the sun has got his hat on

 I couldn't resist this happy little tin in Marks and Spencers when I saw it on Monday night and, what do you know, the sun has been shining ever since.

Here's what's inside the tin - six little chocolate discs.  I will "get rid" of these and keep the tin for goodness knows what.  I've been realising today that I have A LOT of tins and generally have no idea what to keep in them.

This sunny weather is most welcome and fairly lifts the spirits.  The tree outside our living room window has leaves squeezing their way out of the buds at last, a sight that makes me happy once each and every year.  And this year, the view is even better than usual as we are seeing it through new windows!  Our windows were cracked and drafty and, worst of all, impossible to open.  This week we are in the process of getting them all replaced with double glazed ones that I can open with one hand!  Even though it's not that warm, I keep opening windows wherever I go so that I can enjoy the novelty of fresh air in the flat.  The work has been more disruptive than I imagined.  I cannot believe how much dirt gets spewed inwards when the old windows are removed.  Everything we own is covered in a 0.5mm layer of hundred-year-old soot and it is absolutely disgusting.  Once the work is complete (we're maybe halfway through right now) we are going to have to clean every single item we own - not a fun thought.  I'm wishing I'd got a bit further with operation clear-out before now!  It's quite a good excuse for a spring clean though.  Now we know how much mess is created, we are completely clearing each room before it's worked on.  Today I was putting everything back in the kitchen and went a bit crazy, getting rid of heaps of stuff.  We have so much more cupboard space now (amazing!) and the things we use regularly have been put in the most accessible spots.  It's been a long time coming, people!  Other jobs forced by the window situation include the sad dismantling of my wall of many wonders (which had much more on it than in that early photo).  I'm hoping I'll be able to rehang most of it in my craft corner (once the craft room is turned into our bedroom and a wee corner of our current bedroom is turned into my crafting space) but I will probably have to downscale a fair bit and I know it will never be what it was.  I will miss having a space that I'm allowed to do what I like with (I think I've spoken before about how Graham and I can't agree on anything interior-deco related) but I'm looking forward to the flat's layout working better for us.  Bigger picture, bigger picture, Laura.  I'm hoping the upheaval and mess of the window installation will give us a shove to keep going to the bitter end.  There's a long way to go yet, mind you.  Talking of which, I should go and find some junk to send to the charity shop now.  Our bedroom window is to be the last to get replaced, but there is a lot of crap piling up in there (right by the window, too) so I should probably plough ahead with it now.

Hope you're having some sunshine where you are too.