Such a perfect day.

I am back! 

The wedding happened Saturday and it was truly beautiful. 

I was OVER THE MOON with how the styling went. It was the most perfect day. Everything about it!

 From the country church ceremony, the vintage car to the cottage garden flowers (Thank you Charlotte they were stunning) it really was a day to remember.

The day reflected the couple on every level. It was relaxed, happy, romantic and all about being together with family and friends. And in the evening it was almost like a festival! Dancing bare boot under the stars. 

Here are a few of the pictures I took on my phone. 

Congratulations Caroline and Rob. Here's to many happy, healthy, loved up years.

Lauren

xxx

Kitschy Living.

I am still here! Apologies for my absence over the past week. If you can remember I mentioned my friends wedding? Here

Well, the wedding is this coming weekend and I have been so so so busy with the preparation. It feels like it is all coming together and I am so excited for Caroline and Rob. 

As I will go AWOL again for the next few days I thought I would leave you with some delicious interior pictures. I have been lusting over these for inspiration and motivation to get our house finished.

I came across a fabulous blog called Kitschy Living.

 Everyday new pictures are posted. Whether it be retro interior or garish kitsch photographs it is a retro lovers dream. I only got to page 68 but I would definitely recommend browsing through EVERY page. Its like kitsch on tap. 

Here are a few of my favourite pictures. Don't you just love them?

If you would like original sources and for the blog see here

Enjoy the sunshine and see you all after the wedding.

Lauren x

Thrifty finds.

 There were a few hours of sunshine this weekend and I was determined to make the most of it. Last summer I relished waking at 5 am to wander around the boot sale in the morning sunshine. This summer I have not done this once. Every weekend has been rained off.

Its been pretty depressing. If you are a thrifter you will totally understand what I mean.

I picked up a few bits this weekend. And only spent £10.00, so my addiction is fed for now.

Good old Pyrex. These will get great use and make a lovely addition to my collection.

Retro pillow cases. Another obsession of mine. 

These vases are for the wedding I am styling next week. See here

We LOVE the old ladybird books in this house. We must have over 50. Picked these up for £1.00!

Meakin set. Love the print. Oh so retro.

In other news we painted the kitchen at the weekend. We have gone for Bubbles which you can find here I am head over heels in love with it. I seriously adore the colour of our kitchen. When we told people we were painting the kitchen this colour we had a few, 'really?'s.

My advice, If you love something for your home and don't feel brave enough or have people advising you to do what they think would be better, just go for what you truly want. It is your home and should reflect you. Our home is going to be a bright, happy haven for a very happy family.

We are having a splash back tiled with the same tiles we have in our bathroom. Here are the tiles and I am desperate for a geometric black and white floor. Anyone know of any? I am really struggling to find one. If one doesn't turn up I am thinking black and white chequered vinyl?

What do you think? 

Lauren x

Charlie Kitsch.

I am so very excited to introduce to you Charlie Kitsch and his fabulously retro paintings, soon to be prints!

Charlie

 Let me start from the beginning.

Whilst visiting my darling friend, Charlotte, last week I was doing my normal nosing around every room when I saw these amazingly kitsch paintings.

'Three pals'

'Calf love'

When I found out that Charlotte's great grandad had painted them in the 70's I just had to find out a little more about this intriguing man and his quirky artwork.

Mr Charles Thomas Marson aka Charlie aka Charlie Kitsch, as he is now renamed (more on that later!) was born 27th April 1912. Always an artist but as many men of the era he went to sea and fought for our country in the second world war. On Christmas eve 1942 his wife, Doris, received a letter to say he had been injured in battle when the vehicle he was in drove over a land mine.

Not only did he survive he went on to fight in the war until 1946 when he returned home to his child hood sweetheart.

Continuing work as an insurance agent he never lost his love for painting, as ever the fighter he battled for his life for 15 years against prostate cancer, but still continued to paint for his children and grandchildren. He also painted for the community, including the windows of the houses on his street at Christmas time.

A slighty blurry shot of charlie and one of his Christmas cheer window paintings.

Charlie in the local paper.

And this is why I love vintage.

These retro paintings and the heart warming story that go with them fill me with such nostalgia and admiration.

After asking (pleading) with Charlotte for copies of the paintings she told me that there are many more pieces like this, including a 1950's cat.

So this is how charlie kitsch came about. I am so happy to tell you that, with permission from her family, Charlotte will be having the paintings reprinted and for sale very soon in her etsy shop here

Charlotte and her family are so proud to be able to share Charlies work and they tell me that if he were alive today he would be the proudest man.

God bless you Charlie. I am so happy I got to own a little piece of your life.

Lauren x

Front door love.

As the interior work is now coming to an end on our homemade home we have started talking about what do to with the outside of the house.

 There is currently a very tired garage and front door. Both are in desperate need of some colour. I absolutely love eye catching, bright, inviting colours. Especially for the exterior of the house. It gives off a real 'welcome to our family home' vibe.

But did you know red can attract happiness and blue helps inspire creativity?

Well, me either! Who knew??

Now I am now all in a tis. Which colour to choose? 

Source

They say a red door attracts happiness and means welcome. In Scotland a door would be painted red if you had paid your mortgage off and in Ireland its says a red front door ward's off evil spirits. It is also very symbolic for the Catholic church, the colour of Christ's blood.

Source

Blue is an inspirational colour. It revives the imagination, inspires your dreams and helps with creativity. It is also a cleansing colour. Perfect for someone who has a creative job.

Source

A yellow front door is said to be uplifting and to have a positive charge on your life.

Source

Green is the sign for growth and rejuvenation. It is also said to have grounding properties and promotes healing amongst the home.

Source

Violet/purple is a sign of deep love and will help enhance the flow of love around your home. 

Source

A white front door is perfect if you are preparing for a new start in your life. It is a cleansing colour and a sign of new things to come. 

Source

A black front door is a sign of wealth. It attracts money, success and abundance into your life. 

I have no idea which is my favourite. I love the yellow but I don't think my husband will let me go that bight.

What colour is your front door? Does it reflect you and your home?

Lauren x

Rainy reads.

So here I am, in the great British monsoon! Trapped within these four walls with three children. How does one keep sane when the only sound  heard  is the chorus of 'Mr Tumble, MMRRRR TTUUMMBBLLEE!'

Well, this is how to keep sane.

 Turn off that television, open the windows and listen to the rain.

And read.

I am sure we have read almost every book in the book cupboard.

Here are our favourites.

Rainy reads for mummy

Of course 50 shades had to be in there! I don't care what anyone says I have loved the trilogy.

Its easy to read, addictive and not just 'mummy porn' there is quite a romance to it.

French children don't throw food. A french parenting guide written by an American. Its OK, I am only a few chapters in. Possibly one for new mothers, I have already experienced most that's written in this book so its a little late for the advice! But the idea of parenting. Living in Paris. In the sunshine. Eating French bread under the Eiffel tower, is entertaining me!

To kill a mocking bird. I must have read this 100 times over. A classic and beautifully written book. If you have never read then PLEASE do!

On Green dolphin street. As the Sunday times said,

'A novel about adultery, jazz and alcohol'

Perfect, no?

Rainy reads for kiddies

These are Poppy, Ted and Henry's favourites.
Owl Babies and The magic sky both have audio with them. We make up a den, snuggle in and listen to each imaginative, little person attention grabbing, story.
The tree that sat down is a fairytale . Pops and I get totally lost in a world of fairies, potions and talking animals.

So feed your brain and wash away the rain sodden cells, READ A BOOK. And pray for sunshine. Please.

Lauren x

Wedding bells.

Three years ago today I got married.

And three years on I still feel like the luckiest girl alive. We were able to have the most amazing wedding. All thanks to a little television series called 'Don't tell the bride'. The bride hands over all input, decisions and organisation to the groom and in return receives £12,000 to pay for the wedding.

 I cried.

 I cried some more. 

Infact, I cried for three weeks.

 I had never been apart from Luke before. 

I was blasted for my essex accent (I am proud to say I'm an essex girl) and was followed around by a television crew for almost 24 hours a day, seven days a week for three weeks solid.

 Would I change it? Not a thing.

 I am grateful everyday that we took part in the programme.

We got a wedding we would never have been able to afford. I got the dream dress. The dream location. The dream church. And most of all I became a Mrs. 

A wife.

 A Hodges, like my new husband and baby daughter (the twins were just a twinkle at the time) 

I love being married.

Lauren x