Category:

Decor

Making a Floral Centerpiece

by thelifestylelady July 5, 2018

Howdy Y’all,

Happy Thursday, hope you had a wonderful July 4th to my American friends, it was quite the washout here, which was disappointing we often enjoy the parade (it was cancelled.) It literally rained all day. Last week Mr L and I celebrated our wedding anniversary, eight fun filled years, Mr L informed me that it was pottery, he did this while surprising me with the most beautiful porcelain bowl. As I begin to share my home with you, you will learn about my passion for china and the colors blue and white. Mr L hit the jackpot with this present. I knew the bowl would take pride of place on my dining table and although it looked beautiful I knew it was goading me to try my hand at making my own floral centerpiece.

So Beautiful

A Pattern Close Up

Firstly I knew that the easy option would be to take it to the florists and ask them to plant something stunning in it, I also knew if my idea went tits up then I could fall back on that plan. Secondly I had considered buying a fake arrangement but that would have to be online and although I am not against faux flowers they have to be the most exquisite quality otherwise they can look cheap and I hate not being able to see or touch them. Thirdly both options are bloody expensive and I felt I could have a go. So for Queen and Country I jumped in and I share with you what I did.

What I Used

An extra large beach towel, so not to dirty the floor. (You will see why later.)
Potting Mix for Orchids. I used the coarse blend.
A black bin liner/ trash bag to line your bowl of choice.
Clips to help keep liner in place
A bowl to collect old soil.
Orchids (the amount is dependent on your bowl size.)
Moss to cover top of bowl (not in picture.)
The centerpiece bowl (not in picture.)
A sixteen month Goldendoodle puppy (not necessary at all, wanted to be involved she was a total pain in the butt, but God she is cute.)

Take the bin liner/ trash bag and with one of the bottom corners place it in the bottom of the bowl, making sure the corner is centered.
Then pull the bag taut over the sides and clip. (You will have plenty of excess.)
Next use scissors to cut and remove the excess. Leave a few inches below the clips on the outside you can tuck this in later.

You now take the Orchids out of their packaging (this is where the bowl comes in.) Orchids tend to be packed in mossy/damp soil which needs to be removed carefully to expose the roots.

I then semi lined the bowl with the potting soil about half full.
Next I positioned the Orchids where I thought they would look best, juggling the roots is quite complex as they are shallow and bulky and alter placement.
It is important to view the Orchid placements from all angles.

Carefully fill the rest of the bowl with the potting soil, I did this by hand to ensure all roots are covered.
It is quite fiddly because you have to make sure the Orchid leaves are not trapped.
The leaves get dirty/dusty from the soil so I used a paintbrush to clean them up.

I then used plant twine to pull the Orchid close to the rod so it is upright and looks neater. Orchids can drop with the weight of the bloom.
I prefer to use twine and then cover with florists tape in the color of the stem, looks better.
The Orchid clips I find are not as effective at holding the plant straight.
Then you remove the clips, you can either cut the remaining excess or tuck it in as I did (neater edge.)
Finally you add the florists moss on top to give a professional look (who am I kidding?!)

I then placed the arrangement on the table and admired my amateur work.

I am actually quite pleased with the result and certainly doesn’t look bad when in situe and your not looking too close. Plus it saved me several $100.

Have you done anything similar?

Ta Ta for now.

July 5, 2018 1 comment

Decor Uncategorized

Home Décor & Design

by thelifestylelady June 25, 2018

Howdy Y’all,

One of the questions I get asked most here on TLL is about my home its décor and design. People have asked for a home tour and for me to share how my house is progressing. It is my plan to share with y’all areas of my home as I feel ready to do so. I have already shared my daughter’s bedroom and if you had not seen that please click here. I recommend you refresh your memories because much of the room has changed once again and I plan to share how I transitioned her toddler room to The Little Princess Room it is now soon.

It is not my intention to talk about my home today, but more about design and décor and how you create a style or look for your home. I have always been interested in décor and design – it is in my blood! I have so many memories of my parents remodeling and decorating homes. I vividly remember the smell of paint being burnt off the skirting boards by my mother on her hands and knees and my parents looking exhausted from peeling paint or wallpaper from ceilings and walls. But they did it all, remodeling and decorating our home room by room. I think they loved it although it wasn’t always conducive to marital bliss. They would change the feel/mood and look of a house and make it our home. Even now, they have scaffolding up as I write this, knocking doorways between rooms, remodeling bathrooms and developing into the roof. Granted they are doing less of the work themselves these days, but when it comes to the design and décor of their home they are not standing still and I have inherited that bug.

I don’t wish to date myself but I remember when most décor inspiration came from books, magazines and some google images. With the invention of social media we are now bombarded with images at every turn. I think if you are someone who is looking to curate your style in a new home or discover what you like, all this information could be overwhelming. Today I want to share some of my key thoughts on helping people navigate this world or décor and design.

Love. This is so important to me, whether you own or rent, your home is your largest investment so you should LOVE it. I am also a proponent of filling your home with items you love. It will become more cohesive and a reflection of your family. There is something magical about being able to touch and see items around your home and for them to evoke memories or thoughts that you are able to reminisce about or share in. It is more sentimental than purchasing something because it subscribes to a certain look. Very few of us are fortunate enough to buy new décor and furniture specifically for each home; most of us collect items as we progress up the property ladder, whether inherited or purchased. If we buy pieces we love we will want to take them with us and reuse or repurpose.
Practicality. Sure, you can look at thousands of gorgeous images and think I want to recreate that, but you have to be practical about the stage of your life. There is no point spending thousands on wallpaper or upholstery if you have small sticky fingers around. Similarly there is no point having a polished floor if you are approaching your mature years. Practicality also covers versatility, for many a room has to be multipurpose and that is not always conveyed in the stylized photos of Instagram. Storage is so important and you can never have enough. A home will always look collated and dressed if you have places to put away your things (ie hide the crap!)
Budget. Sorry to bring you down to earth with a bang, but one has to consider this. We can all get swept away looking at and desiring bespoke items but if the budget is Ikea then we have to work within those parameters. A beautiful stylish home can be created on any budget, you just sometimes have to be a little more creative which is more fun. Even if your budget is not limited you have to consider if what you are adding is good value, either in terms of adding value to the price of your home or to your quality of life. Perhaps consider asking yourself if this is your “forever home”, or the place you wish to raise your family. If you can enjoy your investment for a longer term I believe your can let your heart rule your budget a little more.
Fit. If you are in a new home or remodeling your current home and are unsure what direction to take, I always try to be sympathetic to the home’s bones. This is especially true in countries and areas where homes are older. If you have bought a new home (unless it has been modeled on a period style) perhaps cornicing or picture rails might not be a fit. In the same vein, if you buy an older home with period features it is important to modernize with recess lighting and modern amenities. Ripping out older floors and fireplaces is criminal! You can decorate with a more modern taste while respecting heritage.
Flow/Tone. I have lived in quite a lot of homes and the flow and tone is probably one of the most important things I consider when decorating. I like there to be cohesion as you move between rooms. Whether your home is several thousand square feet or a small apartment, if you have a smooth flow between rooms your home will look stylish. How can this be created? Color is an obvious one, if you’re wondering what color to paint your home, go look in your closet and see what color you tend to be drawn to. I may sound crazy but sit in your home and see if colors come to you. Look at possessions you may love, that can inspire a palette. If you are a Pinterest person, look at a board and see if there is a color which unites all your pins rather than getting detail-obsessed by an image. I always used to scrapbook magazine pics and I could see as I flitted through that a palette appeared. Tone is another way; tone through shades of color is obvious but tone can also be created through texture and textiles. I love love love textiles and I plan to do another post all about them at a later date. Similarly, the décor accessories you choose can set the tone and mood throughout the home.

I am by no means an expert but these thoughts and considerations have work well for me to date. As I begin to share my home and some of the upcoming projects we will revisit these points in more depth. If you are in a position where you feel overwhelmed by projects and decisions with design perhaps consider hiring an interior designer. I think their expertise and knowledge can be invaluable as well as providing savings and discounts.

How do you style and decorate your home? Have any tips which you wish to share?

Have a great week friends.

June 25, 2018 4 comments

Decor Family Style

House Tour- Part 1 Little L Bedroom

by thelifestylelady November 3, 2017

Howdy Y’all

Today is a great day because I get to share with y’all the first room in our new home. If you have followed me for a while you will know I mentioned it was my intention to share areas of my home as the reached completion. The house is a labor of love, we purchased it back in March and after some hefty renovations we moved in June. If you have moved recently you will know what a time consuming project creating a home is. I bound into the house with lots of plans and ideas, after renting for an extended period. I couldn’t wait to choose colors and fabrics but at the same time was conscious not to make expensive mistakes. Choosing furniture that works and will stand the test of time is an investment. One thing I have learnt during my constant moving is the importance of getting the family settled. In my life this has meant always getting Little L’s room unpacked and surrounding her with the possessions she loves and that are familiar. With our new home this was no different. I wanted her room to be one of the first finished and I stuck true to my word and I share that with you today.

A brief synopsis to those of you who may not know, Little L is three and very nearly four. I was wanting her room to reflect a little girl and no longer a baby. A room which could adapt and grow with her as she develops. You will see in the below pictures she is not in a crib and we purchased her Jenny Lind toddler bed when she became two. It is our intention to change her to a bigger girl bed in the next year or two and I was conscious that the design of the room would have to be adaptable. The current need is for a pretty, creative, fun and imaginative space where she can play, relax, read and rest. I had such fun picking colors with her. I did give her carte blanche to choose the color of her room and I confess I was not disappointed with her choice. Little L loves pink and if you can not embrace that with full gusto when you are small when can you. We took the Benjamin Moore samples and decided on Elephant Pink. It is a very close match to Middleton Pink by Farrow and Ball and I was thrilled with the finish. I love the balance between strength of color and the light in the room. It is always important when choosing colors for your home (and I consider myself a semi-expert after the last few months) to consider the natural light in your home, its position in terms of how it faces and how much artificial light you have. These all matter to how successful a color will sit and suit your room, all this without touching on other textures and colors of the room.

The finished room. A place where she loves to be.

You will see in the above photo, the finished room from her doorway. The beautiful window allows a plethora of natural light and I didn’t want to cover that with blinds, we found these linen Pottery Barn Kids drapes that we both liked. I was a little concerned at first about them being too pink but I knew that I would be changing her bed out in the long term which will be bringing much more white and textile to the pink. The linen fabric of the drapes softens the color and the bows add some texture and interest. My only bug bare is that they crease and I am forever steaming them!

I am also intending when she progresses to a bigger bed to get another rug but for this short time, this works. It works well to define space for her and she knows this is her rest/sleep place. You will note the furry bean bag propped up against the window, one thing about a toddler bed is that they are not designed for comfortable story telling for the teller. In my and Mr L’s advanced years this provides some comfort for us. It is handy for her to lift and move around the room if she is playing in other areas. The book manger at the end of her bed is marvelous. We did originally have a book case and I often found she was more reluctant to go and explore her books or alternatively she would make a total mess pulling everything out. This has really helped. It holds some of her total faves and I often transfer books around so she always reads different things. It is a total LL love.

A close up and you can see all the books she loves. Plus the shelf underneath is great for additional storage.

In the first picture you could not see perhaps my favorite part of the room which is to the right of the door and that is her teepee and dress up area. Little L much like her parents loves to read and this teepee provides a wonderful place to snuggle up with her favorite soft toys read and play. I am not sure how clear it is from my photograph but the inside is lined with fairy lights which are on a timer and add to the cozy feel. I placed a patchwork quilt on the base which breaks the color up and is dead easy to lift and wash which is necessary when having a tea party with the fairies (they love goldfish apparently!) I placed a variety of throw pillows in different shapes and sizes at the back and sides. This allows the tent to keep its shape and it is more comfortable. You can see from the picture that the Princesses and Peppa family are very comfortable.

Under the flower garland you will see another of my crafty efforts where I made a dream catcher. This was simple to make and I think it adds a statement. You can of course buy these but I couldn’t find one I liked enough and I have been happy with the result. It works well in the room, what is not clear is that is also has beads and bells on the end which add some playful interest. The flower garland which again was made by ~~Martha Stewart~~ me. It is a recent addition and I think it adds a little sophistication, color and texture to the space. I also adore flowers and this was a wonderful way to add country flowers that wont die or get spilt. I love that I could incorporate Roses in the project. Little L often refers to it as part of her fairy garden.

Next to her teepee is her dress up space. She loves to dress up and is a different princess every morning. I wanted a place where they were easily accessible, pretty, functional and organized and this has all bases covered. I really encourage independence and want her to do as much for herself as possible. There is plenty of hanging space a shelf at the top for crowns, tiaras, hats etc and she can reach it. Plus underneath a place to store all the shoes and other paraphernalia. I love the pretty design, I hate to compromise beauty for function. The mirror next to her allows her to get see herself easily and safely. Plus it all matches.

I will let you into a little secret, I hide some of the ugly things behind her door. The two strings hold her hair accessories and this horrendous cheap shoe holder is on the back of her door and works very well for holding her Barbie dolls and her plastic toys. She also can reach and put them away herself.

If you remember from the first picture you will have noticed the most stunning dolls house which was a beautiful gift from a dear friend. I was very keen to get this up and off the floor and have enough space so that she could open and play with it. It also helps stop items from creeping on the floor. It looks beautiful in the corner and creates a lovely focal point.

Below I share some other areas of the room.

Such cute babies which she loves having close to her own bed

This area is used for everything coloring to tea parties

How cute are these seat cushions? I love the texture. I had made some but they have been replaced with these.

A tea party fit for a British Princess

The best sleep clock ever! The lamp can be toddler opperated.

This is such a special picture for me and I hope she will always have on her wall

Another picture taken from her bathroom door. You can see her draws, I changed the knobs to make it look a little different

The most important thing to me is that I have a happy client, who loves to play in this room and I love to play with her. I will share the next phase of the room when she moves to a big girl bed next year. Hope you enjoyed it, any questions please get in touch.

Ta Ta for now

November 3, 2017 2 comments

Decor Editorial Family

Summer Update- Where have you been?

by thelifestylelady August 15, 2017

Hot Summers = First Time Bowler

She got the hang of it fast

Time for a big girl bike

Enjoying our old neighborhood

Vet visit

At the beginning of the summer she was so small

After first visit to the groomer, she did not stay like this long!

Erm excuse me!

Kentucky Derby Fun

Family Selfie!

Yes sneak peak into kitchen progress

Carpet Runner

Progress and I love light

So happy

Color choices

Granny is visiting! Donuts!

Patient Granny helping Anna cycle.

Isn't this how you visit the icecream shop?

Granny reads the best stories!

Happy 4th

Family nighttime selfie

Fourth of July

My pretty American

Erm TLL 2. She knows how to rock the walk.

Im going to be out of a job, she is sampling makeups!

David Beckham 2

Royal Car Ride

Here come the girls selfie not easy.

Her babies!

Church cuteness.

Sunday Brunch Family Fun.

How many monkeys jumping on the bed?

New Year of School

My heart!

I eanred this!

Howdy Y’all,

It feels a lifetime ago that I wrote to y’all and in many ways it is, not simply in time but also in what has been going on in Casa Lifestyle. So where to start. I am now typing this in my new home, moving is not a phenomenon to me, but this is different because we have bought a home, our first American home. I don’t remember how much I told you about our purchase and I think the level of information is different depending on what social media channels you follow me on! (If the answer is not on all forms, I ask you why the hell not?!) So we bought a house back in March/April and spent two or so months remodeling. A project which I managed, back in my working days this would have been a piece of cake but now I found daunted me a little (will share more in a future post.) I am happy to say that we finished the projects on time, I wont say on budget (because if you know me speculation = accumulation is my moto -lol) In all seriousness the budget increased because the scope increased and honestly we were so fortunate not to be living in the home at the time so it made sense to get works done! Now I love interiors and design but I will say this was a large project and by the end making decisions got frustrating. I am thrilled with the end result and hope to share the transformation with y’all in the coming months. We are settled, there are no boxes and I certainly think it looks as if we have been living here longer than we have. I still have finishing touches to add, which honestly I don’t want to rush, I want to take a breather from all things house for a while. I want to live and love it before I decide what sort of art or chotskies to add for dust collection. If you have time to flick through the slideshow above I share a few sneakpeaks into the transformation.

The rest of the summer has been busy and hot, Little L is growing up at a rate of knots. I’m officially stopping her, she has remained in school for three days a week which has been a lifesaver because we are still making friends and it’s hot here, school has been a blessing. She has taken to the new house super well. She has had a lot of change for a three year old and it blows my mind how resilient kids are. I do think it helped that she had been able to visit the house during works and had a say in her bedroom etc. I think the arrival of Gertie has helped, who has been a total trooper, she is now five months and although we have had one or two more difficult days (she loves to eat underpants.) I can honestly say good outweighs bad and she has adjusted to the new home and garden like the golden gal she is. Gertie will have her own post coming very soon.

My mother came for a visit soon after we moved in, we loved having her. I will try not to hammer on in my champagne life about how challenging it can be with family so far away but it really makes the visits special. Little L and Gertie especially enjoyed Granny time. Just wish she could have stayed longer.

Last week I was down with a ear infection it was a nasty one, I had not had one this bad since my honeymoon. (Yes what a love dampener.) I had a face like a Bo Selecta character and if you have no idea of what I speak, google it. I still cant hear out of my left ear and am hoping it will come back. I mentioned earlier that it is hot here in Texas and I am using that to my advantage, planning and organizing content for TLL over the coming months. I really appreciate you taking the time to read, watch and participate in my things. I am a one woman band and like many of you time is a precious commododity. I love and need The Lifestyle Lady and thoughts for content and replying to comments is never far from my mind. Now life is calming a little I hope I will be able to dedicate some more efforts to her. So please don’t be a stranger are there things you would like to see, get in touch! Above I have a slideshow of some summer pics, please enjoy and I will be back soon!

Ta Ta for now.

August 15, 2017 0 comment

Decor Family Food Lifestyle

Birthday Party – Daniel Tiger Neighborhood

by thelifestylelady October 10, 2016

Howdy Y’all,

Happy Monday. I hope your weekend was great, mine was interesting as Mr L is away on business and I have been flying solo with Little L for the last week, she has been pretty good except for night waking. I have to tell you this mama does not do well on little sleep. I did try my first hip-hop class this weekend, yes you read this right and Beyoncé I am not although I had great fun. On Sunday evening my friend and I took our daughters to see Daniel Tigers Neighborhood which was performing in Houston and that inspired me for todays post. It was wonderful to see so many parents appreciating the value in taking their preschoolers to the theatre. I secretly hope Little L shares my passion for theatre, it is one of the things I miss most about my British life, I was spoilt with the West End on my doorstep. I was blessed with the variety of theatre I saw in my formative years, so whenever their is anything suitable for Little L I pounce. I was touched to see her actively participating in the audience, she was so upset when we left as she wanted more “Dan Dan.”

I have been meaning to share this post for a long while, but better late than never -right? Now Little L has started pre-school I find myself nostalgic about where the last (almost 3 years have gone -wth?) A wise person said “the days are long but the years short.” They definitely had toddlers. She turned two in the latter part of last year and Mr L and I decided to celebrate this milestone with a party at Gymboree. If you are not familiar with this establishment it is a program of classes for children from 0-5 available across the world. Little L had been attending our local classes since she was 8 weeks old and I have never underestimated how much she has benefited from attending. Like so many of the children’s facilities they offer parties, after all who wants to entertain a group of toddlers?

Gymboree do offer an excellent range of themes for their parties, at that time she had one great love and he came in the form of an animated tiger called Daniel or as she calls him Dan Dan. This is based on Mister Rogers Neighborhood. I appreciate my European readers will not be familiar with this cartoon but if you see it on Netflix or Amazon Prime and you have a toddler, download. If you need further convincing I was reading over the summer of some research by Texas Tech on preschoolers who watch Daniel Tiger and its affect on social skills development. (I link article here.) Little did I know when I purchased some very cute electronic invites of Daniel Tiger on Etsy, how little party merchandise there was. Disney and Nick Jnr seem to have all their characters covered but the PBS characters have a less commercial presence.(Although I think this is improving.) So this means that TLL had to spring into Pintrestmom and make and create things that would fit the theme. Below I wanted to share with you some of the photos of things that I made to give it the Daniel Tiger party it’s feel and make it a party for Little L to remember.

The majority of the party was a class of fun games and activities on the equipment and I knew that it was during snack time and home time is where I could create the theme feel.

The birthday girl. I purchased her adorable t-shirt from etsy.

Getting stuck into playtime

I opted for cupcakes this year, since the focus was on the toddlers, these are much easier to portion and don’t require a sharp knife. Little L also loves pink and insisted on pink frosting (didn’t she get the yellow and red Dan Dan theme – kids!) The cupcake topers I purchased from Etsy, I printed cutout, stuck to card both sides and attached to cocktail sticks. Each little one could choose which character they wanted to be.

This was the toddler tea, pre-toddlers, I made sure I took a photo. It is difficult to see but I bought small red paper plates and then stuck a Daniel Tiger images on each, I followed suit on the plastic cups. I even went more mad by making water labels with Daniel Tiger, I am insane. I made sure all food was finger related so it did not require silverware. (Less washing up.) I kept the table decorations simple with little Daniel Tiger figurines which you might be able to see. You will see at the back I made larger trollies for extra decoration.

I am really pleased I ordered the yellow and red ballon arrangement, they were relatively inexpensive and I think they added impact. I also seperated them and gave each friend a ballon with their favor/party bag at the end of the party. If you have super eyes you may also notice another large trolly I made on the gift table.

In this picture you can see the garlands I made to help decorate, I printed out, punched holes and thread string through. They looked great. You can see the larger trolley again. I keep mentioning these because they were the most difficult to make. I love these red table cloths that I bought from Dollar Tree. They hide a multitude of sins, under the table was boxes and bags which carried all these things from home to the venue.

I also printed these posters which I scattered around the venue.

These are the favor boxes. I made them individual trollies. You may see that better on the photo below. I used red favor boxes I found at Dollar Tree but all party places carry something similar.

You can see closer up in this photo, the face masks which the children loved I attached to straws, and they match the character on the trolley. Think I might be a little obsessive.

Here is a final photo of the favor boxes with the balloons attached. I was thrilled with how it all turned out.

Food Ideas

As I was serving a simple tea, I wanted the food to be light, relatively healthy and easy to transport. I made these pizza bites which I found through Pinterest. The kids loved them. I kept them veggie as I had vegetarian, they all went. I also made fruit salad and portioned them into small pots, similar to this, they were perfect to transport and the right size for toddler tummies whose eyes were on cupcakes. I also served raisins and veggie sticks. I was pleased as I was left with very little food and all the kids seemed to eat and enjoy. They sat for 20 mins eating and chatting which was super.

Favor Boxes/ Party Bags

You can see the favor boxes above, they did take a while to make but once you have made a few you can speed up. I think they look pretty effective and the kids loved them. Inside was a face mask as you can see. I also included a Daniel tiger crayon pack which I made, I bought sets of crayons placed them in a clear gift bag very similar to this. I added some coloring pages, a ball and a free pass to try a Gymboree class (thanks Gymboree.) Honestly it is a while since I packed them and I had none spare after delivering to some guests who couldn’t make it. I think there might have been one or two extra items.

Decorations

I will be honest and say I would have been “up a creek without a paddle” if I did not have access to this PBS site, they helped with printouts and inspiration. I did adapt and change some of the ideas but generally a super resource. Little L’s party invites came from NineLivesNotEnough via Etsy. They were perfect and set the tone. I also bought her thank you cards at the same time which matched. Looked super. The same shop provided many of the printouts I used to decorate everything. I urge you to take a look. Little L’s T-shirt came from littlemacboutique via Etsy, again this was great for the party gal.

We really had a super time and it created many happy memories. I was very impressed with Gymboree and how professional and fun they made the whole event (I am fussy.) In conclusion I want to thank my brother who helped me prepare some of the decorations when he was over visiting (who knew you needed to be an Engineer to make trolleys?!) TLL knows how to treat her guests well. I would urge you to check out dollar/pound shops for party supplies (I never thought I would write that!!) I was impressed with what was available and you don’t mind trashing after the event. The party also reinforced to me that the party is for the kids and not the adults who attend. Little L’s first birthday we had lots of adults and we catered more for them, this time we made the right decision with a Gymboree style option. We had a great time, lets hope we can make some new friends in this new location before November so I can plan another party, but Little L if you are reading this lets have a more commercial theme next time? Princess’ Frozen, Sophia the First, Thomas, any of those would be great!

Hope this was useful, I had fun.

Ta Ta for now.

TLL x

October 10, 2016 5 comments