Christmas Clippings 2014

How did you celebrate? Cx

5 Easy Ways to Do Shabby Chic

Learning a craft (knitting, crochet, etc.), or using the labours of others in your home, can really add that vintage feel and become a fun hobby at the same time! This bear was knitted by one of the ladies at my local hospice.

The best vintage and retro design containers, pots and jars can be free or found in old cupboards. Upcycle them and they become the perfect shabby chic organisers!

Old picture frames and pictures can really add to a room. Why not try reusing an old one and transforming it? It turned the picture in this frame over and used the blank side to create a collage of some of the vintage postcards that I've collected for years.

White is the shabby chic colour (or tint). Why not give old furniture a facelift by painting them white and giving them a distressed 'Les Mis Chic' look?

Fairy lights of all shapes, sizes and colours are the perfect finishing touch to a shabby chic interior, creating cosy decor and the effect of dramatic underlighting.

Carpe Diem xx

Simple Living Inspiration: Lawrence of Arabia, Clouds Hill and Sleeping in a Hammock

Tucked away in a wood in Bovington, Dorset is the former home of T.E. Lawrence (1888-1935), aka Lawrence of Arabia, Clouds Hill. Incorporating revolutionary eco design such as recycled bathroom insulation, and simple reused materials, Clouds Hill is an inspiration for a simple lifestyle and adventurous living! Definately worth seeing and soaking up the atmosphere.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/clouds-hill/

Read about the benefits of sleeping in a hammock (yes, literally, at night and everything!):

http://almostbohemian.com/hammock/

Carpe Diem xx

My Stay-At-Home Graduate Gap Year

So, after finally finishing all my exams, handing in coursework, ordering my graduation cap and gown, looking at travel tour brochures and realising it would take a lot longer than I hoped to save up for one, I spent a lot more time looking out of the window and deciding that what I wanted to do with my life was to be a cat....

Ok, so graduating two years earlier than most of my school friends, skipping the around-the-world post-A levels gap year, and being one of the youngest in my year group, I can relax slightly on the job front and have decided on a gap year of sorts. A stay-at-home gap year is a very environmentally friendly way of working out what you want to do, gaining valuable transferable skills and experience and generally getting your life in order. 

Here's what I plan to do with my 'stay-at-home graduate gap year':

1) Volunteer - I've already worked in local charity shops and at local events so plan to continue on the same road as its a great way of gaining customer service and retail experience.

2) Blog and YouTube - I started my blog two years ago and have recently started blogging every day, so watch this space and enjoy!

3) Job Hunt - Generally work out the specific jobs and sectors I want to work in and apply for jobs in those areas.

4) New Experiences - While I don't have the time pressure of a 9-5 job I'm going to take on as many new experiences as come my way.

5) Travel - I'm not sure what will happen here, it depends on how quickly I can save money, if at all, but I have got plans for a few adventures in the UK, so holiday-at-home it is!

Check out these websites on stay at home gap years:

http://www.do-it.org.uk/magazine/features/personaldevelopment/gapyearathome

http://www.ecofriendlykids.co.uk/stay-at-home-gap-year.html

Are you planning one?

Carpe Diem xx

Simple Organisation Solutions for Offices and Home

Compartmentalizing things you might not use often into clear plastic box (e.g. Tupperware, Lock'n'Lock) can be a great space saving solution to storage. Not only practical but also makes finding things quicker as you can immediately see the contents of each box.

Keep a folder of stickers and labels for labelling storage containers and boxes or creating a 'reward system' sticker chart for daily chores or activities. It works for children, so why not use it to motivate you to stay organised and keep you on track?

Keep a labelled folder containing all you important documents (driving licence, passport, birth certificate, etc.) so that you always have it at hand and know exactly where they are when you need them. I use my favourite butterfly folder from John Lewis. Never miss a holiday, deadline or bill due to disorganisation again!

Carpe Diem xx