovely pics for yonks and failed to save sources. If they belong to you or you know who they do belong to please let me know. Credit where credit's due **