And the winner is...

Much as I hate to admit it, I was wrong - again. The Least Rewarding Task In DIY (TLRTIDIY) is not Painting White Celings White, Painting Behind Pipes or Stripping Wallpaper. The true winner is, in fact, a glorious conglomeration of previous claimants to the title. I'm honoured to announce that the LLFF Award for TLRTIDIY in February 2008 goes to:

Stripping Old Wallpaper From Behind A Pipe, Two Inches From The Floor Inside A Cupboard That Will Soon Be Painted Over And Later Filled With Clothes.

As an entrant to this esteemed category, I fail to see how this can be beaten in future rounds but it seems that with each twist and turn, my merry route through decorating takes me to new lows. So watch this space, I fear the contest is not over...

That said, stripping wasn't all bad. Here follow my top three tips for happy stripping. One: buy a steamer. Without a shadow of a doubt, the best £20 I've ever spent. Two: cleanse, tone and moisturise immediately following the steaming session for that just-facialed look. And three: avoid the wearing of glasses during the steaming process. Visibility is reduced which is initially funny, then annoying, then dangerous, especially when fast moving scraping action is combined with being up ladder. Of course, the best tip I can offer when it comes to wallpaper stripping is 'get someone else to do it'.

On a more sombre note, I did see something while driving through the estate where my new flat is situated that made me feel a bit sad: two Asian kids, one a little girl wearing a headscarf, playing a vigorous game of football - but using a plastic bag filled with other plastic bags as a ball. It was getting blown around all over the place. They were howling with laughter so I guess there's no problem but the absence of a toy ball in my neighbours' lives did give me a jolt.

But it's not all complaints and sobriety: last night was the hotly-anticipated second date with Mr L'Atelier and I'm pleased to announce that he totally lived up to my internal hype, a feat rarely, if ever, achieved by any human. He's spent the past week skiing in France and after taking me out for Valentine's Day this week he will be heading off to Seattle and its environs for a fortnight. I'm pretty sure he's worth the wait but will keep my cards close to my chest. Although he does read my blog. D'oh.