Trees

I always get very excited when my Ideal Home magazine drops through the letter box at the end of the month.  I get myself settled with a cup of tea and start browsing!

Yesterday, as I was excitedly reading  my November issue I noticed their article on woody wallpapers.  They claim we should all fall for natural tree prints this autumn.  I thought, hey, I've seen something similar to that.  And here it is, the wallpaper we inherited with the house which is on a feature wall around the fireplace.  Isn't it funny how trends turn up again 50 years later!

Woodbridge: The Modest Contemporary Home | 4Homes | Channel4.com

Woodbridge: The Modest Contemporary Home 4Homes Channel4.com

I have always been a fan of Grand Designs and last night's episode was one of the best.  It was a very moving story and Lucie showed great strength and determination to build their vision and make a wonderful family home for her and her children.

Before... Part 2 - The Bathroom

Here is the next instalment of photos.  This is the bathroom such as it is.  Sorry the photo isn't better but it is so small in there I couldn't really get a better photo! 

The curtain rail fell down the other day so one of the curtains is now just hanging there and the blind doesn't seem to work since I put it up! Lucky we only have fields out the back!

The bathroom is nearly all tiled in these pale yellow square tiles but has a border of quite pretty tiles around the bath.

They sort of remind me of an Orla Kiely style design.  They must be original 1960s or 1970s tiles.  In the right context they could be lovely so perhaps I will try to salvage them.

I am hoping the bathroom will be one of the first rooms to tackle after the heating and windows as it is quite damp and not a very nice room to be in.  I refuse to have a bath in there but my poor little boy has to bathe in the grotty bath every evening.  Luckily he is more interested in his toys than the grime and bad decor!

Before... Part 1 - The Kitchen

As promised, here are some photos of the house before any work starts. 

Here is the kitchen which looks better in these photos than it does in real life!  You see where the sink is below the window?  That will be knocked through to create an opening into the new kitchen which is currently a delapidated "sunroom"!  The existing kitchen will become a dining/family area.

This next photo is along the left wall of the kitchen.  I want to get a dresser to put on the opposite wall where all our appliances are at the moment as we will have a utility room to hide them all away in when our extension is complete.

This is the retro kitchen shelf which I quite like!  It looks nicer when it is tidy with all my Emma Bridgewater mugs and tins on it.  Unfortunately, all my cook books are too tall so most are lying on their side at the moment!

Lastly, for now, is the "sunroom" out the back of the house.  This is an old wooden extension which now has a collapsed floor and moss growing inside the windows.  It will get demolished very soon and replaced with our new kitchen!  I can't wait!!

Out the back of our house is the garage and then at the end of the garden we look onto open fields which is lovely. 

That's all for now as I must go and wake up my little boy and go food shopping.  More later!

Home sweet home

Well, that is us back from our little holiday and what fun we had! It was great taking our little one in the swimming pool and we found a large soft play area which he loved too.  I think its safe to say our first holiday was a great success!

I realised when looking at my blog today that I have said it will be about the renovation of our bungalow amongst other things.  You must be wondering why I haven't really mentioned this yet!  Well, we are waiting for our planning permission to be approved and for the builders etc to be able to start work.  I will take some photos this week and post them so you can see all the before shots but it may be some time till we have finished rooms to show off!

It is very exciting to start thinking about the decor.  I am going to start gathering sample wallpapers and fabrics and furniture ideas and make some little mood boards over the next few weeks.  I will keep you updated!

Happy Sunday!

First Family Holiday

Good Morning, today we are heading off on our first holiday as a family! We aren't going far, just to the Lake District.  It should be fun when we get there but my goodness what a lot of stuff we need to take with us!!  I am so thrifty that I am taking washing up cloths, loo roll, tissues, anything and everything that I think we might need that will probably be on sale at the holiday complex shop but at an over inflated price!

 I sort of forgot how much stuff a toddler needs on a daily basis too! We have been to stay at my mum's for the same amount of time but she at least has some essentials at her house.  Well, maybe a cup and plate and spoon and cot sheets, and that is probably about all!  Because of the time of year I have also packed his shorts and t-shirts but also his waterproof jacket, his cosy jacket and hat incase it gets cold!  I think when we get there I may realise that I have been a bit excessive but best to be prepared!

Now time to get it all in the car and hit the road! Hopefully it will all fit!  I will let you know how our first family holiday went on our return. 

Oh, and one last thing.  A big thanks to my new followers!  My brain is ticking to think of a little giveaway when I have more followers!

My Pretty New Tea Set

I just had to show you the tea set I got during the summer at a car boot sale.  It was £3 and I think it is very pretty! It has only 5 cups but 6 saucers and 6 tea plates!  I am always on the lookout for pretty little things to add a touch of individuality and niceness to my home.  I hope you like it as much as I do!

Baby, toddler or somewhere in between...

It is the weekly babies and toddlers group this morning so we are just getting ready to go out.  I naively thought that I would sit and drink tea and chat to other mummies while all the little people got on with playing! It seems that these days have passed and are still to come as my little one neither seems to be a baby or a toddler! He is too big for the baby corner as he tends to crawl over everyone and throw toys around but because he can't yet toddle I still have to chase around after him to avoid injury as he attempts to climb up the slide!

I really look forward to our weekly play as I do get to chat to other mummies and he has a great time playing with new toys and other toddlers and is always exhausted by the time we get home! I also get to drink a cup of tea and there is always a yummy choice of cakes for the grown ups too.  Mmm, wonder what it will be today?

Shabby Chic Gifts, Furniture & Accessories From Daisy Park

Shabby Chic Gifts, Furniture & Accessories From Daisy Park

Where we live

I just have to share some of the great things about where we live!  It is a small village on the coast of the Firth of Forth.  We moved here two months ago and it's such a nice little place.  Very quaint and a bit old fashioned - the bank is only open in the morning, as is the chemist! There aren't many shops here but there are a few gems.   They appeal to my love of all things pretty for your home!  I worked in Jonathan Avery, Edinburgh before my little boy came along and I miss seeing all those gorgeous housey things every day!  I also love bunting and beach huts! Anyway, where was I... there are two beaches here and a great play park and they hold a festival in August each year with music, raft race, regatta and a village market.  It really is a lovely place to be and will be even better when our house is complete!