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Showing posts from August, 2017

| HOME | Brand Watch: Emma Bridgewater

A number of years ago I noticed pictures of other people’s dinnerware circulating online and in magazines, which featured white crockery with bold black lettering swirled around the outside of plates, bowls and mugs. Although a simple design, the collection really captivated me and I knew that I wanted to get my hands on some of my own. I discovered that this was the Emma Bridgewater “Black Toast” collection- one part of many collections that she has created during her 32 years in production. Other current collections include Marmalade, Rose and Bee, Polka Dot, Wallflower, Starry Skies and Pink Hearts (to name but a few). Each design is like a work of art; sponged or hand painted onto the pottery. You also have the option to personalise your item with a name for example, if you so wish. The pottery itself feels thick, sturdy and built to last; no wonder then that so many people have been collecting Emma Bridgewater for decades! Personally as I said, I’m a rea

| LIFESTYLE | How Gardening Helped My Anxiety

We are incredibly lucky to have a large balcony for a 1 bedroom rented flat (approximately 18 foot wide and 6 foot deep). Having said that, when we first moved in 7 years ago and at 21 years old, we weren't that bothered by utilising the outdoor space that we had. Neither of us at the time were particularly into gardening. In fact, my other half didn't even have an outdoor space at his previous home. We both agreed that "at some point" we would do something with it and our attention was focused solely on making the inside of our flat look nice.  Years passed and the weeds got bigger; we bought a cheap metal table and chairs for the balcony, but that was the extent of what we did with it.  The turning point for me came when I developed extremely bad anxiety at the beginning of last year. I struggled to leave the house or even venture out very far beyond my "safe zone" which was my home town. One day my parents asked if I wanted to come with them to a

| HOME | Upcycling - Why Is It So Popular?

It seems that in recent years, up-cycling has really picked up and become increasingly popular with people looking to transform their homes on a budget.  The term "up-cycling" basically means to "do up" and recycle/re-use an item...and what a fun project it is to do too!  So why is it so popular? One of the main reasons I believe, is that people just love  to find a bargain. Spotted a table painted in a hideous colour with a few knocks and scratches but it's only £15.00? Perfect! All you have to do is give it a good sanding down and a lick of paint and voila- it looks as good as new!  Another reason is that you can find some rare gems that may just need a little TLC, and for that reason they are more affordable.   My friend who runs the company MatsonBailey  has found some incredible pieces- ranging from vintage Ercol sofas, to her most recent project in the form of an antique French bed frame!  Not too long ago, I was in a local charity

| DIY | DIY Rustic Shelf

We've always needed more storage space in the kitchen. We have around 4 cupboards which we use for our appliances, cups/glasses/plates/bowls, tinned food and cereals, and a cupboard designated for general items we have no where to keep such as vases, tins of paint, dusters etc.  We had a largish amount of blank wall that I knew I wanted to do something with, but other things in the flat always took precedence.  Thanks to Instagram and Pinterest, I noticed that a lot of people were making shelves out of old bits of wood or scaffolding boards. Purely by chance a while ago, my other half was given 2 scaffolding boards by someone who had no use for them. Finally during some much needed annual leave, I pestered my Dad to help me with my project! I couldn't decide what brackets I wanted. I didn't want modern style brackets as that isn't really the "vibe" I go for. I was torn between antique-style cast iron brackets from Amazon , or some white distresse