The Extension, Part 1: Planning & Inspiration

So, it’s no secret that we have a shed load’a kids (5 boys between us, in case you hadn’t been keeping up!), and with that many small peeps hanging around comes a requirement for space – lots of it! When we first decided it was a fab idea to get our two families and make one big mega-family, we each moved out of our relatively normal 3 bed homes (renting them out in the meantime) into one super-sized 5 bedder (rental). Whilst living with an abundance of space has been fun (and a bugger to clean!) paying copious amounts of rent each month is not so much fun – especially when we have our own houses just down the road! So, we’re moving back – oh, but we’re adding on a whacking great extension in the process!! THAT’s the fun part!!

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Very Flattered – Amara Interior Blog Awards 2015

It feels as though I’ve nearly made my blogging full circle; it was winning the Amara Interiors Blog Award for Best Organisation Blog last November through my “day job” that finally spurred me onto starting my own, long considered blog. When I received the email a few weeks ago from the lovely IBA team informing me that one of my lovely readers (please let me know if it was you as all family, friends and colleagues thus far questioned have denied it!) had nominated me for a 2015 IBA I was gobsmacked – to the point where I emailed them back asking if they were really sure! Apparently it wasn’t a mistake!

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The Top 5 Nursery Lamps

You know what it’s like: it’s 2am, the house is in darkness, you’ve already tripped over the perspex coffee table (oh yes, this has happened to me many times, they really are invisible in darkness) on the way to the baby and you’re about to get a shooting, labour-like pain up your leg from the little piece of lego (the devil’s own booby-traps) left in the hallway and this is all before the real fun of a night time nappy change and feed has commenced!!

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Accessory Du Jour: The Velvet Cushion

Need a quick fix for the sofa, bed or armchair – something current + massively on trend? You need look no further than the must-have soft furnishing accessory of 2015 – the velvet cushion!  They’re…

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The Monochrome Nursery

With only a couple of, what will no doubt feel endless, weeks until the bump pops I have increasingly found my Pinterest feed filling with idyllic imagery of the perfect nursery + boy there some lovely (needless to say untouched + still pristine) baby spaces to be had. Unfortunately, the harsh reality of this being our 5th boy (maiden joint-venture), with a home already filled to the brim with little angels (read grouchy, grunting gannets aged 7-12) + the fact that work is a pleasant escape – so will be continuing until the moment bubba makes his appearance, all means that until completely necessary, at around 4-6 months, little bundle will not be graced with his own private quarters! Instead, our little one will share a corner of his parents’ bedroom with a drawer or two to call his own. By this point you may considering sponsoring our poor 5th child, however, rest assured he is not only much anticipated + already loved, but has a whole loada of goodies to prove it – predominantly in monochrome tones, as that really seems to be the scheme du jour for little ones!

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