DIY Advent Candle Stick Holders

A little roundup of DIY Advent Candle Stick Holders that are all quite easy to make. 

All you need is four bottles.. 

DIY by Dosfamily

DIY by Hege in France

DIY by Trendenser

Tomorrow I'll show you the advent calendar I have made.. 

hx

DIY cement candle holders

As tomorrow is the 1st of December and also the first day of advent I thought it would be nice to show you what I've made. 

Here's what you need:

quick drying cement

water

plastic cups

mixing bowl and something to mix with

(Don't clean or poor anything down the sink as this sets really quickly. Wash everything outside)

pair of scissors

fine sand paper

First mix in some water. The mix should be similar to the consistency of baking a cake, so quite thick and not watery. 

Make sure there aren't any lumps. Mix for approx. 2 minutes. 

Pour the mixture into your plastic cups. 

Shake your cups slightly to make sure the cement is level. 

To make space for a tea candle put a plastic cup in the mix and press down (not too hard). 

The cup should stick to the mix quickly. Leave the cup there to set. 

When the cement has dried (leave a couple of hours) you can simply peel off the plastic cups. 

You might need a pair of scissors to make a small cut. 

If you like you can use some find sandpaper to make the edges smooth. 

I decorated my candle holders with some number stickers. In my last photo I've also got some plum coloured Christmas decorations and a bulb wrapped in plum coloured wrapping paper to match. 

photos by me

Fancy making some candle holders? They make good Christmas presents too.

 You can find what you need in your local DIY store. 

hx

This DIY was sponsored by B&Q.

EAT

 We don't have a cat or a dog, but if we did I'd.. I say no more.

photo by Old Brand New

Tomorrow I'll show you my DIY advent candle sticks.
Happy Friday!!
hx

Not exactly white

I know I keep telling you I prefer white walls, but I also like these colours. There's something about this apartment in Amsterdam. I do love the way the light has been captured here by photographer Anne Dokter. 

all photos by Anne Dokter discovered via Bloesem Blog

What do you think? Too dark or just amazing?!

hx

Tuesday Tips - Branches with lights

As the evenings are getting darker there's a really sweet way of making a room look lighter and more intimate. I've done this for years and like it just as much every year. 

Get a twig or a branch from the garden or the woods and decorate it with some fairy lights. It's as simple as that. For me it's not a Christmas decoration, but a winter decoration, so my branch will be here until next year.

photo by me 

The cute cutwork metal lights are from B&Q. 

Hope this inspired you to go out and find a nice branch. 

I'll be back next week with more Tuesday Tips. Next Tuesday it'll be a Christmas tip. 

hx

Fantastic as usual

I love Fantastic Frank. This apartment if for sale in Berlin. It's got everything I love. A large living space, lots of light, herringbone flooring, white walls...  It's nice and simple and you can't go wrong with that.

photos by Fantastic Frank

Thank you Frank for being different to most other estate agents.

It's all in the details..

hx

I spy...

I spy with my little eye... (Did you know this game originated at the beginning of the 20th century.) 

A ROOM WITHIN A ROOM one made with vintage doors and the other an industrial cage. Fantastic, I think. What a great idea. Really wonder what's behind those old doors.. 

photo Pia Ulin

Happy Weekend!!!!!

hx

Perfect winter night in

I was asked by Hush to create a Pinterest board of what my perfect night in would be. I think nice and warm would be at the top of my list as it was -5°C this morning.

I did of course find a lot of gorgeous outfits in the AW13 collection, but the outfit in the selection below is my favourite. It looks warm and comfy. I love those trousers!

1. Fashion me now photographer unknown 2. Coffee stained cashmere 3.Decade Diary 4. Hush

For my perfect night in I would need good friends, music, and good food, but I also love a roaring fire and a comfy sofa with cushions and blankets. To see my full selection click onto my Pinterest board. 

I'm also a huge fan of the Hush pyjamas collection. I love the new take on the Grandpa style and the cute hat! Our first home in France was an old barn and yes it was a renovation project. It was so cold I had to go to bed with a hat on in the first winter. No joke! It was freezing even with a roaring fire.. 

1. Hush 2. Glaamspot blog 3. Lisa Leonard Blog 4. Little Dandelion

I feel like calling it a night now.. It all looks so comfy! But I'll have to wait until tonight, when I actually do have friends coming over for a night in. Now what to cook.. 

Happy Weekend!!

hx

This post was in collaboration with Hush, 

Charity Living Inspired

This post is all about giving, so to celebrate the 2nd birthday of my blog (YAY!!!) and the upcoming of a new year with its great opportunities and hopes for all of us - I have joined a beautiful project which I would like to tell you about.

Café Veyafe is my dear friend Efrat's design blog.  Efrat combined her love and knowledge of the design world, together with her community work, where she and her family volunteer with children and teens with cancer, and created a set of posters that she calls "Living Inspired".

These typographic prints were designed to inspire us to give, care and live meaningful lives.

"I hung up these messages over my bed, desk and even in the kitchen… they remind me that there is a meaning for our existence," Efrat says, "We should do something important with our lives, care for others, volunteer, help..."

Efrat recruited a graphic designer, who helped her express her ideas into visuals, and sells this stylish prints set to benefit children with cancer.

photo by me

The prints set includes:

1 A4 Print "Have you done something meaningful today?"

1 A5 print with a cloud and raindrops which resembles "giving for the sake of giving" as Efrat puts it.

1 10X15 (postcard) print with the lettering "GIVE"

photo by little Mor Studio

This set is perfect to create a beautifully designed corner in your house or office.  You could frame it, or simply hang it up using washi tapes.

Buy it for yourself, or as a Christmas present for family and friends, and perform your first meaningful act for the New Year.

Should you wish to give it as a present, write Efrat a personal note and she will attach an acknowledgement letter, to let the recipient know that your present is also a donation in her or his name, to benefit a great cause.

Want to learn more of who you are supporting?

€18 + €2 shipping and this beautiful set is on its way to you (shipping to Europe for other countries please send us a message).

You can pay with your PayPal account, or choose "Pay with a credit card" if you don't have one.

Buy the "Living Inspired" prints set here:

To the project's page

http://cafe-veyafe.com/?page_id=5892

Contact Efrat for any question or inquiry

photo by Efrat

Thank you so much for supporting this charity and also for reading and supporting my blog!

hx

Our trip to Dublin

So I had planned to blog more from Dublin, but it was nice to take a break. We wondered the streets of Dublin, drank lots of nice coffee (my new favourite is a white mocha), Korean ginger tea, ate good food and chatted. It was nice to catch up. Dublin was quite cold, Christmassy and really busy. 

I discovered some nice shops. Industry, Tiger and Find to mention a few. We also went to the poster exhibition for the 5 year celebration of the flea market. 

Back home on our shelf.. The hairy man was actually a bag from Tiger, but I cut him out because I like him. He looks friendly.

hx

Blogging from Dublin

Yes, today I'm actually blogging from Dublin where my brother and I will be until Monday. It's really nice to be back in Ireland. It's been years since I was here last. I won't be going on any pub crawls this time, but rather searching for nice places to relax and perhaps find a market or two. What I really like is finding unique little shops and of course cute coffee shops too. Don't you just love weekends in cities you don't know that well? Can't wait to explore! If you have any suggestions of what to do or where to go please let me know. 

permission by Rachel Corcoran to feature her poster found on Dublin Fleamarket

Happy Weekend to all of you!! 
Thank you so much for including little me on this very big list!

hx

Tuesday Tips - Kitchen details

Can't afford your dream kitchen? Not to worry. Buy a basic one and dress it up. It's all in the details.. 

An unusual lamp, a nice tray, some fresh herbs or a chopping board can really "put the dot over the I" as we say in Norwegian and doesn't have to cost a fortune. You can also display some of your cook books, tea towels, nice olive oil bottles or a collection of tea pots, coffee makers or trays to mention some. It's all about making it look fresh, but also interesting. I love unusual details and vintage finds. 

photo Fantastick Franck

photo Svennegaarden

photo Nick Pope

photos by Weekday Carnival

photo Paulina Arcklin

If there's a DIY'er in you dip dye some tins, chopping boards or utensils to display on the kitchen counter. It's really easy and fun. 

photo by Sincerely, Kinsey

See you next Tuesday for more Tips! 

hx

Disclaimer.. I'm not at all suggesting that these kitchens are cheap as I do of course not have any idea how much they cost. I'm just trying to demonstrate that you can use details to make your kitchen look great!