Home Tour - Part II

We continue our tour today with the kitchen and conservatory. Before we had the conservatory across the back of the house you would have been looking at the kitchen window above the sink and the back door to the left.

In 2007 we splashed out and had a large conservatory/sun room put along the back of the house.

We had wanted the peninsular knocking out and the kitchen to go out into the new extension but due to budget restrictions we kept the kitchen where it was.

What you may not know is along with the photographer magazines send a stylist and she "set up" the house for the shots. In actual fact she didn't make many changes at all but she did move the microwave out of the shot above - it usually sits to the right of the sink. I didn't want to put it back afterwards as it does look much better!!

As usual with us the kitchen was done on a budget - I designed the layout myself and ordered the cabinets online.

The cooker was an eBay bargain, I toyed with the idea of spraying it (duck egg?!!) but it fits in ok. I do detest the stainless splashback though and would one day like to tile it. Incidentally, we never use those Le Crueset pans, another "set up" by the stylist!!

We did have a hood above the cooker but as well as not working it was a grease magnet and also stainless steel so I persuaded Mr G to take it down and put up some open shelves for me (why do men detest putting up shelves so much?)

Now into one of my favourite rooms in the house - the conservatory:

This is the room we spend most of the day in. Mr G works at this end at the dining table - he's a Technical Project Manager and much of the day is spent at the laptop and on conference calls.

Some of the bargains here include the table which cost £10.50 and the chairs £40 (both from eBay). I painted the chairs in mismatched Annie Sloan ice-cream colours. The lamp was given to me out of a friends skip.

The tall cupboard houses the washing machine beneath and the "pantry" (oh how I'd love a real pantry!!) above. I painted the Coca-Cola sign myself.

The sofa is one of my sister's cast offs and came all the way from America - it's seen better days now but is very comfy. We have had three of my Sis's old sofas and now joke that we should go with her to buy to make sure we like it!! She has in fact just ordered the most gorgeous sofas from Laura Ashley so I'll be glad to rehome them for her in a few years!!

I made the cushions and the plates are an assortment from eBay and boot sales. The coffee table was from eBay - the legs are painted in Annie Sloan's Old Ochre.

My favourite spot is the right side of the sofa - it's called "Mummy's Corner" and where you'll find me if I'm not in the sewing room.

The conservatory is home to my dresser. This was one of my Mum's cast offs (I'm lucky in that I have relatives who change their furniture every five minutes!!) and came originally from BeWise of all places. I mixed some Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to make the blue it's painted with and added knobs decoupaged with Cath Kidston.

We have a few heirlooms on here - the rose tea set belonged to Mr G's Grandma; the cutwork plate was my Nanna's and the cruet set belonged to my great Aunt.

The Cath Kidston mugs hung here are, in actual fact, all broken!! The first set I had were duff - developing hairline cracks and all broke within a few months. Cath Kidston replaced them after a bit of a tussle and I glued the salvageable ones as they are still pretty.

Despite the multiple chins I'll include these pics - I like the cats in this one:

And this one where I am chatting away!! I hate having my photo taken but photographer Brett made me feel very at ease.

So there we have the downstairs - small but perfectly formed? I must admit until I saw the photos all together in the pages of the magazine I didn't realise that the colour schemes were so similar in each room - I guess because as you walk around the house you don't see every room side by side as you do in the magazine!!

Next time we'll venture upstairs - but we'll skip the tatty stair carpet!!

Thanks for reading....

Hugs,

S x

(All photos courtesy of Brett Charles Photograpy)

 

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Home Tour - Part I

Now that the Style At Home magazine that we were featured in has hit the stands I can post the pics that the photographer Brett let me have and do a little home tour of my own.

The house is a semi and was built in 1970, so perhaps not the most attractive of houses. This pic is actually one of my own as the picture used in the magazine was taken before we added the wisteria and baskets - the house looks much better with those simple additions.

I've wanted a wisteria for years, and finally got one this year. It seems very happy in its pot and has grown like mad. Fingers-crossed for flowers next year. We have large flower beds either side of the path and we tend to favour the "wildlife" look!!

We had a "new" front door this year - when I say new I mean it was out of the skip from the house across the road!! They had all new doors and windows and so we asked to have their old door.

One of our favourite changes to the front of the house this year have been these vintage 1930's garage doors:

Our garage door was a sad, broken, up and over and we looked for a set of secondhand doors like these for a while. They were going for silly money on eBay but I found a two sets being sold together on Gumtree so we bought both. We kept this set and sold the others on eBay for almost as much as the two sets together had cost.

Mr G and his Dad had to cut them down a bit to fit and then was under strict instructions to paint them in Farrow & Ball's Green Blue - I really am just addicted to all shades of duck egg blue, I didn't really realise how much until I saw all the photos together and I think some shade of duck egg/aqua/eau de nil makes an appearance in every room!!

As you come into the house you enter the little porch:

You've seen my patchwork wall before, all made from wallpaper "samples" (ahem) I procured from a DIY shop and so (other than the paste) the wall was free.

Previous to this we had a nasty, dark 1970's door - this one was from the tip (it's one of my favourite places to shop!!) and is painted in my own mix of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP).

The blanket is a lap blanket (didn't have the stamina or money for any bigger!!) in Jane Brocket's starburst flower pattern. I'd love to do a huge blanket but I have very little patience.

The standard lamp was given to me by my Stepdad - I was meant to do it up and sell it - and painted in Old White ASCP, the shade I recovered. Same goes for the hexagonal mirror but that found its home here as well. It looks a lot tidier in these pics than it ever does IRL!!

You can see my duck egg fetish continues indoors!!

The sofas don't really go with the decor but they are comfy and practical - they were a cast off from my Mum (who is obsessed with changing her suite every five minutes!!) I'd love a velvet chesterfield one day.

The pressed flower picture is actually my wedding bouquet and it hangs among floral pictures found at car boot sales and some embroideries done by myself and my Mum.

The sideboard (or "Mouse Organ" as we call it due to its resemblance of the same from Bagpuss!!) houses all the the TV and media gubbins and is painted own Duck Egg ASCP and gilded with a bit of gold Rub And Buff.

The footstool/coffee table was a plain orange pine coffee table from the tip. Mr G sawed down the legs and I added foam and fabric to upholster it (since this pic was taken I decided the fabric was too wishy-washy and I've redone it in pink tartan wool).

The stool under the window was kind of found on eBay - I was looking for a stool to paint and crochet a cover for and found what looked like the perfect one on eBay. As I looked at the picture I thought "I recognise that kitchen" - it was my Mum selling it!! So she of course gave it to me....

This sideboard is a 1930's one which we got from the tip for £8 and is painted in Old White and Duck Egg ASCP. The lamp base was £1 from a boot sale and I covered the shade in vintage fabric. The clock belonged to my beloved Granddad (who you can see with my Nanna in the photo next to it). The portrait is of my horse TC - Mr G had it done one year for Christmas.

The other end of the lounge is a bit of a non-room now. Before we had the conservatory across the back of the house it was the dining room. It's now a bit of a walk-through but does house the computer (to the other side of this pic) in a hideaway cupboard where our eldest H spends most of his time.

The radiator cover was from eBay and the chairs from the tip. The book wreath I made out of a copy of "Gone With The Wind" following a tutorial I found on Pinterest. Mr G made the shelves from MDF and moulding and I had to wait 9 months for them!! I added the little "shades" to the fairy lights by covering plastic shot glasses with scrap booking paper.

This is the other side of the room. The sideboard and computer hideaway were both from eBay and are painted in Paris Grey ASCP. This chair was also from eBay and I reupholstered it (badly) in patchwork - it actually lives in the conservatory and was just popped here for a picture.

In the background you can see a gramophone that belonged to my Dad, he had always wanted one and when he bought a pub he finally got one.

In this photo you catch a glimpse of my vintage tea trolley which was from Freegle and I sprayed in cream.

I was going to continue with the rest of the downstairs but this post is already rather long so I'll leave it there for now!!

Thanks (as always) for reading

Hugs,

S x

All photos (except first two) courtesy of Brett Charles Photography....

 

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The Big 4-0 Part Three....

I've been a bit slack on posting of late and it suddenly dawned on me that I didn't tell you about the rest of my birthday weekend.

On Sunday we had sort of planned to see if we could find a couple of flea markets in London - however, whilst doing a bit of Googling I realised that Sunday was the day of The Festival of Vintage at Epsom which was kind of on the way home.

We awoke Sunday to a grey day and soon it began to rain so the prospect of an indoor vintage festival was a lot more attractive than traipsing round the capital in the hopes of finding a good market.

So it was we bid farewell to London and headed back south.

By the time we arrived at the racecourse it was bucketing it down, and there were several beautifully clad, victory rolled ladies trying to remain immaculate as they dashed to the entrance.

Inside was an Aladdins cave of all things vintage:

Close up of the lovely dress:

I want a frock like this and I shall wear it to Asda....

Lots of people were dressed the part and looked splendid:

Naturally I couldn't resist buying some of the lovely vintage fabric that was on offer:

I also joined in a little workshop to make a cute pincushion:

After a lovely couple of hours we headed home and had a snooze (which we really needed after the wonderful but hectic weekend); Grandma and Granddad brought the boys back and soon it was time to head to my Mum's for a birthday tea.

Now this was meant to be a surprise but unfortunately Mr G's Mum let it slip the week before *rollseyes* - so along with sister-in-law letting slip London was our destination Mr G says he is not telling his family any secrets in future!!

Mum had done an amazing spread - you can always rely on a northern woman to over cater:

My sister had made a fabulous cake, complete with icing Cath Kidston tag:

Although it was the day before my birthday Mum insisted I open at least her presents as she wanted to be there when I did.

My first present was a gorgeous bangle:

I love it....

A cute little sparkly mirror compact which Mum had had engraved on the back:

And then the gift that made me cry - a beautiful Irish linen tablecloth Mum had handmade and covered in hand embroidered motifs - it had taken her two years:

It was the signature and date that made me blub most!!

Mum had been embroidering napkins on our holiday in Zakynthos this summer, telling me they were for a friend when all the time they were for me!!

So, all these treats and we still haven't come to my actual birthday yet!! I have been so spoilt by my lovely family.

I was going to squeeze it all in this post but I think I've gone on enough for now so will have to do the final installment another day....

Thanks for reading!!

Hugs,

S x

 

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Weekend Washout....

Hello my lovely ladies!!

Hasn't this weekend been a wash out? There are all sorts of things we wanted to do but haven't because of the rain - my sweet peas and dahlias need to go out; the field and fencing at the stables needs sorting and there are car boot sales on that are no fun in the rain.

On Friday I popped to the market for more fresh flowers - this time I got bluebells, I didn't know you could buy them!! I remember picking them as a little girl but I don't think you're allowed now so it was lovely to find some I could bring into the house:

Here you can also see my current favourite beverage - cinnamon latte with half fat squirty cream!!

Yesterday, we just nipped up to the stables fed the ponies and dropped off a load of free garden furniture we got from my Stepdad - we often have BBQ's at the yard in the summer and have been lacking a table but now we're all kitted out - there are even two sun loungers. We just have to hope we get a half decent summer so we can enjoy them.

Crafty-wise, I started embroidering a cardigan with Cath Kidston birds and flowers copied from inspired by the lovely Cuckoo from Tales From Cuckoo Land - the pattern is out of Cath Kidstons "Make" book.

I didn't have high hopes to be honest as my satin stitch is very poor, but I bought some proper DMC embroidery thread (I usually use the the cheap multipack stuff) and the difference is incredible. I *can* do satin stitch, who knew?!!:

Being influenced by Cuckoo has been something of a theme this week as I also bought some lovely cotton yarn and a pattern following posts from Cuckoo on IG and Pinterest (thinking about it, it makes me look a bit like Jennifer Jason Leigh's character in "Single White Female"!!):

Isn't the pinny lovely? I want to have it as a pinafore over another top of some sort - not sure what though as being rather voluptuous I can't wear anything too fitted, but with the dress over it can't be too voluminous either *scratcheschinthoughtfully*

Today we had an extra long lay in as listening to the rain hammering down gave us no incentive to get up and then this afternoon Mr G and I popped over to Chesapeake Mill for a mooch and found an antique fair too.

I bought some vintage buttons and found this bag full of Anchor embroidery thread for just £3.00:

I must confess Mr G and I did have a chuckle at some of the patrons of Chesapeake Mill as they really brought to mind Harry Enfield's sketch with the posh Chelsea "antique" shop called I Saw You Coming.

So, nothing much else to report for now - I hope you're all having good weekends and have managed to stay dry....

hugs,

S x

Mum's Birthday Day Out....

It's our tradition for my Sis and I to take our Mum out for the day on her birthday - we always keep it as a surprise and high points have been West End shows and a punt ride in Oxford and low points a day trip to the Isle of Wight on a Sunday when everything was shut!!

Yesterday we had booked afternoon tea at a Michelin starred hotel in the New Forest and before that we had a pootle around Lymington - the skies threatened as we drove over that way from my sisters house near Southampton but I think the fact we had umbrellas stopped a huge deluge (on the basis if we hadn't had brollies it'd have chucked it down!!)

This year was particularly special as my Mum's sister, our Auntie Betty was able to join us as she and our Uncle Tom are staying with Mum on a long weekend from Yorkshire where they live (and Mum and I originate from - Sis is a Nottingham lass):

Little E; my Sis; Mum and Auntie Betty

When my Mum was born she was adopted - she and Auntie Betty grew up thinking they were cousins. It wasn't until many years later they became close and are now as inseparable as they can be with the distance between Hampshire and Yorkshire.

Lymington was lovely, I took some pics on my phone as I didn't want to take my fancy camera round the shops but Blogger refuses to let them be rotated the correct way!!:

Can't remember what Sis said to make us all giggle!!

There was a market and lots of pretty shabby chic, charity & junk shops - I bought a lovely basket; some hanging hearts and some vintage thread:

Soon it was time to head to The Montagu Arms Hotel in Beaulieu for our afternoon tea, the car park is at the back of the hotel and you have to walk through the pretty cottage gardens, and there was time a few photos:

Looking cool in our shades (not!!)....

We had hoped to sit in the garden, but it was, alas, too chilly and so we had a table in the conservatory:

Our lovely Mum:

PrettyLittle E:

 First came the obligatory pot of tea along with this little beauty:

We didn't catch what the waiter said it was, but it was a palate cleanser and one of the nicest things we've ever tasted - the top was raspberry coulis that was both sweet and tart and underneath was a sabayon type custard that was like velvet. The spoons were too big to get into the very bottom of the glass and so we lowered the tone by upturning our spoons and getting to the last morsels with the narrower handle *blush*....


Next came sandwiches - smoked salmon (bleurgh, Sis had them); egg; roast ham & mustard and of course, cucumber and an assortment of cakes - chocolate éclairs; rhubarb cheesecake (OMG, it was gorg!!) and carrot cake:

Then it was time for warm scones with clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam:

I love, love, love afternoon tea - it really has got to be one of my most favourite things....

It was a lovely leisurely tea, and after a couple of hours it was time to head home - first though one more photo:

Even discounting the fact I am (literally) twice Sis's size, we don't look alike do we?!!

It's been said Sis got the looks and I got the personality which I am not sure is a compliment to either of us, lol!!

So, I lovely day was had by all, we returned home tired, full and happy....

S x

PS Thanks loads for all the lovely comments following my previous post, you girls really do make blogging so worthwhile ((((hugs))))....