High Tea

Just been given 4 of these tea cups, saucers and side plates - vintage china I think. Will come in handy for tea parties which are becoming more regular since we moved within walking distance to Ayres the Bakers. Their cakes are delicious and tea always tastes better in a china teacup

I've got quite a mixture of vintage tea sets now, have had this teapot and two cups for a while, really love it

And this lovely find that featured on an earlier blog

Of course any self respecting tea party also needs a cake stand. Have this vintage one

Oliver Bonas have done a similar really nice one for around £30 but definitely possible to find one cheaper in a charity shop

These vintage plates are from notonthehighstreet.com for about £24.

Love the detail on this cup

And the peach colour on this art deco one

Both from http://www.notonthehighstreet.com

Frame It

Been a bit frame obsessed lately. This is the front of a photo album we have - want to recreate the mixture of frames on our walls

Love the look of lots of differently sized frames jumbled up like this




These images are from brilliant interiors site.. www.designsponge.com

And the one below is found at a site for art work and posters, mylifescoop.com

Problem is I am a bit chicken when it comes to drilling holes in walls. First there's the inner/outer wall thing to consider. Then what if you change your mind and want to reposition things. So - I reckon it's safer just to stack frames onto shelves like we have done.. for now

My sister has done a similar thing with lots of frames on shelves in her hallway..

This frame was bought by a close friend of mine, love that it has a mixture of images

As was this distressed one which goes brilliantly in the cottage

Have also stacked a few frames on the bookshelf and used place holders to hold up some pictures I haven't yet got frames for..

Will have to buy loads of frames for the collection of photos and pics I've currently got stuck up on the wall in our spare room

Spanglish

About an hour from Girona is a lovely coastal town called Palafrugell where I found some nice cottagy finds last week to use as inspiration back in Nunhead











Love these vintage lamps..

The Soho House in LA is full of lampshades likes these..

This old vintage style kettle would look very at home in ours.


















Perhaps some things, like this old fire and a checked curtain instead of a kitchen unit only really 'go' in Spanish houses. But I like the idea of bringing them back to the UK..

Started collecting vintage bottles like this one. Will make great wedding props..

Light up, light up

Have become a bit lighting obsessed over the last few days and as well as putting in a few new lights at the cottage (well my pa put them in) I've also purchased a few lanterns.. .

Found these on brilliant internet site notonthehighstreet.com, think the one below was about £4.50

Love both of these too

We've finally changed the light in the dining room and made it a hang quite low over the table. It's a blue and cream ceramic 60s Habitat light and the flex is one my dad found online. .














And here's the light my mum found in a skip many moons ago. Just found a home in the kitchen

One more lantern

Found this in a shop called Tiger my folks have been raving on about in Lewisham, for £3. If the cottage is all lanterned out pretty soon these will all make pretty nice wedding props.

Snow go

We have been (sort of) enjoying the snow London's had over the past week. It's been light enough to be idyllic rather than a nuisance.
This was Peckham Rye park last Sunday






A snow view of the cottage

Nunhead cemetery yesterday

These pics were taken with my new fav app instagram but more on that in the next blog!

It's been a busy weekend of dancing and socialising - so not much DIY has been done! In fact none at all!

But we did get to jive at the beautiful Rivoli ballroom in Brockley instead with some stellar and brave mates of ours

http://rivolilondon.com/features.html

We finally went to No67, the cafe at the South London Gallery for their v.tasty breakfast. The place is following the latest, rather annoying, trend of not allowing bookings and we had a bit of a wait but it was worthwhile. They serve brunch until 3pm and the Spanglish is with chorizo and morcilla - Spanish black pudding











www.southlondongallery.org/


I fitted in a trip to the Riding House Cafe this weekend (no wonder it was DIY-less). The place is lovely (you can book a table) - they have those lovely white metro tiles a la soho house everywhere. I am now resolved to have them in our downstairs bathroom though getting that done could take a while... watch this space

http://www.ridinghousecafe.co.uk/

I found a free bootcamp in Peckham Rye. There is one in Dulwich Park on Sundays that charges a fiver.. still pretty good going. After going to a bootcamp on Monday in London Bridge that nearly killed me I may stay local from now on...

www.AHM-Go.com

My new nickname is aunty Fish

My folks have been banging on about Gurnard for a while now and since I've accepted that they are very early adopters of popular trends - they recommended The Killing months before the world became obsessed with Danish TV shows - I thought it was time to try it.


Turns out you have to get to Nunhead's super impressive fishmonger F.C Soper early doors to get it

A heavy Friday night and a later than usual start to Saturday meant we missed the boat on the Gurnard so we went for sardines instead

There's always a bit of a battle in the house between Davy & Jamie. I tend to side with Oliver & today I won out so we are making his sardines, pine nuts and raisin pasta











The cottage is struggling a great deal with the current Arctic temperatures and the snow is set to hit tonight so we are enjoying the daffs while we can!

The fire is lit and we've thrown some thyme on it so the room is filled with a lovely earthy smell

Despite that and the heating at maximum it is still completely baltic as the Northern Irish would say. .


See what the celeb chefs have to say about Gurnard - the ugly fish that makes a tasty dish

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/ugly-fish-tasty-dish-chefs-extol-the-sustainable-virtues-of-the-gurnard-912331.html

Check out Nunhead's amazing fishmongers - the envy of neighbouring postcodes..

http://www.fcsoper.com/

Nice things my mum found

As I've mentioned before my mum fancies herself as a bit of a interior designer - in our family we think this is simply an excuse she uses to be a chronic hoarder.


But I have to admit that some of her most beautiful and charming finds are now filling our cabinets and adorning our walls




My fav by far is this beautiful teacup and the coffee set - both bargain basement charity shop finds

Some other nice things my mum found..

This vintage clock

these heart shape decorations for the wedding...

I love this hand embroidered tablecloth - a great find at £4

And this Moroccan teacup from the family hoard. .

Bunch of fresh mint + Chinese green Gunpowder tea + lots of sugar lumps. Makes the perfect cup of Moroccan tea...