Sunshine, Garden and a Greenhouse!

Hello!

It seems such a long time since I last sat down with a cup of fruit tea and my lap top to write a blog post. Well actually it has been! I have been absent from blogging for many months and I have really missed writing, planning new posts, taking photos etc. I honestly did not realise how long it had been. Time really does fly when your having fun! My daughter is now 9 months old and growing up far too quickly. I know I am biased but she is so beautiful and lovely. I love how she holds hers arms out towards me for a cuddle or to be picked up and she adores our dog. Well, its finally time to give my little blog some attention.

We have enjoyed some beautiful weather recently, with temperatures reaching mid twenties. I have been busy in the garden, pottering around in the greenhouse, weeding the flower beds and drinking the occasional fruit tea or smoothie in the sunshine.

Enjoying the view from my garden

Some of you may know from reading a previous blog post which can be found here, that my husband and I created our garden from scratch when we moved to Meadow View just over 2 years ago. I love looking back at photographs to see how the garden has grown and changed. My rose arch collapsed in one of the winter storms we experienced. I decided not to replace it, instead, I moved a lilac tree from one of the flower beds which was so overgrown last year that I missed it bloom!

My Lilac Tree

I also had to say goodbye to my greenhouse. I was a little sad as it had been given to me as a present six years ago. I remember feeling so excited to have my own greenhouse. I grew so many things that first year but sadly the winds damaged it that following winter, so it really was so bashed about, the polycarbonate panels  took quite a bashing and the metal frame was bent out of shape.

I knew I would hate being without a greenhouse as I love to grow flowers, salads and vegetables. I get so excited in February when I sow pepper seeds indoors and eagerly anticipate the start of gardening season. I spend winters looking through books, magazines and seed catalogues for ideas and inspiration.

I thoroughly researched greenhouses and the different types you can buy. How I would love a big Victorian one with a dwarf wall. I fear that I would need a much bigger garden! In the end I bought a lovely wooden one by BillyOh. It really is lovely and very sturdy too. Its bigger than my old one which is a plus and I have more shelving space.

I was so pleased to receive a free packet of camomile seeds with an order I had placed with Pai Skincare. Their products are amazing by the way and I love the moisturiser. Here is a picture of my seeds growing

Thanks for taking the time to read. What are you growing this year?

How to style a Room on a Budget

It is amazing how you can transform a room in your home regardless of your budget. My friends and family will tell you that I love a bargain and I'm always keeping my eye open for sales and offers. I like to change my home décor with the seasons as I think this keeps my home looking fresh and appealing.

For example, during those long winter months when the nights draw in early I like my home to feel all snug and cosy. In the summer however I like my home to feel bright and airy. So where do I begin to achieve this?

Spring/Summer Display

In the Winter

Let's start with cushions. I simply love decorating the sofa with cushions much to the amusement of my husband. I think he thought I was slightly crazy when I asked him to store my autumn/winter cushions in the attic! Last Autumn I bought two lovely cushions from Wilkinsons for £6 each. They had a picture on of a stag and I fell in love with them instantly. For £6 I had the cushion cover and pad but you can buy just the cushion covers if you wanted to. Sometimes though I do find the cushion covers to be the same price as a filled one! It's best to shop around. I saw cushions very similar to the ones I had bought for double the price elsewhere!

My Winter Cushion Covers ( I have since got rid of the throw as I was not happy with it!)

I didn't like my cushions on the sofa as these were old, tatty and faded so I got rid of these. I went through a stage a couple of years ago where I wanted to display every piece of decor I owned! My dresser was so cluttered and took forever to dust! I now like displaying only a few pieces as its not only easier to keep clean but it looks tidy too. I knew I wanted new cushions for the Spring/Summer season so I shopped around until I saw exactly what I wanted. This year I've introduced soft mauve colours into my home. I keep the walls neutral so I can change the colour of my decor to suit my mood. At the moment I love the softness of pastel shades. I found a gorgeous floral pattern at Next and treated myself to one cushion. I only wanted one as I didn't want the sofa to look too busy. Instead I bought 4 more cushions in a shade that would compliment my pretty one. I got these from Next and Sainsburys.

Cushions for Spring/Summer

As I looked around my lounge I noticed I had lots of candles on display that were all different colours. I had cream, pink, blue and even green. I rounded up every one and then selected a few cream coloured candles to keep out. The rest went in a cupboard to be used in the winter. I didn't actually have any mauve coloured candles or holders so I made it my mission to find some. Sainsburys came up on top for selling exactly what I wanted. I could have got carried away and bought loads of candles and holders but the last thing I wanted to do was clutter up my dresser and sideboard again! So I carefully selected a few pieces.

Pretty Candle Holders

My curtains in the lounge are cream and go with everything so these stay up all year round. I have a few neutral coloured jugs and glass vases that I like to display flowers in. During the Spring/Summer months I like to display cream/white flowers such as roses and stock. Aldi sell lovely flowers at such great prices. I always pop a bunch in my trolley as part of my weekly shop. Supermarkets tend to reduce flowers to silly prices in an evening too. I once had 4 bunches of flowers that should have cost £19 and I paid just 75p! They last for 10 days too!

Flowers Make a Pretty Display

I also have a few ornaments that I like to change with the seasons. Just before Christmas last year Sainsburys had a sale on and I bought these lovely wooden deer ornaments. I knew I wouldn't want to display these after the winter so they are boxed up in the attic, along with a canvas picture of a stag in the snow. I found a lovely canvas picture to replace my winter one with in Home Bargains!

The Family of Deer

Spring/Summer Décor

It is so tempting to display everything! I have found though that I have more compliments about my home if it's less cluttered so I guess less really is more! 

I hope you have found these tips useful. I would love to hear about any tips you have for styling a room on a budget.   

What Home Means

Home to me is a place that reflects upon who I am. It is full of my style and things that I like. It is a place were I can relax and unwind, be myself in. Where ever I go I always know that my home will be there waiting for me to return. It is mine. 

In my home and garden

The best thing about moving into a place that needed work doing to it meant that I could change things to my taste. I didn't have to put up with the brittle wallpaper, thread bare carpets, an old and battered kitchen, no garden. I could see passed all these things and know that I could create my dream home. 

I enjoy decorating my home with floral displays and pretty accessories

Okay, so I might not have the roses growing over the front door (yet!), I may not have the converted barn as a craft room, nor the sea view I yearn for but I do have everything else I want and could possibly need. Most importantly my home is filled with memories and loved ones. 

I like to collect mementos from days out, holidays and walks in the countryside. Wild flowers fill jugs and picture frames of my favourite places hang on the wall 

I feel so lucky that I have such a wonderful view to wake up to every morning. In the warmer months I enjoy a cup of tea on the patio overlooking the meadows. It is quiet and peaceful, only bird song can be heard. It is these simple pleasures that should not be taken for granted. 

A nesting box can be found hidden amongst the clematis in the garden 

The Month of June

For me, June is about saying goodbye to Spring for another year and welcoming Summer with open arms.

Summer skies 

The days are long and warm and it feels so nice to feel the sun on my face. I can have the doors and windows open wide, I can step into the garden without putting on an extra layer. I can enjoy leisurely strolls across the meadows.

The Meadow

It is also the time of year where the garden starts to bloom. Flowers emerge into a beautiful array of colour. 

Red Hot Pokers

Rose

Chives

Pansy

The first crops of home grown vegetables and salads are ripe for the picking. Nothing tastes better than those tender lettuce leaves in a salad. Dining outside underneath the patio table parasol just makes this month even more lovely. 

Sunny days

Jamaica Inn, Cornwall

My husband surprised me with a night away at Jamaica Inn, Cornwall. We love to visit Cornwall and every time we travel to this beautiful English county we always stop for a break on the A30 at Jamaica Inn.

Jamaica Inn, Cornwall

I was thirteen years old when I first saw Jamaica Inn. I could not wait to get my hands on a copy of the novel by Daphne De Maurier. Rebecca became a firm favourite too! My husband will tell you I get so excited when I see Jamaica Inn in the distance from the A30. I love looking around the little gift shop and wondering if I'll see any ghosts that are supposed to haunt the inn. The building has so much history attached to it. It's not hard to imagine the ghosts of smugglers roaming around the place.

So much history at Jamaica Inn

Dogs are welcome at Jamaica Inn. They have 2 dog friendly rooms and even provide a basket and bowl. As our night away included breakfast I was a bit concerned that dogs were not allowed in the restaurant but I need not have worried as they have a special area for our canine friends.

We crossed the Tamar Bridge into Cornwall and arrived at Jamaica Inn early evening. We were made to feel very welcome and were shown to our room. To be honest I was expecting something cold, dark and gloomy looking with plenty of corners for ghosts to lay in waiting! I was very surprised to see a lovely bright room and exceptionally clean too!

Our room was lovely

We were hungry after our journey, so we made our way to the restaurant. I had a lovely salad, whilst my husband enjoyed the steak!

I did not see any ghosts or experience anything ghostly. I was listening out for noises but only could hear the soft patter of the rain falling outside. I am not sure whether to be disappointed or not! Our room was situated in the newer part of the building and from a little research the haunted rooms are located in the older part. I do not think I am brave enough to stay in one of these rooms!

Named after the character Joss in the novel Jamaica Inn

The following morning we woke up to the Inn being surrounded by fog. I loved it! To me, that is what Jamaica Inn is about, being surrounded by the moors of Bodmin and covered in a blanket of mist and fog. In the daylight that is! I may not have experienced any ghostly sightings myself but that does not mean to say that they are not there!

Breakfast was lovely and such a lot of choice. We could take our time too and enjoyed a pot of tea. I had a pot of peppermint tea. No visit to Jamaica Inn is ever complete with out a visit to the gift shop. My husband bought me a beautiful hard back copy of the novel Jamaica Inn. It is something I shall treasure for years to come.

In the restaurant you can have your picture taken with Mary Yellan 

We would love to return for another night's stay. My husband would like to stay in one of the older rooms but I think I would be happier in one of the newer ones!

Pressing Flowers

When I was a little girl I used to spend hours picking baskets of flowers from the hedgerows during walks in the countryside. I also loved to walk around the garden collecting as many different types of flowers that I could find. Afterwards I would press them between pages of a heavy book or in a flower press. 

Most often these flowers lay forgotten about until one day I would come across them. I would then make cards and pictures for family. 

As I got older, my love for flowers only grew. I love having a garden and house full of flowers. 

I was delighted to discover a pretty wooden flower press from Laura Ashley and promptly ordered myself one. I could not wait for it to arrive! 

It did arrive quickly, so I chose some little flowers to press. You place them between pieces of blotting paper and cardboard and leave the flowers in the press for about a week. Larger flowers will take longer. 

I have a few ideas about what I would like to make with my pressed flowers. I've seen such pretty arrangements that have made a lovely framed picture. 

Bathroom Makeover

I knew the bathroom needed working on as soon as I saw the avacado suite! It wasn't just about the colour either, the bath was in poor condition and was very deep and narrow. The pink and white patterned tiles were not to my taste and the room felt cold, dark and small. Unfortunately I do not have any before pictures of the bathroom!

We had several quotes to fit a new bathroom suite but all designers insisted it was not possible for us to tile the walls ourselves. Apparently it needed doing as soon as the old suite was taken out. We wanted to keep costs down so in the end bought a white suite from the DIY store and found a local plummer to fit it for us. 

It took 2 days in total and then we could get working on tiling. I say we but I mean my husband!

The work begins! I chose big cream tiles to make the room brighter

 I chose big cream tiles for the bathroom so the room would look nice and bright.

Keeping the décor natural meant that I could have a variety of colourful accsesories and change them as often as I wished. I have several sets of bath mats, towels and flannels. At the moment mauve is my favourite as it's soft and gentle looking and very Spring like.  

 

I picked some Cows Parsley but it did not last long in the bathroom. It looked really pretty though!

I think my husband did a fantastic job of the tiles, considering he had never done anything like this before.

The little jug is from B&Q! At only £4 I think it was a bargain.

The bathroom feels really nice now and it is so nice to unwind in the bath after a long busy day with a few candles lit.

Garden Days

I love this time of the year when the garden springs to life after a long winter. The nights are getting lighter, it's warm enough to enjoy drinks outside on the patio and the doors can be left wide open!

Feels lovely to be outside again!

As you know from my previous post, I did not have much of a garden last year so it was lovely to see buds appearing on the trees and new shoots growing on shrubs.

I could not wait to get started sowing seeds in the greenhouse.  I would like more colour in the flower beds so I decided to grow a variety of flowers as well as salad and vegetables.

Isn't is lovely to see the greenhouse being used again after the winter?

This year, I treated myself to a potting bench! I have wanted one for a while now and thought it would be ever so useful. I was right! It has handy hooks on one side, which is perfect for keeping my gardening tools organised. No more excuses for loosing my dibber and plant labels!

My potting bench. My lovely friend Rachael from Sew, Ray, Me sent me these little seed packets that she made. How cute are they?!

I found the little cream watering can in a local antique shop a few years ago. Its perfect for giving seeds a drop of water when they have just been planted. The flower pot, seed tin, paper pot maker and fork were from Sainsurys. I just love the garden accessories they have on sale at the moment, 

I've been busy planting up some pots for the patio too. My husband and I both enjoy relaxing with a drink on the patio in the warmer evenings in front of the log burner. 

I would love to hear about what you are growing in the garden this year. Isn't it exciting when seedlings begin to germinate?! Hopefully we shall have some nice warm weather to help everything grow. 

The Summerhouse

I am not actually sure what to call this little room that joins onto our home. It was built with the property in the 1960's and I guess you could say it was an early type of conservatory made from wood. It reminds me of the summer houses you can get for the garden so that's what I'm calling it!

Words can not describe it!!

Basically it has 3 sides and a roof and was built over the kitchen window and back door. When we first moved in, the walls were damp, roof leaking and the carpet was filthy, thread bare and musty. 

Whilst my husband carried out other jobs, this room became my project and I decided to paint the walls white to make it lighter. I spent ages painting it, ripped up the carpet and put a tile effect floor down. The finished result? Hmmm. It looked nice for about a day! The damp was causing mould to grow. I was horrified. The glass windows were soaking wet every day. I was using my karcher window vac every half an hour! 

The damp was horrifying!

So, I spent many hours on the internet trying to find a solution. I read that vents could be installed to help with condensation and that the walls could be insulated and then covered with plaster board. 

So after much research, my husband re felted the roof and I sprayed dettol onto the wooden walls. Once it had dried out and the mould had disappeared before my eyes I began to paint it cream. I used Cuprinol garden shades in Country Cream. I used this paint on the wooden garden benches last year in the shade Willow and it's fantastic. Lovely to paint with and looks like it was painted yesterday. It's weatherproof for 4 years. I painted the outside of the building in Willow.

Already starting to look much better!

Once the walls were painted cream, I bought voiles in Ivory for the windows and made a window seat using two wooden blanket boxes. I thought that they would be useful for storing wellies in. I added seat pads and cushions to complete the look.

The voiles help to create a softened look and the wooden boxes that make the window seat are useful for storage

Finally, I found an off cut of a wooden effect floor which has finished it off lovely. I solved the wet window problem by using a dehumidifier! It's amazing how much water it collects over night. I love this little room now. It's so bright and clean and such a transformation!

Cushions, baskets and vases help to create a country feel

New wooden effect floor to complete the look

 
 Storage boxes make an ideal window seat 

I really can not get over the transformation! I love sitting on the window seat with a cup of tea looking out into the garden. When the weather is nice and warm I can have the doors wide open but it is also lovely to hear the sound of the rain beating down on the roof. Especially now as since the roof has been refelted it is actually waterproof!