Secrets of a Butterfly

Pin it forward - shabby chic inspirations

A touch of Shabby Chic

I do love Pinterest, i have been using it since it first launched.
Put simply, its an online scrapbook, (without the mess of a glue stick!)
You can collect any and all sorts of inspiration from around the web, and place those pictures with their links to certain blog posts, or online items, on your boards. It gets a lot of what you have swimming around your head trying to keep track of online, out and into an easy place to re-find the info when you want it!

Lately they have been aiming to get more UK users into pinning, with a Pin it forward series of posts, so i thought i would take part. The board i have chosen as my feature one is ..A touch of shabby chic. The links for the top image and those below can be found on that board.

Shabby Chic styling from some of my favourite authors along with the special details of the handcrafted, feature on my board. Helping me with decor choices of my own, and also ideas for what to look out for in terms of thrifting and upcycling.

thrifted fabrics, faded florals, memories gone by, and the old made new, shabby chic how i love you

 

 

Overall i have 46 boards

I have my ideas boards.....
If i find craft ideas i pin those to Craft corner.
I have a Looks i love for outfit and hairstyle ideas.
I have boards for my favourite room settings,
and one for more smaller interior details.
I also keep one for wrapping inspiration and one for floral displays
And one for books i am interested in buying or love alot

Then theres the mood boards......
(i like pinning to these the most)
Simplicity  
A touch of shabby chic
Enchanted wood
Vintage days
Gorgeous and feminine
Free Spirit
A walk through a magical meadow
Once upon a hanger
Peaches and cream
Softest blues
multicoloured dreamer

I also keep inspirational boards....
Meaningful words
Hope and Inspiration
these give me upliftment to look through.

my Pinterest boards are a good reflection of my interests, my passions, and what i love. Before pinterest i would save things sometimes on my computer, but i dont need to now, as i can pin it and refer back to it at anytime.

Here's some more of the front covers of my boards...

alot of what you add to your boards, can be re-pinning things from others that you follow. but you can also choose to pin easily from many sites now, that give you a pin symbol to click, or you download a pinning tool to add to your toolbar, enabling you to pin from a web page anywhere.I also like to grab a website and type it direct into the pinterest app, and then pinning from my ipad is possible too.

Not only is it a great way of collecting what you yourself find, its also a great way to pick up on what others are into, and find new ideas, things to purchase, and looks to recreate. I follow all my friends and fellow bloggers, and people i respect or admire in fashion, and interiors.

 

I would recommend only pin what you really really like or love.
The boards will be with you a long time, its not about filling them up fast, sometimes its quality over quantity or it gets to be a case of just pinning for pinning sake, and that takes the inspiration out of it a bit.

You want to aim for what makes you feel good looking at individual boards when you go back to browse them.

i would like to finish by adding the link for the next blogger taking part tomorrow in #PinItForwardUK :
Paula Holmes of The Pho diaries

Join in the fun, click through to Pinterest

love kathryn x

 

Flower fairy garlands

I sent sweet Keri-anne and the girls some flower fairies postcards lately and she made them into a lovely garland for each of them. It was so lovely to see them hanging in the girls rooms.

The postcards were from a set of 100 thats avaliable at amazon, they include all of Cicley Mary Barker's book illustrations. The alphabet, the seasons and trees, berries, flowers, pretty much all the fairies you can imagine. (Only £9.50 too)

Flower fairies 100 postcards

love and fairy dust, kathryn x

Hugs from a swan - a little parcel of goodness

 

Jen (mayfith) likes to make things from vintage ephemera, as do i. she sweetly asked to send me some of her crafts, and these little goodies arrived in the post for me.

they are full of charm and whimsy arent they lovely, i am going to gift the alice brooch to someone who mentioned the book to me just lately (smile)
i will also share what i send jen in return when i have been able to put that together for her in a bit of time.

love kathryn x

Vintage craft, by Pearl Lowe

Ever since i saw Pearl Lowe's home
in a magazine some years ago, i have
been hooked on her styling
and home decor choices. 

I especially liked her butterfly mirror (smile)
When I heard she was working on a book I was eager
to see what it would be like. 

Now I have a copy
I can say that I'm not disappointed!
 
Pearl is friends with Rachel Ashwell,
and it seems to me that their
styles have a lot in common too. 
But where Rachel would be known for
soft pastel tones
of pale pink and blue,
with greys and naturals.
 
Pearl goes for peachy or vibrant pink,
soft reds, bold wallpapers,
brighter pastels & turquoise,
and combines them with darker tones
blacks and greys,
producing a slightly edgier,
yet still shabby chic style. 
 
I like both.
I think it's wonderful when your decor
is a natural extension 
of your individual style as a person.

Its more authentic
and must make you feel better
within your own home. 
Pearl's tips and projects
can help us add our own authentic
touches to our home,
in quirky inexpensive ways.
 
Throughout, the beautifully taken photos
of Pearls home,spur you on to source
your own vintage finds, and
the projects take it that step further
helping you with ways to alter them.

One i like most, is how to decorate tiles,
printing images from an inkjet printer.
I also liked the lace curtains
and stationery makes.

But really it's all beautiful!
it was hard to narrow it down
and select my favourite pages for this post,
but let's start with 
a butterfly shall we ....

One of my favourite projects is the fairytale lace canopy above.

The book is divided into rooms,
kitchen, living, bedroom
bathroom, and office,
and gives projects for each,
such as lace window panels (below)
padded headboards, mini bathroom cabinet
lace tablecloth, office in a wardrobe,
and fabric covered box files (want to try this)

With style tips from Pearl,
and a list of favourite shops
and suppliers at the back,
along with advice for salvaging
and upcycling your finds.

If you like Selina lakes's styling in her books
Romantic Style or Bazzar style,
or you are a fan of Sarah Moore's vintage makes
and home, then I'm sure you'll also
love Pearl's book Vintage Craft

Pearl's blog and she also sells cards at Not on the high street

Pearl and her daughter Daisy

are also supporting Fashion targets breast cancer

 

love and wishes, Kathryn x

A gift i hold deer

My lovely friend, Helen, sent me one of her plates with a deer she handpainted upon it. Isnt it beautiful! it brought so much sunshine into my day, these photos are of it nestled on my bed... i need to think of a special place to hang it

Post like this seems like a treat, and it is, but at the minute it's also a life line for me, I'm holding on to the love and care in each parcel or letter SO much, I can't tell you!

Please if you can make a difference in someone's life by giving them something small or a notecard of thoughtfulness, then do. Don't stop to worry how it might be received, just reach out. Too many people are out of sight and sadly can be left out of mind also

Speaking as someone on the recieving end of such mail I can guarantee that it's a tonic they need, that its a blessing, and so much appreciated.

I have over the years even when I was most ill, given more than I received, I tended to be the friend that others drew on, relied on and turned to for support. I never looked for it to be this way it just kinda turned out that way somehow, I embraced this role of older friend who had advice to give and practical thoughts of what to do and became familiar with it as part of who I was, it taught me much about unconditional love in the form of giving

This time though,i have been learning about unconditional love in the form of worthiness to recieve. As during some of the harder times I've been having the past 3 years, things have been very different, I haven't been in the role of supporter but if supported. I've been looking at why that is and learning from my reflections there.

I just wanted to say that it's been strange and taken some getting used to, to be the receiver of much kindness. Especially whilst too unwell to make things and give things back in exchange - which I know isn't expected but is natural enough to want to do.

I'm embracing the gifts, the mail and the loving care. And I'm also learning from its prescence in my life. I'm soaking up the strength from being cared about in this way. I'm also working through letting go old patterns of not having that same care towards myself.

What I give to others I'm recognising I'm in need of myself. What I'm recieving from friends I'm recognising is a reflection of this new view of myself and new self love.

I hope my reflections resonate with something in you also, I share them for that, but I also share them because I just had to write it down.

Helen's shop shelves at Icklebabe are currently brimming with plates of equal charm, some say home sweet home, some say happy day and some have whimsical animals, with balloons and teacups, nestled amongst flowers. you'd love them too.

love kathryn x

Buys from Oysho and Noa Noa

hello lovelies, bit of a tough week last week, so hoping for a nicer one this. I had this post already done and thought id pop it on today. I picked some pieces from Oysho lately when they had a discount code to use. I love their range. For years i wanted to find a place that did pretty loungewear in comfortable fabrics, at affordable prices, Oysho fulfills that dreamily! Everytime i go on and browse, i ooh and ahh at the prints and colours. (smiles)

I got some shorts and lounge trousers in this tropical print that feels so cheery. I also got a coral T with an embroidered edge, which you can see behind, and a white vest. The bracelet was a beautiful gift from maddy, from hawaii

I also got these bags from Noa Noa

love kathryn x