New ‘Rustic Chic’ Home Online Shop

December 5, 2011 Leave a Comment
The Ebury Home Collection

In the past I’ve just bought home accessories for convenience or ‘to fill a gap’, but buying a house has changed all that. Now I want to make my house a home and fill it with much loved, individual pieces that we really love.

I wanted to share a little find which is helping me do this… The new Ebury Home & Garden website! I had a little chat with the founder Hannah Gooch…

Ebury Home & Garden is a new online homewares store that brings together a collection of decorative accessories and gifts that are inspired by countryside living and stylish practicality.

After years spent dreaming of running her own online interiors boutique, Hannah launched Ebury Home & Garden in November 2011.

Ebury Home & Garden was inspired by Hannah’s love of light colours, natural materials, houses with period style and character, airy rooms and a relaxed feel. Hannah likes mixing rustic elements with simple design, which she refers to as ‘Rustic chic’. “I’ve chosen an eclectic mix of products that are inspired by countryside living. I like to call it ‘Rustic chic’. Our products are practical as well as being beautiful to look at. We’ve hunted for one-off unique vintage pieces and products which are Fair Trade, recycled or made from FSC wood”

Hannah says “I worked as part of the creative team for a major high street department store for a number of years, planning key photographic campaigns including assisting in art direction. Bringing products and production teams together has continued to be a passion of mine, particularly concept development and styling.

I’ve also loved interior design for as long as I can remember (even studying it at university). I’d always have a project on the go, whether it’s revitalising an old chest of drawers or renovating our own home. I’m much happier hunting round antiques fairs than shopping for fashion and have lost count of the number of design books and magazines I’ve collected over the years. So it made perfect sense to launch a business that I have a real passion for.”

“I’ve really enjoyed bringing this collection together and hope to add to it over the coming months.”

Exclusive Offer for Home & Cosy Readers!

Hannah has also kindly offered to include a free, small milk bottle vase with every order made before the end of December, exclusively for Home & Cosy readers! Just quote ‘HOMECOSY’ in the delivery instructions box when placing your order ;-)

Click here to visit the Ebury Home & Garden website now!

Have a fabulous day,

Chloe x

Filed Under: Home sweet home, Lifestyle, Style Tagged With: , , ,

Thrifty Vintage Shopping {part 2}

September 22, 2011 Leave a Comment

Hi,

Welcome back to my thrifty shopping advice ;-) Part 1 and my first 5 vintage buys are here so I’m going to get straight to number 6…

6. Old picture frames

I love picture frames but had never thought of the earring idea… how clever!

Credits – hanging pictures, earring holder, photo booth, frame tray, sweetie table (source unknown) and living room

7. Retro electricals!

This is pure indulgence really but how pretty and cool do these look as props, even better if they actually work ;-)

Credits – telephone, polaroid camera, clock, bridesmaids with cameras, typewriter, green phone and radio

8. Pretty Vintage China & Tableware

I have sooooo much of this already but it doesn’t stop me adding to my collection, it always comes in handy, looks great and wow’s my guests.

Credits – teacup clock, wedding table, cutlery chandelier, silver teapot, pink china and wine glasses

9. Old suitcases

There is a huge trend for these at the moment, I’ve been searching for a little one to use as a prop on my wedding fayre stands but haven’t come across the right one yet, keep your eyes out for me!

Credits – table plan, cards, bedside table and prop

10. Vintage tins

Finally these gorgeous vintage tins, the absolute perfect container for homemade candles and flower arrangements, they also do their primary storage function pretty well too!

Credits – Tea tin vase, candle tins, vintage shop display, hanging tins, retro tins and table arrangements

Do you have any good buys to share? Antique fair shopping is an art, I have no where near mastered it yet but I really enjoy going and at least feel re-assured that if I buy any of these 10 things they’ll be a good buy!

Chloe x

 

Filed Under: Vintage Tagged With: , ,

Thrifty Vintage Shopping {part 1}

September 21, 2011 1 Comment

Hi,

How are you? A couple of weeks ago I went to a big local antiques fair and to be honest was a little overwhelmed by the whole thing. There were so many stalls and I made the mistake of just looking for ‘anything which caught my eye’. Consequently I spent 3 hours just wandering round and left without buying anything!

But not to be put off I went back, this time with a plan! A list of things which I could buy and do lots of things with, so even though I wasn’t looking for anything specific again, I could at least see the potential and purpose of buying the little things I liked!

Success :-) So because I’m nice like this I’m sharing my top 10 vintage buys and giving you some ideas of what you can do with each one! The ideas are mainly for your home, your wedding or just because they look so pretty so I hope you like them and it inspires your antique shopping!

1. Vintage Fabric & Linen

Obviously they look very pretty just as table linen but you could also do a bit of sewing to turn them into tassle garlands, lampshades, napkins or cushions?


Credits – Ruffle cake, tassle garland, vintage tin, napkin, lampshades, cushions, lace cloth

2. Books and games

Scrabble tiles must be the hottest wedding prop around but they do look cute and I definitely can’t resist an old book…

Credits – cards, scrabble tiles, tea party, books and thankyou

3. Wooden Antique Furniture

A little bit more advanced, and boyfriend is also required to carry but there are so many lovely options at antiques fairs for furniture. I don’t think I’ll ever buy new again!

Credits – Step ladders, palette, dresser, rulers, ladder

4. Vintage jewellery

Just to treat yourself to some sparkles!

Credits – necklaces, scrabble tiles & ring, engagement ring, antique collection and pearls

5. Glass jars

These are really versatile and really cheap so it’s a win win ;-)

Credits – photograph bottles, cherry blossom, chandelier, candles, message in a bottle, craft jars and jam

Useful? I’ll be posting the other 5 on Thursday so do pop by with a cup of tea to get the complete list!

See you soon,

Chloe x

 

 

Filed Under: Vintage Tagged With: , , ,

Decorating Tables With Chevron – One Idea Four Ways!

September 7, 2011 1 Comment

Good morning,

I hope you’re feeling fine and dandy? … I do feel like I’m talking to myself sometimes so don’t be shy in leaving a comment and saying hello! Comments are like giving a blogger flowers, they make us happy ;-) I’d love more than anything to develop this blog into a community of intelligent, creative, real women all helping each other!

My dream is that we’re constantly sharing ideas, advice, inspiration… as lets be honest we don’t all have time to spend hours researching stylish new looks, creative entertaining recipes or unique wedding ideas! But we can all chat, share our secrets, show our home makeovers, recipes, and wedding pictures to pass on the gems of treasure we do come across.

Sound good? Yes? Ok… on with the show and this post features one of my recent snippets. Do you ever go over to friends / family for dinner where some simple table decor makes everyday dinner feel a bit more special? I’ve always wanted to be effortlessly stylish, the kind that’s not too over the top, doesn’t look like you’ve made loads of effort but your just naturally that good!

Well here’s my secret weapon, chevron table linen / napkins. I’ve got four different examples from fairly formal table settings but I assure you they work on the average English dining table too!

1. Cream & pale pink

Love this whole hen party design, gorgeous colours and details. At home all you really need are some gorgeous pink peonies to complement black and white chevron napkins, then maybe a few other flecks of pink if you have them…


Image found via Hostess blog

2.Turquoise and Pink

How glamorous is this? A different scheme for Christmas I’m thinking?

Image via Sitting in a tree blog

3. Pink and gold

A variation on the hen party table above but with gold cutlery and chargers which work beautifully. I love the simplicity of it and you could totally recreate this at home (note to self… buy gold cutlery!)

Images via 100 Layer Cake

4. Yellow and Pink

A more vibrant colour combination if you like modern brights?! This is even easier as you just add a chevron table runner and spice up with complementing coloured flowers…

Images via Design Sponge

What do you think? Have you got any good table decorating tricks or advice to share with us?

Chloe x

Filed Under: Celebrations, Lifestyle Tagged With: ,

Happy Holiday Monday!

August 29, 2011 2 Comments

I hope you’re all having a lovely, relaxing bank holiday weekend? I’m enjoying my first little break this year up in North Yorkshire so I’m just popping in to say hello and share a cocktail recipe!

Strawberry Mojito anyone?

I found this recipe via Koko Cooks and fancied a little shaken not stirred action!

Ingredients for each mojito
4-5 fresh strawberries, depending on size
Small handful of fresh mint leaves
1 tsp white sugar
Good slug of rum
1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
Soda water / sparkling water
Lime slices

Recipe

  1. Put the sugar in the bottom of a glass and pour the lime juice over to just cover it
  2. Add a few sprigs of mint and your strawberries and muddle together (gently pound with the back of a spoon)
  3. Add  some crushed ice, the rum and top with sparkling water / soda water
  4. Stir then garnish with slices of lime and fresh strawberries :-)

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Chloe x

Filed Under: Celebrations, Kitchen Table Diaries, Lifestyle Tagged With:

Host A Wine and Cheese Party…

August 15, 2011 2 Comments

Good morning,

How was your weekend?! My highlight was a dinner date with my other half… yummy dinner, free champagne, chatting about our future, it was the perfect Saturday night!

So to keep you updated we bought another house on Friday, after our first one fell through earlier in the week (no messing about here!) I’m really happy with how it’s all turned out as we now have a better house closer to my family :-) So with ‘moving in’ parties in mind and following on from last week’s hen party makeover here are some styling tips for a stylish, sophisticated, affair…

Credits – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Perfect for late summer entertaining, an ‘adults’ birthday party or engagement party?! I love all those different little glasses full of Rose above, so pretty!

Decorations

Sometimes styling up a party at home can be a bit tricky as you’ve got so much else to do, but a few simple ideas can really make the difference…

Credits – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Food

Ok this is where I get excited! I’m such a little mouse (can’t get enough cheese) and I could eat fresh bread all day! I’ve bookmarked a few recipes to try like this baked camembert ~ looks delicious and is the ultimate cheese for a party like this!

Simple nibbles like these cute little tomato and basil tarts…

And for really embracing ‘homemade’ this Rosemary bread? For the recipe visit A Hint of Honey blog…

Cheese & Wine Pairings

I would love to know more about wine… I’ve tried many a wine tasting session but always end up tipsy, giggling lots and promptly forgetting everything the guy has said about the wine! One thing I do remember though is the difference that pairing the right wine with certain foods can make, I usually hate sauvignon blanc but was persuaded to try it with goats cheese and it tasted totally different… even pleasant!

Just so you sound like you know what you’re talking about here are some general guidelines for pairing cheese and wine ;-)

Blue Cheese: most blue cheeses like Stilton or Gorgonzola pair well with sweet or slightly sweet wines like Sauternes or Port. If you prefer red wine, try a Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon but make sure they aren’t too dry.

Fresh Cheese: Cheeses like Mozzarella and Feta pair perfectly with almost all white wines, if you prefer reds, stick with lighter, fruitier ones like Beaujolais and Pinot Noir. If you’re a pink fan like me choose a fruity Rose!

Hard or Aged Cheese: Cheddar, Gouda, Parmigiano Reggiano and Parmesan are best with bolder red wines like Bordeaux, Cabernet, Chianti, Montepulciano and Zinfandel. As much as I don’t like it try with a Sauvignon Blanc if you prefer white wine!

Soft-Ripened Cheese: Luscious cheeses like Brie, Goats Cheese and Camembert go with everything from light whites to Rose and fruity reds (Merlot). But Champagne is the ultimate pairing as the bubbles cut right through the cheese’s creaminess, what a shame these are my fave cheeses ;-)

Hmmm, this might be party heaven… house warming in a few weeks anyone?!

Chloe x

Filed Under: Celebrations, Kitchen Table Diaries, Lifestyle, Light Bites

Hen Party Makeover!

August 8, 2011 3 Comments

Good morning and how was your weekend?!

Late last week I received an email from one of my readers asking for my advice… firstly squeal with delight that you guys are starting to talk to me! I’d love for my blog to develop into a community of aspiring domestic goddesses like me, all sharing secrets, ideas and advice ;-)

Anyway on with the email! Rachel is organising her best friends hen party for 8 girls… they have rented a cottage in the country for the weekend, are booked onto a cookery course one day and into a spa the other day, so far sounds lovely! Where she’d like some help is in the evening…

“…  we’re not really ‘going out on the town’ type of girls so I thought we’d stay in with some bubbly and eat all the food we make on our cookery course. I don’t know how to make it feel special though? We’ve thought about theming the evening but as a few of the girls will be coming by train we can’t really carry too much with us to decorate / dress up! “

Ooh I love a challenge (*totally in my element here)! After a few emails between us I found out a little bit more about Rachel, the lovely bride to be and the other hens. Here is what I came up with:

All that glitters…

* Credits – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Who doesn’t love a bit of sparkle?! It’s fun, stylish and very feminine, particularly in these gorgeous gold and blush tones – perfect for any party but in particular a special hen party evening!

Looking Glam!

* Credits – Sparkly dress, glitter tips nails, glitter lips, cream dress, sparkly eye and glitter toes

So let’s get them all looking gorgeous first of all! Glitter is very ‘in’ at the moment so hopefully most of the girls will already own something with a bit of sparkle. They also have the choice of how much they want to embrace it! There are some gorgeous dresses on the high street with full out glitter like this one from Warehouse, to more subtle like this one from Oasis or this one from asos.

I’m so going to try doing my nails with glittery tips like the top picture too… it looks amazing! I guess you would just paint the ends with glittery nail varnish, or you could buy some glitter, paint your nails with a clear varnish then dip into the glitter?!

Gift for the bride

Ok next job is to find something lovely to treat the bride! I’d go for something really pretty like some underwear or some gorgeous glittery heels, both of which she’ll get lots of wear out of. I can’t even decide which one of these I’d prefer… what do you think?!

* Underwear by The Cherry Blossom Girl and shoes by Kate Spade

Decorations

Ok now lets add some sparkle to your holiday cottage ;-)

* Credits – Glitter hearts, table setting and cupcakes all via Grey Likes Weddings, pink and gold streamers spotted on The Sweetest Occasion and tassle garland from Confetti System

This is where this ‘theme’ comes into it’s own as all you really need are some sparkly streamers or garlands which are fairly easy to buy online…and maybe some DIY glitter hearts and a few cupcakes if you fancy doing a bit of crafting the day before to add some extra prettiness?!

As for the girls coming on the train… just ask them to each bring a fun prop you can use for your DIY photo booth… this will provide hours of entertainment in front of your sparkly garland trying them all out!

*Image via Oh Joy! and accessories all by ban.do

I hope this helps Rachel and you girls have a fantastic weekend, we’d love to see the pics afterwards! I love this and might even file it for my own hen do (one day!) ;-)

So what do you think?

I’ve got so many more ideas like this so I’m going to feature more ‘make overs’ for life’s little celebrations on Adore! If you have a special occasion, like a hen party, engagement party, birthday or baby shower, send me a quick email and I’d love to help – we can also feature the results afterwards to share your handy work!

See you in the morning for some DIY!

Chloe x

Filed Under: Celebrations, Lifestyle Tagged With:

Dream date?

August 6, 2011 1 Comment

Hello to all the Adore Weekenders!

I really need your help with this week’s question… so many of my friends (including me) would love to have a regular ‘date night’ with our loved ones. We set out with good intentions, to spend some quality time together, where we devote our attention 100% to appreciating how lucky we are! But somehow a month or two down the line we get too busy, forget or can’t afford it :-(

Well I’m going to dedicate some of my time to making this easier for all of us… I want to come up with 12 dream dates (one for each month) that are affordable, romantic and realistic!

This is where I need your help! You gorgeous and creative lot must have been on / organised / daydreamed about your dream date and I need your ideas, stories and secrets?!

*Image by the lovely Becky Butterworth!

Please please leave me a comment with your ideas, email me (hello@adorebychloe.co.uk) or send me a note on Facebook or Twitter – once I have 12 gorgeous date nights I’m going to test them out, style them up, photograph the results and share them with you!

I’m excited, this is going to be a fun project and I can’t wait to hear your ideas for me to try!

Ok so whilst you’re thinking here is what you’ve got to catch up on from this week!

Oh I almost forgot! I’d really appreciate it if you could nominate me for the Cosmo blog awards – it would literally make my entire year and takes 30 seconds!

Thanks so much in advance ;-)

Have a lovely weekend,

Chloe x

Filed Under: Date night, Lifestyle

10 DIY ‘Shabby Chic’ Ideas For Your Home

August 1, 2011 3 Comments

Good Morning,

I can’t start this week in any other way than saying a huge congratulations to my little sister on becoming World Champion on Saturday! I’m so so proud of her and it totally made my weekend watching her achieve one of her dreams. I was home alone (apart from the doggies) as my boyfriend was away with work so I could scream at the tv as much as I wanted (sorry to the neighbours I alerted!) then sit in amazement at her strength and determination. She never fails to inspire me to carry on working hard towards my own goals…

One of which is to turn a boring 1930′s semi which we’ve recently bought into a shabby chic haven once we get the keys in a few weeks time! So far I’ve been keeping a lid on my decorating excitement but I think it’s ok to take a little peak today :-)

Firstly this is going to be a home, not a house, so I’ll be DIY-ing where ever I can to make it personal and loved in every corner! There is so much inspiration for this cottage / farmhouse / rustic / French / vintage-inspired style but I don’t really care what it’s called, to me it’s just pretty! I’ve already book marked some gorgeous DIY ideas…

It’s going to take a while to add touches like these to our new house but I can’t wait to get started, share my projects, thrifty finds and give you little tours around each room!

I’ve got a little project to be getting on with this week as I’m striping and painting an old wooden patio table which my parents have given me for our garden… with some mis-matched chairs it should look lovely for the late summer BBQ’s!

Right, have a lovely day. I’ve already found number 2 in my collection of the top 100 creative weddings which is coming up in the morning!

Chloe x

Image credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Filed Under: Home sweet home, Lifestyle, Upcyling, Vintage Tagged With:

A homemade pizza party

July 29, 2011 Leave a Comment

As you know we’ve moved back home with my parents for a few weeks until our new house is ready. At first I was a little apprehensive about ‘going back’ if you know what I mean?! But actually I’ve loved it :-)

I’m going to post more about it soon and share some pics but I wanted to share my favourite evening so far… a homemade pizza party at my sisters house. I was so surprised at how tasty the pizza’s were (better than most restaurants and as a veggie I’ve tried a million) and we laughed so much I cried most of the night!

Something about making the pizza’s made the whole thing really relaxed and I’m definitely going to do this next time I’m entertaining any more than 2 people as it was yummy!

Excuse my poor iphone photography, I was too busy socialising to take amazing pics so quick snaps is all I have!

You can buy the pizza base mix (ours was from Tesco and is about 50p!) which you just add water to, knead and roll out…

T0p with pizza topping sauce, grated mozzarella, cheddar and toppings of your choice…

And voila! You might have spotted above our pizza stone – there around £10 and cook pizza’s perfectly, giving them a stone baked taste!

My main tip though would be to flour your pizza stone / surface before cooking as otherwise you’ll be scrapping it off ;-)

Have a lovely weekend,

Chloe x

Filed Under: Celebrations, Dinners, Kitchen Table Diaries, Lifestyle, Light Bites Tagged With:
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