Clocks and Crowns

Sunday was the last of the table-top sales, or Loppis that I so love, and have been visiting regularly since they started just after Christmas.   The next is not until September, long after we have moved back to England.  I went along anyway, feeling a little strange that it would be the last time I visited the place.  I guess with less than a month to go before moving, we are about to embark on a string of such 'last time' experiences.  It is surreal to think that this time next month our lives in Sweden will be just a memory......

On a lighter note I must share with you the fab bargains I found at the sale.  A totally gorgeous clock for my daughters little room in England.  She has chosen a floral, yet neutral theme for her room, so it will fit just perfectly.  

My two other favourite finds were the wire-work fabric lined fruit basket, and the painted white vintage crown, which look really good here, but will also fit nicely in the cottage too.  Total cost,  £14.....wow!!

Hope you like them?

Have a great Tuesday......Lilly x 

Outside For Dinner

The weekend brought sunshine to Stockholm so we made the most of the fine weather and had our first BBQ of the season. A simple dinner of grilled hamburgers with a green salad, oh, and a glass of chilled rosé . The children went straight from the dinner table to their newly put up trampoline .... Whilst the rest of us relaxed with glasses in hand. A perfect evening

Hope you all had a good weekend ? Lilly x

Summer Holidays

Although the summer holidays seem like a very long way off, we decided to try and book a holiday for when we return to the UK.  Yet, as I realized yesterday,  we had left it rather late, and not too much was available.  However, after much searching I managed to find a lovely cottage in Southwold for the last week of the summer holidays. It is beautifully decorated, very near the sea front and large enough to accommodate not only us, but my parents and any other family members who may wish to tag along for the evening.  It is going to come as a welcome break from what will no doubt be a really hectic summer. 

Can't wait to indulge in all those lovely seaside things we love.

PS

I am sorry to divulge from the usual subject of vintage homes and interiors for the moment, but when you are between homes, as we are right now, it is difficult.  I promise to get back on task when we head back to England. Then I will be able to share with you the progress we make as we get settled back into life in our little Norfolk cottage, and start chatting about interiors again!!
 I really hope you keep reading?

Have a super spring day .... Lilly x

Flowery Friday

I can't believe its Friday again already.....where did this week go?

I have been really busy this week, on the phone much of the time, organising

things back in England, and here too.   I think that our remaining five weeks in Sweden are going to be really hectic, not to mention chaotic.  Its really great to feel that things are moving forward, yet I also feel frustrated that I am not in England to oversee works and be able to help out there too.  But you can't be in two places at the same time, heh??

As a slight diversion from all of that, I bought some Hyacinth this morning which I have place in a rustic vegetable box. They look really cheerful in my hall-way and will probably end up outside as soon as the frosts have disappeared. 

I also picked some spring flowers in the garden to put on the hall table. They add a lovely splash of blue, and smell gorgeous.

Well, I hope the sun shines where ever you are this weekend!

Lilly x

Cottages and Seasides

So we are back in Stockholm again after a whirlwind tour back home to England.  The main reason for our trip was to check over our cottage.  And what a very sad, tired, and sadly dirty interior greeted us on Friday afternoon. Four years of being a rental property had really taken its toll. 

Yet we made a start immediately by giving the place a clean, stripped out some old light, window, and bathroom fittings, and even did a quick tidy up in the garden. My Farrow and Ball paints are now collected and ready for the decorator who starts this week, as does the builder, and the Aga is getting a service and spring clean next week.  

 With all this in place I know that when we return in May, with all our belongings, the house will look more cheerful than it does now.

With such a long 'to do' list it came as a welcome break to take a trip to Southwold, a lovely seaside resort with my parents and children on Monday.  A beautiful and totally unspoiled little town, Southwold is one of my most favourite places.  And not to break with tradition,  we did what we always do when we visit.  A long a walk, a trip to the pier, followed by a fish and chip lunch in our favourite pub.........perfect!!  And sooo Brititsh!

Have a great Wednesday ......Lilly

Dark to Bright

A very old storage chest which we were given by my mother-in-law several years ago, received a well deserved face-lift this week.  The chest, which was stained in a very dull dark brown, is now painted in antique white and looks great. 

 It will fit really nicely in the cottage lounge, and will also provide a great place for storing things, really important when downsizing !!

I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday.  

 Lilly x

psst......  Off to England tomorrow......soooo excited!

Busy Days

My head spins when I think of all the hard work we have ahead of us over the next few months. We have started a week by week 'to do' list system, which hopefully means we don't forget anything, so easy when there is so much to remember.
This weeks 'to do' list consists of more furniture painting, packing, organizing work men, and a quick trip back to the UK too. However, I still try to find time to do what I love......so I hope you like my pretty little teacup bulb arrangement ??
Lilly x

Sunday 'Loppis' Sales

Yesterday I was up super early as the car was fully loaded ready for our table-top sale, or loppis, as they are known here.  Moving always forces you to sort through your possessions and do a little 'life laundry'.  So, over the last few months I have been setting aside items that I no longer use, no longer like, or perhaps have a 'nicer' alternative stored away.   And so I had a good amount to sell, as did my two children who also sorted out their bedrooms over the Easter holidays.  From 8am to 3pm my daughter and I manned our 'Vintage - Shabby Chic' stall with great success, (do you know how busy we were?).... and I now have a purse overflowing with Swedish Krona.  

Question is, what shall I spend my hard earned profits on?  More Vintage Shabby Chic no doubt?  But perhaps I wait until we return to England and see what I can find there ?? 

Have a wonderful Monday ....Its snowing here again today, unbelievable !!

Ring the Changes

With our move in mind I have started thinking a little about furniture placement, and interior design for our cottage in England. Although we lived in the house before, many of my pieces of furniture, soft furnishings, fabrics and accessories have been bought since we moved out here. So, I have to think about how I decorate our home with this in mind.  A mixture of Scandinavian and cottage vintage style is the way to go I think, and to achieve this I need to subtly blend the two, as well as adding a little more colour to the interior.  Presently, I have a very neutral palate, fitting to our Swedish home, but not to our little cottage in Norfolk.  So yesterday, with these thoughts in mind, I re-covered our Kitchen bench and dinning chairs. Previously white,  I re-upholstered them with a pink gingham fabric. It has really freshened things up and they will now fit more comfortably in our English home. 

Another project successfully completed this week was the little side table which I bought recently at the charity shop. It was stained in a rather ugly 'antique pine' shade, but after a quick sand and four costs of paint later, it looks fantastic.  With little effort I have been able to ring the changes in pieces that I now love even more!!  

Have a great Friday.  Lilly x 

Spring is in the Air

Although it is still really cold here over night, the days are beginning to show promise, with day-time temperatures creeping up to almost +7.  This warmth has meant that the birds have started to sing again, and I have even noticed that a few spring flowers are beginning to appear in our garden.  Soon perhaps we will be able to pack away our winter clothes and bring out our spring wardrobe?  But, what I look forward to most is being able to eat outside, and to enjoy my morning coffee out on the veranda ..... not just yet perhaps but I get the feeling that, like spring, it is just around the corner.

 

Psst - My cherished 'Cath Kidston' Roberts radio, which will no doubt, find its way outside this spring too?  Just love the cheerful
'candy flowers' pattern!

Happy Easter Days

We have had glorious sunshine everyday this weekend which has just made Easter.  We enjoyed the company of family, celebrated another birthday, have eaten some delicious food, and of course sampled one or two chocolate eggs!!

We even found some time to pack a few boxes........

I hope you had a wonderful Easter too?

Lilly x 

 

New Beginning

As I hinted earlier, some changes are on the horizon for me and my family, so I shall explain a little. On Friday we celebrated four years of living here in Sweden, however, the decision to end our adventure here and return 'home' to England was made over a year ago. And so we have sold our villa, and have started packing, yet again, and as we kept our home in England, we shall be returning to our pretty Victorian cottage at the end of May. So, over the coming weeks I shall be sharing with you the ups and downs, the highs and the lows of the times we have ahead, as we return to our 'old new life' in rural England.

Enjoy your Easter Monday...... I shall be packing boxes !! Lilly x

Vintage Union Jack flag £2. Car Boot sale