I’ve got big plans for the house in April. Whether they materialise or not is another matter because I am so indecisive.
We are currently in the middle of having a door fitted that will lead from the hallway into the garage. No more having to leave the house to get to the tumble dryer in the garage, yay! Once the building work is done I’ve got no excuse not to spend a bit of time on making the hallway look homely. As well as house-related-stuff, there’s loads of other things I’m looking forward to in April.
- I’ve found the lamp and the mirror, and now I just need to find the perfect console table for our hallway. Annoyingly, most console tables seem to be around 1 metre wide, including this beauty from John Lewis which I bought and LOVED but had to take back because it was too big for the space. I am also a fan of this Cox and Cox table but again it’s just too wide. So if anyone has seen something similar which is half the width PLEASE let me know.
- Now that we’ve had a couple of sunny days, I think I’m officially allowed to start buying pretty summer dresses. I’ve recently invested in this white lace one from Zara for my friend’s baby girl’s christening and I like it so much I am tempted to buy it in red too. And yellow. Uh oh…
- I’ve nearly finished the master bedroom but there is still one bleak white wall staring at me every morning that needs wallpaper, or paint, or a gallery wall, or SOMETHING. So in April I need to a) decide which it is to be, and b) put the plan into action. On the opposite wall, I’ve used this wallpaper which I love, but at £78 per roll I think Rich would actually kill me if I bought the five or so rolls needed to paper the entire wall in question. So I’m considering using just one or two rolls to create a panel effect, by wallpapering a large area of wall behind the chest of drawers and framing it with trim moulding. And then painting the moulding the same dark grey as the ferns on the paper. Hopefully it would look something like this. Please let me know if you’ve done anything similar and have any tips.
- On the afternoon of Saturday 16th April I’m planning on going to this mini urban festival at The Bond Company in Birmingham city centre. (Gone are the days of Glastonbury now we’ve got a little one in tow. Well for now.) We are talking street food, cocktails (served from a caravan, no less), and a market showcasing the work of local artists and designers. The bouncy castle and farm petting zoo should keep Mademoiselle Lyra entertained too. She is going to be a flower girl at Rich’s best friend’s wedding at the same venue later on this year so I can’t wait to check it out. And work out the logistics in the event that she refuses to do her job of scattering petals down the aisle!
- I love a good courtroom drama. In fact I am slightly embarrassed to admit that the channel 4 series Ally McBeal influenced my decision to study law at Uni. And surely there has been no bigger courtroom drama than the OJ Simpson trial, a dramatization of which is on BBC2 at the moment. The actors are brilliant – there are some huge names in there including John Travolta, Cuba Gooding Jr and my personal fave, Ross from Friends. I’ve also been impressed by the attention to detail – the soundtrack, clothes, hairstyles and even interior décor really reflect the 90s era. The series concludes in April and even though I know how it’s going to end, I’m hooked.
- As Lyra has recently turned two, for part of her birthday present we have booked tickets to go to… Peppa Pig World. I have mixed feelings about this. I’ve just realised the day we go is during the Easter holidays so it is probably going to be horrendously busy with queues full of hyper toddlers and stressed-out parents. However I think Lyra will love it so it will be worth it just to see her little face. Also, because it’s a long drive, we’ve decided to make a weekend of it and are going to stay at this Airbnb farm in Salisbury. If there are any ‘must-do’s in Salisbury I would love to hear all about them.
What are your plans for April? Is there anything else going on that the RMS team need to know about?
The eternal console table dilemma our problem was they were too deep in the end we just put a shelf in the hallway. My April involves looking for new plates this has been difficult so far as its either flowers or patterns…. However, saw Rory dobners designs at liberty the other day and think they are the perfect mix of edgy/classy and would make a great talking point just figuring out how to afford more than 1
Why is it so hard to find a console table?! Putting a shelf up instead is a great idea, I might well do that. Just googled the Rory Dobner plates, they are ace. Have you tried Anthropologie? They usually do unusual but reasonably priced plates x
If you wanted something a little quirky, why not try something like this to incorporate the shelf idea…
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/4a/d5/ae/4ad5ae18840aa777fc91438d02299500.jpg
What a lovely idea Emma! This wouldn’t be too expensive either…
You will love Peppa Pig world Lisa! Completely surreal but the little’s have a great time. We did go outside of school holidays but you should be fine. Top tip is to AVOID Miss Rabbits helicopter ride. It looks like it will be great but in reality you queue for ages (I mean a really long time) and it goes round at a ridiculously slow pace so that the kids all end up crying and wanting to get off. Not great when you are up in the air! All the others are perfect for the little’s though and queues went quickly. By about 2ish it seems to be loads quieter so you can get on things really quickly. We also took our own picnic as wasn’t impressed with the food. Have fun!
Ooh I was wondering whether it was better to get there earlier or later – later would be better for us because Lyra can nap on the drive down – so it’s good to hear it might be quieter in the afternoon. Miss Rabbit’s helicopter ride sounds horrendous…will definitely take your advice there. It’s a shame because Miss Rabbit is my favourite character! Ha xx
Peppa Pig World is awesome! We’ve just been, Easter hols too. Got there early, not too many queues, and are in the forest restaurant on the right as you go in – healthy options and quick service! We ate at 11.30 too to avoid queues. It’s a great day out!!
Attempting to get decorating/house sorting done at the moment too, it’s no joke with a little around is it!!
Yey, glad to hear some good stuff about Peppa Pig World even mid school hols
🙂 Thank you for the tips.
House sorting is IMPOSSIBLE with a little around! Having just this tiny little bit of building work done has made me realise that I could never do up a house and live in it the same time and I have massive respect for those people that do! X
We put something similar to this in our hallway: http://www.grahamandgreen.co.uk/pigeon-hole-wall-shelf-unit
Lots of storage space for keys and other multiple bits and pieces (gloves, tape, vouchers, etc) and as it’s vintage-y isn’t a problem to perch a cup of tea/glass of wine on the top of it when needed.
Love this idea Caroline….would also look lovely with a cute print/blush chair of some kind underneath….x
Ultra practical but pretty, I like it! Thanks Caroline 🙂
We have an old school PE bench in the hall so kids to sit on to out shoes on. What about a side/ table table rather than a console?
Loving the sound of your PE bench Rachel! I have been looking at side tables but most are too deep – anything with a depth of over 20cm and the door to our little under-the-stairs cupboard will bash it. It’s a really awkward space! X
I’m a Salisbury mum and (whisper it so my kids don’t hear) I’ve not yet taken them to Peppa Pig world, and we only live 20 mins away. Yes, officially a terrible mother. If you’re going to spend some time in Salisbury then do visit the Cathedral close – beautiful area, ideal for little ones to charge around and burn off energy, plus there are some huge monumental sculptures currently on display on the lawns that both kids & adults enjoy. Then head to the Cosy Club or Boston Tea Party (just outside the close) for a cuppa (or cocktail). Enjoy your stay, & PP World!
Ha ha your secret is safe with me Nicola. You’ve just got me really excited about the trip…I love sculptures and the Cathedral close area sounds brill x
That’s such a shame about the space in your hallway not being big enough to fit the console tables you liked, they would have looked great as well! I hope you manage to find a solution soon and I’d love to see your hallway once it’s finished! I’m loving the sunny warmer weather at the moment (it’s a shame it seems to be a 50/50 toss up between a rainy day and a sunny one at the moment) but I know what you mean about wanting to buy summer dresses, I can’t wait for summer now!!
Gemma x
The British Feather – Interiors, Travel & Lifestyle
Thanks Gemma 🙂 watch this space! Totally agree. Bring on summer x