Thrifty buys and steals....

I love a bargain, I mean who doesn't? and because I do I have managed to fill our home with many cheap and salvaged items. Its a good job that I like things slightly battered and worn because when something comes out of a skip it generally is. Not everything has been free though and I thought I would share with you some of my lucky finds. 

When we moved to this cottage we didn't have a dining table and chairs so this was one of the first buys. I was lucky enough to get the table for £15 and then the four chairs for the amazing total of £7.50! It was in our local junk shop and I have had many things from there now. The chairs have now been painted and every now and again I contemplate painting the table - but I just can't bring myself to do it. 

When the school that I worked in was being knocked down ready for a brand new building I made sure that I got first dibs on any of the old school furniture. I was delighted to get my wall display cabinet which was used to keep wool in and also a beautiful old filing cabinet. Both make great additions to the room but are also practical. After collecting all of the vintage china for our wedding last year I really couldn't part with most of it so the cabinet was perfect and FREE!

We have a small house and so everything has to fit and has to be useful, after seeing this brilliant idea on holiday for storage crates fitted to the wall I went on the hunt for some. 

If we ever end up with enough wall space I would love to recreate this look from Santorini but I love the way crates can be used for loads of other things and I'm looking forward to using my other crates in the garden this year too. My apple crates were £3 each and this one just £5. 

Now finally, we lasted about 8 years without side tables in out bedroom. Well to be honest I didn't like any of them out there and would rather go without than have boring! Then one day at an antique fair Martin spotted this for his side! £8 and I agreed.

A few months later it was my turn and I couldn't believe my luck when I spotted this beauty. No price on it and when I asked.... Is £5 ok she said? Er yes that would be great thanks!! 

So for the grand total of £46.50 I have all of this. Not bad eh? I have shoes that cost more. There are many other items in the house that were either lifted from a skip (people throw away ottomans all the time) or found for a few pounds and I would pick these over high end pieces any-day. xxx

March Styling the Seasons french spring styling.....

During the last few months Instagram has become an amazing source of inspiration for me and one the most exciting things for me to do is #stylingtheseasons 

During my recent holiday I actually lay on my sunbed thinking about what I could do for March and what part of my home could do with a little makeover. The shoe cupboard area has pretty much been the same for ages and part of what March means to me is white and fresh so this is where I started today. 

Once I started to put together all of the green and white objects I realised that It was reminding me of France so I added the canvas that I made after a trip to Paris. To my complete surprise it was 10 years ago when me and a great friend visited for a day. Yes I know it was only a day but believe me we made the most of it! The city was beautiful and I think a return trip is on the cards really soon. 

I then found out one of my most favourite books. I purchased this book about 20 years ago when I started out on my Illustration degree. Sara Midda is a brilliant illustrator and she brought out this book with beautiful watercolours of the South of France. At that point I had never been but every time we go now I think of this book. 

I replaced my wire heart that I have been collecting pretty things on with my lovely white wooden star, I think it creates a much calmer space and really works with the other objects. After picking the only snowdrops in the garden which perfectly matched my favourite cup and saucer my shoe cupboard was complete. TA-DA!  Oh and the white tulips were a Mothers Day gift to myself - perfect! Happy spring everyone, just wish the weather would hurry up and join the season. 

I love it. Hope you do too. xx

blue - my first love.....

So, I have recently posted about my love for yellow but this is just an affair, blue is my long term love and I find inspiration for it everywhere. When I became Head of House at work 5 years ago it was a no brainer I had to be Head of the Blue House. To show my support I wore a different blue outfit everyday for a year!! It was quite fun actually and obviously meant that I had to buy a few more blue clothes. My wedding shoes HAD to be blue and now they make a wonderful addition to our bedroom. I mean who needs ornaments when you have beautiful shoes on display?

Blue captures me wherever I go. No more so than when we are on holiday. France, Greece the Caribbean. It could be as simple as the colour of the sea or shutters on beautiful french buildings but I have to take a picture and then I can use it later on at home. I think all blues are lovely and I love the way in which they play with other colours, setting them off so well. There are so many amazing blues out there. 

After our travels last year I decided to bring a bit more blue into our kitchen. Some of the cupboards were still sage green from when we moved in so I went to B&Q and spent roughly 2 hours standing in front of the colour charts!! How many? It was a tough decision but I was happy with my choice and I love the way it goes with the white. (just like Santorini)

My recent passion for blogging has allowed me to follow some really inspirational bloggers and two of my faves are Katy at apartmentapothecary.com  and Charlotte at lottsandlots.blogspot.co.uk these 2 have come up with a lovely idea of #stylingtheseasons. I missed out on January but decided to join in with February. 

February for me isn't about Valentines Day. We don't do mushy stuff, we would rather spend our money on holidays! So February for me is about the colour blue - pools, sea, sunny skies and other beautiful things. 

When I styled up the table in the dining room I wanted to capture that feeling using all of my favourite blue objects. The plate was a gift many years ago from a best friend. Some of the books remind me of my trip to Barcelona and the antique market and as I am rubbish with plants the Rosemary makes the room spell nice and I can't kill it. That table just had to come home with me after a vintage fair one day and for £5 who can blame me? I hope you like it and I hope that our next holiday in 2 weeks will be the source of even more inspiration...... If I can keep my eyes open long enough that is!

displaying photographs...

I have never been a fan of the framed photograph. Yes I know its nice to display our favourite people and events but for me it just doesn't work. When you have your first baby you take so many pictures, people buy you frames and you feel like you have to use them and show the world how proud you are! Well 14 years ago I think I did this, they went on the wall - but it didn't last long. I love my children but I don't need them on the wall and in all honesty I just don't like the way it looks. There are so may other ways in which we can display the people we love and I have been experimenting with this recently. 

When we got married last July ( finally ) I didn't really want a photographer, I did away with lots of traditions, but I am so glad that we did. However once the photographs are there what do you do with them? Put them in an album, give them away as gifts, look at them on your phone, put them on Instagram..... I have done all of these things! I also got some of them printed from Instagram using a company called Firebox. They were fantastic and their customer services was fab. Check them out firebox.com 

I wanted to create a wedding wall where I could be creative with my photos, I used frameless frames so I could add other little nic-nacs from our wedding day. I am really pleased with it. I think I am getting a little sentimental in my old age too as I have added a couple of pictures of my babies when they were babies to the kitchen blackboard. In a creative way of course! Photographs can be displayed in many ways - go and break with tradition.

it was all yellow....

Blue is my favourite colour. It always has been and I think it always will be. Its a long story but my loathing of yellow is quite personal and those of you that know me well will know that it has something to do with a certain 'House' at school! But not one to hold a grudge forever... yellow has made a comeback in my life. Its actually freaking me out and I don't know what to do about it. I am instantly drawn to anything yellow, in clothes shops, interior shops and its sneaking its way into my home. There is just something about the way it makes other colours appear brighter and fresher, yes it reminds me of summer and we all need that right now but I even loved it at Christmas. However, my love for all things yellow is halted when it is next to green. So I hate daffodils and sunflowers and although I found some lovely baubles last year for the tree I just couldn't bring myself to put them on, so they went on a doorknob instead! I'm sorry but there has to be a line....

Check out my Pinterest for some more yellow inspiration and one day I might even show you my yellow shoes!

wallpaper on the stairs....

I became obsessed with The Great Interior Design Challenge when it first appeared on our screens in 2013. My favourite contestant was Sarah Moore - who just so happened to win too! I bought her book and love her style. One of the most amazing things in her book was the fact that she had wallpapered her stairs using vintage wallpaper. Genius I thought I have to have a go at that. So I got myself to all of the DIY stores and helped myself to a few samples ( well you have to be sure, right? ) It was so simple and so effective. People love it but I always make sure that I tell them that I stole the idea! So thank you Sarah. Go and have a look at her great website www.sarahmoorehome.co.uk 

The stairs also made a great backdrop for my wedding shoes photoshoot! while you are here you should go and check out my brilliant photographer Olgun Kordal. www.olgun.co.uk More about him at a later date!

going bare....

So one of the biggest decisions in the house, after a very long time was to go carpetless! ( it took a lot of persuasion from my part ) However once you start pulling up carpets there is no going back... I had always swooned over Pinterest and Instagram images of white floorboards and the amazing life these people must lead but its a different story to make the commitment!! I can honestly say I am so happy we did it. Yes it was hard work but once painted I love the clean, fresh no nonsense look. It makes our little house seem so much bigger. We were lucky that the floorboards were in a good state, minimal preparation - just the way I like it! It also fulfils my need to vacuum the house within an inch of its life at every opportunity. Trust me once you go bare there is no going back xx