Friday 1 May 2009

Add colour to your life



Over the past few months we have been gradually redecorating the whole house. Choosing a colour scheme, curtains, decorative touches such as cushions and pictures is something that I LOVE doing, as many of you am sure do too.

In planning a colour scheme for each room, I have sometimes found myself torn between having a very plain light & airy look using whites with touches of grey/blue or going for something more colourful all round. Whites would give the room a peaceful and relaxed feel but these colours could also look cold in the winter... Sometimes I feel like having colours to brighten up the feel of the house as it rains quite a lot here. I have been waiting for a while before making a decision since I kept going from one option to another. Do you find that?

Yesterday, it suddenly fell in to place. I knew what I wanted for the kitchen, finally! I have decided that the kitchen needs colour so that it feels like a sunny happy room the minute you walk in to it. I have been inspired by stocks & lupins and 1950's colourful books on gardening, children's & home books. It won't have the look of a modern retro 1950's kitchen, it will just have some 1950's touches mixed in. I am looking forward to getting started! I will be using a mixture of vintage and modern fabrics.


Front cover of a French vintage gardening magazine. I like collecting them, the covers are so beautiful.

I firmly believe that colour affects your mood. I always feel so much better on a sunny day when the sky is blue and colourful flowers are swaying in a gentle breeze. I have more energy and drive to do things. I do the housework with more enthusiasm. Somerset is a beautiful county but in the past couple of years we seem to have had more grey skies than blue so that is why I have decided to bring some sunshine & colour into the house to make up for those grey days...


This afternoon, I popped into Frome and had a look around a really pretty haberdashery boutique called Millie Moon. If you live too far way to visit them, you can browse their website as they have an online shop (Click on Millie Moon link). The colours in the shop are fantastic, so vibrant. I really like the way the buttons are displayed. They look like sweets! I went there last week and had planned on taking some photos but a message on my camera said 'No memory card found' I had left it behind.
This time, I went prepared. I also popped in to Bea & Evie, photos on one of my next posts.






Just like sweets!



I love these patterns

















I bought some embroidery thread and some blue pure wool felt



Those colours work so well together!

Tomorrow, I am on my way to the Isle of Wight via a quick stop in Salisbury to visit an antiques centre which sells vintage clothes and accessories . I will be on the IOW for a couple of nights to visit my sister and family. My sister has 3 children and they will all have their 1st communion/confirmation on Sunday.

Wishing you a bright and happy weekend!
Larry has shown signs of improvement! He is regaining his strength and normal walk. The vet is now not so sure if a MRI scan is required after all. We are going to look into it more and get a second opinion to be on safe side. The vets were so sure he would need a scan and now they appear to be backing down on that. I will keep you posted. Thank you all for your good wishes and prayers. Could well be that they are working!!! Fingers crossed... :o)

A bientôt!


Isabelle x

28 comments:

Clare said...

Frome is great isn't it! I'm off there tomorrow to visit Bea and Evie for a 'hat chat'. We must meet up there sometime for a coffee (the one in the Black Swan Gallery is lovely...yummy cakes too!). Have a lovely time in IOW.
Clare

Anonymous said...

hey, i really like your blog, just hoping you could follow me as well? no pressure or anything haha, just trying to build a following. have a great day!

Anonymous said...

You're right this store is just so full of vibrant colors...The fabric looks amazing and those buttons...I wish I had a store like this near me...
STephenie

Laura @ 52 FLEA said...

Hi Isabelle,
I'm glad lil Larry is continuing to improve....I love the look of the colors and the idea for your new kitchen...it will be cheerful and beautiful i am sure.....Also that shop was like eye candy! Thank you for that!
Be well, Laura

koralee said...

That shop looks amazing...i love how they display their buttons. I think your kitchen will look adorable...i do like color in the kitchen...have a wonderful weekend and a great visit.

Stephanie said...

I love color. I find that bright pink and the sky blue that you mention always brighten my day. The kitchen will look great.

Anonymous said...

That shop looks wonderful. Your idea's sound great. xxx

Beth Niquette said...

What gorgeous loveliness! These colors and photos just filled my eyes this morning. I LOVE color.

Les Cotrions said...

What a marvellous shop!So marvellous things to buy!!! My best wishes for your sister's children! Have a nice time with your family!
warm greetings
Vale

Carole said...

It's so important to make the kitchen a happy place ....we all spend so much time there. Love that shop and love Amy Butler fabrics...so cheerful and bold yet very nostalgic. Your whole blog is eye candy to me. So glad Larry is doing better. Our pets do steel our heart don't they? and it can be so frustrating that they can't talk to us and tell us what they're feeling.
Take good care,
Carole

debra@dustjacket said...

Mmmm .... I agree colour does affect your mood. Love that shop and your photo's!

June said...

Yes, I love color and your post is full of it today. So lovely and inspiring.
Hugs, June

Stephanie ~ Angelic Accents said...

What a wonderful place to shop!! You have posted some great pictures. Your blogger header is simply stunning. I love the pic of the sweet child & all the blues surrounding him!

Hugs,
Stephanie
Angelic Accents

Bleudelavande said...

I really love your blog!!!
It's always full of great inspirations and it's a pleasure for my eyes!!!
What amazing play for shop!!!
Have a nice time with your family!
Big hugs! Mate

Fleur de Boheme said...

Hi, just found your blog - I love it! Good luck with your plans according your website where you are going to sell your handcrafted stuff. I work with vintage based art and craft myself, it´s so nice to meet people who share the same passion!

Hope your cat Larry is better, have lots of pets myself and know how you feel when they´re ill - they are part of the family after all!

Bye Kirsten

Country Cottage Chic said...

I think your colour inspiration is perfect!

What a lovely shop that is - I must get myself over to Frome one of these days....

Cape Cod Rambling Rose said...

So pleased to hear Larry is doing better! Will keep him in our prayers along with those for our own kitty. My kitty actually CHASED down my other cat today, so that was a BIG pleasant surprise!

What a fabulous colorful post - so inspiring!

Marie Reed said...

I am the queen of indecisiveness! I can NEVER decide how to redecorate! I have a million ideas but go back and forth and back and forth! Color is a must to brighten up all of the cold bleak days though! It won't stop raining here... When will it be Spring? Glad to here they everything may be OK with Larry!

Ragged Roses said...

Hello!
Just popped over to find some news about Larry and not only found some really good news about his recovery but a post full of beautiful colours and inspiration. So looking forward to seeing your kitchen...
Kimx

Julia said...

Ooooooooooooooh!
I love, love lupins, I love the colours and the old fashioned cottage garden~ness of them, and I love your little shops, what inventive and pretty ways of displaying things!

I hope you enjoy the Isle of Wight, another favourite spot I lived just outside Cowes myself for a short time a few years back and have fond memories!

Have a lovely trip
Julia xxx

THISNTHAT said...

Hi, thanks for the tour around Millie Moon. It's on my list of places to visit next time we travel that way. In Totnes we have a great fabric shop called Stone Fabrics (just up the road from This'n'That). Thanks for following my blog, will be doing likewise:)

Pink Feather Paradise said...

Glad to hear Larry is feeling better... and I love lupins and those old book covers... I truly believe in colour therapy.. its strange how you are attracted to certain colours when you feel a certain way... i know what you mean about the weather around here...and I really must make an effort to visit Frome...

Take care Alex x

Niki Fretwell said...

Hi Isabelle,
Glad to hear that little Larry is making some improvements.
I hope that you enjoyed your trip to the Isle of Wight.

I agree with you about colour - one of my favourites is red, which always lifts a plain white room from being too cold in winter.
Good luck with all of the decorating...I don't envy you, but I always look forward to end results...

Millie Moon is a pretty little shop. I am always surprised by the prices that she puts on her hand crafted items (not enough in my view) - its seems strange that she doesn't seem to value the hours of work involved...

Niki x
(Thank you for your email - I'm just trying to catch-up with everything after having visitors.)

Pink Feather Paradise said...

Just popped in to let you know there is an award over on my blog for you...
X Alex

Anonymous said...

Hi there, I am hosting a book swap over on my blog. It is a permanent feature, which will always be on my blog, it is not a one off, like the rose theme swap I'm hosting. I have listed a load of my books which I am willing to swap, take a look, there may be some you fancy. If you would like to list books which you no longer want, and are willing to swap, just contact me at rosehyacinth@hotmail.co.uk, or leave a comment on my blog, with your name, the name of your blog and the books you wish to swap, and I will type them up and post them on the swap page, so the more and more people who participate, the wider the range of books there will be to choose from, and remember, it will always be there on my blog.
Take Care
Love Melanie xxx

julie said...

that looks a lovely shop. Love the colours that you chose too - a great combination. So glad to hear that Larry seems to be on the mend. Have a great weekend away. x

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