Brit chintz.

I just had to share a piccie of my new sofa!. Its pretty amazing!. Chintzy floral, vintage condition and big comfy cushions. I think I'm in love.

Thank you to my lovely friend Claire who is sadly saying goodbye to this little beauty but it will have a very good home with us =) and it is another thing we have aquired second hand #homemade home.

There is nothing more british than a good old chinzty sofa, which will look perfect with bright clashing scatter cushions and a gorgeous old throw. Here's some pictures I have sourced online for inspiration.

What do you all think?.

Lauren x

Homemade home.

I AM SO EXCITED!. We finally have a date to start work on our house. 1st December. After almost 18 months of planning and designing our home we are actually going to be putting our plans to action.
I shall be leaving my husband to all the 'big' boring jobs ie; plastering, painting, ripping out all the old kitchen, bathroom and I shall be in charge of the interior design =)

I decided to have a look through a few of the bits I have been collecting and thought I would share some with you.
We have around 11 boxes of bits and peices, a kitchen in the garage and various peices of furniture dotted all over my mum's house (Bless her, she's been our very own yellow storage!).

My husband and I have bought NOTHING brand new, everything is second hand, thrifted, antique or has been given too us. I shall be painting wardrobes, cleaning up furniture and we are doing everything ourselves. Think a cross between Kirsties Homemade home and bootsale challenge.

Now these nest of tables have me intrigued, we think they MIGHT be 'g plan' although we are not sure. Either way I love them. They have a very quirky retro shape and it's always handy to have extra tables when you have a big family.

I am a massive lover of coronation peices, the mirror is so kitsch!.

1920's flour bin.

Wingback arm chair that I found at a bootsale sale. We have bought Cath Kidston 'Regal Rose' cottonduck fabric to have this recovered in.

First aid kit box which I've filled with a full new first aid kit.

These mixmatched dinner plates will be used every day!. What's the point in having lovely plates to eat from if you never use them?.

I have a whole box of different coronation cups and every one will be used for our tea, coffee and yummy hot chocolate. One day I'll use Queen Elizabeth and then next King George.

This ottoman is going to be painted and recovered.

Wonderful 1920's breadbin, a little rusty but that's what makes it so perfect.

Original Tala wear (1950's) measure.

This yellow retro phone is going to look fab in our lounge!.

I think this dressing table is 1930's maybe 40's. Its has a beautful ornate three peice mirror, the middle peice is shown here. I may paint this pastel pink and have it in Poppy's room. The most amazing thing about this dressing table, it cost me £10.00!.

My mum gave this teapot and tea caddy. Two of my favourite things in my collection.

This bedding was my nan and grandad's, not only is it beautiful it will now stay in our family forever.


As you can tell I am going for a very british, vintage ecelectic theme throughout the whole house. I want union jack bunting in the kitchen, ercol furniture in the lounge, coronation/patriotic items, crochet blankets and all things quirky.
This is a very small selection of my finds and I will share more with you once the work starts. I can't wait to share the progress of our house renovation with you all.

Lauren x

All I want for Christmas...

I am already thinking about Christmas (Yes I know its only September!) and with three young children the main thing I'm thinking about is their christmas presents.
We have done the 'Let's spend £200 in Toys R Us' which only ever left us with a dent in our wallet and unused toys!.

As a child I remember being so very grateful for our recieved gifts and treasuring each and every one and there seems to be very little gratitude for anything in todays society. I hope that my husband and I instill a thankful attitude in our children. A huge reason why I am so obsessed with the bygone eras. I can't imagine my grandparents or parents carrying on like some of the children (and adults!) in todays society. Sorry..rant over..back to the toys =)

The toys I see in the high street stores have no substance whatsoever with their expensive price tags and excessive packaging I loathe to buy anything this year, especially when Poppy, Henry and Ted would rather play with the boxes they came in!.

A few weeks ago I bought two wooden trucks from a bootsale for £1.00 and a hobby horse also for a £1.00. From all the expensive toys my children have, they have played with these bootsale finds more than anything they own. I also found a 1950's dollshouse in a charity shop for £8.00. It is called 'Chestnut Villa' and it is simlpy beautiful. Handmade and in a little need of some tlc but still ever so perfect.

So for this year we shall be buying recycled, second hand and vintage toys for them. And not only toys...Poppy will be getting a jam making kit, a gardening kit ready for spring and vintage books ( The orignial Enid Bylton books are AMAZING and have a beautiful childhood innocence about them). I think there is something very special about vintage toys and books and if you hunt around you can find some real little treasures.

Here a a few of my finds;

I would really love to find some retro fisher price toys..here are some of my favourites.

And of course Christmas is not just about presents. We shall be spending it with our loved ones, attending mass and having lots of laughter. Roll on the holiday season. I am also really excited about some crafty projects I am attempting for presents so in a few weeks I'll blog all about them. I'm going to attempt handmade soaps, scented candles and Jam and pickles!.

Lauren x