• West Kennet Long Barrow
    homestyle - mindfulness - Monday Happy List - Orla Kiely

    Monday happy things {Week 134}

    April 24, 2017 - By 

    What a difference a week makes. A week ago we stood on top of West Kennet Long Barrow in Wiltshire and enjoyed the Bank Holiday. The next day the children went back to school and I missed them and felt a bit lost at home on my own. It’s funny how quickly you get used to being surrounded by people. We spent the weekend removing the carpet from my son’s room and laying laminate down. I really hate carpet and it was down when we bought the house 4 years ago so it had to go. We also gave the room a bit…

  • finishing touches to our spare room
    homestyle - interiors - Orla Kiely

    Putting the finishing touches to our spare room

    April 3, 2017 - By 

    We’re lucky to have a spare room for friends and family to come and stay. It is well used but was in desperate need of a makeover. It’s quite a dark room, filled with a spare bed, vintage chest of drawers and lots of bookshelves. A few months ago we painted all the walls white and put up a gorgeous Orla Kiely wallpaper on the end wall. We chose the Orla Kiely Multi Striped Petal but looking back over my blog I can’t seem to find a finished photo of the room. We changed the position of the bed and…

  • another visit to the Lego Store
    homestyle - Monday Happy List - Orla Kiely

    Monday Happy Things {Week 130}

    March 27, 2017 - By 

    This week was a little crazy. After celebrating our son’s birthday over the weekend it was my turn to celebrate my birthday. So I started the week by going shopping with my husband and having a delicious lunch out. I really wanted to buy a pair of Saltwater sandals but I couldn’t find any, but I was happy with a browse in some of my favourite shops. I spent my actual birthday with my 7 year old who was poorly. It wasn’t quite how I expected to spend my day but he was good company, despite being ill. He’s really…

  • Mother's Day haul from Orla Kiely Covent Garden
    homestyle - Mother's Day crafts - Orla Kiely

    Mother’s Day haul from Orla Kiely Covent Garden

    March 26, 2017 - By 

    Happy Mother’s Day to all you mum’s out there. Mother’s Day always comes so close to my son’s birthday and my own birthday that we don’t usually make a fuss about it. I love handmade cards and this year my children spoilt me with cards made at school. I was a pretty lucky lady because yesterday we were in London for our London Duck Tours outing and I popped into the Orla Kiely shop in Covent Garden. My husband let me pick something for Mother’s Day and I chose a basket of goodies specially put together. There were two to…

  • Brickheadz Belle figure
    homestyle - Lego - Monday Happy List - Orla Kiely - sewing

    Monday Happy List {Week 128}

    March 13, 2017 - By 

    This week has been a bit hit and miss. I’ve been busy planning for my son’s birthday which is on Saturday. He’s turning 7 which is kinda shocking as I remember the day he was born as if it was yesterday. We’re having a low key day with some of his friends coming over, then taking him out for dinner. Currently there’s a huge pile of presents to be wrapped in the corner of my bedroom – I’m not quite sure how he hasn’t guessed what’s hiding under the Spiderman blanket! Every week I try and write a post about…

  • outdoor adventures
    mindfulness - Monday Happy List - Orla Kiely

    Monday Happy List {Week 126}

    February 27, 2017 - By 

    It’s been a strange old week. The children only had 4 days at school thanks to an Inset Day but they’ve both been quite tired and grumpy getting back into the school routine. Today my 6 year old asked when the Summer holidays were going to start. I didn’t want to break it to him that he still had a good few weeks months of school left. Monday Happy List {Week 126} Although we finished the new kitchen a few months ago we had half an idea about putting wallpaper up on one wall. We finally chose a pattern we…

  • Spring flowers
    mindfulness - Monday Happy List - Orla Kiely

    Monday happy things {week 125}

    February 20, 2017 - By 

    Good morning everyone! Monday again but my children have an Inset Day today so we’re very thankful that half term is lasting an extra day! Time for my weekly Monday happy things post, re-visiting the things that have made me happy in the previous week. Monday happy things {week 125} As it was half term we went away and visited the parentals. This involved quite a lot of driving and some extremes of weather. We started off with snow and freezing temperatures, ending the week with warm sunshine, finally able to shred the layers of coats, hats and gloves. You’ve…

  • Upcycled Orla Kiely flower vase tutorial
    crafts - homestyle - Orla Kiely

    Upcycled Orla Kiely flower vase tutorial

    January 26, 2017 - By 

    I’m a bit of a hoarder and this applies to envelopes, boxes and tissue paper – pretty much any packaging which comes through my letter box. I  had some gorgeous Orla Kiely tissue paper in my stash and came up with the simplest upcycle. I used: Orla Kiely tissue paper Mod Podge Glass flower jar Upcycled Orla Kiely flower vase tutorial: I cut my tissue paper to fit around my glass jar. Then I used Mod Podge painted directly to the glass jar. I carefully applied my tissue paper and left it to dry. I’ve already filled my glass jar…

  • London Model Engineering Exhibition at Ally Pally
    Lego - Monday Happy List - Orla Kiely

    Monday happy things – week 121

    January 23, 2017 - By 

    Hope you all had a great weekend. Ours was filled with parties and swimming lessons as usual. Every Monday I write a post about the five things which have made me happy in the previous week – imaginatively titled Monday happy things. My son was off sick most of last week with chicken pox. He is pretty good company and I enjoyed spending time with him. When he was feeling a little better we managed to get out and he found a huge Chewbacca figure in a charity shop. He was so excited to add it to his Star Wars…