lunes, 15 de julio de 2019

The Splashy Otters move to Sweet Berry Valley

Dear Readers,

Let me introduce you to Amanda and Glenn Splashy, a newly married couple, who are about to set up their first home together in Sweet Berry Valley.
As you can see, they are fully equipped to do some home improvement in their new cottage.



Today they are going to start wallpapering.
"Let´s get on with it"



Glenn didn´t mind having bare walls at all but Amanda insisted that wallpaper could help  make their home more inviting and comfortable.



After working all morning they were very pleased with the results. 

"We did a good job, don´t you think so Amanda?"
"Definitely,Glenn! You see, I told you! The wallpaper makes a big difference to the room."
"What about having a break now? I´m so hungry,my stomach´s rumbling! Glenn said looking forward to having something to eat.





"It was a good idea to bring some lunch with us". Amanda said opening the food basket.
"Let´s have our first picnic in our front garden!" Glenn suggested.

Enjoy your meal!



********************************************
A few days later, once the whole place was wallpapered, they cleaned their cottage and waxed the floors. The house must be ready before the furniture arrives.They are so excited about settling into their new home that even cleaning was fun!



Even though the funiture is already ordered Amanda keeps browsing through home interior catalogues.
"I´m looking forward to having our home fully furnished, Glenn".
"Me too, love! I can´t wait to move here with you".





The place is spotless!You did a good job!



Now, it´s time to leave and have a good rest.You really deserve it after all the work you have done in your new house.

"We´ll come back soon. The furniture should be delivered in a few days"

"Bye-bye!" "See you".




*******************************************

Some days later The Splashys came back to their cottage. The delivery people were going to bring the furniture that they had ordered for their new home.
"Where shall I put this chair Ma´am?" asked one of the delivery guys with a very strong forest accent.
"Just leave it here" Amanda said happy to have furniture at last.


"The cooker and the sink on this side of the wall,please,just below the window" Amanda told the delivery man. "He sure was a strong guy". She said to herself.


"The bed goes here, please" Amanda said pointing where the bed should be placed.


When the delivery guys brought all the furniture into the cottage Amanda and Glenn offered them something to drink.

"We don´t have much to offer but I was wondering if you would like some coffee and biscuits" Amanda asked the delivery guys who looked a bit tired after lifting and carrying the pieces of furniture.
"Sure, Ma´am! You´re so kind!" Both of them gladly accepted.


Amanda and Glenn were over the moon! At last they could move into their new home, their first home together!


*********************************************

A couple of days later, they rented a car to bring the rest of their belongings.


They were busy taking stuff out from the car when The Neptunes stopped by in front of their cottage.
"Hi,we´re The Neptunes. My name is Caspian and this is my wife Narrisa. We live just two houses down from you.We just wanted to say hello and welcome you to the village."

"Nice to meet you! We´re The Splashy,I´m Glenn and this is Amanda, my wife. As you can see we´re in the proccess of settling into our new home".

After they introduced themselves, Caspian offered Glenn to help him carry the stuff into the house.
"Let me give you a hand, Glenn, that big hamper looks very heavy!" 


Narrisa gifted Amanda with a welcome basket.

"Oh,thank you so much! That´s so kind of you!





Amanda was so grateful for such a thoughtful gift that she invited Narrisa to come into her place.


"I´d love to offer you a cup of tea but we had to pack so many things this morning that I forgot to put the flask and the picnic basket into the car" Amanda apologized."I promise we´ll treat you to coffee when the whole place looks a bit more homey".She added.




Narrisa was so friendly that Amanda had the feeling she had known her for a long time.

"Don´t you worry, Amanda!I completely understand! I´m sure we´ll have the chance to  sit down and have a proper chat over a cup of tea once you´ve settled in. By the way, you said you forgot your picnic basket so that means you didn´t bring any lunch with you, am I right? Narrisa asked.

"That´s right, Narrisa! I was going to ask you where we can buy some food or have something to eat". Amanda inquired her new friend."We haven´t had much time to explore the village yet".

"Do you like seafood?" Narrisa asked.
"Seafood? I love seafood and so does Glenn! 


"Did someone said seafood?" Glenn asked as he heard one of his favourite words. Just the idea of a plate of seafood made him drool. 
"I was asking Amanda if you liked seafood because we own a seaside restaurant. Today is our day off so we don´t have any reservations.I was wondering if you would like to join us for lunch and relax at the the beach afterwards. I can cook paella, it´s my speciality".


Amanda and Glenn were overwhelmed by the kindness of their new neighbours. They felt very lucky to have met such a friendly couple so they accepted their invitation.

"Take your time to organize your place a little bit. There´s no rush". Narrisa told
Amanda . 
Caspian gave them directions to get to the coast "…and the restaurant is just in front of the beach, a white building with a blue door. You can´t miss it!

"We´ll see you at lunch time, then" The Neptunes said as they were leaving their new neighbours´s home.


When the Neptunes left, Amanda showed Caspian the welcome gift basket Narrisa gave them.It included a little plant,a picture, an ocean breeze scented candle,a flier with all the local business and services available in Sweet Berry Valley and two cinnammon rolls from the watermill bakery.

"We are so lucky to have the Neptunes as neighbours, don´t you think so, Glenn?"
We are indeed, Amanda! And you know? Caspian is a fisherman and he offered me to work with him in case I was looking for a job! Isn´t that great?"


"All this excitement is making me feel a bit peckish. Shall we have a roll, Glenn" Amanda knew her husband would never say no to a pastry.
"Of course!" I need something to restore my energy after unloading all the stuff from the car!"


The cinnammon rolls were delicious.
"We must pay a visit to that watermill bakery one of these days!"  Glenn said as soon as he took the first bite.
"We´ll have to explore the village once we settle in". 


When it was nearly lunchtime they hit the road.
The beach was not far from the village. It only took them around ten minutes to get there.


"Here we are! A white building with a blue door". This must be the place".


Once inside the restaurant, the Neptunes gave their guests a warm welcome.They introduced them to their daughters and they  all sat at a table ready to dive into the seafood paella.


Caspian brought a bottle of wine to have with the meal.

"Amanda, would you like some wine?" Caspian offered her.
Amanda hesitated for a second. "Well...the thing is...I´d love to but...I´m not supposed to drink.We´re expecting a baby.I´m two months pregnant. She finally said with a shy smile.


"This is great news! Congratulations!" 


Narrisa, Capian and even Shelly and Sandy, their daughters, cheered when they heard the good news.

 
"This deserves a toast!" Narrisa said.
Caspian poured some wine into the glasses, except in Amanda´s one where he put some water instead.
When all the glasses were filled, Narrisa raised her glass and said:
"I´d like to propose a toast to our new neighbours and their upcoming little one. Hope you are very happy in Sweet Berry Valley".
They all raised their glasses and took a sip.


Shelly and little Sandy joined in the toast too.


Amanda and Glenn thanked their hostess for their kindness and friendly welcome to Sweet Berry Valley. 

The Neptunes and the Splashys had a lovely meal and an enjoyable conversation followed by a relaxing walk along the beach and a non- alcoholic cocktail at Peter´s and Peace´s beach bar.

Amanda and Glenn had a feeling this was going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship and a happy life in their new home.




******************************************
This story is my contribution to Challenge#13 in the Sylvanian Families Collectors Community. This fortnight´s challenge was a free challenge.One of the potential ideas was to work on a challenge that you have missed earlier in the year.
One of the previous challenges I didn´t have time to take part  was challenge#11 New Neighbours. I have several families that I haven´t introduced yet so I decided to write a story about the  latest family I added to my collection: The Splashy Otters.
I meant to divide this story in different parts but finally I posted it as just one long story. 

Hope you have enjoyed meeting Amanda and Glenn Splashy.I love their cute chubby faces and the way they seem to smile all the time.

See you soon!
Hugs!

24 comentarios:

  1. I wish I had such charming and welcoming neighbors !
    I love the wallpaper you used for the living room, it's perfect. Another great story, thank you for making me feel like a little girl waiting for her new bedtime story :-)
    Hugs

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    Respuestas
    1. Hi Arcadia!
      Yes,I wish people were as nice as Sylvanians in our real world. We all would be much happier.

      As for the wallpaper,I wasn´t sure about it but I was looking for something that matched the green sofa and armchairs and I thought this one could be fine.I´m glad you like it.

      Thanks a lot for your lovely compliment. It makes me really happy to know you´re looking forward to reading my stories.

      Have a nice weekend!

      Hugs!

      Eliminar
  2. I so much enjoyed your wonderful new story!I love the photos and all the miniatures you are using, like the tools and the welcome basket! So so adorable!I had a giggle with the 'strong forest accent' of the delivery men!Your story is heartwarming and cute, so into sylvanian spirit! I recently got the new otters and I find them so lovely! Thanks for a fantastic work, I always look forward to your projects,they are always special!

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    Respuestas
    1. Hi Sylvanako!

      I really appreciate your kind words! Thanks a lot!

      I´m happy to read you think my story is "into sylvanian spirit".That´s what I always try to convey with muy stories.Sylvania is such a wonderful place full of friendly and loving critters thatI wish our real world were more "Sylvanian" at times.
      The Splashy Otters are really cute! At firs,t I liked them specially for their babies but when I saw their smiley faces at a toy shop I couldn´t resist buying them. They are adorable!

      Looking forward to seeing them featured in one of your future projects!

      Have a lovely weekend!

      Hugs!

      Eliminar
  3. OUHHH YESSSS!!! I enjoyed meeting Amanda and Glenn Splashy in their charming new home!There can never be enough otters around! ;-)
    I had a big laugh about the delivery guys with the strond forest accent! LOL
    And I love your detailed pictures, with the car, that can be seen through the open door and always the beautiful plants around.
    You are a true artist, Cutata!

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    Respuestas
    1. Hi Daniela!
      Thank you so much for your lovely comment!
      Either they are from the sea,like the Neptunes or from the river, like the Splashy, sylvanian otters are truly adorable!
      It makes me really happy to read you enjoyed my story and I´m glad I made you laugh with the strong forest accent remark :)

      Have a nice weekend!

      Hugs!

      Eliminar
  4. Hi, Cutata, it's me, Emilie. I still don't get why it always says "W" when I try to comment on things. I loved your story! I agree, the Splashy Otter Family is very cute! Congratulations to Glenn and Amanda and their new new + upcoming baby (or babies, since the Splashy Otter family comes with twins). I love their new home, the way you decorated it, the wallpaper you chose and everything else. I wish them a lovely time in their new home. Haha, the "strong forest accent' was a good joke. :) Can't wait to hear more about your new family! Sending my warmest welcome to them right now!

    Emilie (not 'W', as shown above) ;)

    Oh, also, do you have any tips on these two things: wallpapering and lighting for better pictures. Thanks, Emilie. Have a great day!

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    Respuestas
    1. Hi Emilie!
      Thank you for your your lovely comment!
      Haha!I´m afraid the Splashys are going to have a big surprise the day their "baby" is due.I´m happy you like their new cottage. I´ll show you a little tour of their house when they settle in (there are still boxes and stuff all over the place).

      Wallpapering is quite easy when you find templates on the web but it wasn´t the case for this house. When I don´t have templates I usually use a white piece of paper that I put on the walls to trace the shape and then use that kind of template to cut the wallpaer of my choice. This tutorial could be of some help:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJYgjFFDNTc

      As for taking photos, I can´t give you any tips as I don´t know anything about photography. Good natural lighting is my only tip. I usually take pictures next to a window.

      Have a lovely day!

      Hugs!

      Eliminar
    2. Thanks! I'll watch the tutorial. I have a window in my bedroom where my Sylvanians are set up! What a coincidence. I will try to use it and natural lighting more. You don't have to respond to this comment or else we'll just drag on forever! Bye and thanks again, Emilie

      Eliminar
  5. Wow, I love your Splashy otters and their new home and their new neighbours!! I love the delivery guys; I also have the Forest Family horse!

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    Respuestas
    1. Hi Sophie!
      Thank you for your kind words!
      The Splashy have been very lucky so far. Their neighbours are all very friendly, especially the Neptunes as you have just seen in this story.
      I got the Forest Family horse, the mother and a brother figure when I bought the Harvester Restaurant. The seller took such a long time to post the restaurant (more than a month and I half after I paid for it!!) that she tried to make up for this delay sending me the FF horses.

      Have a lovely day!

      Hugs!

      Eliminar
  6. Hi Cutata!

    Another lovely story/photo extravaganza! There's so much to like, as usual. I particularly like the Splashys decorating Copper Beech cottage. They are better at DIY than me! The picture of the picnic afterwards is delightful.

    I could go on - every picture has something special, with the detail and placement as skilful as ever - but I'll just mention that photo where the Neptunes are toasting the Splashys' good news: the baby bottle standing on the table is a lovely touch.

    It's always a treat when your posts appear in my email inbox.
    Have a great week!

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    Respuestas
    1. Hi Jackson!
      I really appreciate your kind words!
      I´m happy to read you have noticed the details I like to add in my scenes.
      Haha! Sandy joined the toast raising her baby bottle.I even put real drink in the glasses, except for Amanda´s and I was dreading the thought of knocking the table down and spilling the drinks on my critters.It happens sometimes but I was lucky this time!

      Have a lovely day!
      Hugs!

      Eliminar
  7. Hi Cutata!
    What a beautiful story! I'm so glad that Amanda and Glen have made such lovely friends already! Congratulations to them on their upcoming baby(s)!
    The cottage is lovely. Do you mind me asking when it was released or if it is discontinued now? It's beautiful but sadly I have never seen it for sale here.
    I love the photo of the Splashys eating their sandwiches on the lawn outside the cottage! Their chubby cheeks make them look like they're actually munching!

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    Respuestas
    1. Hi Kelsie!
      Thanks a lot for your kind words!
      The cottage is "Cooperbeech Cottage" and I think it is discontinued now.It was released into the UK in the late 2000s.I bought mine second hand on eBay. I like how the building looks on the outside. It seems it´s made of wood logs. I also like the windows.My cottage is missing the railings next to the front door but I´ll try to cover that gap with a flower pot.

      You´re right when you say the Spalshys look like their munching their sandwiches! Haha!Good observation! I love those chubby cheeks!

      Have a lovely day!

      Hugs!

      Eliminar
  8. Hi Cutata - what a wonderful story! I loved watching the Splashys decorating their new house, and then - what a treat - the story kept going! Once again, your photos are so rich in detail, and you always capture so much life in your pictures!
    Congratulations to Amanda and Glenn on their special news! The Splashy otters are so cute - Caitlyn has them too (hers have had their babies though), and we think they are rather special - such sweet faces. Yours are also very lucky to have such lovely neighbours.

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    Respuestas
    1. Hi GreyRabbit!
      Thank you so much for your kind comment!
      I´m glad you enjoyed my story and my pictures.
      I intend to keep writing more stories about the Splashys. They´ve been lucky to get a house and so much attention considering they ´re just my latest addition. As you say, they´re rather special.My Splashy´s babies are in Amanda´s belly! Haha:)

      Have a lovely day!
      Hugs!


      Eliminar
  9. Hello! This is so quaint!^^
    I love all the intricate details, like the splashy otter measuring the wallpaper- makes the story so much more realistic and believable :D
    I also love seeing all the decorated houses-They’re always very aesthetic to look at. I think this house in particular is very homey and rustic.
    It was nice to see some of the forest families incorporated as well- I think they’re definitely yet to grow on me, however I normally decide that the figures are adorable after a few times of seeing them ;P
    Great post as always:
    Hugs, Isla^^

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  10. Hi Isla!
    Thank yo so much for you kind words!I´m glad you enjoyed it!
    The Splashys are still decorating their cottage but I´m sure they´ll gives a tour around their home at some stage.Hopefully before the baby (rather babies) are born otherwise they´ll be too busy, I´m afraid.

    Have a lovely day!
    Hugs!

    ResponderEliminar
  11. Hi Cutata!

    I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet story about the Splashy couple starting their new life together! I loved how they worked together on their new house. Their wallpaper is lovely!

    Loved the mention of the delivery man's strong forest accent, haha! Amanda was very kind to offer them some milk and cookies after all that hard work.

    Caspian and Narissa are the perfect neighbours for them! I'm sure they will stay friends for a long time. And Glenn got a new job already thanks to Caspian! :) They had such a delicious-looking meal at the seaside restaurant! I love that big paella pan they had, did you make it yourself? Now I want to have paella for lunch myself, haha!

    Congratulations to Amanda on her pregnancy as well! I'm sure she'll be having a couple of very adorable and tiny babies soon! :D

    Thanks for this lovely story!

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  12. Hi Ayrell!
    Thanks a lot for your kind feedback!
    I wish things were so easy in the real world as they are in Sylvania. New home, new friends, new job ...as if by magic!

    Amanda and Glenn have settled in perfectly in Sweet Berry Valley. Not only the Neptunes but the rest of the villagers made them feel very welcome.

    I didn´t make the paella. I bought it last Christmas at a craft market. The stall had a lot of miniature stuff for nativity scenes but I think this paella fits into the Neptune´s Restaurant better than into a nativity scene.

    Amanda is very excited about her pregnancy!She doesn´t know she´s going to have twins, though.

    Have a lovely day!
    Hugs!

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    Respuestas
    1. Thank you Cutata for your reply and for letting me know about the paella. It's so perfect for Sylvanians! I'll have to keep an eye out next Christmas for stands that sell miniatures for nativity scenes! :)
      Looking forward to reading more about Amanda and Glenn!

      Eliminar
  13. Wow Sweet Berry Valley looks like a delightful place to have moved to and they are lucky to have such lovely sweet neighbours. I look forward to reading about how the Splashy's get on in their new home. Best wishes, Sarah :)

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    Respuestas
    1. Hi Sarah!
      Thank you for your comment!
      Sweet Berry Valley is indeed a great place to live. I wouldn´t mind moving there myself, at least for a while. The Splashys are happy in their new home and say hello. You´ll hear from them in future stories (If I find the time to take more pictures and write)

      Have a lovely day!

      Hugs!

      Eliminar