GOLD RUSH ..........

Great Britain is enjoying a rush of gold medals at the moment ( plus many silver and bronze ) ............. it's just getting embarrassing now !!!! haha

That's what lottery funding can do for you.





images 1, 3, 5, 7 & 8 : via night tattoo, images 2, 14, 16 & 17 : via inspiration lane, images 4, 6 & 15 : via holy forest fairy, images 9, 10, 11 & 18 : via persephones box, image 12 : via stuff I like, image 13 : via daily mail, image 19 : via daily mirror

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August Giveaway N°1 - an e-course in home design!

I am very excited to announce an August full of giveaways here on the blog.  Every Wednesday I shall have something wonderful to be won, that makes five Wednesdays between now and September when you can try your luck.

Each giveaway will run for a week, and the winner announced the following Wednesday.

And by the way, I have one Wednesday still free!  If you have an amazing product you would like to promote here just send me an email and I'll see if I can fit you in.

 This week I am delighted to be able to offer three lucky winners a place on this wonderful e-course, starting in October.

 Creatively made Home has been designed by Tracy Leber of French Larkspur, I'm sure you all know her beautiful photography and sure eye for a great piece of design.  I am particularly happy to host this giveaway as Tracy and Jeanne Oliver will be coming to stay in our cottage next September, and I know that their visit is going to be seriously good fun!

With her friends Sara Duckett,  Jeanne Oliver,  Kimberly Taylor, Jennifer Rizzo  Tracy will be running a 5 week course to help you find new creativity in your home

In Tracy's words:

 Creatively Made Home is an all new e-course about creating a home that reflects your heart in everyday living.  It is about inspiring and encouraging you to create and style a home that you and your family love to live in...

 

Here is the jam-packed schedule for the course:

* Each week you will have amazing truthful videos from not only the five teachers but other creative women.

* Each week we will take a room from one of YOU and all five women will give their suggestions telling you how they would transform the room with their style.

* There will be 50+ project videos.

These will be incredible videos that include everything from gardening, cooking, gift giving and decorating.

* There will be written tips from each woman telling you how she starts a room, picks paint, fabrics, etc.  You will learn where to start when putting your own home together.

* Tons of beautiful house photos from each of the five women.

* Videos that truly reflect what life is like in each of their homes.  The stuff that life is really about. 

* Each woman will share their own truthful journey about how they started making their home a reflection of their hearts.

* Each person registered will get an easy entertaining e-book to download.

It will contain go to recipes for beautiful and easy entertaining (they do go together), photos of table settings that take the stress out of having people over, favorite drinks and so much more (and their funniest entertaining story).

* There will be a private Facebook group to connect with other class members.

* There will be a once a week live discussion with one of the teachers!

* You will get printables and pdfs to keep and use again and again.

Can you believe how much fun this will be?!  I'll be taking part in the course myself, and I am so looking forward to a little help in brightening up my home.

So here is how to take part in the giveaway:

simply leave a comment below telling me why you'd like to take part in the course.

For additional entries, share news of the giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

Please leave a separate comment for  each additional entry.

Don't forget there will be three winners here and the giveaway is open to everyone so don't hold back!!

The winners will be drawn Tuesday 7th at midnight Paris time, and the names announced on Wednesday 8th, when I shall also announce giveaway number 2!

 

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kitchen design - the hood

via Belgian Pearls

Without wanting to put you off reading MFCH by giving you an overdose on reality, I have to tell you that the thing I hate doing most in my kitchen is cleaning the hood over my stove.  UGH, UGH and double UGH!

The easiest solution for never having to clean the kitchen hood is to simply stop cooking, but I mooted the idea here and it wasn't met with great approval so I have to move on to more clever options

With the impending and 10-year-overdue (did I already mention that?) kitchen remake here, the right design for a kitchen hood is concentrating my mind.

I'm thinking that at least if the thing could look almost elegant, then I may be reconciled to cleaning it with a smile, well OK a less broad smirk at least.

So what are your thoughts on the matter?   Do you favour the glass hood over the island, the sleek shine of steel, the traditional stone work ..... or

are you like me and do you prefer above all else a huge fireplace over the stove, as in the kitchen of our friends at the  Château d'Emalleville, which as you may remember happens to be one of my favourite (real) kitchens in the world .. well Normandy at least!

If you have a moment to give me your secrets on living in harmony with your kitchen hood, I would be happy to read and learn from every word,   merci mes amis!

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kitchen design and curtains - your ideas please

Thank you for all your comments this week - amazing!  The past couple of days have been pretty rich in emotion on the blog so today I want to lighten up a bit and simply talk to you about  curtains in the kitchen!

So here's the thing.   I shall be reworking my kitchen in a couple of months time, it's only about 10 years overdue, so there's no real rush, and I keep being drawn to curtains instead of doors beneath a worktop.

Every practical ounce of me is screaming "don't do it" ... "this way lies madness"  , but it just looks so pretty.

Now I am sure that you have an opinion on this one, maybe you have curtains in your kitchen, maybe you have had and have sworn never again ... please tell me.

thank you for your help and bon weekend!


PS  Is anyone else having trouble adding new blogs to their blogroll?

all photos from pinterest

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the sweetest place to stay in england

What better way to visit England than in a sweet little cottage in the heart of a chocolate box village, surrounded by beautiful Sussex countryside; famous gardens such as Sissinghurst to visit; pubs and restaurants to dine at and within easy reach of London if you want to visit a museum or shop.

This pretty cottage has been renovated in signature style by my sister, Nicola, and it provides a delicious retreat for two.  Warm, comfortable and of course stunning.  The cottage, known as Number 22, is furnished with beautiful antique furniture and paintings. 

Upstairs there is a lovely bedroom and bright fresh bathroom, I love this soft blue palette.

Downstairs there is a touch of pink and soft red in the kitchen and sitting room where

a log burning stove keeps the cottage warm and welcoming even in the winter.

and in the spring and summer the pretty garden provides an extra place for

 sitting quietly before walking down the road for supper at the excellent local pub.

If you are interested in renting Number 22, you can find all the details right here

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