The Interior DIYer
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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.
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Retail therapy …

Saturday mornings. Quite possibly my favourite part of the week. I wake up early {force of habit}, tune into a plethora of cookery shows, and clean my apartment. Probably some peoples idea of a nightmare, but I love cleaning my apartment. 
On to the main attraction – I have some new additions to our apartment, and I couldn’t help but share them. Onto the eye candy … 

I picked up these adorable pillow cases from Arnott’s Bargain Basement in Dublin. I couldn’t help it since they’re in my favourite colour – dark cherry, and they were reduced from €20 each to €5. These will look perfect juxtaposed against our skull pillowcases. I adore strong mixes like this. 

Up next, a little faux never hurt anyone. I am a huge fan of {quality} faux flowers since I unintentionally murder any plant that enters my home. So much so, I blogged about it here ages ago. I picked up this mother at good ole IKEA. All part of the grand scheme of my living room makeover. 
Also from IKEA, I nearly d.i.e.d. when I saw their new Angenam collection. Just what my dining table needed. It’s quite a deep bowl, so I pop a candle in there so at night it shimmers and is all romantical and whatnot.
And finally, what has had my attention for the past week or so, my new phone. Hubby and I treated ourselves to swank new phones, and I must say, mind = blown. We’re new to smart phones, so decided to go all out. I can blog from my phone? Why the face.
I hope you have something fabulous going on this weekend! Now that the nights are getting darker and colder, I feel the gravitational pull increasing towards knitting needles and crochet hooks. But for now, I’m heading out into the great outdoors to do some painting. All will be revealed 🙂
xx A
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Retail therapy

If I’m out and about crossing stuff off lists, I try to find time to stop in some home departments to make myself fell all nice and fuzzy on the inside. And this is what I found, impulse bought, took home because they’re awesome.
First up, this floral cut velvet cushion from Marks & Spencer. A little steep at €35 for a pillow, I still picked up this big burgundy beaut the moment I saw it. Consider it an investment. You can see my other recent pillow purchase here, which you will be glad to know get along very well with their new neighbour. 
I oogled this swank curtain tie-back down in Arnotts Bargain Basement. At under €5, I’m determined to go back and get a couple more. I really like the contrast of the body of the tie-back with the dare I say modern {that word makes me cringe a little} lines of the clear glass. Winning. 
And just to show you don’t have to go to high-end brands to find pretty stuff, I picked up this double bedspread at Penneys {aka Primark} for €18. Once I saw the incredible aubergine hue and in stripe form, I needed it, and I needed it 5 minutes ago. PLUS, it’s quite good quality / not the typical crappy cheap fabric. Yum, yum …