Twelve Things: July's Party

We were yet to make the most of our little flat in Brixton, so my birthday was a great excuse to throw a party. It's the ground floor of a Victoria terrace and we are lucky to have the run of the garden so a garden party was in order... but we do live in England after all. Good weather isn't guaranteed. True to form, rain was forecast and so the garden had to come inside.

To get inspired I started a board on Pinterest, and I loved the balloon installations and festoon lighting. Over the weeks before I collected jam jars to create hanging lanterns for outside, but the weather meant we kept them inside and instead we sipped prosecco out of them - how trendy! I'm still going to give the lantern project a go, but in the meantime they're fantastic as little vases.

Somehow a pink and yellow theme spontaneously emerged and it was seen in the cups and plates, flowers and balloons. I was up early on the day to get baking: lemon drizzle cake, rose and strawberry Victoria sponge, chocolate and raspberry and tea-infused cupcakes. Dan was in charge of the savoury goods: handmade pigs in blankets, sausage rolls and pizza fingers.

I had a great night and the summer is only half way through, so I hope next time we can get out in the garden and have a dinner party out there!

Looking back: in January I started to learn to swing.

In February we learned how to make pasta.

In March I sewed some curtains.

In April I planted herbs.

In May I started running.

In June I learnt to knit Fair Isle.

My Room

Now that I'm back for the summer, I have started the over due task of redecorating my room (I'm typing from the window sill as there isn't really anywhere to sit in here!) It's been pink with purple/maroon skirting boards for about 15 years, so I feel it needs to grow up a bit. I'm halfway through the task of painting the skirting boards Wimborne White but my dilemma comes with the walls. I'm going for yellow, but what yellow, and how yellow!? The decisions continue but for now I'll continue to be inspired by this image.

Image from real simple

HIlarious Chickens

How easy is it to be entertained by a couple of hen? Very!

This Place

Yesterday on the bus into town, the route I always take on the occasions I get the bus, I saw a sign a sign which read: on this site Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre. It's one of my favourite books and it was written a 5 minute from where I currently live!

Image by Sam Kittinger via thefoxisblack

Home Lands

 

I'm back at home for Christmas. As much as I enjoy being in Manchester, it's so good to be back on familiar territory. I did some searching on Digimap recently and found some old historic maps of the estate where I live here in Surrey. From top to bottom, 1860s, 1930s and 1950s, you can see how the land has been developed and our house pop up during the 30s!

Images from Digimap

Cabin Fever

A house within a home, by design and research collaborative, KatzChiao. It's called 'A Cabin in a Loft', a one-room bed and breakfast in Brooklyn, NYC.

Image from KatzChiao

Snug Rug

The jet setting is over and now it's all hands onto move to Manchester. I mean, who doesn't love an impromptu trip to Ikea? I spotted this rug by Barefoot Kitchen in the Telegraph magazine, and it's just £20! Made from wool offcuts, I definitely want to make a purchase. It'll be great for those cold, rainy, Mancunian winters!

Image from Barefoot Kitchen

Cut & Stick

Today is going to be one of those potter about, cut and stick, tidy, crochet, lazy kind of days.
Collage by amy ellenbogen via Miss Moss

Hand Made

I love the bursts of colour in an otherwise simple and natural interior. It's Ashley Helvey's Seattle apartment at Design*Sponge and the furniture is handmade.

Tonight we're having Fisherman's Pie for dinner! And soon I'll be time to make some of this...

Images from Design*Sponge via Lena Corwin

Many Hands

Whether it's seeing where people live, or where they work, I like having a gander at these blogs which give a sneak peek into the lives of others:
The Makers; House of Commons; Freunde von Freunden; The Selby

Images from The Makers

Mish Mash

When I have a proper place of my own, none of my cups and crockery will match. A happy serendipitous mix.

Images: 1. simply photo 2. house of commons 3. pinterest

Frame Grid

Today I've been tidying my room, prematurely spring cleaning. I enjoy a good clean! I've got lots of photos, posters and illustrations I want to hang up over my bed so these are giving me a bit of inspiration. Some still need frames, so I might make my own or go searching at a flee market sometime soon... or who said it had to be pictures!

Images found at pinterest 1. 16house 2. unknown 3. here

House in a House

Day, originally uploaded by A Cabin in a Loft in Brooklyn.
I just spotted this great creation via even*cleveland. I love the look of this Brooklyn loft - I aspire to live somewhere like this one day. Little, quirky ideas like this are great, makes me want to create something! More images here.

Cluck Cluck

I want chickens! Last year on holiday the gite that we stayed at had some (above) and then watching The Edible Garden, Alys Fowler had a couple. And a family down the road do! For the last year or so I've been really getting into the idea of urban agriculture and my vegetable cultivation has started slowly. So why not add hens into the equation.

We've been researching getting some former battery hens, who would otherwise be slaughtered. The British Hen Welfare Trust has lots of info and local co-ordinators - even one in our town! So I reckon it won't be long til we have our own cluckers in the garden...

Le Bobbin

I have lots of these reels of cotton, the same make and also in a plethora of colours. I'm going to get on to sorting out my stuff now, which is strewn across my room, the hall and the dining room! I've been job hunting this morning, sending cvs and examples of work - it's a labourious and tiring business, but hopefully something will come out of it! This image is by cassia, who has a blog too. They're such ethereal pictures! (Ethereal was definitely a word for the end of my uni days!)

Easter Weekend

Back in Canterbury after a fleeting trip home. We had relaxing evening at Jess' eating melted Camembert and other treats, a trip up to London (bought a cute vintage skirt) and had the most amazing roast dinner cooked by my aunt! Now I can eat chocolate again I have nibbling away at it a tad too much!

Almost Easter

Just a little snap of a piece of lace I picked up on our day trip to Calais in January. I'm illustrating one of the essays I have for next week, takes just as long as writing it! I'm going home for 5 days over Easter to see family and friends - I can't wait! Food, cinema, shopping trip in London, CHOCOLATE! But for now, it's back to making my essay look pretty...