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I thought I might share with you a new magazine that I purchased recently. It is not exactly new new as it is on it's third issue, and it comes out every other month, but it is new to me. The cover just sold it to me, with the lovely Robin, berries, ribbon candles etc. I mean, how Christmassey can you get!                                                                                      Seriously though, it is a beautifully presented magazine with really interesting articles. If you are into countryside issues, nature, cooking, crafts, interiors...it has it all. I love the fact that it is so festive, but in a non-blingy way. I do apologise I seem to be making up my own words today. You know what I mean though. And a little sneak peek at what to expect in the next issue.......

Sadly, I do not possess a piece of original Art, unless you count prints, but if I did, I would make my painting  the focal point of a room, as in the image above. I love the way the soft blues and beige's in the painting are picked up in the woodwork and upholstery. This particular painting is a little modern for my taste, but I think it is wonderfully complemented by the faded patina of the table and the simple chairs, lavishly upholstered. My own preference would be for a seascape, or landscape or even a still-life. For the kitchen or bedrooms, something quirky or amusing. I really love vintage signs used in Interiors too, like those below. Of course there are very clever people who can even make a display out of an empty frame. Or how about hanging your piece of art around your neck, and when you've finished wearing it, you could place it on the mantle? All in favour of Art in Interiors, say aye! Wishing you all an art-filled week, with love, Linda x. All images are from  ...

The above photos are collages I made on Picnik, using images from www.pinterest.com before they closed. I was formulating ideas about how I was going to decorate my sitting room. There is little I enjoy more, than poring over paint charts and magazines and brochures, planning and thinking about what I would like. The trouble is, in my head I can mix   industrial chic with cottage garden and a bit of French detailing, thrown in for good measure. The trouble is, I like everything. I am very susceptible to other people's ideas. The trouble is, is my head, I do not worry one iota about expenses. The trouble is, in my head, everything is new, and I don't have to fit in  my old stuff.  Hence, sometimes what is in my head is very difficult to translate into reality! Sometimes, things have to go wrong before they go right. Here is my sitting room, before the assault. The walls were painted a light stone colour, with 2 walls having a tongue and groove paint effect.There was a...

Everything stops for tea.. So sorry for my absence, but I have been a little busy. I have been painting in my friend Yolanda's lovely home. This is her patio, where she wanted to create the feeling of a wonderful tea room. The vintage table and chairs are being painted a distressed white. As you can see in the photograph it got painted just in time before the rain came down! Yolanda had this fireplace made to her own design, and then I painted it with the numbers and gave it an antique wash. It really is a most unusual feature in the room. Some more numbers on a bespoke bathroom cabinet, (my friend has a thing for them). In  the downstairs cloakroom I framed a mirror with an antique letter by Josiah Fairfax (totally fictitious of course), and added a couple of postmarks. I love it when I have free reign to do something that is fun and original. In the Master bedroom, which is very pared down and elegant, Yolanda wanted a quote of some kind to break up the white and add some charact...

My bathroom has recently had a slight makeover. I had previously painted the walls 'slate grey' and I loved the colour but when I made the roman blind (which was black) it did make the room quite dark.Mr.O.K. wasn't happy, he couldn't see to his ablutions properly! He doesn't usually complain about my paint choices, so I rather reluctantly set out to rectify it. I remembered that I had a tin of 'Persian Rose' by Craig and Rose. Having previously had a bold colour on the walls I was quite confident that this colour would look well. However it was still a little nerve wrecking until the slate grey was totally obliterated. I had some old Laura Ashley curtains belonging to my mum, that I was able to recycle into a blind and a cover for the side of the bath and the shower. The room feels several degrees warmer now, and everyone is happy. Oh, and it didn't cost any money, just a little time! I even managed to fit in a drawing of our daughter, that was done by ...