Here is some DIY I did over the summer, but never posted it. My birdhouse which my Dad made for me was beginning to get a bit weather beaten so I decided to paint it using Ronseal Wood Sage paint. I think it turned out pretty. My shrubs are still small as they are only planted a year but they are coming along well. Did you do any DIY jobs over the Summer? You will also notice that we now have the wall to the rear of the house painted and it looks much better. So we don't have that much work left outside the house. The next work to be done is finish the sitting room which I painted over the Summer months too. I will post some photos of it as it progresses. Hope your enjoying the weekend.

As you know we moved into our new home two years ago. We have a kitchen/dining room, living room and sun room all decorated, furnished and finished. However we also have another living room, or here in Ireland we would call it "the good sitting room". Years ago most houses had a "good sitting room" which was never really used only at Christmas times and for visitors. Well I have one of those which we have not yet decorated. I can't decide on what colours and style to go for in this room. I was thinking a shade of grey for the walls and have come across some inspiration on pinterest. Below are some of my ideas, I would love to hear if you have any ideas or images which you think I may like.

{Classic Casual Home}

{McGill Design Group}

{Lee Ann Thornton Interiors}

 

 

I promised I would show you an image of my new roman blind in my guest bedroom. The room is painted white. Here it is, sorry the image is very dull. It was taken at the weekend when the weather was very gloomy. I still have more finishing touches to add to this room but overall I think it is coming together well. I need to try and get some nice wall art for over the bed, any suggestions? I don't want anything too patterned as the fabric used on the blind, the bed runner and the cushions is enough pattern. For more images of my home visit my pinterest page

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately, it appears that there has been somewhat of a lack of blogging taking place in August. I have been busy with outdoor work around the house- mainly painting. The photographs below are not very good but I just took them to show you the colours we have chosen. Do you like them? I thought that the Connecticut Blue looks good with the main colour and our stone. Our stone piers are also complete at the entrance. Now once the painting is finished we have the driveway and fence along the side to finish.
Have you been busy in August? What have you got up to?

2012- What a Year it has been! We moved into our New Home on 1st January 2012 and I also got  a new job that month too, but to add to all of that, we were also arranging our wedding for February. We had our wedding on 25th February and thank goodness it didn't rain. I am blessed to have found such a wonderful husband. We did a lot of decorating in our new home and I enjoyed my afternoons on the farm- helping with the calves and getting lots of fresh air. We booked our honeymoon for September and had a great time. We even got a tan (I call it a tan,  but to most others it is probably just a lot of freckles). I wrote a review for the Irish Country Living Magazine which appeared in their Autumn edition. IKEA also asked me to take some photos of my new home to feature in their House Call Feature (they haven't used them yet which I'm thinking means that the photos aren't good enough quality). My blog got shortlisted for the Irish Blog Award which was really exciting too. I got lots of inspiration online this year and am really enjoying using pinterest! To all of my friends, followers and those who visit my blog, twitter or pinterest, thank you all so much, I really hope that my blog sprinkles some happiness into your life. . .

From top left: 1. We moved into our new home- our cottage in the country. 2. We got married, pictured above in the hotel. 3. Some daffodils I picked and put in our home, 4. Our kitchen is fully completed. 5. A trip to the seaside to my parents holiday home. 6. We booked our honeymoon to Madeira. 7. Some lovely hydrangeas my mother picked for me, 8. Long walks along the lake shore. 9. Honeymoon in Madeira. 10. Some more wedding memories. 11. A trip to the Market. 12. A view of Funchal from our hotel suite. 13. Some more flowers in my sunroom. 14. Another trip to the west coast of Ireland. 15. My spare bedroom, 16. Our Wedding Day

This weekend I have been organising my sun room. Since we moved into the house, I had no furniture only our wicker chairs so I bought a few bits and bobs this weekend. I bought this new unit for the corner and the pink mat. I am waiting to get the light fitting fitted and I will show you photographs of it when it is in place. Hope you like it? The ceiling is high and is finished in pine. I am unsure what way to dress the windows. In total there are three windows and the double doors to outside already have blinds on them. Curtains may block too much light and blinds may look a little plain, what do you think??

At last I am getting around to styling the other rooms in my home, here is one of my guest bedrooms which is coming together nicely now. I think it's a cross between shabby chic and country cottage, what do you think? Apologies as the light was poor when I took the photographs. The next room is my sun room, I need to get lighting, accessories, blinds and a mat too. I'm off work today so will be off to do the shopping soon.

Good evening everyone, it's the weekend again :) I have been busy this week with work, the farm and pottering around the house. I also have some exciting plans. I am reviewing a product for a magazine and got it in the post this week so I may post about it on my blog. Also I have been contacted by IKEA to feature my home on their website so that is exciting for me too. My house is still a little sparse as I don't have all my furniture and interiors finished yet. We have settled in well into the new home, my favourite room is the kitchen and I tend to spend most of my time in it as it is quite large. Above is a photo of my dining table with some of the wildflowers I picked. Notice the sun was shining for a change. Today was warm but quite overcast, I wanted lots of sunshine to take good photographs but it didn't happen today!

The weather is still poor here in Ireland, above is a photo of the sky one of  the evenings this week and it looks like an Autumn evening, doesn't it? Have you any nice plans for the weekend?

{Images: Moroccan Pouffe}

{Image: Pip Studio}

{Image: Yankee Candles}

Today I am liking moroccan pouffes, pip studio cushions and the lovely scent of yankee candles. The sun is shining here in Ireland again and all is busy on the farm. Hope you all had a nice weekend and to all in the UK hope you have a nice extended weekend and enjoy the celebrations.

Images from around my new home... Top left; my kitchen dresser, top right; light in my double height hallway, middle right; images of fruit and items on my dresser, bottom; pretty china teapot I received as a wedding gift, window in my downstairs shower room (this photo was taken at night hence the darkness outside and finally print of owls in my study.

What do you think? I will have to take some photographs of the room for you. The weather is fab here in Ireland this week, hence the reason for my lack of blogging. Hope everyone is having a nice week and the sun is shining where you are!

Spring is  almost over now, it only seems like yesterday it was winter. I am now in my new home 4 months and am married 2 months. We have to organise our honeymoon yet. Any nice suggestions of where to go? I want to stay in Europe though. Any ideas are welcomed...

Saturday night as myself and my new husband sat watching tv, we heard a strange noise outside and then the door bell rang. Husband went to the door and all I heard was shouting, singing and lots of laughter, next thing there were about 20 people in our home all dressed up with old clothes and straw. They threw straw all around the house and then pulled us outside where they had a tractor and trailer waiting for us. They were very modern indeed as the tractor had flashing lights on it. So next, they lifted myself and husband into the large tractor trailer and they all jumped in too. Next thing we knew we were en route to the town where they made a commotion and we all ended up in the pub! This is an old Irish tradition for newly wedded couples in their new home. It is to bring them good luck in their married life and home. Their friends and neighbours come around dressed with straw and take the bride away and the groom has to get her back, however I was lucky they took the two of us with them to the pub. This is a mixture of the old tradition of straw boys or it is more commonly known around here as bann begging (hope I have spelled that correctly). There is very little information on the internet about bann begging and I am wondering am I spelling it correctly. If anyone knows any more information on bann begging I would like to hear from you.

Hello everyone, I got internet access at last! Hope you are all enjoying the new year, one month almost gone already- how time flies! Since I lasted blogged properly, I have got a new job which is going well. I have also moved to my new house hence the lack of blogging lately as I had no internet access. We are settled in now. I cant find my camera battery charger so have no photographs of the house for you yet. These days I am organising the wedding, one month to go. We got engaged in September and have been very busy planning. This weekend, I'm getting the bridesmaids dresses altered at the dressmakers and then going to look at flowers. I also have to finalise the text for the wedding booklet and next weekend hopefully get my wedding dress from the shop and buy shoes. We also have the tasting at the hotel next weekend.

I'm loving life at the new home and after work most evenings I go up to the farm, I don't do much but I like the fresh air and the baby calves are cute too :) I hope you have all been well and that you haven't given up hope on me blogging again.

I have lots of catching up to do on your blogs!

My good friends got me these lovely Cath Kidston mugs as an engagement present. I love them, I suppose you could say I love all things Cath Kidston but they are a treat for me, as I find they are on the expensive side. I did treat myself to the bluebell hand cream earlier in the week too! 

Some images of items you will find in my spare bedroom. I spent this afternoon cleaning floors, cleaning my new kitchen units, trying to order wedding invites and moving a few items to the new home. What have you been up to? I am finished with my job and starting my new job in January so that gives me a bit of time to start ticking items of my "to do" list. Tomorrow I want to try and move some furniture to the new house but it is so wet I may have to wait until the rain clears. 

I don't think so!!! I love them, check out these beautiful ones from IKEA. I think they are so delicate and pretty and really add to any window. They are not as cold and imposing as roller blinds and are easily washable. 

{All images from IKEA}

I am on the lookout for some nice wallpaper for my snug. I have a stove with a wooden beam over it and there are two small alcoves each side. The room is painted a cream colour and I was looking for wallpaper for the two walls each side of the chimney area. Check out all of the lovely wallpapers below which I like, all from Laura Ashley. Which one do you like most?

 

Items for my new bathroom, will soon be ready to be installed. I'm just waiting on the tiling to be finished. They are both from Ikea.

What have I been up to lately?? Well where do I start. I had to work from 9 in the morning until 10 at night three nights this week and work the 5 days. I am trying to organise the wedding, I have the hotel provisionally booked and the band booked. I am taking this week off work and have lots of things to do. I have to look at a wedding dress on Tuesday to decide if I'll buy it. The house is really coming together, the kitchen is fitted, just the counter tops and handles left to put on. The utility is ready too. So myself and my boyfriend have to buy tiles tomorrow for the bathroom walls. 

At the minute I am trying to decide on wedding invitations. In Ireland we don't use Save the Date cards just the invitations. I am in two minds as to buy them or make them myself. Below are a few invitations from Special Day Direct and Wedding Paper Divas which I like, but I have also been looking at Wedding Chicks for their free DIY Invitations. Do you know of any other free DIY wedding invitations template I could take a look at, if so please let me know. I will update my blog with some photographs of the new house this week too so you can see the progress. Hope you are all having a nice weekend!

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