Books for Christmas #storiesforlife

I have always loved books and growing up was a 5 minute walk away from a library where I spent so much time. I have memories of choosing picture books and being sat on the squishy black chair in the library looking at the colourful illustrations of Meg and Mog or Shirley Hughes' Alfie series - yes they've been around a while! It's a love I hope I'm passing onto my son and he has a plentiful amount of books around the house; on bookshelves upstairs and downstairs, books in his bedroom, by the bed, on my bedside table and basically everywhere..... We love picking up picture books and looking at a few whilst snuggled on the sofa or at bedtime. In fact I really love revisiting books from my own childhood and one of those is my absolute favourite, The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton with tales of magic and fun characters, I can't wait to read it to him one day.

There was a knock at the door and our postlady handed us a shiny festive package and in it were three fantastic books:

The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots by Beatrix Potter
Published 150 years after the birth of Beatrix Potter, and illustrated by Quintin Blake, this is all about the adventures of a black cat and features other characters that Potter fans will be familiar with - Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, Mr. Tod the fox and even Peter Rabbit. It's a gorgeous hardback book and a curious modern feel having been illustrated by Quintin Blake whom I always associate with Roald Dahl. It's a lovely tale to read with a child and a story to treasure. I'll be popping this into my son's present pile this Christmas as I love him having the Beatrix Potter books that I had as a child too, so this new one will complete the collection.

Alfie and His Very Best Friend by Shirley Hughes
Unmistakably Shirley Hughes' wonderful illustrations and heartwarming storytelling. This is all about Alfie and Bernard, best friends and adventurers together. It felt very nostalgic looking through this so it's been an early present to my son and we read it as a bedtime story.

The Fairytale Hairdresser and the Princess and the Pea

A new book for me, fun and colourful and about Kittie Lacie, the best hairdresser in all the land. All the fairytale characters are at the foodie festival where Kittie is doing hairstyles. Then it's an array of princesses, an evil witch and a prince in this modern spin on a fairy story. This will make a nice gift for a friend's daughter with all its funky pictures.
  It's great to pass on the same authors and books that I had as a child, timeless tales and new ones that will make popular stories. There's nothing better than books as gifts. In partnership with Penguin Random House Children’s Books and Britmums

Christmas at HomeSense

Welcome guests into your home for a Christmas party, whether it's a family gathering or a sophisticated soiree for the adults. HomeSense have some wonderful decorations to help transform your home into the Christmas that you desire.......

Take off your winter coat and step into a glittering home filled with glamour and glitz. From shimmering baubles that reflect the glow of the fairy lights to shiny platters piled high with decadent chocolate treats. The glassware is out and filled with bubbly and dinner candles add atmosphere to the room. This look is all about drama. Modern geometric baubles for a contemporary look. Layer the metallic tones up;  bronze  or rose gold which have been popular this year with traditional gold and silver. All the beauty of a  luxe Christmas interior for less with items from HomeSense. The gold candelabra is such an elegant focal point for a dinner table or mantle, a timeless piece. 
Gold drop bauble £2.99//Gold bauble £2.99//Bauble tree £14.99//Copper candle £4.99//Metal platter £12.99// Gold cutlery set £9.99// Copper bauble £2.99 //Gold candleabra £49.99 All HomeSense





A family party with heaps of traditional feeling, shimmering Christmas decorations and a homely feel. Eclectic pieces added to over the years and unusual baubles that bring back memories. The classic colours of red and gold with some natural elements too like foliage and wood. A party where everybody is singing cheesy Christmas songs and getting excited about swapping presents. Bring on the Yule log and get the party games going. 

Pretty lanterns with tealights in line the window ledges and the fire is lit, shake the snow globe and dream of sugar plum fairies. This Christmas selection from HomeSense will give you a magical festive season. I particularly love the Nutcracker soldier, such a traditional item and we love listening to The Nutcracker Suite at this time of year.
White star lantern £3.99// Red beaded bauble £2.99// Egg bauble £9.99// Santa snow globe £9.99// Wooden Nutcracker soldier £12.99// Wooden snowflake £7.99// Decorative silver trees £19.99// Festive fruits wreath £9.99// Medium gold reindeer £149.99 All HomeSense
We visited HomeSense at the Trafford Centre but you can find your nearest store here.

The store was an absolute winter wonderland of ideas and I was so spoilt for choice - snow globes, lanterns, hundreds of decorations for every theme. The foodie area was amazing too, you could stock up on all those goodies for the Christmas party - olives, chocolates, Christmas coffee, continental treats. The home furnishings to add to the seasonal look are great, throws with Scandinavian flair and Santa cushions plus more scented candles than I've ever seen. You can absolutely sort all of Christmas out in HomeSense and the staff were helpful too. You can spend so much time in the store, stock is updated frequently and you might need to have a good look around, as I did walking in circles half the time - shall I have the silver lantern or the gold lantern, then my son took a liking to a musical snow globe.....

One of the items I purchased was this unusual metal lantern which reminded me of a little Norwegian elf house, isn't it cute. I've a couple of other items too that I'll show you later this week. 

Do you intend on having any Christmas parties at home this year and how do you decorate your home for the season? 

* I received a voucher to experience the HomeSense Christmas feeling, words are my own honest opinion. 

A cosy Christmas Gift Guide

For the depths of winter cosy treats are required, to wile away the dark days at home. Time to stock up on comforting supplies for yourself or a Christmas gift for friends or family. After the hectic build up to Christmas these items will help you relax and enjoy the season, snuggle up by the fire and grab your favourite book and these lovely items. 

How about a cute cushion, Archie Puppy with his soulful eyes and jolly bow-tie will make a squishy back rest and a place to lay your tired head. It will look very festive and cheery on the sofa too. A lovely pressie for a pooch lover. £16


Look at soft dressing gowns to keep the chills away. A perfect present for anyone at Christmas ans practical too. I also like slankets like the fleecy bear one but I've also got my eye on a luxurious black gown and need to remember that I should be shopping for other people......

Throws are an ideal pressie too for cosying up. In our house one of the dogs always claims them but there would be no chance with the seasonal one I've found, a Nordic Sherpa fleece for £18, gorgeous Scandi style. 


Brew up the kettle and have a cup of tea in this fox mug. I know a few people who love woodland style and this would be ideal. Bargain gift for £10

Thinking of clothes to relax in at home, ladies sportswear is a good place to look for lounging items that will keep you warm and make a great gift for your trendy sporty mate. I like the Nike Sportswear Advance 15 Cape in a rich dark red colour. £60

For a little light to read by and super trendy interior style, I love the Hello Light Box. So popular this year and a great feature for a wall bringing some light into the winter months. £128

Who doesn't love a Yankee Candle and this one called Bundle Up had me feeling all Christmassy from just the colourful image on the front. Think of being out in the snow with your childhood friends with mittens on and winter coat. The jar candles make such a thoughtful present and they last for ages - I even reuse the jars afterwards and pop tealights in them in the garden for a frosty evening twinkle.. £19

Wintery Pine Needle Lights will bring a cosy glow to the room, like little min Christmas trees shining they are so cute and I'd love this across the mantle well into February for a ongoing winter display. £12

🎄Happy Christmas cosy lounging 🎄

*Collaborative post

Industrial Trend

 “Industrial is the stripped-back one, the one with character and edgy features. Unlike the other trends, this one takes things for what they really are and encourages us to strip things back, even if they are a little imperfect.” The Industrial trend


Industrial is metal, wood, raw textures and a stripped back beauty. Warm metals like copper bring a cosy glow for autumn through into winter, the gold metal lit star wall art from Graham and Brown is a striking centre piece for this trend. It looks great on my cast iron fireplace with some soft glow fairy lights and an antique glass effect tea light holder.

The contrast of metals is a little luxurious touch to my bedroom, with an element of the distressed effect it adds a contemporary feel to my old house. The star lights up with tiny bulbs and offsets a plain wall with warm tones.

A few industrial accessories bring edgy style into the home from copper candles and geometric mirrors to shimmering wallpaper on a statement wall. This year has been a big trend with copper and you can pick up bowls, candles and other pieces inexpensively to create this look.

Some warming metallic elements in a nook of the home is a perfect antidote to the cold winter days. Here are a selection of items for introducing industrial glamour to your home. 


Darcy white silver Graham & Brown// cage pendants // hexagonal copper mirrors // copper wire basket // copper lanterns // copper candle // metallic Juan Purple wallpaper Graham & Brown // copper  plant pot trio

*Collaboration

Brocante bedroom styling

A decent night’s sleep to refresh and rejuvenate is a mere dream for most of us, myself included. It helps to have a peaceful environment and a bedroom that invites you to relax, unwind and drift away.

I love vintage and shabby chic is one of my favourite decors for a bedroom, soft and feminine using delicate fabrics and pastel colours that remind me of French glamour and sophistication. Brocante is a word to describe this interior design, it literally means flea market in French and it conjures up these marvellous treasure troves in Paris or Normandy. Creating the look is easy to do using existing elements, a bit of upcycling and some classic furniture pieces.

Use chalky painted, distressed effect pieces of furniture for a rustic feel – whites, greys and pastels from pink to mint green. Combining pastels adds interest and gives a room a fresh and romantic statement. Scour junk shops for country inspired furniture and antiques with interesting curves and potential to change with a lick of paint. Pretty printed wallpaper can be used the paper the front of drawers or wardrobes making a unique item for your room.

Image source: The Cottage Market 

The bed of course is the most important element to consider and when choosing one for a vintage style Brocante bedroom, look for Roccoco curves such as the range of Rose upholstered beds from Button & Sprung. These beautifully crafted handmade beds would be a magnificent central piece to dress the room around. With a huge choice of fabrics from soft greys like Dove to Duck Egg blue or even a rich Cranberry or the provocative Lipstick would all work for a French feminine feel filled with grandeur and chic.

Add floral bedding, throws and blankets, layering with delicate patterns  - store them in a glass doored linen cupboard or armoire for full on French, an excuse to head over to France and explore their fabulous markets for antique fabrics and linens. Shabby chic is one where you can really mix and match those pretty items. For French flea markets there are many to visit all over the country but here are some of the best.

Image source

 French ladies are renowned for their classic beauty and ageing well so for a great night’s sleep consider one of the Button & Sprung pocket sprung mattresses that will help you dream away and let the overnight repair do its work - skin looks so much better after a good night’s sleep. The mattresses at Button & Sprung are hand-made and filled with breathable, natural materials and have a patented IQ spring for super comfort levels. With a 100 night return policy you can be assured that Button & Sprung have your comfort at the heart of their ethos.

Brocante can be as glamorous as you like with opulent accessories; gilt antique French mirrors, crystal chandeliers, lace edged cushions and pressed glass tea light holders. Or you could go for simple and pared back French country décor – enamel jugs of hydrangeas or roses, rustic hooks on the wall, a weathered lantern for a delicate fragranced candle and shades or white throughout. Think ditsy flower print, butterflies, French signs, ruffles and wicker storage boxes.

Image source: Carla Aston

The great thing about French shabby chic is that the style lends itself to an eclectic feel that you can do on any budget with a bit of upcycling and using accessories you may already have with some key furniture pieces. Whether you prefer a rustic simplicity or 

Oh là là, it is a scheme that is easy to recreate within your own home. 

Image source

*Featured post, words are my own*

The Horizon trend from Graham & Brown: Nature in the home

The Graham & Brown Horizon Trend is all about the inspiration around us in the natural world and bringing it into the home, whether that be a holiday, a favourite day trip or your own local landscape. Maybe a found item such as a feather can be the trigger for a new room scheme or a paint colour for a wall or piece of furniture.

There is no question that my love is for the British Isles, the rolling bucolic landscapes of our countyside and the rugged coastlines and sandy shores from Cornwall to Pembrokeshire and to my home county of Cheshire with its lush green fields.

Even more so I adore the changing seasons with their different textures and tones, and non-better to me than autumn – purple heathers on the heath, golden shades of a harvest hay field, the paint brush dipped oranges and yellows on the tips of big oak trees that slowly week by autumnal week take over the final tree to copper and brown leaf fall. In the hedges are the knots of green, purple, black and wine, blackberries bursting with colour, ready for picking. In the orchards are russet apples and golden crab apple fruits – a crimson display in misty mornings.

I bring nature into the home all year round, holly in winter, bulb flowers in spring, sweet peas in summer and in autumn a display of umber leaves, acorns and shiny brown conkers in prickly shells – you can see my recent autumn display here.

With autumn resplendence afoot, nature very much influences my current interior design. I love to inject the rich, earthy colours into the home for a cosy feel. For me it has always been the British Isles that I cherish, far more than any exotic place; it is the woodlands and countryside of my own country that inspire me and make me happy. 

I can remember doing a nature diary at primary school and spending a lot of time in the local park that backed onto farmland, collecting beech nuts and sycamore helicopters, gluing them into a scrapbook or sketching them. This love probably led to me studying ecology and thus areas of my home do show this love of flora and fauna – stacks of vintage nature books, old drawings of wildlife picked up at charity shops, hedgehogs, badgers, foxes aplenty on decorations and pine cones filling vases.

My next project is to upcycle my dark wood storage unit, an item passed on by a family member that needs sprucing up and then I can display my British landscape and nature books on its shelves. I have decided to paint the piece in a rich purple colour reminiscent of the bramble hedges at this time of year and wallpaper the sides in the elegant Oriental Blue paper from Graham & Brown. I will be starting this in the next week and will be sure to show you how I did it and the end result.

I think team with a nature inspired picture such as the feather wall art from Graham and Brown it will be a lovely little book nook for the autumn and winter.

*Featured post, words are my own honest opinion*

Good food and a game

 My Nana is 91 this year and has been a widow for about 50 years, so aside from close family being around to visit she can get quite lonely and always appreciates a phone call or coming over to see us. Nan has lots of tales about her life and never fails to make me laugh. She has made me very value elderly people and when I am out and about I will always make time to smile or chat with the older generation should the opportunity arise. 

Styling in the home with LED's

I've not been much of a light bulb expert but using LED lights from LED Hut I have been transforming corners of my home with a beautiful glow and learning just how efficient LED's are and what a wise investment they are for every home.

Using LED branch lights that are rustic and sprinkled with red berries I have added these to the top of my dresser for some twinkly charm. They could also be put into a big vase as a corner lights and are easy to decorate with being battery powered. 16 warm LED lights that can be used in a variety of ways. In autumn I will put these on my mantle and make an autumn display with pine cones and conkers. For summer they look pretty on the dresser and I've hung some of my bird decorations from them.

The precious trend: Graham and Brown

With living in a Victorian house I gravitate towards old items and have quite a lot of treasures that are precious to me, usually with a little story attached to them. 

 “Precious is an appreciation for all things vintage and antique. W​hether you are redecorating, buying a few wall art pieces, or simply making a statement of your attic treasures, make sure you have fun with this one. Create your very own museum of you, full of memories.” – ​The Precious Trend

My house has been called a museum on more than one occasion and I can't deny that I have a bit of an obsession with creating vignettes for the seasons or for putting together a little collection. I tend to do this on the mantle, the dresser and in the printers tray on the wall. I collect such an array of trinkets and have great enjoyment in what I call faffing. 

Visualising interiors with Apollo Blinds new Design Space tool

A friend on Facebook recently painted a room what she thought would be a lovely neutral stone colour but once it was finished, the shade looked more bright yellow, which she was not happy with at all and it was soon to be repainted. I have done it myself in the past, painting a feature wall a lovely apple green, only it wasn't, it looked more lime and completely wrong for the colour scheme. The same can be applied to window dressing, how do you know if the blinds you are buying will be the right ones for the look you are trying to achieve?

Fortunately, there is a solution to this with Apollo Blinds who have a new free online visualisation tool - Design Space.

What the tool allows you to do is select from the different blinds available - Venetian, roller, pleated and vertical blinds, select the colour that you want and then from a choice of room settings, you can visualise what the room with new window dressings will look like.

Peer to peer lending information

I have a huge interest in finances lately, I'm on a mission to increase my income and get saving to fund future plans. For this I like to pore over the financial news of a morning and see if I can find any new tips and increase my savviness of anything money related. I feel like my father all of a sudden, perhaps it is an age thing. However, it is great to learn of new products to be able to tell others about it as you never know how it may help. 

Recently I have been reading about peer to peer lending which is an alternative to lending and borrowing through a bank and Lending Works are a provider of this service. 

Here's how it all works:

Lenders receive a great return on their money which is matched to borrowers through the peer to peer platform. 

Borrowers are then able to take advantage of low cost loans, cutting out the banks and building societies lowers the rate.

Lenders choose from two different terms, 5.1% over 3 years or 6.4% over 5 years. A better return than most savings accounts but with a degree of extra risk.

Lenders money is protected in several ways; borrowers go through a check, there is a reserve fund to cover missed payments and Lending Works are the first peer to peer to have insurance against default risks such as loss of employment, fraud and sickness.

 Growing numbers of retired people are using this type of lending as part of retirement finance plans, so Lending Works have launched services for this market from a dedicated customer advisor to bonuses and online help for calculating return on money put in. Money can be withdrawn monthly using the monthly fixed income tool. 

**Feature post. Words are my own. Please do seek independent financial advice. **

5 treats to cheer me up......

There's times when you deserve a treat, something to cheer you up and banish the blues away. I don't spend money on myself that often or have nice surprises but here's what I like:
British books - I love to read about the British Isles, so books are top of my list. Books about our wildlife, places to visit, history,our food and train journeys. There's always something quirky to discover about our wonderful island and I'm always hungry for more knowledge. Next on my list is Meadowland, a book that covers a year of a field in Herefordshire, how the seasons pass and the animals and plants that live there. 

Iconic lighting for the home

Habitat is a brand I've grown up with. Before I was born my mum worked for them and as a child we had a local store that incorporated a kid's indoor play area that I thought was wonderful after being dragged patiently around homewares for what seemed like hours. As I got older, how things changed and I could happily spend hours looking around at items for my own home, it's probably a favourite pastime. I love finding trendy and unique items of which Habitat is fantastic for, just as my mum thought too back in the 70's and 80's.

Here is my new Habitat Tommy yellow floor lamp and it certainly is an individual looking piece for my front room. Bright mustard yellow, quirky and as soon as I saw it, I knew it was my style. I love the contrast it has with my grey curtains and blinds and it fits perfectly with my use of colour in my home, picking up the other yellow accents throughout the front room. It is modern yet retro and has a classic appeal of good design that goes without saying for Habitat.

The lamp has two heads that can be moved and tilted and the arms are adjustable too making it an extremely useful source of light in a room. It's great to have a lamp in a room for that softer lighting as opposed to the ceiling light, it's a gentler feel for an evening relaxing. At almost 1.5m tall, the dimension is just right for my Victorian house, looking in proportion for the corner of the room. It's also a good design tip to have different sources of light within a room, giving the room depth and a soothing ambiance.

Shaker kitchens made for entertaining

There is no kitchen more timeless than the Shaker style,with its simple lines of the frame and panel in the cabinetry and the quality of materials used. It's a look of craftsmanship and over the years has varied slightly for contemporary tastes but still has that classic feel lending itself to any age of house and any style from on-trend industrial to country cottage.

 If you like to both cook and entertain, a Shaker style kitchen is an excellent choice and will work in any room layout. When designing your space, here are some ideas for a Shaker kitchen that will be both functional and sociable.

A Central island or breakfast bar is an ideal option for creating a kitchen where friends and family can gather round, for glugs of wine and laughter whilst also busy preparing the food. In the Shaker style, a central island is a stylish addition showing off its simple clean look, creating space for people to sit, workspace for food preparation and extra storage. A different wood finish to the rest of the kitchen can be a great contrast and creates an inviting space.

Image source: Wren Kitchens

Freelancing as a blogger whilst being a home educating mum

Where I am now in terms of family life and my work is not where I expected to be 10 years ago. My son changed everything, being made redundant changed things too, as did writing this blog.

I had expected my son to go to the local school and for myself to eventually find a part-time job but then autism happened, I had battles to fight and I decided to home educate through lack of suitable school options. My blog also started to generate a small income and I thought, I can do this, I can freelance and educate my son. Therefore I can be at home with him and as home education does not have to follow set hours or days I can work around his needs.

Here are my tips for freelancing when you perhaps like me home educate your children or have young preschool children still at home. 

How to keep your bedroom tidy

My bedroom is such a busy area of the house, the terrier feels it is his look out post for any approaching people, sat by the window on guard. My oldie dog thinks it is her snoozing area, peace and quiet in the afternoon and my son thinks the bed is a trampoline and general monkeying around room. The laundry gets dumped in here for sorting out and I do work in there too with my laptop. By the end of the day I have an assortment of books, toys, magazines and clothes in the room to sort out. I'd like to reclaim my room, so it feels a bit more like a calming space but what can I do to sort it out?

Image source: Time4Sleep

1. Grab a couple of carrier bag and go through every drawer, shelf and wardrobe/closet space. Have one bag for the bin and one for charity items or to sell on eBay. It's good to declutter and have surfaces clean and junk free. I have drawers full of costume jewellery that I have not worn in years, old watches, clothes that don't fit any more and probably never will and books on subjects I've long since moved on from. Be ruthless in your sorting and get rid of what you no longer need!

2. I love baskets, one for my make-up, one for my bedside books, lotions and potions. They keep all my items organised and then on busy mornings I know where to find things. 

3. Have clever storage. Organise drawers using separate little boxes, utilise all your wardrobe space - I have mini plastic drawers at the bottom of mine for accessories, use under the bed boxes for out of season clothes. I regularly look for ideas on Pinterest for ingenious ways to organise space. I love the idea of using a pegboard to hang jewellery from.

Image source: Better Homes and Gardens

4. Spend a few minutes every day doing a little bit of tidying. I have a busy week, as we all do, so a quick 5 minutes each day sorting a shelf or one of my drawers helps and soon adds up to helping keep the bedroom looking ordered. 

5. I keep a bedroom 'want' list in my notebook for my organising and cleaning so I can keep a look out for items as I'm shopping - bargain shops for handy storage boxes and containers or fragrant cleaning products.

6. A baby wipe is my favourite cleaning weapon for a very quick wipe of surfaces in the room, when it's not due it's full clean with the furniture polish. Wipes are great at removing mucky hand prints from walls and splashed drinks on the door frames. 

Time4Sleep are looking for the UK's messiest bedroom, mine is probably not that bad but is yours? if you fancy entering, all you need to do is enter a photo on the competition page along with a description (or tweet #messybedroom) and you could win a storage bed up to the value of £500.

*Feature post, words are my own*

Does your garden need a new design?

Looking at our back garden today I am contemplating a redesign, it's all become a bit wild and overgrown and requires some structure. With having a 5 year old and being so busy, all that I learnt at horticulture college has fallen by the wayside, the design rules and the planting schemes....at the moment, it's a jungle. It can be hard to know where to start but there are many places to seek guidance for landscaping your garden.

My first place to look will be the garden shows that seem to be every other week over the summer months. Latest design ideas can be found at RHS shows and last year we had a wonderful time at Tatton gathering information and photos of dream gardens. So many landscaping elements to consider, particularly for a family garden where functionality is important as well as providing a space for relaxation and for children to play. Consider what surfaces will work well - wood can get very slippy, stone can be expensive. Do you want the play area disguised by some vertical elements like trellis and climbing plants? How can you make the garden less overlooked by neighbours?
Another favourite way of gathering ideas is looking around other people's gardens for inspiration. The National Gardens Schemes open days are a great opportunity to mooch around the beloved spaces of local gardeners for a small entrance fee. Many a glorious afternoon can be spent looking at borders filled with attractive plants and browsing vegetable plots. You can see which hard/soft landscaping elements work well, what plants are growing with gusto in the local soil and ask questions about the gardener's design ideas. Usually you can grab a piece of homemade cake and buy plants grown in the garden too, perfect!

Allotment life: growing in polytunnels

July is full of lush growth at my allotment, the potatoes are happily growing away and we have had a first crop of early spuds, summer fruits are ripening, the tomato plants are looking healthy and the pumpkin vines are starting to sprawl across the soil and will soon take over. The French beans seem a bit behind and sadly a couple of my broad beans have been decimated by blackfly. Every year you learn a little bit more and make changes and think of new ways to improve your crops.
The weather is great now but a few weeks ago it was pretty cool and wet, I wondered if my tomatoes would grow at all. British weather is very unpredictable and we have a relatively short growing season. One way to overcome this is with a polytunnel and every fruit and vegetable grower should look at having one for extending productivity and ensuring a bumper harvest. They make them in so many sizes that even if you have a small space, there are mini ones available.

Botanical inspiration for your home

All of a sudden the garden is in full bloom and all the flower shows are  taking place , this week it is RHS Hampton Court Palace providing inspiration. I love a botanical print and quite often find them in charity shops or even some free postcards at one of the horticultural events. Pinks and purples of fragrant sweet peas or tea roses intermingled with cool and fresh greens of ferns or herbs but how can this be used in home decor?

Bring a few flowers and greenery in out of the garden, place in vases or jars. My allotment plot neighbour has told me to cut as many as his sweet peas as I like as the more you cut, the more flowers you get. The smell is divine and fills the room. I do like having cut flowers on the mantlepiece or on the dresser as it gives a very seasonal look. Add pot plants like ferns, on a book shelf or be inventive and add violets to old vintage china tea cups or have tiny air plants suspended in glass balls.

Image source

5 great ideas for children's bedrooms

Probably the most exciting room in my house is my son's bedroom. How better to relive your own childhood and perhaps indulge in having the room that you really wanted as a child and of course create your child's perfect space for play and sleep.

1. Cosy Book Nook
Encourage reading by having a cosy reading space for your child and for looking at books together. I have used inexpensive spice racks for our little shelves and rotate the books by season. Book nooks in closets also work well, a snug area for a children's library and to leaf through books. Add colourful cushions, bean bags and blankets for comfort. I would have loved one as a child, almost like a den for imaginative play too. 

Image source: Caro Inspiration