kitchen design and curtains - your ideas please

Thank you for all your comments this week - amazing!  The past couple of days have been pretty rich in emotion on the blog so today I want to lighten up a bit and simply talk to you about  curtains in the kitchen!

So here's the thing.   I shall be reworking my kitchen in a couple of months time, it's only about 10 years overdue, so there's no real rush, and I keep being drawn to curtains instead of doors beneath a worktop.

Every practical ounce of me is screaming "don't do it" ... "this way lies madness"  , but it just looks so pretty.

Now I am sure that you have an opinion on this one, maybe you have curtains in your kitchen, maybe you have had and have sworn never again ... please tell me.

thank you for your help and bon weekend!


PS  Is anyone else having trouble adding new blogs to their blogroll?

all photos from pinterest

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small is beautiful

 I'm having fun with some old earthenware pots that I found.  They must have been hand made, they are tiny and uneven in shape and size, so much more charming than today's industrially produced flower pots.

At the approach to spring it's nice to bring a little bit of outdoors inside.  I've been playing around with some early crocus, snowdrops and pansies.  What I don't have to hand in the garden can be bought at little expense and shared between the pots.

If I want to take the exercise further then I put together little vignettes using props to hand, like these gorgeous old books I found at the same place as the pots.

Little things, that take a few minutes but make the house feel dressed for the weekend!

Wishing you a sunny weekend, full of flowers and fun!

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blogging - a procrastinator's dream

Yesterday afternoon had been set aside in my mind to make some cushions.  It was cold outside, the dog was asleep, my emails were up to date, the children at school until 6, even the house was clean and  tidy.  No excuses, I could settle down in my sewing room and have time to make the pillows I have promised  my daughter for her bedroom

You can tell where this is going can't you .............  Before I start sewing with vintage fabrics I always spend time checking for marks or flaws, experimenting with complimentary patterns and matching the cuts of fabric to produce the best result.

 Well yesterday, the fooling-around-with-fabric took over from the real-task-at-hand and an hour later I was having such fun that I had even got out the camera.   So once I had the camera going, I just had to tidy all the shelves and sort the threads, and arrange the pins on the pincushion ..... and lo and behold I ran out of time to actually make anything at all.

But excuse me! ...  I do have a blog to write after all.

Yes, that is the advantage of being a blogger, that even procrastination

can be justified if it results in a couple of pictures

 

 I hope your day is going well, and that you - unlike myself - will
finish the day with a tidy list of chores all ticked off, done and dusted.

PS to my daughter:  don't worry honey, you'll get your cushions!

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french oil paintings

I was beyond excited yesterday to find a couple of little paintings that I adore.    Bringing them home sent me into a flurry of relocating paintings.

I love groups of paintings , united by colour or theme.  Whenever I have the chance I pick up small paintings, generally oils, often on board rather than canvas.  I have them framed when I get around to it, otherwise they are stood on shelves, between books, behind a lamp.  Just can't have too many!

Today I grouped some above the table in our entrance hall, and some others above the tub in a bathroom.  Tell me what you think BTW if you think a couple aren't quite straight, you're probably right!  sorry I didn't see until the post went up then I ran out of time to reshoot !  sigh ... )

In the bathroom I assembled 10 canvases that are all about water, and happen to be in the same palette.

They started off standing up against the narrow shelf behind the tub,  then little by little they crept up on to the wall.  It's never that easy to find the right positions straight away, and as these canvases are very lightweight, I just use tiny copper tacks that can easily be moved around.

In the entrance hall it was more difficult.  All the paintings are landscapes, in similar colour ways, but some are framed, some not, and some just stood in frames temporarily.

The top picture was my main find yesterday (I love to 'borrow' stuff from the store until it finds a new home!).  It's a pretty oil on canvas of a village not far from here.

This little square scene, is the other one that I found yesterday , I just love the shadows falling across the track.

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a mood board for a silver and white christmas

Many thanks to all you lovely readers who have sent me messages and emails asking for the chestnut ice cream recipe that I hinted at on Monday.   The good news is that I am making them this afternoon so I'll be taking pictures as I go - of course! :) - and I'll put the recipe up on the blog tomorrow.

Today I have been playing with another Christmas table mood board.  If only life were always this simple!  Just set up the lighting, gather together a few goodies that look nice together, choose a suitable backdrop and start snapping!

The theme this time is white and silver (you notice I have still resisted red, but I think that for the next board I'll have to give in).

As a backdrop I used a gossamer light embroidered tablecloth that I have had for years; some silver coloured platters that are useful at this time of year; candles in crystal salt cellars; antique cutlery; white stoneware and a few christmas tree decorations.

Plus of course those feather trees that I adore, but that the rest of the family say look like a drawing by Dr Zeuss - " SO WHAT?! " I reply,  I adore Dr Zeuss too!

So here we go just for fun, a few ideas that anyone can put together  to create a festive mood on the dinner table or as a vignette

and last but never least, a not-very-good shot of the tree, I'll try to take some better pics today.

I hope you're having fun planning your celebrations, be they a huge family meal

or a quiet dinner for two.  Just remember that a little sparkle goes a long way !!

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Christmas wrapping ideas and bringing in the tree

 

I can tell you that bringing you daily ideas and up to date news on decorating here is no mean feat!! - I feel like I'm running a marathon!  Loving it though  ♥♥♥♥

Today I bring you some wrapping ideas for your gifts.  Of course in France, the stores are always happy to gift wrap your purchases for you, so it's easy to be lazy.  But this year, for the gifts I will have to wrap myself, and to tie in with my no-red-fairly-natural-green-look I like these ideas.

On the home decor front, we bought the tree, or rather the trees yesterday.  A huge tree for the sitting room and two baby trees for either side of the front door.  Last year I made holly bushes for the entrance, but this year (still tying in with the natural look) I'm using two Christmas trees, stood firmly in pots that still have miniature helichrysum growing to hide the pot rims and add a touch of silver grey.  Lights will be added to make them sparkle.

I started making the wreath using helichrysum, sage, black berried ivy and branches cut from the base of the christmas trees.  I'll probably add a few silver baubles tomorrow.

The tree has been brought inside and will be decorated and lit this evening.  I always savour this incongruous moment when a large tree seems to have sprouted in the room, not yet decorated or adorned, just left natural.

 If it were just for me I'd be tempted to leave it natural, or simply with white lights, but when I quietly suggested that  idea this morning it did not go down well.  Hey ho!

Tomorrow I'll show you the tree and door dolled up, 

hope you're having a fun weekend too!

Thanks to All about you for wrapping ideas

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