Friday Finds

Today was beautifully sunny and frosty so, first thing after breakfast, I bundled myself and the little one up and we headed out to the Friday Market that's held here in town. I love to stroll around the market with a caramel latte and rummage through the stalls, you never know what you might find. This morning my inner magpie must have been coming through as I seemed to be drawn to shiny things.

I found these two jugs and sugar bowls and thought they would be perfect for decorating at Christmas. I try to only buy things which will actually have uses, rather than just look pretty (the exceptions to this rule are shells and flowers) and although I don't plan to use them for their original purpose I could see how they could be used in other ways.

I'll be having guests over to stay at Christmas and these could be used to brighten up the guest room. They could sit on the dresser and hold toiletry essentials or flowers.

I love to use things which sparkle or shine at Christmas. The reflective surfaces catch the light, whether winter sun or evening candle light, and makes the room just a little bit brighter. Anything that makes the long winter nights a little less dark is a good thing!

Enjoy your winter weekend, and don't forget your advent calender on Saturday!

Coco Blue

A little something I am working on...

I've had this little desk for a couple of years now, I bought it at a local second hand shop intending to revamp it but sadly never got round to it. Until now. This little desk is getting a make over, and hopefully it will be ready to show off in a little while. I'm finding that painting furniture (or doing anything much) has to be scheduled around my daughter, which generally means the odd five minutes here and there, or an hour or so after she's gone to bed. Hopefully as she gets older I will regain a little of my time for myself - folks tell me that should be in ooh, about another eighteen years ;)

The desk has lovely lines and the drawer is the perfect size to hold my laptop, unfortunately it is a mix of wood and veneers which are a little the worse for wear. So the plan is to fix the chipped veneer with some filler and paint it. I may try to keep some of the wood on show though, but we'll see.

Hopefully I can share the finished desk very soon.

Coco Blue

A Few of My Favourite Things

I'd like to start my first post by sharing a few of my favourite things.

Peonies

These flowers are so beautiful, they instantly make me think of Summer and remind me of my wedding day. The flowers we used included gorgeous David Ausin 'Juliet' roses, peonies, lavender, honeysuckle and Rosemary. Despite the rain it was a wonderful day!

Hydrangeas

These wonderful flowers make an instant statement in a room and you only need a few stems as the flower heads are so large. In blue, green, white, pink they can go with so many styles of home but my favourites are the blue and greens and the lovely coastal feel they have, which leads on to my next favourite thing...

Being By The Sea

Sadly for me I live in Hertfordshire, a land locked county. But, happily, the coast is never too far away in England and we have access to the coast at Essex, Kent, Suffolk and Norfolk not too far away. My husband and I were at University in Canterbury and while I was a postgraduate I worked part time in a School on the coast. My hour long bus ride to and from work each day rewarded me with a brief view of the sea and I never got tired of seeing it. We are also lucky to be able to spend some of our holiday time on the Atlantic coast of Florida where I love to just watch the sea and the dramatic weather and hunt for shells.

Books

My love of books is genetic I think. I grew up in a house which was crammed full of books (as is my own home now) that belonged to my mother. My Grandmother had a story she would tell about how my Great Grandmother always said she'd never want to go to my grandmother's house as it would be so untidy since my grandmother always had her head in a book. My grandmother's response was, 'So long as you can get in the door Mum...' My daughter is only 6 months old, but she already has the beginnings of a very good library, let's see if it's a love I can pass down another generation.

Coffee

The day does not begin without coffee. Coffee got me through my A levels, my degree, early motherhood and everything in between! I'm hoping Santa will bring me a Nespresso machine for Christmas as my Latte habit is getting expensive while I'm at home with my daughter!

Finally, my most favourite things have to be my husband and baby daughter. I am reminded each day how lucky I am to have them, they bring me so much joy and happiness and only a little bit of frustration every now and then! They remind me to slow down and appreciate the beauty in the small things, and that everything doesn't have to be perfect all the time. They are the reason I want to create a beautiful home but ultimately, they are my home. I could live in a hovel (thankfully I don't) and that would be OK - so long as they were with me and I knew they were healthy and happy.

So now you know a few of my favourite things, I hope I can share  many more with you in the future, especially my love for painted furniture, interior design on a budget and making the everyday beautiful.

 Coco Blue