TWO YEAR Wedding Anniversary…Where has the time gone?

Two years ago today I married Mr Bishop. 

When I think back to that day I have the happiest of memories - it truly was one of the most magical days of my life. Everything about the day was beautiful - from the way the barn looked when we'd finished working our 'vintage tea party' theme on it, to how stunning my bridesmaids looked, and what a show-stopper our cake was: I just loved every bit of it. 

Being surrounded by all of my most favourite people, as they watched me marry the love of my life was just incredible - and two years later I'm even happier than I was that day. I didn't even think that was possible!

You can see the post from our wedding full of the official photos from the day here.

Since our wedding our life has changed so drastically - we went through some really rough times after our wedding - losing our first baby on our honeymoon was not the best way to start married life. That heartbreaking time however, made us so much stronger as a couple, it made our love and commitment to each other a force to be reckoned with, and it made the arrival of our beautiful son Bert even more amazing & special than we could have ever imagined. 

Almost one year ago we became parents - and that has been the best journey I think we'll ever embark on together as husband and wife, and now Mummy and Daddy. Liam is the most amazing Dad - better than I could ever have imagined - he is so natural at it, so loving, and so much fun - Bert's face lights up when his Daddy enters the room, and so does mine. 

I love you Mr B.

Last year, on our first anniversary I was heavily pregnant with Bert - we celebrated by visiting a Buddies diner for the first time, you can read all about it here. 

COTTON WEDDING ANNIVERSARY (Two Years)

Liam has surpassed himself this year on the gift-front. I have been totally spoilt rotten with the most thoughtful gifts. The 2 year milestone-symbol for wedding anniversaries is 'cotton' and we both used that theme to drive our gift buying this year…

I bought Liam an awesome pair of Marmite themed PJ bottoms (he LOVES pyjamas, and all of his favourite pairs are now far too big since his weight loss) so I knew he'd love these and use them lots. I also bought him the obligatory boxer shorts, again, ones that fit after all the weight he's lost. 

Liam's gifts to me were so thoughtful that they made me cry. 

He gave me…

• A beautiful navy and white stripe cotton nautical beach bag for our holiday
• The most amazing cotton biscuit themed tea towel, which I'm going to frame
• A pair of avocado socks!! (these are so funny and made me laugh out loud - I am obsessed with avocados!)
• A bag of fluffy stuff cotton candy…yum yum
• A collection of wooden cotton reels 
• And a special message from Dot Cotton! Hahaha! 
• A packet of cotton seeds so I can grow my very own cotton plant
• And a lovely personalised card, what a treasure. 

These gifts really sum up my wonderful husband. He is so thoughtful, so romantic, and he works so hard to look after his family and keep us all smiling. He is also the funniest person I know, this is probably my most favourite thing about Liam - he genuinely makes me laugh every single day! Liam knows me better than anyone else in the world, and loves me anyway. You can't ask for more than that, can you?

My husband, the silliest man I know and the love of my life! (sorry, puke!)

Tonight we're off out for dinner at a new restaurant in town called 'BBQ Bobs' which smokes all its own meats American BBQ style, and then we're heading to the cinema to see The Inbetweeners 2 movie, I can't wait! 

Here's to the next two years Mr B ….I wonder where we'll be in two years time?

Mrs Bishop

xxxx

We have been treated to some other lovely gifts today as well…

This beautiful personalised tea towel from my amazing Mother and Father in law! Thank you Ruth & Paul - we love it! What a thoughtful gift xxx

These stunning flowers from my cousin/best friend/maid of honour Vicky - thank you honey they are absolutely stunning! 

Florette Giveaway!

So, because my Jelly Belly giveaway has been so popular (over 3400 entries at my last count!) I've decided to run another little competition here on the blog. 

A few weeks ago I shared my recipe for Salad Nicoise using a bag of crunchy salad leaves from well known salad brand Florette (read my recipe here).

To encourage my lovely readers to enjoy more salad this summer I have a lovely little bundle of goodies to giveaway to one lucky reader, which will definitely help inspire you to create some fabulous salads this summer. 

WIN!

1 x Florette 'Cooking on Feel Good' apron

1 x Florette tote bag

1 x hardback copy of Harry Eastwood's 'A Salad For All Seasons' cookbook 

1 x Florette pen, and 

1 x voucher for a free bag of Florette salad leaves.

All you need to do to enter is use the Gleam app below.

GOOD LUCK! 

Bye for now

Mrs B 

xxx

(UK entrants only)

WIN Florette Goodie Bundle (book, apron, pen, bag & voucher)


Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com - See more at: http://www.theprizefinder.com/content/florette-goodie-bundle-apron-cookery-book-tote-bag-pen-and-voucher#sthash.IAhFpNCI.dpuf

What Makes Flora?

#WhatMakesFlora 

A few weeks ago I was invited for a day in the Cambridgeshire countryside to attend the #WhatMakesFlora event over at College Farm, Duxford. I joined three other food-bloggers as well as representatives from Flora, LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) and the PR company Blue Rubicon for a day full of all things Flora!

rapeseed: the flowers with the seed pods (top) and the full blooming field (bottom)

We all care about the food we and our families eat, and want to know where it comes from, how it’s made, and that it is good for us. Thus, with the rapeseed harvest taking place right now, it was Flora’s chance to open up their supplier network to explain what goes into their products, how they are made, and how they can be used to make everyday food tasty, as well as steps they are taking to make it more sustainable.

There has been an ongoing debate within the media about the relative benefits of processed vs. natural foods, and the role that fats plan in a healthy diet. This was my chance to see for myself how Flora products are made. From a home-baker's point of view, I was excited to go 'behind the scenes' so to speak, of such a trusted brand.

College Farm grow and harvest rapeseed for Flora, which they then use to make their range of spreads. We got to spend the day firstly in the field exploring the farming methods, and the reality of life as a farmer, followed by a fun baking and food styling session (using Flora, of course!) with the wonderful Ed Kimber (The Boy Who Bakes) who won the first ever series of BBC's The Great British Bake Off.

SUSTAINABLE FARMING

Unilever, the company behind Flora, maintain a strong commitment to sustainability, and are regularly coming up with ways they can reduce their overall impact on the environment. One of the ways they have been able to do this is by working alongside LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) who are the leading organisation promoting sustainable food and farming - they work hard to ensure that their farms produce food you can trust by farmers who care for the environment.

It was highly evident on the day having met the head farmer, farm owner and representative from Unilever - that they all work hard to ensure that the end product (the Flora itself) is not only of the highest quality, but is also as kind on the environment as possible.

On the day we learnt that a LEAF Marque farmer cares for the environment by:

-Using crop rotations to keep the soil in good health

-Carefully managing their hedgerows to provide a variety of habitats and food sources for wildlife

-Using pesticides and fertilisers only when absolutely necessary

-Leaving a strip of land between hedgerows and crops to act as a habitat for wildlife

-Recycling on-farm waste and conserving energy

-Improving water efficiency and quality

-Assesing the environmental impact of their farming practices

-Continually improving their farming practices and environment

OUR DAY IN PHOTOS…

Farm Owner Andrew Nottage (left) and representative from Unilever David Pendlington giving us a warm welcome in the farm marquee (Bake Off stylie!)

After the initial intro we grabbed our wellies and waterproofs and headed out to the rapeseed field in the glorious British weather (pouring heavy rain & gale force winds!)

We were all giggling like crazy as we jumped aboard a trailer and was towed to the field by a massive tractor! 

on the trailer

it was a bit wet & windy! 

we got to taste fresh honey from the bee hives that surround the rapeseed field! yum yum! 

Andrew, in full swing - enthusiastically explaining the farms methods for growing rapeseed

here we are feeling the clay soil and finding out how they ensure their farm has soil perfect for helping the rapeseed to thrive

Andrew explaining the LEAF methodology

What I was most amazed at was that the rapeseed field we were in produces 80,000 litres of rapeseed oil in one harvest (which takes around a year to grow)... thats a lot of oil! The harvesting process is so precarious though, that the farmers have to pick exactly the right time to harvest by regularly testing the moisture level within the crop - if the heavens open when least expected (as they so regularly do in the UK) and the crop gets too wet, the whole of the rapeseed crop could be ruined before harvesting takes place! 

I cannot imagine how devastating that must be for a farmer who has cared for that crop for a whole year. 

The main thing I took away from being right there in the field with the farmers themselves was just how much of a 24/7 commitment farming is - they may need to harvest at 3am in the morning if a sudden rainfall is forecast! Wow, now thats commitment to the job in hand. 

The rapeseed in all its glory 

rapeseeds grow in small pods like this - they look much like poppy seeds

By lunch time we were pretty cold and wet, and needed to dry off and re-fuel before embarking on some afternoon baking with Edd. We were treated to an amazing lunch by the Flora team, and it was fab to sit with Edd and chat all about baking, our blogs, and most importantly about Edd's time in the Bake Off tent! For those of you who know me personally you will know that I was in absolute heaven.

our amazing lunch…be jealous…it was so tasty! 

(photo by Ellie Matthews from The Young Domestic Goddess)

Berry pavlova to die for…there's always room for dessert!

Once lunch was over we were taught how to make a Flora spread from scratch by a lovely Unilever chef. She explained the Flora process, gave us a demonstration and allowed us to taste the oils individually, as well as the finished article spread across lovely crusty fresh bread. Scrummy!

I can confirm that rapeseed oil tastes amazing (I prefer it to olive oil) and linseed oil by itself is DISGUSTING it is SO bitter! 

It was so interesting to watch the whole making process, I had no idea what a simple process it is, and how little goes into this "processed" product. 

Flora products are so much more natural than I had previously perceived. By knowing that they use only British rapeseed oil, some of which came from the farm I was standing in made the demonstration even more meaningful for me. I try so often to "buy British" and support local food producers, it is an important part of the way I shop and cook, and for me has made Flora a product I will definitely pick up above all other spread/margarine brands now that I know that their products contain only:

-a mix of seed and plant oils (rapeseed oil, linseed oil, olive oil)

-buttermilk

-emulsifiers (lecithin taken from sunflowers)

-preservatives (to keep the spread fresh and to stop mould and germs)

-Beta-carotene (to give the golden colour, found naturally in carrots and pumpkins)

-vitamins (to ensure we get the nutrients we need for a healthy, balanced diet)

-salt (just a pinch, for flavour)

The lovely chef from Unilever also explained to us the difference between a 'spread' and 'margarine'. Spreads are like margarine, but with less fat. To be classified margarine, fat content must be 80% or more, similar to butter. Because people want to live healthier lives, Flora has worked hard to reduce the amount of fat in their products. I bet you didn't know all that did you?

BAKING WITH EDD KIMBER (*excited squeal*)

My most favourite part of the day was baking alongside the marvellous Mr Edd Kimber! I've been a huge fan of his since he first appeared on our TV screens in the first ever series of The Great British Bake Off. Since then, I've been following his fab baking blog, and using his cookery books - so I was so excited to spend the day with him and see him in action in the kitchen. 

There was something very Bake Off-esque about the set up that afternoon - we all watched Edd demonstrate making bacon, cheese and spring onion scones, and then while his baked in the oven we all set to work making our own batches of the scone mixture at our own baking stations. We were in a beautiful marquee, and it was pouring down outside…all we needed was Mel & Sue coming round to steal taste our ingredients and I would have genuinely believed we were on the Bake Off set! :-)

Edd about to get baking! 

Edd made his scones using a Flora baking block which is the perfect substitute for real butter- as well as flour, baking powder, cooked crispy bacon pieces, grated cheddar cheese, finely chopped spring onions, milk, and one egg. He sprinkled Has El Hanout (a middle eastern spice blend) on the top just before baking which added a beautiful seasoning to the scones crust. 

smelling the Ras El Hanout (spice blend) that Edd used to top his delicious scones

It was so fun getting to work at our baking stations, and it actually felt really weird to bake somewhere other than my own kitchen. I felt strangely nervous baking in front of Edd, although he soon put me at ease, and gave me some great tips for making super light scones. 

busy measuring out my ingredients

mixing my scone dough

Edd with his scones fresh from the oven

Now tell me you don't want to dive head first into one of these scones! 

If you'd like to have a go at baking these scones yourself you can find the full recipe originally from Edd Kimber over on fabulous Ellie Matthews' blog (The Young Domestic Goddess) here. Ellie joined me on the day, and cleverly remembered to keep note of the recipe as Edd demonstrated his bake (I however was too busy being over excited!)

FOOD STYLING WITH EDD

Once we had finished baking we took part in a food-styling session, which I just totally adored!

I love photography, and know how important it is to take great pictures of the food I make. I always try to take the best pictures I can manage, and I'm lucky that I have lots of pretty things around my home that I can use to dress my shots and ensure they look great. However, there is always always room for improvement, and I just love to be taught by experts and gain extra knowledge and tips. I'm a naturally artistic person, so when we could have a play with lots of fun props and the yummy scones, I was in my element. 

I learnt lots from the session, and Edd gave me lots of practical tips, advice and inspiration. 

So….here are my final shots (using just my iPhone camera) from our food styling session...

Lucy's Food Styling #1

Lucy's Food Styling #2

Lucy's Food Styling #3

What do you think? Do you like artistic food shots? Or do you prefer a more natural and rustic food photograph? I loved playing around with angles, light, props, backgrounds and textures. I think this session combined with the food styling session I attended at this years BritMums has helped to greatly improve my food photography skills, so watch this space for some very pretty food shots in future posts. 

After the food styling session we all scoffed the scones (they were delicious), boxed up our own scone doughs ready to bake at home and had some final photographs and interviews before heading home with very full heads and tummies! 

Myself, Edd and the other bloggers on the day! 

I'll leave you with this picture of me and one of my baking heroes - Mr Kimber! 

As soon as I got home I baked my own scone mixture, my husband couldn't wait to tuck into them - they literally lasted five minutes…

my warm bacon, cheddar and spring onion scones, waiting to be scoffed by Mr Bishop

So, do you worry about where your food comes from? 

Do you 'buy British' as much as possible?

Do you use Flora products, or will you, now that you know more about how they are made?

I'd love to hear your thoughts...

Tweet me @lucybishop2012 with the hashtag #whatmakesflora with any of your comments or questions.

Bye for now...

Mrs B 

xxx

Disclaimer: All opinions and words in this post are my own, I was not paid or endorsed in any way to write this post, and simply enjoyed a day out courtesy of Flora/Unilever to learn more about their products and processes. 

The GBBO Returns & Jo Wheatley's Custard Creams *RECIPE*

This week saw the return of my favourite TV show The Great British Bake Off, and to mark to occasion one of my besties Liz decided to hold a little Bake Off gathering at her house - the plan: watch the first episode of GBBO with good friends and good cake - was I in? HELL YES. 

I decided to bake something to take along, and I've been wanting to give homemade Custard Creams a go for ages so now seemed like the perfect reason. I found a wonderful recipe from previous GBBO winner Jo Wheatley (Jo's Blue Aga)  featured in Woman and Home Magazine, and decided that recipe would be the best bet and most reliable. 

I found the recipe very easy to follow. Luckily, I had all of the ingredients already in my store cupboard, always a bonus!

The key to this recipe is to not over bake the biscuits - 10 mins was the perfect amount of time for me to get lightly golden biscuits. It also really helps to have a great piping nozzle (metal) with good quality disposable piping bag - I find this combo works best.

My Wilson 1M large star piping nozzle and disposable piping bag - I find this the perfect piping combo! 

custard butter cream - what could be better? :-)

I love the simplicity of this recipe - by just adding custard powder to a biscuit mix, and standard buttercream you utterly transform a plain sandwich biscuit into the nostalgic glory of a custard cream (but better, trust me!) 

waiting to be squished together and devoured

And so, here are my finished biscuits….not a soggy bottom or burnt corner in sight… hopefully Mary & Paul would be proud. 

They were utterly delicious! 

I popped them in a box and took them over to Liz's where we spent a lovely evening devouring her incredible chocolate cloud cake with fresh cream, raspberries and white chocolate buttons, and my biscuits! The perfect accompaniment to GBBO. 

Liz's chocolate cloud cake (Nigella recipe)

I'm not even going to lie: I had TWO slices :-)

And a custard cream (or 2?) :-)

Lovely friends, perfect company - wine, tea, cake, biscuits, Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood and Mel & Sue - what more could anyone want from an evening??

Me and Liz - hostess with the mostess!

Thanks Liz for a cracking night - we're thinking of making it a regular thing as it was so fun to watch the show with friends, and get their opinions, judgements and feedback there and then as the show airs. 

So, who are my favourites after the first episode??

Kate

Richard

Martha

Nancy 

Norman 

…are my top bakers! 

I loved each of them in their own way, and saw potential in each of them to do great things in this competition. 

The other's I had my various issues with, but I'm sure everyone will have their good and bad moments as with every series. I though Mary and Paul made the right decision about the first person to leave, and I'm excited to follow the rest of the journey - I wonder if one my favourites will reign victorious? 

Did you watch the first episode of Bake Off this week?

What did you think?

Mrs B

xxx

Dream Room Blogger Competition from Good to be Home! powered by AnglianHome

I love interior design, and have a passion for quirky home style and accessories. My own home is full with quirky and fun elements, and I'm always on the look out for new ideas and inspiration. 

I am a self confessed shopaholic. Luckily (for my husband and our bank balance) my shopaholicism is mostly window shopping, and I work hard not to overspend or go too crazy when I do actually buy stuff.  I window shop pretty much constantly; either by physically visiting shops, or browsing online, catalogues, magazines etc. I love to ask myself the question "if money was no object, what would I buy and where would it go?" I can while away many hours in my head this way! 

So when I saw a competition on Little Stuff asking me to do just that, how could I resist? 

Little Stuff and Good To Be Home are asking bloggers to have a go at virtually making over either their bedroom or living room imagining that money is no object….oh the possibilities! So, I decided to concentrate on my living room, mainly because I feel its quite outdated in design now (the wallpaper and colour scheme were here when we moved in 3 years ago and we just went with it…) and I would truly love to update it and pop my own stamp on it. 

Mrs Bishop's Entry

MY CURRENT LIVING ROOM 

So, to help you imagine the room a bit better here it is as it is decorated at the moment. 

It's not a bad room at all, but because I didn't choose the paper I feel like I've had little control over the colour scheme and overall design of the room. I don't hate it, but I also wouldn't have chosen it. I'd have gone for something much bolder and more funky. I love the fireplace, and the exposed brick on the chimney breast, so they are definitely keepers for me. The wooden furniture I love, and it cost me a fortune when I kitted out my first flat - but it is very modern and for the re-design I have in mind I'd definitely need some more traditional furniture.

THE RE-DESIGN

The themes and words that were whirring around my head when I was planning this redesign were:

- afternoon tea

- timeless/classics

- sweet treats 

- French cottage

- shabby chic meets modern quirk

- relaxing colours with splashes of something super bright

In my head, I wouldn't change the layout too drastically, as I like the placement of the chair, sofa and side tables. I would minimise a little bit, removing the book case, and would instead choose some lower impact storage so as not to distract from the funky wallpaper I've chosen. 

THE WALLS

I would replace the current wallpaper in the two alcoves using this amazing (and very bold!) paper from  designer Emma Bridgewater.

Emma Bridgewater Wallpaper from Jane Clayton £64 per meter

I'm a huge fan of Emma Bridgewater china, and am lucky enough to already own a few pieces, I love the idea of this paper, and think its genuinely the most fun paper I've seen in ages. There is so much to look at, hence why I would opt only to have it on two small alcoves as a feature - it would be far too busy for whole sweeping walls! 

I would then re-paint the exposed brick chimney breast this gorgeous classic paint shade called "Thimble Case" from Dulux, and I'd continue with that shade on the top half of the walls above the dado rail. 

 For the bottom portion of the walls below the dado rail I'd opt for this shade of blue, called 'Quintessential Blue' from Dulux - which I think would hint rather eloquently to the duck egg blue in the paper without being too bright. Essentially, this room is for relaxing and entertaining, and although I'd want it to be fun, I also would want to be able to feel super-relaxed when using the space. 

Both paints cost £29.99 for 2L.

THE FURNITURE

I'd love to have big squishy opulent sofas that you can really snuggle down into - not practical wipe clean leather due to the sticky little fingers of my son Bert. So if money was no issue, and I could choose anything I wanted for this room I would go for something like this Duck Egg Snuggler from John Lewis currently priced at £575. It would add a real splash of colour to the room and would tie in with the duck egg shade in the wallpaper. This would totally be 'my chair' and I'd hog it all the time! I can just imagine curling up with a big mug of tea, and a good book in this giant comfy chair. 

Then the matching sofa of course, for hubby and baby Bert to sit on, I don't expect them to sit on the floor, I'm nice like that! This is also from John Lewis and priced currently at £825.00

Next to hubby's/Bert's sofa I'd position this nest of 2 Drift Side Tables from John Lewis priced at £299.

On top of the nest of tables I'd position this awesome Teacups lamp from Homebase priced at £29.99. I currently already own a teacups, and a teapot lamp from Next and they are genuinely my most favourite items in my house. I love my tea so much, so being able to incorporate it into some really funky home accessories is just perfect for me. 

And then, to match, next to my snuggle chair I'd position this Drift Side Table - to rest my tea on! It's also from John Lewis and priced at £199.

I'd bulk buy these awesome Digestive Biscuit Oak coasters from Not On The High Street to protect the side tables from my tea mug rings! They're priced at £11.75 each. I just LOVE how quirky they are, that they are my favourite biscuit (you genuinely cannot beat a digestive for dipping in tea!), and I love that they look classy and high end while still being really silly and fun. 

Instead of the large towering bookcase we currently have in the right alcove I would replace it with this lovely floor standing (half size) Drift bookcase from John Lewis priced at £499. It would help to break up the boldness of the wallpaper without covering it up completely, while also providing much needed storage space for our favourite DVDs. 

To replace the current TV unit I would buy the matching coffee table from the Drift range at John Lewis priced at £399, and place the TV and boxes on that. Using the drawers to hide the remote controls from my remote-control-obsessed 11 month year old son!!

THE FLOORING

I've always dreamt of a white wooden floor for my living room. I think that it would look really timeless and elegant, would be easier to keep clean than carpet, and can soon be warmed up using a rug (and boy have I found a great rug!)

This White Oak Wood Flooring from Amtico is priced at £37.50 per pack. 

THE WINDOWS

I'm constantly dreaming about having shutters in my living room instead of curtains. I have had a thing about shutters my whole life - I think it stems from my jealousy over my cousins HUGE Sylvanian Families dolls house when we were kids, which had elegant shutters at each of the windows - ever since then I've wanted a grown up house with shutters! Ha! 

I love these New England style shutters from The New England Shutter Company - prices depend on the size of window etc. I would definitely choose these for my new living room.

And now on to the most fun bit….

THE ACCESSORIES 

This is the element of interior design that I think I most excel at. I love searching for quirky accents for a room, and with afternoon tea, biscuits, teacups and vintage charm in my mind I found this whole array of awesomeness, which all make the final cut into my living room...

I adore this Custard Cream lampshade from Nikki McWilliams priced at £58

It would look so fun as the main light fitting in the centre of the room, I just love it! If Nikki made dresses in this fabric I would absolutely without a doubt wear it. 

Anyone who knows me well will know I am obsessed with the colour yellow. I just love it, and luckily it is all over interior design at the moment. I found this English Mustard Phone from Strawberry Fool for £49.99 and knew I would have to include it into my room design - who wouldn't want such a cool home phone? It would also be lovely to have some really bright accents across the room as three of the walls and the window dressing will be quite bland. This mustard tone is used within the wallpaper for one of the plates on the dresser - so it would tie in perfectly. 

And who may I ask wouldn't want to prop their tired feet up on this AMAZING Custard Cream Foot Stool from Gift Wrapped and Gorgeous priced at £99? Again, in a gorgeous mustard tone, and a very fun nod to my afternoon tea/sweet treat theme. 

I would hang this Retro Biscuit Print size A3 from Not On The High Street priced at £28.95 above the fireplace on the chimney breast (instead of the mirror)- god, it would make me constantly crave biscuits though! Never mind, I love it to much to worry about the calories I might consume because of it. 

For the hubby to rest his weary legs (I'm wouldn't be good at sharing my custard cream footstool, so he has to have his own) I'd choose this brilliant Tea Cup Stool in Yellow  by The Form Emporium from Not On The High Street priced at £159. It would double up as extra seating when we are entertaining as well. And its yellow. And its a teacup. Need I say anymore?

My husband LOVES a DIY project, and I saw this idea on Pinterest a few months ago and completely fell in love with it…a giant vintage tea cup wall clock. I'd definitely get hubby to make me one of these using some of my pretty awesome current collection of vintage tea cups (left over from our vintage themed wedding two years ago)…

(image found on Pinterest)

I'd position the clock on the bare wall above the large sofa instead of the big red poppy canvas. I'd leave all my beloved family photo canvases on the other wall, and my photo pockets on the door as I just adore having photos of the people I love most around me. 

As I previously mentioned, I'd choose to warm up the white wooden flooring by placing a rug in front of the large sofa/fireplace, and this Custard Cream Rug made by Food For Thought priced at £800 is perhaps the most awesome rug I've ever seen. Blimey, I can't quite believe the price, but for this post money is no object, right? So, I'm having it! 

Sitting upon my side table, next to my coasters I'd place a selection plate of these stunning hand crafted 'fake cakes' from the AMAZING Fake A Cake Bakery (they range in price from as little as £5 +)

I love these pretty accessories and maybe they'd stop me from feeling the need to fill my living room with plates of actual biscuits to nibble on! Maybe…!?

I'd definitely position these funky floating teapot hooks from Not On The High Street priced at £15 on the wall space above my arm chair: for a decorative accessory rather than functional hooks.They are so fun, and would add so much charm to a bare blank wall. 

Finally, I'd smother my amazing new sofa and chair with loads of these INCREDIBLE cushions from Nikki McWilliams priced at £29.50 each...

They'd add such colour and whimsy to the plain sofa and chair, they'd be a fun talking point, and I know men hate cushions, but I LOVE them, so sorry hubby, you'll have around 10 to put on the floor when you sit down, sorry! (Not sorry!)

Now, you can't tell me you don't fancy a cuppa and some biscuits for dipping after all that?

I'm off to pop the kettle on...

Bye for now

Mrs B

xxx

Disclaimer: This post is my entry into the Good To Be Home 'Dream Room' competition.