The Interior DIYer

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It’s the little things …

Ah, life’s little pleasures. Finding the little things that make us smile or giddy, and then acknowledging them. That last bit is quite important.

It’s taking a surprisingly long time for me to settle back to my pre-wedding schedule. I think my body went into a state of shock / hibernation for the first while since I now have all this time on my hands. But I’m taking full advantage and enjoying rediscovering the things that make me silly and nerd out. 

Last weekend I snatched up this piece of amethyst. All that deep purple shiny goodness. It’s been on my list for a while to buy a piece since I think it’s just pure eye candy. This piece is small, but the colour was the most vibrant {photo does no justice}. There were bigger and cheaper pieces of amethyst, but the colour was a bit pissy. I’d love to own a massive piece some day, but for the moment, that stuff is cray expensive.

I’m getting back into baking and cooking. I’m quite certain husband* is elated at this. Since my evenings are no longer filled with scouring shops for wedding stuff, I now fill that time with foooood. The day after we got home from our honeymoon I bought Lorraine Pascal and Nigella Lawson‘s new cook books. Oh hell yes.

Below – Nigella’s gorgeous {and almost no sugar} ruby-red plum crumble, and butternut squash with pecans and blue cheese {which I substituted with goats cheese} along with a yummy side salad, parma ham, and a sweltering glass of red, for good measure.

And last, but definitely not least, hubby graduated with FIRST CLASS HONOURS last Thursday, the 15th of November. But what made us super giddy and blew our tiny minds? The official date he was awarded on his certificate was our wedding day – the 11th of October. That’s getting framed, and you can be sure it will be OTT. I should also mention I’m insanely proud of him. He’s a full on genius. 

Thursday – we’re almost there!

xx A

*Still finding it weird calling him husband. I feel like I’m part of a special club now.

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Encrypted cross stitch

I’ve been itching to get back into cross stitching, and this cheeky number was my perfect invitation back.
It all started when husband and I got our new phones. Forgive us, for we are new to the world of apps. We downloaded the QR Code app which not only lets you scan QR codes, but create them. Well. I immediately jumped on the idea of creating a cross stitch version for my desk in work. Something a bit cheeky, but not to the point where I’d get fired {I’m a huge fan of the F-word, but that was quickly ruled out}.

I encrypted my sentence, and got to work on Excel for my pattern. My usual Saturday morning cookery-show-festival allowed me just enough time to not only start, but finish. Saturday mornings are the best. Especially if Nigella’s on {phwoar}.
What, you ask, does the code say? Only husband and mine’s favourite sentence at the end of a long day at work – 
“Same shit, different day.”

I wanted an overly dramatic frame for this piece, so I brought my little cross stitch to TK Maxx and found the perfect fit. Although, the frames’ colour was about as appealing as a bag of hammers, so I sprayed it with Montana’s ‘Winegum’ which is my favouritest colour these days. Such yummy dark berriness. You will be seeing more of this glorious hue around here in the coming weeks.

The stitching measures 4.3 x 4.5cm {1.6 x 1.8 inches} altogether. For anyone looking to try their hand at this little piece, shoot an e-mail over to alex@hydrangeagirl.com and I can e-mail you the Excel file. It’s much easier to work off of compared to the above image. Don’t be scared. I won’t send you spam. 


Happy stitching 🙂
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Lately + ‘Less 365’ update

I’m inching closer and closer towards completing our living room makeover. BUT – I’m at a bit of a stand-still. I’m indecisive about the IKEA Stockholm Rand rug. My only hesitation – durability and pet-proofness. Do any of you have this rug, and more importantly, how has it held up? I need your brains! Are the crisp white stripes still white? For me, white material on a floor = I immediately turn into a chickenshit. Add two cats to the equation, and I’m worried it’s going to be a fur magnet.

Just image searching living rooms with that rug is making me want to drive to IKEA. Like, 10 minutes ago.

I realize me writing about getting a new rug doesn’t really flow well into my next topic – Project Less 365, but alas, it is all part of the grand scheme of bettering our living space. Last weekend Project ‘Less 365’ commenced in full force. Our kitchen was my chosen target and I compiled a nice little bundle for the charity shop / things to go back to their owners. 

It’s a bit embarrassing to show you our tea towel / table accessory cupboard, but I’m amazed at how much room is left now that I’ve trimmed the fat. It’s also almost a relief as well. Too much stuff makes Alex a dull girl. This was the worst area and I hated how much shoving and stuffing was happening here. The rest of the kitchen was a breeze once this was sorted, and it’s very much been ‘kitchen calm’ since. 

Project ‘Less 365’ Tip: don’t overwhelm yourself with the idea of clearing out your entire home. You’re going to crash and it won’t get done. Tackle one cupboard at a time, one room at a time, one weekend at a time. It’s taken how many years for you to acquire all that crap? It’s not going to go away that quickly.

Happy Friday homies! Keep your eyes peeled for some cross stitching delights happening here soon. xx A

Image cred 1 and 2.