Coveting....

These cross stitch tapestries made into pillows. Not cheap but I guess they are a work of art.

Coveting...

More Union Jack loveliness from Jan Constantine which I found over at Home Shopping Spy. I think getting a Double Decker to display them might be going a bit too far but they might look good displayed on this...

Houses - real ones not magazines!

As I mentioned before my wonderful friend Abi has the most beautiful home, full of the most beautiful things. Despite the range and variety of objects their owners have somehow managed to pull all these interesting things together and make it look cohesive and lovely. I love wandering around her house as there is always somehting quite lovely and original to look at but I guess she and her nearly husband (hi Matt) both work in theatre so are visual people. Below are just some of the things I love about their home.

Lighting

Abi has slowly built up a collection of really beautiful lights. No paper globes for these people, their lights have to be beautiful too. Here are a few...








The use of colour and texture

They are much braver than I with their colour choices. The Money Pit is pretty much all white and I love how light it feels but their home feels rich and luxurious....



The painting in this picture, I think, is by Abi's very talented brother. He now has a fancy career building sets and all kinds of things for photo shoots as well as designing shop windows such as the wonderful Liberty. So I guess taste runs in the family...



Unfortunately, the bathroom, I think one of my faves was occupied at the time of photographing but it is a deep teal green with white accessories, floor and beautiful aqua shower tiles...

Cakes, fizz, curry, fizz and much, much fun...

No progress again this weekend on the house as I was at Abi's hen party. Although this post is not strictly house oriented, Abi has also renovated her house over the last five years and she has now nearly finished it so I can put the weekend down to 'research' and 'motivation building'. I can not only take pictures of all her beautiful things (photos to follow), I can see what you can create if you put your mind to it and take your time selecting the things you really love and produce something very beautiful on a limited budget. Anyway, as I am still a little weary after all the hen party japes this post will be a weekend in pictures!

Arrival drinks in Abi's kitchen at Pimms o'clock...

Off to the beautiful Luton Hoo...

For afternoon tea...

Quick change round and then we dragged our rather full bellies out for a curry (or mung beans?!) and then home for pyjama clad grown up slumber party viewing of Sex and the City (for the lightweights) and more fizz and followed by whiskey nightcap for the hardcore! Next morning dawned bright and sunny for brunch...

and the papers...

In the garden...


Followed by a quiz with 'nearly wife' suitable prizes...

Isn't she a picture? Anyway so many thanks all you girls for attending. It was a super fun weekend and reminded me how much I enjoy spending time with groups of kind, funny and quite brilliant ladies. Same time again next year??

Coveting...

More chairs. Button back. Grey. Reasonable price....bet they're not that comfy but I am still liking.

More glamping...

One of my colleagues has booked a holiday to go glamping here. I am thinking they should pay me a commission. I am more than a little jealous but it has reminded me of another place that I would love to stay. Not camping but caravanning. Like canvas accommodation, I am rather dismissive of caravans but I would make an exception if it was like this....

Inspiration...

As this is a place where I can keep a record of things I love, things want in my home or just find inspiring it is only fitting that I include this...

It is my mum at my childhood home in the 1970s. Isn't she lovely? This is what one of her oldest friends said about her and I couldn't agree more.

Your Mum is probably the most amazing person I know! Despite lots of setbacks in her life, she never complained and would keep things to herself so as not to upset anyone else. Wherever she lives, her door is always open, especially to people in need of advice and/or tender loving care.

She is fun and easy to be with, she is the epitome of compassion, she is smart, a great cook, extremely efficient and one feels secure in her presence. Last but not least, how many people would 'jump start' a new career in their forties? None that I know of! I am proud to be a friend of hers and I wish her lots of good things for now and in the future.

Love you Mum xx

Coveting...

Union Jacks for their graphic quality not because I am a nationalist...

Love this wall hanging and the pillows and even the dog....

And this is pretty...

Bathroom Progress...

I mentioned the other day that we had at long last (6 months since we bought the place) bought ourselves a bath. T'husband put in a mammoth effort and trekked over to Durham and back on Saturday to collect it. He also collected me on his way back and got many a look and comment when he rocked up at the supermarket with a bath strapped to the back of a pick-up. Think that mobile baths or 'Tub Tours' might be the future. If it had been a rocking chair I would have totally rode it home, preferably sucking straw and strumming on a ukulele. Anyhoo, here is story of the bath room so far.

This is how it looked when we bought the house...

We were given a fireplace for free by t'husband's sister - gotta love the free (thanks Marie and Bri). Here is a glimpse...

As the fireplace is quite ornate and pretty I thought I would go for very simple, modern, masculine bathroom furniture as t'husband has informed me that this is 'his' bathroom so I thought he may not fancy a feminine 'Powder Room' despite him spending much more time in there than any girl I know. So we bought the sinks and WC first (on sale of course!). Here they are...

And last but by no means least the new addition.

Isn't she pretty? I even bought her some flowers to welcome her to her new home. Although not plumbed in, I am still admiring her sculptural quality and think I am getting as much pleasure from looking at her as I will actually using her. If she's not good to go anytime soon I guess we could always use her as a beer cooler for t'husband's upcoming birthday.

So here is how the bathroom looks now...


Still to do: tiling around sinks, filling holes, re-grouting shower tiles, new flooring, plumb bath.

As well as all the bath excitement we also got up to a fair few other things including...

Seeing relatives...

And spending time with siblings...

With whom we obviously share a fashion sense...


Eating food...


Burning it off...


And enjoying Ramsbottom...

Weekends rock...

Glamping....

I am not a fan of camping but this looks beautiful...

Coveting...

I know this blog is mean't to be about the house but I have been looking for a boat necked long sleeved shift dress for a long time. I was even thinking of trying to get one made but then I saw this....Pretty ain't she?

Coveting....

I saw this image in a brochure for leather Chesterfield sofas. I love the style of Chesterfields (and button back chairs generally) but always felt leather would be too cold. So when I saw the grapic above I thought..if I could just find a grey fabric version of that chair....well looky here!

It's button back, it's grey, it's Chesterfield style...what's not to love! This is going on my list of things I don't really need but want so much it almost counts as a need....

A purchase for the house....

Currently, we are without a bath which in the majority suits me fine but I think t'husband really misses the, especially when he is aching after biking....so he has come up trumps on ebay again and has purchased this for a bargain price.

Now all we have to do is source some flooring, have a creative session with some old picture frames, tile, fill holes and that room's done...

Decorating with Emerald Green and a bit of black...

Part one - Dublin...

Okay the title may be a bit misleading. There has been no decorating, and especially none in Emerald Green. The excuse this time....a trip to Ireland! Not only did that take us away from The Money Pit for a week (time continues to slip through our fingers - June? Already? Really?) , but also all that Guinness, the 'craic', not cooking for a week and having a menu of foods you could choose from willy nilly by using the phrase 'well, we are on holiday' and those hostelries took our money like the most charming pick pocket you could ever hope to meet. So no house progress but a really good holiday. A few things that caught my eye...

Trinity Capital hotel and its crazy chairs ....exhibit A


And exhibit B....

Local colour...even the graffiti is attractive

More colour...

A place to worship...at the altar of Guinness. A bar (or is it a Church?) where they combine the institutions of religion and drinking...

Oh and how can we forget that other institution Rugby or is it football of the Irish variety? Think I switched off around this point....

Twas only a flying visit as we stopped over on the way to a wedding in Omagh....so more excuses when I post about that!