LITTLE THINGS: HOME

Sometimes, coming home to a flat filled with little things that make me smile is just what I need after a crappy day:

I spotted this wee cat table on Ruth's Instagram ages ago, before I had even moved in to my flat, and raced over to The Magpie's Eye in Govan to pick it up. I totally love it, even though it's a bit rickety and mental. Ruth is the QUEEN of bargainous charity shop finds, go follow her immediately.

My N64 controller sits out, reminding me to get my dad round to help hook it up to my telly! It's all plugged in and ready to go, but I can't seem to get it to work... Literally DESPERATE to play Mario Kart again! Or Banjo and Kazooie, anyone?

This big map artwork is part of a collection of pieces surrounding the idea of Maps and Journeys which is, coincidentally, by my boyfriend, Roddy MacNeill. I'm massively biased, OBVIOUSLY, but he's pretty great at this art shenanigans, and it was the Maps project he was working on when we first met in 2012. This is a really old, vintage map of Scotland, painstakingly cut out and laid over a more contemporary map of downtown LA, which we discovered together on a trip to the Oxfam bookshop on Byres Road last year. 

I've loved this piece ever since, and I knew I wanted it to take pride of place in my living room. It's very big and heavy though, so it's still waiting to be hung...although part of me likes it propped up against the wall like this. 

You can find out about Roddy and his work HERE, and more info and details about buying prints HERE.

You can't really tell from the (admittedly awful) photo, but my bathroom door is comically narrow. Like, squeeze-in-sideways narrow! The idiosyncrasies in this flat are hilarious! Some doors are news, others, like this one, are so old they're practically hanging off - and NONE close all the way properly. But I love this tiny, higglety-pigglety door, complete with "Bathroom" sign left by the last owners, which I think is super-cute.

Just a wee print of Audrey from Urban Outfitters, in an Ikea frame, but this is in the alcove in the hall and greets me when I first walk through the door. I love her expression here and I find it quite calming, for some reason. 

Meerkat cushion from TK Maxx. Talk about a random purchase! Everyone hates this, and the colours are all wrong for the living room, but, MEERKATS. Come on.

When I first started unpacking all my books I was convinced I wouldn't have enough to fill the built-in bookcase, but man was I wrong. Turns out I have a good few too many, and they're currently stuffed under my bed and in random nooks and crannies all over the place. I tried to organise them into shelves like coffee table/fashion/art (not shown), pleasure, uni, misc/unread, but by now they're in a bit of a mess as I take them out, flip thorough them and shove them back in a new place. Again though, I love it. 

I've seen so many other flats where the bookcases are filled with photo frames and candles and nick-nacks, which I totally love too, but if I didn't display my books like this I don't honestly know where else I'd store them.

THE JOHN LEWIS MIRROR. It's huge, it's gorgeous, it was expensive, but every time I gaze up at it I smile because I know it's my favourite piece in the whole room, and maybe the whole flat. With the exception of the art, obviously! I had it hung before I had anything else in the living room and, without wanting to sound wanky, it sets the tone for the space, I think.

Another selection of awesome art by Roddy. I really honestly think I have the best pieces out of everything he's done. But then I am 1000% biased!

Old photies of my and my absent bestie never fail to make me smile.

Hummingbird welcome mat, again by TK Maxx, brightening up the drab close, and pink Ikea hall mat to wipe your dirty feet on. 

Sylvia Plath print by LucyLovesThis on Etsy. It's a beautiful print on really thick, great quality paper which looks fab in this dark grey frame from Ikea. This one's in my bedroom and I catch glimpses of it in the mirror every morning before I leave. Love Plath, love this.

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye."

This clock was a housewarming gift from my friend Marie, who knows I love Le Petit Prince (if you haven't googled the name of this blog, do!) and it was so touching and thoughtful of her. I love this quote so much, and have a very similar one, also from the book, tattooed on my upper back, just at my neck. It's really special and it's up in my hall, usually telling me to get a wiggle on when I leave for work in the AM.



Large heart mason jar by TK Maxx. I use this to keep little happy memories in. Like train ticket stubs to place I've been, or little cards and nick-nacks, just small reminders of good things. I scoffed at the idea of this at first, but now I wouldn't be without it. I got it just before Christmas, and over next New Year I think I'll empty it out and have a wee happy greet to myself.

A little seahorse ornament which was a gift from a nice day spent at the Sea Life centre in Loch Lomond, my best guy Harry the Hippo from the long-gone Glasgow Zoo, and a hilarious Instgram snap of my friend Laura and I in Glencoe this time last year. Again with the cute wee mementos, this time on my bedside table. What's HAPPENED to me?!

"I just wanted to tell you I missed you, but not tell you, so I went into a wee shop and saw this and thought of you, because I think you rock like a rocky thing."

From the bestie back when she was living in Edinburgh a few years ago. Edinburgh doesn't feel so bad when shes literally on the other side of the world.

Just a wee snapshot of the things around my flat that make me happy. 

It's the little things.

LIFE LATELY: AUTUMN

Remember a few years ago when I had this blog and totally loved it and updated all the time? Me too. Sadface. Where did that go? I don't know how it happened, it feels like it was one of those things that come about of their own accord I guess, like outgrowing shoes or losing touch with old school friends. I still follow all my old blogging buddies and read about what they're all up to and fawn over awesome OOTDs and make lists of new beauty products to try on the back of rave reviews...but I don't often feel inspired to write blogs about that stuff any more.

There was a time over the summer that I really panicked about letting myself and my blogging pals down by hardly posting, but I'm cool with it now. I never started FFS for anyone but myself, and throughout the three years I've been doing this I always posted whatever the hell I liked, regardless of convention or external pressures to always be talking about the NEXT BIG AWESOME THING or WHAT I'M WEARING THIS WEEK, or LATEST AMAZING GLASGOW DESIGNER or FABULOUS BLOGGER EVENT or whatever. These posts have their place, and I read them, and sometimes I DO write them, but it's not always the content I want to create. And that's OK. It's not a competition, or at least it shouldn't be.

I've been a scatty, rambley navel-gazer from the start. If you go back to the beginning, which I sometimes do because I'm SAD, after you've finished cringing you'll see that FFS has never been particularly COOL or Zeitgeistey, and I'm glad I can remind myself of this and that it's OK to be a bit weird, and stop giving myself a hard time for forgetting to post about relevant fashiony things... and basically quit feeling BAD.

So what have I been doing when I've not been blogging? Well, living my life. Obvz.

Did I mention I bought a flat? Oh, ONLY ABOUT 10,000 TIMES. Well, I did, and over the last few weeks I finally got the keys and started the long process of doing it up.

Paint was NUMBER ONE priority. The bay-windowed living room was originally a gross brown biscuity-beige which, with the dark floors, made it look dindgy. I covered it with two coats of a lighter, yellow-cream called Soft Linen from Crown and it's much fresher. Once I have all my crap moved in I might want to go for a bolder colour, but for the moment the brighter tone is working out fine. In the bedroom I went for a nice pale icy blue. My pal kindly pointed out it's "a bit NEW BABY BOY" but whatever! I've bought up practically all of Ikea's Hemnes bedroom furniture and assembled it all, so that room's almost done. I'll tell you what though, I'm a bit lazy and would have probably got painters and decorators in to paint both rooms in the past, but my Dad egged me on to do it myself (two coats each!) and I'm pure proud of myself that I did - up a wobbly ladder, rollers, dust-sheets and all. You can do it guys! Just wear boggin old stuff and a hat if you can - paint in your hair is no fun.

Next up I bought a turquoise sofa. Sorry, TWO turquoise sofas, from Made.com. I figured WHY NOT man, and I was scared the room would look too wishy-washy without a bit of colour. The sofas are from Made's Orson range and one is arriving at the weekend, so I'll be able to tell if it's comfy or not come Sunday. I'm in love with how they look online though! Gorgeous.

Thanks to a headsup from the lovely Ruth I got this adorbs cat coffee table, customised by Treemendous, from The Magpie's Eye in Govan. LOOK AT IT! So cute! There seems to be a bit of an animal/cat theme happening so far with the accessories I've bought, but I'm more than OK with that. (See rabbit night light!)

Added to my awesome bit of ATTITUDE ART from Etsy and my wee cat cushion from a few months ago, I'm pleased with how it's shaping up. Still LOADS to do, but I'm getting there.

Next up, I went blonde. SHUT UP. No, really. I just took a mad idea one day and booked myself in to my hairdressers, and BOOM. That was that. I'd had it pre-lightened with lots of foils in the weeks before, but I wanted more of an all-over bleached look. Which is what I got! It's so blonde now that I'm heading back in tomorrow to sort my roots out - my hair grows SCARY quick.

I also experimented with Bleach London's new range of wash-out pastel dyes. I got the Awkward Peach shade and was a bit MEH about it if I'm honest. The colour wasn't all that striking, and I KNOW it's pastel, but I expected to be able to notice it! Instead I found that all it really did was change the tone of the blonde a bit to a warmer, more yellowy hue. Which was OK but not really what I was after. I tried the L'Oreal Feria pastel tonight conditioner in Peach Punch and I definitely preferred the colour. Again, the payoff wasn't great (hint in the word PASTEL), but the actual tone of the colour was a nice corally peachy-pink, and if I had to decide between the two this is the one I'd go for.

And what else? Oh, yi know, just living life. Work has been mental busy with presentations, conferences and travel galore, but in a really good way. I mean, the soggy Midlands might not be the most glam of places to be constantly jetting to, but I can't complain really. Things are going well, my wee team is great and I'm working really hard. I enjoy what I do and I wake up motivated to start the day and tick things off my massive Monday Morning To-Do List. It could be worse.

I also recently spent some time in my beloved Edinburgh where I totally GORGED myself at the Hard Rock Cafe (did you hear about the one in Buchanan St? I believe it's open now - yuss!) and the Chocolate Lounge at Harvey Nicks, dahling! Both places to tick off if you find yourself in Edinburgh. OK, so Hard Rock isn't exactly fine dining, but their Twisted Mac and Cheese is positively ORGASMIC and it's good for a LOL. Also, quaffed myself some cocktails in Le Monde on George St which I do love when I'm pretending to be a little more glam than I am.

What else? Um, I tried to eat healthy but it only lasted about three days. One thing that stuck though was yummy Overnight Oats which I now take to work most days for breakfast. My fave is with chocolate almond milk, mashed banana and flaked almonds on top. SCRUM. More deetz here...

ALSO, can I just take a minute to talk about how awesome the Itison Drive-In for Halloween was?! A massive screen in Victoria Park, 300 cars, street food, guys dressed up as Michael from my FAVE scary movie (maybe) ever - the classic John Carpenter's Halloween. Pure hilarious spooky awesomeness! The best bit were all the Michael's cutting about scaring everyone silly - totally, totally loved it. Itison is running their massively successful Drive In series again over Christmas, this time at Loch Lomond Shores, WITH SANTA and Christmas Carol Car-eoke etc. so have a look. I've booked up for It's a Wonderful Life on the 23rd of December. Heart-warming festive perfection!

Anyway, that's what I've been doing with my life. I'm going to make a concerted effort to blog more regularly, and not box myself into a certain style. I'll just talk rubbish about whatever I want, whenever I want, and that's that. Thanks for sticking with me, those that have.

(By the by, these pics are from my Instagram, and if you find yourself desperately intrigued as to my comings and goings you can follow me on Twitter anaw. @kirsty44sunsets everywhere. ROFFLE.)



OUT THERE

Just what you want after a cryptic extended leave of absence... A post that fires y'all straight back into the thick of it that makes no reference to or offers no explanation for the aforementioned absence, RIIIIIGHT???!!

So, I'd originally put this post on ice as, when I was very kindly sent THIS beautiful faux fur throw from UBER COOL interiors website Out There Interiors (http://www.outthereinteriors.com/bedroom-furniture/mirrored-bedroom-furniture), I was in the middle of buying my new flat and had hoped to be in much sooner than this, and I figured, no one wants to see this pure cool, cosy wee throw on my jakey single bed in my kids bedroom...Not when they could wait and see it on my not-yet-purchased-but-no-doubt pure cool new bed!

HOWEVER, given that I've now finally been handed an entry date after what feels like YEARS of farting around, turns out it's going to be another six full weeks and that's just too blooming long to wait.

So without further ado, here's the awesome, snuggly, fabulous throw:

 

Not the best image from the site, so I DID attempt to take my own... At night. With my phone.

Yeah. A photographer, I am not.

Wow, is all I have to say about the quality of those.

Once I DO have a bed and a flat to put it in, I promise I'll drape this aesthetically over my bedspread and update these photos. In the meantime though, just believe me when I say this throw is awesome. Who knew I'd be into this stuff.

But it turns out I AM. Like in a big way. Mainly because soft furnishings seem easy at this stage. Sure, I like this fabric, I like those curtains, that throw is pretty, that duvet cover is cute, this rug is cool... You get the gist. Making virtual wishlists of fabrics and soft furnishings is as far as I've got with this whole interior design planning thing.

I mean, for example, I bought a cushion last week:

No, your eyes do not deceive you. This IS the best cushion in the universe!

But this is as far as I've managed to get. Everything else SOLID freaks me out! I feel as though people expect me to already know exactly how I want my flat to look, what kind of STYLE or VIBE I want to go with, when actually I have no idea. Like NONE. One minute I imagine trawling vintage warehouses and auctioneers for one of a kind one-off wardrobes n stuff, the next I'm turning down the pages in the Ikea catalogue, hooked on all things minimal and modern.

Help!

I had a look through that Out There Interiors website for inspiration but it proved useless as I liked EVERYTHING I saw, which is no help at all! Some of my favourites were this fretworked range of drawers and dressing table:

Pure pretty, right? But then I also liked the slightly more ornate, French bedside tables that have a lovely vintage feel:

And then there were the mad wardrobes!!

Because who doesn't love a mad wardrobe?! Sorry, armoire! Tell me these don't look like the hilarious wardrobe from Beauty and the Beast and I'd call you a LIAR!

Roffle!

But yeah, no help at all as I just want one of everything, and it's a WEE flat. So soft furnishings is as far as I'm able to plan for at the moment.

With the exception of this guy:

I DIE.

Hope that wasn't too painful for y'all. Normal service slowly but surely returning!



HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

Today my wee Grandma did something amazing for me, something that's about to change my life completely... Not just change it, KICK START IT. She's helping me to buy my very own flat.

So about 4 or 5 years ago I started saving money for a mortgage. I was working part time for a debt collection company and living off that and my student loan so it was pretty difficult, and on too many occasions I'd deposit a few hundred into my ISA on Monday only to withdraw it again on Friday... A familiar story for everyone, right?

Despite being overly concerned with buying new clothes and having mad nights out, I did always TRY to keep my ultimate goal at the forefront of my mind - to buy my own home and finally move out, and gradually over the years my meagre savings began to add up. Then about six months ago I made an appointment to meet with a mortgage advisor at my bank who told me what I'd need for a deposit... And it was grim. I'd figured I'd been doing pretty well, but here he was telling me I was only two thirds of the way there. The thought of continuing to save well into my mid/late twenties bummed me out HARD.

Here's where my wee Gran steps in...

My Gran was born in Cumnock, a small ex-mining town near Kilmarnock, and still lives in the same council house where she lived with my Grandpa before he died for over 55 years. She's never been anything close to what you'd call wealthy, living on a single miners wage for years and then latterly a state pension, scrimping and saving here and there. But by some miracle she's in a position to help me finally realise my dream. Sadly, she now has Alzheimers and will probably never properly know much her gesture will change my whole life, and what it means to me.

But the fact remains. As I'm preoccupying myself with mortgage brokers, saving properties into lists on Right Move and scouring the IKEA magazine, I know that I have my Gran to thank for helping to make this dream a reality. So thank you, Grandma. From the bottom of my heart.

Now for some pretty pictures of interiors! I know NOTHING about interior design, so PLEASE let me know of any awesome blogs out there! I know there's about fifteen million steps inbetween finding a flat you love, getting the mortgage, putting the offer in, finalising everything, moving in and THEN decorating, but I can't help getting totally carried away!

Pretty pictures I like:

Random swoonage from Google.


Sometimes I think I'm a bit bi-polar when it comes to interiors. I love stark white sheets and minimal clutter, but I also know I'd be just as happy somewhere with lots of rich colours and cosy fabrics and mess everywhere. I don't really know what I'm doing but that's part of the fun, and I'm so excited to see how it all turns out... Wish me luck.