• How to make your own Elderflower cordial
    Handmade gifts - homemade - homestyle

    How to make your own Elderflower cordial

    June 10, 2017 - By 

    Did you know that it’s currently Elderflower season? I didn’t until Belvoir invited me to an event over half term and I learned a little more about elderflower and how they make their delicious cordial. The elderflower season is quite short and if you live near the Belvoir factory they encourage you to pick wild elderflower! You can drop it off and get paid and you also get the satisfaction knowing that you have helped contribute to their delicious Elderflower Cordial! Sadly we don’t live anywhere near Belvoir but I really wanted to try making our own cordial. Our last…

  • dreamcatcher luminary
    crafts - die cutting - homemade - homestyle - Sizzix crafts - tutorial

    Dreamcatcher luminary tutorial

    April 15, 2016 - By 

    Earlier this week I received a wonderful selection of new Sizzix dies to craft with. I love opening this kind of parcel as you never know what you are going to find. This time there were quite a few Thinlits dies. These are really versatile dies, chemically etched, and offer intricate designs for creative papercrafting projects. Dream Away immediately caught my eye and I know I will be using this a lot over the coming weeks and months to create some fun dream catcher projects. Today I made a little home decor project using the die and a glass jar. You can…

  • homemade - housekeeping

    Homemade v shop bought – can you make your own?

    January 13, 2016 - By 

    Cooking a meal for friends and family can seem daunting and many people just buy ready cooked meals from a shop instead – but once you know the basics of cooking you’ll soon discover that making your own food can be easy. The same rule applies for a huge variety of other tasks, from decorating your home to making your own cleaning products.   Cleaning your home Most people cringe at the thought of cleaning their car or home because the products needed to carry out these tasks can work out very expensive. But you’ll be surprised how effectively you…

  • Cooking - homemade - homestyle

    Tesco 60-Minute Roast Challenge

    November 11, 2015 - By 

    It’s not often I take my laptop into the kitchen but I had a good excuse as I wanted to try some new recipes. Autumn makes me want to cook more traditional meals and we all enjoy a traditional Sunday Roast Dinner. We were invited to take up the ’Tesco 60-Minute Roast Challenge’ – creating a delicious traditional Sunday roast in under an hour. I love cooking and often cook a roast but it’s something I like to take my time with. I admit I was a little nervous about preparing and cooking everything in an hour but I tried…

  • Autumn - homemade - homestyle - interiors

    10 ways to fall in love with your bedroom this Autumn

    October 8, 2015 - By 

    Autumn is a strange season in many ways. It is full of vibrancy, colour and life yet has a sometimes melancholic hint of the coldness to come. Autumn can be cold one day and t-shirt and BBQ weather the next. It’s a real mixed bag but that is what makes it so wonderful. It’s a season of impending festivity. Halloween and Bonfire Night kick off the end of year fun and just as Autumn starts to ebb we brighten up our lives with cheery songs, twinkling lights and hearty meals. Autumn is fantastic inspiration for interior design and a way…

  • book review - homemade - homestyle

    On my mantle – November

    November 22, 2014 - By 

    I’ve gone all minimalist for November. This month my daughter turns 3 and we’re having a Frozen-themed birthday party to go with her Frozen-themed presents. It’s probably no surprise that some of the colours have crept into our living room and on my mantle. We have ice blue candles standing proud in my great-grandfather’s brass candlesticks. I’ve recycled our Halloween munchkins but spray painted them white to give a fresh new look. The bus blind has been moved to a different room and been replaced by my lovely Orla Kiely stem print vase, a favourite house-shaped tea light holder and…

  • Autumn - Halloween crafts - homemade - homestyle - Nature crafts

    On my mantel – October

    October 28, 2014 - By 

    I’ve had lots of fun decorating my mantel this month. The Autumnal colours have crept in and our nature table has been bursting with leaves, pinecones and seeds which the children have adored picking up. My vintage bus blind is still in its usual place on the mantel. We have done a little decorating this month but still haven’t decided on a permanent home for this. I love it though so I’m glad it’s still somewhere central. As well as the vintage bus blind I have my brass candlesticks, two of my favourite ceramic tea light houses, our clock and…

  • homemade - homestyle - vintage

    A place to dream

    October 7, 2014 - By 

    We spent the weekend doing house stuff. We are hosting the family for Christmas and had a panic that we didn’t have enough seats for everyone so spent the weekend choosing a new one. This meant we started thinking about choosing a colour for the living room, buying a new rug and putting up some shelves so my collection of vintage yachts can finally go on display. We also promised my 4 year old that after he started school we would buy him a new bed. He’s been in his cot since he was 6 months old and it converted…

  • homemade - homestyle - housekeeping - interiors - London - vintage

    On my mantel – September

    September 27, 2014 - By 

    I love reading Tales from a Happy House and how her mantel charts the seasons in her house. When I saw her invitation to join in I knew I had to, albeit a little last minute as usual. Our fireplace is pretty nasty but I love the mantel in our living room, it’s a real focal point and I just had to share what’s on my mantel this month. I’ve said before that we haven’t decorated our living room since we moved in last April. The room is painted a neutral colour which means most things look good. The two…