We have just moved a large glass fronted cabinet from bedroom to living room.  I have so enjoyed filling the cabinet with books that were previously hidden away but now give the living room a soul and my heart such joy.  Whilst it would be lovely to have large wall to wall bookshelves, even smaller creative solutions look equally appealing.

my idea of bliss; endless books, a quiet, empty day and a cup of tea. as seen in elledeco

this came from a great blog called DIY craftiness by danielle Baker. It just shows that what we needed was there all along; we just have to look.

not much reading going on here but my, what a striking display as seen in an anthropologie window

if you are short of space but like the idea of book displays, this white wallpaper would look lovely in an unexpected space such as a kitchen. available from OnYourDoorStep.com

Today I want to introduce you to Holly Becker of Decor8.  Holly has been blogging daily for years and that level of commitment can only come from a place of passion.  Opportunities then flow and it’s a good thing for all of us because out of her passion has come this beautiful book – Decorate.  The book is full of Holly’s favorite homes/styles and I know these will resonate with you.  Even my home is in there and I look forward to sharing these and other images with you once the book is out on 24th March, but for now pre-order and log onto Decor8.

As I researched images for inspiration, I found myself drawn back to one of my favorite books.  Wild At Heart features the work of florists Nikki Tibbles whose pioneering style is beautifully captured by the brilliant Martyn Thompson.  The book lead me to view Nikki’s site, which lead me to finding beauty on this dull day and to find truth in this quote.  I honestly would rather have flowers on my table than a diamond around my neck.  Having said that I would not mind finding a diamond necklace sat on the table beside my fresh flowers!  To see more of Nikki’s creations visit www.wildatheart.com.

o

If like me, you are craving some sunshine, here’s an inspiring image but before you go wishing the winter months away, here is an inspiring thought. Whatever the season, just live in the now.  Oh, also read The Power of Now – excellent book by Eckhart Tolle. xx

CARPE DIEM, REJOICE while you are

ALIVE enjoy the day; LIVE life to

The FULLEST’ make the MOST of what you HAVE.

It is LATER than YOU think.

Horace – Roman poet

This weekend was packed yet perfect.  Friday evening was spent in the company of my dear friend Kelly and our partners.  We ate at La Caprice (which I would never do again) followed by drinks at The Connaught.  I loved that we were there in 15 minutes door to door, but I think some London venues are over-rated.  It is worth the drive to head out of town, especially if that out of town happens to be The Olde Bell in Hurley. I might sound biased because it is owned by our gracious friends, but it’s more than that; every detail has been considered and cared about by my design hero Ilse Crawford.  

Saturday evening was spent at The Olde Bell, in the company of our friends and Ilse herself.  I could wax lyrical about her work forever, but instead I suggest you take a look for yourself (one of her projects above) and buy her superb books; Sensual Home and Home is Where the Heart Is.   Even thought I only had three hours of sleep as we arrived home late and I was up early preparing Sunday lunch for friends, I felt energised because the whole weekend was about sharing time, thoughts, ideas, food……

I know Sania Pell; the creative mind and stylists behind The Homemade Home, because I had the pleasure of featuring her on the cover of Family Home.  Who can forget that precious baby and those fab Prada wedges teamed with fishnets.  This booked is packed with easily accessible create ideas and in doing the hard part of conceiving them, Sania offers the reader the pleasure of translating them with absolute ease.  The photography is by the talented Penny Wincer, who shot my Family Home book, so you can be sure The Homemade Home by CICO Books will be an inspiring visual treat – out now.

I have just been given a copy of New London Style.  It’s interesting that not only does London have a unique eclectic style, but that each area/postcode has a distinctive design code of its own; a reflection of the people who live in it.  Anyway, it’s good for peeping into the homes of some of London’s well-known style guru’s such as Mathew Williamson and Erin O’Connor and many more.

When it comes to choosing presents for children, take it from me, you can’t go wrong with a book and all the better if it is one that is part-created by the recipent.  The wildly successful series of books on doodle by Taro Gomi for Thames & Hudson with their quirky drawings and intelligent, stylish imagery are perfect for doodlers and daydreamers of all ages – including me!

These charming books are deeply engaging and make wonderful keepsakes which capture random thoughts at a moment in time.  The latest book in the series is called Doodle Numbers and is available now for just £9.99.

I suspect many of you will have read Eat, Love, Pray by Elizabeth Gilert, but for those that have not read it, go and buy it now and then buy it for your friends.  This is a sort of self-help book for those that don’t do self help books.  The author has devided the book into 108 small sections because of the spitural relevance of the japa mala, a necklace of 108 beads traditionally worn in India to support meditation and mantra’s.  You can find them on my botique – happinessitself.com

meditation beads look good with anything and remind us of keeping a check on our thoughts

Books on the workings of the mind fascinate me and whilst many repackage the same message, The Eureka! Enigma, by Ron G. Holland offers a fresh approach that is easy to understand and practice.  The author suggests that anyone can come up with Eureka ideas and solutions to problems, anytime and at will, by cracking the codes of our mind, much like those of a bio-computer. Whilst I am not a technical person, I found the concepts easy to follow and had positive results almost instantly.