Corner of my home and heart love

Hello folks thank you for popping back to visit this little blog of mine I do hope you all had a good week it's been a bit dismal here weather wise cold, wet and windy and I've been full of a cold most of the week it has been a bind dragging myself out for the pre-school run every morning but thankfully I'm feeling a lot better now.

I'm still in the midst of de cluttering our home I can tick off the bathroom, living room, under stairs cupboard and yesterday I did our bedroom so over half way through the house I'd say. Thank you for all your comments about my bedroom I thought I'd show you another corner of it today. I'm am very lucky that my Steven lets me decorate our home as I like and that I have a very pretty feminine bedroom when I go out and buy things I don't have to consult him first as he lets me do what I like and I suppose I am very fortunate in that respect it would drive me crazy having to have anything slightly manly! This is my gorgeous dressing table which has had a good tidy up. The drawers were jammed full of stuff and tangled jewellery look at them now!

I do so love this piece of furniture I bought it from the shop I used to work at before I had the children it used to stand a the centre of a beautiful display and after staring at it every day for about a year dreaming of owning it the kind lady I worked with let me have it as at a reduced price with it being ex display it had a few scratches but I didn't care just adds to it's shabby chicness!

During the process I sorted out Emily's stash of accessories blimey she's not doing bad considering she's two weeks off four year's old she has more accessories than me!
I spent a little while displaying my favourite bit's and pieces on the shelf that's my wedding tiara that I had hidden away in a box and I'm really enjoying seeing it out and admiring it's glittery flowers a keepsake of a special day.

So that's my dressing table sorted I confess I had stopped using it for what it's for as it had become a bit of a dumping ground so this morning it was lovely to have somewhere to sit and do my hair and makeup in my girly corner. Hurray for tidiness slapped hands for letting it get in such a mess!

I'm after some hooks now to put on the wall next to it to hang my jewellery on I went to Laura Ashley today but they didn't have anything but I did see on someones blog can't remember which one that they had picked up some gorgeous flower ones up for £2.99 in the BHS sale so I'll have to try my luck there.

I've been admiring your hearts posts on various blogs this week so thought I would join in and show you mine I do love hearts of course! They are so pretty and feminine and find myself drawn to them so Ill leave you with some of my hearts I have around our home these are just a few of them I have a lot of hearts! My favourite being this first one picked up for just 30p recently at a table top sale.

Hope you enjoyed them! Right off to make a cuppa now and catch up with some of my favourite blogs! Oh also I haven't forgotten about showing some pics of my new shed/studio whilst I've been having a clear out I've been finding lot's of things that have needed re homing in my studio as I had all my craft/sewing paraphernalia stuffed all over the house so there's lots of things being dumped down there at the moment believe me it is in no fit state to be photographed but when I get it all organised (it's taking a lot longer than I expected) I will show and tell! Sorry about that!

Sarahx

January planning and shopping

We are 17 days into 2009 and I do believe I am a little late in wishing everyone who visits my blog a Happy New Year, I really appreciate every comment that is left on here they so brighten up my days so to everyone who has visited my blog I wish you all the most wonderful 2009!

I do like the start of the year, all those empty boxes on the calender waiting ready to be filled with what you choose. I like to take time in January to plan what I want to get out of the year and what a would like to achieve. It's all buzzing around in my head at the moment but I am planning to make lists and write it all down in my dream book there's all sorts I want to do this year including a lot of sewing. I intend to be a slimmer me in 2009 as the weight really has crept on in 2008, the diet hasn't started yet but it will do soon I like to plan what I'm going to cook prepare and myself and get in the right frame of mind first!

I've also felt an enormous urge to de clutter our house this month. So every cupboard, box, drawer in the house is being tidied things we no longer need being recycled. We seem to of accumulated I huge amount of stuff for 2 adults and 2 little people, it's giving me great satisfaction this organising. I do believe that in a small house it is good to have a place for everything and to keep possessions to a minimal so I'm being ruthless and getting rid of quite a bit of stuff that never sees the light of day that we have no use for.

I have also been shopping when I'm in the old part of town I always have to pop in my favourite shop. Now usually I visit this shop just to browse not really to spend anything I just love to eye up all their wonderful stock and sometimes buy a card or something small. I wonder upstairs as it's upstairs where I especially love their lovely displays of Emma Bridgewater, Suzie Watson and Greengate. But on this particular visit their large display of Greengate is all half price or more as they are not stocking it anymore. Oh wow I LOVE GREENGATE I'm excited and would love to make lots and lots of purchases but it's January and I have little money after Christmas but I can't resist these tins for only £2.50 each yes just £2.50 and this lovely cushion. I am sad that their not going to have it anymore such a shame the shop assistant said it was due to it being hard to get being a Danish company.

My lovely mum and dad gave me my birthday money early, my birthday is not until May!!!!!! So I went back to buy myself a Greengate jug, candlestick, salt and pepper set, tube of pretty pencils and mug which is all wrapped up in tissue paper at my mums waiting for my birthday in May!!!!!!! Oooh I can hardly wait!

After my little splurge I had no intention of spending anymore money this month but when I came across this bedspread in Dunelm I had to have it. I've been looking for the perfect bedspread or eiderdown for our bed for quite a while.

I wanted something that would go well with these pictures above my bed and this faded red and cream toil bedspread fits the bill perfectly at £30 I think it's really good value it's king size and has ticking on the back I have seen a similar one before and been tempted but it was £80.

I'm really pleased with it and it's french style goes really well with our french style furniture. It's making me want to paint those awful peach walls a grey/blue and looking at our pine bed I think that is going to have a makeover and be painted cream to blend in with our other furniture another couple of jobs to add to my dream book! Our bedside tables are not usually that bare I've just nicked the lamps for the side table downstairs!

As I type the wind is howling around our house and the rain pelting against our windows they have given 80 mile an hour winds out tonight I'm a bit worried about the dead tree across the lane lets hope it's still there in the morning!!

Our Christmas home and a parcel in the post.

Yesterday morning I received my giveaway from Julia at Vintage Heaven now I knew that this parcel was on it's way to me as as Julia had pre warned me to look out for Mr Postie. So when he knocked at the door I knew that the parcel was for me! I was so excited that I ripped off the lovely gold tissue paper and red ribbon that my goodies were wrapped in before remembering to take a photo and look what was inside! Christmas has come early for lucky old me thank you so much Julia I absolutely love all your handmade goodies. Here's what I got 3 white and red spotty Christmas tree decs , 2 of the cutest miniature stockings filled with chocolates for Emily and Elliott, a gorgeous lavender filled heart made with vintage fabric, a fantastic stocking handmade with lovely lovely fabrics, a Christmas card all handmade by Julia, and the American December issue of Country Living yippee!


Missing from the photo is a really sweet lavender filled bird with dankly legs which I've just spent half an hour looking for grrrrrr I think what has happened Emily ( my 3 year old) has this annoying habit of moving things around the house I have lots of hanging hearts and I find that she moves them around onto different door knobs, hooks, drawer handles I suppose she's just playing house like mummy but it does drive me mad and I think she was quite fond of little birdie and has probably claimed it for her bedroom so I will photo it when it turns up. Anyway thank you Julia I am overwhelmed with your kindness and had a spring in my step all day yesterday because of your parcel.

Anyway I haven't forgotten to show you lot's of photo's of the inside of my cottage and all my Christmas decorations here is our much loved snowman who the children adore we've had him for 3 yrs now and it causes much excitement when we get him out his dusty box each year!

Not many words now as times a ticking by and I've got a few jobs to get done tonight with only 1 day to go! Hope you enjoy the pics! Love my new stocking on the wall! Can you spot my dove garland I bought from the CL fair?!

This is a shop bought stocking which I've personalised with some embroidery and applique for Emily.

Don't Julia's trees look good on my dresser just the right colours!

And the miniature stockings so cute on my mantelpiece.

Christmas is extra special for us as Elliott's birthday is on Boxing day he will be two so there will be double the present opening and excitement! Hope all you fellow bloggers have a wonderful time and I look forward to catching up with you all what you've been up to over Christmas will probably be a bit quiet on here till the New Year, going to pour my self a glass of Baileys now so cheers 'Merry Christmas!' Sarahx

Kitchen dreams and holiday fun

Here are my new kitchen shelves which I painted a few weeks back. Although I love my house I really dislike my kitchen it's tiny two people in there and it feels overcrowded! We plan to have an extension at some point with a large kitchen and an extra bedroom. I was desperate for a clear out so that's where the shelves idea came in on a unused wall. My food cupboard was unbearable to the point of a was scared to open the doors as often a tin of beans would come crashing down on my head! So urgent action was needed and I bought some cheap shelves from B&Q and set to work on painting them and in listed the help of my dad who is a retired joiner (very handy!) to put them up on the wall.I was surprised at how many storage jars I had being unused so now they are all filled up with various food and ingredients and have freed up an enormous amount of space on my cupboards. So I am now really enjoying this little area of my kitchen believe me it is a lot prettier then the orange pine cupboards behind it! My ideal kitchen would have an aga enough room for my pine farmhouse table and chairs and my old pine dresser (which are in my dining room) lots of shelves to display collected kitchenalia a pantry style tall store cupboard and would be part conservatory overlooking the garden I don't want for much do I! Oh maybe one day but until then I will have to dream!

Well it's been a while since I last posted and I have been enjoying having my Emily around in the house more. (she normally has 2hrs nursery in the afternoons). We have seen various friends and their children more often than we usually would and it's lovely to see little friendships forming. We have been to the swimming baths regularly and Emily's confidence has grown enormously and she no longer wants us to hold her and is happy to go by herself and Elliott has gone from being very scared and crying a lot to giggling and splashing around and really enjoying himself too!

This is when we had a really hot day a few weeks back and we had homemade lollies which made a right mess dribbling down their chins and clothes but the enjoyment on their faces made it all worthwhile and they both managed to finish them so more are in the freezer waiting for another hot day!

This is another day when we made Angel delight much enjoyment came from licking the spoons and I let Elliott feed himself his face was a picture so the camera came out again! More mess but it was fun.
I will leave you with a few purchases I've be meaning to put on here for a while


A posy of china flowers a pound from a charity shop.

My new umbrella it's cream with black spots

A garden lantern from the Laura Ashley sale.

Back in a few days with something special to show you that I'm soooo excited about!!

Have a good weekend!

Sarahx

I'm still here and pretty cushions galore!

I am still here! Elliotts had chicken pox so I've been in full on mummy mode and not been near the computer at all so sorry I've not been leaving comments like I usually do and have alot of catching up to do,when he's better. Bless didn't think he'd escape it poor boy's covered in awful itchy spots so all in all it's been a miserable month with Emily having it as well.

Just wanted to squeeze in this quick post to show you my pretty cushions that the lovely Abby made me from 'The English Home' aren't they gorgeous the backs of the cushions are natural linen fastened with covered buttons in the same material used on the front. I have two different ones that are on my bed will show you these another time when I do a bedroom post. I'm soo pleased with them trouble is I want more,more ,more our sofa could accommodate afew more of these I'm even considering sticking to these colours throughout the house I love the grey muted blue colour on them! Go take at look at Abby's shop (in my sidebar) I really recommend her she has a lovely selection of fabrics she works with. Doing something special next week that I'm really looking forward to all will be revealed in my next post!

Sarahx

Not a nice week

It's been a hectic week here last week and one that I was glad to see the back of. Our baby boy Elliott had an operation last Tuesday I don't want to go into to much detail on here as to what he's had done but it was a general procedure and nothing serious. We've known he had to have an operation since his 6wk check when he was born. He came home the same day and was bright as a button the nurses told me not to let him walk as he had a caudal block and it would take around 6 hrs to get all feeling back from the waist down. Try telling that to a 15mth boy! Well there was no stopping him he was off so me and my mum spent all afternoon doubled up following him round holding the back of his pjs to make sure he didn't fall and do himself an injury!

The next few days he went down hill and has been quite poorly with a fever and been quite weak. He's also had an infection on his wound so is on antibiotics which should sort that out. It is awful to see him distressed and at times all we could do is offer him lots of love and cuddles. We've done a lot of hugs on the sofa and cbeebies watching as he's not wanted to be put down. Above you can see he's thinking move out the way mummy I'm trying to watch the tv!! Emily' been really good seen as her brothers been getting all the attention she's really growing up and it touches me to think how she has this lovely bond with her brother and really cares about him. Hopefully this week he will be much better and things can start to get back to normal around here.

Last weekend I found this shelf unit in a Charity shop it was natural pine I've deleted the before shot off my camera silly me. So here's the after. I've painted it white and lined the back with some ck blue and white polka dot wrapping paper. It goes well in my bathroom trying to do a beach hut type theme in here. I did a makeover on the bathroom last year. When we moved in the walls and window frame were dark green with dark green carpet we couldn't live with it so it had to go! We ripped up the carpet and painted the floorboards white and the walls cream. The good thing about the bathroom was the panelling which we painted blue. The previous owner was a joiner and made this lovely panelling and the window in keeping with the style of the rest of the house.

I couldn't resist this little boat by East Of India when I saw it. Amazingly it has my daughters name printed on it!

No sewing has got done but here's a sneaky peek at what I've been up to and will post pictures of what they are when their finished.

Below is our magnolia tree in our garden it's a picture at this time of year this was taken a few weeks ago it's not looking so good now as it's taken a battering from the rain we've had.

Going to have a nice cuppa now and try to read my country living magazine which lasts all of about 20 seconds before Emily pulls it off me and says let me look Mummy!x

I love a bargain

Here's the new addition to our dining room I can't tell you how excited I was with my new find! After a trip to the dentist last week whilst waiting for my lift from my lovely dad (I don't drive, having lessons soon). I had a nose in a shop I don't normally frequent in. It usually has really tacky stuff in there, it's a catalogue discount store. In the window was this farmhouse chest from The Cotswolds Company I rushed in and couldn't believe the price £45!!!!! I paid for it right away dad kindly managed to squeeze it in the back of the car and hubbie came home to find a new piece of furniture in the house! I think he thinks I'm mad of late he keeps coming home to find new things appearing in the house I knew he would like it though. Had a look on thw website it sells at £260 yippee what a bargain have no idea why it was so cheap we already have the matching tv unit in the through room so it goes really well.

The knob still hasn't turned up for my radio at least it still works. Going to ring Roberts for a replacement. Been doing a bit of sewing last week so will post some pics of that soon also got a few other finds to show you. The ladies in the charity shops will know me by name soon!