Beautiful Books - Decorate by Holly Becker

Writing my blog has always been a journey for me. I never knew where it would lead, but that was always part of the fun. Along the way I've had to learn lots of new things and stretch my ideas and imagination a little further. This post is a little experiment in the blogging process, but also an homage to another blogger, Holly Becker who continues to inspire me with her work.

Some time ago one of my readers commented that my pictures were too small, this is unfortunately the way that Blogger compresses the images for the site, and so far has been a stretch too far for my blogging skills. However, I have recently begun a web design course which is giving me a little confidence to press the 'edit html' button that appears on my blogging page.

So here goes, I really hope this works as this post is all about beautiful books and to do them justice it's only fair I show them a little larger...

So far, so good.

I've written before about my prolific collecting and one of my favourite things to hoard, like a kiddy in a sweet shop, is my beautiful design books. Fashion or interiors I don't mind as long as they are full of beautiful images to inspire the soul. Not only are they a treat to pour over but they look great on my white shelves too! Splashes of pretty colour against the paintwork.

One of my recent favourites is Decorate by Holly Becker, it has just the right mixture of inspiring and uplifting photographs with really practical tips on getting a similar look.

Where this differs from some of my more weighty Thames and Hudson design tomes is that these interiors seem attainable with a little imagination and some creative flair, they are all an expression of their owner's personal style and life.

Eclectic collections of porcelain, and flea market finds beautifully arranged, and plenty of those vibrant prints and fabrics I love so much. At the moment the bathroom pages are particularly inspiring as we are planning our next renovation job on the house.

My other recent finds are Parisian Chic by Ines de la Fressange and I Love Your Style by Amanda Brooks.

Fashion books can be tricky things as they can quickly look quite dated, but these are about style again as an expression of the individual rather than following trends or dressing to a prescriptive formula according to your body shape, hair colour and height.

Style, whether it is in the home or on ourselves, is something very personal and all these books help us to discover what that might be without following trends, just in the same way that French women have always looked so effortless.

PS. For any of my blogging friends interested in how I got the images bigger I followed a brilliant post on Geoff Priest's blog. Follow the link for more info. I hope you noticed the difference in the post?!

Homemade Deli, Sheffield

Thick slices of rustic toast, fresh local produce cooked as you like it at home, and a good cup of English tea - the perfect breakfast is made up of the simplest ingredients, made just right. Homemade Deli in Sheffield was the perfect place for a morning catch up with a friend a few weeks ago, the food was lovely, the atmosphere relaxed and the service was friendly.

Since Noah came along 3 and a bit years ago I don't get out for meals as often. Living in London we'd regularly head out for lazy brunches in Clapham; and visits to Belgium were always punctuated with early morning trips to local cafés for a milky coffee and a basket of bread, so these kinds of trips are now a rare treat.

My morning routine now is more likely to involve a rushed bowl of porridge, whilst answering questions about jet engines and space shuttles, followed by an argument over why we need to get dressed and brush our teeth before leaving the house.

Homemade Café and Deli was a welcome respite from the usual clamour, it has a hint of the continental; light wood tables and simple white walls, with just the right amount of English charm. Beautiful, homemade cakes, cook books and pretty ephemera were on display, and in the deli lots of interesting ingredients to tempt me to part with more money. I resisted, but I'm sure I'll be heading back to sample the cakes - it didn't seem appropriate to indulge for breakfast - although I'm sure plenty of people do!

If you're interested to read about more cafés, have a look at my friend Carolyn's lovely blog Cafés to Contemplate.

Simple Style Solutions: Spring fashion

There's a growing warmth in the air that reminds me spring is on the way.

I was out in the garden today clearing the leaves from the pond, raking the browned detritus left over from the winter and noticed the beginnings of shoots coming through the soil. Bulbs planted in the long-forgotten days before Christmas presents. It's such an exciting time of year, change is on the way. And I can't wait.

I bought a Gap white shirt last week in the sale. I have it in mind to wear with skinny jeans, chunky brass bangles [an heirloom passed down from a loving relative], flat pumps [no tights!], and a lovely bright fifties style skirt that I have never found the right outfit for. All these looks are of course not right for the drizzly cold we still have here in England, but from the hint in the air I'm sure it won't be too long.

So I had a little lift in my spirits when I spotted a few labels beginning to show their spring collections - not many mind. Most brands are still flogging the unwanted left-overs of winter, all fake furs, too-tight dresses and dodgy tweeds that never quite made the grade.

Every season I come back to the outfitting in J Crew. It always looks fresh, modern and playful without resorting to fashion over-kill or hipster cliches. Jenna Lyon's [the creative director at J crew] style epitomises easy elegance and it just feels right for me. I still haven't quite found a British brand that matches this, but if you have any tips let me know. Perhaps Reiss is a contender? There is the odd piece I find in Boden, a well tailored jacket or cute capri, but it just doesn't have the same easy cool.

Gap too always hits the right note for me. Great cut on the jeans and trousers, and relaxed separates that work with most things in my wardrobe.

Any new collections caught your eye?

J Crew

Gap

Home office organising

I have plans for 2012. Not grand plans, but a small business idea I would like to begin slowly developing, and so I felt the urge to get my home office in order.

As with a lot of things in life it's necessary to make space for new things, and it's such a therapeutic process for the mind and spirit. If your environment is tidy you feel more in control of your life.

I looked for a little lite-inspiration on pinterest as usual and came up with some beautiful, bright, clean office spaces. For a working space at home it's important for me to have visual inspiration, lots of creative storage solutions and colour.

In all these examples I loved the mixture of personality, function and organisation that gave them all such unique style; like the signature Hermes orange in the first, with the graphic framed photos and industrial steel desk, juxtaposed with the distinctly feminine flowers.

Images from Domino magazine photo-stream and apartment.therapy via pinterest.

As I didn't have any money to spend on accessories I cleared some of the clutter and turned some of the storage boxes around so the files appeared tidier, I also covered the printer with an old cardboard storage box [cutting a suitable hole for the power lead], to hide the printer and give me more useful surface space.

I added more inspiration space with the addition of a picture-line [a bit like a washing line but with space to hang pictures rather than pants : D ].

The finishing touch was some accents of bright colour from some stationary tidies from TK Maxx, really cheap but a great way to add a bold splash of colour.

Do you have any organising tricks and tips? I feel better able to tackle my new project - wish me luck!

x

Before

After

Merry Christmas

It has been a busy few months, but one of my resolutions for the new year will be to begin blogging again - hope to see you then!

x

Handwritten sample sale

I miss sample sales! I don't mind admitting that one of the many advantages of my previous job was access to amazing sample sales of fabulous fashion booty. Of course this was also one of the many dichotomies too - we were peddling a designer lifestyle that we actually couldn't afford unless it was heavily subsidised by the designers themselves.

If you can find out when the sample sales are - they are a great way of getting beautiful clothes at discounted prices.

This looks like a great one this weekend:

Handwritten by Tanya Sarne is having a sample sale starting this Friday till Sunday. The collection is a firm favourite at Liberty and has 220 stockists worldwide. Tanya created GHOST and Handwritten is her new collection. www.handwrittenuk.com
The sale will feature Handwritten’s most recent and past stunning collections including dresses, jumpers, cardigans, jackets, knits, leather and accessories.

1-3 Middle Row
London
W10 5AT

2nd – 4th December 11am – 7pm.

Not running but almost...

After a far-too-long absence I'm back blogging. I'm sorry I've been away for so long!

I remember blogging a while ago about feeling torn between the real world and the on-line world, so you can imagine where my energies have been focused the last 2 months.

I've actually begun doing a little bit of free-lance work again after almost 4 years of 'maternity leave'. I also edited the winter edition of a free-magazine with some local friends. You can have a look at the new issue here if you're interested: http://issuu.com/chatterboxsheffield/docs/winter2011_pdf1_. This took a huge amount of time and energy as we have also been involved with some charity fund-raising for a local children's hospice: http://www.bluebellwood.org/.

The upshot of all this has been that my blog has suffered and as any person living and working today - I just wish there were more hours in the day as I've missed it.

One thing I have managed to make time for over the last few months is exercise. I have always said 'I'm not a runner'. People who went running were committed, serious and had time that I always felt I didn't have, but after running a 5k in June and then my first 10k in October I'm finally coming around to the idea that I can find some enjoyment and escape in running.

A good friend has recently begun a battle with breast-cancer. She is dealing with it so bravely and with such humour and honesty, but her battle has compounded my thoughts that we should never take our health for granted. Some mornings it is so difficult to pull on my sweats and step outside the door into the cold, grey morning, but it is one of the many things in life you never regret doing - just regret not doing.

Exercise has given me more energy to deal with the day and changed my figure after having a child and enjoying cakes far too much, so I think I will carry on - afterall it only takes a half an hour in the morning, who can't manage that?!

Cushion love!

After my last post, I realised I'd missed out one of my great collections; cushions.

Now my other-half struggles with this one too [as you can tell we don't see eye to eye on alot of things!]. He doesn't see the aesthetic or actual comfort appeal of another over-stuffed cushion on the sofa / bed, but I just think - well, you can't have too much of a good thing, right?!

A cushion is a really cheap, easy way of adding a new colour accent to a room, it creates more warmth, comfort and in the right fabric, glamour!

My latest find was a bargain from TK Maxx but like alot of my TK-finds looks alot more expensive. The yellow accent picks up on my new yellow chair, and the purple references the coloured light fitting in the room.


This picture from Pottery Barn shows just how clashing coloured cushions can create a really striking effect in a room.


So I thought I'd share some of my favourite cushions - some are affordable, and some are pure fantasy, but they would all make a really striking statement in a room!

Clare Nicolson for notonthehighstreet.com


Ben de Lisi for Debenhams, £23


Lizzie Allen black cabs cushion at Liberty, £79


Marrimekko at Heals, £55

Alice Temperley for The Rug Company, £495 [yes really! For a cushion - I know!]

Pinterest and scrapbooking

I am a prodigious collector. Magazines, coffee table books, recipes, pictures of pretty houses, glassware, vintage kitchenalia the list is endless. In particular I'm a scrapbooker, any pages from style and fashion magazines that I find inspiring get stuffed into a small white drawer to be eventually glued into a scrapbook. What I will ever do with all these bits of paper I'm still not sure.

Pinterest is the on-line equivalent of a pinboard [you can see the link to my boards down the right hand column of my blog]. I can now collect images on my pinterest board in exactly the same way that I stuff the tear sheets from my magazines into my drawer, only it feels much more organised [and is out of sight of my other-half - thank goodness!].

It can become incredibly addictive as you follow other people's boards and try to keep yours up-to-date. I've also discovered a new love of DIY and kids crafting thanks to some of the people I'm following, who have the cutest ideas and links to share.

If you're waiting for an invite let me know as I had to get my invitation through the lovely Tesca of the brilliant blog Casa and Co.

Here are some of my recent favourite pins:

I pin lots of great interiors ideas, details, moods or colours I love. I thought this art work was just beautiful with the modern style furniture very simple, but very pretty. Pinned from LONNY mag.



Quirky vintage inspired ideas always catch my eye. This is such a simple idea but so effective, those soft pastel, ice-cream shades look perfect together. Pinned from cupcakesandcashmere.com.


Our latest project with the house is a new bathroom, so I'm loving collecting lots of inspiration for new suites, tiles and cute details. Pinned from moredesignplease.com.


Of course I have lots of fashion and style pinboards, including work by some of my old colleagues and friends. This picture was by William Garrett for Red magazine. Love. x

Noah's story corner

I am a great fan of reinvention - I think everything can be reworked and recycled for a new or different purpose. Of course I'm also referring to myself! My new life has taken a little getting used to, but I think it fits me quite well now.

So I was very pleased with my old nursing chair that I recently had recovered. It is very expensive getting furniture reupholstered professionally, but I think the results are worth it. I stupidly forgot to take a picture of the chair before so you'll have to imagine a very shabby faded grey floral fabric looking very worn in places. I'm sure Rachel Ashwell would have loved it as it was, but I wanted a statement piece for the living room, something a little more striking and bold, so went with the yellow and smoky grey piping.

I was inspired by the living room of J Crew creative director Jenna Lyons, whose home has been featured in all the stylish interiors magazines and blogs, like Domino and Living Etc. Her gorgeous butter yellow sofa looks really striking against the cool grey walls of her sitting room.

Pictures from aphrochic

The new chair sits well in Noah's little reading corner and is just the right height for him [and Woody!].

Stylish thrifting: Bootsale bargains

I've written about my addiction for bargain hunting before. There's nothing more satisfying than routing through a charity shop, car boot sale or flea market and discovering something pretty, useful or [finger's crossed] actually worth real money!

It's rare to find something special and worth money, although last year I discovered an original water colour painting by a celebrated Yorkshire artist - it was signed and I quickly googled his name on my phone and found out it's value before I bought it for £5. I sold it later in the week on ebay for £50 [even the buyer got a real bargain!].

So I thought it would be fun to share some of my finds, and offer a few little tips to get the most from a Sunday morning outing.

Today's bargains weren't quite as exciting as the watercolour, but fun none-the-less.

The Beatrix Potter books were 25p each - Noah has a little collection that is expanding slowly. The Cath Kidston book is brand new, never opened and was £3. The Romo fabric is from the latest collection, it was an end of roll from a local interior designers and would retail for £45 per metre. The small section, enough to make a cushion, was just 20p.



The beautiful Donna Hay recipe book was 50p, and the vintage jelly mould was £1.



A small selection of Gap and H&M clothes for Noah were 50p each.

Tips:

• Get to any yard sale or boot sale early to find the best things. But avoid rummaging while people are setting up, it's frustrating for them and for you.
• Always take change and small amounts of notes, hopefully you will be spending pennies rather than pounds.
• Look for boot sales and table top sales in the best areas in your local paper. Schools often have fund-raising sales, and it may seem obvious but the better the area the better the things that are going to be on sale [the same rule applies to charity shops].
• take plenty of bags for carrying your items home.
• If possible go without your kids or pets in tow, they will distract you, and will constantly be asking if you can buy them the Thomas Tank/Ben 10/ vintage weapons[kidding!].
• Always take measurements of items you may be looking for with you - it's possible to find blinds / curtain poles / rugs etc. but unless you know your area you'll be throwing money away.
• Be prepared to look under stalls and in boxes to find hidden gems.
• Beware of walking away if you really want an item - chances are it won't be there when you come back.
• With clothing, look for quality brands and fabrics and don't be afraid to haggle if you buy multiple items. The best clothing to look for if you're a parent is for your kids, as children grow so fast, chances are winter coats, summer shorts, smart shirts etc. will only have been worn for a few months before they grow out of them.
• Don't be afraid to look at the sellers, chances are if you find someone who looks like your kind of person they will have similar taste.