Heat wave madness

Last night late ( it was too hot to work during the day ) I was pleased as punch in glueing in place the fireplace wall section. I had strengthened the wall behind with cross bars as the plywood had warped a little. The two top pieces are to compensate the depth when glueing

After glueing in place the section really really well I went and had some tea and biscuits. I then suddenly had a flash of panic. I hadn't electrified the wall for the two light fixtures I had planned to place on each side of the mirror. I drilled in the front and the sides and fiddled with wires trying to meet up on the other side and after an hour of drilling and fiddling and poking it worked. I then pulled through the electric wires.

To the left the wall has been filled with scraps of mdf leaving a channel for the wires. I used a cardboard drinking straw to encapsulate the wires all the way out the back of the house where a system will be found ( much later ) to set up all the lights.

Then another flash of panic when I remembered that I hadn't wired in the fire itself! More drilling and poking and another straw and voila! 

I covered the fire wire in bronze coloured tape and glued the fire in place. 

The tricky thing, the wire for the fire was too short so I had to lengthen the wire with a longer piece and I had never soldered before. The first solder gave way when the join got stuck when pulling through. The second time round the solder was much better and once insulated and wrapped it puleld through no problem. 

This is the right section of the fireplace wall with its hodge podge of scraps of mdf.

I lined the wall with 2mm plywood. I add that if I had to use a lot of this wood I would need to sell a kidney to pay for it! Horrendous = 25 euros a small sheet! 

I wanted to add lamps here and there and all the sockets I have seen in houses seem chunky.  I cut into the base board and set one in for effect. I DID want to put one to the left of the fire but the idea of going through all that pulling and strawing again put me off. 

I found this garage chariot in our charity shop for ten euros. It needed a good clean but it was so Worth it as it's the perfect height and is stable and rolls well. It replaces a mid century Danish one I had previously found in the street but wasn't practical.

The weather here has been getting hotter and hotter and makes life difficult. The dogs were looking for cool spots over the house. The little Jack Russell to the front is called Caramel, he is the son of my little dog Alias who left me over a year ago. He was born when I lived in Brazil and we gave him to my mother in law who has remained a great friend. I am looking after him for three weeks. When he was a baby he sat on my desk like a toy and never moved except to gaze lovingly at me from time to time. Tonight the weather has changed and the temperature has gone down by ten degrees !