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