Abigail Ahern's Design-Ometer...

Easy to follow design rules for creating a well balanced room!

So, with so much going on in my personal life at the moment, I have been struggling to find my way back to my design brain after Christmas. So it's been a bit of a slow start, blogging wise, to 2015!
 Like I said before: Who cares what your house looks like when it no longer feels like a home?
....I DO! That's who!!  Why??  Because I truly believe that our surroundings have a big impact on our moods and emotional life! And I'll be damned if I don't try everything in my powers to lift me out of this ebb!!
And then I found Abigail Ahern's Design-ometer! Abigail Ahern is one of my favorite interior designers, even though her style is very different from mine....She has impeccable taste and styling , always keep her finger on the pulse of anything to do with design and is generally super inspiring to me.... And her recently posted DESIGN-OMETER was just the inspiration I needed to find my groove again! Set out like a score system, it basically covers what most interior designers like to think of as staples of any successful room design....And if Abigail Ahern says these are the elements a visually good room should have, then I'm not one to argue... Abigail's checklist covers 7 elements that will work in ANY room and WHATEVER your design style:

1.Statement feature

" ...you need your eye to move around the room and if you only have one statement piece you can read the room in a second. Too many, and it can get a little crazy so aim for about 3."*

The Design-ometer will reward you 1 point for each statement feature in your room, up to a maximum of 3 points.

2.Lighting

       "The interior design rule of thumb is to have at least 8 lamps of light                  sources in a room."*             
 If your room is very small, this can seem a bit excessive, I agree, but Abigail insists that this really does make the biggest difference!

Count up your light sources, and reward yourself half a point for each, up to a maximum of 4 points!              
 "NO points if the room only has recessed overhead lighting."*

3.Metallic accents

               "...shine and sparkle really does bring a room alive."*             It could be a copper tray, a metallic pendant light shade, silver cushions or "a cluster of gold vases"*  ...or all of the above!! Metallic's, are according to Abigail a MUST HAVE in any interiors...and currently the trend is to mix them up, which is great news , as there are loads of great accessories available on the high street!

"1 point if you’ve got a hint of bling somewhere in the room"*

4.Textures

  "You need the juxtaposition of different textures"* Abigail states " so metal against slubby textiles and sheepskins, leather and concrete up against velvet and so on. If you have wooden or concrete floors, rugs are a great way to inject instant texture"*

This is NOT about how many different materials you have in your room: If it's shiny it's one texture, if it's rough it's one etc....think about how things feel to the touch: The tactile nature of each texture will add to the visual impact of any room!

1 point for each different texture in the space, up to a maximum of 3 points.

5.Flowers or plants

"This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to update a drab corner, so no makeover is complete without them. Even a single flower will perk up your space and make it seem so much happier and more inviting, I swear"*

Not to mention the health benefits of keeping plants in your home! I'm getting better now, but for someone who is notorious for their black thumbs, I am pleased to tell you that Fake flours or plants are OK here (Unless they are very cheap and faded!!)

1 point if you have any flowers, plants or greenery in your space, real or faux!

6.Scent

                                "Never skip scent!"*                                      A good interior design should be a sensory treat....not just visually, but it should make you feel happy and comfortable......Scent adds another dimension to your interiors...after all why leave something out if it's going to add to the feelgood factor of a room??

Use an "oil burner, incense sticks, amazing pot pourri or a scented candle, or you can even kill two birds with one stone by using fragrant herbs or flowers"* Abigail even recommends using Lavender essence when mopping the floors!

1 point if you have something beautiful to fragrance your room

7.Artwork

    I, like Abigail, think Artwork is an essential part of good interior design!     I often use a piece of art as my starting point when I plan the decoration of a room in my home: From the colour scheme to the style and era of your art, it should go hand in hand with your interiors....even if it is in an eclectic way!!

"A maximum of 2 points up for grabs here. 2 points if you’ve got a full-on gallery, or some incredible statement pieces, or sculptures and photos. 1 point if you’ve got some art that you love, but feel that the room is still looking a bit bare. Nil point if you haven’t got any art at all!"*

So those are the 7 elements that any room design should have, according to Interior Goddess Abigail Ahern......and I would have to say that I concur!!

Here's those Maximum scores again:

Statement features	3 points
Lighting	4 points
Metallic accents	1 point
Textures	3 points
Flowers or plants	1 point
Scent	1 point
Artwork	2 points

TOTAL = /15

Abigai Ahern is known to be the queen of dark interiors, and in her words :"In my personal checklist there would also be dark walls (obviously!), mirrors, styled vignettes, rugs, and a couple of pieces of animal décor thrown in to lighten the mood as well"* 

So her style is nothing like mine: I like bright and airy Scandinavian style interiors with a crafty flavor to it, 

so I decided to put the DESIGN-OMETER to the test in my favorite room : The living room: This is the room in the house where I feel good and think I've hit the mark: And yes!!! I scored 14 out of 15 points....Missing 1 point for not having as many as 8 light sources!! NOT BAD, hey??

In fact this post is illustrated  with pictures of the different elements listed in the AA Design-ometer, already in place in my living room!

But Abigail's Design-ometer is more importantly an excellent tool when you are planning to do up a room in your house: Use the grading system to see what elements your room already has and what you will need to bring in to make the interior more balanced!

In fact, as I am now in the process of scheduling my projects for the next couple of months, I have decided to use the Design-ometer  as inspiration...so look out for DIY's for the home that covers all the different Design elements listed above.... starting with an easy textured make at beginning of next week!!

Ps! All quotes marked * is by Abigail Ahern from her Blog, which, if you're not already, well worth following!!

100 happy days

            

You know those moments in life, when everything feels great, a moment that is perfect in time and you jokingly think to yourself: " This is a Kodac moment" , well 100happydays is a bit like that, only that you are challenging yourself to find those moments in your every day....every day!

The 100happydays challenge is to take a daily snap of something that makes you feel happy for 100 days.

The idea is that by actively searching for something that makes you happy for your daily snap, you will start noticing the little joys of everyday and realize what makes you happy, laying the foundation for a good day and a better mood with a more positive outlook on life!

"It can be anything from a meet-up with a friend to a very tasty cake in the nearby coffee place, from a feeling of being at home after a hard day to a favor you did to a stranger."*

 *Extract from the 100 happy days website

#100happyday challenge is for you - not for anyone else. 

It is not a happiness competition or a showing off contest. If you try to please / make others jealous via your pictures - you lose without even starting.

In this day and age, we have no excuse to miss those Kodac moments, with near enough everyone owning a camera phone....So if this sounds like something you'd like to try...get snapping and then register for the challenge here!

choose your favorite platform for submitting pictures. Here you can decide yourself on the privacy of your participation & happy moments: 

Share your picture via facebook, twitter or instagram with a public hashtag #100happydays;

Come up with your own hashtag to share your pictures with to limit publicity. (Don't forget to tell us how to find your pictures though ;) )

Or if you don't fancy going public with your happy moments, simply send your pictures to myhappyday@100happydays.com to avoid any publicity.

When I did this last year I chose to share my happy moments on instagram, and I think I will this year as well, as it is so easy to further share your snaps on both facebook and twitter 

from the instagram app....but also because I took so much joy from seeing what other people was sharing using the tag #100happydays.

 As much as I understand that public sharing may not be for everyone, do not underestimate the power of feeling part of a community. A sense of being part of something bigger:  Picture by picture, spreading happiness and contributing to the society: fostering happiness in the world!

 And since founder Dmitry Golubnichy unwittingly started the "movement" in 2013 (Read more about it here) more than 20 000 000 happy moments have been created by people practicing gratitude and cherishing small moments that make them happy from all over the world!

And one of the best part of the 100happy days challenge,  is of course the sense of achievement you get if you manage to complete 100 daily happy snaps, knowing that 71% of people taking part failed to find the time to capture a happy moment in their daily life for a full 100 days!!

And even when the challenge is over, the collected 100 happy moments you've captured can continue to remind you about the beauty of your life, as well as enrich other's:

By donating to the 100happy days foundation you can receive a little 100 page book with your 100happy days snaps as a keepsake, at the same time as supporting the foundations work to develop and empower disabled people in local communities through future projects and craft, making them feel useful in the community

Find more information on the 100happydays website

Happy new year!

The last day of 2014 is here, and as we greet the new year tonight a lot of people will be thinking of their their new years resolutions... After all what better time to make some changes to your life, than the start of a new year? Starting a fresh, you may want to start living your life in a healthier way: Dieting to lose weight, get down the gym to get fit, stop smoking or breaking any other bad habits in life....Or maybe you have decided to make 2015 the year you achieve some other goal, like getting your career on track, start studying or maybe even redecorate your home? Whatever goals you have set yourself for 2015, I wish you the best of luck!

However, personally, I have decided to not take on any such resolutions this year, as I feel like this next year will bring enough challenges for me as it is! Instead I've made myself some promises, that hopefully will help me focus on creating a brighter focus for the future:
1: Let go of the limiting filters and live my life out loud! Express myself with a deeper level of authenticity ad transparency: Say what I mean and not hold back!
2:Let go of grudges and resentments! Surrender...its not about giving up, giving in or selling out, but make peace with what is and embrace life as it shows up
3:Focus on what truly matters! Learn to love myself and work out what would make ME happy! No regrets! On behalf of your dreams, stop making excuses!! If the opinions of others didn't matter, what would you choose to do?
4:Focus on a happy future and Go after it without looking back!

These promises may seem vague and a little "self-help", but as we turn into the new year, I know that this will be a year that is going to require a lot of personal strength and I truly feel the need to turn my focus inwards to help myself find that strength!

Most of all I would like 2015 to be the year where the choices I make will have a positive impact on the future...

For Little Miss Moo....but also for myself!

Because If the trials and tribulations of 2014 has taught me anything, it is that at the core of a good life is inner happiness!!

So I raise a glass to the New year, bring what it will...and wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

FREE downloadable 2015 calendars...

From the www

Wow...2014 is almost finished!

If you happened to catch my last post (that I've now taken down) You'll know that as far as I'm concerned: Good riddens!! Anyway....onwards and upwards: 2015 is right around the corner, and I am trying to approach the new year with a positive attitude!

And one of the best ways to start a fresh is by getting organized....

...with a new a new calendar!!

So today I am sharing a few of my favourite FREE downloadable calendars from the www. 

All you need is paper and ink and these could all be printed out at your convenience, just click on the links below the picture of your favourite to get redirected to the site for the download!

 

This printable calendar from Vanessa Quijano is just hauntingly beautiful, yet simplistic...

 

 

And I adore the simplicity of this monochrome beauty from Chantel Emma

The cute and colourful mini calendar from Scrappy Sticky Inky Mess speaks to the geek in me!

 

Or how about this funky one from 3.bp with a splash of colour?

If you are after something a little more fun , how about this one from design is yay?

Or if you want something a bit different, how about this geo-ball shaped  desktop calendar from a piece of rainbow, just print , cut and fold...

 

Or if you'd like something a bit more arty, how about this beautifully illustrated desktop calendar from Sara Woodrow?

 

Or maybe this freebie from  the etsy digital designers is more to your tastes?

I like the classiness of this one from classy clutter

And I definitely share my name is snicker doodle's love of hexagons!

These are just a few of the freebie 2015 calendar designs I love on the www right now...If none of these are to your tastes, there are loads more available out there, and I've made up a little pinterest board of printables, that has loads more calendar designs as well as downloadable artwork and templates that you can save to your computer and print out at home at your convenience! So please check it out!   I've also made a treasury of my favourite printable 2015 calendar designs from my go-to site when I'm after something a bit different than what the high street has to offer, ETSY....You can view it here! With prices ranging from just 13 pence to £8, there is bound to be something for everyone!!   So, here's to a fresh start of 2015, and an organised new year!!  

MERRY CHRISTMAS...

god jul
I can't believe it! It's nearly Christmas! This is my last post before the holidays, and I thought I'd share some pictures of our Christmas tree with you all!

Most of the decorations this year are handmade, and if you visit my DIY gallery you will find all the tutorials!

This years tree are decked in Origami of a variety of sorts...

Which makes  for a soft and elegant, but modern look...

Throw in a few baubles, some vintage silver tinsel and some himmeli decorations...

And the look is there:

A modern but nostalgic Scandinavian Christmas tree!

Now all that remains is to wish you all a very merry Christmas!

I hope you all have a great time!

I will be back before the new year with a few posts,

so until then:

Enjoy!!

Small decorative Origami paper stars...

...to jazz up your Christmas table....or your tree lights!

With instructions on fireproofing the paper

When I saw these cute little paper stars on pinterest, I knew I had to give them a go!!

I could think of a million uses for them (OK, maybe a slight exaggeration, but...)

And once you've practiced a few times they are really easy to make, and take no time at all!!

All you need to make these little stars are strips of paper! For your convenience I've made up a simple template with 12 strips drawn up in the right dimensions....all you need to do is cut them out. Click here to download and print!

Then head over to  minna may blog to see how to easily fold the strips to make the stars!

When you have folded each strip into the pentagon shape, use your nails to push in the sides, as shown below:

Image from Minna May blog
It does take some practice to make the stars come out perfect, so if you don't get it right the first times, keep going: Once you've got it, its easy....and its not like they take very long at all to fold!!

Use these cute little paper stars as decorations on your festive holiday table, string them up on a garland by pushing some thread through each one with a needle, or use as filler together with some chocolate in these gorgeous free printable "kraemmerhus" (Paper baskets) from ilva, and hang on the tree!!

I used mine to jazz up the LED lights on our tree:

I just made sure they'd be safe to put around the lights by spraying the paper templates with fire-retardant and leaving to dry before cutting up the strips and folding the stars:

I got my fire-retardant from here, but you can also make your own with some borax and water! See full instructions here

Then I used a scalpel blade to make a small incision in the side of each star, so that I could insert the LED bulb!

NOTE! I would NOT recommend that you use anything other than LED bulbs if doing this, EVEN if you've fire proofed the paper!! SAFETY FIRST PEOPLE!!

As this years tree decorations includes of loads origami paper ornaments, such as the kraemmerhus, above, the paper star I showed you earlier this week and the kirigami paper gems from Little miss moo's advent calendar, these little stars fit perfectly in with the look of our tree!!

I will be revealing the complete look of this years Christmas tree in my next post... My final post before I clock off for the holidays!😉

Until then, I wish you all the best with your last preparations for Christmas...And don't worry if you don't get everything done: CHRISTMAS WILL COME......AND BE MERRY, ANYWAY!!