• painting with Annie Sloan
    crafts - homestyle - Orla Kiely - upcycling

    Orla Kiely inspired stool

    October 14, 2016 - By 

    I’ve been needing to inject a bit more colour into our living room. I had some Orla Kiely wrapping paper left over and thought it would be perfect for updating our little stool. A while ago I painted it with a Miffy face but it’s been looking a little sad, definitely in need of some TLC. I gathered my supplies: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Emperor’s Silk and a paint brush. I love using Chalk Paints as you don’t need to do any prep! I simply covered the legs and underneath of the stool in two coats of paint and…

  • Orla Kiely Multi Striped Petal wallpaper
    homestyle - interiors - Orla Kiely

    Updating our home {Orla Kiely wallpaper}

    August 27, 2016 - By 

    I find it hard to believe how long we’ve lived in our house. It’s definitely not our forever home but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to create a happy home environment. In the past 3 years we’ve decorated all our bedrooms, the hall and stairs and are just finishing off re-tiling the downstairs bathroom. I’m the first to admit I really hate decorating. I love the idea of freshly painted ceilings, new wallpaper and furnishings. But in reality I hate the mess and upheaval and would put it off for ever if I could. In a bid to fall…

  • 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…

  • Lego birthday party
    days out - Lego - London - mindfulness - Monday Happy List - Orla Kiely

    Monday Happy List – Week 99

    August 15, 2016 - By 

    I’m really enjoying the summer holidays. I’m not sure if it’s because the children are a little bit older or that we’ve not had a moment to be bored. I struggled to make a short list for my weekly Monday Happy List post, we’re just too busy at the moment! However, if I have to choose my 5 favourite things over the last week they would be as follows: My 6 year old was invited to an amazing Lego birthday party at the start of the week. It was well organised with 3 different Lego challenges. My son is Lego…

  • Orla Kiely bin
    mindfulness - Orla Kiely

    Tuesday Happy List – week 93

    July 5, 2016 - By 

    As I lay in bed last night I realised that for the first time in over a year I hadn’t written or published my weekly Happy List post. It’s not that I didn’t have anything to share, life is full and busy, but I was actually living life rather than blogging about it. So, slightly later than usual – it’s time for my weekly Monday Tuesday Happy List, a chance for me to record some of my favourite things from the previous week. Enjoyed probably isn’t the word but I thought the commemorations for the anniversary of the Battle of…

  • 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…

  • Orla Kiely water bottle
    days out - Orla Kiely

    Olive and Orange by Orla Kiely

    May 26, 2016 - By 

    My Stay-at-Home-Mum budget is pretty small and doesn’t often allow for big treats but I have been lusting after the new Orla Kiely and Halfords collaboration since it was announced earlier this year. The Olive and Orange collection consists of cycling, cycling accessories, as well as tents and camping accessories, all in Orla’s signature style. So far in my life I’ve resisted all my husband’s attempts to make me even consider camping. A few years ago we went “glamping” and although bits were wonderful all I remember is the distinct lack of hot water and electricity – not good for…

  • days out - mindfulness - Orla Kiely

    Monday Happy List – Week 87

    May 23, 2016 - By 

    Last week was one of those really busy weeks with lots of mundane things. We had an after-school Doctor’s appointment, every member of the family had a hair cut and there were 2 trips to the Dentist. Thank goodness for fun things too though, my 6 year old received a new badge from Beavers and both kids tried karate for the first time. I love the fact they get to try new things, although I noticed there was an adult karate class too…. I sent and received a parcel for the Nana Company swap I recently took part in. My…

  • beauty - Orla Kiely

    Orla Kiely beauty haul

    March 29, 2016 - By 

    A couple of weeks ago I picked up some lovely Orla Kiely items in Boots and I’ve been wanting to share them here for a while. Since we’re away for a few days and I’ve been using them all, I thought it was a good opportunity to tell you about them. I love Orla Kiely patterns and designs. I got my first Orla Kiely handbag in 2004 (I think!) and have enjoyed watching her bring out new product lines and patterns ever since. I can’t usually afford more than a handbag but I got really excited about her beauty range…