Renovating Your Front Door

Doors beautiful doors!

You can’t help but notice beautiful doors when yours is, well, horrible!

When we bought our home, we knew that the door would be one of the first things to go. Not only did it look horrible, the aluminum door frame and frosted glass was so dated I doubt anyone of the past would claim it back, the letterbox and doorframe rattled in the wind making it incredibly noisy and then there was the awfully chilly draft we would get in the winter…

The list goes on! If your front door has ever needed a serious makeover, you would know a beautiful door when you see one. I had become obsessed with doors. The colour – bold or light? Silver brass or gold door accessories? Door knocker – to have or not  so many decisions!

So after doing lots of research we decided to have our new made to measure external door and frame installed by Greenwich Joinery and here is the end result!

 

  Colour: Farrow & Ball - Stiffkey Blue, eggshell

Door furniture extras: Ring knocker and door knob

Here are some tips on picking the best door for your home:-

Do your research - I started a pinterest tab on all the best doors I had come across. It is currently my most pinned Pinterest album yet so I can’t be the only one who is fascinated with doors! Pinterest is great for researching ideas it’s a fab little scrap book and will help you decide on your favourite door looks.
 

Regency front doors suit regency buildings

Does your door match your home? – It is all well and good choosing a bespoke period door with Victorian etched glass, door bell, knockers, etc yet if your home isn’t a period property, it may look odd. Your door is meant to add to the property not stand out for the wrong reasons.  The Cotswold Doors is a great website which has a range of doors from different periods Victorian, Edwardian, Regency, 1920s, 1930s, Art Deco, Contemporary, the list is endless! It will help you find the right door for your home.
 

 Will an orange colour front door compliment your house?

Find a colour that matches your home – Again this may be determined by the colour of your house. A redbrick home usually goes with most colours, pale olives and blues go well with white houses and darker coloured and pebbledash homes need a bold bright colour to stand out.  Farrow and Ball, Fired Earth and Little Greene have a great range of beautiful colours and all worth checking out.

You may have to spend more for a good door – Yes you can buy exterior doors from Homebase, B&Q and Wickes for far cheaper but if you are in the unlucky situation like me where it wasn’t just the door but the door FRAME that needed replacing too, it isn’t just as simple as buying a door and new hinges, you may have to consider a more dearer option. There is also another cheaper option available – UPVC or composite doors.  Composite doors in particular are in my opinion the better of the two as they offer the same traditional look of a wooden door.  However, nothing beats the look feel and security of a heavy solid wood traditional wooden door. Wood is a natural insulator for the home unlike cold metals they hold heat indoors and block cold from the outside. Plus you can always tell a wooden door when you see one!

Hopefully this help you make the right decision in choosing your perfect door. I would love to hear your experiences and see your door inspiration so message me photos and don't forget to follow me on pinterest too!

Outfit of the Night

Blazer - River Island

Blouse - Forever 21

Leather look trousers - River Island

Necklace - New Look

I bought these leather look trousers from River Island months ago but only just got round to wearing them. They are super comfy and I love the way they smarten up my plain blouse.

My blouse has skinny straps and sits just above the waist so its perfect top to wear for a night out like i did for my friends birthday.

The last time I checked River Island online they had these leather trousers on sale for half the price (I think about £17) so if you're looking for a pair, be quick before they all go! :-)

Mollie & Fred Review

 My purchases from Mollie & Fred

I've been looking for unique wall signs and plaques for my home and I came across a really good homeware website called Mollie and Fred.  

They have dozens of cute wall signs/plaques with different quotes or funny sayings. What I really liked was that they were lots of original designs with a bigger variety than most high street stores. So there is bound to be something for everyone!

Laundry sign

I got this lovely laundry sign to go in my utility room. I love its industrial look, unlike the other laundry signs I found that looked too "girly" this was just right.

 Mr & Mrs Wedding Box

Whilst browsing the website, I came across a beautiful wooden wedding box from East of India to keep all your wedding keepsakes. On the side of the box has the engraved words "Mr & Mrs" and on the lid are vows etched into the wood. Very romantic!  We've kept all our wedding cards from our friends and family and I thought it was the perfect box to keep them all in.  

 

Perfect place to store all your wedding cards

International Women's Day 2014

 Happy International Women's Day!

To celebrate International Women’s Day on Saturday, I visited the Southbank Centre’s Women of the World Festival.

Hat - H&M

Jacket - Forever 21

Shirt - H&M

Jeans - Topshop

Bag - Zara

Boots - New Look

Jude Kelly, Southbank Centre’s Artistic Director, received so much criticism when she started the new role being a woman, she was inspired to create this magnificent event, to celebrate “the formidable power of women to make change happen”.

The event took place over five days incorporating live music, film, comedy, exhibitions, theatre, poetry as well as debates, talks, mentoring and workshops. There was something for everyone! I went on Saturday which had the most interesting talks and workshops: “Weave vs Natural” a debate hosted by journalist Hannah Pool. The female panel discussed reasons why they chose to wear their hair natural and not to chemically process (straighten)  their hair or wear weave.  

 Weaves vs Natural debate

 Me with panelist and natural hair blogger, Crystal Afro

I saw the first UK exhibition of work by renowed Nigerian photographer J.D Okhai Ojeikere called “Hairstyles” shot in 1968. The photographs were driven by her desire  to document the many different hairstyles worn by Nigerian women during a time when the nation was undergoing immense social and cultural change following post-colonisation.

                    “Hairstyles" exhibition by J.D Okhai Ojeikere

I also attended the “Being Mixed Race”, talk followed by a workshop led by Irish Nigerian visual sociologist Emma Dabiri who with the panel discussed what is being mixed race and whether there was such a thing as mixed race identity.

Both  the exhibition and talks were incredibly moving and insightful – I learnt so much visiting the festival and listening to the women on the panel who were so inspiring! It was also a great way of networking with other bloggers too. I’m already looking forward to next year’s Women of the World Festival - roll on International Women’s Day 2015!

Outfit of the Day - Honeymoon Special!

 Finally packed and ready to go on my honeymoon!

Holiday packing can be a total nightmare. There are so many things to consider, buying the right sized case and not going over your limit, fold, roll or bundle your clothing items to all fit into your luggage, keeping your luggage safe and secure etc etc. But most importantly WHAT TO WEAR FOR EACH DAY?!?

That was my biggest dilemma, especially as my honeymoon was divided into three separate journeys - sightseeing in a Capetown (Summer wardrobe essentials, including evening wear), Garden Route driving (casual/comfortable clothes) and safari (practical shoes and clothes).

In the end I chose three outfits for each day which was more than enough here are a few:

 Maxi Dress - New Look(available in regular and tall lengths)

Maxi Dress - New Look (available in regular and tall lengths)

Bag - Primark

Blazer - River Island

Dress - River Island

Blouse - Primark

Skirt - Zara

 Dress - Forever21

Leggings - New Look

Hairband - Primark

Sandals - New Look

 

The hardest choice was deciding what to wear on Safari - it's not everyday you go searching for wild animals in the bush! After taking advice from my sister who had done a safari holiday she urged me to pack linen/khaki trousers, boots, a hat and for the morning drives a jacket for when it the temperature drops and becomes a lot colder.

Picture 1 - Sweater -  Forever21, Khaki trousers Topshop

Picture 2 - Top - H&M  Picture 3 - Top - Asos

 

Leopard print money belt - River Island

Boots - New Look 

South African Honeymoon

Honeymoon in South Africa - out of this world!

I just got back from my holiday in South Africa - what an amazing holiday!

We spent four days in Capetown exploring the beautiful city, visited Robben Island Museum, had a tour of the prison and visited Nelson Mandela's prison cell, went on a day trip to vineyards in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek for wine tasting and then hired a car to travel along the amazing Garden Route. 

 Visiting vineyards and wine-tasting in Capetown

We stopped off to visit the Cango Caves in Outdshoorn doing an extreme "Adventure Tour" (not for the faint hearted!) and then Plettenberg Bay to visit the beautiful beaches before ending our wonderful trip with a three day Safari in the incredible Kariega Park Game Reserve - AMAZING! 

In Africa, the big five game animals are the lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros. We saw everything but the buffalo and leopard but it was still a fantastic experience.

Lion spotting on safari - beautiful but deadly animals!

 A family of Giraffes - so graceful and peaceful creatures

 A rare sight - herd of elephants drinking by the water especially the baby elephants - super cute!

And the food - how good was it? Absolutely delicious that's what! The portions were very generous (they say that tourists should expect to gain a stone in three weeks because of all the delicious food on offer!) 

 Lunch in Stellenbosch

 Dinner in a fab restaurant, Savoy Cabbage in Capetown

 Lunch at the PepperClub hotel's restaurant, Sinatra's

The seafood was fresh and tasty, straight out of the Indian Ocean and the meat was so succulent and delicious! Not only was there chicken, beef and lamb but meat I had never tried before such as Ostrich, Kudo and Eland. For non-meat eaters the salads were out of this world, so filling and scrumptious filled with the most ripe and sweet avocados, tomatoes, sweetcorn and fruit you could imagine. Delicious!

 Dinner and cocktails at the Harbour House, by the V&A Waterfront, in Capetown

It was a truly fabulous holiday and experience I will cherish forever and never forget!

My VERY fabulous dressing table

My dressing table from Very

I have been on the hunt for a traditional dressing table for my bedroom for a while.  There are dozens of stores on the high street and companies online that sell beautiful dressing tables but at prices that often range between £400 - £700, they were well out of my budget. 

Laura Ashley dressing table set - £700

I was on a mission to find the perfect dresser, that had the qualities of the traditional dressing tables but at an affordable price.  After searching stores and online, I finally found the perfect one from Very.

I love the traditional look of the dressing table which comes with an adjustable mirror and matching stool. (I added the stripey black and white pillow for the stool to go with the style of my bedroom). There is also a glass cover that sits on the table top to prevent any staining by makeup, making it easy to wipe down.

The dresser is strong and sturdy and easy to assemble. It fits perfectly into the alcove space in my bedroom and the two drawers provide a good amount of space for more storage. It is the perfect dresser and at such an amazing price I would definitely recommend it. 

Other stores that sell dressing tables under £200 are Ikea, Dunelm and Argos so worth checking out too.

Catford Canteen - Pop Up Restaurant

I love trying different food and visiting new restaurants and always on the look out for new and exciting dining experiences. I came across a tweet from one of my followers about Catford Canteen, an indoor pop up restaurant in South East London and knew I had to book tickets.

The night was hosted by Basement Galley, who run the popular underground supper club in a decommissioned 1967 Victoria Line carriage (it doesn't get more exciting than that!)

We went last weekend, on the second evening. I've always driven past Catford Broadway Centre but never visited the shopping centre but luckily I managed to find the location, a vacant shop unit that had been especially revamped for the supper club.

 Me at Catford Canteen

Catford Canteen menu for the evening 

We got to sample the delicious five course menu of soy-braised salmon pâté and pulled pork loin. I loved the pork loin served with creamy mash and beetroot salsa. The anchovy mayonnaise was the perfect compliment to this dish.

 Pulled pork loin served with creamy mash and beetroot salsa

 
The "Gin & Tonic Trio", an unusual but tasty mix of fizzy G&T jelly with a shot of iced G&T and cured cucumber, was served to clense the palate.

Gin & Tonic Trio

For dessert we had warm plum clafoutis with maple syrup & lime ice cream, sprayed with edible gold (!) which was absolutely delicious!
 

 Plum clafoutis with maple syrup & lime ice cream

The Catford Canteen is just part of a number of projects by Lewisham Council to enhance Catford Broadway for shoppers, businesses and residents.

It is such a great idea to entice not only enthusiastic foodies but also local residents who are interested in exploring new and exciting projects in their neighbourhood. 

I love quirky events like this and really did feel quite privileged to experience the fantastic culinary skills of Basement Galley with really good company in such a unique setting. The food was fantastic I can't wait for the next event!

To find out more about Catford Canteen and register for their next event click here. 

Visit Grub Club to find out about local foodie events in your area.