Happy Monday!  In the UK, it’s a Bank Holiday, so we’ve all got the day off.  Which is pretty sweet as I booked Friday off as well so a 4 day weekend has been mine!  It’s been brilliant and I’ve been getting through all sorts of odds and sods and little projects here and there which I’ll be sharing in the coming days and weeks!  If you are in the UK, hope you are milking it for all it’s worth and having a good one.

So, on with today’s post…

Now, I’ve been looking for a vintage coffee table for the past few months.  I liked our old coffee table well enough (one of the few things W had in his home when we moved in together that I approved of as so much of it was cheapie ‘bloke’ wares bless) but I really wanted something that took up less visual space in the relatively small space it occupied.  I also wanted something more ermm gold.  And vintage-y. (Yes, that’s totally a word.)

After probably looking through THOUSANDS of glass coffee tables on eBay (seriously wish I was exaggerating), I finally found exactly what I was looking for – delicate, vintage, gold and curvy.  Hurrah!  And at £30, it was definitely worth the 40 minute drive in a torrential downpour on a Sunday morning to pick it up.  The only problem?  When I put it in the room, I realised how desperately it needed a rug to anchor it in the space.  A delicate glass table in a sea of very dark stained wood just wasn’t working.  Hmmm.

Now, as I told you last week, a white cowhide rug is something I’ve been dreaming about for my living room for pretty much as long as we’ve lived in this house – so that’s nearly 2 years. I just haven’t wanted to splurge £400 on a good quality one or take a chance on a cheap one for around £200.

So finding the rug only a few days later was pretty much of a sign.  IT WAS TOTALLY A SIGN, okay?

Once again, it was eBay to the rescue.  Oh sweet eBay, our relationship has been long and satisfying for so long.  An interior designer had specified a couple of them for one of her designs but a cream rug on cream floors meant the rugs got lost and an eBay listing was born.  Brand new and never used and listed at half the price of the original £400 price tag from French Bedroom Company?  Oh yes, yes indeed.  At just over £200 with shipping, it was a deal I simply couldn’t pass up.

By way of a reminder, here’s what the living room looked like prior to the new rug and coffee table:

And here’s what it looks like now…

The eagle eyed among you may have noticed that I’ve removed the small table with the baskets and moved the old coffee table to it’s place in the bay window.  I’m not entirely sure it’ll stay there – eventually I do want more seating in this room but as W wasn’t entirely thrilled his beloved piece was being replaced, I thought it was a sensible compromise.  I also changed out one of the plants in the bay window for a taller one to balance the other on the opposite side.

As an aside… I honestly believe carnations are the most under-rated flower out there.   Damn their petrol shop reputation!  I like to think of them as the poor man’s Peony!  I love them, all fluffy and gorgeous loveliness!

The cool thing about the new coffee table is that it’s actually 3 separate tables… So if you had guests you just remove the end bits…

And create a little round table out of them…. Sweet, no?

I do think the rug really makes the room more complete now.  Although I still totally need curtains!

It’s getting there though.  The natural organic shape sets off all the hard edges of the room and the soft half circles of the coffee table mimics that curviness…

The touchy feely texture of the cowhide just makes me wanna roll around on it.   

Naked. 

No, I did not just say that.  You totally read it wrong you dirty pervert.

Annnnnywayyyyy…. do you like the new combo?  It may be worth noting that W actually HATES the new coffee table.  He doesn’t like the ‘spindly legs’ and feels that it’s too delicate (he’s actually used the word “horrible” on a number of occasions – hmmm).  I reckon he’s just annoyed that I won’t let him rest his feet on it when we watch television anymore.  To rectify that, I promised I would get him a cute little stool of some sort so he can still have his comfort factor and I can still have  my pretty factor.  It’s all about compromises, eh? (Except for the fact that I totally won this one…*cough*)

In other living room news, I’ve made yet another small change that’s made a big impact in here which I’ll share with you very soon! Also? W has started work on his ‘Man Cave’ – the cellar.  So I may have some pretty horrific ‘befores’ for you there soon too.  Oooh and I’ve made some updates on the gallery wall in the dining room too.  Lot’s going on here!  Stay tuned for more kids!


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Unboxing my new card deck Daily Dose of Magic by my gorgeous bestie Victoria Jackson of @themanifestationcollective ! ✨

This is not an ad, I am just so in love with them, I wanted to share for my spiritual witchy friends out there 🥰

@thoughtcatalog

#witchvibes #spiritualjourney #carddecks #magicmoments✨
Ad (Press Sample) There are few kitchen products that are considered absolute classics but there is one that I have lusted after for YEARS and that is the utterly iconic @lecreusetuk large casserole pot. 🤩

For nearly a century, Le Creuset has been trusted for its superior performance, lasting quality and iconic design and the enamelled cast iron allows incredible versatility - not only can you use it with just about any heat source (from induction, glass, electric etc), you can also do everything from stir-fry to slow cooking to baking a cake in it and more. 

So, imagine my delight when Le Creuset got in touch to ask if I'd like to shoot their brand new colourway 🍑 Pêche 🍑 in my kitchen. I mean, there couldn't be a more perfect colour match with that juicy coral shade which if you've followed my account for any length of time, you'll know is one of my all-time favourites (not to mention that beautiful soft gold knob! 😍). The matching petite casserole dish and mugs are the perfect companions but you could easily mix and match this colourway with Le Creuset's other designs (Might I suggest the Sea Salt, a soft blue-green which would be gorgeous with Pêche). This new juicy summer shade is currently available exclusively at Le Creuset Official. I'd love to know which colourway is your favourite in the range?

#lecreuset #kitchendesign #kitchenstyling #kitchinspo #victorianhome #englishhome
My little neglected makeup/dressing room has had a glow up 🥰

#swoonworthy #beforeandafter #dressingroom #makeupvanity #closetgoals
My new rug can't compete with that belly.

Rug is from @laredoute_uk (not an ad) not that anyone cares 😅

#kitchendesign
I've really loved making these pretty reusable Christmas crackers! I'm still in the process of finding cute bits for filling them but they'll definitely be a centrepiece for my table this year!🎄💕

Suggestions for what to fill them with coming soon!

(By the way, I'm not a skilled seamstress so I'm sure my techniques can be improved but just sharing what worked for me 🤗😅)

Let me know if this is something you'd try? ❤️

#swoonworthy #christmasdecor #christmascraft #diychristmas #diycrafts #easysewingproject
On 22 October 2022, I married my best friend! I can't believe it's been a whole year (and one day) I've been calling @2nilup my husband 🥰 We've been together for 15 years now and I simply can't and wouldn't want to imagine my life without him ❤️ 

#youandmeagainsttheworld #2222 

Photography: @violajayphotography 
Flowers: @primroseavenuefloral 
Dress: @camillawithlove
DIY REFILLABLE CHRISTMAS CRACKERS 🎄🎉

I've been thinking about making refillable crackers for so many years now - I just hate the waste the disposal ones create! So I'm so excited I've finally gotten around to starting this project!

I will be sharing more details on how to make them as well as ideas for what to fill them with too so stay tuned for more but in the meantime, what do you think? 

#swoonworthy #diychristmas #christmasdecor #christmascraft #easysewingproject #sustainableliving #ecofriendlyliving
Just wanted to introduce my latest plant baby in my dining room 🪴

It's from @botanique_shrewsbury and it's a Peparomia (I am probably pronouncing it wrong, I keep wanting to say
GUEST BEDROOM REVEAL 🌟

I decided on a whim, 2 weeks before we were expecting visiting family, that our guest bedroom was in desperate need of a refresh.

Well there's nothing like an impending deadline to light a 🔥 under my 🍑 and I managed to clear out the clutter, repaint the woodwork, ceilings and walls and hang wallpaper as well as restyle the room in one week 😅 (Meisha was zero help 😼)

I'm calling it Boho Vintage Victorian Grandma 😆

This wasn't sponsored in any way but the wallpaper and bedding is from @lauraashleyuk and the paint is @earthbornpaints Peach Baby - everything else I already had!

What do you think of the new look? ❤️

#bedroombeforeandafter #guestroom
#bedroommakeover
#beforeandafter
#bedroomdecor #cottagecore #vintagestyle #victorianhouse #ihavethisthingwithpink #bengalsofinstagram
🔥JOIN US ROUND THE FIRE PIT! 🔥

ad | One of my favorite things to do in summer is sit around the fire pit in the evenings with a cold beer 🍻 There's just something incredibly relaxing watching those flames and embers crackle, warming yourself up and taking the edge off falling temperatures as the sun sets!

Thanks to @homefireuk they've made the whole process incredibly easy and enjoyable with their Handy Firepit Bundle which include 2 bags of kindling, 2 bags of natural firestarters and 3 large bags of kiln-dried logs 🪵 for a really great price! 

No more standing around waiting for things to light properly or billowing smoke from wet wood, everything burns beautifully! ☺️ We literally sat around this for hours as the logs last so long, long after the sun set, just chatting and enjoying ourselves! 🥰🍻🔥

Do you love a good firepit in the summer?

#homefire #readytoburn #smokelessbyhomefire #heartofyourhome #logsbyhomefire #summerideas #firepit #gardenideas
San Sebastian photo dump - just a tiny selection 😄

We have had such a fabulous holiday to Basque Country - our first 4 days spent in the beautiful city of San Sebastian, land of pintxos, stunning architecture and some damn good wine.

#sansebastian #travelgram #photodump
A little kitchen reshuffle today so I thought I'd share 🥰

It's been 4 years since we created this space and it's still one of my favourites ♥️

#kitchendesign #kitchendecor #kitcheninspiration #kitchenideas #openshelvingkitchen #kitchenstyling
Ad 🩷 Before and after Deck makeover! 🩷

This little decked patio was looking worse for wear after a wet winter but @frenchicpaint came to the rescue with their beautiful Dusty Blush Alfresco Paint, perfect for all your outdoor projects!

The deck has been a few colours over the past few years but this is definitely the most fun and gives the whole space such a tropical vibe - even in Shrewsbury! 🏝️ 🦩🍹😄

The paint has incredible coverage and was so nice to use - I loved the tools they provided too, especially the oval brush which got into all the nooks and crannies easily!

Let me know what you think of the new colour! 

#frenchicpaint #beforeandafter #deckmakeover #gardeninspiration #gardeninspo #outdoorproject
So on a whim I decided to paint the bedroom pink yesterday 😅🩷

This room has been neglected for so long as I've wanted to fully redecorate for about 3 years now but there are always other bigger priorities or a lack of time/energy/money so I keep putting it off 🙃🙃🙃 (tell me I'm not the only one) but happily this didn't cost a penny as I used what I already had although it did take me the best part of a day!

I went through my paint stash and found that I had extra @coatpaints Percy from when I did the living room early last year -- well I'm not one to let something this good go to waste (honestly this paint is absolutely wonderful to work with and has amazing coverage) and my goodness it's just so pretty in here 🥰 I also moved my pink curtains from my office into here and the whole room just glows!

I might actually be able to live with the mural a little longer until the room gets the attention it deserves! Let me know if you like the change ♥️

*For those who are wondering, it used to be white walls and I had grey curtains! 😅

#swoonworthy #bedroomdecor #bedroommakeover #bedroomdesign #pinkpinkpink #pinkinteriors
A little photo dump from my recent living room shoot because I still love to dig into the details of a still photo 😄💕

#swoonworthy #swoonworthyscents #livingroominspo #livingroomdesign #photodump
ad How to De-stress at Home in 6 Simple Steps 😊

April has been #stressawarenessmonth and so I've teamed up with the wonderful @frenchbedroom to share a few simple tips in creating a cosy sanctuary at home!

One of my favourite ways to add a feeling of comfort and relaxation is with glorious touchable textures and the stunning Mulberry Silk ruffled cushion from French Bedroom not only looks spectacular but feels incredible too! Pairing this with other feel-good fabrics will add depth to your design and will beg you to sink in and unwind 😍

French Bedroom are also now stocking my own home fragrance brand @swoonworthyscents candles, adding another element of calm with scent to your home. I chose No 02 Sunday Morning for my living room with rejuvenating Jasmine and refreshing pine and lemon notes 🥰

Check out my latest blog post for more tips on creating a relaxing sanctuary in your home via the link in my bio!

#swoonworthy #swoonworthyscents #frenchbedroom #livingroominspo #livingroomdesign #calming #aesthetic #cottagecoreaesthetic
Who needs pancakes when you can have Lemon Drizzle Cake with Lemoncello glaze?! 😉🍋

I've had such a craving for this cake for a while so figured I'd make it today! This is a recipe from @bbcgoodfood and it's rather gorgeous 🥰

#baking #lemondrizzle #lemoncake #bakewithlove #shrovetuesday
Are you lucky enough to be owned by a cat? 🐈🐾

#bengallove #bengalsofinstagram #bengalcat #bengal #catsofinstagram #catlife
Finally managed to get the gallery wall completed in our hallway!

I couldn't have been happier with @violajayphotography capturing our little intimate wedding in October and knew as soon as I saw the photos I had to print them for our home! I admit, I've never been one to hang photos but it's probably because all we ever had after 14 years together was selfies 😂🤷🏽‍♀️ I'm so pleased we finally have some lovely shots of us together 🥰

Do you have photos of you/your partner/your family up around your home?? 🤔

#gallerywall #autumnwedding #hallwaydesign #hallwayinspo
✨These little vintage copper pans needed some TLC! ✨

After searching for a while for vintage copper pans, I found these on eBay - they looked quite grim on the ad but I knew they could be shined up nicely! A little @barkeepersfriend later (not an ad!) and I'm loving how they look in my kitchen 🥰

Let me know if you like the new addition ❤️

#kitcheninspo #kitchendesign #vintagestyle #kitchenstyling