I know, I know, I’ve done shots like this a few times but it doesn’t mean that when I walk into the room and it’s all set up for a dinner party that I don’t think to myself “oohhhh yes”.

So, here it is again. I’m interested to see that when I did my shot at the beginning of the year, shortly after I’d painted this room, there was no over-mantle – that was bought on ebay (for a complete song) last spring. I love it in the same way that I love the candelabra from Trago – OTT and a bit mad. Actually, it’s less mad that I’d have chosen but it’s the first one I won after I’d only been allowed to bid on ones that DM had approved of – he’s a bit less “flamboyant” than I am and his tastes are therefore more conservative. This one is a compromise but I like it no less for that.

I’ve got more “work” to do here – I’m going to do mosaics in the fire surround’s panels and we need pictures on the walls and I’m confessing now that we’re also going to have the plaster off the wall behind the camera because of the damp – we’ve steeled ourselves for needing to re-do it with damp-proofing. So, it’s not yet “ticked off” the list of complete projects but I’m hoping that shortly after Christmas it will be.

Anyway, the silver is out, the table is laid and we’ve got guests arriving at any moment for a celebratory dinner. We’re celebrating that “anniversary” with Annie, Chris, Iain and Becky.

I’ve been in the kitchen for most of the day cooking. I’ve made them a feast but a feast of simple things that have meant the kitchen has been under control all day and I’m not charging around like a mad thing. In fact, I’m rather serenely wandering around, popping things in the oven as and when needed for the timings of the evening.

They’ve got piquant tiny chilli peppers stuffed with smoked cheese and baked, served up with little focaccia rolls, topped with red onion and garlic, then bean and vegetable lasagne, salad and roasted new potatoes with rosemary and garlic, then Danish apple pudding (sponge, apple, ginger and nuts with a little twist of my own – some chilli) and finally cheese and biscuits. I’m rather pleased with myself (smug even) that even the biscuits for the cheese were hand-made by me today (curried oatmeal – that may sound weird but believe me it works). All-in-all, the cooking took me almost no time really – most of the time was spent de-junking this beautiful room. When we walked into it this morning, it was piled up with junk and filthy after we’d emptied the sitting room into it while the last lot of builders were in. We’ve almost got the sitting room straight now and have just the finishing touches, such as curtains and some new cupboards, left to sort out. So basically the dining room had been a dumping ground and in order to eat in it tonight, the junk had to be sorted and dealt with, then the room cleaned, then “dressed for dinner”.

I'm not sure that a photographic purist would approve of this shot, what with all the flare and the lens hood showing in the shot, but I don't care because I love it!

Last year, we were also "nest-building" and floating boats.