While I was staying with Claz a couple of weeks ago, I got a bit disgruntled. Why? Well, it’s simple really – I NEVER finish anything…..I get things part way there then lose interest in the finishing touches so I move on to the next thing.

Partly this stems from a complete inability to keep on top of housework – the way we do it since we’ve been here is half-an-hour before guests are due to arrive, DM dashes round with the vacuum cleaner and I dust and chuck things into cupboards, while wailing like a banshee about the ‘state of the place’. It seems, therefore, that finishing touches are pointless among the dust, dog hair, cooking debris and the other detritus of our lives so I just don’t bother.

Claz on the other hand has made the finishing off of her place into an art form. She’s just got a knack for it. She hunts ebay, the free ads, car boot sales and cheap shops looking for vases, lights, furniture and other stuff to brighten up her home.

When I saw her latest ‘work’ at her Melton Mowbray home, I was partly green with envy (why doesn’t our house look like that?) and partly in awe of her skill and taste….

I got home and was moaning to David about how we never achieve such style and his response was that it’s not money, it’s simply good taste and keeping your eyes open. She apparently bought these lights on a complete whim as she walked past a store in Nottingham. They didn’t have any of the blue ones in a box in stock and she managed to persuade them to take down the display ones and let her have them. There are countless other examples of how she’s found beautiful things that are ‘just right’ for her home.

She has a fabulous art deco dining suite that she found on ebay and sat all night to bid for – it’s that sort of effort and attention to detail that I just don’t have.

So, anyway, the upshot is that I’ve resolved to make more effort in finishing things off - I wanna be more stylish like my friend - and have decided that I will set aside time to achieve these things.

Tonight we have bee entertaining Iain and Becks for dinner and I decided that ‘now is as good a time as any’ to start this new-look so I got my starry garden lights sorted out into a bigger vase where they could be placed so they had enough room to spread their ‘wings’ out, filled the vase with glass beads for ‘ballast’ and they now occupy a prime spot on the mantle piece in our dining room.

I fished around in the cupboard for this brass tray (from a car boot sale), put half-an-inch of water in the bottom and some tea-light candles then floated these myrtle and montbretia flowers in the water. It may not be a big thing, but the first thing Becks said when she walked into the room was ‘what wonderful attention to detail’ – Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!

I succeeded then in my efforts and do you know what? It didn’t take long. In fact, the lights took the longest time of the little bit of effort and I won’t need to touch them again until they all need a wash, which will be months from now. So, next time, I can do a bit more and it won’t take long……..

Anyway, I liked the scene so much, I thought I’d photograph it!

Last year, although we didn't say so at the time, we were preparing for leaving the South East by having the family round for the last time....