Nifty and Thrifty

Here is my very own homemade dry wipe board, whiteboard pens can be used to make notes and then wiped away!
A pretty simple way to create something useful and you can pick the frame and fabric yourself.

I already have my list of Love Lemon orders on there!
I do love anything that keeps me organised.

Love Lemon x

Moving to the country gonna eat a lot of peaches.....

It's nearly a month now since me and my family moved from London to the Suffolk countryside so I thought it a good time to write an update of how country living is going.

It still feels strange knowing that we are in the middle of countryside, that I can't just get on a bus, train or tube and be anywhere in London. But it's a calmer, more relaxed way to live and I like it a lot. Ten or even five years ago I don't think I would have felt that way but it's the right time to be here.

There have been days when the street we live in has looked as though everyone has left the area but then other days when there are kids on bikes and people washing cars and it feels safe and nice.

I like that when we drive to another village or town or even to the beach there is no traffic. Gone are the stressful journeys when we used to wish we had never left the house! I like smiling and saying hello to people – in London I would do it anyway (sometimes) and get mixed reactions but here it's always the same smile or hello back.

Most of all, I like the way my family can relax here and enjoy the space we have. The move has opened up opportunities and generally made us think about what we want as a family and individually.

I have been back to London since for a weekend and had a Saturday night out in Soho like the old days and I did enjoy it but I was very pleased to come home the next day and I think that speaks volumes.







Love Lemon x

Silent Sunday

Old and New

I wanted to continue on the subject of interiors, particularly looking at old and new and how they fit together in the home.

I love to mix both but have been researching to see what the tricks are – if there are any – for getting it right.

Tips that I picked up along the way:

1. Contemporary fabric on a traditional/vintage chair, matching it with colours from your modern sofa helps it blend into your lounge.
2. Be practical - don't pick pieces of antique furniture that just don't suit your home, like a sophisticated polished antique table in a family home/kitchen.
3. An old wooden kitchen/dining table with some new modern chairs or even better, mismatched chairs.
4. Paint old furniture to bring it up to date and fit with the rest of your home
5. Add some vintage glamour without spending too much with vases, lamps and mirrors.

I love the idea of taking something old and changing its use; a suitcase as a coffee table, old wooden crates as side tables – so many projects and not enough time!!!

Check out my Pinterest account by clicking on the P with a red box around it for lots of images of interiors that have inspired me and my work.

Love Lemon x

Home Sweet Home

A lot of things I see everyday inspire me and my own creations. I love vintage handbags and gorgeous shoes and I like big chunky knit cardigans (you can tell the winter is approaching!) and pretty vintage brooches.

One of the things that inspires me most is my home. It is extremely important to me for many reasons. Not just a place where my family hang out but a place to surround myself with things that make me feel comfortable and happy.

I have a love for vintage things, from jewellery to furniture. I have a practical family home but I also love to fill it with beautiful pieces, things that are shaped a certain way or a colour that inspires. I like to display the vases, mirrors, pictures and ornaments that I have bought from various places. Of course like many households I have my fair share of Ikea but I like to make a room individual with the colours, fabrics and pictures I choose and also add pieces of furniture I have rescued or bought second hand.

A few of my favourite things....
1. A tile with a colourful painting of the sand dunes in Brazil - painted in front of me and my husband on our honeymoon
2. My vintage style Marmite pot my mum bought me
3. My G-plan teak sideboard bought on ebay
4. My vintage tea set with the most gorgeous purple and turquoise flower pattern I bought in a charity shop
5. My new Orla Kiely butter dish - a new design but very retro looking

"If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."
William Morris

See photo for my latest find from a charity shop.

Love Lemon xx

Beach Life

I'm not on here to brag but it is pretty amazing to be able to drive for half an hour and see the sea! I always dreamed of being back by the sea after living in Whitley Bay as a kid and having some of the most beautiful (if a little cold) beaches in the country.

The beginning...

Here I begin my blog where I will mainly talk about the ups and downs of being a full time mum, starting my own small business and moving from London to the country.

The moving part is a little bit scary for me. Apart from a small stint at uni in the midlands I have always lived in London. I love and hate it. I love the buildings, parks, Soho, restaurants and the shops. I hate the expense and sheer lack of space. Unless you have a LOT of money London is a hard place to live. For those reasons my family have decided to try country living. I'm not suggesting we are going to live out in the sticks, wear wellies and have horses but a small town, friendly people, nice schools and a house - yes a full house with a garden would be the dream!

Follow my journey.....will the country life be for us? How will Love Lemon the business grow?