Happiness is...

... Rounding up your friends in the park 
For a spontaneous picnic and game of rounders. One round robin text of "Grab a blanket, a bag of crisps, and a bottle of suncream*", and there we were running around the park like dogs let off their leashes. It was all fun and literal games until I full-on collided with one of them (we both dodged the same way while running at full speed. It was NOT pretty). Then it got serious for a minute because they thought I was dead. Then it went back to fun again. 

Oh, and my friend taught me how to hulahoop, at the grand old age of 28. Woop!

.... Stew in a storm
When the weather subsequently decided not to play ball, we chose not to either. Instead, we de-camped to a local pub to devour big bowls of steaming Polish stew and dumplings, curled up on Chesterfield sofas (us, not the dumplings. That would be weird). Thunderstorms don't get better than that.

... Ridiculous makeovers
I inherited a plastic bin from the previous inhabitant of my room, which was rather handy as I didn't own one at the time (ice-cream maker: yes. Bin: no. Priorities, people). After realising it was pretty much the only non-DIY-d thing on display, I decided that need to be rectified STAT...

The "before" bin. Snore.

One trip to Homesense later, and my bin was looking 18 kinds of fabulous. Ta da!

It's so ridiculous, throwing rubbish away has become instantly hilarious.

... It's pronounced "freet-za"
AKA, FREE PIZZA. Yes, that's right. FREE. PIZZA. A friend of mine somehow managed to get his jammy hands (not literally- I don't think he even likes jam that much) on 8 tickets to the opening party for Franco Manca's new Brighton restaurant. When he asked me if I wanted to go to a sourdough pizza restaurant for dinner where everything would be LITERALLY FREE, I nearly offered him my first born child. Ok, ok, I also offered to carry his. FREE. PIZZA. 

... NEON DINOSAUR THEMED CRAZY GOLF
And I thought my life had peaked at freeza.... There are no words. Thank you, thank you, Globalls (snigger) for bringing your magical presence into my life.

... Double mate dates at an ice-cream parlour
Like teenagers from the 1950's. Giggling and straw-sharing mandatory. 

So tell me - what have I missed? 

Katie xxx

*Oh, and a P.S. assuring them my phone hadn't been stolen, seeing as I was apparently texting them about sport... EURGH.

Sharpie Shoes DIY

Hello lovelies!

Happy Friday! Have you got nice plans for the weekend? 

It feels like a really long time since I posted a DIY tutorial. Probably because all my recent crafting has involved making clothes from duvet covers, and those tutorials would go something like:
1. Cut up duvet. 
2. Sew bits of it together until it covers you enough that you don't get arrested.

This one is much simpler to explain, with the added bonus of nostalgia. Until this week I'd completely forgotten that I used to draw on my shoes as a teen; my favourites were some canvas high-tops Biro-d with Batman and Spiderman (this was before official comic book Converse. Yes, kids, I'm that old). It's safe to say my Mum's LEAST favourite pair were the new school shoes I swirled with black glitter paint; which earned me detention and had to be immediately replaced (that was pretty much the only time I got into trouble at school. Naturally, it was glitter-related). Oops.

I had to go Work Shoe Shopping earlier this week, which I tend to find rather depressing because my clown-sized feet only fit into Boring Shoes from the men's section. And I'm just not a boring shoe kind of person. Luck was on my side this time, when I found a pair of black Chelsea-style boots in the Topman sale- I even managed to wrangle an extra discount because one of them had a silver pen mark on the toe... *Cue Contemplative Evil Genius face and a detour into WH Smiths*

Shoes before. YAAAAAWN.

I'm sure a lot of you are thinking "Oh, those are lovely as they are; why would you scribble on them?". The answer, my friends, is SHINY. Yes, that is a legitimate answer. And here's the maths to go with it:

Boots + silver Sharpie + an hour or so of spare time =

Hurrah! It's like WALKING ON SPACE. Which I'm pretty sure basically makes me a qualified astronaut. 

Let's just all keep our fingers crossed my boss doesn't give me detention...

Katie xxx

Six Things Sunday

Hello lovelies :)

Happy Sunday! You're WORKING that bed-hair today.

Before we get to the good stuff, I've got an important life announcement; I've decided to change my surname to "Shotgun". Not only does that mean that one day I'll genuinely be able to invite people to my Shotgun Wedding, it'll also make me seem posher because it's double-barrelled. Bahaha....

Assuming you're still reading (congrats on making it past those puns!), here's a list of things currently contributing to my eye twinkle:

1. Breaking Hearts
I see no reason why Valentine's chocolate can only be shared with someone you love in a naked kind of way. Especially when it's full of peanut butter.

2. Clock Watching
Well, watch-watching; but that sounds weird. I recently decided I needed a watch in my life, so I could start doing not-so-subtle wrist-check in boring meetings. I couldn't decide which one was my favourite, so I chose three. Story of my life.

3. Growing Up
You know you've made a friend for life when they add you to their door frame height chart. Don't even try to pretend you aren't aching to do this in your own house too now!

4. Flights of fancy
As my new watch will attest, there's always time to go travelling if you really want to, and today I'm meeting some friends to plan my first international adventure of 2016; Paris followed by Copenhagen. 



I'm most excited about visiting this bakery, because they appear to offer SPOUSES MADE OF CAKE. What do you mean "You're going to leave Copenhagen as a widow"?!?

5. Wish you were here...
My Parisian postcards won't be the first I've sent this year. Postcards from day trips are also totally legit, you know. 

6. Rawrsomely comfortable
Shortly before Christmas, I received a surprise parcel that was literally full of glitter and magic. And not just any old magic, either - DINOSAUR MAGIC. It turned out Kezzie had sent me several incredible Christmas presents, including a dinosaur duvet cover(!!!) specifically for me to cut up and play with! This discovery preceded a significant amount of squealing, because I knew exactly what I was going to make...

Since moving into my new house last November I'd been trying (and failing) to track down my Dream Dressing Gown. Mostly for my housemates' sake as, having thrown out my old one in the move, I'd been forced to wander round the house in a barely long enough jumper. Yes, forced, I tell you. 

After a wholly fruitless search, I'd decided to try and make one myself. It turns out making a dressing gown by eye is much harder than a shift dress, but it just about does the job. 

Ironically, it's turned out about the same length as the jumper. But, as my housemates pointed out, at least now it's my stegosaur-arse hanging out instead....

What's been making you smile recently? 

Katie xxx

Three Things Thursday

Hello lovelies!!

How are you? 

Well, will you look at that? I done gone and got my sparkle back! Hip Hip Hooray!!
To celebrate me escaping the doldrums, here are three things currently forming the icing on my Life Cake. Which is kinda like Birthday Cake, but you can eat it every day of the year. Mmmm.... Life Cake. 

1. Spontaneous Dance Parties
After stumbling upon this little ditty on the way to visit my folks, I practically ran up their front steps, burst threw the front door, and simultaneously cranked up my phone speakers whilst yelling "LIVING ROOM DANCE PARTY IS GO!!" Naturally, my parents joined in with gusto. Well, I had to get my quirk from somewhere...

Do it. You know you want to.

2. Good ol' home cookin'
I've been making a conscious effort of late to do more cooking from scratch. Partly to up my veg intake, as I was wobbling on the brink of scurvy, but mostly due to some serious inspiration in the Thug Kitchen cookbook I got for Christmas. Easy, healthy Mexican recipes peppered with excessive swears, you say? SIGN ME UP, BITCHES. 

3. Cirque du Frock
I'd been lusting after Joules' Circus duvet cover for literally years before I met Skye and found out she actually owned one (which pretty much sealed the deal for our friendship, obviously). So, when Skye recently mentioned she was throwing it out due to a bedroom makeover, I yelled "CAN I HAVE IT PLEASE?!?!" right in her face asked her very politely if she'd consider donating it someone with a penchant for duvet cover dresses....

A few snips later and there it was - my very own CIRCUS DRESS!! 

I love it so much I'm considering taking it to dinner on Valentine's Day. Not wearing. TAKING. 

The duvet now sadly seems to be discontinued at Joules, but I've found some on sale here if you feel like you need more unicycling bears in your life. And, let's be honest, who doesn't?!

What's been floating your boat recently? 

Katie xxx

All That Glitters

Hello lovelies!

How are your weekends going?

So far, mine's been sparklier than a disco ball and twice as fabulous- and it's not even over yet! It kicked off in serious style after Bethanie invited me to her website launch party in Topshop Brighton. Bethanie and the Topshop Girls were all so sweet and welcoming, and any 4pm evening that starts with a cheeky glass of fizz is always going to be a winner, right?!

Prosecco, strawberries and cupcakes. AKA the perfect Friday afternoon

Whilst I was there, I was also treated to my first EVER manicure(!), courtesy of Powder Beauty Boutique, which means I've been finally been allowed entry to The Normal Girls' Club. Hurrah! 

I decided to use the (delicious!) teeny cupcakes as my nail colour scheme inspiration (to camouflage any rogue smears of icing left over from my enthusiastic sampling), and ended up with fingernails fit for Aspen Barbie (thanks to the snowglobesque speckled effect in the white varnish). 

At that, the glitter (nail) bar for my weekend had been set, but I actually managed to surpass it last night with this rather fetching artistic endeavour: 

I'm struggling to recall anything from recent exploits more enjoyable than painting someone's face with glitter while a bunch of drunken strangers bellowed out tunes from the Grease soundtrack. Which is just as well really, as I'm probably going to spend the next six years picking specks of glitter from my eyebrows...

What have you been up to this weekend?

Katie xxx

Six Things Sunday

Holla! 

How have you been? What's new? Tell me EVERYTHING.

Here are six things that have recently made my face upside-down-frown:

1. Surprise Mid-Week Chocolate Brownies
My new co-workers are THE BEST.

2. A nice photo of my face!
I usually approach photos of my face by peeking through my fingers, not unlike someone watching a horror movie starring a hideous swamp monster. My fingers were poised for action the moment that the Flapper Hen Do photos arrived, so I was rather pleasantly surprised to discover the photographer had somehow managed to photograph me NOT looking like a swamp monster. It's a September miracle! 

3. Getting my craft on
This weekend I've been playing with the goodies from my Hobbycraft Haul. I decided my first project would be re-covering a lampshade I'd previously made-over in 2012. I was far from happy with my original, half-arsed attempt, which is why it never featured on here. 

Here's the "before" - a very sloppily stitched patchwork cover.

And here's the after:

I'm much happier with the second attempt, and the pompoms (which are actually bright pink, and not red) look awesome when the light's on too. 

Which version do you prefer?

4. Reorganising
I spent this morning decluttering and rearranging the furniture in our dining room, which moonlights as my craft room. I'm going to share the whole room later this year as part of my house tour, but here's a cheeky sneak peek:

I'm utterly in love with my new yellow trunks, and how well they go with the candy cane striped box (which is from Ikea) and the floral suitcase I made earlier this summer.

5. Awesome art
Yesterday I drove Tom and some friends to Hopfest, a free, local beer festival hosted by Dark Star Brewing Co. I'd planned to straight head home and craft up a storm, but after discovering there was a stall selling brownies AND moustachioed men singing sea shanties I ended up staying all afternoon. Tom and our friends spent the day drinking pint after pint of FREE BEER (I kid you not, it was absolutely free!!!), while the highlight of my afternoon (aside from the epic brownies) was the lovely Dark Star staff giving me and my friends copies of a seriously awesome poster I'd spotted in the shop, in return for a small donation to their foundation. 

Totally worth it, eh?

6. Call-Centre Twenty Questions
This week I had a(nother) hair dye-related disaster, although this one definitely wasn't my fault! The dye, which promised to turn me blonde(r), was defective and ended up colouring my already-blonde hair a horrible shade of browny-grey I can only describe as Geriatric Squirrel. Not quite what I was looking for...

I was contacted by the brand after ranting about it on twitter, and the sweetest girl from their customer services team gave me some tips on how to fix it and sent me some vouchers in the post. I try to see the funny side in all hair-related disasters, especially as the alternative is crying while super-glueing a hat to my head, but this time really WAS funny, because the brand I used don't make the shampoo which fixes dye disasters. This means the staff working in customer services aren't allowed to tell you the name of the shampoo, so you have to GUESS until they confirm it. Which meant the conversation ended with me asking "Is it part of the song that ends "knees and toes, knees and toes"?", and both of us laughing for about five minutes.

What's been making you jump for joy recently?

Katie xxx

P.S. I'm linking up with the fabulous Hannah's The Week That Was Captured, which is being hosted by Aby this week because Hannah just got married! Eep!

Kitchen Makeover

Hey m'dears! 

As promised on Sunday, today I'm sharing the before/after shots from my kitchen makeover. Kitchen makeovers are one of my favourite things in the whole wide world, so I'm particularly excited about finally having one of my own to share :) 

I never actually intended to paint our kitchen, because we're planning to build a country style kitchen-diner extension at some point in the distant future when we can afford it. Then we decided to get floorboards laid on our ground floor, which meant I either had to paint the hideous pine cupboards or be OK with the kitchen looking like a sauna. 

I can hear you thinking "Enough already with setting the context- show me some photographs!", so let's get this party started with some photos of the "before":

Delightful, wasn't it? I don't know which bit I loved most - the peaches-and-mustard wallpaper, dated floral motifs, or fake-tan-orange and brown colour scheme. I started off by painting the walls white, then did the same with the tiles. I also changed the ugly blind for something a little less traditional, and gave our whiteboard a mini-makeover. That just left the cupboards, carcasses, skirting boards, door frames, trim and handles... Simple, eh? 

So that's what I did last week:

The new handles were a mini DIY project on their own, after I realised the handles I wanted would cost £250(!) due to having 22 doors/ drawers in our kitchen. I bought some plain wooden discs and a piece of dowel from ebay, Tom cut and screwed them together to make the handles, and I painted them all in different colours. 

I love that the handles have become the main feature of the kitchen due to everything else being white like a regular, grown-up kitchen. Well, almost everything... Remember this wallpaper?

I've lined the backs of all the top cupboards with it, and the inside panels of every door. Teehee. 

I also decided to treat us to a new kitchen bin, replacing the rather revolting swing-top office bin we've been using since moving in four years ago. I found this beauty at Dunelm Mill:

I reckon one final reminder of the before/after comparison is in order to finish this off:

What do you think?

Katie xxx

P.S. If you want a peep at some other rooms in our house you can find them in my House Tour posts.

If I never see another paintbrush again, it will be too soon.

Hello lovelies!

How have you been?

I've been on holiday this week, which has been absolutely lovely- even if I did spend about 60 hours with a paint brush or scourer in my hand! I started the week by writing a list of the DIY projects I had to finish before we get new floorboards laid in September. I probably could finish some of them later but, after spending six arms and legs on the floorboards, there's no way I'm going to start sloshing around gloss paint afterwards. I'm not even sure if I'm going to let people walk on them- I might winch guests straight upstairs through the bedroom window with a bucket/pulley system instead.

My initial To Do List

The full list was rather scary, and I ended up adding even more things as the week went on too. I kept myself going with plenty of tea breaks (with biscuits too, obviously) and the satisfaction of being able to cross through another item on my list. This is what I've ended up with:

Progress on The List

I'm going to share the full kitchen makeover in a separate post (you might want to prepare yourselves for a million before and after shots), which has definitely been the biggest transformation, but I've also finished painting the stairs and hall cupboards, and added new, prettier handles:

Before

After.

I'm particularly excited about the new handles because I can now start announcing "Let's see what's behind door number four!" when I open the larder.

My evenings were mostly spent sprawled on the sofa (after getting Tom to inspect me for rogue smears of paint) watching Jennifer Falls (discovered after IMDB-ing the cast of My Name Is Earl, which I find hilarious) and doing a bit of cheeky online shopping. I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of some new fancy work clothes and this set of sunshine yellow trunks to store away my summery clothes on top of the wardrobe, because autumn is definitely in the air. Oh yes, I went there.

image source

I'm linking up with the gorgeous Hannah's #TWTWC again, and think you should definitely hop on over to her lovely blog to have a read and wish her Happy Birthday; she's one of the nicest people on the internet. 

Have you got nice plans for the Bank Holiday?

Katie xxx