Suffolk Stay: The Dairy Cottage

I've found the real life Weasleys cottage and I'm living for this!!!

Hello by the way. I had to start with that statement because isn't this just the cutest place!?

In the middle of March,Chris and I journeyed to stunning Suffolk to stay here- The Dairy Cottage in Stradbroke.

We came across this gem on Airbnb- somewhere we admittedly don't use so much but have decided we definitely will do in the future. There's some amazing properties to choose from- this being one of them.

The main big ticks for us with this place were:
1) It's doggo friendly
2) There's a pub within walking distance- in fact there were two!
3) It had a wood burner.

We don't want for much Chris and I but when we go away we love being able to take Harry with us and share in our adventures so dog friendly accommodation is a mus. The Dairy provided a cosy safe space as well as welcome treats for Harry too! For us adults there was chocolates, tea, coffee, milk and eggs from the owners very own chickens- love!

We also like to walk to the pub. Being country bumpkins that live in a remote are with no pub, we are forever taking it in turns to drive but on this occasion we had two village pubs to pick from and enjoy a drink together.

And the wood burner? Well that's just a novel luxury for s. We yearn for a wood burner at home one day but until then we make the most of them wherever we stay.

The character to The Dairy cottage is what stands out the most during your stay. Nothing is straight and perfect. Instead there's quirky turns and beams to marvel at around every corner and it's what we fell in love with about the place- especially the master bedroom!

Set up a winding staircase, this bedroom greets you with warmth, cosiness and hobbit like vibes from the low beamed ceiling.

On a whole the cottage makes you feel like you've been transported back to a simpler time where nothing like smart phones and the like really matter- nor do they fit in and that's not a bad thing! It's cosy aesthetic makes it the perfect place to relax and unwind- so much so I would fall asleep infront of the fire most evenings feeling content and cosy.

Not only does the building have character, the decor does too. It hints at travel to places like Morocco from the main light in the living area to the stunning robe hung on the door leading to the master bedroom. The decor doesn't look out of place either. It feels as though the cottage is telling its own story and cleverly Kate (the owner) has made The Dairy feel welcoming with the items rather than making you feel like you're intruding in someone else's space.

The cottage doesn't have a shower in the bathroom- something which might steer people away from booking but I can assure you its one of the many parts to your stay that will relax you immensely. My husband Chris isn't big on baths but even he remarked on how relaxing it was to have a soak rather than a shower. And with the sky light window, you can look at the stars of an evening as you soak away the day.

It was an absolute joy to stay at The Dairy cottage. Inhabiting a property with such character for a long weekend which is a bit different to your usual accommodation was a real treat and has left both Chris and I with fond memories of our time away.

The Best but Most Underrated Mascara- Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara

It's not often that you find me blogging about make-up as it's just not my "jam". That is until a product comes along that my enthusiasm oozes for- so much so I can't not talk about it and today that is the Max Factor 2000 Calorie mascara.

I've actually been using it for a couple of years now but I've never seen anyone rave about it and I can't help but wonder why? So this has led me to want to champion it and be like oi! This stuff is good!! So why is no one else raving about it? Perhaps it's because its not new and fandangled, the packaging isn't fancy and it's not claiming to give you brand new eyeballs? either way it's not a mascara to take for granted...

When wearing this mascara in the past I've been asked the following:

Are you wearing individual false lashes?

Are your eye lashes real?

How do you have the patience with false lashes every morning!?

If these questions don't tell you that this mascara is good then I don't know what does but I shit you not, those are genuine questions I've been asked!

*TOP TIP: With an angled liner brush, line the base of your lashes with black eye shadow to make them appear fuller and thicker at the root.

I think in essence it's a combination of the formula and the brush that make this mascara the tits. The wand has a bristle brush that coast the lashes with the perfect amount of product to give you full, voluminous lashes without them clumping or looking like spiders legs. The consistency is also amazing from the word go, unlike other mascaras which can take a while to warm to the formula or you're waiting for it to go off a bit first. Nope- none of that rubbish with the 2000 calorie!

So, there is one draw back to this mascara in that it's not a waterproof consistency but honestly I've never really been that fussed anyway and rest assure once it's applied, it stays put. There's none of this flaking off in the day nonsense and if you have a tendency to tear up over a rom com or an advert like I do- don't worry! It stays put and doesn't stream like the rivers of Babylon unless of course you rub your eyes...

Another HUGE plus to this mascara is the price point! Coming in at just £7.99 the cost is flipping amazing and for me that's just a bonus. I'd have been happy to pay £12 easily so that's just another brucey bonus to this mascara.

I think overall I have to reiterate that this mascara is SO UNDERRATED! I think nowadays everyone is looking for the next best thing that is bigger and better than but actually the mascara you're looking for is right under your nose and at a fab price point. If it's not broke, why fix it ye know? Plus it's been on the market for years and it's still here so that just proves its an oldie but goodie!

Have you tried Max Factor 2000 Calorie?

DIY Diaries: Office Update 2.0

I recently did a post on our newly decorated bedroom and with that went my office room! So where has it gone? Well, we actually ended up switching all three bedrooms in the house so what was a guest room has now become my office.

There's a lot of similarities to the old office in the colour scheme and the furniture but there's also some added extras and changes such as the ladder shelving unit.

Radio- Amazon

Rose Gold In Tray- Wilko

Vase- Matalan

Jewellery Tray- Rex London

Photo Frame- TK Maxx

Shelving Unit- IKEA

Ladder shelving- B&M

Desk- IKEA

Chair- IKEA  (old stock, was blue but sprayed it rose gold)

Rose Gold Desk Tidy- Wilko

Rose Gold Magazine Holder- Wilko

Vase- Matalan

Mohair Cushion- Matalan

Desk Lamp- Wilkos

Microphone- Blue Snowball Ice

Photo frames- The Range

Curtains- The Range

Vase and faux plant- IKEA

This was originally meant for the living room but it looked too small for the room and instead fitted perfectly in this odd corner of the room and I really love it for displaying bits and pieces on.

The walls are also white in this room- something I did myself and was petrified about as it was the first room I painted all by myself but you can't really go wrong with white right? Oops I got some white paint on the white ceiling when I'm painting the walls- no biggy!

A big change for me is having a hard floor and although it's not the warmest, it's much more practical than carpet for skidding around in my office chair and easier to clean up after an arts and crafts explosion.

So where did the bed go? It's still in here but now it's folded away and only makes a full appearance when we need two bedrooms available for guests. I painted the end white and repurposed the throw as a bed cover which then doubles up as a cosy throw when the bed is in use! Having the bed folded away makes a huge difference with the space so I can spread out when filming videos or even just a good area to hang clothes that need to dry. Thrilling I know!

I'm actually a lot happier in this space than I was the old office room. For one, the sun comes into the room early morning which is a great motivator for getting shit done whereas it streamed through the old room in the evenings making it super hot and stuffy- not what you want when you're recording podcast episodes and need the door closed! It's also a lot more cosy as it is a smaller room and I enjoy it thoroughly and find myself in this room more often that I ever did in the old space. It's truly a lovely place to work on my blogging, YouTube and podcasting hobbies.

If you need me, I'll be singing away to the radio,typing and sipping a decent brew.

DIY Diaries: The Master Bedroom Edit

Aloha! I'm back with another room makeover/ decor post and this time it's the master bedroom!

This post has been a long time coming, having finished this room in October 2018, however  I'd been toying with a few bits which I'll explain further on this post. So first, lets discuss the inspiration for this room!

I'd been struggling with knowing how to decorate this room to please two different tastes. I love girly style whereas Chris naturally despises it so we needed a compromise! I also wanted something that's cosy and Chris didn't want anything too fussy so we got to thinking of places we've stayed in the past and liked the aesthetic plus the wonderful world of Pinterest to draw inspiration.






A big inspiration for us was our stays at North Star Club (which you can read about here and here) as it made us feel cosy witht he fux fur soft furnishings and partly connected with nature through the rustic logs and wood of the rooms.

The Moon Suite at North Star Club

Naturally we'd have loved to had put logs at each corner of the bed for a rustic four poster bed look and cladded the walls but it just wasn't practical so instead we went with rustic wood style wallpaper and these faux silver birch branches which we pick up second hand from someone's no longer needed wedding decor and fashioned together a rustic piece to hang above the bed. The finishing touch was the wicker heart which came from our own wedding decor stock and I think it ties in beautifully.

Super king Bed- Dreams
Throw- The Range
Bedding- Hyde & Sleep

Wicker heart- QD

Faux silver birch- picked up second hand

Wallpaper- Wilkos

Bedside tables- IKEA Hemnes range (but picked up second hand)

Clock- Amazon

Lamp- IKEA (similar here)

Deer Artwork- iamfy

Cow Artwork- iamfy

Frames- The Range

Now you probably don't recognise this room from before but it was in fact my office when we moved in (see here.)

Before!

With the addition of a new bed, we needed a space free from built in wardrobes to fit this monstrous super king bed. You might be thinking we're mad for buy a big that big but honestly we've done the double bed, the king size bed and still I was bed hogging- so much so Chris didn't sleep properly for the first five years of our marriage!So yes we lost some wardrobe space to accommodate this mahoosive bed but the bed is an ottoman, meaning we have plenty of space underneath and with a hydraulic assisted lifting mechanism, it makes lifting up the bed a breeze rather than a ball ache and we can sleep soundly too.

The crisp white bedding was actually thrown in with the bed when we bought it and its actually lovely quality so we just chose to finish the bed off with some cosy cushions and a throw.

Chest of Drawers- IKEA Hemnes range (but picked up second hand)

Lamp- The Range

TV- Old and god knows where from!

Curtains- The Range

Blind- The Range

When it came to furniture, I was actually really pleased with myself for sourcing it all second hand, saving us a hell of a lot of money and giving unwanted furniture a second life. I'd always recommend looking to see if the furniture you like can be sourced second hand or if you can find something similar as you can get a  real bargain and you're helping to upcycle rather than condemning good furniture to landfill. I had been eyeing up the IKEA Hemnes range and picked up both the bed side tables from one person and this huge chest of drawers from another for less than £150!

So I'd been toying with painting the chest of drawers grey but after some careful consideration I decided against it as it might look too matchy matchy plus I quite enjoy this dark cosy corner.

Overall I am really chuffed with how this room turned out! It's definitely become one of my favourite rooms to relax in and the bed teamed with the tranquil, cosy cabin aesthetic means I've never slept better.

Would you go for this in your bedroom?

Lets take a walk and have a talk

Looking through these photos now I look over dressed for this freakish weather we're having! As lovely as it is to feel the sun on my bones I can't help but fret a little about the state of global warming. Is it just me? Alas the cooler weather will come again I'm sure...

The one thing I am extremely pleased about though is the lighter evenings- a phenomenon not linked to global warming but to the fact it's almost spring. Soon I'll be able to walk the doggo of an evening in the light rather than in the pitch black with a head torch on through fields- something that to be honest I'm too chicken to do so I leave it for Chris to endure! That and with working shifts he can walk Harry in the day but I do feel guilty that I haven't been doing my bit so much over winter.

With all this in mind I have been thinking about exercise recently... It's something I literally avoid like the plague because I despise it but I know it would benefit me massively with posture, flexability and general aches and pains that have been creeping in as the years tick on. Does anyone have any recommendations for fun exercise that doesn't make you feel like you're in hell whilst doing it? I tried running a while back but I didn't really enjoy it and I'm a shy exerciser/ I'm talking myself out of it just thinking about it! Either way I need to get my arse in gear and I think I'll try a spot of cycling to ease me into it. 

Coat- Boohoo

Shirt- M&S

Treggings- H&M

Boots- Topshop

Beret- eBay

Handbag- Kate Spade

So what's new with you? I've been trying really hard to be less busy this year and so far so good- I'm taking things in my stride and really enjoying spending lots of time at  home. Last year was so insanely manic that I've pretty much gone the opposite way this year and made no plans. I don't even know where or when I'm taking a holiday this year because I literally can't decide/ I feel really unmotivated to make plans! It's quite nice to enjoy the simple life and I've found time to do more of my hobbies and what I love so that's the main thing.

Anyway I'm waffling again about anything and everything so we'll leave it there for this week. I might don this outfit a bit more once the weather has calmed down and realised it's still winter! What are you wearing at the moment?