We’ve had a steady stream of visitors lately which has been lovely, a great side effect is that my house has never looked so clean! Let’s be honest, I can’t be the only one who cleans for visitors?! Of course the only problem with having a clean and tidy house is that it really shows how shabby everything looks. We moved in 18 months ago and whilst we’ve decorated our bedrooms we haven’t really touched the downstairs rooms. The colour scheme is coming together thanks to tins of Annie Sloan paint. We’ve been painting lots of furniture and as soon…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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The start of the new school year means my washing basket is full of essential school items. My 4 year old must see it as his mission to get as messy as possible and give me something to do whilst he’s at school. Fortunately for me I received some samples of the new Lenor Unstoppables which are pure perfume for your fabrics in a bead format. There are three delicious scents – Bliss, Lavish and Fresh. You simply add a handful to your washing machine, and wash into your clothes along with your normal detergent. The scents can be used…
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I think I’ve mentioned that the only room in desperate need of a makeover is our living room/dining room. It’s a long room which runs the length of the house and is lovely and light. We’re in the process of deciding on a new sofa so hopefully that will influence a colour scheme soon or vice versa. You know I love to make doll quilts. They are pretty wasted on my 2 year so I’ve gradually been sneaking them away from her and washing them with the idea of hanging them and having my own quilt gallery wall. It was…
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A couple of week ago I treated myself to a trip to the Cath Kidston flagship store at 180 Piccadilly. I say treated myself because I know I can never visit without buying something! I like all the stores, I’ve visited a few *ahem* but the flagship store is my favourite. Despite being in a modern building it’s decorated with modern vintage, obviously. I particularly love the display of board games in the Kids section which as you know I’ve done in our own house. The walls of the shop are lined with distressed wooden doors and make use of…
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I don’t know about you but my fridge is covered with magnets – often holding up the latest letter from school or shopping list. There’s always room for more so I was happy to review some personalised photo fridge magnets from PicStick. The site is easy to use, you can upload 9 images from your computer, Facebook or even Dropbox. They come in a grid of 9 photos which you can easily tear apart. For some reason I received two sets of my chosen photos but fortunately my sister was here when they arrived so I was able to share…
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My 4 year old has developed a sudden obsession with Spiderman and other superheroes. I blame the Marvel Kinder Eggs he’s been collecting and the Lego set he bought recently. I was excited to hear about an exciting partnership inspired by Spider-Man, the Philips Marvel Spider-Man range which inspires little heroes’ creativity, projecting a world of light around them to make playtime more vivid. Come bedtime, Spider-Man helps kids feel safe and sound by comforting them with a touch of light throughout the night, when it’s needed most. Some of my favourite products are – the Wall light Spider-Man: give…