My new leaf!

Hi!

I am embracing independence. I have been living on my own since my ex and I split up last June and during this time I have been swinging between hating living alone and loving it. My mum and I spent a week sorting out the front garden into a beautiful space - thanks mummy!- and I have had a couple of BIG clear-outs but I still haven't been quite content with my living space. Having now determined that I intend to stay in this house, I am keeping it tidy and enjoying the independence I have which means I can change things if and when I want to. Kirstie Allsopp is also one of my idols and I am taking a leaf out of her book (literally as I got one of her books for Christmas) and surrounding myself with lovely things, either things I have made or others have. I prefer homemade or handmade but I am working on a budget, so some of it has to be cheaper options. The first room which is prettied is my bedroom. So I thought I'd put some pictures up on here and explain what everything is. :)

My bed, with two little lavender scented pillows which I got from the Glamorgan Federation Women's Institute Craft Spectacular last November, made by a friend of mine Elaine. 

My bed, with some new bedsheets from Asda! Not very expensive but oh so cute! 

My bed is from Ikea and has four big drawers underneath and the headboard is also from Ikea and has little cubby holes on both sides which are great for storing books and make up and all sorts of things! Unfortunately it's also a great place for my cats to hide! I put the bed and headboard together myself as they were new after the break-up, I was very proud of myself and it hasn't fallen apart so far!

I think that the silhouette of birds and trees and leaves are really cute and they're neutral colours (greens and browns) which means they don't clash with other things in my room! I also have some bedsheets which are pink and purple with embroidered flowers on. 

The pillows have really cute detail of the birds on both sides, which means people like me who turn the pillow over half way through the night get the pattern whichever way up it is! The curtains I made myself last year, with thermal blackout lining, the pattern is little multi-coloured buttons in lots of different shapes and sizes. I made them with a sewing machine which only sews backwards so it was quite an achievement and they do the job. The curtain rail has clips on so there was no faffing with curtain tape and hooks, this also means I can change the curtains really easily as I only have to  sew a rectangle of fabric and clip them on! Fabulous! 

Headboard. Above my headboard I have a card board. I love greetings cards and there's a gorgeous little shop in Cardiff which sells so many different cards, including rude ones! There is also a guy who designs cards and sells them often at Roath Arts and Crafts Bazaar, he is an incredibly talented artist and has a great sense of humour. His website is: http://www.slightlywobbly.co.uk/ and he also does mugs and commissions! 

This is the wall facing my bed and has a photograph I took of some blue pansies in a friend's garden last summer, I think they look like Alice in Wonderland flowers and they are cheerful. The other picture is of a painting which was done at a life drawing class last summer. The model is yours truly and that picture really makes me feel proud of myself, not because I have the best body in the world but because I had the courage to do the modelling sessions, getting naked in front of a room full of artists is not easy but it made me feel so empowered. Having that painting there reminds me of that feeling. In between the pictures is a little wire heart which I got at a Christmas craft market last year because I thought it was cute. 

This is a close up of the pattern on the duvet cover

These are some bits on my headboard, my Disney calendar, Keep Calm and Have A Cuppa coaster which my mum and dad got me for Christmas. My phone, couldn't live without it. A lovely wooden box that my brother got me for Christmas, he has amazing taste. On top of the box are two tiny teddies. Bert is the turquoise one and is a limited edition bear, the other doesn't have a name yet, but she's pink and would attach to a mobile phone except I'm too worried she'd get dirty. In front of the box are: a black crystal cat from Swarovski, a brooch I made, some pearl earrings, a hair grip, a ring which was my mother's but I have 'borrowed' it from her. There's also a ladybird on a leaf which Laura also has one of, we made them a couple of summers ago from Fimo. There's a Penguin from Madagascar because I love penguins, a treasure chest I made from fimo and beads, a ballerina mouse which I've had for years and years, a resin dome with sequins in, a pen (as always), a lipbalm and a tin of skin balm from Nature's Little Helpers.

Nature's Little Helpers are a lovely company who raise bees and sell honey and wax and also natural skincare products made from wax and honey. They sell their goods at various craft fairs including the Roath Arts and Crafts Bazaar, their website is: http://www.natureslittlehelpers.co.uk/ and they do really interesting talks, we've had them at Aber-Valley W.I. twice, once a talk on bees and once about how they make their skincare products. Both really good!

I have also been trying not to throw things away when they break or are no longer usable. I had a top which was white/cream and I got some resin pigment on it which won't wash out so left a dark blue stain on the bottom of it, instead of throwing it out I thought I'd try dying it a darker colour. I have been wanting to use dye for a while but haven't really had the need, so this was a good opportunity. If it didn't work, I wouldn't have lost anything really. So I bought some dark green Dylon dye and followed the really easy instructions. This is the result:

I'm really pleased as it means I can now wear this top which I wasn't able to with the stain on the bottom. The stain is still there but so much less visible, dying this top has given it a new lease of life! 

Well, that's a long blog! Maybe next time I'll ramble about my living room!