Zoella's Girl Online - just for teenagers?

Once again i've found myself a very late comer on the bandwagon, much like with Harry Potter, I feel somewhat annoyed at myself for having come across Zoella so many years later than she first took the world by storm but just like with HP, that doesn't mean I can't be as bigger a fan, in fact, I sometimes feel like a loser with just how much I love her, with dreams of having her as my own friend, knowing we'd get on so well if we ever met, the countless ways in which we are similar... the list goes on! 

But even though I love her as much as I do, I have to admit, that even I doubted Zoe as an author; how can a girl who has already achieved so much, possibly provide us with another skill? But once again, Zoella has proved herself - she really is magical; like a Hermione of the muggle world, I'm yet to think of a (spell) thing that our (Hermione) Zoe can't do! 

Now, in answer to the title of this post... is her book series 'Girl Online' just for teenagers? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Admittedly I thought it would be since the writing is a little bit on the larger size (aimed at younger readers) and yes, the story is based on a 15 year old girl and the troubles you might be more prone to come across at that age, but in no way does that mean this book any less retable at 10 years older than the character. In fact, if anything, it was quite reassuring to know that even as a young adult, the struggles we can relate to don't differ too much to those of a teenager. 

With references of Harry Potter, beautiful and delicious descriptions of food and the Christmas in New York based plot, she didn't let me down. But there's also a deeper feel to the story, which is why it's not quite as 'childish' as you'd imagine; the story takes you on a journey of a girl, Penny, who suffers with Anxiety

and given that Zoe has experienced first hand what panic attacks entail, her description of this subject is perfected - not only is it relatable for those who suffer from anxiety, it's also very helpful and matter of fact to those who perhaps don't understand it from a personal perspective. 

Of course, with Penny's love interest, Noah, being depicted as the perfect boy, there are elements of the fairytale story us girls always imagine for ourselves but cleverly Zoe has captured other more truthful subjects such as, bullying from so called 'friends', the panic of what the wear to certain occasions and that feeling of being out of place and awkward when you really wish you weren't. 

Cue second book...

Girl Online On Tour tells the story of a now slightly older Penny, who continues her romance with Noah whilst facing everyday challenges including finding her purpose in life, boyfriend issues and jealous friends and much like the first, detailing life of a person with anxiety. Not only this but the book also covers issues set around sexuality, the way in which the media is corrupt and about being yourself; something relatable to all in the world today.

I like the fact that as the book series grows, so does the character in age. The story line continues to take turns you wouldn't expect and as it's for younger readers, it was a really easy page turner, especially perfect for the long plane journeys and sun bathing i've been enduring. In a way, like with Harry Potter, I like that I've been able to read the books in a continuous stream rather than the anticipation of waiting for the next release and as book three is almost ready to hit the stores, I don't have too much longer to continue Penny's journey... the question is, if there's a book tour, do I embarrass myself like I did with Caspar and go to the book tour surrounded by screaming teens, just because I'd get to meet her or...

Until next time...

Lots of love, hugs, kisses & special wishes 

From Katy ♡

My Little Bit of Florida...

Firstly, let me tell you my very exciting news, I'm not sure why or how I've kept this in for so long but all I know is, I am one very lucky girl and so totally giddy about September, because... and no I'm not having a baby... better... I'm off to America! 

I know what you're thinking, 'But Katy you've been to America plenty of times before.' - well yes, I have and that already makes me totally spoilt, but this time, were going BIG: 6 solid weeks in the USA! SIX! Not only will I be, (okay spoilt brat alert, again) returning to my parents home in Naples (Florida) but nope, we're taking it one step further and whilst there, hopping on a plane to California as well. Harry Potter World  here I come! 

Our House in Naples (click to see rental page)

Words cannot contain my excitement for this; America is by far my favourite country in this world - I want nothing more than to explore different parts of it and this year I'll have the chance to start out and tick off some of my bucket list. I just think it's amazing how each state has something different to offer, in culture and in style. However, I must say, I think it will always be Florida that has the special place in my heart. 

There's only one problem with America, and that's that I'm not living there, so when Douglas Elliman, a global real estate firm, offered me the opportunity to do the 'Florida Room Tag', of course I said yes! My chance to create my own little bit of Florida for myself; a dream room based on my favourite place! They have some fabulous Florida Properties, if you would like a little browse! 

Now, I've obviously mentioned that my parents have a house in Naples; when this was purchased, we were lucky enough to buy the full package, where everything down to the cutlery was included. Since renting the property out, usually to the sun seekers of America, heading down South for some Floridian Sunshine (after all, it is the Sunshine State), we've only ever had positive feed back about how the style of the house is very traditional to Florida. The wall murals were hand panted by a local artist and apparently these are well loved features. 

However, this style doesn't do it for me; I'm constantly asking my parents if we can get a paintbrush out and cover over the designs and brighten up the place (they refuse, because of how well loved the current decor is) but if I had my way, i'd be going for something more like this:

Empty your mind and picture...

• White, fresh, clean walls. 
• 'Drift wood' inspired furniture to remind yourself of the glorious coastline of Florida. 
• White shutters to subtly hide away the sunshine, after a long day of soaking it up on the beach.
• A cosy 'love seat' to snuggle up in and reminisce. 
• & a general feeling of crisp freshness - somewhere to escape to.

(Images selected from various Google Image searches) 

Now let's inject some colour and pretty things into the room:

(All items from Next UK)

Now for obvious reasons - being in the UK, I picked items from my favourite UK home store, Next. Whenever I walk into Next Home, I pretty much want to purchase most of the items they sell; the items are exactly the kind of thing i'd imagine my home to be full of and with the opportunity to sprinkle a little bit of Florida into the mix, I came up with the above. The items I picked aren't your typical 'beach scene' with navy blue nautical stripes but more of an escape to a tranquil, hidden gem - much like the beaches of Naples, FL.

Now for the scent in the room... 

As you know from my Every Home Needs Candles Post,  I'm a sucker for them - certain scents can instantly take you back to a moment or inflict a memory of a certain place. Whenever I come across a 'beach' scent, it's rare that I can resist - they always remind me of Florida and take me back to the days of our barbecues on the beach. A particular favourite of mine is the Airwick Life Scents - Turquoise Oasis; once you smell it, you'll know why. This is exactly the sort of scent I would expect my Florida Room to be filled with. It's described as having 'scents of sun bleached driftwood, salty sea spray & warm breeze.' Perfect. 

Now of course, this is quite an adult room, so let's bring out the inner child in me! People tend to think of Florida as the home of DISNEY! So let's make my child's Florida Room represent that:

I stumbled across this image on a Google search and I couldn't have put it together better myself. This is cute, semi-subtle, timeless and fun and I think you'll agree. 

So there we have it, my own little Floridian rooms. I've had so much fun making this post and coming up with ideas, I kinda wish I could design a whole house worths but I'll let you ponder on these first. Maybe you can come up with something too?!

A big thank you, again, to Douglas Elliman, a global real estate firm, for inspiring this post. Be sure to check out their site.

Now... I'm off to go and redecorate - BYE!

X

Wasted Talents?

I would indeed consider myself quite a creative being but my ideas never get transpired correctly onto paper, let alone made into the real deal and I've always been slightly envious of anyone who possess that talent and in particular those who are too modest to share their creations; someone like, for instance, my brother.

Time after time, I've seen my brother work hard on something for a family member and the end result be of professional quality but I always end up thinking to myself that his talents are wasted because they never go further than the walls of our own houses; I'd bet money that his work would go so far and that he could end up with a business under his belt if he just showed someone! That is why I thought i'd spend some time writing this blog, this afternoon, in order for you guys to see what wonderful things my brother is able to do; I am truly very proud of him and I think he should be too.  Oh and... not only is Tom clever but piece that together with his Fiancé, Zoe, and you have yourself a design team made in heaven, wood worker and seamstress is a perfect combination, I hope you can see what I mean by the below images: 

THE KITCHEN BOOTH 

 Their most recent project: My sister struggled for space in her kitchen, unfortunately I don't have a very clear picture of the before (see below) but as you can see, the radiator was removed in order to add a 'booth' style seat, which includes storage space underneath and has been designed to save the children kicking the seat lots! The table is the same as the original but Tom cleverly slimmed it down, continuing the same finish and with the remnant wood he made a fixture at the end of the table, with a bracket, to lengthen the table when needed. The cushion was made by Zoe, she made the cover removable in order for it to be washed and finished the design with a piping detail. The cushioned backing was crafted by Tom to match the cushion and is attached to the wall. I wish you could see the difference the design has made to the room, it is so much more spacious and is perfect for a small family home! 

(Before) 

 THE DECKING AND POND 

Excuse me being in the photos and I could probably try to get some better ones, if needs be, but the decking, pond and fencing were all put together by Tom, with the help of my dad... All the different levels and lighting of the decking make the garden look really modern and quirky, the dark grey colour of the pond makes it stand out from the rest and at night, when the lights and water feature are on, it makes a really lovely feature. He also designed some plant beds for mum's salad growing and they match the colour of the pond, so everything really ties in. 

THE WALNUT TOPS

Tom is never one to go into a house and leave it how it came, in fact the whole of Draper House  was re-modelled by him and two of the best features, I think, were the Kitchen and Shower Room.

In the kitchen he fitted new cupboard doors and a large stainless steel sink but then to complete the modern look spent a long time fitting the walnut tops, ensuring they were oiled to perfection to this dark finish, it always got compliments but what got the most appreciation was the shower room. 

The Shower Room shared the same walnut tops and he structured it to be a 'one unit' piece; he picked out modern porcelain wear, including the bowl sink with water fall feature taps and the 'floating' toilet and (un-shown in this photo) there were also light fittings behind the wooden tops and around the skirting for mood lighting, it really was something special. 

THE FLOATING BED AND WINDOW SEAT 

Together, Tom and Zoe transformed their bedroom, they designed this 'floating' bed, to look like that of a modern hotel. Not only this, they also made two, wall mounted, bedside tables with a light feature. He fitted spot lights above the bed and, if you look closely, a speaker integrated into the ceiling! Every bit of woodwork and fabric finish you see in the photo was finished by Tom and Zoe; this literally is one of my favourite things they've done so far. 

To tie in with the modern design of the bed, they also designed a window seat with shelving and integrated drawer (which by the way, lights up as you open it)... impressive eh?! Unfortunately I don't have a picture with all the flooring finished but I think you can get the idea!

(Before)

THE WORKSHOP

Tom wouldn't have been able to do half of his work if he didn't have his trusty workshop, I won't show you the photos of this (even though I do love it) but here are some photos of the kind of designs  he comes up with, even for somewhere no one really will ever see. I just love all the little touches like the lights and the 'mirror' finish of the wood.

ZOE'S ETSY 

 Zoe is a seamstress whose main items include baby and toddler clothing and shoes. She also used to make wedding dresses but as you can see from the above photos, her talents don't just stop at clothing. Please take a look at the below link to her Etsy shop, some of the shoes I wish came in adult size - they are so cute! 

Go To: DottyRobin - Etsy

This was a Christmas present from Zoe to myself; it's personalised beyond the embroidered name - she knew I love leopard print and went for this as the main body but incorporated the fact my room has lots of grey too... bows (along with hearts and gingerbread men) are one my favourite girly things and... it's an owl... Hello Harry Potter! I love her and think she makes such a lovely gift. 

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So there we have it, just a select few of the brilliant designs that my talented brother and his fiancé have worked on, they're always doing something new and I would love to keep sharing them with you. If you have seen anything on here that you would like in your house, then please do not hesitate to contact me, my links can be found on the right hand side of my blog (or the drop down menu if you're on your phone); I can pass on your enquiry to them and they would be happy to work on something beautiful for you too. Thank you for spending your time looking at this post. 

X 

Every home needs candles...

I've always been a bit of a hoarder when it comes to candles; often I find them too pretty to burn and if they're smelly, I fear they will lose their scent and I won't get pleasure from them anymore - how shallow of me! However, over the festive period and just winter in general, I feel it's the best way to light up a room; the light they create is so soft and homely and if you throw in a wintery scent, you can't really go wrong. Below i've photoed some of my favourite ways to display candles, I hope they can inspire you to make a feature of your own:

My mum came up with this idea, I think it's so simple yet looks really cool! Grab yourself a Kilner jar (or a lockable jar) and chuck a load of tea lights in (the tea lights used here were from my Yankee Candle advent calendar but I also like to use colour teas from Ikea), I think the more colour the prettier it looks. I've added the hearts from typical trinket shops, by attaching them with an elastic band. I think this would also make a lovely gift for someone who is a candle lover.

I got this candle holder in 2014 from Home Sense, the partner of TK Maxx; I know you're probably thinking 'then why am I showing you?' but I just thought it was too cool not to; the great thing is, Home Sense usually has all sorts of cool and crafty designs like this and if you can't find them for yourself, this gives the creative side in you the chance to make something like it for yourself. The star is in two parts, so really funky for a table display. 

I received these as a gift, they came from Next and are in 3 different scents, I've burnt one so far and it kept it's smell whilst burning - yay! I think the best thing about these are the jars, they're funky and modern and bring colour to any side piece (particularly if you're like me and have white walls  and beige accessories every where). I think they're great to add a splash of colour to your home. 

YANKEE CANDLES - the best invention there ever was. I've been to the US store and it's like a dream kingdom of heaven - yes, i've lost my marbles, but seriously, the UK store is okay but obviously America does it best. 

Anyway, having said that, this particular one was bought in the UK and it's quickly become one of my favourite scents. It was burning pretty much 24/7 over Christmas, at my parents house and it was so dreamy I ended up buying one for myself. It's one of those scents that will re-flame (excuse the pun) a particular memory in an instant. I would 100% recommend this scent to anyone looking for a winter haven; it certainly lives up to it's name COSY by the Fire. 

Please go and smell it! 

In almost equal measures to the Yankee; these candles, from Airwick, are quite honestly the light of my life(!), they're pretty, they smell incredible and the scent fills a room instantly too. Not only does the cute design on the jar stand out (and yes they bring out a new one per season), they also have interchangeable lights - wow. It might sound tacky but I promise you it's not. They're often on offer too, so please tell me where there is any wrong here. I placed mine in the vase behind which looked even more beautiful, take a look at my Instagram video to see exactly what I mean: Instagram

See... so cutesy. 

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So there you go, just a few ideas and recommendations for you.

Please do feel free to tell me your favourites and I will go and check them out because I really do love a candle. 

X

Just a little example of my house at Christmas, with ALL of the candles in the world. Oops...