Cherry Blossom Girl September 23, 2008

Last year I spent 2 weeks travelling around Japan, which was an amazing experience. I’ve always been fascinated by Tokyo since I was at school and saw a TV program about businessmen sleeping in crazy sounding capsule hotels! 

I was lucky enough to visit in late March, and the famous cherry blossoms were out in full bloom. People in Japan treat the sakura with a kind of reverence and celebrate with hanami parties (basically a great excuse to sit under the trees, drink and be merry!). And it’s not just a visual thing – we ate cherry blossom ice cream and cherry blossom sweets which were like mini works of art!

I recently saw this cushion from Laura Ashley and it brought back all those wonderful memories. I think it would look stunning on a bright pink armchair, perhaps upholstered in a chenille or chunky cord. 

Homebase also have a beautiful cherry blossom wallpaper which could look good on a feature wall (I think a whole room would be overpowering) I’m tempted to visit my local store at the weekend to pick up a sample – even if I don’d end up using it, I could put it in a frame to make a great piece of mini-art!

Grow Your Own… Just not in the UK August 30, 2008

One of my ambitions this Summer was to grow my own veg outside. Needless to say, the rainy British weather has had other ideas!

I did manage to grow some delicious chillies (though these were grown on the windowsill indoors) but my tomato plants failed dismally. To begin with, gusts of wind kept snapping the delicate branches, and then a cold snap made the leaves wilt and drop off. Lastly the lack of sunshine means that the tiny fruits have refused to ripen. Very disappointing! Still, there’s nothing like home-grown produce and I refuse to give up… though next year I plan to invest in a mini greenhouse!

2008 Ideal Home Show, London February 10, 2008

Friday 14th March – Sunday 6th April – mark these dates in your diary for the 2008 Daily Mail Ideal Home Show at Earls Court, London. I’ve never been to the show but this year I’m going to get some advance tickets and make a proper weekend of it! The website (www.idealhomeshow.co.uk) has lots of editorial features on how interiors and decor has changed since the 1900s (this year is the 100th aniversary of the Ideal Home Show) and I think it’s interesting to see how decorating trends have disappeared, only to come back decades later as ‘retro’ must-haves! Advance tickets are discounted at £11 for adults (midweek) and £7 for concessions (over 60s). Entry for children under 16 is free. See http://www.idealhomeshow.co.uk/book-tickets/ to book online.

Getting Crafty… February 1, 2008

I have never been a particularly crafty person – I like the idea of working on projects and being proud of the end product, but alas, I always convince myself that these jobs are best left to professionals! Recently however, I’ve been toying with the idea of picking up some cute fabric and making some new blinds for the kitchen and bedroom. There are so many gorgeous fabrics available at places like the Fabric Warehouse that it seems rude not to have a go! I recently decorated one of our bedrooms in the whitest white paint I could find (Milk White from Crown Paints did the job!) and being an admirer of country style décor, I really fancy adding some red gingham as a contrast. But I can’t find anything ready-made on the high street except for some rather expensive children’s curtains from The White Company! So when I discovered that you could in fact buy special kits for making up your own blinds, the temptation to do some DIY has been nagging me. I’ve found the fabric (Laura Ashley’s Scarlet Red Gingham, at a reasonable £13 per metre) and the roller blind kits cost from only £12.99 online from Terry’s Fabrics. So I could in theory make my own for around the £50 mark. But still the doubts remain. While the costs add up, I am worried that my best efforts would just turn into a big shapeless mess!

Oh Christmas Tree… November 30, 2007

Last year, the must-have festive accessory was the stark black Christmas tree. But this year it’s something even more radical. A few months ago, I can remember reading a magazine article which talked about the popularity of upside-down Christmas trees in America. This must be a joke, I thought! Aside from the fact that upside down trees are visually strange and somewhat unsettling, the idea just didn’t seem practical. Aren’t you supposed to stand the trunk/roots of a Xmas tree in a bucket of water to prevent the needles dropping prematurely? And most importantly, where does the fairy/star go?? So I dismissed the idea as something gimicky and unlikely to catch on. How wrong I was! Dear old John Lewis (who I have always relied upon for their taste and common sense) have this ludicrous tree – shown left – for sale at £75. And they’re not the only ones. B&Q are also selling them. According to an article in the Daily Mail, shops in Australia have been stocking these trees and ahem…they haven’t exactly been flying off the shelves! I’m open to innovation and modernity in the home, but in my opinion you can’t beat a traditional Christmas (and yes, a tree that stands the right way up!)

Where to Start? October 10, 2007

Hello. My name’s Karen and as you can see, I finally took the plunge and started a blog. So – who am I? Well, I’m not giving away too much! I live in Yorkshire in the UK and by day I have a 9-5 (actually, a 9-5:30) job in ecommerce marketing. I truly believe that a house should be a home, and so I like to spend my spare time decorating my little terraced house with its equally little garden. As befits a humble home, I also have a fairly humble budget and so I am particularly keen on seeking out the best bargains! I will be adding posts on here about my latest home buys, and the best places to shop! Thanks for sharing this blog with me!