home and interiors
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Don’t let the British Summer spoil your garden fun
We’ve all been there. You plan a family barbecue for what promises to be a lovely Summer evening. The invites go out to family and friends, you hit the supermarket to stock up on meat, salads and vino. Everyone turns up…and then the heavens open. Cue everyone grabbing the food and rushing off into the house. Evening spoiled. The British weather is unpredictable at best, downright shocking at worst. It means that making the best use of your garden, and getting the most from it difficult and frustrating. What makes matters worse is that it is often warm , even stuffy, despite the fact that the rain is coming down,…
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A bathroom makeover with Ocean Loans
A few months ago disaster struck my bathroom. My son had dropped a sponge down the side of the bath. In retrieving it, the hubby found that the floor was absolutely soaking wet, and from this we discovered that a pipe, long hidden behind a wall, had been slowly leaking and had managed to get under tiles, the floorboards and the plaster, causing irreversible damage. Our bathroom, to put it bluntly, was ruined and needed to be completely gutted. It is an understatement to say that the bathroom wasn’t the only thing that was gutted, I was pretty heartbroken. We claimed on our insurance for the floor and the walls,…
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Kitchen Diners inspired by American TV
Sex in the City is my all time favourite American TV programme, but in second place I would have to put the first two series of Desperate Housewives. I loved the drama and intrigue and the glamorous wardrobes, but most of all I loved their homes, particularly the huge kitchen diners that were at the hub of so many episodes. These huge spaces were warm and cosy, a place to cook, to entertainment, and to drink wine and gossip, literally perfect spaces in perfect homes. For me, the perfect kitchen would be spacious enough for the whole family to be in it at the same time. I love the idea…
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Final Garden tips now Summer is here.
Now that summer is finally here, my garden project is almost completed. This year was the year that my garden had an overhaul, down to the fact that Joe had grown out of his playhouse and most of his garden toys, so these could be disposed of (given to a neighbour with young grandchildren in actual fact), and that has given us more room for planters, flower beds and (Joe’s new obsession) goalposts. You can read all about the previous changes here, but now that we are firmly ensconced in a thoroughly British Summer I can share the final stages of garden development. The Lawn We have a rather large…
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Dealing with the Summer heat.
When it comes to Summer, I am a total sun worshiper. I love sitting out on beautiful days, dining al fresco and getting the paddling pool ready for Joe whilst eating copious amounts of ice cream. I love Summer dressing, sandals and sun dresses, leaving the coat behind and wearing something cool and floaty. I love the scent of barbecues in the air, wearing Clarins perfume that smells just like suntan lotion and watching the tennis at Wimbledon, or the cricket at the T20 blast. Summer is just perfect isn’t it. Errr, no, not quite. Because along with all the gorgeous things mentioned above, we have Hay Fever, nights when…
