My tabletop Christmas tree

Space is at a premium in our flat these days (hence our planned move!) and last year we didn't even bother with a proper Christmas tree, opting for a slightly unusual fake 'branch' tree! I did miss a real tree though, and had hoped that we would have moved into our big new house by this Christmas and we'd be back to finding the biggest tree possible! But alas, we are still in our flat, so I had to compromise on size, but thankfully have got a real one this time! 

Literally the only space we have available for a tree was on a table top so we decided to opt for a smallish tree - choosing a medium pot grown Norway spruce from B&Q. While we were browsing the trees, it dawned on us that in fact this was a very sensible idea with a toddler running around! I'm sure by now most of those baubles would have been removed if the tree had have been on the floor! But as it is, Ruby enjoys looking at the tree, but can't reach it! A pot grown tree was also ideal for displaying on a tabletop, I just popped it into this zinc bucket to protect the table, which also concealed the black pot it came in. 

For the decoration this year I wanted to go for something a little different. Pink and grey might not be the colours you immediately associate with Christmas, but I think they actually look fantastic! I selected some pale blush pink baubles, strings of beads and some glittery snowflakes and mixed them with some grey homespun decorations, made from felt and wool. I'm really liking this mix of textures too. 

What you can't really tell from these images is that the lights actually have a bit of a pink glow which works really well with the scheme. I then styled the rest of the table top with honeycomb balls and other paper decorations from Hema, a vintage frame with a Paperchase postcard hanging inside and some vintage candle holders.

I must say, I am totally sold on a smaller table top tree - it doesn't take up too much space and is out of the way of mischievous children and pets! What are your plans for your tree this year?!

** Thank you to B&Q who provided the lovely tree, lights and decorations. 

Decorating with Christmas cards

There are so many beautiful Christmas cards out there these days that it seems logical to somehow incorporate them into your festive decor rather than shoving them into one of those card holders where they are get overlapped and hidden, and not shown off. I wanted to share with you a few of my favourite card designs, but at the same time give some inspiration for how to display them and use some of your favourite cards to actually decorate this Christmas. 

I really urge you to try and buy some independently designed cards this year - Sarah Hamilton's Just a Card campaign highlights the importance of this, so even if it is just one of two for your favourite people, try and support those designer/makers who work so hard for their art. 

There are some discount codes at the bottom of this post for the card designers featured, so make sure you scroll to the end and make use of those!

For this scene I used a twig which I covered in foliage and hung using fishing wire. Then I simply added a mini bulldog clip to each card and hung it from the twig with some festive ribbon.

Card designs (L to R): Thornback and Peel / Katie Leamon / Katie Leamon / Thornback and Peel / Katie Leamon

Other prop details: Snowflake ribbon: Tiger / mini gold bulldog clips: Hema / Deer: Tiger / Spotty tumbler: Howkapow

This one is a bit more playful and colourful, as well as super easy as all you need is some washi tape! Simply sticking some of your favourite cards on the wall and mixing in a few paper decorations and sprigs of greenery, creates a really simple wall display and shows off the cards beautifully.

Card designs (clockwise from top left): Emma Block / Roxwell Press / Emma Block / Roxwell Press / Roxwell Press. 

Other prop details: Washi tape: Tiger / Paper snowflakes: Hema / Chalk pen (used on mirror): Chakola

How gorgeous are all of these Christmas cards?! If you fancy stocking up, then here are some discount codes to help out: 

Emma Block: Receive 10% off everything except custom artwork on Emma's website using the code: 91MAGAZINE - Click here to shop

Roxwell Press: Get free delivery until 6th December using the code: CRACKER - available for UK shipping only - Click here to shop

Thornback and Peel: Get 15% off everything valid until 14th Dec at Midnight using code: PATCHWORKHARMONY - Click here to shop

Katie Leamon: 10% off everything valid until 7th December using code: PATCHWORK10 - click here to shop. 

Utilising your space for storage

I'm sure I'm not the only one who struggles with storage in the home. It's a constant battle right?! I was recently asked by Harvey's Furniture to share three storage ideas so I thought I'd share some that have worked for me in my own home. Finding good storage solutions is about utilising all the space that you have, but also making sure it looks good. If like me, you don't have a loft, then it's necessary to find ways of using each corner of your home, without it just becoming cluttered and messy. 

1. Use the space above you

When we had to transform my office into Ruby's bedroom, I was left with a lot of boring files of paperwork and boxes of other admin type stuff I couldn't get rid of. I had no cupboard space available to hide them away, so instead we installed some shelving up above the line of the door to store these. They are things that don't need accessed on a regular basis so it is fine for it not to be easily accessible, but make sure you keep it orderly and neat otherwise it will just be an eye sore. The other idea is to create a fun fabric curtain to pull across and conceal it. I had actually planned to do this, but decided I quite liked the slightly utilitarian look of the shelves. 

2. Choose stylish bags and baskets

With things that do have to be easily accessible, such as toys, lovely storage bags and baskets are a perfect solution. BUT make sure they are lovely! I could never bring myself to buy those horrible plastic storage boxes as they are so ugly, and then you have to find somewhere to conceal those. Pretty baskets and other containers are readily available, so choose some that suit your decor and make them part of it. They can slot in anywhere where you have a little gap, and the kids can move them around as and when they like. Plus it's super easy to tidy up at the end of the day! I published a post recently about some great options you can find online. 

3. Make a feature out of existing spaces

Try to make use of awkward nooks and crannies, making them into an interesting feature instead. We have this beautiful fireplace, but it is not a working one, so I decided to stack up some old books which I often use as props for photos in there. It means my beautiful old books are on display rather than packed away in a cupboard, as well as making use of the otherwise dead space. 

What storage solutions are you most proud of in your own home? I'd love to hear!

This post was in collaboration with Harvey's Furniture,. As well as my tips, you can read two other bloggers top storage ideas on the Harvey's blog. 

DIY: Copper and gold coasters

If you are thinking of making some of your Christmas gifts this year, or just want some handmade items on your Christmas table, then here is a simple little tutorial for some copper and pink coasters. I'm loving this colour combo at the minute, and could be inspiration for an alternaitve festive colour scheme this year perhaps?! 

I painted different designs on each of mine, but you could of course stick to one for a matching set. Get the full tutorial over on the AO Life blog. 

Argos collaboration: Transform your room

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen a few posts way back in August about a styling collaboration I did with Argos? Well, I'm finally able to share with you a little more about the day as well as lots of photos and videos of the process and final result!

So three bloggers, myself, Cate St Hill and Jesse Audubey were each asked to 'transform a room' using items from Argos's range. I was asked to create a child's bedroom, while Cate did a living room and Jesse did a bedroom. Prior to the shoot, I had to select products from the range, working within a budget, that would then be available for me to use on the day. One of the first products that caught my eye was this geometric bed linen, which I thought would be great in a kid's bedroom, not too childish, but still a super fun design. 

I used this as a starting point for the design of the room, picking out items in blues and greens, but then also adding bright yellow accents for a fun element and accessories in grey to keep the look quite sophisticated. While it was a kids room, I wanted it to be a space that could be suitable for either a boy or a girl, and that would also grow with them - so lots of fun but still with a mature aesthetic.

A few days before the shoot, I gathered a few additional props for styling purposes, such as these postcards by The Calm Gallery - I love their designs and thought the colours and graphic typography would work quite well in the room. 

On the day of the shoot, we turned up and were faced with the above! A completely blank canvas. In some ways, this is massively appealing, as you can do whatever you like with it, and in others, it is terrifying, realising that you have to fill it and make it look fabulous! We had 60 mins to transform the room, so we got stuck in, luckily having a little bit of manpower to help with the heavy lifting etc!

While we worked on the space, we were filmed and you can check out this little video here. It was so much fun putting it together and I realised how much I enjoy styling! To be honest, I never really had a finished look completely in my minds eye, it just seems to come together as I went, but I was super happy with how it turned out.

Above is one of the 'finished' pictures I posted on Instagram during the shoot, and lots of people couldn't believe that most of this stuff came from Argos. So I have included links here to all of the products that can be purchased from them... All the products can also be found here. 

Bed - £109.99 / Bed linen - £11.99 / Twirlywoo toys - £14.99 / Grey throw - £26.99 / Yellow pom poms - £6.99 for 3 / Bedside table - £69.99 / Lamp - £9.99 / Wind up toys - £5.89 for 8

Noahs ark toy - £11.99 / Grey rug - £31.99

Clock - £7.99 / Floor lamp - £49 / Shelving - £49.99 / Green and blue wooden toys - £9.89 set of 3 / Armchair - £199.99

If you are interested, you can read a bit more about the three rooms we transformed and our top decorating tips here. It would be lovely to hear your thoughts on it, I loved styling it (I'd love to do more of this kind of thing!) so do let me know what you think! 

You can see what the other two bloggers created here also, including links to the products. They chose some lovely pieces for their rooms too.

Thanks so much to Argos for inviting me to part of this project! :) 

Bumper giveaway winners announced!

Thank you to everyone who entered The Shopkeeper's Home bumper giveaway! I received over 300 valid entries across the blog, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and I have just selected the overall winner and 2 runners up. I used a random selector app to choose the winners. All the goodies are packed up and ready to go out to that very lucky winner of all those goodies from 16 of the featured shops in my book! It really is a FAB prize!! 

So without further ado, here are the winners: 

First Prize winner who receives the bumper goody bag: Tabitha Mary (TabithaMaryUK)

Two runner up winners: Adriana Molina and Alejandra

Congratulations to everyone, I hope you all enjoy the book and Tabitha, enjoy your bumper bag full of goodies!! :) 

Pop up book shop

As we try to get our heads round packing up all our stuff to move house in the next few months, I've decided to start clearing out bit by bit. It seems sensible to take less rather than more with us right?! 

I decided that my book collection needs to be downsized, so I've decided to open a little pop up shop on the 91 Magazine website where I will be selling some of my books at super cheap prices. Basically the prices you see on there are exactly what you will pay (no P&P) added on at the till. And really what I am charging is really just covering postage and packaging, and generally the books should be cheaper than what you will find them on Amazon for. 

My collection is all interiors and crafts books and at the moment there are 17 titles on there, ranging from £3 - £8. The majority are in 'AS NEW' condition - but you will find details of this on each listing. 

I plan to leave the shop open until January, and then after that any books remaining will probably go to the charity shop, as I'm hoping we'll be moving sometime soon after that!! 

PLEASE NOTE: I only have one copy of each book, and there are no returns I'm afraid. Sales are to UK customers only. 

If you have any questions, email me at info@91magazine.co.uk 

Happy book shopping! Visit the book shop now

my book: bumper giveaway!

I've done many giveaways on my blog in the past, but never have I been so excited as I am about this one! It is of course to celebrate the publication of my first book - The Shopkeepers Home - and you are not gonna believe what's in store! 

I have collaborated with many of the shops featured in the book to bring you a BUMPER GOODY BAG, filled with so much loveliness I think I'm going to find it really hard to part with it all! 

These goodies are all to be won by ONE person - so you will get all this loot for yourself! If you decide not to keep it all for yourself, you will certainly have Christmas sorted this year!  PLUS there will be two runner up prizes of a signed copy of The Shopkeepers Home book.

So here are the details of all the items included in the bumper goody bag.... 

From me, you will receive a signed copy of The Shopkeepers Home book, a printed version of Issue 11 of 91 Magazine and a copy of Wohnideen aus dem Wahren Leben (which means 'Living ideas from Real Life' in German -  yes this book is in German but it is filled with so many beautiful images, I promise you, you won't care!) 

Then from the shops, you will win: 

- a miniature caravan - from Caravan, London, UK

- a mug by Gary Birks, a bag of sweets and some 'James and the Giant' tea - from Drink Shop and Do, London, UK

- a tote bag and some antique style scissors - from Loop Knitting, London, UK

- a box full of sewing goodies (all the above) - from The Old Haberdashery, Ticehurst, Kent

- a vintage tin box containing a beautiful sea urchin - from Kabinett and Kammer, New York, USA

- 3 bars of Amelia Rope chocolate - from The Hambledon, Winchester, UK

- an 'I love you California' print by 3 Fish Studios - from Rare Device, San Francisco, USA

- a tote bag, a metre of fabric and a rubber stamp making kit - from Black Oveja, Madrid, Spain

- 2 vintage glass bottles & some bakers twine - from Homebarn, Little Marlow, UK

- an Indian matchbox craft kit - from Sew Over it, London, UK

- notebook and card - from Vintage Factory, Stockholm, Sweden

- 3 sets of origami papers - from Adeline Klam, Paris, France

 - a soy wax candle - from Beam and Anchor, Portland, USA

- a handmade pot holder and wooden spoon - from Room to Dream, Munich, Germany

Can you even believe it?! All together this prize is worth over £350, and as I said, I really wish I could keep everything, each and every item is lovely!! 

Please make sure to read the details on how to enter and the terms and conditions below before entering! 

HOW TO ENTER

To be in with a great chance of winning you can enter in a few different ways, one entry per method per person, so you basically you have 4 chances of winning: 

- Comment on this blog post, telling me YOUR favourite shop in the whole world. Please leave your email address so you can be contacted if you win (or leave your fave shop comment here then email me at info@patchworkharmony.co.uk with your contact details with the subject line SHOPKEEPERS HOME GIVEAWAY - BLOG ENTRY)

- Follow me on Instagram and regram the giveaway image - please include @91magazine and #theshopkeepershomecomp in your caption

- Like The Shopkeepers Home Facebook page and share the giveaway post, ensuring you tag in 'The Shopkeepers Home' page too. 

- Follow @91Magazine on Twitter and tweet your entry using this link.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

- Giveaway closing date is 3rd November 2015 at 23:59pm. Entries after this are not counted. 

- The giveaway is open to worldwide readers. 

- Entries can be submitted via the four options listed above, giving each person four chances to win, but only one entry per method will be accepted per person.

- The giveaway image on Instagram & Facebook should not be changed, edited or defaced when regramming or sharing. Entrants who do so will be disqualified. 

- Failure to follow entry guidelines as above will result in that entry not being accepted.      

- All prizes are non-transferable, non refundable and non negotiable. No cash alternative is available for any prize.

- The winner and runners up will be chosen at random on the 5th November 2015, and will be notified shortly after this date. If the winner has not provided an email address or can not be contacted through social media or via email by 16th November 2015, we reserve the right to select another winner at random.

- Prizes will be shipped from the UK by 30th November 2015, using the most affordable shipping method available. 

- The decision in respect of all matters to do with the giveaway will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

- By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.

- The giveaway and these terms and conditions will be governed by English law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.

Places to stay: Filly Island, Cirencester

There are so many more options these days when it comes to finding accommodation for a little getaway. No longer are we confined to bland hotel rooms or twee B&B's, but we can opt for beautifully decorated and styled properties that will put you right at home, and will probably give you some inspiration for your own home too. 

I recently came across this fantastic little cottage on Unique Home Stays website that I felt I had to share with you. 

The cottage, called Filly Island is based in the Cotswolds, not far from Cirencester, and was originally a storeroom for the neighbouring mill. It's a compact one bedroom cottage, but it is packed full of vintage character and upcycling ideas. This kitchen has totally stolen my heart! 

The corrugated tin wall is a bold move, but I love how it looks here. What do you think? The sink in the bathroom is also a favourite and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the sliding door between the bedroom and bathroom! Such a great space saver idea, but still looks fabulous. Oh and check out the bed headboard, I'm definitely planning something like this in our new house. 

The outside is equally as beautiful and the living room opens out into the patio. I can just imagine snuggling on that sofa with a good book and glimpsing up at the pretty view every now and then! 

You can check out the listing on Unique Home Stays for all the info - it's those extra little touches like cashmere hot water bottles and waffle robes that make me want to go stay here so bad! hint hint family and friends, Christmas is coming!! :) 

Images: © Unique Home Stays www.uniquehomestays.com +44 (0) 1637 881183

New online shop: The Quiet Store

Fellow blogger, freelance journalist and mama, Huma Qureshi has just recently opened a lovely new online shop. called The Quiet Store. Huma starting working on plans to open the store earlier this year, just before her second baby was born (Like me, she doesn't let something like a newborn get in the way of her creative endeavours!) 

I love the name Huma has chosen for the shop and I think it reflects the range of merchandise she has personally handpicked - there is a quiet simplicity to the homewares, textiles, stationery, accessories, jewellery and beauty products you will find.

Huma describes the ethos of the shop... "it is to share an edited collection of simple, unfussy yet aesthetic and functional products that are made by hand, made to last. It's about subtle, low-key but timeless design. All the products have been handmade by specialist artisans and crafters - mostly across the UK - nothing has been mass produced."

Pop over to The Quiet Store to see what else Huma has to offer - I for one know there are a few pieces I'll be adding to my Christmas wish list! xxx 

Images by Veerle Evens

DIY: Halloween bat treat bags

The spooky season is almost upon us! I can't wait until Ruby is older and we can do fun Halloween things with her! I've put together a little craft DIY to make little treat bags, whether you're having a party or just want a fun gift for trick or treaters... You can view the full tutorial on the AO blog. 

my book: it's finally published!

Hurray! Today is the official publication date of my book! It has been months and months of work to get to this point, so forgive me if I have bleated on about it a lot lately! While it's been on Amazon to pre-order for quite a while, there is nothing quite like seeing the book in an actual shop, so you might just find me stalking out my local bookshops today making sure it is in a prominent position! haha!    

While I do love a spot of online shopping while curled up on the sofa, I'm still a MASSIVE fan of 'real life' shopping. Not only being able to hold objects in your hands, but also the style of the shop, the smell and the atmosphere all contribute to a great shopping experience, and no one can deny that retail therapy buzz when leaving a shop clutching a bag filled with goodies! That is why this book was a total no brainer for me - as well as the shopping aspect, it combines with my love of interiors, and it is true that the owners of the beautiful shops featured, also take the same care and attention when creating their own home. 

The blog tour just finished yesterday, so rather than share any more images from the book today, I'm going to direct you to the seven lovely bloggers who were involved so you can read their words and see what their favourite images/shops/homes were from the book. 

Decor8 - a Q&A with me about creating the book

Yvestown - Yvonne talks about what she loves about the book & announces some of her own shop related news.

Lobster and Swan - Jeska picks out her favourite images from the shops and homes around the world. 

Apartment Apothecary - Katy focuses in on the shop & home that inspires her the most - The Hambledon - which is the one featured on the cover of the book. 

Makelight - Amazing photographer Emily has taken some beautiful pictures of her favourite spreads from the book, giving you a sense of the book design as well as the photography. 

At Home in Love - Aileen selects her three favourite shops and home from the book. 

Happy Interior Blog - and finally, Igor ends the tour with a beautiful summation of the book's concept and a great choice of images.  

If this isn't enough to whet your appetite, then you can also view more in the special issue of 91 Magazine I created, featuring a little peek inside the book! 

If you pre-ordered a copy, you will probably be receiving it today, so do let me know what you think and share any pics on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook with #theshopkeepershome and tag me in @91magazine (I also have a page on Facebook just for the book) 

oh, and I have a SUPER exciting giveaway planned for next week that is going to blow your socks off! The top image here is a little hint to it, but do keep your eyes peeled for the details as I promise you will not want to miss it! :) 

thank you for all the lovely comments and messages of support, it means SO much to hear that you like the idea of the book enough to spend your hard earned cash on it! I hope it will bring lots of enjoyment and inspiration! If you would like to order a copy, here is the link to buy it now! 

Creating a timeless interior

So this week I was asked by Carpetright to be their 'interior advocate' for the launch of their new range of flooring in collaboration with House Beautiful. I do love a collaboration, so think it's great that these two brands have come together to combine their expertise.

I was asked to share my thoughts on creating a timeless interior, and actually this is something I'm thinking about a lot recently, as we are in the process of (hopefully) buying a new house. We hope it is somewhere we will stay for quite a few years, so I want to make the right decisions at the start in terms of decor, so that it will be long-lasting in terms of style, and will just need minor updates now and then. 

For me I think the best way to start is with a neutral backdrop. White, grey or pale colours on the wall, which you can then add to with art, accessories and perhaps the odd piece of brightly coloured furniture if you want to create a statement - just make sure you really love that statement, otherwise you might grow tired of it quickly! 

Period features are another way to have enduring style, as long as you maintain them and accentuate them. Look at the windows, radiators and panelling in the above shot, so lovely. Even if you aren't lucky enough to have original features, you can always replicate some of them in your home. Perhaps add deep skirting boards, if the height of your room can take it, or there are lots of great cast iron radiators around - we got some for our kitchen/dining room, which we sprayed copper. 

Of course flooring has a huge impact on the overall look of a room, so make sure you really think about what you can live with, what is practical for your situation and of course what you can afford - as it can become costly. I love this image above, which would you believe is vinyl flooring! At first I thought it was concrete, which I'm massively into at the minute. 

While we might not all be lucky enough to have these huge windows, we can bring a little nature into the home via indoor plants and flowers. These will never go out of fashion, so make sure to always have some greenery in your space, whether it's an easy to care for group of cacti, or a pretty posy of flowers on the kitchen table. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts and tips on enduring, timeless style. I really want to achieve this in our new home! Oh and by the way, if any of these images have inspired you to put down some new flooring, Carpetright are running a competition to win £700 worth of vouchers as well as some other goodies. You can enter here.

My book: The blog tour!

I hope you had a chance to check out the mini issue of 91 Magazine I published last week featuring some of the content from my book? It was the first sneaky peek inside, but over the next week and a half you'll have the chance to see even more tit bits via the official blog tour! 

I have chosen seven of my most favourite bloggers to give you various insights into the book. It was hard to narrow it down to seven as I have SO many favourite blogs - the tour could've went on for weeks! All of these lovely folk are bloggers I've met in person, have collaborated with and have always been supportive in my little creative journey. I'm sure they are some of your faves too, and if there's any you don't know yet, then be sure to check them out. 

The tour kicks off over on Decor8 today, so I hope you'll pop over and enjoy getting a little peek of The Shopkeepers Home! If you pre-order your copy now then it should arrive not long after the blog tour ends, so you can delve into all those beautiful shops and homes! :) 

Pre-order now. 

xxx

WIN! Decorative Living Fair tickets!

The Decorative Living Fair is back in London next week on Tuesday 6th October. I'm so looking forward to popping down for the day as it's one of my favourite fairs to visit - the quality of stallholders is really great, carefully selected by organisers Caroline Zoob and Hetty Purbrick.

I wasn't able to go last year as Ruby was very young, so I'm extra excited to attend this year! The pics below are from my last visit. Anyway, I'm not just writing this post to say how excited I am to go, it is also to announce that I have one pair of tickets to giveaway to a Patchwork Harmony reader so you can come too! yay!

Just leave a comment on this post saying why you'd love to go to the fair. Please make sure you are available on the 6th October and also leave a contact email so I can let you know if you've won. Your name and a plus one will be added to the guest list. The closing date is Friday 2nd October at 11am. Good luck, and maybe see you there! x

my book: special issue of 91 Magazine

With just over two weeks until the official release of my book, and the blog tour just around the corner, I wanted to take this opportunity to give you the first sneaky peek inside the book! I've decided to share this in the format of a special mini edition of 91 Magazine! It includes images and extracts of text from the book to give you a little flavour of what to expect. Just pop over to my issuu page to have a look! 

Don't forget, you can go straight on over to Amazon and pre-order your copy of the book now so you get it as soon as it publishes! :) 

DIY: Wooden bead light pull

I love seeing homes that have really paid attention to the tiny details, like light switches, door handles etc, so I have recently updated the light pull in our bathroom with a cute beaded version which was a really fun project to do. You can find the full tutorial over on the AO blog... here's how it looks in our bathroom! 

By the way, if you ever want to have a browse of my archive of DIY projects I've created for the AO blog you can view them all here. Some of my faves are the peg bag, cloud decoration and the pom pom magnets. There's also a few Halloween ideas handy for this time of year - there's some little treat bags, and a ghostly garland! :) 

My book: The photographers

It's less than a month until the publication of my first book (15th Oct) eek!! I received my advance copy a few weeks ago, which was a VERY exciting morning for me! To finally see all that hard work in print was a dream come true! And, if I do say so myself - IT LOOKS FAB! :) 

The reason for it looking so fab, is down to the wonderful designer, Rachel Cross, and the four lovely photographers who photographed the featured shops and homes all over the world. So I felt that it was only fitting for me to give a big shout out to these fantastic creative folk, and to give you guys an early sneak peek of what you will find in the book. In fact, what I thought I'd do is share some of the images that didn't make it into the book itself, as there were so many stunning photos, we couldn't fit them all in!! 

The photographers (in alphabetical order!) were Nick Carter, Janis Nicolay, Michael Sinclair and Simon Upton. All are expert photographers as well as being some of the nicest people I've had the opportunity to work with. Thank you guys, for being such an essential part of making my book a reality. 

I hope you enjoy these bonus images, and just think, if these are the ones that didn't make the book, imagine how great the ones that did are! I have another exciting piece of news to share on the 29th so stay tuned!

©Simon Upton/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Michael Sinclair/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Nick Carter/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Janis Nicolay/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Nick Carter/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Michael Sinclair/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Simon Upton/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Janis Nicolay/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Michael Sinclair/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Nick Carter/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Janis Nicolay/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Michael Sinclair/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Janis Nicolay/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Janis Nicolay/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Simon Upton/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Simon Upton/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Michael Sinclair/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Nick Carter/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Nick Carter/Jacqui Small Publishing

©Simon Upton/Jacqui Small Publishing

I hope you are loving the photography as much as I do! Make sure you pre-order your copy on Amazon or put the 15th October in your diary for a little bookshop trip! :) 

oh and here is the first bit of press published about the book, a feature in The Oregonian - Portland's largest newspaper, showing some pics from one of the Portland locations! :) 

xxx

Munich trip: Day 2

So as I mentioned in the last post about Munich, our second day was spent partly at the beautiful homewares shop Room to Dream. Sabine, the owner was holding a bloggers styling event in association with Danish design company, By Lassen, and as we were in town, invited us along! It was especially exciting for me as Room to Dream is one of the shops I've featured in my book, The Shopkeepers Home, as well as Sabine's beautiful home. I didn't get to attend the shoot of this shop, so it was really great for me to see it in person, and meet Sabine, who is SUPER lovely! 

Below is the item we were given to style. It is the By Lassen Stropp - a twist on the traditional peg or hook, and great for hanging tea towels or holding magazines etc. It was really fun to see how different bloggers used it in their shots. You can see more on Instagram under the hashtag #bylassenstropp

Here is everyone enjoying the day, and lovely Tiffany of Curate and Display shooting her food inspired vignette. 

For mine, I decided to incorporate it into a kids inspired display. I love this Ferm Living mobile. and owl....

It was such a fun day, and if you are ever in Munich (which you should totally visit as its a great city!) then do pop by Room to Dream. And of course, look out for it in the book, Sabine's home is to die for too! x

Munich trip: Day 1

A few months back I was contacted by German book publisher Callwey to inform me I had been nominated for their 'Best of Interior Blog Awards' - which was a shock and an absolute honour. The more i found out about it, the more exciting it got. First there was the fact they were producing a book in conjunction with the awards that would feature all of the 15 nominated bloggers images and profiles, and then that I was invited to Munich to attend a day of workshops and the awards ceremony! 

So on Friday morning, I leapt (read: dragged) myself out of bed at 3am and made my way to Heathrow. What made this trip even more exciting was that 3 other UK bloggers were also nominated - Jeska from Lobster and Swan, Kimberly of Swoonworthy and Tiffany of Curate and Display. I've either met, worked with or collaborated with all three of these ladies in the past, but had never spent a great deal of time with them in person, so the chance to do this made it all the more fun! Our first stop of the day was The Nymphenburg Porcelain factory where we were to have a tour. 

What I love about these kinds of tours, is getting a 'behind the scenes' of the creative workspaces that are around every corner, and this was a particularly lovely one. Rather than looking at the finished pieces of pottery I found myself poring over the desks covered in paint, brushes, plants, personal items and half finished pieces!

After the factory tour we travelled over to the offices of our hosts - Callwey publishing house. Here we got a real insight into the book publishing world - a talk from the publisher herself - Marcella Prior-Callwey, a tour around the offices and talks from Farrow and Ball and Stefanie Luxat, who is one of Callwey's bestselling Interiors authors. 

I think as most Interior bloggers love a moodboard we were all drawn to the wall they'd created representing their 'target customer' - which builds an entire fake persona around the lifestyle and interests they believe their target reader to have. This was really interesting to me, particularly in relation to 91 Magazine, but I think something that is relevant to all bloggers too, in terms of working out their target audience. 

The day was completed by attending the awards ceremony which was held in Interiors shop Kokon. It was a wonderful evening, mingling with the other nominated bloggers from all over Europe. I absolutely knew that I would not be in with a chance of winning anything, as I had seen the standard of the other bloggers involved and was totally comfortable with the fact I was nowhere near as creatively strong as them! The talent in the room really was outstanding!

I was super happy for the lovely Kimberly of Swoonworthy, as she was awarded  'Best Creative Idea'. Kimberly has a super individual aesthetic that really encapsulates her personality and she is the QUEEN of DIY, transforming furniture and even making her own light fittings.  If you don't know her blog, pop over to Swoonworthy, it is a fun loving, colourful and inspiring place to be! 

There were two other award winners, Anastasia Benko for Best Individual Style, and Mette Jakobsen for Interior Blog of the Year. I'd not came across these two blogs before, but I'm definitely going to be checking them out properly when I get some free time. 

Once the winners had been announced, we finally had the chance to get our hands on a copy of the book. (the winners profiles were labelled with their awards, so we couldn't see before!) And honestly, it is gorgeous! The text is in German, but it doesn't matter too much as the visual inspiration is more than enough.

I can't tell you how immensely proud and honoured I am to have been included amongst these pages, alongside some AMAZING talent. It really does prove that bloggers are worth so much in this industry. Their creativity and ability to produce stunning styling and photographic work is truly impressive, especially when many bloggers are self taught at many of the skills needed to produce the content they do on a regular basis. 

I hope to do a giveaway soon of the book, so do look out for that, as I promise, you will love it even if you don't speak German! :) 

Next post, I will share the second day in Munich spent at gorgeous shop Room to Dream, which actually features in my book so you can get a little sneaky peek!