Tweet tweet little birds

I've noticed it more and more lately, and it's been a joy. Yes, I'm talking about birdsong. It could be, just could be that Spring is starting to take hold of the more wintery days and the birds feel it too. I've been out in my garden this weekend checking on the bird feeders and topping up the fat ball supply. We've one on the trellis close to the house and it's great to see the small birds almost queue up to take their turn at it. 

The other thing I've spotted is there seems to be more birds around on homewares too. Maybe all the birdsong has been getting to me, who knows?

I've been looking at Love the Sales and there's a plethora, or perhaps that should be a flock, of bird items available in the Home & Garden section. So if you're rather partial to a parrot, hankering for a heron or have a requirement for a redshank - ok, I'll stop - it's definitely worth a look. 

I'm quite taken with these bird planters from India Jane, I think they're just the type of planter that would sit quite happily in our conservatory, and be quite versatile little pots, they're just 16cm high. At times, I might even put some herbs in them, or some pine cones, or one of those column candles. Actually instead of a candle they'd be great with some of those battery fairy lights in, and would be great to bring an unusual light source to outside dining, but perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself as I think it may be a while before we're dining al fresco, don't you?

Tweet tweet little birds by lifeat139a on Polyvore

And the blue and yellow bird, how cute is that? It's a quail - also from India Jane - and is a box, the top of its body lifts off and reveals a hidden storage space. Just the sort of space where I'd put something for safekeeping and promptly forget about, then find months later (if I'm lucky, if not years) and wonder how on earth I could be so daft as not to look in the perfect hiding place.  

You have those kinds of spaces too, right?

* Via Love the Sales

A look at dad's garden in winter

And the weekend we visited Norfolk it felt like the depths of winter, we were unusually unlucky with the weather experiencing sleet and snow and rain.  Not quite the Sunny Hunny weather we hoped for, or indeed experienced the year before but I guess that's how it goes sometimes. Braving the garden felt exactly that, brave, but as I looked it was clear there were starting to be signs of Spring.

I couldn't help but be drawn to these cheery primulas who'd pushed their way through a bed of mind your own business, a favourite "filler" plant which gives me hours of giggles as MOH calls it old nonsense when prompted for its name. No, I've no idea why either, and it still makes me smile.

The pink primulas clearly are a lot more sensible and aren't putting up with any "old nonsense" and sticking to soil and a few wisps of grass. There were bulbs-a-plenty in other parts of the garden. Some in tubs, which were stuffed full of leaves and others planted in raised beds in a more orderly fashion.

Both of these raised areas of bulbs are visible from the house and will no doubt bring a welcome blast of colour once they start to flower. In the photo below you can just see that some early crocuses are starting to flower and will bring a different layer of colour to the garden.

By the kitchen window the spring bulbs were already making their presence known, it's a sunnier part of the garden, so it's not surprising to see these daffodils more advanced. The white blobs in the photo below are a smattering of snowdrops, which if I'd have looked closely at before then maybe we wouldn't have gone on a snowdrop hunt to Blickling...

In the vegetable garden, the rhubarb is showing signs of life and dad's broad beans are doing much better than mine. That's mostly because mine are still in conservatory and not in the soil at all, but I've still some time to get them started.  I'm currently in that "shall I, shan't I" phase, and shan't is still winning, but I'll need to get going soon. My hesitation is that once I start I want to go full steam ahead and the weather isn't quite ready for that yet.

Close to where dad grows his vegetables I spotted these leaves. I think they have a simple white flower to them, but don't know what they're called, the leaves though seemed to be enjoying the weather and were growing well. Their lushness was refreshing to see, and at some point I'll try to remember to show you their flower, and try to work out what they are called.

On the porch the geranium was still going strong, and if anything a little parched from its sheltered position, but nothing a quick drink wouldn't solve. I'm sure this one, will still be going on our next visit.

So mostly green at the moment - but a lush green at that - and not too much colour yet. But with definite signs of spring, and blasts of colour, to come. Let's hope it doesn't take too long to arrive.

Are you seeing hints of spring yet in your garden?

4 tips for creating a shabby chic kitchen

You don't hear me talk much about kitchens here on the blog, you did a few years back though when we had a new one installed. We opted for high gloss units, with the majority of cupboards, including the inbuilt washing machine, dishwasher and fridge-freezer in a colour they called champagne. It's not what I'd call champagne and is a grey-green with some added shimmer and I fell for it as soon as I saw it. And typically it was the most expensive finish they had, but there was no talking me out of it. Well not completely anyway, our compromise was to have our wall units in a gloss soft white, which helped control the costs and also helps reflect light around our windowless kitchen.

Don't worry I'm not about to change it, I think MOH would consider that grounds for divorce as he said he's "never putting in a new kitchen again" and yes, I don't believe him either. But I do think that some houses lend themselves more to one style of kitchen over another, our current house the chic, gloss look works for the open plan space and for how we live, however another style of house would completely suit a shabby chic style kitchen, and it's the style of kitchen I'm more naturally drawn to. One day I might get one, despite MOH's protestations.

So today I'm sharing some tips on how to achieve the shabby chic look, because for now, that's as close as I'm going to get.

1. Install solid wood worktops

You'll often see solid wood worktops in rustic style cooking spaces, and it's easy to see why. Their beautiful, natural finish is guaranteed to give your kitchen that gorgeous shabby chic vibe. They look the part but more importantly they're also strong and robust, so you can trust they’ll continue to look their best for many years.

Image: Unsplash

There are a wide variety of different timbers to choose from, oak tends to be a firm favourite when it comes to achieving a truly rustic look. In our previous kitchen we had wooden worktops and I agree with kitchen specialists Worktop Express that they are full of natural charm and warmth - the perfect combination for creating the ultimate cosy atmosphere in your cooking space.

2. Choose a statement ceramic sink

A ceramic sink, perhaps and old fashioned and original Butler's sink, is often a feature in a shabby chic inspired kitchen. I had one in my previous house, which was original and matched the rest of the kitchen. Back then, when it came to redoing the kitchen, keeping it and incorporating it into the design didn't fit my budget, so it was begrudgingly replaced and used in the garden as a herb planter. Thinking back I've no idea what happened to it, and why I didn't move it with me to our current house.

There's contemporary versions around too, so these might be ideal for your shabby chic inspired space. Belfast sinks are a popular choice, and are similar to a Butler's sink, but with an overflow as fresh water was readily available in Belfast in the 1700's, but not so much in London, so there was no overflow as every drop was used carefully. I can't imagine anyone installing a sink now, without an overflow.

With their crisp, clean all-white colour, this style of sink looks stunning when set within wooden worktops and helps elevate the feel of the whole room. Adding rustic-looking taps would bring an authentic and personal feel.

Image: Unsplash

3. Add vintage-inspired accessories

I think that what makes shabby chic work is the accessories you choose, and it's the perfect excuse to find crockery that mixes and matches. And showcasing your knickknacks is a must, having them on show whether it's in piles on open shelves or arranged in glass fronted units.

Or maybe it's something simple like positioning a pair of classically curved salt and pepper pots on your kitchen table or displaying a selection of Mason style jars on the worktops. You may even want to go for old fashioned-looking appliances, such as a retro style kettle and toaster combination or a set of vintage-esque weighing scales.

Image: Unsplash

4. Decorate with pretty pastels

I'm more of a bold colour kind of girl than pastels, but I think shabby chic needs pastel shades to bring it to life. They don't have to be twee and sugary, unless you want them to be. Adding a touch of mint green, duck egg blue, dusky pink, a pale yellow or creamy vanilla to a neutral colour could be a stylish and modern take on the shabby chic look and set the mood for your room. I think being guided by the style of the property, the light in the space and the rest of your decor is always good advice. I like rooms that look harmonious together, so decorating within a style or colour palette will always work best for me.

Image: Unsplash

Is there anything else you'd add to this list?

* This is a collaborative post