Life: Making a house a home on a budget

Life: Making a house a home on a budget

Saturday, 26 May 2018

Read post

Moving into a new house definitely comes at a cost: when Richard and I moved into our house just short of three months ago, we knew we had a lot of work to do. The house was a bit of a blank canvas, which was great as it meant that we could just furnish and think about decorating further on down the line. In spite of this, we’ve quickly realised just how expensive furnishing a relatively decent sized space is, especially if you have a specific idea of what you want the space to look like. Richard and I have very similar taste when it comes to interior design so we’ve agreed on most things, but I’ve found it incredibly difficult to accept that we’re going to have to make cuts and take our time with things. I decided to sit down and come up with ways of furnishing our house – and ultimately making into a home- on a budget. Here’s what I came up with: 

BUY SECONDHAND FURNITURE

Whilst we bought a few things new – a gorgeous new coffee table and TV stand from Oak Furnitureland for example, as well as a new rug for the lounge- I’ve finally accepted that buying things second hand doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s less impressive or nice. This week alone we’ve managed to pick up a gorgeous mirror- practically brand new- for £15 from Gumtree. I’ve been looking out for other titbits to add an element of antique to the house, as well. 

ACCEPT THAT YOU CAN’T DO EVERYTHING AT ONCE

Moving into this house has taught me lots of things. Mostly that everything will run smoothly and then collapse all at once and that furnishing a house is very expensive. We’ve started to realise that actually, adding small touches here and there and making the house look homely and cosy is a much better use of our time and money at this stage than blowing it all on one piece of furniture. Little touches, such as a bouquet of beautiful flowers in a sophisticated looking vase such as this one from Kilneradd a much needed dash of colour to the place, whilst also giving it a certain much needed element of comfort. Kilner is a brand that I’ve grown to love over the years- their jars feature in abundance around my kitchen and I really feel that they add a touch of class to a small space. I am a bit of an organisation freak and love things to look pretty and organised so Kilner* products are ideal for me: sorting out my different types of pasta and rice and displaying them in a way that makes them easy to access has made for a much more organised pantry space. I also have trays lining the bottom shelves of my kitchen cupboards for stock cubes, spices and other little foodie bits and bobs. Having everything organised in this small space makes cooking much more enjoyable and much less of a chore. 

UPCYCLE WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE

When I had my little flat, I bought basic furniture and just put up with it, telling myself that I’d upgrade it as and when I could afford to do so. Moving into the house, most of the furniture WAS replaced and upgraded but what I’ve kept I’ve decided to upcycle and give a fresh lease of life. I’ve turned a cheap, garish white bedside table into one with a chic style that’ll fit perfectly into our bedroom, with a simple lick of grey paint and a beautiful new handle. Rich’s mum gave us a lovely stool that I’m going to sand down and repaint and I’m looking out for other pieces of furniture that, with a bit of TLC, would look at home in our home. I’m also planning on upcycling a plain old kitchen trolley for some handy bathroom storage! 

SHOP AROUND

I had my heart completely set on the most gorgeous ladder shelf unit from Next that would set us back a tidy £175. Whilst not the most expensive piece of furniture I’ve ever purchased, I knew that I’d probably be able to find something similar for a fraction of the price and I wouldn’t feel sick afterwards. After a lot of googling and searching around I ended up picking up something that was incredibly different from my original choice, but that I actually have ended up liking just as much. It fits in better with the colour scheme we have going on in the lounge and at £50 was an absolute steal in comparison.

There is still a lot left to be done. There are still so many things to buy. However, our house is finally starting to feel like a proper home. 

(* Some products mentioned here were provided free of charge for review by the brand. All opinions are honest and my own.) 

Book Review: Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen

Book Review: Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen

Saturday, 19 May 2018

Read post

It’s very rare to find a book that is both comedic and has a decent story line. As a youngster, I went through the Bridget Jones phase and never did I think I would find a book that resonated with me in the same way. Growing up, I thought I was very much a Bridget Jones kind of girl – clumsy, unfortunate and ready to make a fool of myself at every possible opportunity, through absolutely no fault of my own, of course. Having been treated to Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling by friends Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen has changed my view – I am not a Bridget, I am very much an Aisling.

Aisling is the girl that plays it safe – Aisling wears kitten heels for comfort’s sake, the daughter of a hardworking farmer and a country girl through and through. She has a solid group of friends both at work in the ‘big city’ and in her hometown and has had a steady, long-term boyfriend for a good while. After a romantic getaway turns into a hellish break after she realises that her boyfriend is –never- going to propose to her, she decides that enough is enough and ends the relationship. Breaking up with John gives her the push she needs and after about five minutes of deliberation, moves in with her friend in the centre of Dublin and sets about living as a newly single woman. Add in a work based scandal and a new potential love interest and things really have started to spice themselves up for ‘vanilla’ Aisling.

Aisling is a hilarious character and I really found myself attached to the characters – once I got used to the Irish names, that is! You can’t help but love Aisling and her story, feeling sorry for her when she is at her lowest points and yet excited when the good things happened.  The book is laugh out loud funny but has a heart-warming touching side, dealing with deeper issues such as grief and the different ways it is shown. I absolutely flew through the pages, finishing it in the course of an afternoon and wish I could go back to the beginning and reread it all over again for the first time.

Thanks to Jenny at Penguin for arranging the tour and for my copy of the book – I would recommend it to lovers of Bridget Jones (or not!) alike. Definitely a 5 star read.

Food: The Florist, Liverpool

Food: The Florist, Liverpool

Monday, 14 May 2018

Read post

Everything these days, concerning bars and restaurants, has the added task, on top of serving fantastic food and drinks, of being ‘instagram friendly.’ I’ll admit it myself- as a blogger, whether a place will provide excellent social media content or not does have an influence on whether I choose to go there or not, as sad as that might seem. It’s no longer enough to just have good food and drinks- the vibe has to be right to attract the crowds and there has to be a certain je ne sais quoi about the place to ensure that the crowds return.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to the opening night of The Florist, a brand new restaurant and bar opening in the heart of Liverpool City Centre, on Hanover Street. Hanover Street already has a plethora of stylish bars in its midst, and occupying the Old Blind School, The Florist certainly sits in with these – it arguably even stands out as being a cut above the rest.

The event was spread across the weekend, with an emphasis on cocktails and nibbles on the Saturday evening and then a taster of the Sunday lunch menu on the Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, due to my intensive schedule and some serious time constraints, I was only able to attend the Saturday night part of the weekend but that by no means was a complete negative. With my friend Emily in tow, glammed up to the maximum, we arrived at the beautiful venue ready to explore and see what The Florist has to offer.

It has a LOT to offer.

The entire venue is beautifully decorated- every single detail has been thought through with the most intricate of designs presented. The drinks menu has been crafted with their vision completely in mind and nothing is out of place. Walking around the inside of the building was a treat in itself – beautifully crafted flower arrangements adorn every possible area and it is, to be frank, a blogger’s haven. It honestly felt as though I’d walked into a showroom – I and everyone around me was completely blown away by what we had before us. Terrace areas outside allow for the fun to be extended to beautifully sunny days. We walked in to the event to be greeted by charming, excited staff members and the most incredible tasting Elderflower and Lychee Daiquiri that I’ve ever had the fortune of drinking. It was incredibly light tasting and adorned with a beautiful sprig of flowers – really adding that glamour to a classic drink. Over the course of the evening, I tried a number of different cocktails, including one called Rhubarb in Bloom (10/10 would drink again) and another that was a refreshing mixture of Prosecco and peach liquor stylishly named Peaches and Prosecco. The Florist offered a number of workshops on the night, ranging from flower arranging to gin tasting, all courses which are available to book in your own time if you so wish.

Of course, me being me, the highlight of my evening was, of course, the food and the nibbles that were on offer went above and beyond the call of duty. Emily and I filled our plates with a combination of different nibbles, including Crispy Mussel Popcorn, Baked Kale Crisps, Potatoes, Sweet Potato Fries and, my absolute favourite, Lavender, honey and Sunflower seed bread dipped in whipped goats cheese butter. I would return to The Florist JUST for that bread, no word of a lie. It was divine. To say that I was gutted not to have a taste of the roast dinner on Sunday is a complete and utter understatement but it just gives me reason to return in the future (as if I needed any convincing on this!)

In fact, I’ve already booked Richard and I in to return at the end of June to have a proper taste of the menu for a lovely romantic date night. I’m excited to try out their mains and see if they’re as delicious as everyone I know has said that they are!

Long story short? Go. It’s worth every single penny.