Inspire my house pretty

Small Bathroom Makeover Before & After ♥

2013-10-09T15:54:00.001-07:00

It took us two years but we finally got there. Our "work in progress" small bathroom makeover is finally complete. I don't know why it took me so long to decide what to do with such a small space bur im really happy with how its turned out. I opted for white subway tiles for the walls with charcoal grout, got a large mirror cut to the size of the back wall which automatically made the space feel so much bigger and for the floors I chose a black mosaic tile vinyl. Its now complete with my cute little diy personalised banner and my new batgirl print by the super talented burnfeather

All White Home Love ♥

2013-10-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

I just love this beautiful white home that's currently up for sale in Sweden. If I could fly over there and buy it I would, anyone else want to buy it for me please feel free lol:) I Love how bright and clean it looks, and adore the eclectic mix of furniture, I'm also in love with the gorgeous piawallen cross blanket, its now officially on my wihlist! Don't you just love how bunting can add a whimsical feel to your home and bring an element of fun to it, I think we all need to embrace our inner child and have bunting somewhere in our home.

Eclectic Living - Swedish Inspiration ♥

2013-10-02T15:04:00.002-07:00

After spending a little while looking through Stadshem a Swedish real-estate broker based in Gothenburg, I am officially in love. Every single home on there is styled perfectly, most of the rooms are white with an amazing eclectic mix of furnishings. Check it out if your looking for some fab inspiration!

Scandinavian Home Styling - Black & White ♥

2013-09-25T15:48:00.000-07:00

feel inspired blog

simple blue print

loving my jetlag blog

feel inspired blog

blissful bblog

Its so funny how certain parts of your home styling stay the same (your home staples if you like) All my rooms are white (well the ones I've decorated anyway) and that's the way they are staying, never mind the fact that I have 3 kids which often multiples at weekends and more that quadruples when there are parties involved. If that mean running about with a bottle of vanish and a dish cloth then so be it, my house is white and that makes me happy.

So my obsession for the past three years if you look back on my blog has been all white with pops of colour, in particular turquoise and pink. These colours are still at the top of my favourites list however over the past few months I've been drawn more and more to black and white. Scandinavian style has always featured throughout my blog but lately after taking time off from blogging and being on Instagram a lot more my Scandinavian obsession has manifested itself. The contrast between black and white is striking, the rooms are very simple but always look so dramatic and make a statement.

I've recently purchased a few of my favourite prints that I've been looking at for a while, I even had someone on Ebay create me a custom Andy Warhol Modena Museet print as I could not find one anywhere online and believe me when I say I looked everywhere (I even attempted to access a Japanese website that had no English, that was interesting and needless to say didn't work lol). I think my favourite room in my house is still my bathroom, I'm so glad that I picked the Cole & Son woods wallpaper for it and I think that's when my Scandinavian obsession probably began. I still love my pink splash back In the kitchen but the rest of the pink is getting replaced! The other 2 prints I purchased were the tiger says meow print from society 6 (ordered when it was free shipping only to get hit with customs tax) and the cat girl print by burnt feather on etsy. This arrived in less than a week from Australia I was pretty impressed and I just love it. Anyways my blog may be taking a bit of a different colour direction but I hope I will still be posting lots of lovely home eye candy.

Diy glitter barcart makeover complete....at last!

2013-09-23T16:52:00.001-07:00

Omg I probably have no readers left on my blog! I know it was my very good intention at the start of the year to try and do some sporadic blogging but I really thought I would have posted something by now! I have been so busy the past few months with my very wild 2 year old and all the other stuff that goes along with being a working mum & wife.

Some of you might remember way back in February I bought a little mahogany bar cart from a local thrift store for the bargain price of £5. Well I had grand plans for that bart cart until I got it home and it ended up sitting in my garage for the last few months.

A few weeks ago I decided that I wanted it as blingtastic as possible (yes it is a word lol) and so I bought a tin of rustoleum gold spray paint and a tin of the glitter spray paint. I then went on eBay and bought 2 large tubs of champagne glitter. After spraying the whole thing gold I covered it in a light coat of watered down PGA glue, then I literally covered the whole thing, myself, the rabbit and half my house in glitter! Once it was dry I wiped off the excess glitter then sprayed the whole thing with the gold glitter spray, this created a seal to stop the glitter going everywhere.

So tonight after a very lazy bank holiday I decided to finally put the finishing touches on it. I was in the kitchen finishes it off (feeling all chuffed with myself) when my very perceptive 7 year old came into the kitchen and said "wow mummy I love it" (big smile across my face) then in the same breath she said "but you know mummy Jake is just going to trash it" (yes my smile faded of course I knew this was the case) Jake really is so funny and he makes us all laugh everyday but you cannot leave anything out if you don't want him to destroy it-fact!

So why did I put my bar cart together if only to take it apart the very next day? I really don't know, I think I just wanted to see what it was actually going to look like out my head and in my kitchen. Well it's here today and it will be gone (temporarily) tomorrow until our little monkey is able to leave it be! And I really love it!

Hope all you guys are well, I am going to make more of an effort with the blog, doing my bar cart tonight made me remember how much I actually enjoy it! Take care

Careen x

Polka dot wallpaper ♥

2013-02-17T14:44:00.001-08:00

Im in love with this purple polka dot wallpaper that i came across tonight on scandinavian chic. Its got a bright and funky feel to it and i can imagine it in my sons bedroom. Im even tempted to get a paintbrush out or even a sharpie marker lol and do it myself. I found an idea on pinterest for his room that i thought would look pretty cool too. "A hole to another universe" I love this mural and its quite different, lets hope the kids dont actually try to jump into the thing lol. My son is only one so i want the room to be quite funky, something that can grow with him. I think the polka dots and the mural are a cute combination.

DIY fun kids craft ideas happy valentines day ♥

2013-02-14T03:56:00.002-08:00

Happy valentines day everyone! Due to being a sick house the last few days we had to improvise when my daughter said she wanted to give 2 of her friends something special for valentines day. I've been collecting empty jars in particular Nutella jars not only because I have an addiction to Hot crepes and the delicious chocolaty goo but because the jars are cute and have big white lids perfect for decorating. So first we filled the jars with sweets (we had quality streets but you could anything love hearts would have been a cute idea), we then covered the lids with washi tape (this tape is amazing, love the stuff) then we printed off some free valentines labels from here and tied them on with some bakers twine. My daughter finished off by drawing some hearts on the jars and putting her friends names on the labels, this is such a cute and simple idea and doesn't need to be just for valentines day. Perfect for making personal little gifts for weddings, birthdays, baby showers. We are planning on saving enough jars so we can decorate them and give them out at my daughters birthday party in the summer rather than the standard party's bags. You can fill them with anything from sweets, bubbles, costume jewellery, even a little recipe and some key ingredients, small toys, the possibilities are endless. I suppose whatever your theme is you could think of cute things to fill it with. There are also free printables all over the net If you don't want to make your own, I think this is such a lovely idea and can be used for so many occasions. Hope you all have a great day x

joined iheartnaptimes sundae scoop link party:) so maybe fab ideas over there my idea is only 429 lol x

DIY bar cart makeover soon to be underway ♥

2013-02-10T14:06:00.001-08:00

Going go gold

Today I joined the bar cart revolution! and I'm a little excited lol. To some of you this may be a very exciting revelation but I'm sure for others you might still think these wheeled beauties belong all the way back in the 60's. I know I'm a bit behind on this one but I was holding out till I found the right one.

simply swoon worthy

I have been on the hunt for a bargain bar cart or "trolley" for so long now and today I stumbled across one that excited me very much. I’ve had an idea in my head of what it would look like and I have to say that the one I got my hands on today for the bargain price of £5 is actually the opposite of what I wanted lol. I really liked the idea of a metal trolley, either aluminium or a light copper. I planned on spraying it turquoise and filling it with all my favourite drinks and cocktail making supplies. I absolutely love my sailor jerry, disaronno, chambord, hendricks gin (ok please don’t be alarmed I do love all these fabulous drinks but definitely in moderation, well ok unless I’m having a cocktail party ha)

Aqua Please

Please excuse my little guy in the picture, as soon as he saw it he shot straight in shouting "go..go..gooo...." yes my older son told him it was a go kart and he was getting wheeled about the living room in it lol. Buying this today has even inspired me to blog again. My blogging addiction is slowly creeping back and thanks to my friend Minnie over at mamawithoutborders I now have a name for my type of blogging. It would appear I’m a sporadic blogger and she even suggests I may start a trend. Well I’m not sure about the trend setting but I’m defiantly loving the title. I hope I might even inspire Minnie to embark on the sporadic blogging trend too because I do miss her posts.

Bold Blue

I’ve got so many ideas running through my head about what it’s going to look like, all I really know at the moment is it will not be staying "as is" sorry to all the wood lovers out there, where I absolutely appreciate the beauty of wood, the colour is not for me. Ideas so far would be a really rich turquoise peacock blue, or gold. I’m open to any suggestions. Can’t wait to start it, only problem is once it’s done and stocked I am going to have to hide it from my little guy because he is one crazy boy and I know he would have a field day firing cocktail glasses and bottles about the house. Will keep you all posted on the progress.

watch me go mummy!

Kids art wall project ♥

2013-02-08T13:17:00.001-08:00

Every child is an artist-Pablo Picasso once said! Since nursery school I have saved my kids school work especially their story books (these always make me and my husband laugh, kids have amazing imaginations) and their art work. I have kept everything sentimental from their ankle bracelets, clippings from every newspaper they were in, their first shoes, even their tiny baby teeth (shh the youngest one doesn't know about these yet) are you seeing a pattern here lol. Well i finally sat down the other night and sorted a lot of their keepsakes out into individual memory boxes for them that I will continue to add to until they are old enough to appreciate them ha! I have been wanting to create an art wall for ages so decided to take some of my favourite pictures and put them together to create one in my utility room. I'm really pleased with how it turned out, think it brightens up the room and the best part is it cost absolutely nothing! I think next time I take a trip to ikea I might buy a few white frames to break the wall up a bit more but for now Im happy with it. Think Picasso may have been right, this is currently my favourite wall in the house and it was created by tiny little hands with huge imaginations.

DIY Annie Sloan chalk paint sideboard makeover ♥

2013-01-15T14:10:00.002-08:00

After two years i have finally got round to painting my sideboard that i picked up from a local thrift store for the bargain price of £10! I bought the Annie Sloan chalk paint after seeing some diy furniture in a local shop and after the lady explaining that it could be applied directly to furniture, no sanding, priming required i thought i had to give it a try. I'm really busy pretty much all the time so to be honest the only thing i did to this piece before slapping on the paint (4 coats i gave it) was wipe away dust lol. I'm sure if i had taken the time to sand it down i could have got a pretty amazing finish but i was in a hurry and wanted it done so on Sunday i gave it a bash. The paint dries really quickly so you don't have to wait that long before coats, you can make it as thick, thin as you like, you literally just add water, I'm really not kidding when i say you cant go wrong with this stuff. Don't worry about streaks to much as when it dries they disappear, obviously try and keep it as clean as possible and minimise lumps slodges etc. So I let it dry overnight then used the Annie Sloan clear soft wax all over and when it was still wet gave the entire dresser a little distressing. I only wanted a little but its pretty easy to rub off so use a fine sandpaper, mostly on the edges, any areas that stick out a little. I then removed the handles and sprayed them with metallic silver spray paint. The paint and spray paint was less than £25 so in total this project cost £35. Not bad for a days works. I bought a small tub of turquoise to try and will be attacking some other poor piece of furniture with it soon. If you love recycling old furniture but don't have the time to sand, prep etc then annie sloan chalk paint really is for you!

Maybe the odd blog post this year ♥

2013-01-06T17:33:00.001-08:00

So modern technology just seems to be getting better and better and I've finally caved and purchased an all shiny all sparkly iPhone 5, I'm serious when I say that at some point I may in fact have to start attending ip5 anonymous because I'm utterly addicted, it's got everything a girl needs in her busy life, instant access to emails, calender, reminders, music, eBay, Pinterest (my current addiction, who knew modern day scrap booking could be so much fun. Facebook, Instagram, an amazing camera, paypal, banking, apps for recipes, apps for cocktails, there's even an app to feed your furby! and of course there is blogger, all these wonderful things plus it's fast. So i thought maybe because of this little wonder there may in fact be time to blog this year.....even a little, I know my blog is still getting lots of traffic everyday but i kinda miss some of my blogger pals so if u notice this post then give me a shout maybe al get back on the blogging bug again. I saw this picture on Pinterest the other day and I just love it, mainly because the statement pretty much speaks for itself but also because it looks fab. Love yellow & black together. Really must sleep now lol, hopefully I will get a chance to blog again soon

White noise explanation & a huge thank you ♥

2012-07-31T15:37:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, not sure if anyone is actually still stopping by my blog since i haven't been here for ages but i thought i really should take some time and explain why. As ive always told you i only started my blog to keep all my finds ideas and inspirations in one place because i was always finding cool stuff then forgetting where i saw it lol. Anyways when i got my first comment and follower on my blog i remember thinking what the hell, how did they find my blog i haven't shared it with anyone, and so the journey of my blogging began, i became obsessed (as my personality dictates new obsessions frequently) with other blogs, my fellow bloggers, with projects and so this continued into my own home. Soon i was getting more followers and more people wanting to see pics of my own home, commenting on my posts, asking for my opinion and sharing my blog with others, it was all very exciting and i loved it! 3 years on and i still havent shared my blog with any of my family and friends, it was just for me, i didnt feel i needed their approval or more so their criticism (not that i think they would criticise me at all but would they understand why i was posting pics of my home, sharing my thoughts about things with complete strangers) well any way i absolutely loved chatting to my blogger friends (you will know who you are:) and collecting ideas and inspirations along the way but after falling pregnant again and so much other stuff going on, having a job, 3 kids, a house and family/friends i just found it harder to find the time to blog! ahhhh so one day i just stopped. I recently joined pinterest which i love, i get to share pics of things i love (the main reason i started my blog in the first place) its fast its easy and most of all i get to share all the things i love in life not just my love for interiors. So ive finally decided that this will be my last post for now on my blog, it will still be here for people to look through and hopefully pick up some fabulous inspiration along the way because i have certainly enjoyed collecting it all. I would really like to say the biggest THANK YOU to all you guys that have followed my obsessions over the past 3 years and supported my blog:) If you would like to follow my current obsessions in picture form (no need for words) then please follow me on pinterest,

Geometric Print Rug v Aztec Zig Zag Rug ♥

2012-04-04T15:52:00.000-07:00

plantation rugs

Want one of these rugs for my livingroom, either atzec zig zag or geometric print cant make up my mind, they are both so yummy! Found here at plantation rug

Livingroom Love ♥

2012-03-18T13:51:00.001-07:00

little green notebook

elle decor

Love these two living rooms

Simple Shelving Organised ♥

2012-02-26T15:50:00.002-08:00

Still want shelves for my livingroom and love the way these ones are organised, not to overcrowed and not too in your face, really lovely via danielle oakey interiors

Black & Spiro Inspiration ♥

2012-02-26T15:46:00.001-08:00

Forgot how much i love black & spiro until i saw these photos! Love the mix of colour, patterns and print in the first pic and i love all the cushions in the second pic and I stuck the 3rd pic in just because i love the whole mad mix of furniture, colours prints patterns, ornaments.......and the list just goes on

Hendricks Gin Cocktail Recipes ♥

2012-02-26T15:39:00.003-08:00

These cocktails are so yummy, had to share some fab recipes with you!

DIY Family House Rules Subway Style Print ♥

2012-02-17T11:09:00.000-08:00

Really love this idea from Carrissa over at the fabulous design file. A DIY Family House Rules Print. Hmm wonder what my own version would look like. Think it would definately include, Stop Hitting your brother, Stop shouting at your sister, please eat your dinner slowely, no xbox for at least 2 hours, can we not all just sit and watch one movie together, dishes go in the sink, wash your hands, oh the list goes on lol

Amazingly yummy dressing room ♥

2012-02-17T08:23:00.000-08:00

Found this amazing dressing room over at Jens blog Made by Girl and had to share, she took these pics on a recent trip to newyork, I wish i had a wee spare room in my house for my very own dressing room because i would have it just like this, mind u given the fact ive hardly got any clothes to fill it (and not one designer piece to my name lol) i suppose it would still be fabulous just to have and im sure my daughter would love it too

Geometric Homeware Inspiration ♥

2012-02-15T15:25:00.002-08:00

So pleased to share this post with you tonight. One of my lovely blogger friends has taken the leap (and im so glad she did) and decided to to open her very own homeware store called Swoon Worthy Homewares. The concept was simple. Bring the beautiful geometric fabrics of the United States (that are impossible to find on these shores) here to the United Kingdom. If you havent done so already please check out her store and also her equally fabulous blog swoonworthy, Kimberley's home is amazing, and she is super friendly too!!! So just want to say a big congratulations on the opening of your store and the very best of luck!!!!

Inspiration for a family photo picture wall ♥

2012-01-20T12:50:00.000-08:00

link

I want to create a lovely space to share some pictures of the family and also some nice art work all together, was thinking of putting up 2 shelves beside my large mirror (above the tv unit) and was looking for some inspiration and styling idea's. My favourite from the ones i found above has got to be the family photo gallery from the house of smiths. I love the diy address subway art, the lovely colourful family prints and the sprayed family initial. Perfect!

Bright Bedroom ♥ i must diy a bookcase with this design!

2012-01-03T09:54:00.000-08:00

OMG!!! I am honestly in love lol, came across this amazing bedroom at the lennoxx. Packed with happy colours and fun patterns (their words) it is totally 100% the perfect way to carry my blog into the new year. I'm in love with the bookcases with the Moroccan tile effect patten and think i might even steal the idea when i get round to buying my billy bookcase from ikea at some point this year. I love the pops of pink, the gorgeous gold mirror and the lovely mix of fabrics, geometric, chevron and zebra print all together in one room, what more could a girl want? oh and I've just spotted that gorgeous white owl umbrella stand! really wish i had a magic wand because i would have this all for me in a second.

Tangerine Tango Pantone's Colour of the Year 2012 ♥

2011-12-29T12:48:00.000-08:00

Ive never really been a big ~~orange~~ tangerine fan but when i discovered pantone had released it as their colour of the year for 2012 i decided to go on a search for inspiration and ideas that i would like for my own house. After a couple of hours searching i have to say I'm pleasantly surprised with the results, maybe there is a little room for some tangerine tango in my home after all.

Keep calm and have a very merry christmas ♥

2011-12-24T11:11:00.000-08:00

I am relaxing the now before the madness of tomorrow begins, too excited for santa coming, so im wishing all my lovely blogger friends a very merry christmas, hope santa is good to you all!

Living Room Before & After ♥

2011-12-21T12:49:00.000-08:00

Before...

After...

couldnt move my sleeping beauty lol

Still really miss that funky retro carpet.....hmmm maybe not!