Lots of folks REALLY struggle with Winter, have SAD, and find the darkness and cold, claustrophobic and depressing. And if this is you, I'm sorry, I know how that feels. If you hate winter in a country with long winters, it means you're spending most of every year feeling really depressed and miserable, and life is too short! I just don't want that for you. So today I'm going be talking about embracing winter and styling for winter, all focused on how to enjoy this season, and how our homes are key.

I bloody love Winter. I didn’t used too, But I treat it like a hug, so it feels like one. Lots of time in bed resting and journalling and planning. Or pottering around the house doing gentle decluttering jobs. Which inspired me to create this list!

It combines decluttering and my bed which is such a beautiful union I nearly wept.

In January 2021 we began a static caravan renovation with our friends. We bought it for the grand sum of… £150. It was a wreck.

Why a wreck of a caravan?

We’d been given notice on our rental home a few months prior and were stuck. Rental prices were high, and at that point work had dried up for us both.

Ad: For our anniversary last month, we ate a special dinner here under the oak trees. The flowers are actually made from paper and created by me! I know, I can’t believe it either! The paper flowers are part of the Canon Creative Park website which has loads of DIY printable projects.

My third podcast episode is now out!

It’s about all things DOWNSIZING. And I mean that in a home sense moving to a smaller home, and also as a way of thinking too- downsizing your possessions. First I’m going to share out story about how we radically downsized as a family of 4, then I’m going to talk about downsizing as a way of thinking. You can listen below, keynotes underneath.

This post is about the design of the cabin.

The brief was to create luxe guest accommodations for the clients friends and family. It needed to make the most of it’s glorious location and views; and connect deeply to the landscape around it.  I kept a relatively neutral base colour palette but had fun with the accent colours and patterns. Where possible materials also needed to be recycled, or made using eco methods and materials.

Next in the series of static caravan makeovers is the bedroom. This was the only room that we didn’t move any walls in. It still needed to be taken back to the joists!

My second podcast episode is out! Today I am talking KITCHENS, one of my favourite topics! Because the kitchen is the heart of the home! ❤️❤️

It truly is, and what happens in the kitchen tends to set the tone for the rest of the home. So it really pays to make sure that heart is ticking over nicely. It’s an episode of 2 halves. The first half deals with clutter and kitchen surfaces, and the second is all about joy and beauty; the styling and decor. (Links to podcast and key written notes inside)

The original plan was to simply replace the doors and worktops and tart the old girl up. But, as explained in the intro post, the floor rot was more advanced than we realised so we ended up completely gutting it and starting again.

I teach decluttering. I live decluttering. I love decluttering. I also read a lot about decluttering and there are a few areas that are just not talked about enough, in my opinion. So I wanted to lift the lid a little bit on the decluttering industry and on some messages that quite frankly wind me right up. 

9 months ago, we downsized from a large 3 bedroom home into a much smaller space . It’s been….life-changing. In our smaller space we have encountered some downsides, don’t get me wrong, but there are so many positive things to take from living in this way. It’s absolutely no secret that I love living a clutter-free life, and living small has turbo-charged it.

Making your own Crackers is surprisingly simple and lovely. We have made crackers for the last few years. It’s sweet to write your own jokes (ours are usually entirely poo based for our children) and add your own chocolate or tiny gift.