Hunker Down and Cosy Up

NEWS: These past few months I've got to know my sofa quite well. Mainly because I've been sitting on it for increasing periods of time. My recent inactivity has been brought on by a new and fantastic occurrence...I'm four months pregnant! My husband and I are both beyond excited about becoming parents. It will be, and has already been, a massive learning curve but we're ready for it :)

As amazing as this life changing news is, it has brought on a tremendous amount of morning sickness - I don't think I ever fully appreciated how debilitating morning sickness can be. I take my hat off to all the mammas out there. I think I am past the worst of it, thank goodness, so now I want to get to the crazy nesting and obsessive planning stage. Any tips on preparing for motherhood are most certainly welcome!

It has been a while since I graced these pages with my presence. I do apologise. As I've said before, I cannot guarantee I'll be back here with a regular schedule but I do intend to continue posting as and when I can. 

Right, let's get down to business and talk some interiors...

I love making my home as cosy as it possibly can be; especially when the weather is as cold as it has been recently. Goodness me, did someone say fluffy slipper socks?! I, for one, have definitely been living in mine. To help me snuggle down sofasofa.com kindly contributed to my cushion collection. My obsession with grey is still as strong as ever, and so their Cleo cushions in pewter were the perfect addition to my sofa party. 

sofasofa.com Cleo cushions in Pewter

The cushions are extremely plump and supportive as well as being a good quality. I feel that the thick, ribbed material makes them hard wearing so they wont be looking sorry for themselves any time soon, especially considering my current overuse of them.

Hands up, who'll be running round picking up last minute Christmas presents this weekend. I'm very nearly finished but I certainly have a lot of wrapping to do. 

If I don't manage to head back here before the big day, may I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year!

Claire x

Sofasofa.com kindly supplied the cushions featured in this post for review purposes. All thoughts are my own. 

Croatia Photo Diary

We've been home for over a week and slowly getting back into the swing of things at our respective workplaces. Our holiday provided the most perfect time to relax and unwind, so much so that it has taken me a little longer than usual to get my head back into gear. 

This holiday was very last minute for us but it turned out to be just what we wanted. Lots of time to chill out and dip into the beautiful Adriatic Sea, delicious food and drink, kind and friendly locals and hotel staff and stunning surroundings with the opportunity to explore as much or as little as we wanted. Ah, typing about it is sending me into a holiday dream-like daze. Anyway, I wanted to share a snippet of photographs from our time away in Croatia. I say 'snippet' but I'll let you be the judge of that after you've scrolled down for 10 minutes ;)

I love getting inspiration and a feel for someone else's holiday so I hope that you enjoy this post and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask away in the comments section below. 

Beautiful sandy beach with crystal clear waters

An afternoon wine tasting // A little blue boat bobbing along // Sunrise

Cute little boat and a gorgeous sunset

Koločep port by sunset

Palm trees & pink blooms // Green succulent-like bush //
A sweet cacti & succulent garden

Stradun in Dubrovnik Old Town by day

Bell tower in Dubrovnik monastery

Dubrovnik Old Town

Dubrovnik coastline

Stradun in Dubrovnik's Old Town by night

Locally caught fish (it's name sounded something like Loca) //
Black & white cuttlefish risotto // Tomato & mozzarella salad //
Sea bass // Bruschetta

Island life

Have you enjoyed your summer holiday yet or have you got one planned for the future? Where are you going or where have you been? Have you ever tried Croatia?

Claire x

#WeBlogMCR - The Foundation Coffee House Meet

It took me just over a year to decide that I wanted to write my own blog. I caught blog-fever whilst planning my wedding, as I devoured a wealth of wedding blogs on a daily basis. Eventually I had had enough, I wanted in. My own special little place on the internet where I was free to be creative, share things that I love and build on my passion for interiors. One particular aspect that I wasn't really expecting but has taken me pleasantly by surprise is the blogging community. There are so many lovely people, all kind and willing to help each other out. It really is fab. If you are thinking of starting a blog, my advice is do it! 

One perfect example of the blogging community at its best is #WeBlogMCR. These Manchester-based blogger events are ran by Holly (Holly Goes Lightly and Dribble) who is the loveliest hostess, she makes everybody feel welcome, sets a really relaxed vibe for the event to run by and even brings prizes! I went to the first meet up a whole year ago and attended the third meet up this past week. Last Thursday evening saw me turn up to The Foundation Coffee House on Lever Street in the Northern Quarter of Manchester. If you're around the area and in need of coffee then you should definitely try it. The staff are delightfully friendly, my first ever matcha latte was scrumptious and the interior is a complimentary mix of industrial-cool and vintage charm. 

Holly said a few welcoming words and we soon got stuck in to the far-reaching realms of blogging and all its wonders. The group comprised of fashion, beauty, health and lifestyle bloggers all happily sharing tips, troubles and goals whilst snapping pics of our location, drinks and nibbles. The Foundation Coffee House was kind enough not only to supply the space (after their usual opening hours) but also provided espresso martinis and a super healthy juice shots. Yum. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and getting to make some new blogging friends, as well as catch up with some old ones too. Make sure you scroll down and take some time to have a look at their links. Once again a massive thanks to Holly who put this all together whilst heavily pregnant! Absolute star :)

Matcha latte // espresso martini // skin juice boost

Great little styling details like the table leg and shelves

Scandi-inspired interiors

Hexagon tiles // subway tiles

Dromomania
Kat Horrocks
Oui Stephanie
Radiance Nutrition
Sarah Jane Jackson
EmmyLou Kelly Photography
SpamellaB
Smile At Style
Greedy Sisters

Claire x

Happy 'hot-cross bun' Easter

My first ever job was working in a market bakery on a Saturday. Lugging food-laden trays onto shelves, cleaning out store fridges, meeting and greeting the eclectic mix of market-goers. It was hard work but lots of fun. One of the perks was sampling the products. The delicious fresh-out-of-the-oven hot-cross buns were by far one of my favourites to devour on my break. They were delicious! 

Even though the bakery has long gone, I'll still make sure that we have a stock of hot-cross buns over the Easter period. Happy Easter!

Do you have any fond Easter memories? Or tales from your first job? 

Claire x

Five Years in Our First Home

We recently celebrated our fifth year in our house. Goodness me, how those years have flown by and so much has happened! We got married; went on the honeymoon of a lifetime; expanded our family with the additions of our cat Bella and our puppy Luna; changed jobs; decorated *almost* every room in the house; attempted to tackle the garden; had parties, BBQs and duvet days; had our share of DIY disasters and successes, the list goes on. Our home is far from perfect but it's just that, our home, and I love it.

Number 21 - our red brick Victorian terrace house

We were fortunate enough to be able to buy our first home at a fairly young age. I was 22, fresh out of university and eager to set down roots after living in three different cities in as many years. We found our perfect first-time-buyers home pretty quickly and fell in love with the location and the feel of the house. I can still remember viewing it for the first time and how we were both unable to hide the massive grins on our faces. We knew straight away that this was where we wanted to be. 

When you take on a house for the first time you don't quite realise what you're letting yourself in for. As much as you can prepare for all the 'what-ifs' you will never be ready for every eventuality. With that in mind I thought I'd share my top five tips for first-time buyers:

1. Live and learn - if possible you should try and live with the house as it is before making decisions about decorating. This way you gain insight into how you use the space and what you want and need from it. 
2. You can't do everything at once - plan, prioritise and save.
3. Take the rough with the smooth - things will inevitably and unfortunately break and go wrong. Keep calm and put the kettle on before panicking. 
4. Call on as many favours as possible - plumbing or plastering friend? It's time to give them a call.
5. Leave the hallway to last - this is advice that we will heed in every future house that we own. The hallway takes the brunt of the knocks and scrapes as you decorate the rest of the house. Don't put your time and energy into decorating an area which will get damaged.

What are your top tips for first-time-buyers? 

Claire x

Onwards and Upwards

Hello and happy Monday to you! 

Gosh, I've not written a blog post for about three weeks. There's no real reason. As much as I would love to have a fixed schedule and post several times a week, it's not always a viable option. So I do apologise for it being a bit quiet on these pages recently. I'm unsure how the majority of you 'follow' my blog but just to let you know that you can use Bloglovin' to keep up with my sporadic posts ;)

The biggest change around here is that I've started a new job. Last week was my first week and it went really well. I'd been at my previous job for four and a half years, so it really is quite a big change for me. I'm feeling very positive about it and hope that this feeling continues. 

I was very touched by the lovely cards and gifts that I received - how gorgeous are those roses?!

How did you feel when you started a new job? Do you have any tips on how to make the transition into a new office?

Claire x

Our Pup, Zara

I recently mentioned how 2014 was the year we said goodbye to our two year old dog, Zara but I didn't go into much detail, apart from this post which only told half of the story. I finally decided that it's time to open up a little bit and let you know more about what happened. 

Zara showing off her best puppy dog eyes

We weren't ready to say goodbye but unfortunately the world isn't always a kind place. 2nd June 2014 was one of the worst days of my life.  It was supposed to be a day full of happiness as my husband and I celebrated two years of marriage.  Instead we had to drive to Leahurst Campus at The University of Liverpool to see our beautiful English Springer Spaniel, Zara for the last time.

I previously posted about Zara here when we honestly thought she was on the road to recovery and we were through the worst but sadly we were wrong.  Zara ended up having several seizures caused by bleeding on the brain.  No one could tell us why she was bleeding on the brain but it could have had something to do with the clotting problem, which surfaced when we had her spayed. The bleeding could not be stopped and she deteriorated rapidly, to the point where she could no longer stand without the help of a sling. When we walked into the veterinary room she was still wagging her tail and over the moon to see us but it was obvious, even before the vets told us, that she was not going to recover.  Every bone in my body did not want to make that decision but we had to do what was best for Zara. The vets allowed us to take some time to say goodbye and she slipped away peacefully as we stroked her and held her tight. It was so hard to let go. 

Puppy Zara / Springer Zara / Muddy Zara / Loyal Zara

The untimely loss of our beloved Zara hit my husband and I extremely hard and is something that we still have to battle with every day. I never really had pets growing up and so nothing could have prepared me for the feeling of loss and helplessness that followed and overwhelmed me on a daily basis. I could just about hold it together at work and thankfully my close friends had pre-warned everyone in the office not to talk to me about Zara. This definitely helped as I was able to get on with my day-to-day job and talk about Zara as and when I felt up to it.  Some days were, and still are, harder than others.

It took us about 4 weeks to decide that we could not go on without introducing a new dog into our lives.  We are dog (and cat) people and coming home to an empty house was turning out to be the worst part of our day.  Your home should be your sanctuary and where you feel happiest and safe.  Without Zara our home felt empty and actually depressing. I was used to opening our front door to be welcomed by the happiest of pooches as she bounded up to me until I paid her some attention.  I've come to realise that this kind of welcome cannot be replicated in anyway by humans. It just can't. 

We started looking for a new puppy and quickly fell in love with little Luna the Springer Spaniel-cross-Poodle who joined our family in July.  She is an absolute delight and is just what we needed after several months of uncertainty and pain. If people tell you to wait before getting another pet, my advice is do not listen to them. Pets bring so much joy and if they can help heal a broken heart then that is only a good thing in my book. 

Luna at 3 months - our fluff ball

Zara was only in our lives for two short years but she was the best companion we could have ever asked for and as close to a child as my husband and I have had together. We loved her so much and we're grateful for all the fantastic memories she gave us. The unconditional love that dogs show is so special and I'm sure all you dog lovers out there will agree. Z will forever be in our hearts. 

Thanks for reading.

Claire x

February

Hello and welcome to February!
January always seems to whiz by for me. The first month of 2015, in particular, seems to have left me feeling a little bit cheated due to feeling under the weather for a large portion of it. I'm counting on February for more high quality doses of inspiration and, who knows, maybe I'll have chance to think about starting to tackle my Home Goals to-do list. 

Here's a mini round up of some of my favourite blogger's posts from the past month:

A must-try vegan cheesecake RECIPE from Arianna's Daily
Black, white, pink and grey ROOM inspiration over at The Decorista
Origami obsessed thanks to this DIY from Design Sponge
Getting the feel for some Illamasqua MAKE-UP with In The Frow
Great BLOG and branding tips from Cat Crawford Blog

Do you have any plans for February? Has your 2015 got off to a good start?

Claire x

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Beat The Blues

This week has been my first full week back at work since before Christmas and it has not been easy. January can be a tough one to get right so I think it's important to try and plan various fun things to do to help us glide through the month instead of struggle. 

Luna graduated from puppy class last year and we've got her first dog training class in the 'Novice' group on Wednesday. I'm a very proud Mum. Then at the weekend we're going to a restaurant we haven't been to before with friends. Simple pleasures!

A recent January sunset at Happy Little Places HQ

One of my favourite things to do with spare time is catch up on my favourite blogs. Here's a selection of inspiring blog links to get you going this January:

Natural light PHOTOGRAPHY tips from A Beautiful Mess.
An annual DECORATING report from Simply The Nest.
A delicious looking and healthy Shepherd's Pie RECIPE over at Stefanie Grace.
A beautifully calming BEDROOM before and after from Stylizimo. 

What plans have you made to beat the January blues? 

Claire x

Home Goals

As well as sharing my general plans for 2015 here, I thought you might be interested to read my plans for our home this New Year. 

Our hallway when it's seen better days (and light!)

Decorate the bathroom: I've mentioned previously how I've been feeling the need to decorate our bathroom and hopefully this will be the year that we get round to it. I want to say goodbye to the current pastel yellow and hello to something crisp and clean. I've been gathering inspiration on Pinterest, if you'd like to take a look.

Touch-up the hallway: I love our hallway. From the dark grey carpet on the stairs, to the light fittings and the radiator covers to the art on the walls. I think it is a great welcome to our home and accurately sets the tone for the rest of our house. However, it's been looking a little bit sad due to wear and tear. I guess that's the trouble with high-traffic areas like hallways. If you're planning on decorating a hallway, then make sure you go for a tough, hard wearing paint. Lecture over ;)

Sand and repaint kitchen cabinets: Our kitchen cabinets are a country-esque cream colour but over time they've become discoloured and cracked in places. They need some TLC. I think we will be able to get away with sanding and repainting them but if not then we might have to look into replacing the doors altogether. This will be a spring/summer job because we will need to do the sanding outdoors. 

Repair kitchen sink: Our kitchen and utility room boast Belfast sinks and I think they look fabulous, but a disaster recently struck one of them. Unfortunately a mystery chip has appeared on the rim of the kitchen sink. I actually nearly fainted* when I spotted it. Thankfully, after a little research I found that there are DIY repair kits, so I shall be giving this a go in the near future. Fingers crossed!

Repaint the outside of the house: We live in a typical Victorian red brick terrace and it's stone masonry is painted an off-white colour. It needs a fresh lick of paint to get rid of flakes, marks and paw prints (thanks, Bella!). This is going to be another warmer weather job. 

Decorate the utility room: The utility room at the back of our kitchen will be the last stronghold of the dreaded pastel yellow. This room requires a very hard wearing paint, as it's the first room we enter after walking our puppy. She is quite often wet and/or muddy so the walls are constantly getting wiped down. I'm yet to feel inspired about how to approach decorating the space so expect lots of new pins on my Pinterest boards in the near future. 

Plant a herb garden: I've already planted some Mint (don't worry gardeners, it's in a container and so won't take over my whole garden) and when the frost stops I'll be adding some Rosemary, Basil and Thyme. The wall baskets are just outside our kitchen door and so will be the perfect spot for us to nip out to when cooking. 

Well, I think that's about everything. Other bits and bobs may creep onto this list over the coming year and we may end up deprioritising some of the above tasks depending on time and money. I'm excited to get stuck in and of course I'll be sharing updates as often as I can. 

What are your decorating plans for the New Year? How do you prioritise what to do first?

Claire x

*slight exaggeration

Do

We've said our goodbyes to 2014 and it certainly wasn't an easy year to say goodbye to as there were plenty of ups and downs. Everyday my husband and I still feel the heartbreaking void left behind by our beloved Springer Spaniel, Zara. She was a huge part of our lives and to have her taken from us in such a traumatic way means that it will take us time to recover. Our new addition, little Luna the eight month old Springer-cross-Poodle puppy, has certainly helped and she brings a much needed ray of sunshine into our lives on a daily basis. I share more photos and glimpses into Happy Little Places HQ on Instagram (including puppy and kitty pictures) if you'd like to follow along.

I've never really made New Year's resolutions but here are a few things I'd like to try and do in 2015.

Mid-Christmas and New Year walk

Bake more: I used to bake semi-regularly and liked to try new recipes but this past year saw a noticeable lack of baking. I managed to make some mince pies in time for Christmas and a couple of banana breads here and there, but nothing new and nothing to write home about. If you have any uncomplicated and yummy recipes, please send them my way - remember I'm a baking novice ;)

Not worry so much about cleaning and tidying: I think it's perfectly normal to want your house to be as clean and tidy as possible. However, I apparently take this to another level and have genuine anxiety about maintaining a certain standard. Having pets has certainly helped me to understand that everywhere cannot be perfect all the time but I know I still have a way to go. Luna likes to pull all the stuffing out of her toys and generally create mess throughout the house. My husband would appreciate it if I managed to calm down the crazy cleaning lady in me. One solution that I have proposed is that we hire a cleaner, although I'm yet to win him over to this idea.

Invite people round for food more often: The meals don't have to be complicated or dinner party standard, just simple, tasty and good for sharing. Sitting round a table with family and friends is one of life's pleasures and is something we haven't done enough of this past year. Again, meal ideas are always welcome.

Move more, eat less sugar: I'm not one for diets and I'm certainly no gym bunny but I do eat fairly healthily and I get some exercise from walking aforementioned puppy. I know this is not enough and I hope to improve on this steadily throughout 2015. After Christmas and a whole month or more of overindulgence I need to step away from the chocolate bars and back towards the fruit bowl. 

What do you plan on doing in 2015? Have you set yourself goals? If you have any tips on achieving and maintaining any of the above, please get in touch through the comments below or through Twitter @happylilplaces.

Claire x

Received

I thought I'd quickly share a little selection of the gratefully received gifts that I found under my Christmas tree this year:

'it' by Alexa Chung so that I can channel my inner cool-girl, plus its dusky pink cover looks great on my bedside table; x2 little glass jars with birdie toppers which are super cute and will no doubt continue to pop up in my future #shelfies; the Remington Keratin Therapy Pro Dryer so I can at least try to get a little closer to the perfect blow out; Sigma Beauty Tapered Blending Brush E40 which will help me cover the dark circles as I recover from a season of overindulgence; a snuggly mink-coloured dressing gown to keep me warm through the winter nights; ESPA Body Lotion and Body Wash in a heavenly scent of Lemon, Ylang Ylang and Crushed Tonka Beans; and a galleried mirror tray to perfectly display my perfume collection. 

Huge thanks to my friends and family for my beautiful gifts :)
What lovely things did you discover in your stocking? 

Claire x

Greek Photo Meze

I'm back and ready to blog. First off, a little glimpse into our recent Greek escape...

Our Greek holiday was abso-blummin-lutely fantastic. It was the perfect combination of relaxation, exploring and of course eating and drinking far too much. Who can resist delicious Greek olives, dips, seafood and lots of lamb? And, of course, all washed down with a glass or two of wine. 

It's pretty late to head to Greece for a 'summer' holiday but the locals seemed to agree that September-October is the best time to visit (although October is more of a risk with the weather but we were very lucky and had sunshine every day). This time of year means that you miss the crazy tourist crowds, the almost unbearable heat and there are not as many kids as there would be usually (sorry to all the parents out there!) We definitely recommend it. 

Here are a few pics I wanted to share. If you have any questions, then please feel free to comment away:

Anti Paxos

Favourite Taverna with a killer view - stunning sky - Greek house

Rainbow sunset

Yummy greek salad - Freshly caught Sea Bream

Valtos Beach

Pretty Greek flowers (I don't know their names, sorry!)

Exploring the Citadel 

Sunset on our last night

Thank you for stopping by. I'm hoping to write up my visit to Tuscany soon so be sure to head back here for more holiday inspiration.

Claire x

Off I Pop

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I am a super lucky girl and actually get to go on holiday again on Sunday. My husband and I are extremely excited about our week-long break to Greece. We want to catch that last bit of sun before the pre-Christmas slog. 

This week has been quite a busy one and I've not had chance to sit down and blog. I want to fix a better routine upon my return. 

Here are a few blog links that I've enjoyed reading recently, maybe pop on over?

Everyday BEAUTY with In The Frow
Sardinian WANDERLUST with Arianna's Daily
Autumn FASHION with Rock My Style
Perfect INTERIORS palette with Dear Designer

Do you have any saved blog posts that you just want to share? 

Claire x

Ciao For Now

I'm off to Siena with my two besties for a few days of food, culture, relaxation, food, wine, sunshine oh and erm more food. I lived in Siena for about a year whilst at Uni and so it holds some super special memories for me. I cannot wait to get back there. I will probably be posting some pics on Instagram if you want to follow along. 

See you on the other side!

Claire x

Escape Button

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We've finally booked our holiday.  I cannot wait for new adventures and the memories we will make.  

Happy Friday!

Claire x

One Whole Year

Today I am patting myself on the back...I've completed one whole year of blogging here at Happy Little Places.  Yay!

I am pretty proud of this milestone because it really does take a lot of dedication to keep up with a blog. (This is something I didn't quite realise whilst sitting on the other side of a laptop screen.)  I have thoroughly enjoyed coming up with content for these pages and I hope you've enjoyed reading them.  Whether you're a new reader or someone who may have followed from the first post, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
  

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I am really pleased with the opportunities blogging has presented to me.  I hope that this momentum continues.  Onwards and upwards, as they say :-)

Cheers, everyone!

Claire x

One Pic Wednesday

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There's something about the English Summertime that transports me back to my childhood.  The infinitely long school holidays, complaining of boredom to our Mum on the rainy days but most of all being outside as much as possible.  As an adult I have restrictions that prevent me from living my outdoors-everyday dream, especially considering I work in an office block, but I want to enjoy our garden and outside space as much as possible whilst the sun keeps his hat on.  We're hoping to give it a little spruce up as extra encouragement. The above picture seems like a perfect spot to sit and reminisce.  We've got quite a few trees at the back of our little garden plot, perhaps we could add a swing?  

Thanks for stopping by!

Claire x

Cloudy

It's been a little cloudy lately.  

Have a good Friday.

Claire x

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two years

Two years ago today was a very good day.  

Claire x