Painted Junk Shop Bargain...

, painted furnitureJust a quick post before grabbing my beauty sleep!

I have just finished my little junk shop bargain... I have no before picture which is a shame, but needless to say it wasn't very pretty to begin with. Now though, I love it :) Especially for £4! It's perfect for hiding all of the dvd's in!

I picked up the pretty little vintage cup and saucers from our local antique barn too, so cute with the little sea shells and the cute mother of pearl spoons.

Sweet dreams ♥

Eclectic Heaven x

Fun With Chalk Board Paint!

What a fabulous talking point for your kitchen! Transforming your boring old fridge into a huge chalkboard to have some fun with :)

 

editmycloset.wordpress.com 

 

I love the idea of using it on your walls too, so simple but really quirky...

 

stella interiors

 

apartment 2024 

 

wainscot solutions 

Get your paint brushes out! 

Eclectic Heaven x

Family Affair...

I seem to have been so busy since creating this blog, that I haven't had the chance to post as much as I would like. Thankfully I have a whole evening of 'me' time tomorrow, so I shall sit down and share a few more fabulous things with you all!

In the meantime... I came across these absolutely beautiful family trees today. I am going to order myself the pink and the blue, one for my family and one for my partners family. I will be sure to post the completed trees :)

......"Inspired by her daughter's enthusiasm for family pictures, Julie, the French Designer behind Famille Summerbelle created this gorgeous hand-cut photo frame to hang into her nursery. Fill in one of these beautiful, delicate trees with pictures of your friends and family."

family tree print by bodi and fou, notonthehighstreet.com

You can find more of Famille Summerbelle’s lovely products at www.famillesummerbelle.com.

She also makes such things as this fun paper bunting :)

I am completely in love with this idea from lovliday for your wedding... so simple but incredibly special. Be sure to check out the full range on Etsy!

Eclectic Heaven x

Iosselliani Stacking Rings

Carrying on the birthday theme, my present from my lovely man finally arrived from Sweden today! A beautiful stacking ring from Italian designer Iosselliani... they make the most amazing pieces, very original and make you feel just that little bit more special when you are sporting them. Mine was purchased from the store www.nittygrittystore.com

               It's so lovely on that I keep having to stop typing to wiggle my fingers about and look at it :)

 

                      I adore these ones too... I think I will have one on every birthday list from here on!

 

Eclectic Heaven x

Yummy Orange, White Chocolate & Crème Fraîche Cake

Somehow, the age of 32 crept up on me last week and whilst I was whisked away for an afternoon of present shopping by my lovely Dad, my partner baked me a birthday cake... now, having experienced his 'attempts' at cooking on a few occasions, I was dubious of the outcome (& the mess) to say the least. However, I have to say that I was more than pleasantly surprised... the kitchen was spotless and the cake was delicious. I would go as far as to say that it is one of the best I have ever had!

Ingredients

175g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
175g golden caster sugar
Finely grated zest 4 of oranges and juice of 1
4 eggs separated
100g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
100g ground almonds

For the Scrummy Icing

200g white chocolate
200ml crème fraîche
100g white chocolate to decorate

Preperation

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter two 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment. Tip the sugar into a mixing bowl and add the butter and orange zest. Beat for 1 min or so until pale and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolks. Sift flour and baking powder over the cake mixture and fold in lightly. Finally, fold in almonds and orange juice and a handful of fresh raspberries. Whisk the egg whites until they just hold their shape. Fold one-third of the egg white into the cake mix, using the whisk. Repeat with another third, then the final third. Take care not to over-mix or you will lose the lightness of the egg whites.
2. Divide the cake mix between the prepared tins and bake for 30-35 mins. Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack, peel off the lining paper and leave to cool.
3. To make the icing, melt the chocolate over a pan of barely simmering water or in the microwave on High for 1½ mins, stirring every 30 secs, then leave to cool. Whip the crème fraîche until thick, then fold in the white chocolate. Set one cake on a serving plate or cake stand. Spoon half the icing onto the cake and top with the other cake. Spread with the rest of the icing, decorate with raspberries and  allow to set in the fridge for at least 1 hr.
4. If you want to make the decorative curls, melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water or in a microwave and spread thinly over a baking tray. Leave the tray in the fridge for the chocolate to harden a bit, then use a fish slice or angled knife blade to scrape chocolate curls. Pile the curls in the middle of the cake and serve cut into slices. 

Nutrition per serving - serves 10 (although probably best not to look)

567 kcalories, protein 9g, carbohydrate 45g, fat 40 g, saturated fat 21g, fibre 1g, sugar 37g, salt 0.7 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine 2008

Eclectic Heaven x

First Post! Eeek...

Well, here goes... my first ever blog post!


I have spent this morning searching for some inspiration, on what is a rather miserable looking day beyond my balcony doors! I am planning to muster up the enthusiasm to venture down the the VERY cold garden room and start stripping and painting some more furniture, in the mean time I will sit a little longer in the warm and share these finds with you...


I can spend hours just browsing beautiful images and find so much inspiration for my home on the internet. I have a love for the old wooden plate racks at the moment, they look so beautiful filled with pretty vintage plates. Unfortunately our kitchen is far too small to accommodate one, so I shall have to save this one for the next house.

I love all of the pretty vintage colours coupled with the little lights...

While I am on the subject of plates, I absolutely love the use of these plates as wall decoration. Although I do find it hard to find pretty plates, often sifting through lot's of crockery at fairs and charity shops. The prettier they are the more expensive they seem to be. Still, it makes it all the more rewarding and special when you do find one or two!

I absolutely LOVE this little space, so much fun :)

I also really love the neutral coloured 'more grown up' plates, so pretty and romantic...

****

During my searches, I also came across the idea of re-using using old wooden ladders in various manners, I love this idea and will be keeping my eye out for an old ladder or two on my travels...

A great way to find space for scarves, jewellery or belts

I love this idea for the kitchen too... great if you have a tiny kitchen like me and need extra space.

Much more space needed for this one, but I think this is brilliant idea for a studio/workspace!