just because

a little bit of sunshine in a cup

pink grapefruit freshly squeezed can help to pick your mood up.

(no meant rhyme)

have  a nice weekend

on sale

----> HERE

At swim- two-birds cushions

and some details

I'm starting to get use to pine, on the bench I'll display my fav pottery, 
it should be an ever changing display (only unbreakable stuff when kids are around).

I keep my linen curtains long and I knot them (the next home we'll move in it might have higher ceilings).

I like to keep memento from our holidays.

Plants not only improve the air, are also great decorative things, 
to have plants around it helps to stay connected to nature.

I don't wait to have people around to use my best crockery, it should be enjoyed everyday.

my living | dining room part II

Finally the shelves and the bench arrived.

An average rented house is a challenge to decorate, but if you rent something neutral, 

it is possible to achieve a decent result.
When the shell of your room is not great (ugly flooring, unnecessary weird details, pvc window frames) 
all you can do is to play with details.

All in all I quite like how the whole room came out. 
The big challenge was and still is to keep it uncluttered, being a relatively small room with an odd shape 
(4.5 x4.5 m with a square L shape) it can be easily feel claustrophobic. 
I've been de-cluttering until I've left only the stuff we like/need.

my third weaving and snippets of my living|dining room.

A week has passed already, eeek! then a longer post to catch up.

I've been doing more de-cluttering at home, a chore that is never ending I think.

So, the bright yellow wall paper is gone and now the wall is white.

To be honest, I couldn't look at that wallpaper any longer
(yes, a beautiful thing indeed but a bit intrusive).

The sofa also is gone, I kept the cushions and made two covers with 
heavy linen and made two floor cushions, I'll  make one more 
and the whole thing can double as occasional single bed.

The mid-century coffee table also is gone and replaced with a small table 
made by by spielplatz and it's just great, useful and the exact size we need.
To add some colour I hung the hexagon throw on the wall 
(though the throw eventually needs to be finished...or not?) 
on the beautiful nakagawa hanger from habu textiles.

This room has an odd lighting position, 
basically two lights aligned exactly where we don't need them.
I used a heavy hook to hang my vintage Danish pendant and place it in a corner, 
I kept the cord long in a way that the pendant can go up or down, I like it down.

On the side wall there's now a pile of books and things 
(postcard from Nama design,  wooden fox from  a set from mielasiela) 
waiting for a bench I have ordered from a local carpenter. 
It's not going to be easy to get that job done, the carpenter is a procrastinator,
I'm waiting with my finger crossed, I had to discuss for an hour 
to make sure the design is kept simple with no additional unwanted decorative things. 
Above the bench (hopefully) I'll put a shelf, and yes, I'm still waiting for that one to be delivered,
it's been a month now.

Below, the mess pile there's my third weaving I finished last night.

On the window side, there's Xenia lovely garland and few beloved plants 
on a mid-century plant stand that still needs some work done. 
A little vintage Ercol chair for those that have hard time to get up from the floor cushions. 
On the chair a Smyrna cushion from Renilde.

On the other side of the room there's the dining table were we eat because our kitchen is tiny. 
I took that photo a little while ago. Above the table, there's a light bulb hanging, 
since I can't use a shade (the hook here is much smaller and screw directly onto the wood) 
I got a nice looking one and most importantly something that doesn't blind you while eating.
The beautiful mobile is from bookhou, the mobile deserves a better picture 
and so I will post one to show it fully next time when the whole room is done. 
A wooden bell from pi'lo (I bought it for Christmas but it's too nice that
 I decided to leave it all year around) hang from the bamboo stick that hold the linen curtain.  
On my table there are small wooden dishes from Caroline Gomez.
In the years the concept of home has changed a lot for me. 
Living in rented houses has made me more aware of the flexibility one need. 
Each house we move in is smaller than the previous one (we can't go smaller than this I guess). 
What I've learnt is to look for multi-tasks furniture,
to have less and lighter things because each move is painful and costly, 
to choose carefully because things should be bought to last, 
to not compromise because if I can't afford it I rather not have something to replace it that
 will be just temporary, to have things around that are there for a reason 
(either they remind us a place, people, or they are handmade or absolutely necessary and
beautiful to look at). 
My home is the place where I want to feel well, my peaceful retreat,
a inner and outer work in progress indeed.

* this is not a sponsored post* if you point the mouse on words 
like " bright yellow wallpaper" or "is gone" you go to links.

<a href="httog with 

good habit + another weaving

In winter I tend not to drink much water, instead I found myself indulging on coffee,
 hence I feel de-hydrated.

Now in the morning I put my cast iron kettle on the hob and I boil water 
(a Japanese friend told me the iron of the kettle goes in the water 
and make it softer and the tea taste sweet). 
I use loose organic Sencha tea, it might seems expensive 
but you can pour water twice and in the long run it costs less than ordinary tea-bags.

+

I finished my weaving sample number two. 

I'll make a third one, then I will start from zero and make a small collection.

little DIY

I was a bit a upset after a friend told me that she liked my old rustic cupboard, 
shame for the plastic knob! because the knob wasn't plastic, 
but ceramic and it was more expensive than the cupboard! 

I bought the cupboard seven years ago in a thrift shop called "Bananas" 
which can give you an idea of the sort of place.

I paid £10 for the semi shattered thing and a fortune in F&B paints.

In fact, first it was painted babouche yellow, then elephant breath, 
then again down pipe and finally just white and white will stay until the end of its days.

So, to cut short this post, I made a leather handle and I like it much more now,
it adds a nice detail, a flair of junk modern.
 Unfortunately I cannot find anywhere a nice nut and bolt and 
I'm sure my friend will point out that too! 

;^)

+

More leather handles here and here.

UPDATE 12.02.14 This post is NOT sponsored.

my first weaving sample

I'm learning something completely new to me: weaving (or rag weaving?).

My first sample, undoubtedly full of mistakes.

I have a second hand booklet for the beginner weaver dated 1971, 
the technical vocabulary is a bit daunting. 
Trial and error, guessing and improvising, that's the way I'm learning. 
Like in everything, practice makes the master.

My background is in fine art, more specifically painting. 
I've been struggling to go back to painting in the past 15 years, 
maybe because that's not my media. 

Perhaps I found a new way to express my creativity, 
surely it makes me happy when I do it.

So, this is my first weaving sample.

*on my instagram the wip

shop update

More hot-pads in the shop
New handmade items.
More to come.
Please visit.
Thank you!

*the hotpads are in limited number, this is the last update in these colours.

in my wardrobe

I have quite a pile of un-finished projects. 
One of the resolutions I made last year was to finish any project before I'd start a new one, 
obviously it didn't happen. 
But, I'm definitely trying hard and I finished this pullover before the end of last year.

It's a simplification of this pattern  knitted with Quince and co wool, basically a neck down pattern. 
It's quite bulky and very, very warm. A happy addition to my wardrobe.

Money spent in quality yarns is never wasted.

*update 11/01: in the second image I was trying to do the focus...I like it and I added it here.