1. Lazy Sunday

    March 7, 2010

    Everyone needs a Kelly in their lives; she is a friend who listens even when I am unaware I need to talk, she fills my life with optimism, laughts at all my jokes and today, she took the children out for the afternoon so I could rest.  At first there was overriding need to do things, be productive and complete tasks and then after a while, I just pottered around in silence; a rare and welcome treat as even the husband had gone to see Chelsea v Stoke.  I can’t remember the last time I was alone at home with nothing but silence for company – heaven. When Kelly, darling daughter Sydella, the children and husband returned, it was all the more precious for having had time apart. A perfect Sunday.

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  2. Namibia

    February 25, 2010

    Whenever I need a bit of prespective, I transport myself back to a family holiday in Namibia and as this image of my son and I so richly illustrates, there is something bigger than we can ever understand, but we just need to trust in life and the path it takes us on.  It is a wonderful world. sunset

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  3. Home Office

    February 17, 2010

    Oh, the joys of working from home.  It’s a space that should inspire creativity so why work in the dark, dingy corner of the house when what is needed is natural light, shelves full of books, space for mementos that hold meaning, a comfortable chair and a decent desk – giving yourself a prime position to work from at home will give you better results in your working day – so worth it. homeoffice1
    officedetail

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  4. Marcia Kilgore

    I was privileged to meet with Marcia Kilgore for a mentoring session last week and who better given she has created three exceptional companies – Bliss, Fitflop and Soap and Glory. She shared her knowledge and insights with ease and honesty in the same way she does with her brands.  Here is a women who is truly passionate about creating products that offer real solutions whilst proving you can still have fun in the process.  By the way, I am delighted to own a pair of fitflops and I can confirm, they are supremely comfortable,look and feel good and the icing on the cake, they make me stand tall and boost my every walking moment in terms of fitness; it is no wonder over 4 million pairs have sold to date and to get your pair, visit www.fitflop.com.

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  5. Chloe Butcher

    February 16, 2010

    Whilst I can search out the visually inspiring, I have no talent for painting.  How I wish I could paint and play the piano like my daughter does so effortlessly.  Whilst I can only appreciate all things beautiful, I am fortunate to be surrounded by many who can create and that brings me to Chloe Butcher, who I have been working with recently.  Chloe is a renowned make-up artists with a celebrity client list, but beyond that she is so much more.  She writes beautiful poetry and accompanies them with paintings, inspired by her two daughters. See more of Chloe’s work on her site.  chloebutcher.com.chloe

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  6. as good as old

    February 13, 2010

    For me, all things shiny and new just don’t have the energy or aesthetics of different styles and era’s in furniture and clashing colours and prints all mixed together.  Here in the house of Marianne Cotterill the retro rocking chair looks stunning with the floral rug as do the modern and traditional sofa’s.  Mix it up and have some fun.   yourstyle

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  7. Happiness

    February 12, 2010

    I have enjoyed every moment of this beautiful day spent working on projects that fill my heart and soul with gladness.  There is another reason I feel so happy – I have a wonderful new man in my life besides my darling husband.   I am referring to Mr Rares, who has been taken on to spare me of dealing with all things technical, which he does without fussing or flapping and which I thought was a prerequisite of all such tasks.  And then there is Emma, my adorable assistant, who is a creative illustrator, passionate about all things interiors related and remarkably good with excel spreadsheets – is it possible to have all that in one person?  Finally there is Ali; a friend and  truly gifted photographer and I mention her as I was looking through these sublime images she shot recently for a project we are working on.chairplantsticks

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  8. Easy Update

    January 21, 2010

    My mac crashed on me last week.  As you can imagine, I was mortified and as you can also probably imagine, I had not backed up for the longest time. So when my mac repaired with everything in order, I decided it was time to back up have a good old clear out.  It was then, I came across this shoot of my old flat in Westbourne Grove, taken for a women’s glossie.  The console is now my office desk, the footstool is in my kitchen, the lamp in my hall and the on our top floor landing and that brings me finally to my point – mirrors are quick, easy and inexpensive to transform but add drama to any room.

    I brought a cheap mirror from somewhere like MFI and then glued a £5.00 feather duster around the edges and it took literally an hour to do.  I have since re-decorated this mirror with cream paper flowers in different shapes and sizes and I think now, I might glue feathers from a bright pink boa I brought my daughter for dress-up box.  What is great about these sorts of ideas is they need not be perfect as it is simply a matter of layering, which adds depth and more importantly covers mistakes.

    feathers

    Category: Interiors, UncategorizedComments (1)

  9. Perfect Moment

    January 6, 2010
    snow

    Beautiful Snow...

    I am in my home office on the top floor and each time I gaze out from the floor to ceiling windows, I am mesmerized by the falling snow, the beautiful green birds perched on tall branches and my children revelling in the magic of it all in the garden below.  How blessed are we to experience the changing of the seasons.  Wishing you a Happy New Year and joy in the perfection of every moment.

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  10. Wheel of Life

    December 29, 2009

    Everything goes in cycles, including our desire to over-indulge in December and our need to detox in January.  A detox is not simply about watching the quality of our food intake, but also about detoxing area’s of our lives that are not working or are perhaps out of balance.  With this in mind, I want to share a simple and effective tool known as the ‘wheel of life’, of which there are many versions, but I found this one on www.new.oceans.co.uk.simplezAs above, you draw a circle/chart and split it into key areas of your life – obviously there need not be as many sections as shown here.  Consider what your 10/10 looks like in each area and then map out where you are now in relation to your ideal. What should follow is a clear indication of how in or out of balance your life is and this then works as a road map to your year ahead.  I hope this comes in handy when you are planning your news years resolutions and that you have a healthy, joyous year ahead.

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