DIY Marble Clay Ring Dishes.

I used to be quite the keen crafter, but it has been probably a few years now since I sat down and actually created anything. A Beautiful Mess has been one of my favourite blogs since I've been about 18, and the interiors and DIY posts are always so inspiring. When I read their marble clay ring dish post I thought that would be the perfect idea to ease me back into crafting, and although I hit some speed bumps on the way, I'm quite happy with how they turned out!

Y  O  U    W  I  L  L    N  E  E  D :

- White and coloured oven clay. I only used three colours but I wish I'd used more to help create the marble effect, I bought mine from this ebay seller. 

- A large jar or rolling pin.

- Gold or metallic paint and a small paintbrush.

- A knife (preferably specifically for clay - otherwise you'll end up with edges like mine!)

- A small, ovensafe bowl.

1. Pick your clay.

2. Split into smaller pieces - For the second bowl which has a better marble effect I split them up into smaller than pictured which seemed to be work better.

3. Roll into little lines around 5" long - Use your hands for this, a little heat helps to work them into shape quicker.

4. Twist all the lines into one snake (how much does mine look like a flump here!)

5. Roll the snake into a line around double the original length, then twist again.

6. Smush (that is the technical term) into a ball, and you should be able to see the marble effect taking place.

7. Roll out into a circle, and when big enough cut around a jar or small bowl with your knife.

8. Pop it into a small, ovensafe bowl so the edges can turn up a little - I baked mine for about 20 minutes on 250.

9. Leave to cool, remove from the bowl and then paint around the edges with your metallic paint.

Then we're done! As you can see, mine aren't as good as the original, and I'd use different colours in future too. The peach one went a little more orange which didn't look great with the pink shade. I also used the offcuts of the first with the second, which I think helped to create a real marble effect. I think using more colours of clay would create a more dramatic effect too. Also, you do kinda need a clay knife, the edges of mine ended up quite rough as you can see, but I think it adds to the handmade look - it depends what you prefer! Overall I do really like them, and they're a really quick and easy project to whip up when you have a spare hour.

Would you make your own marble clay ring dishes?

Inspiring Mid-Week Pins.

My Pinterest addiction is still in full force, and by the looks of the above image, as is my love for blush pinks and peaches. Pinterest is my favourite place for inspiration, and at the moment I'm dreaming of new kitchens, flowers and plants.

01. I think a new kitchen will probably be one of the final and very big jobs in the house for quite some time. It's going to be an expensive job so we'll probably be saving up for it for quite sometime, and as of yet I'm unsure whether we'll just be saving for a completely new kitchen or revamping what we already have. I've got my dream kitchen in mind which has white cupboards, white subway tiles with a black or grey grout, and a marble top would be the dream although the most expensive option! The gorgeous kitchen behind Bev Cooks is absolutely beautiful.

02. I really love how little branches and single flower stems have been styled together. I actually have mini vases like these, so I'll definitely have to try recreating this beautiful selection from Weekday Carnival. 

03. Yep, more flowers. Spring is now with us, and although the weather outside is looking a little differently as I'm writing this, it does mean a whole bunch of flowers have come out to see us again. I've been spotting lots of ranunculus on Instagram recently so I'd love a bouquet like these. 

04. I shared on Sunday my tips for getting through the bad times in business, and a couple weeks ago business wasn't exactly booming for me. I think the biggest tips I followed was not letting it effect me negatively and trying to work through it; despite it being the last thing I wanted to do, I carried on listing as much new stock as I could and sharing it online. It worked because I've had two really fantastic weeks now, and things look to be continuing in a positive way. This definitely sums up how I've been feeling about it all.

Are you on Pinterest? Find me here!

Surviving The Bad Times In Business.

There are always going to be highs and lows in business, it's just one of those things that if you're thinking of setting up shop you'll just have to get to grips with. Occasionally it doesn't matter how hard you're working, how enthusiastic you are about the product, people just don't want what you're selling. Today is the 5th anniversary of opening my little ebay store, and whilst the majority of it has been fantastic and rewarding, I've experienced a lot of said highs and lows. There are a few things to take into consideration if you are going through one of the tough times.

P  L  A  N    F  O  R    I  T
It would be great to think business will always be smooth sailing, but sadly it's just not practical in this day and age. I need to take my own advice on this one; I'm 25 this year and from week to week, month to month, I live within my means. What savings I did have have disappeared when I've needed to pay rent and bills and I don't replace them. If I do go through a bad sales week I'm counting on it picking up, which luckily it usually does, but it's not a great idea to not have any savings at all. Just in case.

W  O  R  K    T  H  R  O  U  G  H    I  T    &    L  E  A  R  N
It's the same with life experiences, I really believe how we react to difficult situations in life shapes us as a person. We can either sit and mope around, feeling sorry for ourselves, or we can act. Get your ass into gear and get working, don't take it lying down; bad weeks give me the motivation to work that extra bit harder to make next week an improvement. Take that attitude with you into the future, and the bad weeks may not come around as frequently.

M  A  K  E    S  O  M  E    C  H  A  N  G  E  S
Although it may not feel like it, change is good, and is necessary every once in a while to keep up with people's ever changing styles and preferences. I've recently altered my shop's images, as well as changing the shop front and design of the listing too; after a couple hours work it looks a lot more professional and intriguing to customers. Look around at what others in your field are doing to see what people are buying - don't steal ideas, but take inspiration from that to see what you can improve.

O  F  F  E  R    A    S  A  L  E
A sure fire way to get people buying is to offer a sale. It clears out any old stock for space for new, and attracts more customers your way. I regularly have sales on, even if it's only 25% off or so; in these sorts of times everyone appreciates discounts, and despite not being on the high street you could benefit from creating a seasonal sale or two.

W  O  R  K    H  A  R  D
At the end of it all, we get out what we put into our businesses, so put in a ton of hard work and shed load of effort, and you'll see results.

Do you run your own business? What advice do you have for getting through the hard times?

A Bar Cart Wishlist.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

Despite not really being much of a drinker, I've bought a bar cart. It's actually a vintage trolley that I'm going to paint and upcycle a bit, and it'll probably end up being more of a storage for some plants and flowers than bottles of booze, but still. After a bit of a Pinterest session pinning to my bar cart board I decided to get myself one after selling my previous one from the old house.

I want a couple trays to store glasses and bottles on, and of course where else could these be from, H&M Home. I feel yet another big order coming on from them, the concrete candle is from them too and they have some gorgeous new releases online. I don't really need any more glasses but the gold shot set are just gorgeous. Although before splashing out I'm considering buying some clear ones myself and doing a bit of a gold glitter fade DIY!

I'll be sticking with a wood, white, gold and copper theme (is there anywhere left in my house that isn't like this!) so some gold paper straws are essential; these ones are part of a long list of beautiful items from Paper Mash. And of course, a gorgeous candle is a must, and being also the name of a cocktail and having a beautiful scent, Diptyque's Mimosa is high-up on my wantsie list.

Are you a fan of the bar cart?

Easy Mid-Century Pieces To Add To Your Home.

Mid-Century design has always been one of my favourites, and it seems to be absolutely everywhere at the moment. I personally always prefer the real deal and shop around in charity shops and vintage stores for original 1950s pieces, but I do appreciate not everyone is so lucky in that department. Whether it's old or new mid-century design is a gorgeous addition to any home and there's a few pieces you just need.

S  I  D  E  B  O  A  R  D  S

My first ever furniture buy was the sideboard pictured above; I found it for £20 and I've loved it every since. Mine makes a good alternative to a TV unit, but they're great in dining rooms and even bedrooms for a bit of a different storage solution. The charity shops are absolutely LITTERED with these things so it should be relatively easy to find one suitable for your home for under £50.

MADE.COM - Lotus, £289 // WEST ELM - Ingrid, £399 // IKEA - Ekenaset, £150

C  H  A  I  R  S

I found my old 1950s chair last summer for a measly £17, and again it's one of my favourite ever buys. It's been reupholstered before I found it so I couldn't see any makers mark, but the design of the legs and arms is identical to vintage Ercol, so I'm hoping I've hit the jackpot! I wanted a chair like this for years, and it took me that long to find one, so unless you fancy splashing out a pretty penny online for a vintage one, there are some good alternative's new too. 

Look out for legs - it's unlikely to find that much mid-century furniture not on some sort of legs, be they straight down, dansette style (the removable type seen on the planter above), splayed, or hairpin style.

T  A  B  L  E  S
The easiest of them all to find, the amount of tables I have in my home is a little ridiculous. They come in so many shapes and sizes; kidney (above), cloud shaped, nests of a few, round, and plain rectangular ones. As I mentioned above they all have some form of leg, and more often than not come in teak or different types of wood, and there's so many to choose from for different areas of the home. I personally love having my kidney tables as a coffee table, especially being different heights, and this is such an easy look to recreate.

Keep your walls fairly neutral; in the 1950s and 1960s they wouldn't put too much colour on the walls, it would usually be white or a light pastel shade. This gives the furniture the opportunity to be the full focus point.

Are you a fan of mid century design? Do you have any pieces in your home?

5 Ways to Increase Engagement & Blog Comments.

It's one of those topics that I forever see bloggers fretting about on Twitter, hardly receiving any comments on certain posts or having pageviews and engagements taking a little dip. Of course it's not the end of the world, but it can feel a bit disheartening after working for hours, days or perhaps even weeks on a particular post. Other than trying to create the best possible content you can, making it interesting and helpful, there are a few steps you can do daily to make sure your posts aren't left lonely and lacking in comments.

L E A R N   A B O U T   Y O U R   
R E A D E R S
Bloggers don't just suddenly decide to post at random times of the day, the same with scheduling. Readers like consistency so learn when the majority of them are online to check out your latest posts and get your posts scheduled appropriately for that. I always schedule my posts for 8am, but I recently double posted in one day and within an hour or so of my second post going live in the afternoon, I had a ton of comments already on. I'm considering now whether to post at mid-day, but have a look at when most of your comments come through, and check your GA stats to see when most of the traffic is on your blog.

N E T W O R K   W I T H   O T H E R   B L O G S

As much as it shouldn't be "you comment me and I'll comment back", if you don't spend at least a little bit of time every week reading and commenting on other blogs, it's likely they won't feel inclined to do the same for you. Leave some thoughtful and meaningful comments ( No "Great post!" or "Come see my blog!" ) and you'll get a few back in return.

S T A R T   A   C O N V E R S A T I O N

An example I can give of this is my latest Staying True To you post where I talked about bloggers following what's popular instead of blogging about their true interests. It was clear pretty quickly that so many of you had been feeling the same way about this, and it got shared on Twitter, pinned to Pinterest boards, and had about double the usual comments and pageviews I get on most posts.

M A K E   I T   E A S Y

One of the biggest bugbears in blogging are difficult to use comment platforms. I personally hate the ones where you have to enter your name, email and blog link every time, as well as word verification. Sure, no-one wants a ton of spam comments, but there's been many times when the verification codes have been so obscure, after three of four attempts I've just closed the page and left no comment. Both are things you should take into consideration if your posts are lacking comments but your pageviews are good.

A L W A Y S   R E S P O N D

I always find it a little bit shocking to see blogs that never respond to comments, it almost feels like it's falling on deaf ears. Of course they do probably read it, but why would you not want to respond to the people taking time out of their day to comment on your posts? It's a great way to carry on the conversation, and personally I do feel like it would encourage people to comment again in the future.

Do you have any tips to increase engagement and blog comments?

ETSY Stores I Love.

01. I always hear nothing but absolute rave reviews about Pomme Frites Co, except of course that they're pretty hard to get hold of in the UK. However, I have managed to find a stockist in Lytham which is where I regularly go on a day trip to, so I'll be getting into the store to have a good sniff of the range. I can already see Teakwood & Tobacco being a firm favourite. //  Pommes Frites, £12.54 

02. I've only just discovered A Hand Crafted Store, but the range of cushions is incredible! If you're after something a little bit different to what you'd find on the high street, these are definitely for you. This blush pink and polka dot number would look perfect in my bedroom. // A Hand Crafted Home, £27.86 

03. Air plants are pretty much everywhere right now, with terrariums they're really the green touches my home is missing. I love the geometric design of the holders, ideally I'd like a few in each room! // Hand Made Sam Made, £24.38

04. Pinterest is fuelling my love of all things concrete, which may seem like a bit of an unlikely material to make beautiful homewares, but turned into simple planters and vases really works. I'd love to give it a go at making some myself one day, but for now Etsy have some gorgeous ones to buy. // The French Viking, £19.78 

05. Oh marble and brass, has there ever been a more beautiful combination? Lamps are sorta becoming my thing at the moment, and I'm after a floor one for the living room and one for my office too. // Brandon Lenoir, £101.00

06. I recently discovered The Lovely Drawer blog which is one of my new favourite reads, and Teri also runs an incredible Etsy store. It's a lovely mix of prints and DIY stationery, and I'm so in love with her latest abstract prints. The pink one immediately caught my eye, the mix of colours and design is absolutely gorgeous. // The Lovely Drawer, £25.00

What are some of your favourite Etsy stores?

A Beauty Haul.

Well, so much for not really spending much on beauty. Mum and I went to a couple new areas for our weekly day out and I managed to get in my first ever Space NK, so as well as going to a L'Occitane evening I ended up weighed down with a few bags full of beauty treats.

Onto the smallest bag of the lot, from Space NK. Being from up norfff there isn't a huge amount of stores around me, and I've never actually found a Space NK store, although I've since learnt there's one in Manchester. It was a beautiful, beautiful experience, and if money was no option I would have walked away with every Diptyque candle, lots of skincare and a whole lot of NARS and Laura Mercier. That said, I decided on a new foundation and still needing a decent amount of coverage I went for Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation. I got matched up with Soft Ivory and so far I'm impressed; it's quite a thick texture but a little goes a long way, and it's not too full on. I'll possibly do a full review of this when I've used it more.

After a day of traipsing around charity shops we headed off to the Trafford Centre for a L'Occitane evening. I believe it was around £10 for a ticket and for that you had an evening of champagne, a complimentary skin consultation and hand massage, and walked away with a goodie bag at the end of the evening. Both Mum and I had the consultation after being pretty horrified with a skin test we did which gave us both dehydrated readings. We were talked through and used a couple of the ranges but we both settled on the Angelica range which is perfect for hydrating. I got the Cleansing Gel and Face Toner duo which I've been using since buying and really like, it's so easy to use and leaves my skin feeling really hydrated and balanced. The lady who gave us the session had incredible glowing skin and she swore by this range, so I've got high hopes for it. I also got a little gift set which has some perfume, shower gels and hand creams in. They're perfect for travelling but I love L'Occitane so I can't see them sticking around too long.

What do you think of my buys? Have you tried any of these?

The Happy List.

01. Receiving fresh flowers. I got another beautiful bouquet from Bloom & Wild this week, and if possible I'm even more in love with this one than the last. It's full of lillies, roses, mini chrysanthemum's, waxflowers and foliage. The colours are really brightening up my home, and I know when the lillies bloom they will be absolutely beautiful. I'm giving away a bouquet here, or you can order one for your Mum with £10 off with the code 'MDAY10'. 

02. The sun is coming out more, the days are getting longer, and I might even be able to leave the house without a coat on soon!

03. I've got a couple new books recently that I'm really enjoying. "It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be" was a half an hour read (it has a seriously big font), but the message inside will stick with you for longer. It works in the same way #Girlboss does for me, giving me a good kick up the bum and is some serious business and blog motivation. I've not started reading "Style Me Vintage: Home" yet, but it's always amazing to see someone who just started selling vintage online go so far. 

04. My ivy's seem to be growing, just a tiny bit!

05. Kane has really gotten into making pancakes recently, and he's a bit of a crepe expert. Of course I'm helping him wolf down all the portions he's rustling up, adding fruit makes them healthy, right?

06. I've been after a welsh tapestry purse for quite some time, and I finally found my perfect one at this weekend's vintage fair! It was only £4 too. 

07. I was lucky enough to find out last week that I had won the Made Unboxed competition, where (I think) they select a monthly winner from who has uploaded pictures. Anyway, I won a £100 voucher which was just amazing, and I quickly went online and spent it! I decided on their Wilton chair which I thought would be perfect for my office, perhaps I'll be able to spend more time in there working with a nicer chair to park my bottom on!

08. Managing to get in the garden. Mum treated me to a few outdoor pots of daffodils, primroses and hyacinths, and it's really making me look forward to a month or so's time when I can really get in the garden centres and start making lots of pots for my garden.

What's been making you happy recently?

Making Second Hand Work For You.

For quite a few years now, I've been a bit of a charity shop junkie. It helps that my business requires me to regularly be on the hunt for new stock, and often charity shops are my destination of choice. It means that over half my wardrobe and probably over half my house was found in charity shops, and it used to be a lot more than that until I started buying a few new pieces. So across the way I've learnt a few tips to make second hand really work well for you.

K E E P  A N  O P E N  M I N D
This is probably the most important point for me. You can't walk into a charity shop the way you can with a high street store, with a particular thing in mind and expect to find it every time. Of course you can have a wishlist, but it may take several attempts, or even months, to get what you're after. You should also keep an open mind with what you do find available; love a candlestick holder but hate the colour? A gorgeous blouse but it's a little too big? Both those items can be easily altered and revamped if you're willing to put in a little effort.

V I S I T  O F T E N
I manage to get pretty good stuff every time because I visit several charity shops at least once a week, and go to the same towns that I know work for me every few weeks. Don't expect to go once every six months and leave everytime with lots of goodies, you need to put the effort in. I'd also recommend visiting perhaps mid week on a Tuesday or Thursday; if you get in first thing Monday morning the chances are they haven't managed to restock after the weekend. Also, look out for vintage, antique or junk shops in your local area.

D O N ' T  B E  A F R A I D  T O  R U M M A G E
Charity shop workers are crazy people who like to proudly display all the latest Primark dresses but hide away all the good stuff thinking no-one will be interested in it. Purses and bags are often shoved into big baskets, the same with bargain bins, so have a little dig around and you might find something perfect.

A S K !
Most stores do have stock in the back that they don't have room for yet, so if you are desperate for a new chair or something specific, there's no harm in asking. I've asked before and have been invited to rummage around in the back, leaving with some buys whereas I otherwise would have left empty handed.

L O O K  O N L I N E
Of course, second hand isn't all about charity shops. A lot of fantastic furniture can be found on Ebay, Gumtree, Preloved, or even Freecycle. Keep certain pages bookmarked and check back every day or so to see what new has been added.

Do you buy second hand clothes and homewares? What are your tips?

Home Wishin'.

I'm beginning to wonder whether there will ever be a day when I look around my home and think, I'm finally done! I doubt it, but I don't necessarily see it as a bad thing. Interiors are just my favourite, so I'm always constantly inspired and looking to improve rooms and items. I've got a few big projects I'd really like to do eventually (a new kitchen, bathroom and flooring in the conservatory), but for now I'm looking at cheaper ways to improve those rooms and finish off others.

Top of my wishlist is a hanging rattan chair. I've been on the hunt for a vintage one online and in stores, but so far I've been unsuccessful, and haven't found any relatively near me anyway. You can buy new ones though, and this one from Tea And Kate is probably my favourite. It's one of those items I would probably be scared of using with my chunky behind, but I think it would finish off my living room perfectly. The Hay Pouf would be pretty ideal in my living room with the lighter grey sofa, but being the cost of a small sofa sadly I think I'll have to be looking for a slightly cheaper alternative! I just love the shape of this one though.

One of the things I'd really like to change is the kitchen, which looks pretty dated and obviously hasn't been updated in several years. The flooring is blue tiles which are not only stained but pretty freezing, so I'm considering getting a small rug to fill most of the space. I really like the design of this Ryker one from Made, it's quite a good neutral one but looks good quality. I'd also really like a new laundry basket, which is a sentence I can't actually believe I'm writing! However we all do need to buy practically items every once in a while, one of my favourites I've seen is this grid basket from Ferm Living.

I'm also longing for some shelves in my dining area where a space has been planned for since we moved in, I just hadn't found the perfect set yet. I absolutely love this String Set which is a perfect size and design, I'll definitely be buying these eventually and filling them with plants and little trinkets. This cute little candle holder set would be the perfect addition to the shelves, although I'm imagining a DIY version of these for a slightly cheaper option! I'm also a little in love with these plant stands from Ferm. I have a couple wooden old styles of these which are desperate for a revamp, but I do really love them; they add greenery but also nice height to a room, so I'd love a couple more.

What home things do you currently have your eye on? Remember to follow me on Pinterest for lots more interior loving!

Peony Blush & Suede.

After a bit of a bad day last week, my Mum (who always knows how to cheer me up) offered to buy me a little something online. Of course I accepted the offer, and immediately knew what I was heading over to Selfridges to buy. It's been probably well over a year now that I've longed for a Jo Malone candle, but couldn't quite ever justify spending a whopping 40 english pounds on a candle. I can even imagine my Mum's face right now reading this and realizing what I've spent her hard earned money on but hey, she did say get what you want!

I was torn between Peony Blush & Suede and Pomegranate Noir, but considering I couldn't add the latter to my bag online, the Selfridges website made the decision for me. I'm absolutely thrilled with my purchase though, and fell in love with the first sniff. It is a floral scent, but not so much so that it's overpowering. It's a very soft and almost sensual scent, and feels really indulgent. Immediately after I took the lid off I could smell the fragrance, and it filled a room within just a few minutes of burning.

Even though it's my first Jo Malone experience, I understand the price point now. The scent is absolutely beautiful, it burns incredibly well, and I can see this being the beginning of a very expensive friendship. I know what will be on my Christmas and birthday lists for a long time from now on!

What's your favourite Jo Malone candle?