Wednesday 31 August 2016

Heartbreaking Loss Of Our Sycamore Trees...

Hi Honeys
This has been such a sad, sad day.  Our garden, behind the house, has become so soulless.  There is a long, long lane running behind the houses on our street and this lane used to be lined in trees, including the ones standing guard on the other side of our tall garden fence.
Losing our sycamore trees

Over time the trees have been removed and a neighbour wanted the last remaining trees trimmed back because they were very, very tall.  A workman from the company used by our local council called yesterday morning and spoke to both my neighbours & myself and he did ask me, since the trees in question backed on to our property, if we minded.  Thinking they were only planning to decrease the height of the trees, I said we didn't.

Friday 26 August 2016

Using the Ikea Ideal Candle Dish For Pretty Bathroom Storage

Disclaimer: I haven't been paid to recommend any products, just wanted to share my mini organizing project :)

Hi honeys
After the tour of our tiny entryway/mudroom yesterday, where I showed how we'd used one of our latest Ikea purchases (the Sunnersta rail & accessories) I thought I'd show you how I used another recent Ikea find :)
Using the Ikea Ideal Candle Dish In The Bathroom
This pretty ceramic rectangular dish was one of the first items I added to our Ikea shopping list for this past visit because I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it!
Ikea IDEAL candle dish

This beautiful dish is part of a collection of three different candle dishes, two square and this rectangular dish, all available in both white and black.  I can think of so many uses for these candle dishes honeys, and I'm planning on maybe buying the smaller of the square dishes next visit to sit by our hob to coral olive oil bottles, seasonings etc. 

For today though, I thought I'd show you how I used the rectangular version in our bathroom for the prettiest storage...

Thursday 25 August 2016

Our Tiny Mudroom Tour

Disclaimer: I haven't been paid to recommend any products, I just wanted to share our latest project in our organizing adventure :)

Hi Honeys,
Well, we finally (other than a few finishing touches) finished work on our teeny tiny entryway/mudroom and I thought I'd share.  
Rosie's Entryway/Mudroom Tour
You might remember that we organized items such as bottled water and bottles of soda in this little entryway because it's always cool out there using green crates organized as cubbies.  This system worked really well for quite some time but we wanted a change and now that it's done, it looks like a completely different space and we couldn't be happier with it :)

Let's take a look then will we honeys?

Sadness In The Garden...

Hi Honeys
I hope everyone's had a great week so far.  Today started on a very down note. I had wandered into the kitchen when I noticed a beautiful collared dove had landed in our garden.  They do frequently, especially this time of year because they like to eat the blueberries from the shrub back there.  That's why it was planted after all, to be a food source for our feathery visitors.
Sadness in the garden

Well, this dear wee dove wasn't flying off, or walking around the garden the way they sometimes do. She seemed to be just sitting there. A little later two other doves landed and positioned themselves one behind her and the other in front. As if they were protecting her?  

They stayed with her quite a while, one of them at one point jumped on top of her (which scared me) but it seemed as if the other dove was trying to make her get up off the grass, to move.  Eventually they both flew off.  I wondered why they'd leave her to and it took me a few minutes to realize she must have died. Her little head was on the ground instead of being held up.  She really looked for all the world as if she was having a nap, bless her.

I phoned Hubby at work and he told me he'd bury her in the garden when he got home and that's what he's doing right now.  I got a shoe box and lined it with lots of those lovely soft paper napkins we have in the kitchen and Hubby's burying her over by the fence in the garden, near the trees.  He's lifted one of the paving stones (of the path) and is burying her under there so that the foxes don't dig her up again. This has been such a sad day honeys.

Hubby said there is no sign of injury to her so maybe it was just her time.  If that's true then at least she landed somewhere no one would hurt her, there are no cats and now she's buried and she can be at peace, bless her.  That doesn't make my heart hurt less for her though. Sleep safely dear wee soul.

Till next time honeys, sending heaps of huggles always xx

Wednesday 24 August 2016

Rosie's Latest Fun & Fabulous Ikea Finds...

Disclaimer:  I haven't been paid to promote any products, just wanted to share our latest smiles from our Ikea shopping trip x

Hi Honeys
Hope everyone is well x  Guess what? It's actually been sunny outside today! That means I've spent today doing laundry yaaaaay :)

I'm so grateful for the sunshine today honeys, not just because it will allow me to hang out laundry (although that is a huge bonus) but because after all of the rain over the last day or two (which did it's best to torture me) today I feel (almost) human again :)

So, I thought today I'd share a glimpse of what we brought home with us from our trip last Wednesday to Ikea...
Rosies's latest fun & fabulous Ikea finds
I so adore Ikea honeys, it's a wee distance away though and we don't have a car.  Hubby hires a car for the day whenever we go and we usually make plans to do our grocery shop as well as any other errands that need done too.

This is why our Ikea visits are planned to the nth degree with a shopping list prepared, measuring tape & camera in hand :)  A word of warning, this post is quite long and has lots of images, might be best to grab a coffee (and maybe a cookie?) I'll wait till you get back....

OK, let's have a look at what we brought home this time then shall we?

Saturday 20 August 2016

The Heart Wants What The Heart Wants...

Hi Honeys
Have you ever heard of the old Scottish saying "What's for you, will no (won't) go by you?" Essentially it means that if something is meant to be, it'll happen.  If you're meant to have something in your life, it won't go past without knocking on your door :)
Another little smile from Ikea
You might remember honeys, during a recent visit to Ikea I fell in love with the cutest earthenware jar?  It was love at first sight :)  
Tillfalle jar from Ikea
I picked it up, then put it down again, then picked it up... and again thought... "no, it's £6.50... money doesn't grow on trees (at least not around here anyways! I work hard for my minimum wage :) "It's wasteful to spend so much on something just because it made me smile" I told myself and snapped photos of it instead :)  

Well honeys, I've spent the past couple of months wanting to kick myself.  I really did fall in love with this adorable little jar, so I resolved to treat myself on our visit this past Wednesday. 

Well, we looked high and low while walking around the store this week only to find the TILLFÄLLE Collection, just like the GILTIG collection, had been discontinued! 

Nooooo!  Now I really did want to kick myself!  Oh well, I thought, lesson learned.  In future listen to your heart when it speaks to you.  

Then on the way out of the store, in a little space they call "bargain corner" - a space where they put remaining items of discontinued stock - nestled among leftover dishes and kitchenware I saw this...

The last remaining Tillfalle jar in the store!
Joy! The last little Tillfalle jar in the store was sitting there waiting for me to come along and take it home :) It had been reduced, it said on the sticker attached, to £4 too!  Now if that isn't the universe speaking to me honeys, what is?  :) 

So, now I have to find the perfect spot to put it in our home.  I have a feeling it might find its way into our newly painted and re-organized little entryway/mudroom... there is what I think might be the absolutely perfect place for it :)  

What about you honeys?  Have you ever fallen in love with something and just had to have it?  I can't wait to share our little entryway with you and share it I will, as soon as we make a few finishing touches :)  For now though dear ones, I have to dash off, shower, dress and get organized for work.  Till next time, I hope you have a fabulous weekend full of smiles and fun, huggles always xx

Friday 19 August 2016

Best Ikea Purchase Ever!

Disclaimer: I haven't been paid to recommend this product, just wanted to share our latest (and happiest) smile x

Hi Honeys
It's Friday again and so much done this week, thanks to Hubby having a week's holiday from work and following me around the house checking off jobs as we go from a little list I'd made :)

On Wednesday we made a trip to Ikea, with another carefully prepared list as always, and we did it! We managed to find one of the new Ikea products I'd spotted online in a preview of the new catalogue.

This wasn't just any product though, this looked like it could be the single best thing we've ever bought from Ikea, and if you've read this blog you'll know that Ikea is my happy place :) Seriously honeys, I'm obsessed! You can't walk into a room in our home without meeting some Ikea somewhere :)    

Best Ikea purchase ever

So, what is it then, this amazing Ikea product that actually made me so happy when I spotted it, and
doubly so when we actually found one on our latest visit?

It's the GLASSGLAD glass dome with base and I LOVE it! Essentially it's a display case to protect and store precious things while allowing them to be seen, appreciated, loved and all those good things that fill a day with smiles just because :)  It looks like this...
GLASSGLAD glass dome and base from Ikea
So, why all the excitement you ask honeys?  We have a treasure you see.  A one-of-a-kind, can never be replaced treasure discovered while going through boxes taken from cupboards in our efforts to downsize.  

This treasure means the world to us and we'd love to be able to display it in our home but not without a way to protect it from the elements (ie: dust) and, if we can (such as avoiding direct sunlight etc) from any further unnecessary aging. 

Would you like to see our treasure then honeys, now that it's found a new, safe, place to live?  Here it is...
   
Our precious wedding cake topper, safe & sound :)

This is the cake topper from our wedding cake, it's a little over thirty years old (hey I was a young bride! :) The bride's dress and the groom's shirt have discoloured a little to look more cream coloured than the white they were but she still has her tiny bouquet and her separate little lace veil attached.

The topper is perfectly complete, still having it's pink feathers, flowers & ribbon, it's silver foil leaves & tiny silver bell, all in place exactly as they were, a lifetime ago now although it feels like yesterday (or maybe the day before :)

There are simply no words for how much this means to me, or for how vividly it brings back memories of what was the happiest day of my life. Truly precious things like this deserve to be seen, to be loved and to be a part of our daily lives, don't you think honeys?

I can't help looking at it each time I walk into our living room and each time I do I smile :)  Thank you Ikea for making that possible x

Do you display your treasures?  What brings back the happiest memories for you dear ones? Till next time, have a fabulous weekend, smile lots and hug even more, hugs always xxx

Sept 2019 edit: This dome is no long available from Ikea I'm afraid (we tried to buy another one without success) but there are various different versions available in different sizes, you can see them here honeys x

Thursday 18 August 2016

An Organizing Week!

Hi Honeys
What a busy week it's been! Hubby's had a Holiday from work this week so we've been organizing and decorating - well painting really since the walls of our tiny front entrance/mudroom are lined in wood but I'm getting ahead of myself :)

So this week  we'd planned to at least freshen up our little front entryway and declutter it too and we so have! I can't wait to share it with you but today I wanted to share the first project we completed this week which, oddly enough, happened because we'd made a start on the entryway/mudroom :)
An Organizing Week: Project One: Back Door Cupboard Re-Visited
Do you remember a recent post on de-junking & organizing the large cupboard facing our back door honeys?  I was really pleased with how it turned out. A home for everything and I so love using it.

Well, just wait till you see what we did to it this week...

Friday 12 August 2016

Why I love Home And Why You Should Too...

Hi Honeys
Does your home hug you when you walk through the door? When I get home from work at night I'm greeted by a happy, smiling, Hubby & furbaby and by a silent hug from our home too.

I walk through our door and I can immediately feel the stress leave my body, my shoulders relax and I always smile :) I still adore Ikea beyond all reason but home is my real happy place :)

Six ways to make your house a home

So, how to make our home a place you never want to leave and always long for when you're not there honeys. Turns out, it's really easy :)

Six Ways To Make Your House A Home.. 


1. Love every inch of your home and it'll love you back :) 


How many of us have dining tables and eat dinner in front of the TV?  Set the table, use the good plates, make every meal a celebration. Ban phones, tablets etc, talk and hold hands instead :)

2. Make your bedroom your own personal oasis of calm. 


Decorate in a soothing colour, choose beautiful bedding that'll make your bed feel luxurious.  When shopping for bedding, look around, beautiful bedding doesn't have to be expensive, check the high street, Ikea and even your favourite supermarket! Tesco and Asda/Walmart have the prettiest bedding available at affordable prices.

Always make your bed and pick up clutter in the mornings so that when you walk into your bedroom at night you're walking into a peaceful, relaxing space, no stress allowed :) Do you love throw pillows? I do :) It's your space honeys, have as many as you want.  Why not set up a designated basket to pop them safely into at night, it will keep them clean and keep your bedroom tidy too.

3. Make your living/family room stress free. 


Tidy up before going to bed and make it a rule to never walk out of the room without gathering up any coffee cups or other clutter on the coffee table as you go.  Have bins and baskets to help with a quick tidy at night before bed. Our furbaby Jade has a large basket for her toys (I swear it's like living with a toddler but we wouldn't have it any other way :)

Why not have a basket under your coffee table to store magazines, catalogues etc and a small pretty bin or mini basket on the table to store remote controls.  This will keep your remotes to hand and make your coffee table look so much tidier too.  No more rummaging down the back of the sofa looking for the TV remote :)

If you have children, a small ottoman could be used to put toys away out of sight, changing the space from a child friendly play area to an adult relaxing zone when little ones are in bed at night. Why not keep lovely soft throws in a basket by the side of the sofa to snuggle under while watching TV?

4. Forget the magazine layouts, organize your kitchen to suit you.  


There are countless ways to store items in the kitchen to make preparing meals a breeze.  Keep your most used pots and utensils close to hand, use open shelves if you prefer them to cabinets and why not use small bins or baskets to organize the contents of your fridge and freezer?  Always load the dishwasher or wash any dishes in the sink before bed.  It only takes a few minutes but makes such a huge difference to how you feel in the morning.

5. Make your entryway/hallway a trip free zone 


Set up a designated space to put shoes, bags and coats. Set up baskets, maybe one for each family member, in the lower hallway or on the stairs.  Place any stray items found downstairs during the day inside each persons basket and they can take them up with them to put away each night.

Set up a system to sort incoming mail as it arrives.  It doesn't have to be complicated.  A small bin to recycle empty envelopes and junk mail with a basket or hanging pockets to place items to action ie bills to pay, items to file such as statements or letters and, finally, things to shred such as anything which has any personal details including your name and address.  Personal data is a valuable commodity to fraudsters honeys, don't make it easy for them.

6. Fill your home with smiles.  


Display favourite family photos and treasures to remind you of happy days out, holidays and smile filled occasions. Items needn't match, or adhere to a theme.  The only requirement is that they make your heart smile.  Your home is your kingdom, a space to escape from the world if you want to.  Make it a happy, comfortable place you can't wait to get home to.

Why not set up a "slipper zone" in the entryway or just inside your front door?  Aside from keeping your carpets and rugs clean by preventing dirt being trekked into your home, what could be more welcoming when you get home than the sight of your comfy slippers? Hang up your coat, kick off your shoes, step into your slippers, close your eyes and take a minute to breathe.  You're home. 😊

What do you do to make your space a happy one honeys?  Why not share in the comments section?  I hope you have a fabulous weekend, full of smiles and hugs :) Till next time dear ones, huggles always xx 

Huggles Always, Rosie xx

Thursday 11 August 2016

Picture Perfect Project: August: Roses, Roses, Everywhere!

Hi Honeys
Back again for August's installment of the Picture Perfect Project, the wonderful link up designed to encourage bloggers to take more photos, work on their photography skills and make their blogs even more beautiful.
The Picture Perfect Project August
Throughout this project (can you believe we're in August already!) I've been charting the changes in our little garden and I've had so much fun snapping away outside, watching our garden change and grow :)  Shall we have a look at what's happened since last time then honeys?

Tuesday 9 August 2016

How To Quickly & Efficiently Iron A Shirt..

Hi Honeys
I'm feeling better today, thankfully, and spent this morning on my favourite homemaking task, yes, you guessed it, I've been doing laundry :) Yaaaaay!

I had planned to write this post yesterday but really wasn't able to honeys. I thought I'd share how I manage to iron Hubby's shirts.

How to quickly & efficiently iron a shirt
Well, who doesn't know how to iron a shirt I hear you ask.  I have, over the years developed what is (for me anyway) the easiest, fastest and most efficient way to iron Hubby's shirts and I'm so curious as to how it differs from how everyone else irons.

Here it is then honeys, Rosie's guide to a smartly turned out Husband in eight steps...

Monday 8 August 2016

Just Sharing A Happy Smile :)

Disclaimer:  I haven't been paid to promote any products, just wanted to share a little happiness and let other furbaby parents know about a fabulous pet event x

Hi Honeys,
I'm so sorry I've been missing.  I had planned to post yesterday but I've been so drained after this week's shifts at work I just couldn't. Today hasn't been much better I'd afraid. Sometimes arthritis is difficult to deal with honeys.

Anyway, I thought I'd cheer myself up, and make you smile too I hope, by posting these photos of Jade in her lovely new coat :)

Jade in her lovely new coat
Isn't she just adorable?  Asda is having a pet event this week and they're selling lots of jumpers, jackets, accessories & treats for furbabies.  When I saw this gorgeous coat with the pretty brass look buttons and faux fur collar I just knew Jade had to have it.  Can you imagine how blown away I was when I got to checkout and it scanned at £5!

I had someone check because I thought it was far too little and must have been a mistake but when he checked it was in fact £5!  What a bargain! If you'd like to check out Asda's pet event and maybe treat your dear little furbaby to something lovely, you can find a list of the shops taking part in the VIP (Very Important Pet) event (squeals! love that!) here and it runs till August 21st.

You can see some adorable furbabies modeling their adorable outfits here and on Instagram you'll find lots of fabulous furbabies modeling their new accessories too :)  

I'll be back again tomorrow with a new post dear ones, till then smile lots and hug even more :) Huggles always xx
ps: If you look closely at the photo of Jade from behind (on the right hand side) just above her tail in her jacket you can see a tiny plastic tag. If you buy any of the jackets, please check carefully for these honeys, Hubby had removed them all (or so he thought lol) when he removed this one the jacket sat properly and now covers Jade's bottom, after all, she's a lady!

Thursday 4 August 2016

Rosie's Favourite Quotes

Hi Honeys
I can't seem to find my smile today, I'm feeling very drained and not at all myself, so in case you might want to smile too, I thought today I'd post some of my favourite quotes :)


I've always found comfort in words dear ones.  The written word has been as important to me as the air I breathe for as long as I can remember.  I remember clearly, at the age of nine, my dear Gramma signing a card at our local library to allow me to have my very own library card.  She well understood the value of knowledge, knowledge was power she told me. Knowledge would keep me safe, it would shine a light on the whole world if I wanted it to.  

I would cycle to the library every Saturday morning with my best friend Joan, where we would both exchange our library books for lovely new (to us) volumes.  I was blessed to be born when I was honeys.

So many libraries have closed their doors for the final time now and that breaks my heart.  Yes, information is all around us online but there's something very special about holding a book. Something priceless about the smell and feel of the pages, of snuggling on a sofa with your furbaby and a fabulous tome on a day when you don't even open the curtains because the world will get in.

I am an excellent hermit, as a co-worker once told me "I'm a hoose moose" a homebody, someone who only grudgingly goes out into the world. I'm only every truly happy in our tiny home with the world on the other side of a heavy front door and surrounded by our (huge) book collection.

Shall we seek smiles then honeys?

Tuesday 2 August 2016

5 Ways To Stay Safe When Dealing With Cold Callers & Free Printable Door Sign..

Hi Honeys
We're living in an ever changing world.  For each scam detected, criminals seem to have an inexhaustible supply of others to replace them with. You might remember I recently posted 20 ways to prevent identity fraud and also looked at the dangers of not staying on top of your direct debits.

Today, in a similar vein, and again in the hope of helping you to prevent misuse of your personal information, I wanted to share a couple of recent, very worrying, incidents here at Rosie Central.

How To Stay Safe When Dealing With Cold Callers At Home

First though, could we talk about something close to many peoples (including mine) hearts honeys, charities.  Ah, but what could possibly be unsafe about donating Rosie? I hear you say.  Well, that brings us to the two quite disturbing incidents I mentioned above.