Interiors Inspo; New In Homewares

Every so often I like to change up some decor details to give our house a fresh lease of life, so this week I thought I’d give you a little update on what’s new in interiors in our home recently.

First up is this fun print I got from Oliver Bonas which we’ve hung above the tea and coffee corner, adding a pop of colour to our kitchen. This is very fitting for us as we do love our cocktails and the wording is fabulous – ‘Happy Hour; Because every hour deserves to be happy’ 🙂

Another piece I purchased in my Oliver Bonas order was this stunning gold plate top side table. The Moroccan detailing is very fitting for our dining room and living room where I also have elements of Moroccan style.

I’ve placed it in the corner of our dining room with this beautiful Hydrangea plant on top which my mum got for me, but I can also use this as a side table in our lounge to place my drink on; I just love how versatile this little table is!

Back in the kitchen, we’ve had to change up the plants on our windowsill because I will admit, I wasn’t the best plant mum in the past and so a few of my old plants had to go. Thankfully my boyfriend’s mum has come to the rescue and taught me how to properly water and look after this new generation of plants in our home.

My favourite new addition to the plant family is this Tradescantia plant taking centre stage with it’s deep purple leaves, perfectly complementing my turquoise stonewash pot I’ve planted it in.

We’ve also replaced the plant in our living room to this mini palm which looks great in my tiled Moroccan inspired standing plant pot.

And on the subject of greenery, outside in our garden we now have these decorative patterned black fence panels, again tying in with those elements of Moroccan style which I’m obsessed with and has become a running theme in our homewares.

We’re very luck to have my boyfriend’s parents who have curated our glorious garden now in full bloom following a wet and rainy summer. They’ve even added these solar panelled spotlights to the plant boarders which look very smart when they come on at night.

So those are few homewares and garden updates from our humble abode over the past month. It’s all in the detail and sometimes just changing up little things like your plants or wall hangings, can give your home a fresh feel ready for the start of a new fall season ahead ❤

Hosting 101; Preparing for a BBQ

When it comes to hosting, preparation is key to pulling off a seamless evening which you too can enjoy alongside the company of your guests. This Friday evening we invited our parents to the house for a BBQ, so I wanted to be on my top hosting game to impress!

I got to planning what we were going to cook a week prior so we could do the food shop during the week and have plenty of time to prep in advance. I made sure all areas were covered including drinks, nibbles and decor, as well as the BBQ food itself.

For nibbles I put together a grazing board of crisps, nuts, crackers, olives, antipasti and dips. I love any excuse to buy a mezze of snacks and use my assortment of cute bowls to put them out in for guests to enjoy. And don’t forget to put out some side plates, coasters, napkins and candles to set the mood later in the evening; it’s all in the detail.

Once we did the shop a few days prior to the date, I decided what dish each element of the BBQ was going to go into because there are so many different components which make up a barbecue spread. I laid everything out the night before and labelled exactly what dish was going into what, so I knew we had every base covered.

On the menu for the main event we had: marinated chicken thighs, chicken skewers, veggie skewers, corn cobs, beef burgers, vegan burgers, roasted new potatoes, green avocado salad and of course, my favourite Greek salad.

On the morning of the BBQ, I prepped the veggie skewers, new potatoes, green salad and Greek salad so these were all ready to go straight from the fridge. That just left the barbecuing itself and the potatoes to be cooked in the oven on the night.

I was then ready to lay the table complete with wine glasses, water glasses, napkins and not forgetting the condiment tray with all the dips and dressings you could wish for with a BBQ.

Despite the cloudy day, the rain held off and we were able to get out the garden furniture and sit outside whilst my boyfriend did his thing on the BBQ.

It was a very warm, humid evening, so I wore this daisy print skirt with a simple black vest, a green short sleeve overshirt, chunky pearl sliders and a pair of sunnies to complete the BBQ fit. I wanted to get a bit dressed up but also be comfy for running around doing my hostessing duties on the night.

At 7pm our guests arrived so we got the BBQ fired up and the potatoes in the oven. I could finally take a breath at this point and enjoy catching up with our parents as everything else was all ready to go; the joy of being super prepared!

The evening went seamlessly and everyone had a wonderful time together. My Greek salad was a highlight as well as my special roasted crispy new potatoes which are always a crowd pleaser. So if you’re hosting a BBQ or dinner party anytime soon, follow these preparation tips and you’ll be sure to have a fun and stress free evening with your guests too; cheers to that! ❤