Tag | 6 things in my home

1_I put together this make shift magazine table for our lamp when we first moved in, I never intended for it to stay like this no longer than a week or so, but I started to love the way it looked and never changed it. So, if you're a serial magazine hoarder like me it's a great way to use those magazines you know you'll never read again, but can't bear to throw away.

2_This is our living room windowsill, here sits my new typography book, a ship in a bottle and a photo of a Boxer dog that neither of us know. I'll care to explain - Matt has always said to me that he'd love a Boxer dog. I was rummaging around a charity shop one after and found this rather strange portrait of a very large and proud Boxer, I couldn't help but buy it for him. I think it was 50p, a definite "buy your boyfriend a shit present day".

3_A peak into my odds and sods basket, I keep a lot of the things I use daily, but don't want lying around the house. So, brown paper for wrapping ebay sales, pens, bits of Uni work and magazines.

4_Food of the Gods - Marmite! This is an absolute diet staple in our household, we couldn't go without it. This gold fancy bottle is a limited edition, the actual Marmite has gold glitter in, perfection.

5_When we have people over I pull out this vintage coffee bean bag cushion, when it's not being used it looks just as lovely pushed up against the wall. It's a great accessory for the flat, but also really practical, I think this is the key to decorating a small flat, buy things that have multiple uses.

6_I've been told many times that this little boat/guy is the star of an old kids t.v show, I personally can't remember, so I'm thinking it must have belonged to my older brother. It was hidden away in the car boot stash, I'm obsessed with anything nautical so naturally I snook him out and kept him on the kitchen windowsill.

I'd love to know if you've done this tag, leave the link to your post bellow if so!

Harri

xxx

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Presenting flowers in a tea towel

Now summer is finally approaching, the sunshines bringing parties and BBQ's. I always think it's a sweet gesture to take the host a token gift. Here's a simple and affordable way of presenting a bunch of flowers for your party host, all you need is a tea towel and some fresh blooms.

You can pick up a traditional tea towel like this in most home stores for pounds - it's nice to go for a classic colour and print that will compliment your flowers and be in keeping with the rustic theme. As for the lovely flowers, these were bought from Aldi, putting two bunches together bulks them out a little making them seem more expensive than they are.

To fasten up your flowers loop some twine around the middle of the tea towel and tie with a knot. You can add a large brown label with a stamped message to your gift to add a personal touch suited to the occasion.

I think this makes such a lovely gift for someone - obviously it doesn't have to be a gesture for a host, it would make a great house warming present or for a cooking fanatics birthday. Adapt as you please...

Have you got any unusual ways of presenting flowers? Let me know if you try this and definitely send me a photo, I'd love to see them...

Harri

xxx

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Take a peak inside Llewelyn & Company | Hay-on-Wye

A couple of weekends ago I visited the quaint little Welsh town Hay-On-Wye. Many of you might know Hay for it's world famous book festival that's held every year. I've grown up visiting the town with my parents - memories of having giant bowls of homemade soup at The Granary and itching to have a look in the bear shop fill me with fondness. Add a few years on, I'm now itching to browse in the wacky antique shops and the unique independent stores.

One of my favourite shops is located in the centre, it's painted a dreamy duck egg blue and goes by the name Llewelyn & Co. The store is beautifully merchandised with antique French, Scandinavian and British furniture, filled with cute trinkets and home wares that you cant help but want to take home with you. The lovely owners so kindly let me take photos in their shop to show you guys. So enjoy taking a peak...

I could easily list about fifty things I'd like from these photos, everything is so cleverly and beautifully presented and even if you're not looking to buy anything, it's such an inspiring shop to browse around for quirky ideas and tips. 

Llewelyn & Co have a lovely website where they sell some truly amazing pieces, so definitely have a look here and if you're around the area take a look inside the shop, the owners are really sweet and humble, it really is just a lovely experience in which you undoubtably won't come out empty handed!

Have you ever been to Hay? and let me know if you've looked on their website, I'd love to know...

Harri

xxx 

What's on my coffee table?

To kick off my life in a small apartment series I thought I'd show you guys my coffee table - well, make shift coffee table and what lives on top of it. It may give you a little inspiration about how to use things that aren't necessarily meant to be used a coffee tables. Take a look...

I found this chest hidden away in a charity shop last summer and bought it for a measly £3. It sat at the bottom of my old bedroom for a while, but now stands as mine and Matts coffee table. I think it's really important when living in a small space that any large furniture has some sort of storage use, otherwise it just wastes space. Luckily for us, we can fit a tonne in here and it's super lightweight to move about if we get bored of it.

On top I don't keep too much, just in case I need to grab anything out from the chest. I love having books around the house, so my favourite two of the moment always sit on top at arms reach. Next is my  tin, this was the packaging from my dads aftershave, I popped a few tee lights in from IKEA and it now  it's become a cute little home for them. Lastly sit my smudge sticks from Toast and tooth picks from Morocco, I popped them in this vintage glass bowl to add a bit of girliness for those times when Matts feet are propped up on top when playing FIFA.

What are your coffee top essentials? I'd love to know...

Harri 

xxx

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I've been shopping #8

I thought I'd share with you some bits and pieces I picked up last weekend whilst I was home, it's kind of a mash-up of vintage, high street, home wear and beauty. Enjoy...

There are some really great charity shops in my home town, so whenever I'm back I always take the opportunity to have a browse. This black and cream blazer was hung ever so limply on the end of one of the rails, it was one of those items I had to try on to fall in love with and it happened. It fits perfectly, just ever so slightly over sized - Just the way I like it.

After I bought the jacket, it occurred to me that I own no casual, throw on dresses (why does this always happen!?) So I tootled on to Topshop and came across this adorable denim pinafore. It was just what I was after, something to throw over blouses, T-Shirts and jumpers.

One of the main reasons I actually went shopping was to get some more storage, more specifically "boyfriend friendly storage" i.e. No lid. I headed straight to TK Maxx, as they always seem to have unusual storagey type bits for reasonable prices. I picked up this hessian sack style basket - it's really great quality and looks super tucked in the corner of my bedroom.

A shopping trip, wouldn't be a shopping trip without me picking up a nail polish. I'm a bit of an ESSIE addict, but unfortunately they didn't have the limey green shade I was after, so I headed over to Bourjois and found this one. It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but I thought I'd give it a try.

Have you guys bought anything interesting recently? I'd loved to know...

Harri 

xxx

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What do you think?

 I've got pretty bad at taking little breaks from my blog, I can only blame an all consuming photography brief that has sucked up every little bit of my free time. Alas, the end is near so I thought I'd take a break from my ever lasting relationship with photoshop and show you what I've been up to.
 I know I have said before I don't like mixing my blog with my university work, but this is a one off and I thought you guys might enjoy it. Here's a few images from part 2 of the brief titled "The Collector" - Hope you enjoy...

 These are a few of my favourites and it properly shows you all the little bits and bobs I found to use in the shoot. A lot of the items are highly personal - my late Grandfathers driving licence from the 70's and his Polish I.D card for example. Other pieces are mostly vintage or picked up for pennies in charity shops and for the clothes, I thank my family and boyfriend for letting me have a good rummage in their draws.

What do you think? I'd love some feedback...

Harri 

xxx

Retro tea set...

More often that not I'll get a text from my mum with a charity shop update - The message will usually consist of a simple "what do you think of this?" followed by an attached snap. One of her most recent finds was this retro tea set including a tea pot, milk jug and sugar bowl, all for the grand total of £5... Now this may not be everyone's cup of tea (no pun intended!) but I certainly love it.
With a lot of gaudy or kitsch pieces that you can find in charity shops, it's only a case of taking them away from the dusty shelves and re-homing them in a modern kitchen to obtain the contemporary meets retro look.

The kind of Woodstock'esk 70's print is one of those things, that's so wrong, it makes it right - But when you pare the set back and place it against bright white, the pieces do start to look slick and very cool.

I really love mixing rustic, with kitsch but then also keeping it really clean and modern at the same time, pieces like this are really brilliant for recreating this look as they tie the individual themes together.

Have you guys found any cool second hand pieces recently? I'd love to know...

Harri xxx

I've been shopping #4

I spotted this vintage T-Shirt on the Beyond Retro online store in the week, it's so typical me - Red, white and blue, nautical, pretty classic. I'm a massive fan of vintage tees, the tackier, the better. I think this ones from the 80's..
Here's just a few photos of how I'd style it - T-shirts and Jeans are my go-to when I'm at Uni, simple, comfortable and easy when your in a rush..

T-Shirt - Beyond Retro, Jeans - Zara, Necklace - Accesorize, Shoes - Converse, Book - Charity Shop, Nail Polish - ESSIE

If you want to check out the Beyond Retro online store I'll leave a link here - which ones do you guys like? Have you got any cool vintage tees, or know of anywhere that you can buy them online? I'd love to know xxx

Parisian Postcard Bunting

When I was in Paris with my family last July, we visited a little flee market selling vintage clothes, books, antiques and general flee markety goods. It was lovely - I came across a whole stall full of postcards from years past, I couldn't resist picking up a few. Each one is so pretty and delicate, with so much character and history behind them, I just had to do something with them. This is just a simple way  of creating postcard bunting.

This is what you need -

Vintage postcards - You can pick these up from thrift stores and charity shops

Twine 

A variety of Bulldog clips, Wooden pegs, Paper clips

It's pretty self explanatory what you do to create this look, just fasten a piece of twine along your wall securely, then go clip away until your hearts content. It's something really cheap, easy and versatile to add a little bit decoration to a room, you can change up the postcards when your bored of the ones you have up already and it can be moved to another room or wall. Of course you can always adapt it to your own tastes or style of the room your displaying it in and you don't have to use postcards - it's up to you!

Do any of you like to collect old postcards or letters? Or have you tried my postcard bunting? I'd love to know xxx

I've Been Shopping #3

I seem to have acquired quite a few new bits and pieces over the past couple of weeks - I think it's because Summer 2012 has officially ended in the UK, now Autumn is well and truly on its way. I so much prefer Autumn dressing than Summer, I'm definitely more of a boots and fur kinda' girl than, hot pants and bikinis. I thought I'd share with you some bit's bought by me and my mum, she has a brilliant eye when it comes to looking for interesting pieces.

I first spotted these Massimo Dutti boots whilst in Paris last month, as it was boiling hot the thought of buying winter boots didn't really bode well with me. So I left them, but me being me, I couldn't stop thinking about them, so with my car boot earnings I ordered them and I absolutely adore them. I can't say I'm a massive shoe/boot person, so for me to be in love with a pair of shoes is big news. They literally go with everything - jeans, skirts, dresses. Just perfect for Autumn...

My mum found this leather bucket bag in a vintage shop last weekend. It's such an unusual shape. We both loved the fact it's so warn in, the leather looks so soft, making the bag feel quite relaxed. Like shoes, I'm also quite fussy with bags, I have about four that I switch between, and I rarely buy new ones, but this is fast becoming a new contender.

Also from the same vintage shop, which I'm yet to go to and I've only heard top notch things about is this old sailors pullover. If you've read a few of my other posts I mention a lot that I have a little obsession with anything nautical, so this literally is a dream item. If you look closely at the top right photo, you can see that it even still has he who ever it was that once owned this was name. Things like this I adore - there's nothing better than having clothes in your wardrobe with stories and memories behind them.

Have you guys found anything cool lately, or any great vintage/charity shops? I'd love to know...

xxx