Gerald Kelly painting

I first saw this painting about twenty years ago in an interior in a magazine and I cut it out to put in my sketchbook.

Lately I have been looking at it again on the internet and last week I won this on ebay.

It's nice to be getting some pictures to go up on the walls. A lot of the things I had in my last house, just don't suit this house. The last one was a Victorian terrace with small cosy rooms, whereas this house is 1930's with larger rooms and a much more modern feel. I find myself decorating it in a different way.

An impromptu visitor

Today we had the most adorable little visitor at my mum's house. He dropped into the garden with nonchalant ease, then pressed his little nose up against the window to see whether there was anything interesting going on. He found that actually he was quite interested, so he invited himself in, had a good look around and generally got his paws under the table. Within 20 minutes he was sat on my lap, purring. I didn't want him to ever leave.

Sweet peas

Oh I do so love a scented flower...

Dolly

Last night I went to see a legend in concert. Dolly Parton. I've been listening to her music since my parents played it when I was a child and I wanted to see her perform live while she is still touring and at her peak.

At 65 years old, she was amazing. She was this tiny sparkling firefly up there in the distance. I was mesmerised by her figure and her energy, and of course her music.

There were moments of magic, like when she talked about her childhood growing up in the Smoky mountains and then played My Tennessee Mountain Home against a backdrop of a photo of the family wood cabin. Her loving description of her mother, followed by a rendition of My Coat of Many Colours was really touching, only surpassed by her haunting rendition of Little Sparrow.

For me that's what she does best, telling her own unique story through her music, turning the everyday into something beautiful, poignant and inspiring.

And yet you can't talk about Dolly without mentioning her incredible sense of fun and of humour. Yep, it sure was fun.

Some blogs I look at part 3

Camilla Engman

More Swedish eye candy courtesy of artist Camilla Engman. It's interesting to see the life and workings of a very successful contemporary artist and her work is quirky and charming. But for me, my favourite things are her occasional photos of nature in her native Sweden. Really stunning.

Ric-Rac
Fun design blog run by British designer Stephanie Thannhauser. Stephanie combines motherhood and running a home with designing textiles and greeting cards from her home in Milton Keynes. I like its informality, variety and colourful imagery.

Welcome to my blog. I'm lucky enough to be a freelance designer who loves creating prints, graphics and embroideries for lots of different products. Here, I will share inspiration, thoughts and projects.

Some blogs I look at part 2

Lark

I first came across this blog when the creator emailed me to tell me that she stocks freckleface. What a lovely surprise. She has the cutest shop in Daylesford, Australia, which stocks loads of lovely bits and bobs.

Hi, I'm Allison. Thanks for visiting my blog! I live in Daylesford, a pretty country town in the forest near Melbourne, with Paul and our kids. Besides mum & dad duties, we also run Lark, a design company and shop that I started five years ago whilst living in the UK, which is where I grew up. We have a little shop next to our office and studio in Daylesford. And we have a gorgeous online store representing lots of indie designers from around the world. I'm a thriftaholic and have collected vintage books, fabric, wallpaper and lots of other old stuff forever. I now use them in my creations for Lark and to decorate our home. This is my blog about life in the country, thrifting, friends, making things, running a business, and loving vintage design.

She has also decorated a lovely house which she now has turned into a holiday home.

Lobster and Swan

A really pretty, feminine blog which I find soothing and cosy. The lady who writes it is really good at reminding you of the pleasure of a vase of flowers or a walk on the beach. I like that.

Welcome to Lobster and swan. The place where I like to share all the things that warm my heart, from favourite recipes and decorating ideas to daily discoveries and inspirations. I have been interior styling obsessed since happy childhood days spent playing in my treasure filled wendy house. The things I held dear even then were many years older than me, from the box filled with my great grandmother’s old lip tints and powder compacts to the ancient and moth eaten ballet tutu I refused to take off. I grew up and still live on the east sussex coast of England with the magnificent countryside as my playground. Family visits to nearby historical towns, manor houses, castles and National trust parks have strengthened the strong passion I have for the past and bygone eras.

My college days were spent studying Graphic design and design communication, this is where aesthetics really started to interest me. I was always slipping out of class to see what was going on in the craft and fashion departments, much more fascinated with a hands on approach to design than computer based. It was during my study breaks where I also developed my obsession with the beautiful pages of Vogue and Elle decoration.

I live to make my (and hopefully your) surroundings a happier more beautiful place. By taking pleasure in the simple joys of everyday life and the theatre and wonder of some things that may be out of our reach but are delightful never the less.

 

Some blogs I look at, part 1

I've become a bit of a sucker for a good blog. I find I can spend quite some time hopping from one to another, learning about the things that excite other people and the creative way that they live their lives. Here are some of those that keep me interested regularly.

Diary of a Vintage Girl

Meet Fleur de Guerre! I love her look and her honesty. Her blog is like reading her diary or having a conversation with her. And she has done some great youtube videos on 'how to', in which she generously shares her beauty secrets.

I'm just a girl who gets a kick out of dressing like a failed Hollywood starlet. I love forties fashion, but to be honest, you're more likely to find me at Tescos dressed like Carmen Miranda than hanging out in a field with some people dressed as soldiers. I post lots of pictures of myself in frocks, riveting tales of adventure and derring do; and occasional motivational posts designed to inspire ladies to be more glamorous. Enjoy!

Fine Little Day

Elisabeth Dunker is a Swedish multi-disciplinary artist, but actually it's her lifestyle that interests me most. She has the most adorable summerhouse which I never tire of looking at, and her cat Hiro makes me grin from ear to ear.

Fine Little Day is an inspiration focused blog run by me, Elisabeth Dunker. I’m posting art and design related observations – art, crafts,interiors, books, patterns etc. But also things from my every day life and more.

Noah's Ark

It's just struck me that it's a bit like Noah's Ark in my house.

Only there are singletons too. So maybe it's more like Animal Farm.

Only they're not mean to each other, so maybe it's more like Dr Doolittle.

Only they don't speak...

PomPoms

Oh I do like pompoms. In bright colours especially.

I've just seen this lovely project courtesy of my friend Cindy at Pango Productions.

1st picture copyright http://yarnbombing.com/
2nd picture copyright Jeska at Lobster and Swan
3rd picture, I had a go at Jeska's pompom garland
4th and 5th Around my house, curtains and trim on a chair

Old friends rediscovered

I was just sorting through some boxes yesterday and look who I came across. It's always nice to bump into old friends.

A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square

It's been ages since we've had a sing-song, and I can't think of a better song to sing along to right now than this.

It speaks of summer nights and romance, and paints London as a happy, hopeful place to be. Which I much prefer to the recent version we witnessed.

My favourite version is sung by the wonderful Vera Lynn.

Here are the words if you want to sing along.

A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square

When two lovers meet in Mayfair, so the legands tell
Songbirds sing and winter turns to spring
Every winding street in Mayfair falls beneath the spell
I know such enchantment can be
'cause it happened one evening to me

That certain night, the night we met,
there was magic abroad in the air,
There were angels dining at the Ritz
And a nightingale sang in Berkley Square
I may be right, I may be wrong,
but I'm perfectly willing to swear
That when you turn'd and smiled at me
A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square

The moon that lingered over London town;
Poor puzzled moon, he wore a frown
How could he know we two were so in love,
the whole darn world seemed upside down
The streets of town were paved with stars,
It was such a romantic affair,
And as we kissed and said goodnight,
A Nightingale Sang In Berkley Square

Our homeward step was just as light
As the tap dancing feet of Astair
And like an echo far away,
A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
I know 'cause I was there, that night in Berkeley Square

An evening picnic

Time is just whizzing by at the moment, and I have been doing loads of things, but not all of them photographable or blog worthy.

However the other evening I went for a lovely walk with the girls which culminated in a picnic by the river. A really lovely summertime treat.

We are in training, because we are planning to do the coast to coast walk next June. It is a 220 mile wander across the country from west to east coast, and I think we will have to do 20 miles per day. Gulp. But it is supposed to be a wonderful, life-enhancing experience. And I am up for that!

Work placement requests

I get quite a lot of requests through from students or graduates looking for work placements. It is such a tough old world out there and young people really need to get some experience.

Unfortunately I am not in a position to offer these placements which I always feel a bit sad about.

This week I got a really lovely application from a young lady called Amy Hanrahan. She had gone to so much trouble and made up a lovely package, enclosing examples of her beautiful work and customising her letter paper to suit her style. She has a website, maybe somebody else might be in a position to offer her something?

All images copyright Amy Hanrahan

This last one is my favourite. I love the subtle colours and playful storytelling.