In the spring I love to find new ways to spruce up my home; tidying, decluttering and revamping my interior. Of course, I always want any improvements to be as low-cost as possible so here are some thrifty tips to get your home looking fab for spring…
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It’s less than a month until Mother’s Day on Sunday 14th March so, if you’re thinking of buying something unique or personalised for your mum from independent makers, that gives you 4 weeks to choose a handmade gift. Here are 8 of my favourite Etsy shops:
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If you want inspiration for a cosy home that can easily take you from winter into spring, Amy from Cuter Tudor has kindly allowed me to share some photos of her beautifully styled home to provide all the design inspo you need for a transitional interior…
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Here are 3 easy projects you can DIY for Mother’s Day using upcycled items you may already have at home, including a tote bag, slogan tee and pamper hamper…
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Mother’s Day is coming up on 31st March so I thought I’d blog some gift ideas in advance to give you time to head to the shop or put in your orders online. There’s something for all tastes and budgets in my gift guide so I hope you’ll find something that your mum will love…
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If you’ve got an old chair that you want to re-cover but just can’t find the fabric you want, how about printing your own? I’ve used iron-on transfers and added applique felt leaves to make my own unique tropical fabric design. Here’s how I did it…
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My two little bundles of fluff, Cookie and Muffin, have got themselves quite a profile these days. Not only are they the real stars of my blog (let’s be honest) but they’re actually getting more features than I am these days – here are some of the publications that have made them famous…
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Ahh isn’t it nice when the sun shines? Don’t you just want to sit out in the garden and watch the world go by? Here are some ideas for making your own bench (using pallets – a big win for upcycling!) and finding lovely garden furniture if you’re on a budget…
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If you want to throw open your windows and doors to let some spring freshness in, here are a few natural, low-cost and cruelty-free remedies you can make at home to prevent bugs from coming into your house and setting up home…
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If you want to bring the outside in without any mess or fuss, artificial plants are one of the best accessories you can add to your home to bring add a splash of colour – here’s why…
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When space is tight and you don’t have room for a dressing table in your bedroom, how about turning an alcove or cupboard into a built-in vanity space? Here’s how my finished fitted DIY dressing table project turned out…
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If you’ve got alcoves in your home, even the smallest space can be turned into a handy storage area. Here’s how I added shelves to a corner of my home office to create a cute bookshelf…
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Ever fancied printing your own designs onto fabric? Well, that’s exactly what I did for my latest project in Reloved magazine (with a little help from UnrulyPrint!)- here’s how I got on…
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Remember when I shared a video on painting a mountain mural for a child’s bedroom? Well today is the finished ‘room tour’ with all the little bits and bobs that turned a spare room into baby’s haven…
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I’ve been DIYing again this month and I’ve come up with a fun upcycling project to turn an old MDF shelving unit into a LEGO play table and toy store…
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Oooh I had a lovely Sunday lunch last weekend. Can you guess what it was?? I shopped ethically and sourced some fresh, local lamb to make this delicious lamb shank recipe with sticky redcurrant gravy – here’s how to make it yourself…
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Great news – my project on prettifying glassware for New Year’s Eve was published in Reloved magazine this month! Check out Issue 50 for the step-by-step guide to creating these decorated cocktail glasses.
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You may have noticed from my recent blog posts that I’ve been getting back into the kitchen over the past few weeks. I’m actually planning to renovate my kitchen in January, as we haven’t done anything much with it since we moved in. But in the meantime I’ve been using some new gadgets to help […]
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That feeling of satisfaction after vacuuming the living room, wiping the bathroom mirror or changing the bed sheets is lovely. I don’t know about you, but I tend to put off non-essential cleaning tasks (well, who has time to wipe that mirror anyway?!) because I’m so busy trying to keep on top of the basic […]
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Having a clean and well-organised home is a great way to impress your guests and neighbours. Moreover, removing clutter is also considered an effective way of reducing your stress levels and promoting the health and well-being of everyone in the household. But as much as we want to make our homes spotless and gleaming, cleaning […]
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There are lots of quick and easy ways to give your home a unique and highly personalised look. One of the easiest, and often the most affordable ways, is using your own photos. Most of us take a lot but rarely do anything with them, apart from maybe posting a few online. You can take […]
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Have you seen this month’s issue of Reloved Magazine yet? If not, quickly get yourself a copy from WH Smith, Sainsburys, Tesco or Costco, because my picnic project is in the magazine with an impressive double-page spread (and 3 further pages of step-by-step photos, too!) Yes, I’m seriously excited! Not one but three of my DIY upcycles were […]
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After about 5 months of decorating on-and-off whenever we had the time (and, most importantly, whenever we had the money!) the bedroom is finally finished. Of course, I use the word ‘finished’ lightly because there are still more things I want to add to the bedroom, such as and a dressing table. But for now, […]
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Not quite as green fingered as you would like to be? Creating a fantastic garden is as much about experience and experimenting with plants, as it is about skill and in-depth plant knowledge. I’ve teamed up with Rattan Direct to bring you this list of 10 easy to grow and easy-to-care-for plants, so you can […]
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Whilst the idea of growing your own vegetables sounds fun and is a great money-saving idea, many people think they just wouldn’t have enough time to tend to their veggie patch. Sure, it can mean spending a lot of time in the garden, but don’t give up – when the sun is shining and the breeze keeping you cool, there’s […]
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This little run of bank holiday weekends has got me thinking about the summer holidays – has it been the same for you too? If so, I thought I’d share a little staycation inspiration with you this week! I’d love to help you enjoy a holiday in your own home – after all, that’s what […]
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I think you can probably guess from my recipe posts this year that I’m getting into juicing. I’d love to say that it’s because I’ve decided to live a more healthy lifestyle and want to reinvigorate my body, but that’s not really the reason. It’s as simple as ‘I don’t like fruit’. Sure, berries and dried […]
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Hurrah! We finally have some new bedding for our new bedroom. After weeks spent stripping off wallpaper, days painting layers and layers of while emulsion to cover up bright peach walls, and even more hours spent laying beautiful laminate flooring, I think it was about time that we got a little reward for all our hard […]
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When I started decorating my bedroom, I knew I wanted to create a tranquil space. I’ve always dreamed of an entirely white room – even when I was a teenager I wanted to create a minimalist room for myself, although you can imagine how un-minimal a teenage girl’s single room is in reality! This project is therefore the culmination of that dream. White, white […]
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I’m delighted to share with you some pics of my latest project in Reloved magazine. This month I made a breakfast-in-bed tray as a romantic treat for Valentine’s Day. What do you think??I upcycled an old picture frame and turned it into a breakfast tray by removing the glass, and decoupaging old book pages (a falling-apart […]
Read MoreThe difficulty with moving house is finding space for all your existing furniture. It’s likely that your rooms will be a different size and shape from your previous home and that may affect what pieces you can and can’t bring with you to the new location. When I move house I’m pretty sure that my […]
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I’ve made my first ever neon sign. It’s going to take pride of place in my office in a few months time but I couldn’t wait for all the decorating to be done before showing you the project. It took just a couple of hours, a can of bright pink spray paint and a length of […]
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It’s all about the juicing this year. Or at least it is in my household because we’ve got a new juicer! As someone who has never tried combinations of juice before (seriously, orange juice is as adventurous as it got!) I’ve been really intrigued to start reading up on juicing and looking into recipes. There are […]
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It’s the first fresh sunny day of the year today and, even though there’s frost on the ground, my thoughts have already turned to spring interiors. I found myself on Pinterest looking for pastel colours and design inspiration, despite the fact that it’s still darkest winter and I need the coal fire on to keep […]
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With a new home on the horizon I have, of course, been doing extensive decor research on Pinterest. Yes, research. Honest. Okay, I’ve been pinning plenty of pretty homes and tons of gorgeous homewares over the past couple of months (ahem… years) in order to be well-prepared for my imminent house move. Today I’m sharing […]
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After a long summer of days out and time spent outdoors, each September I tend to turn my attention back indoors and start looking at new trends for the home. While it’s been around for a while now, the watercolour trend remains one of my favourites of recent years. We’ve been seeing painterly florals on […]
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When I first heard about the #FloorSelfie challenge, I found myself getting a little excited. Not only do I love a good photo challenge, but I also love shoes, and taking photos of my feet for a week sounded like great fun. No need for any special equipment to get involved with this challenge; I […]
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Blazing red sunsets, rainbow skies, dark silhouettes and pastel hues. All of these beautiful elements combine to make one of the most stunning features of the evening sky – the sunset. If you’ve never watched the sun setting over rolling countryside, perhaps this summer is the time to do it. It’s a really special moment when you […]
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The summer holidays are drawing to an end and all that’s left is happy memories of melting ice cream, collecting shells, splashing in the sea, fish ‘n’ chips lunches, breezy promenades and fluffy candy floss on the pier. Yes, I have to admit that I’ve indulged a little too much during August, but haven’t we all? I blame ‘holiday spirit’ […]
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If you like buses, trams, motor bikes, old trucks and fire engines (or lawnmowers, for that matter) this is the museum for you. I’ve always enjoyed travelling by bus, so why wouldn’t I want to go to a museum full of them, eh? It’s packed full of vintage vehicles and, while it looks unassuming from the outside, […]
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As you may remember, I’ve been asking some of my favourite bloggers to help me out with some guest posts this summer so that I can take a little time off. Luckily my pals didn’t let me down and emailed over a huge variety of inspirational blog posts for me to share during August. Here’s […]
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What better way to start your weekend than with a HUGE breakfast freakshake? It’ll certainly give you that FriYAY feeling! With rich homemade caramel sauce, creamy vanilla ice cream, delicious chilled cappuccino, crisp waffles, indulgent mini-donuts and oodles of chocolate, it’s a belly-busting way to start your day. Sure, it’s not a recipe for every day […]
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Sunday is the one day of the week when you don’t necessarily have to be up early, you’ve got nowhere to be rushing off to and you can take your time chilling out at home all morning long. For me, it’s my brunch day. I eat pretty much the same thing for breakfast every other day […]
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I’m getting ready for BBQ season with this week’s Pieday Friday recipe. Yes, I’m making homemade coleslaw, which we all know is the best type of coleslaw in the world. Sure, you can spend ££s on luxury coleslaw if you really want to, but nothing beats the fresh, zesty crunch of a homemade ‘slaw. Use […]
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You may have already done the big spring clean in your own home, but what about your relatives? In particular, I’m thinking about your grandparents, parents, uncles and great aunts who may be less able to give their own home a thorough clean this year. When I heard about the #RiseToTheChallenge campaign on social media […]
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What better way to serve ice-cream and chocolate sauce than in freshly baked cookie cups, eh? I don’t know where I conjured up this idea from in my mind but when my family recently popped round for an impromptu meal, the cookie cups were something I really wanted to try out. I knew I had ice-cream […]
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We’re all hoping for a sunny bank holiday weekend right? And what better way to spend the long lazy weekend than with a spot of al fresco dining, eh? I’ve got the ideal recipe for you to try out this weekend; it’s really fast, super-easy and uses just a handful of ingredients that you’ve probably […]
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Can you guess what we’ve been up to recently from the title of this blog post? Last weekend my husband and I set off on a lovely weekend walk in the countryside, planning to find a bluebell wood which (having googled it) we knew was nearby. After a long period of cold wintry weather in […]
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Today’s recipe is a great one for adding a little bit of excitement to your party. If you’re planning a wedding, hen party, birthday or are even gathering together to celebrate the Queen’s 90th at a street party, this little fruity recipe would be a great addition to a glass of something bubbly. Whether you’re […]
Read MoreIt’s a common misconception that fruit can only be grown in ‘warmer’ climates. Okay for some fruits this is true but there are so many fruits that you can actually grow yourself in your own garden, even in the British weather! With Spring finally upon us, now is the perfect time to start thinking about […]
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With Easter coming this weekend you may, like me, be planning a gathering of festive proportions. Yes, Easter is often the first opportunity that the family has of all getting together post-Christmas so I like to make a big deal out of the 4-day holiday and make something special to eat and drink. As you […]
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Everybody knows wellington boots are an amazing accessory for any wet day, but unfortunately we tend to find ourselves only wearing them a handful of times throughout the year. As a result of this, especially with the little ones, the next time you go to pop them on they’re too small. Well, if you find […]
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It must be the slighter sunnier weather, or perhaps the impending Easter holidays, that has got me thinking about days out, picnics and flasks full of tea. In fact, I went on my first picnic of the year yesterday lunchtime and, after all these dark winter months of eating lunch indoors, it was so lovely […]
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The attraction of growing your own vegetables appeals to many people. Whether you’re a trendy hipster with a passion for subsistence living or you have a family allotment that the kids enjoy, there is a gardener in all of us. Just starting out? Don’t worry – you don’t need to be a green-thumbed garden wizard to grow these […]
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It may be wet and snowing outside this morning but no amount of bad weather can dampen my mood. And that’s because I’ve been enjoying reading a particularly sunny book this weekend – Happy Home Outside by Charlotte Hedeman Guéniau.
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It’s a well-known fact that everybody looks for ways to save money at the start of the year, especially straight after the ‘excessive’ festive period. It’s also well known that once winter is over, we start to look around our homes with fresh eyes and start to notice little jobs that need to be addressed […]
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Remember my little vintage caravan? It tends to be more of a focus of my blog posts during the summer, because I seem to spend most of my time out there when the weather is good. When it’s chilly and windy, like it has been this week, I’ve been rather more reluctant to work outside […]
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Today’s Pieday Friday recipe is so simple that I can’t believe I’ve not baked it before. Considering that quiche is one of my most-loved dishes of all time, I am astounded that I’ve never tried to create a healthy alternative. When I’m being especially ‘good’ with my food choices, I tend to just eliminate quiche […]
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While everyone else was putting up their decorations and baking mince pies, I was researching S/S16 interiors trends. While humming along to Christmas carols and lighting my advent candle, I was flicking through pastel colour swatches and picking out brightly patterned cushions. And only days before finally putting my feet up for the festive holidays, I […]
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Today’s blog post is all about fresh herbal tea, and I’ve shared a recipe for my all-time favourite tea below. I’ve been inspired to create this blog post for two reasons. Firstly I got a brand new teapot this week and I’ve been dying to try it out. It’s a fabulous retro design and I […]
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Over the past few months I’ve shared a few blog posts about my bathroom makeover and today I wanted to show you the ‘finished’ room. Okay, okay, I’m pretty sure that it’ll never truly be ‘finished’ as I’ve been adding it to whenever I find a new nautical accessory at the car boot sale… but at […]
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I once lost a whole load of photos when my mobile phone died. It was before the days of the ‘cloud’ (which I’m still not sure I fully understand now..!) when you had to physically plug your phone into the computer to get images off it. That particular phone could access the internet but I […]
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April was a good month for getting things done. There were equal numbers of bright days to grey days so everything in out home got sorted out, both inside and out. It’s such a lovely feeling to tick lots of chores off our list and I’m going into May with a big smile on my […]
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For my Style Icon Challenge this Spring I chose Holly Willoughby. I’ve always loved her classic girly style and could easily picture myself in any of the cute tea dresses she wears so it was an obvious choice for me. I am a huge fan of floral patterns, especially as we head into summer, so […]
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Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been taking on the challenge to give my garden a bit of makeover. The weather is finally lovely enough to encourage me outside and I’ve had the urge to start digging, weeding and planting ready for summer. A trip to the garden centre for couple of bags of […]
Read MoreWith the sun breaking through the clouds this week, I’ve been feeling the urge to spring clean and improve my home. It’s always at this time of year that I start thinking about decorating and wishing that I had a bigger budget to make some changes! However, I’ve come up with a few creative ways […]
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Happy Easter everyone! Today I’m sharing a quick and easy recipe for a creamy blue cheese sauce that I tried out for the first time this week. The recipe was inspired by a visit to the local market when I came skipping home with a big bag full of purple sprouting broccoli.
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With the sun making a welcome appearance this week and Easter just around the corner, I thought I’d get invest in some fresh ingredients to create a delicious spring salad. I searched online and found an excellent recipe for a parma ham, buffalo mozzarella and pea salad called ‘A Taste of Newcastle’ by chef Andrew […]
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How will the Easter bunny know where to deliver your chocolate eggs if you don’t hang a spring wreath on your door?? The whole Easter bunny thing is like Santa, right? Well, I don’t want to risk missing out on my chocolate goodies so I’ve been DIYing a wreath for spring this week and I’ve […]
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This week I’ve been baking delicious cakes for a Valentine’s Day treat – a DIY afternoon tea. If you missed my blog post about how to enjoy a luxurious date with your Valentine for less, you can check it out here. So today I’m sharing the recipe that I used to bake some absolutely delicious blueberry […]
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