*Reading corner

1. Drawers// 2. Floor lamp// 3. Chair// 4. Rug

I love nothing more than grabbing a good book, a cup of tea and kicking back for an indulgent afternoon of reading. (I'm currently making my way through The Maze Runner Trilogy and it's brilliant!)


While I dream of a dedicated library room, filled to the brim with books, I have to settle for wherever the dog isn't sitting/lying/rolling. Wouldn't it be great to have a reading corner?! A place where you could just sit and get carried away in a great story.


While browsing fashionforhome.co.uk I came across so many wonderful pieces that would make my ideal reading space. A comfy chair, fluffy rug, a set of drawers for storing magazines and bits and bobs and of course a reading light. The website is full of beautiful items of furniture. A lot of the design is distinctly, Scandinavian mid-century modern, with a retro vibe and the prices are surprisingly affordable considering the quality of the design. I love the contrast between the textured fabric and the metal legs on the chair above. It also converts into a bed! Great for guests if you're lacking in space.


As a committed reader, I also own a lot of books and I'm feeling very tempted to add these beautiful shelves to my home! (see how a corner can become a full room so easily!!)

5. // Shelving unit//

I could happily furnish my whole house with items from Fashion for Home, it was difficult to select just a few pieces there's so much choice. Another thing to mention is that delivery is FREE! I don't know about you, but that is a big selling point for me, especially on bulky items. 

What's your favourite interior style? Do you have a reading corner?!

*Meet the family!

Mishaps and mayhem seem to be part and parcel of owning a pet sometimes! I guess it's a bit like having children. Sometimes they are just feeling under the weather and want to be left alone, or need a cuddle while they fall asleep on you. Occasionally, things are a bit more serious and veterinary intervention is required. That's where pet insurance comes in. Having had several pets I definitely wouldn't be without it, it gives me peace of mind that if they need treatment, I'm covered!
Luckily most of my experiences have just been mishaps rather than mayhem. We've had puppies running head first into stinging nettles (ouchie)! splinters in paws and bee stings on cat noses!!! (Why do cats insist on trying to catch things that fly)?!

Will someone pleeeeease remove this lampshade from my HEAD?!!!

Flossie being a drama queen after having blood taken! (Hmm, nice bandage?!)

Our only pet at the moment is Flossie but I thought you might like to meet some past family members?! (Self indulgent? Yes)!

Harvey, our rescue dog as a puppy. Oliver, a rescue cat and Betty a rabbit I found in a dark and dingy pet shop all alone. Sadly, all no longer with us but they had fun and healthy lives!

Crafty Creatives Box #1

SPOILER ALERT! If you want your box to be a surprise, look away now!!!

There are many subscription boxes around and I've done Graze (which I loved) and Glossy Box (which I also enjoyed) But, earlier in the year I was very excited to learn of a new kind of monthly subscription box. It was while reading The Gluegun Girl's fabulous blog (check it out, it's ace!) that I found there was going to be a craft box!

The build up to the launch of Crafty Creatives has been very exciting, with lots of teasing tweets and Instagram pictures and I've been eagerly waiting each day, for the postie to arrive with my box. Well, today was the day and I was not disappointed!

Here are some pictures of the contents of CCBox #1

The theme for this first month is florals. The box contains some great items which I can't wait to start playing with and I think it's very good value for £10 (plus £2.95 delivery)

Claire and Isobel have done a great job with Crafty Creatives and I'm looking forward to my monthly box of treats!

*Light's alright!

1. White shirt // 2. Cream tube necklace // 3. Stud Hi-tops // 4. Triangle earrings // 5. Bracelet // 6. Cardigan // 

7. Boat shoes // 8. Bag (H&M sold out. Sorry!) // 9. Jeans

In the summertime (yeah, I know that's a bit of a joke in the UK, but bear with me) I like wearing lighter colours, the only problem is, I've got caught in heavy downpours (a lot) which on more than one occasion has resulted in me getting muddy splashes up the back of my legs while wearing my favourite pale blue jeans! Not a good look. Neither is getting grass stains on your white trousers!! (Word of advice: Don't sit on the grass even if it's sunny, if it has been non-stop raining for a week)! But, being the stubborn sort that I am, I refuse to let the weather stop me flouncing around in beautiful shades of cream, blue and peach, and through the power of stain removal I will continue to wear my pastel shades and stand up to this rain (shakes angry fist at the sky)!

"You will not spoil my summer British weather, or my wardrobe!"

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It's Lush!

Lush// Fresh face masks- £5.75 each.

The only products I've ever tried from Lush are bath bombs, which I think are amazing, but not being one who likes to soak in the tub, I very rarely indulge in them and I tend to only get them within gift sets at Christmas.
My skin has been feeling a bit worse for wear, a bit dry and sensitive and just a bit bleurgh! I blame the weather. (I am blaming everything on the weather at the moment because, frankly it's rubbish)! So, I thought I'd try out Lush face masks. It appeals to me that Lush are cruelty free and use natural ingredients so their products shouldn't irritate my skin.
Firstly, oh my goodness. They smell WONDERFUL, seriously if you go into Lush have a big sniff of these! Secondly they look good enough to eat (but don't, obviously)!
I can't say how effective they are in the long term just yet, because I've not been using them for long enough, but my skin felt soft, clean and refreshed afterwards and it was a nice way to relax for ten minutes.

Tina: An update

Do you remember this recent post? Well, I finally managed to outbid my competitors on eBay and I'm now in the possession of my very own JH Lynch "Tina."
I could not be more happy with her. Do you want a peek?!!

And here she is in all her glory!!

The condition is great considering her age (about 40+ years old)!
This isn't her final resting place, that is reserved in the home office along with some other retro items I love, which I'll post about soon.

Do you love retro or prefer a more modernist approach to your interiors?!

*Cheese and onion Pasties!

Cheese and onion pasties are a bit of a departure for me. I'm a cake baker by nature but I felt I needed to face my demons and instead of making my usual carrot cake or lemon cake, I chose a pastry recipe! Not only pastry, but savoury!!
I needn't have worried, it's really quick and simple, and with a few basic ingredients you can have a great tasting snack or meal.

The recipe I followed is here.

I decided to use red onions rather than regular white onions, because I prefer the flavour. I also used mature cheddar, but I think this recipe would be delicious with a mix of cheeses.

The smell was divine while they were cooking, and Flossie sat in front of the oven the whole time with her nose in the air!

I think these would be perfect for a picnic or in your work lunch box, they were very tasty and needless to say they didn't last long!

Tutorial: Chevron nails!

After really enjoying creating some nail art in this post I decided it was time to try another new technique!
I particularly like simple patterns and thought I'd have a go at chevrons.

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While I haven't got the patience to create a design as detailed as the above pattern, it is possible to capture the "look."
I bought the nail guides from this eBay seller. There are several other shapes available to experiment with.

Colours used: Models Own "Beach Party"// Barry M "291 Cobalt Blue"// Boots 17 "Holding Hands"

There are endless colour and design combinations you could use:
Varying shades of the same colour going from light to dark or vice versa.

• Glitter topcoat added to one of the stripes (maybe the tips) to highlight and add texture.
• Using a nail art pen add pattern (maybe dots or stripes) to one of the stripes or follow the line of the chevron.

Tip: Let the base colour dry thoroughly before you apply the nail guide, if you don't it will pull off the colour underneath it when you try to remove it. I sometimes leave it overnight just to be sure, then apply the other colours the next day!