GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS with HOMESENSE (AD)


It used to be a long standing joke with my friends and I, that there was no point asking where my clothes were from as they would likely be a one off vintage find or from a charity shop. This was a huge exaggeration on their part, but I was once a huge fan of rummaging in charity shops. That was back in the days when charity shops were like treasure troves, unlike today, where fast fashion regrets mostly fill the rails.

As my style has evolved and I've moved away from vintage clothing, I feel my love of one off pieces, old and new, has now transferred to my home. I'm often asked over on my Instagram account where items from my home are from, and a frustrating reply (I know, as I've been on the receiving end of those responses myself!) is that the item is vintage, second hand, or a one off item from a store years ago. For me though it's those pieces that make a person's home. So, where can you shop to find those special but affordable pieces for your home?

For those that know me, you'll know I'm a huge fan of TK Maxx, my rug collection in my home is testament to that, and I've found so many treasures over the years for my home there. You can imagine my delight to find that, Homesense, is part of the TK Maxx group.

I was invited to explore all their Christmas offerings and I was not disappointed. Not only are they good for the everyday essentials but they totally tick the box when it comes to those special finds too. I feel like all those items I lust over on Instagram and Pinterest were just hiding behind the next aisle in, Homesense. Not only did I find the most beautiful items to make the boys' rooms all Christmassy, I also got lots of lovely gifts, beautiful gift wrap, and I've totally upped my Christmas game in the kitchen department now too.


I love items you find in shops that you can totally make your own, and as soon as I spotted this little wooden tree I knew it had to be mine, the fact it was only £3.99, was the icing on the cake. I then stumbled upon my favourite type of fairy lights...


I adore these delicate wire battery powered fairy lights, they're super pliable and can be hung anywhere around the home (I particularly love outlining window frames), or bunched together to make a lovely light feature. I've got quite a few sets of these already but this is the first time I've found ones with as many as 100 lights.


I thought the lights were perfect for the little tree and hung it in Caleb's room along with the colourful garlands. I like how these colourful garlands have a Christmas feel but I think in the right spot they could outlast Christmas too.


I've noticed handmade felt decorations are really making a comeback, and I love the assorted garlands, decorations and stockings, Homesense had to offer. They instantly give a cosy Christmassy feel and all ranged from £2.99 to £24.99.

Decorating our boys' rooms for Christmas has become a little tradition of ours, it gets them so excited for the season ahead and I like how you can really have fun when decorating children's rooms. Throughout the rest of our home our Christmas decorations are subtle tones, lots of whites and warm fairy lights. With the boys' rooms we go full out colour and they love it.

Tartan Blanket £16.99

No Christmas is complete without the yearly stress over what presents to buy. If you're after a quality item at the fraction of the price or something a little bit different then, Homesense, is definitely worth checking out. Especially for the people that you struggle to buy for each year. You know the person I'm talking about, the person with everything!

Their candle selection is amazing (coming from a lady with a slight candle addiction), and their stationary aisle makes the 12 year old stationary-loving girl in me giddy. Beautiful diaries, notebooks, yearly planners and stationary. Always be sure when visiting Homesense, to check out their prints and frames too. This time I found the most amazing Covent Garden sign.

Planners from £5.99 - £7.99
Large Candle £7.99
Sign £12.99

Of course with present buying comes present wrapping and Homesense has so many lovely options. I found the cutest mason jar with everything you need in it, tape, string and tags. If you find gift wrapping stressful or an overwhelming task with so many presents, I recommend wrapping a few presents each evening in the lead up to Christmas. I find it makes what can be a mammoth task much more enjoyable.


Christmas time means entertaining and hosting for many, and it's the one time of year that serving nibbles from our boys' breakfast bowls doesn't quite cut the mustard. I love all the stylish kitchenware without the hefty price tag that Homesense, has to offer. I actually took the dive and purchased real copper pans, I'd say lusting after copper pans for over ten years is a long enough time to wait.

Bowls £3.99 - £4.99
Copper Pans from £19.99 - £34.99
Two-pack tea towels £3.99
Stemless Crystal Wine Glasses £4.99
Christmas Hot Chocolate & Biscuit set £12.99

There you have all my wonderful, Homesense finds. I'm feeling well on the road now to being organised for Christmas, and I'm really looking forward to hosting over the festive period. Cooking just got a whole lot more exciting with my sexy copper pans. Never have I ever called pans sexy before in my life!! But come on, they are though, aren't they?! ;)

*this post is proudly sponsored by Homesense. All thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own.



Sunday, 17 December 2017 Comments: 3
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A Day With DFS & Joules (AD)


One of my favourite things about blogging is I never quite know what emails I'm going to get from one day to the next.

Some days are spent sifting through all the junk mail and unsubscribing to mailing lists I've NEVER subscribed to, other days however, are when the real email gems come in. The emails that make you squeal with delight and then double check the name in case the person has sent it to the wrong Claire.

One such email came from the lovely folk at DFS, who contacted me to tell me all about their exciting collaboration with Joules Clothing. It didn't stop there. They wanted to invite me down to their design workshop, where not only would I have an exclusive peek of the entire collection, I'd get to help upholster my own DFS Joules Accent Chair and design a cushion to go along with it!! My bags were packed before I even finished reading the email.

What I particularly love about press trips is you get a real insight into the brands and learn facts you never knew. I'm a big fan of Joules, but I knew little about DFS, other than they sell sofas. I couldn't help but wonder would this collaboration be a good fit?

The answer is a loud, resounding, YES. It is in fact the perfect collaboration. On the trip I discovered every DFS sofa and chair they sell is made to order here in the UK. I don't know why I had the misconception that their sofas were massed produced and from overseas, as that is very much not the case. They pride themselves on hand-making every sofa to order in one of their three factories in Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Having now met both the design teams from DFS and Joules, it was really lovely to see how truly excited they are about collaborating; and the proof is in the pudding.

The collection is STUNNING.

Joules are all about attention to detail and hand-drawn prints, and the DFS Joules collection does not disappoint. The prints and fabrics give every piece that Joules feel, and there are so many hidden little details. From prints under the seat covers, to glass pheasant buttons, to their iconic Joules pink hare on the chair legs, the list goes on. Everything has been painstakingly considered when it comes to the finer details, right down to the piping and the zip colours they've chosen. I really love how this has clearly been a labour of love for both DFS and Joules.


^ Windsor ^

^ Cambridge ^

^ Burnham ^

^ Ilkley ^

After viewing the collection we had a chance to go behind the scenes and see just how the pieces are made. I think there is nothing better than meeting people who are excellent at their craft and I was kindly shown how to upholster parts of my own Joules Accent Chair. The staple gun was pretty scary at first but once I got used to it I was in my element! I literally could have spent the rest of the day there with my staple gun and perspex glasses. A good look, I know!




After reluctantly parting from the staple gun it was time to design my own cushion! This was the part of the day that I'd been most excited about when reading my email but once I was sat down to a blank page with the paints and brushes surrounding me, I froze. What on earth was I going to paint?! Except a big old mess.


This is when the Joules Art and Design team stepped in, inspiring us with real flowers, vintage floral prints, and to not over think it but to simply paint.

I, of course, did at first over think it, but as the time went on and I started to relax it became really enjoyable. My design (which you can see below) will be screen printed as a repeat onto a cushion. I'm so excited and nervous as to how it will turn out. I'll be sure to share it with you when it arrives.


And there you have my wonderful day with DFS and Joules. I'm excited to tell you the collection is now available and you can find it HERE.

If you want a truly stunning piece of furniture to grace your home than this collection is not to be missed. I'm really looking forward to receiving my Joules Cambridge Accent chair and I'll share how we will style it in our home once it's arrived. Here's hoping my cushion doesn't turn out a complete disaster ;)

* This post is proudly sponsored by DFS. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Monday, 4 December 2017 Comments: 12
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