Touch of Gold

A few of my weekend buys! I bought some tiny golden earrings at a stall by the river. One pair are little snowflakes, not really the weather for them but I thought they were cute :)  The necklace is for my friend. I find buying clothing and accessories for other people can be quite hard, I can't always tell if it's really their style, but I hope she likes this. I also bought another Stila CC in lillium, that and petunia are my favourite blushes.

You might have noticed, I love figs! This candle smells so divine, I got it as a two-for-one this weekend from Ecoya and it's called Caramelised Fig. I wish I could send this scent through your monitor or something right now because seriously you would love it and my bad iphone pic is doing it no justice at all. If you have not heard of Ecoya, they are an Australian brand that do natural home fragrance, bath and body goodies :) Their jar candles are made from pure soy wax.

  

I actually have soy wax for making candles in my house. I tried making them with essential oils before but I'm not sure the scent turned out strong enough in the end. Will keep experimenting!

Do you like scented candles? Are there any favourite scents you have?

Five easy ways to freshen up your home

We've decided to give our decor a bit of a change. I really want a fresh new look but without any large projects or big expenses. Here are some quick and easy things we plan to do for an "instant lift". Maybe you can try them in your house as well: 

1. Change your wall colour

Painting a wall is one of the most simple and inexpensive ways to create a dramatic change to a space. It could be a shade you've never tried before or just a favourite colour you love to surround yourself with. My living room was painted a green tea shade a few years ago but we would like to change it back to white, to give a more light and airy feeling. The white we've chosen has an underlying pink tone which provides warmth. For a cooler shade, choose a white with blue undertones.

2. Decorate with plants or fresh flowers

A new house plant or placing flowers around the house is such an easy thing to do and can really add colour and life to your home. Try picking out an accent colour that is already in the room, for example a vase of lovely pink tulips if you have pink throw cushions. For the living room we're repainting to white, I think a light green arrangement with touches of white blossom will look really pretty.

3. Put down a cozy rug

If you have hard flooring like mine, a cozy rug is so nice for adding warmth and a homely feeling. Once the painting is done we'll put out some very old but beautiful handwoven rugs we have. It takes a lot of cleaning but it's definitely worth it. If you have allergies I suggest ruling out any shag type carpets and stick instead to those with tightly woven strands where dust, pollen and other allergens have less room to hide.

4. Switch up your art

Change the placement of any wall paintings or frames on tabletops. Just like changing around your furniture, it can give a whole new look to your room. You could even add something new and personal, like a photo you took recently with a loved one or a quote you want to remember.

5. Group accessories

I like to group decorative pieces, like candles or ornaments, in groups of 3s, 5s or 7s. This always seems to feel more complete as an arrangement. Recently I was given a gorgeous scented candle made with soy wax and a natural wood wick, I love how it crackles when it burns and fills the room with a rich comforting scent. For fragrance, I also like to use essential oils - lavender, bergamot and lemongrass are perfect for creating a relaxing atmosphere :)

The Sleepy Mug

So cute :)
We all take our time to really wake up in the morning, so does this mug. When it's cold, it displays a sleepy face. And as you pour in your favorite hot beverage, it will start waking up and will greet you with a smile.
via 1,2