Great Mail Day...

Exciting...I received my little Deer from Fruit Fly's Etsy store...too cute, and then my totally delightful garlands from Little Glowing Lights Etsy Store...I love them...and isn't the packaging just gorgeous...opening something from Catherine is a real occasion! Now, where to put them.....







here for the moment...gosh no matter where it goes it will be pretty!

Introducing....

I haven't introduced the fluffers formally yet!! My very own little darlings! Here they are....they are wonderful little dogs with loads of personality and they bring lots of joy to our lives :)

Celebrating blue skies and sunshine!

At last!! Dublin was bathed in beautiful sunshine on Sunday...a rare sight indeed! We have been promised by the "experts" that we will have a good summer this year (and boy do we need it)! Temperatures hovered around the 20 degree mark...pure bliss! Off we went out north of the city with the fluffballs (crazy happy!)for a walk on the pier at Howth..it was heaven...there was a really fresh breeze and it was just invigorating! Then home and out came the sun umbrella the sun chairs etc...so nice to spend time in our little garden! Hope you had a lovely weekend :)

Crazy busy....

....work is crazy but hey...still time to make a few little purchases on Etsy! This pinafore from Pamela Tang at Etsy...have been hankering after it for some time now and my lovely mother gave me some early birthday money last night so...voila..in the bag!



Cute I think! Also, bought this pretty garland from Catherine at Little Glowing Lights Etsy store...it's so pretty!



And am returning these shoes to Boden...just don't really like them as much as I thought I would...back they go...



Keeping it short, with nothing on any "crafting" at the moment - just need to get my exams out of the way and hope that work calms down and then life can get back to normal! Hope you have a lovely weekend!

Oh Orla....

So, another one my addictions to fess up to! Orla Kiely...Irish designer extraordinaire! I have been collecting / buying Orla Kiely bits and bobs since I bought my first bag in 2002. In more recent years I was able to afford some of her clothing range (in the sales mind you) and have built up a wee collection of nice pieces which I think are pretty timeless really..thank goodness! I love her homeware and furniture collections too and can't wait to visit London again to see the expanded flagship store in Covent Garden (I was there a couple of years ago but there wasn't a homeware/interiors section back then). I have a voucher for the shop which my husband gave me for Christmas so even tho I need to be very careful with money, I can still come away with a little something! Whoohoo!

Anyway, her furniture rocks...and here are some gorgeous pieces...available at Heals (I love Heals..wish it was in Dublin!)...







I can't afford any of these items but I can afford some pillow cases!! Hurray! There is an Orla Kiely bedlinen range available at Heals (online) and to be perfectly frank, having the pillowcases with my plain white and off white duvet covers and a nice blanket, I think looks nicer than having it all Orla..that's a bit much in my humble opinion...here are some of the ones I like...




And then...some non Orla bedding that I spotted while browsing which I think are pretty cute...Luella and Heals own product (with pompoms..who doesn't love pompoms!)...




I'll make up my mind soon...am going to buy 2 sets of 2...nothing too extravagant..I'll post some photos when I do!

Hang it All...

Hello! I hope you had a lovely weekend...Monday again...groan!

So, my entrance hallway is tiny! And, it's always a mess...shoes everywhere, bicycle helmets, locks, high-viz gear (and sometimes my bicycle) plus a huge pile of coats and jackets draped over a mere 4 hooks!! I have been meaning to get it sorted for a long time...B (my husband) was going to make a long, very narrow (depth-wise) cupboard, with lots of space to hang coats etc and lower shelves to store shoes...but I've changed my mind..I would love an Eames "Hang It All"...

but it's very expensive (for a coot hook - oops sorry...a hallway accessory!)and I can't afford that right now, so instead I am thinking of getting two of these from Red Direct

The plan is to buy two so that I have length 1.2m of hooks and then build a unit underneath no more than 60cm high nor 30cm in depth for storing bike stuff and our shoes..B will custom make to fit what we have. I think it will look nice and the unit can double as a little bench if I pop a cushion or two (made by moi!) on top! What do you think? If I go ahead with it, I will post some before and after photos!
Hope you have a nice day!

In the Frame...

I had no idea how expensive framing could be!! After some serious deliberation, I recently decided to go ahead and purchase a print I had on my wishlist for a very long time...it's a piece by Sanna Annuka entitled "Maidens of the Midnight Sun"...I love it and think it was worth every penny! I was in for a bit of a shock when I went to organise framing for it tho...OUCH is all I can say..to my horror, the frame worked out more expensive than the print but it had to be done and I am thrilled with it..

Here is a not so great photo of it up on my wall....



You can get a better view up close here. She is so talented, right? This post came about because I was browsing around the Marimekko site last night and I spotted some very familiar looking prints on fabric etc..and yes...it's Sanna...she has really done well...I love seeing talented artists and designers "making it" - it can be so difficult..check out her product line here

Hope you like her as much as I do!

Ah...the Great Danes

You've got to love the Danes! I love scandi-style and the general design ethos - white, pure, simple, clean lines etc, the great furniture designers such as Arne Jacobsen and Verner Panton...all to be admired really!

(of course there are reasons not to love them so much too (heeehee)....all way too beautiful for my liking!?)...anyway, moving on...(fnaarfnaar)...

...here are a couple of links to Danish interiors/lifestyle websites (you may or may not know)...I like them all (tho they are each quite different in style). I think my favourite is...



Tinek...

Then, I like this one...



Greengate

And finally this quirky little number...



Rice

Have a little looksee if you have some time! As I say my favourite is the Tinek site..if you only have a few minutes and not enough time to browse the catalogue, you can see the owners home here ...really beautiful! I love it and hope you enjoy!

Friday...hurrrayyy!

Happy Friday! It's been a really llllllonnnnggg week for me and the last few days have been wet and icky so I am totally looking forward to my Saturday morning snooze followed by a long and leisurely breakfast (bacon, pancakes and maple syrup I think!)and if the weather breaks, some nice walks with Les Woofs!

So, I am a complete magazine freak! I buy about 10(!) a month (or I did until last month...have now reduced to 5 with a view to just buying 2 from now on..current economic climate and all that mularkey!). Anyway, I will always buy Elle Decor and Living etc and I just loved Holly Aird's London home in the May edition...I particularly loved the rug in the living room...it is totally on my wishlist but boy, is it expensive..it is custom made and for the size I would like would cost about £2000 ouch ouch ouch! (that'll be on the old wishlist for some time then!). A couple of nice shots of her home below if you haven't seen them...loving the simplicity and splashes of colour! (all images from living etc)

The living room and my rug!



Dining area...splashes of pink..I like very much indeed!



And kitchen...another lovely rug which works really well in this space, right on!



I also spotted my favourite Hector table lamp in one her bedrooms...this has been on my wishlist for sometime now...and this I will have...not so crazy mad expensive but still enough to make you pause...for my birthday I think! This one is for sale at Graham & Greene



That's all for now folks! Hope everybody has a lovely weekend! xx

Mmmm....holidays...

I have been thinking about holidays a lot recently...usually I would have my vacation booked by now but with the uncertainty in my job at present, things are somewhat "on hold"...however, if I am still in employment by September (yikes!), I would love to go to Cadiz in Andalucia, Southern Spain...off the beaten track and away from the mass tourist trail. I have found exactly where I would like to go and stay...Vejer de la Frontera, south of Seville and near the wild dune beaches of the Cape of Trafalgar. I have found this house for rent...it's a 1000 year old Moorish house at the top of the pueblos blancos (the gleaming white,cubist towns of Andalucia). The house is owned by a wonderful professional photographer (Christina Wilson) from the UK and I think it is just beautiful....the shots below are taken by Christina of the house..are they not stunning?? I can't wait to visit!

View to Vejer...



The house...front door..



The kitchen...



A bedroom...



Pretty nook...



View through door...



Dining area....



And finally, the nearby beach...



WOW! Isn't it stunning? What a beautiful house and what a great photographer! Check out her site to see all her work. Can't wait til September...I hope it will be available! Enjoy your day!

Loving...

Picnics on warm summer days....



And for home...







And to wear....







Sigh....I just love Cabbages & Roses...what do you think?

Oh and I would really quite like these boots from Toast ...



I think I am getting the hang of this blogging thing! Have a lovely day!