this little house

IT STARTED WITH A RUG

Creating a new space can always be a little daunting, especially if you're like me and like multiple looks and eras. So for me a starting point is committing to a particular piece that you fall in love with and then taking it from there.

For me that turns out to be a rug. I have a love affair with rugs. Like give me them all. I find they're a cracking starting point when designing a room, as you instantly have your colour palate determined and the type of look you're going for. For example, I went with this Ferm Living beauty (pictured below) for our living room. Now I would usually recommend living in a space before you start buying new pieces but I fell in love with this rug instantly and it became our first purchase for our new home that wasn't even built at that point.

With it's Nordic vibe and cool tones I knew I wanted to pair it with grey furniture, I didn't want the room however to have a cold feel to it, therefore I picked out some copper and brass tones. I love how the metallic pops without being overpowering.

Since we went with cooler tones in the living room I knew I would want colour in the dining room (which leads on from the living area). Now in my dream of dreams I'd be sourcing a Moroccan or Persian rug beauty, but hello, reality, and hello, I wanted it for underneath my dining room table, ie. dumping ground for half of my kid's dinner.

So here's a top tip of mine, if ya can't afford it, check out Gumtree (secondhand selling website) in your area. It is crazy what you can find on there, with some people actually giving things away for free, I guess the bonus being for them that you save them the hassle of getting rid of it. Other people trash is others peoples....and all that.

That is where I can across my Iranian treasure that was completely in my price range, and because of it's vintage nature (it has slight wearing which I actually think is the charm of these pieces) and its rich colour it has made it the perfect rug for under a busy family table. With such a statement piece I knew I didn't want anything else competing with it, I therefore started to source industrial looking pieces.

Now knowing how much these two rugs had brought to both these rooms I now wanted one for our kitchen living space too. The kitchen itself though determined what type of rug I was looking for, that and a couch we had already purchased.

I had felt a little unsure about the colour of the couch at the time. With having grey units in the kitchen I knew I didn't want yet another grey couch, white was out because again, kids. We instead went with an oatmeal beige, which if I'm honest I wasn't really completely sold on but I adored the style of the couch. I needed to find a rug that would tie the beige couch and grey units up nicely.

I found all that and more at French Connection. Btw when the hell did French Connection start selling home ware?? All I know is I'm happy they did. This rug was the missing piece to this space, with its beige and grey tones offset nicely with blush pink and mint it's fitted in perfectly, and funnily enough has made me love my 'beige' couch all the more.

So there you have it, three major rooms in our home on the way to being complete, and it started with a rug. Rugs are bloody awesome.

Thank you so much to everyone's support and kind words with the blog relaunch. Don't forget to enter our giveaway on the previous post here. Only a few more hours left so go, go, go!

Thursday, 14 July 2016 Comments: 6

So, hello there.

Well as you can see we've had a little change up around here. It was time. So much has changed in the last year that it seemed only fitting that this space should change too. Plus, I kept on logging into the blog thinking, ugh, girl, you need a serious face lift.

So here she is. I like to think of this update as the older, wiser, classier blog big sister ;)

If you have any problems navigating around the new site please let me know. You'll see up there on the top left hand side in the drop down menu we have different categories. Home decor and film being the newest. I'm really excited to share with you how we came to choose our home and its design, and to talk a little bit more about the interior design choices we have made because we have young children.

Talking of young children, mine are currently growing like weeds. Caleb has just completed his first year of school nursery and has loved it. His speech has come on leaps and bounds, and he's growing into the sweetest soul. Archie is no longer a baby. We know this fact because he informs us daily, 'I'm not a baby'. Seriously. I feel I've blinked and everyone has got so grown up.

I had a little (okay, kinda big) panic about this a few weeks back. Babies have been my life the last four years that the level of independence the two boys have right now was freaking me out. My knee jerk reaction was I need to have another baby. Nothing quite like going for a dramatic solution. Though I now suspect that is why many families go onto have child number three, four....(if you've gone past this point, I love babies but you are craaazy ;). Thankfully, I have a calm husband who is looking at it from both sides of the fence, mainly the side of, 'but things have just got so easy' fence.

Ha, and he's right. My last post which you can read here, was very much tackling the hard elements of toddlerhood. A few months back we were having a really tricky time with Archie. Our happy go lucky kid, became a ball of frustration with the word, 'NO' being the most spoken word in the house. I'll hold up my hands and admit, I panicked. You see I remember when this stage started with Caleb, it went on to last a year and a half. With hindsight we now know his behaviour was all linked to his speech delay (which wasn't confirmed until much later). So as soon as I recognised this same behaviour in Archie, I really did panic, because I couldn't imagine living through a year of that again. Not that you have the choice in these matters. If that had been the case I would have had to suck it up and at least I would know how to handle it better this time. Yet this only lasted a matter of months, it's obviously the point where their mind makes a leap which their language skills haven't caught up too yet, they know specifically what they want but not always how to express it. Cue, the drop down tantrum.

However, just like that Archie's words have exploded. It's a marvel for us to watch it happen organically. He's like a little parrot, and back is our happy boy. Gahh it makes me want to hop in a time machine and go back to Caleb at this age and just hug the hell out of him. I understand why he was so miserable all of the time now. I'm literally in awe of that boys strength of character, even now when people don't understand him (he still struggles with certain pronunciation) he never loses his patience and will just find another way to explain.

So you see I think this maybe the root of my problem. We're a boat sailing along on a calm sea, and it's actually quite disarming. If we've not been dealing with babies, we've been dealing with house moves, rental, sickness and most importantly great loss. Both Michael and I have had to say goodbye to my grandad and his nana. It has literally been one big thing after another, and here we are. For now calm seas. It's taken me to realise this fact to actually think, wow, so we're here, and it is really good. We now live in a house with no immediate neighbours to worry about, because ya know, two boys and all. We have a garden, which hello, biggest game changer for us. We have two happy, healthy boys, and slowly our time is becoming more our own again.

That's another reason for the blog face lift, this is a space I love dearly and want to expand on, and I now finally feel like I have the time and more importantly the desire to do so.

To my old readers, thank you. Thank you for sticking around. You'll be seeing more of me around these parts, and I really hope you enjoy this next chapter, and HELLO to any new readers. You should know I can ramble quite a bit and have awful pronunciation and spelling, but apart from that I'm alright ;)

To celebrate our blog relaunch I have got two amazing giveaways for two lucky winners. I handpicked two companies I am loving right now and I know you will too. This giveaway will be inconjunction with our Instagram account too, as that's a place that creatively has really pushed and inspired me over the last year.

First up is a gift for the little people in your life.

MORI, is a luxury baby brand specialising in beautiful bamboo and organic cotton baby wear. I am currently obsessed with their two piece pyjama sets as I've never felt anything so soft, every time I hug Archie in them I think newborn goodness all over again.

We will be giving one of you the chance to win one of their gorgeous throws. Pictured below is their 100% cotton Mori Star throw, priced at £55, and let me tell you, you'll be wanting to steal it for yourself. Even baby spit up wouldn't make this throw an eyesore in your house. I keep eyeing up the Mori Mountain throw, thinking of how nice it would look draped over my living room couch, but like I said, this is totally a gift for baby ;)

The lucky winner will get to choose which design and colour they would like.

The second part of our giveaway, and one I am very excited about as it's for all you lovely ladies, or for the lovely ladies in your life (for my male readers ;).

Tienne, are giving one lucky person the chance to win a bracelet or necklace from the Daisy London Chakra range (subject to availablity). I was drawn to this range in particular as recently I have just felt a real loss of self. A thoroughly normal thing in the thick of motherhood, but something I really wanted to work on. I had stopped doing little things I once loved, like painting my nails, braiding my hair, or wearing pretty jewellery. My default response being I didn't have time, or the absolute worst one, what's the point? Well the point is I love those little things, as they make me feel good, they make me feel a little more me, when my daily life consists sometimes of very little me. So I upped my nail painting, hair braiding, jewellery wearing game.

Picture below I am wearing the Daisy Chakra bracelet, which stands for self expression and creativity. Kinda perfect for how I've been feeling lately and the positive changes I want to make. The winner will get to choose a Chakra bracelet or necklace of their choice, with a price range of £55 to £95! They come in gold, rose gold and silver. Something for everyone.

To enter is simple. Simply comment below telling me which Mori throw you love and/or which Daisy London Chakra bracelet or necklace you would like and then head over to our Instagram where you can gain more entries. Heading over to our Instagram is essential as we shall be contacting our two winners via our Instagram account.

This is an INTERNATIONAL giveaway! You have until midnight Thursday 14th July 2016 to enter. The winners will be contacted via their Instagram account and will have 7 days to respond. After which point another winner will be drawn if necessary.

Good luck, everybody!! After commenting below you can head over to our Instagram by clicking HERE.

* UPDATED *

Congratulations to our winners Sacha @sachavu and Elizabeth @blowyinthewind. Both winners have been notified via their Instagram accounts.

Thursday, 7 July 2016 Comments: 30

Here's the thing, I'm that mum, the one who adores the baby stage. For those of you that don't, I know what you are thinking...I'm crazy. Well actually I am, but that's another post ;)

You see to me the baby stage is completely instinctive. When they say you learn to tell what their different cries will mean it really is true. I remember being pregnant worrying about that, how would I know what my baby wants from a simple cry?? But true to people's word soon you pick up on a different tone that tells you they're hungry, or need a nappy change, or overtired, or just need mama's cuddles. To me, although that stage is exhausting, it's pretty damn wonderful. You feel like superwoman when your actions ease their woes, and let's not forget about the boobs. Sorry, but when you're as small as I am in that department you embrace those C cups, so much so that you actually ponder the thought of expressing for the rest of your life to keep those babies (I joke, kinda). The leaking though, oh I don't miss the leaking. My friend (also small in that department ;) and I leaked the entire time we breastfed, we once joked that it must be down to good milk supply and a lack of storage :P

So yes, I love the baby stage. Now granted I have not had a child who has suffered with colic, or reflux or something else underlaying. I applaud you parents who have, because that shit is tough. I can't imagine months of crying, and I can understand as your baby grows you are glad to shut the door on that stage and embrace toddlerhood.

My problem is I feel like I suck at the toddler stage. I can no longer fully rely on my instincts, and jeezo, if you misunderstand a toddler be aware to suffer the consequences. You didn't realise that your toddler wants your help but actually wants to do everything themselves so is infuriated by your help, then shame on you, how dare you try to be so helpful. Thou shalt be punished with crying and a throw down on the floor by the wronged toddler. That'll teach you. But actually it won't, because toddlers change the goal posts. Constantly. What appeased them yesterday won't today. What was a favourite food one day will the next time go untouched and end up decorating your floors and walls. When you ask for a cuddle or a kiss nine times out of ten you are met with a NO. Gone are the particular cries, now the cries mesh into one as you frantically try to figure out what on earth they want.

I find this stage exhausting. Yes, the rewards are huge when you see them master new skills and become their own little person, but I'll be honest with you, mostly I find it exhausting, and then I feel guilty because I'm not fully loving this stage.

I actually told Archie to shut up a few weeks back. My exact words were, 'Will you please just shut up, Archie. Just SHUT UP'. (I actually thought this was fairly polite, it didn't feature any swear words which surely counts for something). Do you know he actually did shut up. He must have sensed my tone. At that point I thought, thank god. You've shut up, marvellous, not the best approach, but hey I got my result.

I then later listened to Caleb tell Archie the same thing at the dinner table, 'Archie, will you just shut up'. I died. Gone are my baby winning days, here I am smack bang in toddlerhood losing on all counts. I then had to sit and explain to Caleb how that's not a nice thing to say and that mama was wrong for saying it too. No gold star for me that day.

So this is where I'm at right now, dealing with a little person who's mind is quicker then his tongue and feet. He knows what he wants but doesn't know quite how to express it always, and he wants to always be faster than his feet will allow. It's a stage, and if motherhood has taught me anything in the last nearly four years is that the phrase, 'this too shall pass', is a wise one, because it will. It's also okay to not love every stage too, I'm learning that myself. I need to cut myself some slack. This stage doesn't bring out my inner Mary Poppins, and that's okay.

Let's not forget this stage has its bonuses too. Like the two hour nap ;) ;) ;)

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Do you have a favourite stage? Like me do you too struggle with the toddler stage?? Or is it your absolute favourite?

Oh and please don't worry if your comment doesn't show up immediately. I have the approval comment on so as to avoid spam. Once I've approved it shows right up ;)

Monday, 21 March 2016 Comments: 7

You know when you just want to press a repeat button on a weekend?

Well that was this weekend just passed.

We had my mum visiting for the first time in our new home which we were all beyond excited about. I've been missing my mum like crazy lately so this weekend couldn't come soon enough. As soon as she arrived she was treated to the fastest tour guide in the world, Caleb, who dragged her around from room to room in all of about 30 seconds, all whilst shouting, 'Tanma 'poo, come here!!!'. How's that for an unfortunate name when your grandson has difficulty pronouncing certain letters?! :P

With the tour of the house out of the way ;), we could get busy enjoying our weekend together as Mikey headed off for a friend's stag do.

Here's a little vlog below of all the things we got up to. For those that have been asking, I shoot these just using my iphone and then edit on the imovie phone app. It's super easy, trust me, because I can do it.

I love how these little clips can be put together capturing an entire weekend in three minutes. I hope the boys will love them when they are older, they're already obsessed watching them now. Think Joey from Friends, 'There I am, there I am, there I am.', and that's pretty much Caleb when he sees himself on film. Oh how I love that boy.

March 2016 from Claire Stewart on Vimeo.

Music by Tessa Rose Jackson '20 years'.

I love new finds, and one of the places you saw there in the vlog was, The Secret Herb Garden. It's been on my list of places to visit for some time now but just never got around to it. Then two people mentioned it to me in the space of a week saying how much I would love it. So, I thought it would be the perfect place to visit when my mum was up, and it was.

Think child-friendly (ie parent heaven), fresh herb teas, beautiful settings, vintage wares and more. We sat in the cafe to begin with munching on the most delicious scones but the real gem of this place is the glasshouse where the boys could run about daft and play with various toys scattered about whilst we sat sipping tea on old vintage couches.

Quite the view with these beautiful flowers, ha! Thanks, Caleb.

The best tea!

Hello heaven. I purchased a dustpan and brush and I'm ashamed to admit just how excited I was about that.

Happy, happy boys. Which means, you guessed it....happy, HAPPY mama!

Now excuse me while I go overload you with pictures of Archie, when oh when did this baby of mine become a little man?!

Also in the vlog we visited the National Museum on Chamber street, usually a huge hit with my kids, but that day they just weren't digging it. Archie was overdue a nap, Caleb was in a mood because he wanted a red slush puppy (like seriously, it's winter, kiddo!!) and was not best impressed when we couldn't find one on our walk up to the museum. So, as the smiles turned to tears we ditched the museum, that's one thing I'm learning with the boys is just to know when to let plans go, rather than stubbornly stick to an idea that was meant to be fun but everyone just ends up miserable, me included.

Archie ended up napping as we walked around Edinburgh soaking the city up and I realised that I take for granted just what a good walker Caleb is and how much he loves it. By ditching our original plans it totally turned our day around for the better. Lesson learnt.

Another place in the vlog was Almond Valley Farm where Grandma was showing off her bouncing skills ;). Its a place we visit a lot as there's so much to do there, even when the weather is rubbish which it was that day.

We then had to bid farewell to Tanma 'poo, much to everyone's upset, but we have her up again in three weeks time for Caleb's birthday, yay!! Did I mention hes going to be four?! FOUR!!! I really am struck by just how fast these boys are growing at the minute.

Someone please stop time, already.

Wednesday, 16 March 2016 Comments: 6

Is that a Santa hat you spy?

Oh yes it is, but don't worry, we don't have a Christmas obsessed Caleb, although he does keep picking his Christmas books to read each night for bed ;). Sorry, kid, it's a once a year thing I'm afraid.

These pictures were in fact taken in December, and of course I'm late sharing. It was our first weekend in our new home and we decided to take a break from all the boxes to get some fresh air and stretch our legs.

I remember it being so cold that afternoon but we all walked around with big giddy smiles on our faces. It had been exactly a year since we first thought about putting our old place on the market, and now here we were, walking around our new neighbourhood, complete with our own mini Santa ;)

Ain't she pretty? We pass this canal every day to get to Caleb's nursery and the sight does not get old.

Talking of nursery, Caleb has fitted in seamlessly which we couldn't be more thrilled about. We were a little worried about all the change that had happened in the last year that we felt a change of nursery might be one change too much. Turns out I think it's me who worries about change more so than my boys.

You see I like to think I'm good with change and that I just roll with the punches but I find the older I get the less so this is true. Therefore I couldn't be happier to say we are loving our new area!

I worried moving a little further out from the city would be quite isolating, but quite the opposite. For one, every person you pass pretty much says hello, which suits my Liverpudlian personality down to a tee. Then there was Caleb starting nursery, which in all intents and purposes feels like you the parent is starting school all over again.

Cue new mum at nursery who knows no one. Talk about unearthing that nervous young girl in me. I class myself as a fairly outgoing person, but with a tough year last year and just feeling a little out of sorts has made me shrink back in myself a little. Lucky for me I've met some lovely, lovely people.

I've been struck of late just how truly lovely people are, whether we've known them for years or just a short amount of time. The support that has been felt after losing my grandad has been amazing. There isn't a thank you big enough really.

In other news, Archie likes to walk everywhere now! Until well, he doesn't want to walk and then he'd prefer mama's arms over his pram.

My Sorel boots have been a lifesaver this winter, I had them in mind for all the snow I hoped we would get, no such luck, they've instead kept my feet warm and dry from all this sodding rain. Oh and it's meant I could twin with my boys, do you think they'll find this cool still when they're 25?! ;)

As you can see Daddy is quite partial to a bit of twinning too.

For those that are interested in outfit details, I'm afraid there's a lot of last season rocking going on, not to mention Caleb hand me downs to Archie ;)

My boots c/o Cloggs are these Sorel boots, and they're now on sale with an extra 10% off too!

The boys duck boots can be found here, and also on sale.

My poncho is a good old Tesco number, don't you just love an outfit purchase mid food shop ;). Similar can be found here. My go to waterproof trousers (thank you, pleather!) are H&M, and my hat is Zara last season but you can find similar here.

Mikey's trusty Northface jacket gets pulled out every year, and I've been known to steal it for the nursery run ;)

Thursday, 4 February 2016 Comments: 5

this little house

IT STARTED WITH A RUG

A LITTLE BLOG RELAUNCH & GIVEAWAY

MUSING & CONFESSIONS ON THE TODDLER STAGE

ADVENTURES WITH GRANDMA LIVERPOOL

NEW HOME. FRESH START. & TWINNING

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