Thursday 6 June 2013

A little magazine feature...



I am rather excited today! I have (for the fourth day running) been out to tesco (other supermarkets are available) to see if they have a copy of July's 'Your Home' magazine. And today they did!! 'Why would you do this?' I hear you ask... Well, I just so happen to be in it!!


Last year I got contacted by a very lovely lady called Nicky from White Rabbit Media asking me if I would be interested in going on her books with my house and work. How could I refuse?! And then after a number of communications with her she informed me she had got a magazine interested in featuring me, my house and my work. 


So began a mad panic to turn my house as it was (lovely but very messy and a bit grubby round the edges) into something worthy of a magazine feature! Me and hubby set about giving everything a good clean, but that wasn't quite enough (greasy kids fingerprints all over the walls, peeling paint in areas...) so we decided to give it all a lick of paint. And then some more cleaning, rearranging, buying, staging, flower arranging, and lots of final touches before it was ready. I was so pleased with how it looked.


It was a great day back at the end of April with Nicky here and her photographer friend David Parmiter snapping away to get the right shots. Luckily we were given sunshine and therefore great light for the pictures. They were great company and put me right at ease.



And then the wait. I knew the magazine was out at the beginning of June and so just had to wait. And wait. The last couple of days I've been so eager to see what was created from my interviews with Nicky and the gorgeous photos that David took, and I am so pleased with how it's turned out!


What I must emphasise to everyone though is this: My house DOES NOT look like this usually. This is STAGED and made to look lovely especially for the photos. Before you start hating me because of my immaculate house, it is usually a bit of a cluttered jumbled state! I don't clean on a regular basis (I am far too busy working, playing with the children, having a life) and more often than not the breakfast things have to be cleared away so I can serve tea. 

Ok, so this is quite extreme but I took this at a particularly bad time to show you what it can look like!!
The usual chaos of the lounge!!

So as lovely as these photos are, it has really given me insight to how much work is involved to get a house looking it's best. Granted, some people live in cleanliness and immaculateness all the time, but not me!

The beauty of my perfectly staged house lasted until approximately 5.17pm when the kids wanted tea, they chucked their uniforms on their bedroom floor, I opened a bottle of wine, ate all the macarons and a pile of letters from the school started forming on the kitchen side... 

But I've got the photos and the magazine to remind me that once, for one day, it looked perfect.



Now... I am SO chuffed with how the feature looks that I have decided to do a little competition. As you know, I adore many many pages on facebook and tend to spend far too much money supporting my fellow creatives and displaying them at home. I have counted that I have 20 (!!) fellow facebookers' work on display in the feature. How many can you find? (it's a bit like Where's Wally!)  

(Clue - one of them is me!!) (Another clue - I am wearing 2 of them...) 

I have decided to give away one of my word cushions (your choice of word and fabric from my collection) to a person picked at random in a weeks time. All you have to do is comment below with who you can find and share the love through facebook or twitter too!! You may find it easier to see details on my facebook photos - you can find them on my page here if you don't have a copy of the magazine.

I will let you know all the right answers next week and show you where they are in the feature...

Good luck!!!

35 comments:

  1. i can see...
    kindred rose, caroline rose, kindred rose, kindred rose, kirsty elson, linen circus, kindred rose...

    um.

    please pick me at random?! pick me! pick me!

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    1. well seeing as you are currently the only one Fiona T you never know your luck! p.s I'll give you a clue about another one - she's your sister...

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    2. nope. never heard of her.

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  2. Looks amazing and love the before photos. I'm off to buy my copy today - hopefully you've left some copies at Tescos?!

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    1. I'm not sure Denise, I know a few people have gone to get one!! xx

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  3. I've only just discovered your lovely facebook page and blog so feel a bit cheeky entering but I do love your cushions so I'm I'd love to be entered. Your house looks fab for the shoot. I'm glad to see the 'everyday' pictures as well though! Fiona x

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    1. Don't feel cheeky Fiona - everyone is welcome! So glad you've found me and hope you like what you see. Of course my house doesn't normally look so pristine!! Helen x

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  4. Look at your house!! It's amazing!! I looked through hoping thete was something from me that no one else would guess (a creative's mind never ceases to hope!!) I can see your fab cushions made by you! There's a couple of bits that look like pieces from Little Tea Wagon... I'm rubbish at this!! Ms Bee xxx

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    1. Thank you so much Ms Bee!! I don't have any Little Tea Wagon unfortunately, I love her stuff!! And none of yours yet!! xx

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  5. Hi Helen, rubbish at spotting the bits, though there is lots of kindred rose, Emma bridgewater and orla kiely! (Obv there not really fb buys as such!) it's good to see the normal shots too as well as the 'staged' pics in your lovely home - the cupboards either side of your chimney breast in your sitting room have given me an idea for my house as our sitting room is a similar shape with limited storage for all the accumulated rubbish and DVDs! Helen xx

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    1. Thank you Helen - those units either side are new this year, I am so pleased with them as they can store SO much stuff in them!! Had them made by a very talented local carpenter friend xx

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  6. Only just found you today, and think I'll be off to buy my copy of the magazine tomorrow. Loving the scatterings of Orla Kiely, Linen Circus, Kindred Roase, Emma Bridgewater and inspires me to pull my finger out and finish my kitchen x

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    1. Thank you so much Gail!! The fact I love decorating surely does help spur me on!! xx

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  7. Beautiful house - Love how youve filled it with so many pieces! I Would love to win a cushion, I can see kirsty elson Caroline Rose Art & three red apples work?

    Maxine xx

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    1. Thank you so much Maxine!! I don't have any three red apples - YET!! xx

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  8. I would love to win one of these beautiful cushions :D X

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  9. me please me please *jumps up and down waving hands in the air*

    oh... and I did spy Caroline Rosy Rose, Fiona T, Linen Cat, LBH (I want a special prize for spotting that please, it's so teeny tiny), Kirsty Elson and is that a Camila Prada I spy too?

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    1. Oh you are so so good at I-spy, you deserve a prize all of your very own. Maybe. Love you xxxx

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  10. So chuffed for you Helen im going to and buy a copy today. Well done lovely xxxxx

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  11. forgot who i can see hahaha... Kirsty Elson, Linen Circus, you!!!!!

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  12. I spy a Camila Prada on the shelves, some kirsty elson, you, Fiona T, rebel rose i think, maybe a paperpanda (certainly a paper cut but cant see so well who), are you wearing your charlotte bezant ring maybe? ooo so many pretties!

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    1. Ooo well done Els - you have got beady eyes!! Thank you! xxx

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  13. I read the article on your house yesterday, and found you today on Facebook - I am so jealous of your house!
    I can only see Kindred Rose in the pics (my magazine is at home so I can't use a magnifying glass) but I'd love to win a cushion....

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    1. Thank you Mad, don't be too jealous, it's a bit of a tip currently...!! xx

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  14. oh, I didn't enter yet! What a silly sausage I am ummmm - Richard Friend, Linen Circus, Julia Crossland (am guessing Orla and you don't count!), Kirsty Elson in many guises, Caroline Rose, Frandie Macaron (does food count?), and I think there is a Jane Ryan OPI automaton hiding on one of the shelves, but I could be wrong, as its a bit fuzzy! I like this game! x

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  15. Oh I'm so glad your house doesn't normally look so perfect although it's gorgeous tidy or not!

    The first item I spotted was the Caroline Rose Art owl, I have her fabulous caravan print. We both have good taste :)

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    1. Oh thank you Karen! My house is RARELY tidy, but this is a lovely reminder for me!! xx

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  16. My daughter would bite my hand off for one of these - wonderful! TFS

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  17. Hello!!!!!!
    have only just found you via facebook (via Nikki Monaghan I think it was)....wanted to say I have been sat here lapping up your pics and drooling over your gorgeous home, soooo lovely! I adore your cushions, will spend some time now have a good pootle through your blog and shop :o)
    Much love
    Lucexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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    1. Lucy!! How lovely to see you here, I have been a HUGE fan of yours for ages, I love you and your work and your blog (am I gushing too much?!) You were my inspiration for learning how to crochet earlier this year, so thank you! I am so thrilled you have found me and for your gorgeous comments - you've made my day!! xxxxxxx

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  18. I read the article in the gym today (truly, I was pedalling as I read) then I found this page ... I can see kindred rose, emma bridgewater and orla kiely ... is that enough?

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