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Project Life featuring Red Lilly

A wonderful thing about blogging is working with like minded creative people. And I am thrilled to introduce my new sponsor Red Lilly.

I love featuring a company or product in an imaginative way and when Red Lilly got in touch I jumped at the chance to promote them, their site is bursting with affordable homeware and accessories, especially as I got to keep the most darling set of wooden filing drawers!

project life

I have been a long term fan of Project Life and have quite a collection of the beautiful product range, I use them for all sorts. In fact everything other than photo albums! I use them in little social media photos, for postcards and stick them to walls for inspiration. And I have desperately needed somewhere to store them all!

These drawers are perfect and they've found a happy home in the living room.

Project Life is the modern way to scrapbook. To cultivate a beautiful life and record it.

Project Life

How many of you reading this take hundreds of photos but rarely print them? And I don't mean photos for a gallery wall, or on the fireplace, I mean traditional albums that we all love pouring over when we visit our parents and grandparents.

Before Ollie was born I religiously printed hundreds (probably getting on for thousands) of photographs and painstakingly scrapbooked each album with stickers and embellishments. But since having two demanding boys, my albums have sat unloved, tucked away in a box, instead of displayed for us all to enjoy.

Sammy has 5 albums in his bedroom which he looks at all the time. His first holiday, his first Christmas, first birthday and beyond lovingly curated. But I seem to have run out of time lately.

Hooray for the easy way to album your photos! I adore the slip in sleeves that snap into place in the lever arch files. There are loads of different ways to display your photos and add the pre printed cards and scrapbook papers. Of course you can add extra embellishments if you fancy but I prefer to use just the cards. There are so many different sets - there will be a style for everyone!

Project Life
Project Life
Project Life

I was very lucky and my brother and sister in law brought back a suitcase full of products as my Christmas present this year but you can find Project Life online and in Hobbycraft.

But they have been swilling about in the bottom of a large drawer, getting crushed and bent and that wouldn't do at all!

I have always lusted after a set of drawers like this. To complete our modern heritage feel to our home. Vintage mixed with modern and classic pieces with texture and strong colour palettes.

How to organise Project Life

There are 6 drawers which fit A4 papers or 6 sets of mini cards perfectly. I ordered mine with blank colours and patterns at the top, prompts to write memories and recall moments and quotes finishing with an empty drawer at the bottom for photos.

How to store Project Life
How to organise Project Life
How to organise Project Life
Red Lilly

I set a New Year's resolution to print photos every week, and so far I have failed. 

I am guilty of taking 10 pictures when 1 would do. One of the children on the swings not 10 from different angles. Project Life makes me pick the best of a big bunch and I've started with New Year. Our celebrations with our best friends at my in laws. 

Project Life

The start of 2014 and the start of my Project Life adventure.

It may only be 2 pages but it's a start! I'd love to see your collages and layouts if you are already a fan of Project Life.

Project Life
Project Life

And the start of a beautiful relationship with Red Lilly. I shall be sharing my favourites from their collections each month so make sure you check out my current favourites.

The tickled pink tea light set £12.75, the wooden Four in a Row game £6.95, has Sammy's name written all over it and I am in love with the Emerald and Gold Hambledon Ring! And at £11.50 how could you resist?!

Red Lilly

Have you stuck to any of your resolutions you made in January?! Go on you can tell me.... ;)

eBay Collections • my ultimate wish lists

There is nothing I love doing more than making lists, and wish lists are even better.

I adore ripping pages out of magazines, squirrelling them away in a folder or the back of my notebook and creating fantasy boards on Pinterest. But there is something better. My biggest frustration is often that when you spot something you love there is no link through to be able to buy it, meaning I waste hours and hours trying to source this illusive product I have fallen in love with.

All hail the wonder that is the new eBay collections feature

A way to collate all your wish list items and store them for a rainy day! Inspiration that you can actually source - hooray!

I have a habitual routine of letting my imagination run wild with interior design and creating mood boards of inspiration for our dream home... when we ever find it! House hunt is a bad word in this house at the moment. Will we ever agree?!

For our home I flit between styles and colour palettes, themes and influences, but can see them at a glance by curating all my favourite items in one place using collections.

I have always worshipped the girly pinks and pastel shades, my wedding was an explosion of baby pink and subtle greenery and I wish I could hang these in every room regardless of whether there was a birthday or celebration!

ebay collections

It must be the influence of the testosterone in this house because I am drawn to the richness of navy blue and would love a room in our new house bang on trend in 2014 with royal blues. Even just these simple door knobs would bring a touch of elegant navy into a room.

ebay collections

I wish I had the skills to make my own curtains and cushions but instead I know my wish list of fabrics are really for photo backdrops! I mean how wonderful would it be to have a fabric store which you could line with all these linens ready for mini photo shoots?!

ebay collections

But I always come back to my fail safe go to style. A little romantic, a little whimsical, bringing nature into our home. Bell jars padded with moss and little bud vases, shades of green and a mis match of furniture styles and indulgent coffee table books.

ebay collections

How would you describe your style in your house? 

And tell me which of my wish list items would you like too?! Would you go bold and bright like my yellow collection or would you play it safer with striking whites?

You can have a nose at all my collections here! You can find and follow people too! So have a browse through the trending collections and see what inspiration grabs you. 

psst. This is a sponsored post.

F&F Clothing • Shopping for a little girl

With 2 boys in this house, wandering around aisles of dresses is a rare occurrence. 

Sometimes I catch myself drawn to the racks of tutu skirts and frilly socks with bows on and when Yasmin was born last year I finally had a baby niece to spoil! 

So imagine my delight when I had the chance to work with F&F the incredibly good value clothing range at Tesco. Not only do they have a huge selection of baby wear but now that Yasmin is into age 12 months clothing, I can search both the girls' and baby sections!

Regular readers of this blog will know my love of supermarket chic and as a busy parent, being able to combine a weekly food shop and updating my wardrobe, is a godsend. I love that F&F have a vibrant range of colours and that their range can be tumble dried.

I also love that whilst this post gave me the opportunity to indulge my love of buying pink, the girl's range is bursting with a colour palette to rival a rainbow!

Spring brights, pastel Summer shades as well as more mature monochrome and striking tribal prints.

Yasmin has beautiful colouring on account of her Philippine heritage. And although she suits girly pinks, she actually looks wonderful in colour! Especially blue!

Because F&F have made their range affordable for all parents, you can create a number of outfits for a Summer capsule wardrobe. Look out for their set of three t shirts and long sleeve tops that you can mix and match with a single skirt or trousers. This cheerful yellow top was actually part of a 3 pack! I often found, when the boys were little, that bottoms faired much better against a toddlers high chair than tops. And I could often dress the boys in the same trousers or jeans for 2 days before washing, unlike t shirts which were dribbly and stained with food by breakfast time!

Baby girl Spring outfit

I found the F&F swimwear to be versatile that the older age range fitted beautifully but will last her through next Summer as well! The baby girls' costumes are just as they should be - babyish, with lovely floral prints and tropical colour ways.

Baby girl swimming costume

The F&F range has a great attention to detail, little ruffles and bows, appliqués and embroidery. Their denim for little girls is age appropriate (my bug bear with many girl's ranges - too grown up for toddlers!) and the cut allows for plenty of room for nappies! And poppers instead of buttons - hooray!

Baby Denim Outfit F&F

I adored this little print set which would be perfect for traveling toddlers. Dresses are super cute - of course they are, but practical for crawling toddlers in the heat of Summer - no. You can't dress them in tights in hot weather but precious knees need protecting so this coral outfit is lightweight but offers some gentle protection for crawlers and explorers. 

outfit for travelling toddlers

And for a special occasion this floral dress is ideal. Dress it up with a sweet headband for a family wedding or birthday party - I also think it would make affordable, adorable flower girl outfits! Just the right amount of poof in the skirt without layers of tule that makes them hot and sweaty and ratty!

Flower girl floral dress

Check out their extensive range online or pop into your nearest Tesco.

I was kindly sent lovely outfits by F&F for the purposes of this post.