Back to Basics

A challenge of mine at the moment when thinking of my own home décor, is to re-focus and make it as simple as it can be, and kind of get it right back to basics. With the amount of 'clutter' I collect, and my love of hoarding I'm finding the simple look is actually becoming more appealing. Too much clutter around me is beginning to unnerve me a bit and I'm definitely going to strive for a calmer look. One book I am reading that I borrowed from the library and am getting much inspiration from, is 'Pure Style Home & Garden', it offers stylish and practical ideas for furnishing, and living in your space. The book is ultimately about pairing down, trying to live with less clutter, recycling and with the idea being, the less 'things' we have to fuss about, the more we can get on with living.  

    

There is still so much to do here, at Home Sweet home, the '6 month project' never happened and I still have many a bare plaster wall! At least the 'bare plaster' vintage-y, unfinished look is becoming quite fashionable. Well, that's my excuse ;) In a way I am lucky that my ever evolving home isn't show homey looking, and definitely has a 'lived in' look - so I guess I'm practically half way there to bringing it back to its natural state which is a good thing. The book is certainly lighting up my desire to get back in touch with nature and introduce an uncluttered feel to my home. The photography also, is delightful.

 Oh, how I would love this beautiful forties cooker taking pride of place in my kitchen!

I adore the look of this kitchen and the blue and white striped cotton roller towel used for the chair covers and runner, is, in my opinion so effective.

 I am definitely going to have a go at painting old food tins to hold kitchen utensils and love this idea. Many a time I have searched in shops for pretty little storage pots, yet now realise I can get wonderful results from recycling the likes of my old baked bean, and tomato cans. You could even paint them to coordinate with the kitchen colours.

 The instructions for this little project, taken from the book are:

1. Remove the lids with the type of tin/can opener that takes off the entire lid, leaving a clean edge on the can and no lip.

2. Wash the empty cans in hot soapy water to remove the labels. If any glue remains, gently sand with a fine grade sandpaper. Sand the top rim to take off the sharp edge.

3. Apply 2 coats of eggshell paint, inside and out.   

Such a simple idea, and what better way to use up those old cans. You could also keep them unfinished and pop pretty little plants and flowers in them too!

When it comes to old furniture, I love to get my paintbrush out. Why buy brand new when you can give a quick lick of paint to a piece of vintage furniture for a unique, re loved look. I have often picked up chairs like these shown in the book for only a couple of pounds from various junk/charity shops.

Making a simple slip cover too can give a wonderful new look! Having this particular Cath Kidston fabric I can now see how super it would look and has certainly given me an idea or two.

It can just be a small item requiring a makeover, for example I was really pleased with how these wooden magazine racks came out after I gave them a quick lick of paint a while ago, and lined their bases with pretty wallpaper. They looked rather uninspiring before hand and may well have ended up in a tip. I paid around £1.50 each for them and now in my opinion look really pretty.

So, never underestimate the power of a paintbrush ;) 

When it comes to the dinning area, I can definitely be accused of making things a little too, errr, well frilly. This simple, uncluttered calm dinning space looks beautifully inviting. I can imagine loved ones, chattering away, eating simple home made food. (I'll try to shut out the reality of the food mess my 7 year old would make of the white linen table cloth)

 

As for my 'work in progress' bedroom - anything would be a calmer space than what I have already! I'm not going to go there -suffice to say my bedroom is currently working as a junk room - with no bed to talk of in it! Like I say I'm not going there ;) New doors are on order and to create light we've gone for panels of glass set in the door and I'm deffo going to use this idea - I have a pack or two of those lace-y curtains which are quite popular from Ikea. I bought them yonks ago - though have never been used. Now I know perfectly where they shall go. So pretty behind the door!

This bedroom also looks very inviting. Makes me want to just dive on in!

The book also touches on the garden and offers ideas for a simple, stylish outdoor space and how to make the very best of what outdoor area you have.

It also offers project instructions, eg how to make simple roman blinds, or to make a loose cover for a sofa, and many other project ideas. Its been my best friend book for many cosy nights curled up on the sofa. 

All there is to do now, is sort out this clutter of mine and get the bin bags out, see what hasn't been used or hasn't made me smile for a while and it can go! Perhaps it's because I'm getting older, but I'm just finding it more time consuming looking after clutter, I don't want to spend my time polishing the trinkets or moving around the ornaments. I don't think I could go all minimal living and it is all about getting a balance - but feel I'll have a sense of invigoration challenging myself to bring things back to basics. Hopefully I'll fall in love with my home all over again :)

I think I'll need lots of luck for the de cluttering that lays ahead - I feel I may be some time ;)

X

(Photographs courtesy of the book Pure Style Home & Garden)   

Fifty Shades

I must be one of last people in the world to see and read all the hype about this book. I kept hearing other people talking of it, giggling, telling me I MUST get it. I felt very much that I was missing out on something rather special, and I was eager to find out for myself what all the fuss was about. So, for just a little short of £3 I am now reading all about the antics of Mr. Grey....

  

The thing is, it's not really floating my boat. Maybe I am past it, maybe I just didn't take to the term 'Popsicle' being used as an analogy for a certain something of Mr. Grey's. I admit I still have a way to go with it, but am  keen to hear whether I should carry on, that, as I progress further into the book, I shall indeed become one of those who says to others "You really HAVE to get this" I am one of those that a book ( especially of this genre) has to take me on a journey of self discovery and I need a good story to back it up. Well, this book, raunchy though it is, I feel lacks real substance. Maybe I am thinking too much and wanting more, maybe I should take it for what it is, enjoy the good bits and miss out the not so good.... 

So, have you read it? Has it been everything that you hoped it would be.  

Would love to know your thoughts....

X         

Domestic Goddess....

Here is a little bargain Christmas present I was given ( by myself ) to help and encourage me to be that domestic goddess I crave to be. Nigella is one of my favourites, having met her twice at book launches she has always been friendly to chat with, and her books do look very nice all lined up prettily on my kitchen shelf :)

I think it shall take more than one book to turn me into a domestic goddess, though a girl can dream ;)

X

Cute Soaps....

Thank you very much for your lovely feedback on my little makes, I think you can guess rather than dreaming of a white christmas, it is quite a pink christmas I dream of here in the Poppins household ;) So, having mentioned the book I am really enjoying in my last post, I had to get on with just a ickle something inspired from it. We have somewhat of a poorly household here and so need to do something pretty whilst playing nurse and also getting myself better. I couldn't help but just wrap one or too really cute little presents for christmas....

I was inspired by this photograph in the book of soaps wrapped up as little gifts....

Cute huh? And not many pennies would need to be spent I am sure. Good quality packs of soaps can be picked up cheaply from the supermarkets, and when I spied these pretty and very inexpensive soaps at a local craft fair, well, I couldn't leave the poor things behind could I?

  
Of course I couldn't, and I just thought they would look the prettiest little things all wrapped up in their Christmas coats....

Oh yum!! I love the velvet ribbon and am not sure I could bear to unwrap them. Wouldn't they look so cute on a little vintage dish. However much I love these they are not for keepsies and I shall be wrapping lots more to go to lovely friends and family this christmas, I may even make up special little christmas bags packed with delicious little pretties. Here is one I made a start on....

I am sure it is normally well into the christmas month before I start getting all festive, and think about presents etc etc. Maybe my organisational head is taking over, maybe it is the pretty christmas paper I use that just makes me yearn to wrap presents. The realisation that my dear mother in law, who loved christmas, being around people she loved and who loved her shall be missing this christmas makes me sad, but also makes me realise how very much we need to enjoy life, live for the day. I am so grateful and blessed to have my family around me, and for me christmas time is not just about pretty presents, but a time of quiet reflection too....

Are you feeling any christmas flutters yet?

X

Homemade Christmas....

At this time of year, one can often find me beavering away at the craft table making pretty decorations for christmas. I don't really go in for the traditional in the sense when it come to christmas fabrics, but I like more of the quirky, unusual and in my opinion quite girly fabrics....

I have to have some pink in there....

And I really enjoy making christmas stockings for special little ( and sometimes big ) people....

I love this christmas tree fabric, so pretty....

So many peeps are handmaking these days rather than going and buying the factory produced stuff and I really think this is brilliant, giving a handmade gift just can't be beaten. I have to say I am really enjoying my new book Homemade Gifts Vintage Style

So many different and lovely handmade ideas in there, all I need now is the time to make them ;)

X

Lisa Childs Piano Book....

A while ago we were very fortunate as a family to have been kindly given a beautiful and treasured piano by some dear relatives. She really is very sweet, and occassionally, as well as Miss. Poppins and Master P, who also loves playing it, I myself have a little tinker and play some of the olde tunes I learnt from school. Well alright, they can't really be called tunes, and I am a VERY basic player it has to be said, though my daughter does seem to have a natural flair for playing. We had toyed with the idea of piano lessons ( which can be very pricey ) so when I was emailed to see if I would find any use for reveiwing a piano book I jumped at the chance.

Now, this is no ordinary piano book, Oh no. Firstly it is pink, a sure fire winner in my book :0) It is a Lisa Child's Piano Book which are available to buy here and had me drawn in just by the pretty cover.

There are four books in total in the programe, and we were sent the beginner book, book 1. Each of the four piano books takes pupils through a logical learning process. It is great fun and very easy. It is a quick, fun, teaching guide and enables children as young as 3 years of age, or even up to people in their 80s to learn to play the piano. Yay! That is my whole family then, and there is never a wrong time to start learning with the Lisa Childs method and you can enjoy making music straight away. It is very easy to follow and stickers are involved, which made my children very happy.

As music is for all of us to enjoy, I like that this method can also be taught by parents and children as young as Master P ( 4) and who are very eager to learn to try out new things, and aim to please. This idea of teaching has seen many children taken their Associated Board Grade 1 examination by the age of 6 or 7, so is obviously doing something right. The book we have been sent normally takes an average of 6-8 weeks  before progression onto book 2. We have been learning with this book for about 3/4 weeks, so a little time to go but I have been amazed at the results, especially from Miss. Poppins ( age 9 ) who seems to have really grasped it, and is now teaching me all about staves and clefs.....

You never know she may make a pianist out of me yet....

X

I Have Won A Prize....

I thought a week or so ago it would be nice to enter a competition. The competition was held by the lovely people over at the Make It And Mend It website. The competition was to write a couple of sentences  describing the homemade project you’re most proud of – and to send a photograph of it in. Well for me there was no contest, and it had to be the wonderful project I handmade and that I posted about here The beautiful patchwork quilt that I made with the encouragement from this lovely lady. It was for Miss. Poppins' bed and was to be made from all her old baby dresses. I had such fun making it, well over a year ago now, and it is still going strong, been washed many times and used for picnics, holidays away and is definately a much loved handmade item of mine.

Anyway here is the photograph I sent in and what I said about my enjoyment at making it.

“The homemade project I am most proud of has to be a beautiful patchwork quilt I handmade for my 8 year old daughter, using fabric from all her old baby dresses. Even though the first dress I cut into I shed a little sentimental tear, it got much easier as I went on and cut into more dresses. I am so proud that I made something so special to me and my family. It was my first attempt at quilting and indeed produced a passion in me for crafting, especially using pre loved fabric, and the quilt shall hopefully hold special memories for my own daughters children one day.”

Well the winners were announced after the closing date and guess what, I was one of them :0) I have to say I was quite proud as there really is a bunch of love wrapped up in that quilt and to find that somebody thought it was worthy of me winning a lovely prize made my heart sing. Here is what the judges said,

We were really touched by the way Mary described this project and all the love that went into it. And what’s not to love about the end result! WINNER.

And as for the lovely prize, I won a brand new copy of The Homemade Home. A wonderful book for Make and Menders. Sania Pell has written tutorials for some wonderful ideas and projects that are easy to do as well as pretty and creative. Sania is a stylist and designer with a background in textile design, who is very passionate about making and mending. The projects in the book are all a clever, fun way of cheering up your home whilst saving money too. I have really enjoyed winning this superb book, and look forward to having a go myself, at some of the projects for my own Homemade Home.

I love the idea of framing special clothing.

Appliqued table linen.

And I adore these butterfly curtains.

So a lovely book for me to be inspired by.

What else I am being inspired by is a lovely ribbon and trimming swap I did with Sue from Vintage From The Village We realised we both have a thing for pretty ribbon, trimmings, lace, fabrics, lavender, well lots really, so did a little swap. Here are the delights I received from the very lovely Sue.

As well as these gorgeous note cards

Sue sent a fairy box full of treasure

Lovely handmade lavender sachets

Oh so pretty notebook and ribbon flowers

Thank you so much Sue, I was so touched by the beautiful and pretty treasure you sent and shall have fun making pretties using the lovely array of ribbon, buttons, trims and lace.

Here is what I sent to Sue. Some lovely Rosali fabric and pretty stationary.

And here is the treasure I sent.

I chose some very pretty buttons to send to the lovely Sue.

Thank you Sue, I really enjoyed our little swap.  

Well I have had a busy couple of days making at the Poppins home. I have been fortunate enough to have had some very lovely sales in my Folksy shop, and as many of my sales have been handmade to order items it has kept me close to my chine. Here is what I have been making for some very lovely people.

For a special birthday boy.

A mummy who wanted one of these for a girl and boy in time for Fathers Day.

For a very special and cool little boy.

And for a special little girl.

After a little break from the button sewing, I have got back into the swing of them again.

I have even managed to list a couple of new pretties too.

And the back, which I have kept nice and neutral.

And keeping with the cowboy, some bunting perfect for a cowboy loving boy (or girl) :0)

So making something, hopefully, every day is certainly keeping me motivated and the mojo for now, is well and truly here. 

And saying that I shouldn't be here, but in here

Everyone is waiting for me to get out in the garden and camp out for the night, Yes I know, all this fun and frolicks, and on a school night,  norty Mary P ;0)