Sunday 26 May 2013

Movie Night....

Saturday night in the Shabby Chic Sarah household is movie night - we like to have something yummy to eat and drink and settle in to watch a movie or two.
Last night it was a horror, Mr G and I love a horror movie - when we were kids we went through virtually every scary film in the video shop (remember videos? The first one I remember had a VHS and a Betamax section it was that long ago!!)

Of course these days you don't even have to leave the house to rent a film with the various places you can instantly stream movies - a concept that would have blown the minds of 15 yr old Sarah and Mr G as we trotted off to Blockbuster!!
As the only girl in the house I more often than night have to sit through boys movies - however I am currently campaigning for the boys to let me watch Les Miserables online, what do you think my chances are?!!
Hope you're all well....
Hugs,
S x



Friday 10 May 2013

Lovers Of Light....

Last year we bought a proper DSLR camera (a Canon EOS 550D) which I love, but with the advent of such good quality cameras in ones mobile phone I must confess it has rather taken a back seat lately.

And although our mobile phones do take very good pictures these days, I think that you rarely get that little heart flutter that a truly beautiful shot taken on a "real" camera can create.

I have found inspiration to use my DSLR in a somewhat unlikely place - VELUX (the company that makes roof windows, sun tunnels etc) have created a beautiful short film/slide show Lovers of Light which showcases some of the stunning landscape images they received during their Lovers Of Light photo competition.

The competition was run for several months and in that time VELUX received some 9000 photographs - the Lovers of Light photography competition was designed to celebrate light in its every form and the images are breathtaking and a true inspiration to get to grips with ones "proper" camera!!

So, with bluebell season upon us (rather late due to all this unseasonably cold weather we have been having) I will definitely be taking my big girls camera up to the local copse which every year has the most fantastic display of bluebells, with carpets of them as far as the eye can see.

Hopefully, I will be able to improve upon the photos I have taken in previous years (as the trip to admire the bluebells is naturally an annual tradition) such as this one taken with our old Fuji point and shoot:

The VELUX Lovers Of Light film is set to music and well worth sitting down with a cup of tea to enjoy for five minutes - who knows, maybe you will be inspired to get to know your camera better too....

Hugs,

S x

(Although this is a sponsored post all opinions are my own)



Wednesday 8 May 2013

The Magazine Shoot!!

Some weeks ago I was contacted by a journalist who wondered if I might like to have our house featured in a home magazine. It was the second time since I began blogging that I was asked and this time I said yes.

We have spent the last few weeks doing all those jobs that need doing but you never get around to, plus Mr G had the last week off so we could repaint/touch-up/clean like mad and finally we were ready.

Yesterday the photographer Brett Symes and the stylist Jo for Style At Home arrived to spend the day shooting the house.

Unfortunately, I had to be in some of the photos and like many I detest having my photo taken - I delete nine out of ten I take but Brett (who also shoots weddings) very much put me at my ease and it was a relatively painless affair.

The inclusion of my knitting gave me something to do with my hands and soon I was nattering away while Brett took pictures, occasionally asking me to look up at him:

The letter from the magazine had said that the shoot would last a full day, and as our house is a modest semi we couldn't understand how they were possibly take so long. However, we soon realised why as the attention to detail and time taken to set up each shot is phenomenal.

Each shot was styled very carefully by Jo, the composition checked, adjusted and rechecked several times before each shot and after four and a half hours only the downstairs had been completed:

Jo arranging flowers for the dining table shot....
After seeing what goes into these shoots I will certainly view home magazines (which I love!!) differently and will have fun looking at the shots with a little insight into what goes on behind the scenes.
The photos will be in the October issue of Style At Home (out in September) and I'll be sure to remind you nearer the time!!
Hugs,
S x

 

Thursday 2 May 2013

A Great Big Catch Up....

Hello my lovelies!!

Yet again time has whizzed past and we find ourselves in May - it seems remarkable considering how cold and unspringlike it has been. This week has been beautiful so far though and the sunshine really lifts the spirits.

So, what have I been up to?

My Mum and little niece Little E had birthdays. We usually take Mum out for the day but as she was just a few weeks post-open heart surgery we just opted for a pub lunch in a lovely little pub set by the sea:

Mum; Sis; Little E; Auntie Betty and Maz (Mum's BFF)

Among other things I made Mum some hand embroidered pillowcases;


And a little brooch:


For Little E I made a topsy-turvey Cinderella doll:

 

I spent a lovely day with Gem of Treasures From The Cherry Tree - there was cake:

Swoon!! I could just eat a piece now....


There has also been a vintage fair that meant I could sport my victory rolls:

Last week Ashley from Country Rose and I spent a few days with the lovely Cuckoo . She welcomed us wholeheartedly into her gorgeous home and it was just lovely to spend time with two of my best bloggy friends, not least because of the wonderful surroundings:

The view from my bedroom....

And yummy food:

There were twice as many cookies as this. Ashley and I ate the lot.

All that coupled with fantastic company meant for a really lovely few days.

This week Mr G is off work and we have been madly doing jobs (hence the decorating paraphernalia in the above pic!!) as we have a home magazine coming to photograph the house for a future issue!!:

We repainted and added wallpaper to one wall in the conservatory. Mr G and I nearly came to blows over the addition of the plates but I won him over:

Mr G and his Dad worked really hard on fitting our new 1930's style garage doors - so much nicer than an up and over:

Painted in Farrow and Ball's "Green Blue"....

We are currently working through a very long "To Do" list so hopefullt when magazine comes next week we will be all shipshape!!

That was a mammoth catch up, if you're still reading, well done!!

Hugs,

S x