So I thought I was ready to be back to be a full-time blogger but apparently I wasn’t.

Everything we were doing in the house was left for the sudden death of my father in law. So when we came home after the funeral we were quite shocked about the mess, unfinnished projects and even dirt we left behind. Regular readers know that Bo and I are very organised and clean people so to us having dust bunnies, spattered cath food over the floor and dirty toilets is a nightmare … a nightmare is understated … it’s the end of the world.

So we were at the end of our world, we had to get back on track.

We worked for 2 weeks very long days and we’ve accomplished so much with the help of our friend. Living room finished (only the decorating is unfinished), bookcase made, my office moved, office bookcases sold and swapped …

The garden was overcrowding the greenhouse so we’ve moved that to a sunnier spot.

I’ve painted so much until I had blisters, I’ve made many lunches, done a massive amount of box unpacking, done some much needed crying and restyled my blog as I was having technical theme problems. And now I’m officially back to be being a full-time blogger. So much happened in the meantime and I have so much to share with you.

Thank you so much for visiting me, for your patience, the sweet comments and the lovely e-mail.

Have a wonderful weekend xox

In a couple of weeks the chicken will get a bigger coop as the garage is fixed up and we’ll be able to park inside.

This is basically the plan. The gravel will go out, the fencing will be replaced from left to right and the greenhouse will be in corner. I’ll plant Dahlias all along the fence to get some colour in as it’s a bit boring right now.

But, as always, I am a bit impatient so I’m kick starting my Dahlias in pots in a mini greenhouse. I’ve done this before and it works brilliantly.

This is also the time to do it. Planting Dahlias in the cold ground will make them die as it’s too cold but kick starting them in pots and planting them out in June will give you very early flowers and that’s what we want.

I’ve cut out the wrapper pictures and stuck them on to the pots so that I know which one is which. I’ve reused the containers of the Lavatera plants I’ve bought last year. I really love the colour and the shape. I’ve bought that mini greenhouse a year ago for just €19.95 and it’s brilliant. It’s housing sweet peas and tomatoes.

Have a happy monday xox

Thank you all so much for your sweet words, for the cards, text messages, e-mail and even for your presence during the emotional time of saying goodbye to my father in law.

On Monday and Tuesday Bo and I spent the whole day doing paperwork, running both our own businesses, the tax company doesn’t give a damn when someone’s loved one past away. So we are back on track. We are not so back on track with the house. All of the four downstairs rooms are upside down, completely and utterly upside down. You have to know that for the past 3 years the right side of the downstairs rooms were renovated and decorated but the left side of the rooms were not. Now that we have renovated all the rooms all the functions of the downstairs rooms have changed. For what was my office is now the snug for what was the dining room is now my office … Leaving a chaos of boxes, books, posters, paintings and furniture.

While Bo is building the bookcase in the living room I went on to my former office and turned it into a snug.

First by emptying the room and giving all the paint a fresh coat of white. As you can see the difference between the freshly painted white floor and the yellow skirting boards, they used to be the same colour.

Late Tuesday night I started to move furniture in. Reusing my old desk, by removing the oilcloth, as a side table and I left the Bertoia chairs for extra seating in the room.

I got this sofa for free in a really dirty, ghastly burgundy flowery fabric (I forgot to take a before picture, shoot) and let it newly upholster. It cost me half the price of a new sofa and it saved a lot of waste, reusing people we have to reuse stuff!

Ever since the internet is dominating my life I find it hard to sit down and read a book as I feel so distracted and lured to all the information and inspiration I get off the internet. So I’ve created a corner where I’ll read and where I plan new trips.

But it’s not all done, I’m still left with the black piano (should I paint, or should I not paint) next to the black marble mantle (definitely not paint) debacle.

The what put on top of the blue cabinet and pink polka dot wall debacle and I’m not certain about curtians. But that’s, to me, the fun of decorating. Letting it go, living in it a little, change something, add something, remove something. It’s an ongoing process of evolution.

1. Muuto e27 pendant 2. Alice Tait Map of London 3. Alice Tait Map of Paris 4. Cushion Tas-ka Huis Pink 5. Original BTC Hector Table Lamp

The big pink pendant is from Cath Kidston and is no longer for sale.

It’s good to be back charring.

On Friday the 12th of April at 15:18 my father in law said his last goodbyes to his loved ones. We were all there when the doctor relieved him from his life, thanks to modern thinking.

Blog life and work is on standby until he’s cremated on Saturday.

Lots of love,
Yvonne xox

Thank you all so much for participating and for all the new followers and readers, I hope you guys will stick. I only believe in good quality giveaways so if you keep reading my blog in 463 years time all of you will have won something – as we all are going to live forever!!

Thank you Stokke® for making this amazing giveaway possible.

A few weeks ago I got a call from Miriam who works for Stokke® if I was interested as a, lifestyle blogger, to blog something about the Tripp Trapp® highchair. As I don’t have children of my own, and always associated the Tripp Trapp® highchair with children especially babies, I so loved this challenge.

I used the kitchen and children of my dear friend, Sofie, spent a good day assembling three Tripp Trapp® highchairs (without any help) fed Josefien, Paulien and Kamiel and took these photos.

I love how the chair isn’t just a highchair but that it’s actually quite a beautiful and useful piece of furniture. Sofie picked the white, black and natural chair to match her interior.

I was very fortuned to get my own Tripp Trapp® highchair in pink, in PINK! Owning a Tripp Trapp® highchair really gave me a different perspective of the chair in general.

We now use it as a normal chair and when we have children over for dinner we use it as a highchair.

Don’t panic, I haven’t swapped husbands but with Bo being away so much I had to use my producer Rutger who was at my home for a meeting today. Don’t you agree that he totally rocks the pink Tripp Trapp® highchair?

The Giveaway

I am allowed to give one Tripp Trapp® highchair to one of you. If you are the lucky winner, you are allowed to pick your own colour and if you have a baby you’ll get a Baby Set™ to go with it.

All you have to do is leave a comment before Thursday 11-04-2013 before 18:00 CET and I’ll pick a random winner.

This giveaway is open to all readers in the UK and Europe.

This giveaway is now closed.

Thank you so much for your sweet and thoughtful comments on my previous post. I’m so happy to connect with you and I’m grateful for comments other than giveaway comments, you are all too sweet.

xox

Last weekend, at Selina Lake’s book launch party, I was gifted a box full of pastel coloured spray paints by the lovely Karina and Philippa of PlastiKote.

Even though I need to paint the living room doors and sort out boxes, I couldn’t resist to spray paint something as the cans were luring at me softly whispering: "use me, use me". Now who can resist the soft whispers of spray paint? So I went for it, something I wanted to do ever since I read this post.

What do you need:

PlastiKote Colour & Twist Spray
Jam Jars
Schleich Farm Life animals
Glue gun
Sanding paper

What do you need to do:

Start by sanding the jam lids, just to roughen them up a bit for better fixation.
Apply glue to the bottom of the animal. Stick, press and hold the animal to the lid.

Take them outside, cover a table with a cloth, place the lid on top of a empty toilet roll and use the spary paint according to the instructions on the can.

That’s it!

I can’t stop, I want to spray paint everything as it’s so easy and quick to dry and the result is just so fabulous.

Don’t panic when you think you’ve put too much of the good stuff on making your Schleich animal look drowned in paint, it will dry up evenly and bring back the details.

Thank you PlastiKote for bringing so much happiness into my life.