NEW PRINTS FOR THE HOME // INTERIOR INSPIRATION

As I'm constantly decluttering, rearranging and adding to the flat to sprunce up the home, I am welcoming spring and the fresh start it brings, especially after what feels like a long winter. Now that it's April and we are on the cusp of discovering which school F will be joining in September, I have been feeling a little unsettled, and when that happens I tend to rearrange our walls and add prints to my collection.

So I thought it would be fun to share my two recent additions, both different in design and style, and both giving off totally different vibes in the flat. The first print I want to share is this beauty,  Bondi Beach by Louisa Seton from Lumitrix, I've wanted a sea/surf style print for a while now as I find the sea so calming, so when I saw these bathers surrounded by thick fog on the infamous Australian coastline, I knew it would find a place in my bedroom. What better place to evoke a feeling of calm in the space you rest your head.

The second print to don my walls is a city I love, a hand drawn map of Paris by the super talented Jenni Sparks from EverMade.com. Not only has this been added to my lounge so the F can study all the amazing graphic detail that has gone into making this map, but it's especially relevant as I plan to see in my 25th 35th birthday in Paris in June *squeal* and stroll along the Seine. Jenni has also designed maps of other cities and I can't wait to add more to my collection.

Have you bought anything new for the home recently?*The prints were c/o of Lumitrix and Evermade.com. All words and opinion are 100% my own.

WALL DESIGN AND PICTURE FRAMES // INTERIOR INSPIRATION

As the flat spruce continues I've been looking at wall designs to give our flat a face lift. I've been wanting to try a gallery wall for some time now using our collection of prints and photos, rather than leave them stacked up in the bedroom. So after much procrastinating I decided to bite the bullet and give our walls some love

Annoyingly we have a rather ugly radiator that sticks up above the sofa, and as we're renting unless there's not much hiding it. However distracting from it with a fun collection of prints seems to be an easier option.

After selecting which prints I wanted to include in my gallery wall design, I laid them out on the floor to get a rough idea of how to group them together. This probably took the most amount of time with me shuffling and moving prints to get it the way I wanted, while nursing a cup of coffee. I used a selection of frames: white, black and wood – which probably breaks all the rules – and used a combination of illustrated prints, graphic typography and a few photographic images. I decided to include two new prints and used eFrame to order the picture frames online for the perfect fit and finish. The website is simple to use and you can easily create custom size frames by simply entering the dimensions and choosing the colour, shape material and finish of the frames you would like and wait for them to be delivered to your door.

I love the size and shapes of the frames and how they sit with the prints and I have grouped them quite close together as I know I still have this beach print and this Paris print to add. Next the fiddly bit, I used masking tape to mark the edges of the frames onto the wall to ensure that I had the spacing right before hammering in any nails and hanging the prints.

It's a work in progress but I really feel it adds a touch of personality and detracts from the radiator eyesore. So what do you think, would you create a gallery wall in your home? You can find more wall design inspiration over on my Pinterest boards



*We were give frames by eFrame for the purpose of this review. All words and opinions are 100% my own.

A GOOD BOOK // VIVIAN MAIER STREET PHOTOGRAPHER

One of the things I love about photography is seeing life through the eyes of someone else, moments perfectly captured in time that without a camera would fade into obscurity. So when I received this good book at I was excited to share it with you.

I first heard of Vivian Maier through a small poster glued to the side of a building, her striking image drew me in and I wanted to find out more. The poster showed the upcoming documentary being screened at The Cube, a cool independent cinema and arts centre in Bristol, and immediately I knew I needed to get tickets. On the night I headed down on my own to a packed out tiny art house cinema, where I sat with a rum and coke in hand as the lights dimmed.

I was totally mesmerised by the life of this unknown woman, a professional nanny who lived in New York amongst other places, who took over 100,000 photographs and showed no-one. Not a soul. These stunning collection of images shows Maier to been one of the most amazing street photographers of her generation and the negatives sat in boxes upon boxes until a few years ago, after her death, they were discovered by a local historian and the first negative was developed.

The book brings together her eye for detail, light and composition, her timing and her ability to never miss a moment, and lays it out for you to embrace and pour over. Maier's stunning photography invites you stare upon the faces of people from a forgotten time and brings you into their lives.

If you love photography or knows anyone who does then this is the perfect coffee table book and if you haven't see the documentary about this incredibly talented woman then now is the time to discover her work.

A ME DAY AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS

A few weeks ago in the midst of all the chaos of work, childcare, chores, meetings and life in general, I had a rare moment, one that doesn't come along that often, a me day. F was at my parents house for a sleep over, Paul was abroad on business and I decided to clear the diary and jump on a train to London to just hang out.

Well it just so happened that the lovely people over at Chestertons who are in partnership with the RA, thought I might like to visit the Anselm Kiefer exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts and they were not wrong.

Click here to read more

AFFORDABLE ART FOR YOUR WALLS

Image via here

I love having art in my home, whether they are prints or paintings, illustrations or photography,  I think there's no better way to give your space personality. I have gained quite a collection over the years, to the point where I have a pile of unframed pictures in the bedroom which I've not got round hanging.

Having great art on your walls is something to consider when decorating, it can inspire you, uplift your mood, transform a room, express your personality and be a great talking point. Choosing what to hang in your home is another matter.

Motel By Elayne Barre ©

1. What space are you working with?
2. What size should it be?
3. Should I choose Colour or Monochrome?
4. Should I hang a single picture or a collection?

Although there's lots of questions to think about when choosing a piece, the fundamental rule is that YOU have to love it, especially as you'll be seeing it most days. Often it's difficult to have access to a lot of different artists work so when I recently discovered New Blood Art, an online art gallery showcasing a carefully curated selection of original work by exciting artists at affordable prices, I was excited to see what they had to offer.

We Are Here (Lonely Together) By Malgorzata Lapsa-Malawska ©

Blanket 2 By Christopher J Russell ©

There is a huge range of work and prices allowing the art to be accessible to most, and what's great is that the Company Founder Sarah Ryan visits each degree show herself, looking for the next talented emerging artists who's work will appreciate in time. By doing so it allows you to buy original artwork as an investment when it's at its most affordable.

I already have my eye on a this painting and this photo, I think they would look great on my wall.

*This is a collaborative post but all words and opinions are 100% my own and I love that New Blood Art supports emerging artists.

WOVEN WALLS

After browsing the internet a few days ago and catching up on some of my regular reads I stumbled on the beautiful interior images of photographer Nicole Franzen  and one photograph in particular grabbed my attention. A simple table with a globe resting upon it, and in the background two fabric hangings, adding colour, pattern and texture to an otherwise plain background. 

You might know that I love prints and can see some of my favourite finds here, but I've never really considered fabric for the wall, and with weaves popping up in beautiful interiors and super DIY tutorials showing us how to get creative, I think this might be a fun way forward to decorate my walls. 

Here are a few weave inspirations from around the web.

Click to read more 

A GOOD BOOK // Jane & Serge. A Family Album

As much as I love children's books and have a stack of stories I can't wait to share with you, I also have a growing collection of photography and art books that are slowly filling my bookshelves and coffee table. I find these pages a source of constant inspiration and it's always easy to get lost in a good book.

This beautiful treasure trove, Jane & Serge. A Family Album, captures the intimate moments and daily life between the highly public love affair of British actress Jane Birkin, and the beloved French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, as documented by Jane's brother Andrew Birkin during the 70's. These candid snaps takes us back to a time of nostalgia, a bygone era where babes were free range, music and art filled the air and life seemed simple. One of my favourite photos is of a white clad Jane cradling her daughter Charlotte amongst black sand and smouldering rocks, so striking is the colour and the simple pose of motherhood.


Each page contains a single image holding you in that moment, to explore the tenderness captured that so easily translates, as if you were viewing your very own family album. No words are used throughout this book, and instead we are asked to use our own reflections to narrate the pages, to feel each connection, which is so easily achieved with something so beautifully curated. The book itself comes covered in a clear plastic wallet containing a collection of goodies sure to delight:

• Text booklet featuring an introduction by Jane Birkin and Andrew Birkin’s memoir of Jane and Serge, illustrated by Birkin family childhood photos
• Softcover contact sheet booklet
• Fold-out poster
• 5 photo prints
• Sticker sheet
• Embroidered patch 

This is certainly a book to treasure and one that will hopefully ignite the passion to go out and capture your own family moments. 

LETS MAKE ART BRISTOL

A week or so ago with not much planned we wondered what fun we could find, thankfully living in Bristol there is pretty much always something going on, so when a friend invited me to come along to Let's Make Art I didn't hesitate. For all those parents who like me, slightly cringe at the thought of arts and craft at home due to the over enthusiastic nature of their child, which always leads to washing down the walls or dry cleaning the sofa cushions when paint/pencils/play-doh have found their way mushed in, then this is the kiddo class for you.

This post pic heavy so click to read more.

RAINY DAYS AND ART PLAY

After a gunning start to the new year, this week I succumbed to my first cold of 2014 – hence the radio silence – all of the Christmas partying and New Years Eve drinking finally caught up with me, and I had been left rendered useless. All my energy had been channeled into entertaining a very bouncy three year old who seemed quite unsympathetic to my plight. But after a few days of rest, numerous tonics, fresh fruit and salad it looks like my body may have forgiven me and the groggy head is lifting.

Yesterday was particularly wet with grey skies and F was starting to loose his patience being cooped up with a croaky and grumpy me. I racked my brains for something to do which was low impact and quiet, so when he suggested painting I wasn't convinced. Why? This normally ends in paint splashed on the curtains, me turning into some weird monster control freak as to how he should use the paints – don't mix the all colours! – and him going into a sulk. Not wanting a tantrum, I set everything out on the table and sat beside him with some hot lemon water, wishing myself well.

Where I would normally jump in, I didn't. F happily mixed the colours away, there was minor collateral damage to the curtains, but I didn't care. To be honest I didn't have the energy to get too involved so I happily sat, thankful for the 45 minutes of peace as he painted page after page, all with a running commentary of what he was doing.

"Mummy it's a fish, with a postbox because it has underwater letters.  

Look that's a rose bush with fireworks behind it, they're pretty things for you..."

I was quite surprised how long this held his attention, it didn't matter that he wasn't always painting recognisable things, his descriptions were beautiful. I suddenly felt awkward and a bit guilty that I had been stifling his creative side by getting over involved and dare I say it... critical. Who cares if he mixes all the colours and it makes a stodgy brown? He certainly doesn't. After the paintings dried he talked me through them again and picked out his favourite. We used his blackboard wall to create a gallery in his room, drawing frames to stick his paintings in. You could see the pride beaming out of him as I bit back some of the mama guilt. Oh they're beautiful I exclaimed. As soon as Paul arrived home he was rushed straight through to his bedroom by a excitable F "Come see my exhibition Daddy".

So that'll be me adding another 'Do' to 2014. Do not interfere when F is happily involved in child lead play. Lesson received and learnt.