HOLIDAYS DECORATIONS

Tuesday 18 December 2012


I am so happy that I have finally managed to decorate around the house. I was getting a bit desperate as I didn't seem to have time to stop and enjoy my home and this season's decorating. On Sunday I spent a few hours buying a few things and at home, cooking, rearranging the living room and playing with some xmas ideas. Love the red berries sticks, don't know their real name?? so simple and beautiful. Will do some more tomorrow as I have some friends coming over for dinner. What about you? pls pls would love to see your ideas for this year's decorations.

FOR OUR LITTLE FRIENDS

Monday 17 December 2012

Hello, nice weekend? It has been a bit sunnier and milder than in the past few weeks and I had time to relax and do some xmas decorations around the house, so happy to be back at work and welcome Monday, this is my last week in London before I fly home for Xmas, so plenty to do and organise!

If you read this blog, you would know by now that I love cats, well animals in general, and that I have one called Missi. Sometimes I think I am a bit crazy for treating my cat like a member of the family and speak to him like he would understand what I am saying, we have our conversations, house routine involving play time, cleaning time, and most important feeding him and cuddling to watch TV. But after following Tami's blog masdelomismo for quite sometime I have realised that I am not the only one haha...that there are people equally mad about their pets and love and treat them as a very important part of their families and life.

Tami made this beautiful advent calendar, full of treats for her 3 cats, named Catalino, Rodolfo and Nicolas, (great names). Is it not a great idea? They love it! What a creative and fun way to make some nice xmas decorations involving your pets, isn't? Well done girl, I wouldn't have thought about it...
I enjoy reading her witty posts and love seeing photos of her everyday life and reading about her adventures.
Photos masdelomismo

LAST HOLIDAYS ORDERS

Thursday 13 December 2012


FREE UK DELIVERY on orders above £45
SHOP LAST HOLIDAYS ORDERS
Just in time for Christmas:
Last ordering day in the UK the 20th December ,
Last delivery day in the UK the 21th December
Rest of the world's dispatches will get to their destinations after the Holidays.
The shop will remain open during the holidays period, but deliveries will be dispatched after the 2nd of January.

SOME NICE IDEAS 
Organics cotton hand printed tote bags £9
Xmas handmade decorations £9
Bone china mugs £8/£10
Handmade Purses £12.50
Hand printed prints £22/£30
Handmade cushions from £25
An much more...

NEW BATHROOM = HAPPY ME


I finally have a new bathroom, and it didn't take long...
I wanted to change it about 6 years ago, 
I started to look for the pieces and buy the things back in June,
7 days of hard work, strangers in my house, dust and mess,
Not much money left in the back account
After paying a huge bill I still have to paint the walls myself...

BUT I have the so much wanted NEW BATHROOM. The problem is that I don't want to use it, I keep looking at it, cleaning it, polishing the bloody slate, and simply admiring where all my money has gone...still have an issue with the water pressure (boiler will be changed when more money come my way), but of course Missi doesn't seem to have any problems testing the waters. He was the first one to jump in, well I assume it was him, because I didn't see him and because those are clearly not my footprints. 

Jokes apart, I am truly happy with it, I had my first hot bath and almost cried haha...would I choose slate again?? ummm not sure, I will tell you in a few years, you have to get a very experienced fitter to fit the stones without breaking the edges, (mine were good but still managed to crack some of it). Would I have spot lights? YES but you still need some stronger lighting near the mirror area. White tiles, yes and yes, I like the clean and fresh look, a bit dark? don't think so, feels clean and smart. Final conclusion, it is worth the money, waiting time, and hard work, now I will save to do the Kitchen, maybe in 2025?

A MAGICAL DAY AT THE BALLET

Wednesday 12 December 2012

What a magical day I had on Saturday, I finally went to see the Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. I cried of happiness and emotion, It was the most beautiful piece I have never seen before, I was very emotional and happy to be there, the Opera House is an amazing building and to share it with my dear friend Juan, who hasn't had an easy life lately and who I haven't seen in more than a year made it even more of an special event. We are both from the islands and have a similar silly sense of humor.

I believe that whoever likes clasical ballet should see this piece at least once in their life. I wasn't blessed with a ballerina body and gave up dancing at an early age, but watching ballet brings me back to that early days and makes me feel super special. I go as often as I can, we are very lucky in the UK to have top dancers, (some of them Spanish), performances, and theaters. We then went for a treat at Carluccios and did some shopping for my new bathroom, hand-wash and cream by L'Occitane, where I could spend a small fortune if I had it...THANKS Juan for such a magical day, for your company and friendship, have you seen the Nutcracker?

HOLIDAYS INSPIRATION HEARTHOME MAGAZINE

Tuesday 11 December 2012

Felt inspired by this Holidays shoots while browsing the latest issue of Heart Home Magazine. I am thinking of doing something similar at home, warm, cosy and with a touch of vintage. 
Photos by Andrew Boyd 

DECORATE WORKSHOP BOOK UK LAUNCH

Monday 10 December 2012

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity of going along to Decor8 author, Holly Becker's second book, Decorate Workshop launch party in London, at the amazing Anthropolie store in Regent Street. They couldn't have chosen a better venue for the launch, well, perhaps a place with more room, as we were so many...I was very pleased that they choose London to present the book and that I was around to come along. I enjoyed her first book very much so was looking forward to get my hands on her second publication, plus seeing her, and everybody else. 

The book is full of gorgeous houses, inspiration and most important, plenty of tips and advices of how to decorate your house. I like how she has structured the information by chapters and the clear and easy to follow design. I share the same aesthetics and views on decorating, my house is anything by minimalist, perhaps if I had more space, minimalist would be a choice...but my love for furniture, homewares, vintage, and having the studio here, makes the space a bit crowed and mad, but I like it this way, it is always evolving and changing.


Love how she has decorated her house in Germany, incorporating a studio and work areas.

I was very pleased to meet Holly again, she is such a nice and warm person, not only I admire her great work and determination, but how charming and interesting she is as a person. She is actually the same as in her blog, natural, clear, creative, honest and funny. The room was packed with a very nice crow, in fact some of my fav bloggers were there, so nice to see them now and again, chat about our work and life in general. I thought I wouldn't have the chance to say hello and have a little chat with her, but I did, I think I was the last person to have the book signed by her.

Holly and Will talking about the book and below we all gathered at the event.


MY DEAR FRIENDS AND TALENTED DESIGNERS 
Kate, Sian and myself met at the event to celebrate the book launch and have some us time, as we are always so busy that can't meet up as often as we wish. We were very happy to Sian bear's kits now being stoked at Anthropologie, how cool is that?? This is the best photo of the ones we took as we couldn't stop laughing, and talking...Love you girls. 


I declare Anthropologie the best dressed store in London, with and impressive selection of products and clothes, the displays are simply gorgeous and super creative, I find going in there like being in a surprise box, full of things I want to bring home with me; and I always leave feeling inspired by their vision and creativity. Below some pictures of how the store is currently looking.

 

BATHROOM MADNESS

Sunday 2 December 2012

Hello hello, December is here and I haven't done any decorations around the house yet, in fact my house looks and feels more like a building site that my dear cosy home. I am having the bathroom renovated right now. OMG I never thought that this process will bring me so much stress, but hey I guess you have to suffer before you enjoy...I have been wanted to change the bathroom from day 1 (nothing wrong with it, apart of having a cracked basin with a gold tab for cold and another for hot water, and English concept I don't particularly understand or like, ugly tiles, laminated floor, and ugly all over. I was very naive to think that I will do it in a couple of years, same with the kitchen, but the reality is that when you run your own business and you are at the starting stage of it, all the money that comes in, goes back into the company. I still work as a freelancer graphic designer for a company, that is how I can sustain my life between London and Gran Canaria, feed myself, a greedy cat, and keep growing the business.

This Summer I decided I had enough and that I was going to have a new bathroom that I really like, practical, modern, and a place to relax and enjoy, I know I have a problem, I admit it here, I can't live in a place I don't find comfortable and beautiful to my eyes, nothing to do with money but more with my style, I am equally happy with a cheap thing than I am with a £1,000 one. So after making the scary decision of spending all this money, (that suposse to be invested back in the business) I went ahead to tackle this new exciting project at times, and stressful and tiring at others...and here we are November and still going...finally after 5 work quotes, countless visits to bathroom stores, many many hours spent on Pinterest, (I have managed to gather a nice compilation of bathroom ideas), magazines, books, changes of ideas, tiles, pieces, etc...the bathroom work has finally started last Monday and is due to finish mid this week.

CURRENT BATHROOM AND WORK IN PROCESS


INSPIRATION 
My bathroom is small, and without a window, I had a small budget and limited space, so I have kept the design simple and monochrome. Initially I was going to use white metro tiles, but have decided to go for big matt white tiles for the walls and grey slate for the floor and front of the room. I will add some vintage pieces, my wooden hooks, old pictures, to give it mixed look, images below from my pinterest bathroom ideas folder.

THE NEW BATHROOM MATERIALS AND PIECES
I am so happy about the new bathroom, although right now I am not enjoying the process much, no toilet for a few days, not shower for 2 weeks, dust everywhere, mess all over, but I know that soon I will have my first hot bath in the new bathroom, and that will be my reward to this madness and hard work. If you are having renovations in your house I wish you luck, and by the way would love to see the photos, I will post the new bathroom ones as soon as it is finished!
Tiles ToppsTiles, bathroom Pieces Bathstore, work by Adema.