Monday, 29 August 2016
Sunday, 14 June 2015
A Beginners Guide: Tips When Buying Your First Home
I was 26 when we bought our first home. We decided to skip the whole renting thing first because we thought we'd struggle to save enough if we had rent coming out as well as everything else, so we moved straight from our parents houses into a mortgage. You obviously don't need me to point out the massive commitment that comes with a house so its important to consider everything before deciding between renting and buying to ensure you are 100% ready!
The more deposit you can put down, the better! I'll be honest, at 26 I still wasn't entirely clued up with how everything works, I didn't understand how deposits would effect things, I didn't get this whole 'fixed rate over 25 years' business... I just sorta breezed through it and let Mike (my partner) do all the deciding. Now I'm more older (and wiser!) I would completely recommend to start saving as soon as you decide you want to buy a house - it makes sense now I think about it but the bigger deposit you have to put down, the less your monthly mortgage payments will be, which means more cash to spend on other things! I was too eager to move and I think we only started properly saving for approx. 1yr and only managed a 5% deposit. Luckily we found a mortgage provider that would accept this, a lot of banks want 10% deposit at the very minimum. Obviously, depending on the bracket of house prices you are looking at, this deposit may be able to be reached fairly quickly, again, depending on the price of houses you are looking at.
Don't punch above your weight in regards to house prices. Its all well and good looking at luxurious 4/5 bedroomed houses in the middle of no where with a garden the size of a jungle and an indoor swimming pool, however if you don't earn big enough bucks, your money just wont to cut (not to mention you wouldn't be accepted anyway!). Even if you can afford the mortgage payments, you have to consider everything else in between, it wont be a happy place if you're leaving yourself short every month. The best thing to do is start small and work your way up as the years go on. It might not be your dream house in your dream area but hopefully in a few years time after a promotion (or two!) you'll be able to upgrade! Although I wouldn't exactly class ours as a 'starter home' (they are usually smaller with no massive luxuries), I definitely don't intend on staying here long term. We're coming up to our 4yr anniversary, and within the next 3 years we are planning to move again.
It's not always about the size! Currently, me and Mike live in a 3 bedroomed house with a conservatory. No children, no pets, just us. I'll be honest, the size of the house appealed to me.. my head full of ideas of what I'd do with the spare room, how I was going to decorate the conservatory etc. In reality, once the novelty of a new house has disappeared, its all downhill. I remember when we were house hunting, my mum kept reminding me that there's 'only 2 of us' and 'the bigger the house, the more there is to clean' 'whatever...' I thought, but (as always!) mums really do know best and I can completely agree with her now, 4 years down the line! The cleaning drives me insane, 1 spare bedroom I've turned into my dressing room/study, the other room (which was going to be Mikes 'games room') and 4 years later its still a dumping ground (and a big one at that!). I think apart from my OTT collection of clothes, we would have still managed with a 2-bed house. I'm never on top of the cleaning...ever. So, moral of the story, only buy the space that you really need, unless you have the time (and willpower!) to clean!
Don't waste your money on a mortgage advisor. We did this and we could have done everything ourselves (admittedly with some help) and saved £300! You'd probably learn a lot more as well because your being forced to research it all yourself!
If you do happen to use a mortgage advisor, don't get talked into all the policies that they'll try and make you purchase. Young and naïve, we had no real clue what insurances we needed (apart from the obvious!). I remember after one visit, we had bought life insurance and some form of insurance for if any of us was off work sick. I think it took us nearly 2 years before we decided to get to grips with it all, assess all of our policies and cancel some! It makes me mad knowing how much money we wasted in those 2 years paying for an insurance that we never really needed. If circumstances were different (i.e. if I (God forbid!) had some form of illness but I could still work, I might have considered the latter policy, but we're both (fairly!) fit and healthy so we were putty in that advisors hands!
In conjunction with the one above, get new quotes annually for all your present insurances. Again, we were late on the uptake with this (simply because it's left to me to do!) but when I did it last year (I think for the first time!) I ended up saving us a massive £40 a month just buy changing companies when my renewal came round! Crazy!
That modern furniture is not always the comfiest! Buying your first home is probably the first time you will encounter buying larger furniture pieces. For the most part, I'm pretty happy with my purchases, but I remember going to DFS and buying a large corner sofa with a round cuddle swivel chair because I loved the appearance of it (and it felt comfy in the shop!). We also paid extra for it to have a pull out bed, for allllll those guests we'll be having. Have we ever had a guest over to sleep in 4 years? Nope. Waste of money. Do we use the cuddle chair other than to dump stuff on or for nieces/nephews to play on? Nope. Waste of money. Despite the appearance of it, is the sofa the most uncomfiest sofa I've ever sat on? Yep. Waste.of.money. We paid a lot of money for this as well. Moral of the story, be sure, and doubly sure of the purchases you make. Little tip (never buy bedroom furniture from Argos either!)
Assess your living situation. Are you out at work a lot of the time? Are there very few of you living at home? For us it worked out cheaper to be on a water meter as opposed to paying a set amount every quarter. We changed and now just pay for the water that we use, and now our bills are ridiculously cheap.
If you work full time and have your hands full of other social activities outside of work, chances are you'll have little real time to care for your house. Adapt things so its low maintenance - e.g. do any of you have green fingers? If no, it might be wise to change the garden a little - get rid of any grass in exchange for pebbles/slate etc. Pretty it up with some potted plants as opposed to bedding soiled plants. It might be a little expensive on initial pay out but in the long-term, having a low maintenance garden will save you so much time! Its so easy for me to spend almost a full day every couple of weeks in the summer in my garden just keeping on top of things.
If any of you are on the brink of buying your own house, good luck, but keep some of the above in mind!
The more deposit you can put down, the better! I'll be honest, at 26 I still wasn't entirely clued up with how everything works, I didn't understand how deposits would effect things, I didn't get this whole 'fixed rate over 25 years' business... I just sorta breezed through it and let Mike (my partner) do all the deciding. Now I'm more older (and wiser!) I would completely recommend to start saving as soon as you decide you want to buy a house - it makes sense now I think about it but the bigger deposit you have to put down, the less your monthly mortgage payments will be, which means more cash to spend on other things! I was too eager to move and I think we only started properly saving for approx. 1yr and only managed a 5% deposit. Luckily we found a mortgage provider that would accept this, a lot of banks want 10% deposit at the very minimum. Obviously, depending on the bracket of house prices you are looking at, this deposit may be able to be reached fairly quickly, again, depending on the price of houses you are looking at.
Don't punch above your weight in regards to house prices. Its all well and good looking at luxurious 4/5 bedroomed houses in the middle of no where with a garden the size of a jungle and an indoor swimming pool, however if you don't earn big enough bucks, your money just wont to cut (not to mention you wouldn't be accepted anyway!). Even if you can afford the mortgage payments, you have to consider everything else in between, it wont be a happy place if you're leaving yourself short every month. The best thing to do is start small and work your way up as the years go on. It might not be your dream house in your dream area but hopefully in a few years time after a promotion (or two!) you'll be able to upgrade! Although I wouldn't exactly class ours as a 'starter home' (they are usually smaller with no massive luxuries), I definitely don't intend on staying here long term. We're coming up to our 4yr anniversary, and within the next 3 years we are planning to move again.
It's not always about the size! Currently, me and Mike live in a 3 bedroomed house with a conservatory. No children, no pets, just us. I'll be honest, the size of the house appealed to me.. my head full of ideas of what I'd do with the spare room, how I was going to decorate the conservatory etc. In reality, once the novelty of a new house has disappeared, its all downhill. I remember when we were house hunting, my mum kept reminding me that there's 'only 2 of us' and 'the bigger the house, the more there is to clean' 'whatever...' I thought, but (as always!) mums really do know best and I can completely agree with her now, 4 years down the line! The cleaning drives me insane, 1 spare bedroom I've turned into my dressing room/study, the other room (which was going to be Mikes 'games room') and 4 years later its still a dumping ground (and a big one at that!). I think apart from my OTT collection of clothes, we would have still managed with a 2-bed house. I'm never on top of the cleaning...ever. So, moral of the story, only buy the space that you really need, unless you have the time (and willpower!) to clean!
Don't waste your money on a mortgage advisor. We did this and we could have done everything ourselves (admittedly with some help) and saved £300! You'd probably learn a lot more as well because your being forced to research it all yourself!
If you do happen to use a mortgage advisor, don't get talked into all the policies that they'll try and make you purchase. Young and naïve, we had no real clue what insurances we needed (apart from the obvious!). I remember after one visit, we had bought life insurance and some form of insurance for if any of us was off work sick. I think it took us nearly 2 years before we decided to get to grips with it all, assess all of our policies and cancel some! It makes me mad knowing how much money we wasted in those 2 years paying for an insurance that we never really needed. If circumstances were different (i.e. if I (God forbid!) had some form of illness but I could still work, I might have considered the latter policy, but we're both (fairly!) fit and healthy so we were putty in that advisors hands!
In conjunction with the one above, get new quotes annually for all your present insurances. Again, we were late on the uptake with this (simply because it's left to me to do!) but when I did it last year (I think for the first time!) I ended up saving us a massive £40 a month just buy changing companies when my renewal came round! Crazy!
That modern furniture is not always the comfiest! Buying your first home is probably the first time you will encounter buying larger furniture pieces. For the most part, I'm pretty happy with my purchases, but I remember going to DFS and buying a large corner sofa with a round cuddle swivel chair because I loved the appearance of it (and it felt comfy in the shop!). We also paid extra for it to have a pull out bed, for allllll those guests we'll be having. Have we ever had a guest over to sleep in 4 years? Nope. Waste of money. Do we use the cuddle chair other than to dump stuff on or for nieces/nephews to play on? Nope. Waste of money. Despite the appearance of it, is the sofa the most uncomfiest sofa I've ever sat on? Yep. Waste.of.money. We paid a lot of money for this as well. Moral of the story, be sure, and doubly sure of the purchases you make. Little tip (never buy bedroom furniture from Argos either!)
Assess your living situation. Are you out at work a lot of the time? Are there very few of you living at home? For us it worked out cheaper to be on a water meter as opposed to paying a set amount every quarter. We changed and now just pay for the water that we use, and now our bills are ridiculously cheap.
If you work full time and have your hands full of other social activities outside of work, chances are you'll have little real time to care for your house. Adapt things so its low maintenance - e.g. do any of you have green fingers? If no, it might be wise to change the garden a little - get rid of any grass in exchange for pebbles/slate etc. Pretty it up with some potted plants as opposed to bedding soiled plants. It might be a little expensive on initial pay out but in the long-term, having a low maintenance garden will save you so much time! Its so easy for me to spend almost a full day every couple of weeks in the summer in my garden just keeping on top of things.
If any of you are on the brink of buying your own house, good luck, but keep some of the above in mind!
Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Sass & Belle Wishlist | Home Interior
A fair few months ago I discovered Sass & Belle when watching someone's Youtube video.. and ever since I've been lusting after some of their items on there. The great thing is a lot of it is affordable yet cute at the same time.. perfect for me! I know this shabby chic style isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I personally love it. I find it very feminine and elegant. If you prefer something a little less girly, there are other styles on Sass & Belle which I'm sure you'll love!
Here are just some of the things I have on my wishlist..
Here are just some of the things I have on my wishlist..
Which is your favourite?
Sunday, 30 November 2014
Christmas Dining with Debenhams.
I'll be honest, I've never hosted a dinner party. Ever. I cook for both my boyfriend and I but cooking for others just.. scares me. I'm scared mostly for 2 reasons. 1 because I'm worried that they'd hate my cooking, or 2 - this is more self-doubt with myself that my cooking simply isn't good enough (even though it may be). Although I will admit, I'm a better cook than I am baker. It's a shame because not only would I love to host a dinner party (arranging table decorations alone excites me!) but we also have a 6 seater dining table in the conservatory (see below), so I can't even use lack of space as my excuse!
I am contemplating putting on a spread on Boxing day for the family, this may ease me into the real thing, but for now, lets pretend I'm cooking for 4...
I have got my colour inspiration from my conservatory as it stands now.. I'm the type of person that likes things to tie in with the surrounding area, so table decorations would be no different!
From L-R.
Firstly, can we all take a moment to swoon over this beautiful Willis & Gambier Oak Dining Table. This is my perfect dining table - it has shabby chic, rustic and modern all bound in one. I LOVE the look of those chairs too - how comfy do they look?! I'd definitely be off to a good start if I had this as the base of my Christmas party!
These purple metallic linen napkins would look a lot more luxurious than paper ones, don't you think?! And why not splash out, it is Christmas after all!
Above those are some pretty star napkin rings. I think these would really stand out against the dark purple napkins, and keep them neat before use.
These gorgeous Royal Doulton twinkle crystal toasting flutes are so pretty and elegant. They even have hand-applied Swarovski crystals on them! Although these aren't in Debenham's Christmas range, the star design reminded me of snowflakes, and the fact that these are toasting glasses... when better to toast than at Christmas! I can imagine these to look so pretty when they catch reflections from the lights too!
I'd have two of these grey pillar candles lit on the table.. I love candles all year round, but even more so at Christmas time. I love the cute ribbon that is attached to these as well..
I'd place this purple beaded table runner down the centre of the table, which would be used to place most things on.. I think this would really set the table off, and protect the table top without covering too much wood (I'd want to show that off too!).
I'd buy a handful of these gorgeous Sass & Belle multi-coloured baubles which I'd hang on long purple ribbons from my fan on the ceiling which hovers just above the table. I'd team these with the purple glass baubles and have them hanging at different lengths. I think this would really add something unique to the room.
I don't think you can do a Christmas dinner without having some candlesticks lit. These pretty silver antique candlestick holders would be perfect for the job, teamed up with the purple dinner candles, I think the contrast of colours would be good here.
If you're having guests, you've got to have a decent set of cutlery going on. Unfortunately since I pinned this particular set to my Polyvore they have sold out, so I can't find a direct link, however I've found some similar which are equally as nice, which are the John Rocha 16-piece cutlery set.
I'm loving these beaded place mats - Not only would it protect the table top, but I think the plates would be really brought to life when placed on top of these. So pretty.
These Betty Jackson ombre wine glasses are perfect for people who may not be drinking alcohol and using the flutes. They would house soft drinks or water, and yet the guests can still enjoy a drink from a nice glass.
You can't have a Christmas dinner without pulling a cracker or two.. these silver mistletoe crackers look so pretty with their glitter and ribbon, and the prizes don't look too shabby either!
I love this snowflake bottle stopper .. the perfect addition to any bottle of wine or champagne that you may indulge in at the table.. its the little things remember...
This glittery reindeer ornament I think would make a nice addition at the top of the table.. a festive sparkly piece is always welcome!
I think this wooden light up Christmas tree is so simple yet to pretty.. it wouldn't take up too much room on the table. I would place this at the other end to the reindeer.
I'd use this crystal glass to put water and ice in.. I love the thick glass cut on this..
To add even more sparkle and glamour to the table, I'd use these silver table gems - I'd wouldn't want them getting in the way of my guests so I'd lightly scatter them on the table runner in between items.
How cute are these reindeer place card holders ?! I'd hand-make some name cards and place them in these.. perfect for those fussy eaters.. don't want anyone getting someone else's dinner!
This designer glass bulb vase I'd put some battery fairy lights in to create a glowing effect.. I love lights against glass and the reflections they create...
How can you have champagne without a champagne bucket ? Champagne on ice.. I think my guests will be returning!
You can't have a dinner party without some plates! This Royal Doulton 'Platinum' dining set is simple and subtle yet clean-looking and perfect. I always think food looks best on white plates!
There was something about these Denby dessert bowls that drew me in. Not only does the base/spine have a blue/purple effect to them which tie in with my colour scheme, the shape and design really make your dining experience a little more unique than the average simple bowl from a dining set. I'd definitely replace my bowls from the Royal Doulton range with these, just to spice it up a little.
So now to imagine it altogether....
I'd definitely be closer to throwing a party if I owned all this!
This is my entry to the 'I'm dreaming of Debenhams Dinnerware' competition to win £250 to spend at Debenhams, plus a Christmas hamper from them worth £150! Great, right?! But hurry, this competition closes at midnight on November 30th.
I am contemplating putting on a spread on Boxing day for the family, this may ease me into the real thing, but for now, lets pretend I'm cooking for 4...
I have got my colour inspiration from my conservatory as it stands now.. I'm the type of person that likes things to tie in with the surrounding area, so table decorations would be no different!
From L-R.
Firstly, can we all take a moment to swoon over this beautiful Willis & Gambier Oak Dining Table. This is my perfect dining table - it has shabby chic, rustic and modern all bound in one. I LOVE the look of those chairs too - how comfy do they look?! I'd definitely be off to a good start if I had this as the base of my Christmas party!
These purple metallic linen napkins would look a lot more luxurious than paper ones, don't you think?! And why not splash out, it is Christmas after all!
Above those are some pretty star napkin rings. I think these would really stand out against the dark purple napkins, and keep them neat before use.
These gorgeous Royal Doulton twinkle crystal toasting flutes are so pretty and elegant. They even have hand-applied Swarovski crystals on them! Although these aren't in Debenham's Christmas range, the star design reminded me of snowflakes, and the fact that these are toasting glasses... when better to toast than at Christmas! I can imagine these to look so pretty when they catch reflections from the lights too!
I'd have two of these grey pillar candles lit on the table.. I love candles all year round, but even more so at Christmas time. I love the cute ribbon that is attached to these as well..
I'd place this purple beaded table runner down the centre of the table, which would be used to place most things on.. I think this would really set the table off, and protect the table top without covering too much wood (I'd want to show that off too!).
I'd buy a handful of these gorgeous Sass & Belle multi-coloured baubles which I'd hang on long purple ribbons from my fan on the ceiling which hovers just above the table. I'd team these with the purple glass baubles and have them hanging at different lengths. I think this would really add something unique to the room.
I don't think you can do a Christmas dinner without having some candlesticks lit. These pretty silver antique candlestick holders would be perfect for the job, teamed up with the purple dinner candles, I think the contrast of colours would be good here.
If you're having guests, you've got to have a decent set of cutlery going on. Unfortunately since I pinned this particular set to my Polyvore they have sold out, so I can't find a direct link, however I've found some similar which are equally as nice, which are the John Rocha 16-piece cutlery set.
I'm loving these beaded place mats - Not only would it protect the table top, but I think the plates would be really brought to life when placed on top of these. So pretty.
These Betty Jackson ombre wine glasses are perfect for people who may not be drinking alcohol and using the flutes. They would house soft drinks or water, and yet the guests can still enjoy a drink from a nice glass.
You can't have a Christmas dinner without pulling a cracker or two.. these silver mistletoe crackers look so pretty with their glitter and ribbon, and the prizes don't look too shabby either!
I love this snowflake bottle stopper .. the perfect addition to any bottle of wine or champagne that you may indulge in at the table.. its the little things remember...
This glittery reindeer ornament I think would make a nice addition at the top of the table.. a festive sparkly piece is always welcome!
I think this wooden light up Christmas tree is so simple yet to pretty.. it wouldn't take up too much room on the table. I would place this at the other end to the reindeer.
I'd use this crystal glass to put water and ice in.. I love the thick glass cut on this..
To add even more sparkle and glamour to the table, I'd use these silver table gems - I'd wouldn't want them getting in the way of my guests so I'd lightly scatter them on the table runner in between items.
How cute are these reindeer place card holders ?! I'd hand-make some name cards and place them in these.. perfect for those fussy eaters.. don't want anyone getting someone else's dinner!
This designer glass bulb vase I'd put some battery fairy lights in to create a glowing effect.. I love lights against glass and the reflections they create...
How can you have champagne without a champagne bucket ? Champagne on ice.. I think my guests will be returning!
You can't have a dinner party without some plates! This Royal Doulton 'Platinum' dining set is simple and subtle yet clean-looking and perfect. I always think food looks best on white plates!
There was something about these Denby dessert bowls that drew me in. Not only does the base/spine have a blue/purple effect to them which tie in with my colour scheme, the shape and design really make your dining experience a little more unique than the average simple bowl from a dining set. I'd definitely replace my bowls from the Royal Doulton range with these, just to spice it up a little.
So now to imagine it altogether....
I'd definitely be closer to throwing a party if I owned all this!
How many are you cooking for this Christmas?
This is my entry to the 'I'm dreaming of Debenhams Dinnerware' competition to win £250 to spend at Debenhams, plus a Christmas hamper from them worth £150! Great, right?! But hurry, this competition closes at midnight on November 30th.
Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Home Interior: How I store my candles | Shabby Chic
I'm a sucker for home accessories and have been ever since I bought my own house over 3 years ago. I'm always on the look out for unique items and ways to store things. I bought this cream birdcage when they first hit the shops a long time ago, but I could never find a use for it. It has a little door at the back but it wasn't really big enough for many things to fit through. Months later, I started again to think about what I could do with this god damn birdcage, when I noticed there was a latch at the top, and the whole top opened up. Safe to say that was the highlight of my day, and ideas began streaming in on what I could finally put in this birdcage!
My boyfriend had bought me a big stash of yankee candles for christmas, and I realised I just had them lying around, not really having a home. A lightbulb came on and within minutes I was filling it with all my candles.
My next dilemma was where do I store it? It has a big hook on the top, so I tried hooking it over my book shelf. I was a bit apprehensive because there was this heavy birdcage full of candles swinging in mid air.. I was frightened it would slowly work its way off the shelf in the night and startle me to death. Luckily several months have since passed and it hasn't moved an inch.
To spruce it up a bit I stuck some tiny wired lights in, so at night I turn them on and it looks pretty all lit up :-) The other bonus is the fact that it's technically in mid-air - its not using up any work space, perfect!
My boyfriend had bought me a big stash of yankee candles for christmas, and I realised I just had them lying around, not really having a home. A lightbulb came on and within minutes I was filling it with all my candles.
My next dilemma was where do I store it? It has a big hook on the top, so I tried hooking it over my book shelf. I was a bit apprehensive because there was this heavy birdcage full of candles swinging in mid air.. I was frightened it would slowly work its way off the shelf in the night and startle me to death. Luckily several months have since passed and it hasn't moved an inch.
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| Sorry - this is a little out of focus! |
To spruce it up a bit I stuck some tiny wired lights in, so at night I turn them on and it looks pretty all lit up :-) The other bonus is the fact that it's technically in mid-air - its not using up any work space, perfect!
How do you store your candles?
Wednesday, 5 November 2014
Home Interior Purchases | Dunelm Mill
Last week I was lucky enough to win a £50 gift voucher from Dunelm Mill. This came at perfect timing as I'm currently in the process of trying to revamp 3 rooms in our house..all at once!
As soon as the voucher arrived in the post this morning, within an hour I found myself driving to Dunelm Mill... (I don't mess around..). The few things I was hoping to buy that I had spotted online were unfortunately not in-store, so I ended up making impulse buys on items that I didn't really need. Either way, I'm really happy with my purchases, and I still have almost half the voucher left, so I'm going to hold off till new stock comes in..
Recipe boxes - £7.99 for 2 (Candy Rose Collection)
I'm always printing out recipes at work and never know where to put them.. I now have the perfect cutest storage place!
'Bubbles, Steam & Serenity' block - £3.49
This is sitting on my glass shelves in my bathroom.. My bathroom is a pretty boring place so I'm trying to give it a bit of a facelift!
Floral Hurricane Lamp - £7.99 (inc candle and sand)
I absolutely love the design of this glass hurricane lamp. The good thing with this is you're not forced to use it as a candle holder.. it could be used for so many things. I adore the print on this.
Floral Mug - £1.99
I bought this purely for work. The mugs that I've previously brought in either get used by everyone and anyone, or they miraculously disappear. Now its getting colder I tend to drink more hot drinks at work so I thought I'm going to invest in one more.. and keep it in my locker when not used!
Heart Candle Holders - £1.49
These were mainly for a sideboard I have in my living room that is still fairly empty inside, but because of glass doors, there's no hiding the emptiness.. so I'm slowly trying to fill it!
Keep your eyes peeled to see what I buy with the remainder of my gift card!
As soon as the voucher arrived in the post this morning, within an hour I found myself driving to Dunelm Mill... (I don't mess around..). The few things I was hoping to buy that I had spotted online were unfortunately not in-store, so I ended up making impulse buys on items that I didn't really need. Either way, I'm really happy with my purchases, and I still have almost half the voucher left, so I'm going to hold off till new stock comes in..
Recipe boxes - £7.99 for 2 (Candy Rose Collection)
I'm always printing out recipes at work and never know where to put them.. I now have the perfect cutest storage place!
'Bubbles, Steam & Serenity' block - £3.49
This is sitting on my glass shelves in my bathroom.. My bathroom is a pretty boring place so I'm trying to give it a bit of a facelift!
Floral Hurricane Lamp - £7.99 (inc candle and sand)
I absolutely love the design of this glass hurricane lamp. The good thing with this is you're not forced to use it as a candle holder.. it could be used for so many things. I adore the print on this.
Floral Mug - £1.99
I bought this purely for work. The mugs that I've previously brought in either get used by everyone and anyone, or they miraculously disappear. Now its getting colder I tend to drink more hot drinks at work so I thought I'm going to invest in one more.. and keep it in my locker when not used!
Heart Candle Holders - £1.49
These were mainly for a sideboard I have in my living room that is still fairly empty inside, but because of glass doors, there's no hiding the emptiness.. so I'm slowly trying to fill it!
Keep your eyes peeled to see what I buy with the remainder of my gift card!
Thursday, 19 June 2014
Home Interior: My Perfume Collection & Storage
My perfume collection stands nicely in the corner of my dressing room on my drawers (which I also have the matching dressing table to..). These drawers house mainly everyday beauty essentials from make-up that I'm currently using to deodorants and hair items. The contents of the drawers are forever changing though because when I run out, I'll replace them with another from my stash which is housed elsewhere!
Britney Spears 'Curious' is one of my all time favourite 'celeb' scents. I've purchased this on and off for nearing 10 years now! You can get a huge bottle for so cheap as well if you shop around, which is always good! I also love Britney Spears 'Fantasy' but I ran out of that a long time ago!
I don't often go in charity shops, but once when I did a couple of years ago, I spied this gorgeous mirrored cake stand and instantly thought that it'd be perfect for my perfumes. Its a little bit more of an unusual way to store them, but because of the 2 tiers, it kinda saves space than if I was to put them all on a flat surface. I love glass on glass to, there's just something about it that I think makes it look pretty.
I'm not the best at describing scents, and I don't really know what I'd class myself liking - I really like sweet smelling perfumes, but for a special occasion/evening out, I tend to go for more musky smelling fragrances. I wouldn't say I have an expensive taste in perfumes, as you can see I own a fair few celebrity perfumes, which as you all know are really inexpensive now. One that I do like to splurge on every now and again is Lancôme Hypnose (in fact each time I've been lucky and Mike has bought me a bottle for my birthday/Christmas, so I don't think I've ever had to splash out on the £50 price tag.. yet!).
As you can see, more Britney Spears! I love the 'Radiance' bottle, although I'm not too keen on this scent anymore!
How do you store your perfumes?
Have you entered my giveaway to win a bottle of bioderma? There's 2 up for grabs with only a few hours to go!
Wednesday, 21 May 2014
Home Decor: Project Hallway #3 - Before & After!
I've been waiting to write this post for a couple of weeks now but I've been hanging on because our hallway isn't quite finished. I'm waiting for Mike to put some cubing shelving up, but because he's lacking in the DIY department, I think the sight of the drill is scaring him, so he's procrastinating (he does this an awful lot let me tell you!). So I figured I may be waiting a while, so I'll show you what its looking like now, 99% complete!
As you can see before we had laminate flooring which was down when we bought the property almost 3 years ago. Some may say carpet isn't practical for the hallway as that's the main thoroughfare, however I love carpets and think they're so cosy, and a lot warmer, especially in the winter, so the laminate had to go! The roman blinds which you can just see in the before picture were also here when we moved in. I'd never dealt with these kind of blinds before but soon took a liking to them and actually wanted them in the new hallway, but obviously in a different colour. I accidentally ordered venetian but I couldn't be happier. As I stated in #2, I got them fitted in the recess which adds a lot more privacy. As you can see, we have an ugly electric meter box in our hallway. I was hoping that my new table would cover this but unfortunately there's still a bit peeking! The canvas that you can see in the photo I purchased from Asda for approx. £8.
Lets take a closer look....
I had been lusting after this Parisian nightstand from Dunelm Mill ever since I moved in, but it was never the right time to buy it. I was also hoping it would go down in the sale, but it never did, and for the £129 price tag, I wasn't sure if I could splurge on something that was technically just going to sit in my hallway and look pretty. Almost 3 years later and I bit the bullet and bought it. I was still in love with it so knew it wasn't just a 'phase' I was going through! Being completely mirrored, it does gather dust pretty quickly, but I keep a special cloth in the drawer (that came with the item) so it takes me a matter of seconds to dust it and maintain it.
You may spot a little bit of a difference between the first table photo and this one.. the date gives it away! It also highlights how I've already changed my accessories around! Haha. I've been wanting one of these wooden block calendars for so long, so when I began searching, I was amazed at the variation in price in different shops for the same quality! This wooden calendar I also picked up from Dunelm Mill for a mere £3.99. I think the font style and colouring couldn't match any better if you tried! The glass lidded trinket jar was again, from Dunelm and was so inexpensive at £2.99. I bought this with the intention of putting keys in as they always get thrown on the kitchen sides. It's been used a few times for keys but I actually think I prefer it empty! It actually came with a pale pink ribbon round the lid, but I took this off. The glass perfume bottle was also £2.99, again, from Dunelm! This came with a lemon ribbon but I took this off and tied my own round it that match my colour scheme a little more!
I often have a candle burning on here as well, which makes everywhere look really snug and homely at night.
Hanging above all this is the Fawsley Foile Pendant chandelier which is from, yup, you've guessed it.. Dunelm! It was £24.99 but unfortunately I can no longer find it on the website. I wanted a little bit of a statement lampshade but nothing too 'in your face', and I think this is perfect. I love the fact that it has both material and 'crystals'/gems. There are quite a few cheap looking chandeliers about now, so I was warey about falling into this trap, but I don't think this looks tacky at all. Even though I haven't changed my lightbulb, it adds so much more light to my hallway at night as well!
This mirror I've had for a while. I purchased it from B&M, however I know they still have a load in store. Mine was originally white but I spray painted it silver and hung these rose beaded garlands on for a little more glamour. These were £2.99 from the wedding section in erm.. Dunelm Mill?
This wall I'm not too sure about. I've tried to create a collage of photos in a quirky way (i.e. I didn't want all perfectly sized/equal positioning). The silver frames I purchased from B&M. They were originally rose gold but I spray painted them. I think I may get 2 more black ones to place in with them because I'm still not 100% happy with this arrangement.
Apart from the vase of flowers on the top windowsill, the landing is still bare with nothing on the walls so I may showcase this at a later stage once Mike is brave enough to try his drilling skills!
What do you think? In you in the process of decorating? Next task for me.. the bedroom!
If you haven't yet read #1 and #2 on my 'Project Hallway' then feel free to do so here and here.
PS - On a different note, I am holding a giveaway on my blog to win a 250ml bottle of Bioderma (the eye make-up remover that EVERYONE raves about!). I have 2 up for grabs. To find out more, click here.
As you can see before we had laminate flooring which was down when we bought the property almost 3 years ago. Some may say carpet isn't practical for the hallway as that's the main thoroughfare, however I love carpets and think they're so cosy, and a lot warmer, especially in the winter, so the laminate had to go! The roman blinds which you can just see in the before picture were also here when we moved in. I'd never dealt with these kind of blinds before but soon took a liking to them and actually wanted them in the new hallway, but obviously in a different colour. I accidentally ordered venetian but I couldn't be happier. As I stated in #2, I got them fitted in the recess which adds a lot more privacy. As you can see, we have an ugly electric meter box in our hallway. I was hoping that my new table would cover this but unfortunately there's still a bit peeking! The canvas that you can see in the photo I purchased from Asda for approx. £8.
Lets take a closer look....
I had been lusting after this Parisian nightstand from Dunelm Mill ever since I moved in, but it was never the right time to buy it. I was also hoping it would go down in the sale, but it never did, and for the £129 price tag, I wasn't sure if I could splurge on something that was technically just going to sit in my hallway and look pretty. Almost 3 years later and I bit the bullet and bought it. I was still in love with it so knew it wasn't just a 'phase' I was going through! Being completely mirrored, it does gather dust pretty quickly, but I keep a special cloth in the drawer (that came with the item) so it takes me a matter of seconds to dust it and maintain it.
You may spot a little bit of a difference between the first table photo and this one.. the date gives it away! It also highlights how I've already changed my accessories around! Haha. I've been wanting one of these wooden block calendars for so long, so when I began searching, I was amazed at the variation in price in different shops for the same quality! This wooden calendar I also picked up from Dunelm Mill for a mere £3.99. I think the font style and colouring couldn't match any better if you tried! The glass lidded trinket jar was again, from Dunelm and was so inexpensive at £2.99. I bought this with the intention of putting keys in as they always get thrown on the kitchen sides. It's been used a few times for keys but I actually think I prefer it empty! It actually came with a pale pink ribbon round the lid, but I took this off. The glass perfume bottle was also £2.99, again, from Dunelm! This came with a lemon ribbon but I took this off and tied my own round it that match my colour scheme a little more!
I often have a candle burning on here as well, which makes everywhere look really snug and homely at night.
Hanging above all this is the Fawsley Foile Pendant chandelier which is from, yup, you've guessed it.. Dunelm! It was £24.99 but unfortunately I can no longer find it on the website. I wanted a little bit of a statement lampshade but nothing too 'in your face', and I think this is perfect. I love the fact that it has both material and 'crystals'/gems. There are quite a few cheap looking chandeliers about now, so I was warey about falling into this trap, but I don't think this looks tacky at all. Even though I haven't changed my lightbulb, it adds so much more light to my hallway at night as well!
On the windowsill by the side of the table I've been getting into the habit of displaying fresh flowers. I've been buying a cheap bunch of flowers every 1-2 weeks and splitting them in half, displaying them on each windowsill both here and at the top of the stairs. I love having fresh flowers around the house, especially in the spring/summer. This is a DIY vase that I made myself out of a glass jar. You can probably tell how I made it just by looking but if you'd like a tutorial then comment below!
I'm aware that this is quite a bad angle for a comparison photo, but you get the picture! The stair post (with the beaded heart on) quickly became a place where we would just hang our coats on when we came in. The coats got layered up until there was a mass of unsightly mess that would be left for me to tidy up and put back in the correct place. Since decorating, I've deliberately put this heart here, not only because I think its a nice simple decoration for the stairs, but to also stop my boyfriend from hanging his many coats! I tell him that doing this could result in the heart scratching the paintwork.. so far so good! This mirror I've had for a while. I purchased it from B&M, however I know they still have a load in store. Mine was originally white but I spray painted it silver and hung these rose beaded garlands on for a little more glamour. These were £2.99 from the wedding section in erm.. Dunelm Mill?
This wall I'm not too sure about. I've tried to create a collage of photos in a quirky way (i.e. I didn't want all perfectly sized/equal positioning). The silver frames I purchased from B&M. They were originally rose gold but I spray painted them. I think I may get 2 more black ones to place in with them because I'm still not 100% happy with this arrangement.
Apart from the vase of flowers on the top windowsill, the landing is still bare with nothing on the walls so I may showcase this at a later stage once Mike is brave enough to try his drilling skills!
What do you think? In you in the process of decorating? Next task for me.. the bedroom!
If you haven't yet read #1 and #2 on my 'Project Hallway' then feel free to do so here and here.
PS - On a different note, I am holding a giveaway on my blog to win a 250ml bottle of Bioderma (the eye make-up remover that EVERYONE raves about!). I have 2 up for grabs. To find out more, click here.
Friday, 2 May 2014
Home Decor: Project Hallway #2
Way back in February I did a post on my (then) hallway before I began 'playing'. You can read this post here.
In this post you will begin to see the colour scheme that I've chosen. I ideally wanted a light grey gloss but being female, after browsing B&Qs paint aisles and them not having the shade I wanted, I settled for 2nd best. It didnt enter my head to try another DIY shop in our town! Doh! (For those that are interested, the gloss I used was Crown's non-drip gloss in 'Steel Drum').
Painting the hallway was a pretty long and tedious process. I work 9-5 and I began painting before the clocks went back, so the nights were still dark, so I was having to paint on my weekends off in order to get natural lighting. I got bored really easily and things started to go wrong so I was so glad when it was all over!
Once we had glossed the door frames and stairs/bannister, we began painting the cream walls white. The whole painting process took approx 10 weeks which was far too long for my liking! The paintwork still isnt perfect and there's still a few touch ups Ive got to do but for now it can wait!
The first thing that was fitted after the painting was done were the blinds. I went for a light grey/silver venetian blind in the recess of our window. I feel this offers a bit more privacy than if it was out of the recess. I originally wanted to stick to Roman blinds as I felt they might look a little cosier, however I'm pleased with the venetian ones, it meant we could get rid of our nets which I think makes everywhere look a lot brighter and cleaner. If I had it my way, I wouldn't have nets up at any window, but I'm too much of a private person not to have nets. I hate people looking in, and I think it adds a bit more security.
Keep your eyes peeled for the next post in this 'Project Hallway' series - its the big reveal!
In this post you will begin to see the colour scheme that I've chosen. I ideally wanted a light grey gloss but being female, after browsing B&Qs paint aisles and them not having the shade I wanted, I settled for 2nd best. It didnt enter my head to try another DIY shop in our town! Doh! (For those that are interested, the gloss I used was Crown's non-drip gloss in 'Steel Drum').
Painting the hallway was a pretty long and tedious process. I work 9-5 and I began painting before the clocks went back, so the nights were still dark, so I was having to paint on my weekends off in order to get natural lighting. I got bored really easily and things started to go wrong so I was so glad when it was all over!
 |
| Excuse the washing in this picture! |
Once we had glossed the door frames and stairs/bannister, we began painting the cream walls white. The whole painting process took approx 10 weeks which was far too long for my liking! The paintwork still isnt perfect and there's still a few touch ups Ive got to do but for now it can wait!
The first thing that was fitted after the painting was done were the blinds. I went for a light grey/silver venetian blind in the recess of our window. I feel this offers a bit more privacy than if it was out of the recess. I originally wanted to stick to Roman blinds as I felt they might look a little cosier, however I'm pleased with the venetian ones, it meant we could get rid of our nets which I think makes everywhere look a lot brighter and cleaner. If I had it my way, I wouldn't have nets up at any window, but I'm too much of a private person not to have nets. I hate people looking in, and I think it adds a bit more security.
Keep your eyes peeled for the next post in this 'Project Hallway' series - its the big reveal!
Sunday, 23 February 2014
Home Decor: Project Hallway #1
If you've been a follower of my blog for some time now, you may remember this post that I did on my 'dream hallway'. Here you can see all the pretty items that I would accessorize it with once completed.
Fast forward 4 months and the project is finally starting to happen! The Parisian mirrored night stand from Dunelm Mill that I've been lusting after since we first moved in 2.5yrs ago.. I finally have! It arrived last week - It's not quite the same as the one in my collage, but very similar - I went for this one instead..
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| Stock Photo - Dunelm Mill - £129.99
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There's been a bit of a change around regarding the walls. I originally wanted silver/grey wallpaper, and found some gorgeous ones in Laura Ashley. However after being reminded how hard it is to decorate the stairs/landing area, and that we'd probably need a painter/decorator in to help us, I decided against this idea to save money, I begrudge paying out when I know I could do it myself, even though it would be hard work. I was then going to go with the plan of wallpapering the wall that you face as you're coming up the stairs, as a 'feature' wall, but then decided that might look a bit odd. So we've decided to just paint over the wallpaper that is already on the walls (which is currently cream) and turn everything white. I still wanted a grey/silver theme going on so I may paint the staircase a silver tone, as well as the doorframes.
I've also been looking at Roman Blinds.. I've never had to shop for blinds before, so didn't really how expensive they were! However these will give me the perfect opportunity to bring together the colour scheme a little more..
I predict its going to be a few weeks before Project Hallway is completed yet we're having to paint around working full time (and I get bored of painting very quickly!). That together with the dingy lighting often means I either have to wait till the weekends, or have a lot of touch ups to do! I refuse to book any time off work to spend decorating!
Here is what my hall way looks like currently. Again, ignore the dingy lighting. It was night-time and we have those horrible energy saving bulbs that I really need to change!
Once all the painting is complete, I intend on taking up the laminate flooring and laying a cream carpet down. You might also be able to see on this first photo that I've already begun painting..
This is where I intend on putting the mirrored table - In the corner where the ugly electric box is, to hopefully hide it!
Upstairs landing - As you can see, the current Roman blinds have random 'lighter' stripes across them where they have faded in the sun.
I can't wait till its all finished!
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