• Ice cream freakshakes
    homestyle - Summer

    Ice cream freakshakes {with Kelly’s ice cream}

    August 20, 2016 - By 

    It’s hot and mostly sunny which means we’ve been getting through a lot of ice cream this school holidays. The children have had ice pops, ice creams and lollies. Everybody has their favourite type but we have a soft spot for Kelly’s of Cornwall. Nothing beats the magical mixture of velvety smooth Cornish ice cream topped with scrumptious extras. We always have a tub in the freezer so were delighted to be asked to create our dream sundae – bringing the ultimate parlour experience into our home. We were sent a sundae starter kit including Kelly’s Ice Cream vouchers, Clarks new…

  • Orla Kiely designed kitchen bin
    homestyle - Orla Kiely

    Orla Kiely in the kitchen

    August 16, 2016 - By 

    I was shopping this morning, managing to tick off more of my Back to School shopping list. I couldn’t help but look round the homeware department and found a few lovely Orla Kiely displays. Our kitchen makeover is taking a lot of our free time. We are in desperate need of more storage and are hoping to move around a few of our white goods and squeeze in some extra cupboards. We’re having another consultation tomorrow and I’m beginning to feel excited about sorting this room out. We’ve spent so long discussing it that I couldn’t help but start to…

  • outdoor adventures
    Family Life - holidays - homestyle

    Reaching for the tree tops {Center Parcs treehouse adventure}

    August 9, 2016 - By 

    With the school holidays in full swing I can say that we are coping – just 🙂 My husband is still recovering from his abdominal surgery which means we probably won’t be having another holiday this year. Fortunately we live in London so are spoilt for things to do right on our doorstep. It doesn’t stop me day dreaming though, and I’ve found a magical place I would love to go – to a luxury treehouse in the middle of nowhere. We’ve already had a brief glimpse of all that Center Parcs has to offer when we visited the Festival…

  • Cath Kidston press preview
    Cath Kidston - competition - homestyle

    Cath Kidston Autumn Winter collection and a giveaway

    August 6, 2016 - By 

    For me one of the best things about being a blogger is the chance to work with some of my favourite brands. I’ve worked with Cath Kidston a few times now and was so excited to receive an invitation to their Autumn Winter 2016 Press Preview. I really enjoy press shows. I only go to a few of the brands I really love and I can’t wait to see their new collections before anyone else. The Cath Kidston Autumn Winter collection preview took place in a lovely venue just off Bond Street. On a very warm day earlier this summer…

  • Ikea chocolate biscuits
    Christmas - homestyle

    Learning the art of tablescaping with Ikea

    July 30, 2016 - By 

    On what felt like the hottest night of the year so far I was given a late pass to head into Soho for a fabulous evening with Ikea. I’ve always loved Ikea and every room in our house has something from there. I love the clean lines, contemporary Swedish design, and of course, excellent value for money. I joined some other fantastic creative bloggers and were shown to the top floor of a gorgeous old building. It was decorated for Christmas which I admit did feel slightly odd given the warm weather. But soon the Christmassy smells got me in…

  • crafting on the floor
    homestyle

    Why there’s no need to cry over spilt milk again

    July 28, 2016 - By 

    As a mum of two young children I have an ongoing battle to keep our house clean and tidy. Our current house has wooden floors in the living areas which makes it nice and easy to keep clean. Whilst the children are young we have invested in a few rugs to both muffle the sound of their noisy toys on the floor and to also give them something nice and soft to sit on. Thinking about it, we ask quite a lot from our poor old rug! They know they are not to have any drinks or snacks on our…

  • felt circle bunting
    crafts - die cutting - homestyle - sewing - Sizzix crafts

    Red white and blue felt circle bunting

    July 25, 2016 - By 

    There seen to be lots of things going on at the moment which I feel quite patriotic about. Andy Murray winning at Wimbledon for the second time, Chris Froome becoming Britain’s first three-time winner of the Tour de France, and hopefully lots of British success at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio next month. So I thought it was good time to share a quick and easy tutorial for my red white and blue circle bunting. I used a Sizzix die and machine to do all the hard work for me, but this could easily be done by hand. How…

  • decorating with Annie Sloan stencil and chalk paint
    homestyle - interiors - upcycling

    Adding detail with Annie Sloan stencils

    July 15, 2016 - By 

    This week I booked my tickets to The Handmade Fair. I went last year with my sister and we had a brilliant day out so I can’t wait for it this year. Last year I tried some new crafts but also went shopping! We’re both big fans of Annie Sloan Chalk Paints and there was quite a big Annie Sloan stand where I picked up some pots of paint as well as a stencil. My sister and Annie Sloan! I had read a lot about the stencils and really wanted one to finish off a little project. Years ago we…

  • Orla Kiely covered mini chest of drawers
    crafts - homestyle - Orla Kiely - tutorial - upcycling

    Ikea hack – Orla Kiely mini chest of drawers

    June 29, 2016 - By 

    I’m sure everyone has the Moppe mini chest of drawers from Ikea. It’s not cheap but we’ve had ours for years as they are perfect for storing my smaller sewing notions. The only problem I have with things from Ikea, is that everyone has them, so I love to add a personal touch. As an Orla Kiely fan I knew they would look amazing covered with my favourite stem paper, so that’s what I did! image from Ikea I love quick and easy DIY projects but I have to admit – this isn’t one of them. The easy option was…