Plans for 2013

The last few weeks have been rather busy at CB HQ. Between getting ready for Christmas and running around after a 6 month old time really got away from me and some posts I had intended to write just never happened. Ah well, such is life!
But now that Christmas is behind us and the New Year looms I am starting to think of what I want to achieve in the coming months, and to look back on the things that have happened in 2012.

2012 was a very busy and exciting year for me personally. I had the birth of my daughter in June and all the months leading up to that were full of planning, organising and getting ready for her arrival.
The months after have been a complete blur of learning how to do this whole parenting thing and adapting the way we live to accommodate all the needs of a little one as well as still get things done. We did manage to get a few things done around the house all the same. We changed our bath and bathroom taps, changed the flooring in the hallway, living room and bathroom, stripped, re-plastered and repainted the hallway, repainted the living room (this one I did alone with a three month old!) primed and painted two 8ft tall bookcases (this one i did while 7 months pregnant) and have made some other smaller changes to furniture layout and hanging pictures etc.

For the new year I have plans to repaint the master and guest bedrooms, I have several pieces of furniture waiting to be painted and a few other projects waiting to be transformed/started. And finally, this blog! I hope that in the new year I can post more often, improve my photography and remember to take 'before' photos. I have a few other ideas I would like to try out as well and a lot will depend on making time for them :)

Another BIG thing I would like to do in 2013 is to continue my efforts to de-clutter, de-clutter, de-clutter! For the past year I have been trying to go through my home and get rid of anything which isn't useful or beautiful (or preferably both) and to stop holding onto things which I might use in the future, but haven't used yet or don't have a specific plan for. I have been inspired by a few things I have read recently to really think about the things I buy - to make sure that there is thought behind the purchase so that this time next year I don't have to repeat the de-cluttering.

So I'd like to wish people a belated Merry Christmas, and an early Happy New Year!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

How lovely are your branches...

Now it's starting to feel like Christmas! :)

Coco Blue

I'm Dreaming of a Blue and White Christmas

One of the things I loved, growing up, was laying the table for Sunday lunch. We children were responsible for doing this, whilst my parents cooked lunch (a roast, of course) and I used to love selecting the table cloth, laying out the plates, cutlery and glasses and setting the tureens out to be filled with food. . Christmas was always rather like an extra special Sunday and required an extra special table setting. The pattern on our plates was a blue and white willow pattern, and the flatware was Kings pattern. We always had a red table cloth and then, of course, a cracker at every place setting! I'm nostalgic about these childhood Christmases as my parents are no longer with us and all us children now have families of our own and haven't spent a Christmas Day, all together, in over 12 years. So this year, when I thought about what I wanted my festive table to look like, I knew I wanted to capture some of that childhood Christmas I remembered.

 The main elements I kept were the Willow pattern plates and Kings pattern cutlery. I simplified the colour scheme by using a White monogrammed tablecloth and napkins, but brought in some contrasting colour with the vibrant roses and festive foliage. I like the sparkle that is added by the mix and match stem-ware and the silver sauce boat and chaffing dish.

I used a little left over foliage and rose to make a chair back decoration, tied with coordinating navy ribbon.

Glittered baubles add some sparkle to the table and are a quick and simple addition for extra impact.

A centrepiece of roses and foliage is easy to make with an oasis wreath form and a pillar candle, a few roses from the supermarket and trimmings from the tree or garden. The roses should stay fresh for a week at least if you keep the oasis moist.

Sometimes a formal table can feel stuffy or intimidating, but I think really people should just have fun with it. It doesn't really matter which fork you use for what course, it matters more that everyone at the table is enjoying good food and each others company. Christmas is the perfect time to do this and taking a little bit of time to lay a beautiful table helps show you are excited to share this meal with friends and loved ones. Laying the table the night before, on Christmas Eve, will give you more time on Christmas morning to enjoy some champagne while you open presents and start cooking the Turkey. Or better yet, why not get the children to lay the table and give them some memories to cherish in the future?

Coco Blue

Simple Christmas Decoration - Mini Tree

With our first dusting of snow this morning in these parts I've started adding a few little Christmas decorations around the house and one of them is this simple idea for making those small conifers you can buy in the supermarket (the ones that come with a foil wrap and the mini present decorations sticking out) look just a little bit nicer.

I had some of the ticking fabric left over from the blanket box make over, so I cut a square of fabric large enough to wrap the plant pot and tied it up with some white string I had to hand to keep the feel quite homespun. You could also use ribbon or more rustic twine and fabrics could be velvets or patterns or even a tea towel.

A pair of these mini trees, with a few sparkly baubles piled in a silver dish in between, makes a lovely display for a shelf or mantelpiece, it could even be the centre piece for a festive table. These sorts of decorations, which don't take a lot of time or money are perfect for me right now with a six month old to run around after!

I'm hoping to get the rest of my decorations and tree up this weekend, then it will really begin to look a lot like Christmas around here :)

Coco Blue

Blanket Box Re-Upholstering

When my husband and I first moved in together, many moons ago, we were fresh out of University and took a flat whose rent was far too high because I loved the Neo-Georgian style of the building (I'm a sucker for a pretty façade) and so we had next to no money for furniture. Various kind friends and family donated things and we each had a few pieces from our student digs and from that we cobbled together our first 'home'. I spent a few weeks that summer, in the conservatory of our student place, painting everything I could from the things we had been given and bought some remnant fabrics to make cushions. It was fun, borne from necessity, but it's something I have continued to do as there never seems to be a stage where you can afford everything you want - and it also allows me to bring some individuality to our home.

One of the items given to us was this:

This blanket box was given to us by my husband's mother. When it came to us it was plain pine and had been well used. It is antique, but more of the vintage variety than the Chippendale. I gave it a few coats of Aged White and added a 3" foam pad, wadding and some ticking fabric I bought a few years ago. It's far from a perfect upholstery job but it will now find a home in my living room to provide extra occasional seating and storage space for some of the sea of plastic toys which has invaded my house!

The fairly neutral colours of the piece should also allow it to be used elsewhere in my home in the future. Always a bonus!

Coco Blue

Desk Makeover

Last night I managed to finish painting the small desk I started last week. It's a desk I've had for a few years now and the veneer was beginning to chip in places so I thought it was time for it's long over due makeover to take place.

Originally I had envisioned it painted a soft blue/grey colour, but this desk lives in my hallway which gets very little natural light and is painted a green grey colour (Mizzle by Farrow and Ball) and the blue just wasn't going to work. So, instead it is Aged White by Crown.

I kept the drawer and back natural wood to add a little warmth to the piece, and polished the brass hardware. There's a little touch of distressing on some corners and I've finished it with clear wax. I really like how it's turned out.

It's not perfect (what is?) but this is a piece of furniture which is used and inevitably that means some knocks and dings and I didn't want to hide that with paint. Furniture in a home should always serve a purpose and never be too precious to use (especially in a home with a baby and cats).This little makeover will give the desk a new lease of life so it can continue being useful in my home.

A quick recap of how it looked before

And after

You may have noticed the wreath in the picture above, this is another project I am working on, now it's December, and hope to share with you soon. Also in the pipe line are a festive table and some Christmas decorating.

Enjoy your weekend!

Coco Blue