Kitchen reveal: Pastels and pink

Oh my...today is just the most glorious day! After a week of moody grey clouds, it is so lovely to finally see blue skies! I have been waiting for a bright day to take some pictures of our newly decorated kitchen to share on here, and I have finally managed to capture it in lovely, warm daylight.

The walls in the kitchen have been looking a little tired, a faded blue that made me feel a little blue too! I have been threatening to paint it pink for months, and well, all I can say is...PINK!!! It is very pink now, but I absolutely love it! The table and chairs are finished too, in various shades of pastels. It feels very cheery in here now!

Along with a new wall colour, the change has prompted the addition of a few new pretties to tie in all the different shades used. A very dear friend of mine gave me a beautifully sewn embroidery hoop for my birthday. You'll notice it's my name 'growing' into pretty little button blooms. Isn't it beautiful? It sits above another appliqued canvas that she gave me a few years ago.

I did a bit of sewing myself, and made a new door curtain to hide the recycling bin. Goodness, those pleats took forever!

Another project was to add a new tablecloth, and I opted for oilcloth as I always do. With three messy children, and the kitchen table doubling up as a food prepping area, it is both beautiful and practical. I cut the tablecloth to size, and then painstakingly cut a scalloped edge all the way around the hem. It is rather laborious, but well worth the effort. It hangs so much better this way. I used the leftover scraps to make a little counter topper too.

Finally, my favourite Clarice Cliff plate has a proper home too! I love the combination of pink and green, and this cheers up one corner of the kitchen. The curtains are looking even lovelier next to a pink wall too. These were a fabulous find from a charity shop a few years ago. I still love them as much as the first day I hung them.

A little more green...two thrifted vintage glass dishes that I acquired some time ago. The colour is absolutely yummy! Perfect for serving little snacks to visitors!

And so, the kitchen is at last just the way I want it...pretty in pink! Not entirely sure the hubby agrees, but thankful that he lets me express myself in this way. I think he's secretly hoping there will be more time spent cooking and baking!

I hope you are also enjoying a bright day where you are! Thanks for stopping by.

Blessings

My retro soul sings!

And so I have waited...patiently...And I'm not the patient kind. But sometimes that's all one's purse allows for, waiting and hoping  that somewhere someone will want rid of that one thing that would bring the zing back into your home, without having to cut off an arm! And then I found it. A superb specimen of retro revelation... a magnificent 1960's teak McIntosh sideboard which I have longed for, for such a very long time! These retro sideboards have made a fierce comeback, and hence they are quite pricey. But my thrifty soul is singing, as I found one for an absolute song! Eventually...Why, I ask you, are they so sought after these days? Well, for me it evokes nostalgic feelings of a time when it seemed that time stood still. The pace of life these days leave little scope for reflection, simplicity and calm, and there is something quite calming about the structure of these retro pieces. So, there has been some re-shuffling, nesting and tweaking...

Finally, a resting place for old collected pieces, that breathes new life into them...somehow, they now fit...

And so the oak cupboard had to move, but it's found a happy spot!

Adding a few spring like blooms in blue...

A teapot re-purposed...

And with that done, I can now sit back, transported a little further down memory lane to the sounds of the Beatles, with 'Love me do' and 'Hey Jude'...My retro soul sings!

♥♥♥♥

A weekend break in York...

Hello m'lovelies! Those of you who follow me on Instagram will know that hubby and I have had a most marvellous, wonderful weekend away in York. Yes, so sorry to have high jacked your Instagram feeds! I have so much to tell you! For those of you who have never been to this town, rich in it's Viking heritage, I can highly recommend a visit. Now, we did not set off to explore the historic richness of this picturesque town. Oh no sirree! We hankered after a frivolous, kidlet-free weekend, exploring the vintage shopping scene, and a few late nights eating and drinking our way through the cobbled streets!

Our home for the weekend! 'The Royal', York...

...beautiful old building, and what an entrance!

Hubby and I, ready for a night on the town!

York has so much to offer...

Food, glorious food!

The Shambles...voted one of the prettiest streets in the UK. So quaint!

Shopping heaven! Lots of 'ooh-ing and 'aah-ing'...Let's step back in time...

'Purple Haze', a wonderful vintage clothing store, for both men and women!

...spoilt for choice!

Superb vintage finds at 'The Vintage Emporium'...Unfortunately, the York store will be closing at the end of July, but Harrogate is not far...

Glitz and glamour at 'Molly Browns'...

'Give the dog a bone'...a quirky gift shop, for gifts that are a little different, and a bit of pop culture. And, very stylish, helpful shop assistants! Thank you ladies!

And my favourite find of all...'The Flax and Twine'...don't miss a visit to this beautiful shop, brimming with prettiness and superb vintage goodness!

Hubby treated me to a bit of 'Greengate'...

Happy girl!

And what would a jolly weekend be without a few cocktails? Cheers!

Or a glass of wine? Or two...?

Sigh...so sorry it had to end...

But, we came home in good spirits. Guess who came back with us?

Pictures by Fiona Caspi

Meet our new baba!

And on that happy note, I bid you goodbye!

Blessings,

Tania ♥

Bowl-ed over!

Hello m'darlings! Today's post is the second in my 'Pinterest...tried and tested' series. In all honesty, it's actually something I tried a few years ago, and when I spotted it on Pinterest again, I thought I'd have another go. With my spiffy new record player sitting happily in the living room, I thought I'd attempt a little shelf re-styling. And, part of that process was making bowls from old vinyl records. I'm sure you've all seen these before. If you've never tried it, have a jab at it! It is a quick, easy way of creating a conversation piece! These bowls are very handy for dry foods such as popcorn, crisps and other snacks. They would look great at any retro themed party. And, it's cheap! All it will cost you is the price of the records, which you can pick up from thrift stores and car boot sales for pennies! A word of warning before you start: Make sure to check it's not a valuable record, before you start melting it in the oven!

Now, this is how you do it, for those of you who don't know. Pre-heat your oven to no more than 100 degrees Celsius (200F). I have had the oven warmer than this before, and you can melt your record...yip...gooey, melty mess! Especially if you're working with small records like I did, take care. Also, you don't want to start releasing smelly fumes! You might want to crack open a window! Once you've warmed the oven, place your record on top of an oven proof bowl, and stick it in for about 8-10 minutes. Watch it slowly relax and droop over the bowl. Once this happens, quickly, and carefully remove it from the oven, wearing oven gloves. Now place the record inside a bowl of your choice to manipulate it while it's soft and pliable. Shape it, speedily, before it hardens, into the shape you like. If you're not happy with the results, just pop it back into the oven to soften, and try again. In minutes you'll have a quirky bowl to grace the sideboard! (You can find the original pin at Pinterest)

I made a large bowl, as well as a little mint dish.

Shelf re-styled...

Now I sit in my cosy chair, and listen to the sounds of Glen Miller whilst having a tipple from my cocktail cart...yip, very rock and roll I am!

All whilst admiring my lovely blooms...free ones from the meadows...and twinkling candle light, which looks enchanting in a favourite Pyrex jug...

And it doesn't really matter how and where, but everything looks better draped with fairy lights...

So, another Pinterest success, and I'm bowl-ed over by how easy it was!

Blessings,
Tania ♥