simplify

sitting room and hall

plate rack in the kitchen

larder cupboard in the kitchen

my bedroom

table & bench in the kitchen

fireplace in the sitting room

My New Year's resolution this year was to .....SIMPLIFY..... There are lots of areas of my life that could benefit from this philosophy, but I aim to start with my HOME. I have discovered over recent weeks by reading what you fellow bloggers have to say that a lot of you feel as I do about home....it is most definitely where the heart is. On most days there is nowhere else I would rather be and when I have been away I love to come back home.

We live on the edge of a small town, but I long to live in the country, so my home is full of country things. I have also inherited a lot of furniture from my mother which I sometimes hold on to even though its not really my style. I have spent over 25 years painting furniture for others and advising on colour and I find sometimes when I come to my own home it's not so easy! I have always loved colour and can look at colour charts for hours on end, but I find that I am now changing, I now want serenity and order and am drawn to white and grey and black! So, I plan over this year to start narrowing my choice of colours and decluttering my "stuff". Of course this time next year I could be saying that I need colour back in my life! We will see.

harbinger of spring

The weather in Ireland has been pretty awful this past while,so I have decided to dwell on other that lift the spirits. Enjoy.......                      The images are from http://marthastewartweddings/ and http://weddingmagazine.co.uk/.

Post, Post !

I came across a site that has some lovely copyright free images, it is a little tricky to negotiate but worth the effort, check it out on http://vintageprintable.com/. These pics are also a nice reminder to keep posting. Have fun!

Martha Stewart - Organizing Tip of the Day

Martha Stewart - Organizing Tip of the Day

hyacinth garlands

 Following up on my last post "heavenly hyacinths". I thought that I would share a simple idea with you about making garlands from the individual hyacinth florets. It's really very simple and would impress your guests if you were having a party. 1. Remove individual florets from hyacinths, it takes around 15 or 16 for a napkin ring. 2. Using some florists reel wire ( I like to use a co-ordinating colour, as it shows a little when the flowers begin to dry out and shrink), push the florets unto the wire from the base of the flower, up through the middle. Continue in this way until you have the required length. Cut the wire and entwine the 2 ends of the wire together, wrapping around several times to make sure it won't come loose. The join can then be covered with some pretty ribbon. 3. To make the heart shape, just add more flowers and when you have the required length, and have tied the ends, simply bend into shape.  It is best to make them fresh, but if you have a lot to make you can put them in plastic bags and store in the fridge or a cool place for several days. They will eventually dry out and shrink, but they are still lovely.                                                                   

Heavenly Hyacinth

heavenly hyacinth I recently stumbled across this quote ..."If of thy mortal goods, thou art bereft, and from thy slender store two loaves alone to thee are left. Sell one and from the dole, buy Hyacinths to feed the soul." -Muslihiddin Sadi- 13th century Persian poet. I loved it...it's exactly how i feel about this most beautiful, fragrant flower.

Jeanne D'Arc joy!

My first issue of my subscription to Jeanne D'Arc magazine dropped in my letter box today. I have set the tray with coffee, homemade truffles and some gorgeous tulips. There is no-one in but me so..... bliss. I bought this magazine in Bruges last year thinking it was a book. If you haven't come across it I can highly recommend it. It is jam-packed with beautiful interiors photographs, tips on flowers, food and crafts. It is a Danish magazine and is completely set apart from any other magazine. It is printed on recycled paper and is a joy to look at and handle. It is expensive for a magazine, but it is something that you will keep and treasure. It is very hard to get hold of in the U.K. but I am very pleased to report that you can now buy them, either individually or by subscription from a lovely shop and website calledCamel and Yak Check it out for beautiful items for the home and children's toys etc. Well I'm off now - got some reading to do! CIAO