rockin'

last week i purchased this fab oak rocking chair.  it is...hands down...the best investment i have ever made as it single-handedly manages to reduce my stress levels dramatically witin 5 seconds of me sitting in it.  i really wanted to get a rocking chair after returning from my recent US trip - especially as it seems to be the law that every home in Tennessee (all southern states even?!)  must have a rocking chair on its porch - so i became completely addicted to sittin' and rockin' of an evening. my american friend couldn't believe, in fact, that they aren't standard over here!  i'd been searching for the perfect specimen...looking at vintage style with spindles, french style white ones and more modern types - but as soon as i saw this one i knew it was for me.

here's mine....it is soooo comfy!

these days i come home from work wanting to tear my hair out or cry and since buying this beauty all i have to do is just sit...and rock...and i feel totally relaxed.

even better than the real thing...

ok...maybe not really...but this little beauty will be keeping me warm over the coming wintry months (having lost one of my two downstairs radiators in the recent kitchen/living room revamp).   you can run it with the light only or with heat as well and if i can just disguise the tell-tale plug chord i can imagine i have a proper cast iron stove! 

and here it is in action later this evening....mmmm....cozy!

lighten up

so beautiful...but if i can't have three...do i want one?

am torn over making a decision about lighting in my new kitchen (currently a work in progress) and tho i have been daydreaming for a while now about owning a fabulous Tom Dixon copper pendant -at a whopping £320 its a bit out of my price range.  i've also just remembered i had wanted one of Jake Phipps' spiffing bowlers (cheaper at £155) when i spotted it at a design festival a few years ago....hmmmm....and i think perhaps the titfer might fit better as the other is quite large....its just not terribly kitchen-y and probably won't give out a great deal of light!

what a catch, what?

i was also rather tempted by these Benjamin Hubert labware lovelies when I saw them a while ago...but i think they might be overdoing it slightly...and i'm bound to bang my bonce.  naturally if money (and space) were no object i would def invest in one of these!

perfect for experimentation.......

off me rocker

how gorgeous are these fab rockers from oddlimited - i would soooo love to have one in my garden...even if it would look slightly out of place in mattressland...maybe i could make my own version out of abandoned mattresses and a few sheets fashioned into a tent...

alfresco

 

 

with all the great weather we're having in London i'm feeling inspired by these beautiful  shots of outdoor living and alfresco dining from here and here....sigh.

 

wish list

two great items spotted via swiss miss - fab desk organiser from here (not in production yet) and this brilliant goggles umbrella from here.

tea for one

since coming back from the wet and wild coast (and snotty children!) i seem to have developed a chill - so am on hot lemon, ginger, honey by the bucket load.  thankfully i decided to buy one of these bodum tea for one cups - ideal for the healing concoctions and available in lots of pretty colours!

vintage finds

 

just a few other items i picked up while trawling charity and antique shops in West Sussex: a beautiful large serving plate with bright green & gold edging, some flower motif large bowls (just what i'd been searching for to eat pasta from) and a collection of knives, forks, spoons and even a few extra special spoons.  the top one is definitely an absinthe spoon (which i've been looking for for ages now and can be quite pricey) and the other two are possibly mote spoons - which have caused much debate over their use - possibly as a fruit/olive spoon, a lemon strainer or even to skim the top from tea.  i managed to get all items for only a few pounds...bargain!

happy cushion

i adore this happy cushion from US designer jonathan adler (spotted via design love fest) especially the fact that it has GIN on it...ha ha! oh and there's a sins one too.  a few of his designs are available at heals but sadly not the cushions.

mannequin

no this isn't an ode to 80s clanger Mannequin starring Kim Cattrall - its to say how much i adore these vintage inspired beauties from Devon based Etsy seller Lucy at Corset Laced Mannequin.  if only i had a spare two hundred nicker. there are many different varieties using velvet, modern and vintage fabrics - but i particularly covet the florals.....aren't they lovely....sigh.

 

stencil stairs

beautiful stencilled staircase  (stencils from  royal designstudio, spotted via style files)

nap time

never has a mattress been more needed than here - still, i would sooooooooo nap here (via pinterest) and have heavenly dreams...

stuff and nonsense

many people don't understand...but i do...there is no shame in it (image from etsy via pinterest)

pure white loveliness

my beautiful new Robin Day Poly Armchair has just arrived from john lewis and tho the white is pure loveliness i am regretting the colour choice cos it has two paw prints on it already!  i was sorely tempted to get the yellow or orange....hmmm.....they are half price at the moment so....no i must resisit and stick to the one.  it's gonna look fab in my new studio shed...when that is installed.  i spotted more white loveliness via design sponge's sneak peak into the home of photographer Sam Horine - i love these ceramic animal heads that he and his wife have collected from rural Virginia flea markets - aren't they fab.

birds on wires

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

totally awesome...via laissez faire just like this great wall decal from rose and grey...

nest

 

wow...check out this amazing nestrest (via lace & tea) - have your own personal hanging pod bird's nest...i want one!

vintage signs

wonderful signs from signs of vintage spotted via true & wesson

apple of my eye

beautiful candles from DL & Co  (images via cherry blossom girl).....want.  luckily i have found they are available at Liberty.

ladies & gentlemen

 

love this piggy bank, which you can personalise with chalk, and serving cutlery from ladies & gentlemen.

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-vaaaaah

eek! is it Eve from Wall-E or is it a Nescafe Gusto Piccolo...whatever...it makes delish coffee....one of my chrissy pressies from my folks......so cute!