Modern furniture sofa designs.

 Modern furniture sofa designs.

Daffodils, Eggs, Spring....and Snow : It Must Be Easter!

Meyer lemon macadamia nut tart

a quiet corner - a glimpse of spring....

spring vegetable risotto with poached eggs

London today is very cold, colder than usual....

in the last hour, we have had both bright sunshine and snow flurries.

I keep wondering why people keep mentioning summer holidays and then I realise it's probably because.....

it's almost April!!!

A fairly quiet Easter week-end for us....

I will be attempting my first roast lunch tomorrow, feeling confident thanks to a recipe from my lovely friend J.

My children are ready for their Easter egg hunt....

tomorrow had better hurry up, I've already had to to replace some of those little eggs once ;) 

Thank you for the response to my "Don't Judge Me, But I've Never...." post, I had some great comments & emails to it....it was a fun list to write :)

Happy Easter week-end to you all XX

Some lovely links to share.....

Jacob Bernstein's wonderful remembrance of his mother Nora Ephron

beautiful Cambridge

such romantic wedding photos

apples galore

the most delicious (& tempting) carrot cake ever?

want to wear fresh flowers in your hair on your wedding day?

what we remember in the end....

I made this delicious sweet potato, kale & sweetcorn chowder last night....thanks Mary!

if this doesn't make you want to go & eat some honey right now, nothing will....

a fabulous West Village brownstone or loft just off Fifth

Modern sofa furniture designs ideas.

Modern sofa furniture designs ideas.

Grey Easter

photo: Bungalow5

via

photo by: Janne Peters    .   photo by: Nicole Franzen

image via Toast    .   image via Pinterest

It's snowing again and outside the world looks grey. 

Wishing you all a happy Easter, hopefully with better weather than what I'm having. 

Trendy Modern Conference Tables You'll Love

Creating a stylish boardroom for your guests and employees is a truly rewarding experience. In fact, this is one of the most complimented areas of any business when designed properly. With the super stylish conference room tables highlighted in today's article your meeting area will be a no shortage of WOW factor!

Mystic Series Conference Table by Lesro Industries

First up, this hot new elliptical conference table by Lesro. For years Lesro Industries has manufactured several of the industries best reception furniture solutions at prices any budget would appreciate. Towards the end of 2012, they shocked the furniture world with the introduction of the Mystic Office Furniture collection. This award winning line features a wide range of modern tables and matching guest chairs sure to impress. Available in a wide variety of surface finishes, the Mystic table line also features metal legs which are incredibly popular right now! Needless to say, this table was an easy pick for today's article!

Metal Base Rectangular Conference Table by OFM

As previously mentioned, the hottest table trend of 2013 is the use of a metal base. This contemporary fad is sweeping boardrooms across the nation. Often, luxury style of this nature can be costly. However, with products like the OFM T3672MB Conference Table they don't have to be! For a plethora of reasons, OFM Furniture has rapidly become one of the industries most trusted modern office furniture brands for their reliable products and incredible style. Units like this sleek metal base conference table are an excellent example of their craftsmanship at work. This affordable table is available in 3 in stock finishes and is incredibly easy to assemble!

Verde VL-869 Conference Table by Cherryman Industries

So you love the look of modern conference furniture but space is limited? Not to worry! With products like this small round conference table from the ever popular Cherryman Industries Verde Furniture line you can maximize your square footage without sacrificing that cutting edge look! The VL-869 Verde Table boasts attractive silver legs with a choice of two coffee inspired surface finishes. In addition to small conference tables Cherryman has included a wide variety of matching office furniture sure to provide an elegant look to your war room. Needless to say Cherryman Industries is definitely a brand that must be considered for any conference room makeover project in 2013.

Junction Boardroom Table Configuration by Global Total Office

Perhaps no brand manufacturers a more extensive selection of modern conference tables than Global Total Office. This top office furniture provider prides themselves on producing cutting edge solutions for every room of the office. Often thought of as an office seating provider, this reputable brand is no slouch when it comes to creating high tech modern boardrooms. With units like this V Shaped Conference Table configuration from the Junction series, interior designers and consumers alike can think outside the box by providing efficient, non conventional furnishings for any meeting space. This Junction Table Configuration is available in both shared leg and freestanding versions to meet the space requirements and budgets of any business. This line of super cool conference tables can also be transformed and broken down easily with it's modular design. In addition, Junction also works well as stand alone or modular training tables for any educational space.

Transaction Series Powered Conference Table by Mayline

No article on trend setting tables would be complete without highlighting a TransAction Series Conference Table from Mayline. This line of powered conference tables has been selling like hotcakes since it's inception in late 2011. If you like high tech, this is the table for you! Available in 3 surface shapes, and with a choice of frame finish and surface finish, this cutting edge conference table gets the job done while looking equally fantastic in the process. As with all Modern Mayline Furniture, the TransAction series ships quickly for those in need of contemporary conference furniture in a hurry. As an added bonus, this line matches several Mayline Casegoods Collections that allow you to further enhance your space with office storage products and presentation aids.

Modern wooden cupboard cabinets designs ideas.

Modern wooden cupboard cabinets designs ideas.

"Don't Judge Me But I've Never...."

read any of the Harry Potter books or seen any of the movies

cooked a roast anything

made a speech

owned my own car

been on a blind date

wanted a sister

(just to clarify, I have 2 brothers!)

visited the Tower of London

seen a horror movie

 read "Fifty Shades of Grey"

been to a ballet class

grown a plant or a flower

had a birthday party since I've been a "grown-up"

learned to operate our DVD recorder

been to a music festival

worn red lipstick

travelled first class

driven anywhere other than in England

passed a Physics exam at school

managed to water-ski

had a boyfriend with blond hair

been to Africa, Asia, Australia or Antartica

had any surgery

climbed a mountain

won a race

liked rhubarb

watched "Mad Men", "The Wire", "The Killing" or "Downton Abbey"

driven on the motorway (freeway/autobahn/autoroute)

been fishing

made pasta singlehandly

visited Disneyland/World

read the entire works of Dickens/The Brontes/Jane Austen  

been to the very top of the Eiffel Tower/Sacre Coeur/Statue of Liberty

entered the "parents race" at my children's Sports Day  

been to Portobello Road

been able to eat lemon-anything without my right eye twitching

had hair that's been below shoulder length

run a marathon or even a half-marathon

achieved 100% in an exam

liked circuses or zoos     

been to Ireland

played in an orchestra

been surfing

had or wanted a tattoo

appeared on television

watched an episode of "Friends" that I haven't laughed or cried at

really understood the workings of my laptop

liked dark chocolate

learned to wire a plug or use a drill 

Want to share your "Don't Judge me But I've Nevers...." :)

This post was totally inspired by the May 2013 issue of my favourite magzine Red which carries a feature of the same name and which made me smile.

Outfit Love

hat via Zara (via my own wardrobe last season!)

Putting an outfit together....

I started with the boots below & then I added other items with a Saturday brunch with girlfriends  in mind.... 

then a browse round Hampstead High Street, followed by tea and cake....

the perfect winter (or March, based on the weather we're having in London right now!) Saturday.... 

tall leather boots

Michelle day dress via hush

or

this soft sweater via Asos

with this gorgeous poncho from Catherine Robinson Cashmere worn over it

plus

soft cotton black leggings via hush

 or

these black biker leggings from F+F at Tesco

Raybans

and finally

black Osprey London across body bag via John Lewis

Olbas : A Hug in A Bath!

Recently I attended an event for mothers-who-blog which focused on children & sleep, particularly during this time of year when coughs & cold are prevalent.

We met lovely, knowledgeable & eminently sensible sleep expert & paediatric nurse Kathleen McGrath who talked at length about the importance of a good night's sleep for everyone.

She specifically explained how to deal with children who are congested or unwell, suffering from coughs or colds.

Her tips for congestion before bedtime :

* make sure your child drinks plenty of cold fluids before going to sleep

* don't let them get overheated, cotton nightclothes are best

* make sure the room is well ventilated

* put a natural decongestant on the child's pillow or baby's bedsheet

*if possible, raise the head slightly higher than the rest of the body in order to make it easier to breathe whilst sleeping

The better they sleep and more rest they get, the quicker the child tends to recover.

I have been familiar with Olbas for years, my mother swears by it & I had already used it when my children were young.

So I was very happy when we left the event with a bag full of Olbas products.

My children have always been pretty good sleepers & are exceptionally healthy - 

when my son was suffering from tonsilitis recently & we had to visit our doctor, the doctor informed us that the last time he saw my son was 4 years ago!!

But, the last 5 weeks has been non-stop coughs/colds/sore throats....

and yes, sleepless nights.

As most mothers know, if your children are sick, you get less sleep....

and often, you eventually succumb to coughs & colds yourself.

I thought I had managed to avoid the bugs & germs this winter but this past 10 days my son & I seem to be swapping germs, sniffling our way through the days & nights.

Olbas contains a combination of essential pure plant oils, such as eucalyptus, mint, clove, juniper berry and cajuput.

I have always used the Inhalant Decongestant Oil for myself and Olbas have now introduced a Children's Decongestant Oil which can be used from age 3 months upwards.

My absolute favourite product though is the Olbas Bath....

a gorgeously green warming bath product which you pour into a hot bath.

It is perfect for children, clearing their heads and noses and leaving a gentle scent on their skin which eases their breathing at night-time.

I have to confess to loving the Olbas Bath so much that I have been known to use it even when I've been 100% healthy, there's something so warm & comforting about it.

And the last few weeks, when we have all been under the weather, I have honestly been beyond thankful for all the products and can't recommend them enough.

Unless absolutely necessary, I try to avoid taking medicines & Olbas with its gentle essential oils is perfect. 

Below is a "sleep tips" video from Kathleen McGrath from the day.

  

I was given Olbas products at this event, but all views are completely my own and I have tried all the products myself....several times ;)

    

Inspiration for small bathrooms

Since people seem to become more and more interested in smaller homes, whether for downsizing reasons, keeping utility costs low, etc., it's also becoming important to decorate your space in a way that maximizes your square footage.  As my fiance and I are looking at homes, all of which are teeny tiny (about 2 bedroom, and 1 full bath), we've noticed clever ways some people are putting all the amenities of a full bath into what was traditionally the powder room.  These small, full-amenity baths, or Cloakroom suites, as they're referred to in the UK have become an increasingly popular bathroom trend in recent years, with more and more people keen to create a smaller second bathroom.

Keep in mind it's not actually light colors that make a space look larger - it's a lack of contrast that keeps a space looking airy...

There are a number of techniques available to ensure that you do not have to sacrifice the luxuriousness of your bathroom due to the lack of space on offer. Many of these choices revolve around bathing options, with shower baths a particularly popular option for those with a smaller bathroom.

A shower bath ensures that every bathing option remains available to you, while freeing up enough space in the suite for other essentials such as the toilet and a bathroom basin. There are several different choices of shower baths available, meaning you can be sure that your shower bath matches the overall style of your bathroom suite.

This tub is narrow, but deep (which I think is actually better than the shallow, wide tub most of us have...), and it saves space!

I am an avid bath taker, so I can't imagine only having a shower.  Even if it meant my toilet would only have an inch between the sides of it and the sides of the tub!

If you are planning on a small downstairs bathroom, cloakroom suites could be the ideal choice. A cloakroom suite is a bathroom significantly reduced in size, usually containing only the absolute essentials. While you would not usually include any form of bathing option in a cloakroom suite, they can ensure that your main bathroom is left free, ideal for busy households where several people live together.

A cloakroom suite is also ideal if you often have guests over, providing them with access to a bathroom without the need for them to feel like they are intruding by venturing upstairs. Cloakroom suites are therefore the ideal accompaniment to your main bathroom, with many extremely helpful functions.

Not only does this small bathroom have a shower, it also has a mini soaking tub!

In addition to a shower bath, a corner bath can also help to save a great deal of space within a bathroom. By dedicating your bath to a single corner of the bathroom, a significant amount of space is saved and can be filled with additional bathroom necessities. As with shower baths, these corner baths come in a range of different styles and designs, meaning the overall theme of your bathroom will not be impacted.

Bathroom furniture can also help to create the illusion of space and prevent your bathroom from appearing cluttered and untidy. As well as covering up unsightly pipework which may be present, this bathroom furniture also creates a great deal of additional storage space. This can be used to store deodorants, shower gel, makeup and the various other items which are traditionally stored within the bathroom.

Wall hung toilets are another way to maximise the space in the bathroom, especially when combined with the above recommendations. With these aforementioned techniques and many more, it is no wonder that the popularity of small bathrooms continues to expand. Whether you are replacing a small bathroom or are contemplating the creation of a cloakroom suite, there are a number of trends which can be employed to ensure that the result is not only functional, but extremely aesthetically pleasing.

1,2,3,6 Houzz, 4,5 Fresh Home

disclosure: this post in partnership with screwfixbathrooms.com