Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Posts tagged Artist
Woodland Decor
2
2 years
As my regular readers will know, a few months ago my fiancé and I moved in together. Since then I’ve slowly been trying to make the house look more like a home, and though it isn’t yet complete (working full-time means very little time to nest!), we’re almost there. As such, I thought it was about time I showed you some of our decor, starting with the living room.
When we moved in the house had been freshly decorated with light brown and white paintwork, and a beige carpet throughout. Neutral tones aren’t usually my thing, but they were easy to work with when it came to adding colour. The living room has been brightened with purple throws, cushions and curtains, and an ambient orange lamp, but it’s the little extras that make it even more homely.
I’ve always liked small mammals and woodland creatures, and the current trend for such wildlife has meant I’ve managed to pick up some lovely pieces. Here are a few of my favourites…
Comfy Cow
I don’t usually like having an abundance of cushions everywhere, but that all changed when I found these awesome animal photo cushions in Asda, for £7 each. There were several different animals to choose from, but I went for the squirrel, as they’re one of my favourite animals, and the Highland cow, as it reminds me of a lovely time spent in the Scottish countryside a few years ago. These take pride of place on my sofa, and as you can see Miggley approves!
Time for Tea
One thing I struggled to find was a nice set of coasters, and then when I was about to give up, I came across these gorgeous Sass & Belle Wooden Owl Coasters from Flamingo Gifts. There are six coasters in the set (much better than the typical four you usually get!), and they come in a handy stand to prevent clutter when not being used. The quality and design of the coasters is fantastic, and they look great on my coffee table.
The Abode Mouse & Field Mug is also from Flamingo Gifts, and it caught my eye as soon as I saw it as the little grey mouse reminds me of my Russian Blue rat, Heather. I prefer a mug to a cup (it holds more tea!), and this is the perfect size for my morning brew. The simple but eye-catching geometric design is by artist Luzelle van der Westhuizen, and is a good fit for my natural theme. It would also make a nice present as it comes in a gift box, and costs an affordable £8.50.
By the Fire
My fireplace features a lot of owls, with the main attraction being this owl clock. My mum gifted this to me when we first moved in, and I love how it matches the wooden coasters above.
Another of my favourite owls is this lovely felted piece that I bought from a street market in Edinburgh in the summer, during the Fringe. It took me a while to find the right place for it, but it now has a home at the side of the fireplace.
I have two of each of these hares and mice. I have a thing for hares, and I bought these in Glastonbury about ten years ago whilst on a camping trip. They’re special to me, and it’s nice to finally have them on show in my own home! The mice are actually a salt and pepper set, but I have them on display as ornaments as they remind me of my heart rat Mog (RIP). Aren’t they cute?
The Rat & The Hare
These rat and hare sculptures were Christmas gifts from my dad, and they’re incredibly beautiful. They’re by Norfolk-based artist Tracy Whinray, and are wonderfully textured with such expressive little faces. I think they look great in front of the wooden pentagram, handmade by my step-dad.
What do you think of my woodland theme?
Naomi x
*The Wooden Owl Coaster Set and Abode Mouse & Field Mug were sent to me for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Anna-Louise Grey Nightie from Quintessentially Me
2
4 years
by Naomi in Fashion
A few weeks ago I stumbled across a fab little website via Twitter called Quintessentially Me. The website was launched in 2012 and is ‘A celebration of the artisan’, selling a selection of carefully chosen unique, handcrafted items, all of which are high quality and sourced from talented creators. They stock everything from Homeware, Gifts and Bath & Body products to Jewellery, Sleepwear and Tea, so there are many gorgeous treasures to discover.
I am always keen to try new, beautifully crafted pieces from independent artists, so when Quintessentially Me offered to send me an item to review I happily accepted. The piece I received is the Anna-Louise Grey Nightie – cute but simple sleepwear made by hand in Cape Town, South Africa.
I’m 5’10”, and the Anna-Louise nightie comes to around knee height on me, so I imagine it would be just below the knee on anyone of average height. Though it looks plain and simple, the nightie actually has a few subtle details which, as Quintessentially Me say, make it ‘perfect for this season’s easy-luxe look’. The fabric features delicate pointelle stitching, and is finished with thick cuffs on long sleeves and four press stud fastenings down the front. I find the press studs really useful as I don’t like anything too close around my neck whilst I’m sleeping, so I tend to open one or two before I go to sleep.
The quality of the fabric is obviously very high as it is made from 100% powder grey cotton, which feels incredibly soft and luxurious against the skin. The fabric is extremely comfortable as it isn’t too weighty, but at the same time it is warm and cosy enough for cold nights, whilst being light enough for warmer nights. The nightie is also machine washable, so is satisfyingly low maintenance.
In terms of size, I’m a 12 and the large fits slightly loose on me, which is ideal if you don’t like wearing tight things in bed as it doesn’t restrict movement, adding extra comfort. Unfortunately the website doesn’t list size conversions, but going by how the nightie fits on me I’d guess that the small would fit an 8-10, the medium a 10-12, the large a 12-14 and the extra-large a 14-16.
Overall, this cute and comfy nightie by Anna-Louise oozes quality, and with its soft feel and lovely fit makes for a great night’s sleep. It is available online in grey or white, and is priced at £24, which compared to similar sleepwear I’ve seen in shops and online is actually quite reasonable, but by buying this you’re also supporting an independent maker, which makes it even more worth it.
Oh and if you’d like to know more about Quintessentially Me, you can follow them on Twitter and Facebook and via their blog.
Sleep tight!
Naomi x
*This Anna-Louise Grey Nightie was sent to me by Quintessentially Me for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
