Printer's tray on the landing.

On Sunday I grabbed a few minutes to hang up my new printer's tray. The very kind gift from David's father and stepmother, has been propped up against the wall for a while now, even though I've known where it was going to live since it entered my house! It's hanging on the wall at the top of our stairs, right outside Torin's bedroom.

So far I've only added a few little items to it, but I'm looking forward to adding more as time goes by.

On there at the moment is:

The name tag that I made for our room when we got married (I made one for every room in the house that we hired). I was so pleased with them when I made them nearly six years ago, and still am really (though I really wish now that I had used a type writer or stamp to write the names).

One of the snowflakes I used as a decoration for Astrid's birthday party (I know, I'm so rubbish - I still haven't posted all of the pictures from that!).

My plan for the hallway and landing is to re-paint the walls in a darker shade - probably something like this and then I'm going to hang wallpaper on the wall behind the tray (I want to use some up that we bought yonks ago to go on the chimney breast in the living room). I think I'll probably eventually paint the tray - probably in a neutral colour like this. I think it will make the objects on it stand out, and make the whole area feel more streamlined.

In other printer's tray news . . . have you seen this project from Vintage Sheet Adict? I think it looks great. I'd certainly attempt it myself if I hadn't already decided to hang wallpaper up behind mine.

Image from here.

An IKEA induced nostalgia.

I popped to IKEA with the children yesterday. I was in search of a picture frame, but I also thought the small adventure playground that they have outside our local branch would absorb some of Torin's excess energy! 

It was a successful trip - I picked up an ÖDBY frame for the wonderful Eloise Renouf print my brother gave me for my birthday back in the summer (I know, things move slowly around here!). I'm really pleased with it actually - I'll post some pictures when it eventually makes it onto the wall above our bed!

While I was in the frame section, my eye was drawn to the NORRLIDA frame. I'm not sure if it is a new product, but I hadn't seen it before. The display model contained a fabric collage showing two owls and some bunting - I thought this was quite creative for IKEA and it set my mind wondering about what use I could find for one. Described as "the perfect frame to make collages with your pictures and other keepsakes", it reminded me so much of the frames my great-grandmother used to frame her wonderful cross-stitch creations. I can clearly picture a white frame, with a cross-stitch design inside it depicting rolling green hills and fields of lilac heather. I think it's hanging on the wall in my grandmother's cottage now, so I'll try and grab a picture of it next time we're back in Kent and share it with you.

I was quite drawn to the unusual shape of the frame - if I can think of a good project involving one, I'll get it and share my thoughts with you. In the meantime, here are some pictures of how others have put their NORRLIDA frames to good use:

Image from here.

Image from here.

The Full Monty at Loaf.

A while ago, I mentioned that I really liked this bedside table from the new range of furniture at The Sleep Room. Well, The Sleep Room is now Loaf, and their new range of furniture is now massive. Alice from Home Shopping Spy mentioned that there were some really lovely new products that just had to be seen, so I decided to take a look.

I always admire the sofas and beds that Loaf advertise in full page campaigns in interiors magazines - they tend to make me want to strip out everything in our bedroom / living room and just focus on one new big squashy bed / sofa. Their new range The Full Monty, is called that because Loaf have expanded beyond living rooms and bedrooms and now sell products for every room in the house. Hurrah, I say!

I like how the chalky tone of this bedside lamp contrasts with the glossy finish.

These plain linen cushions are from India and have been livened up with blanket stitched edging in bright colours.

I'm really drawn to industrial shelving at the moment - I once saw a great use of an old shoe rack that was used as towel storage above a door in a bathroom - I'll try and dig out the picture if I can remember where I saw it. This upright unit, aptly called Highwire, would neatly fit into any bathroom. I'd happily have it in mine, but I think that with the recent addition of my lovely new cabinet, we'd have storage overload!

Finally, I love the curves of this hand beaten metal mirror that was inspired by a 1930s mirror seen in Venice. 

Which is your favourite piece?

Lovely new curtains in the living room.

On Saturday, David really helped me out by taking the children into town for the afternoon. With a quiet empty house, I sang along to First Aid Kit (loudly) - a very welcome Valentine's gift from David, that I'm really enjoying listening to (have you heard of them?), made myself a quick lunch, and then set about putting up our new curtains in the living room!

My mum (who is a complete star, and very talented) made the curtains for me for my big birthday last year. Thanks mum, I absolutely love them - I keep wandering into the room, just for another look!

They really add a warmth to the room, and help to make the space feel more "grown up". It felt really good to take down the cheap, faded IKEA curtains that were hanging there. 

Here's more of a close up shot - I chose the fabric (from Dunelm Mill) for a few reasons - I thought the cream background would really lighten up the room and the green matched the colour on the walls, but wasn't too samey. Also, the leaf motif is embroidered onto the plain background fabric, which is the same as the flowers on the cushions.

The new curtains have really refreshed the living room, and I can't wait for mum to finish the curtain that is going to hang at the door in the dining room area. When that's done, the rooms will pretty much be complete!

What do you think? Do you like them?

Also, I'd just like to say hi to my three newest followers - welcome Daisy of Lazy Daisy Jones, Sophie of Fading Grace and Hettie Brown, and Jenny of The Custards. Thank you for following me!

Bathroom cabinet . . . finally!

A long long time ago, I wrote about looking for a cabinet to go in our bathroom. It was meant to be my birthday present from my parents that year. Well, on Friday I was finally able to call my dad and congratulate him for buying me my birthday present, albeit well over a year late! I successfully (with a little help from David who was watching the auction on a train heading back from Durham), managed to bid for and win a beautiful cabinet on Ebay, and yesterday we braved the pouring rain and drove to Pontypool to pick it up.

I'm really thrilled, as it's exactly what I'd wanted - size, colour, everything. Apparently, it used to display tiaras in a bridal boutique, and prior to that, it spent years in a watch shop, so it's got quite a quaint provenance too.

At the moment, it's sitting on top of another cupboard in the bathroom, as this is the safest option for the children, while I wait for the weekend when I can have David's help to put it up on the wall. It's going to eventually hang on this wall, but at a height that'll be just above the tallest frond on the aloe vera - it's going to look so good, and it should house loads of our bathroom paraphernalia. I'll post a few pictures when it's up on the wall!