Hello!

Hello!

Logging into this blog after an extended leave feels like finally meeting an old friend when life has got in the way and you’ve had to reschedule more times than you would want to admit! So much has happened, yet you pick up right where you left off!

If you are one of my old followers who happens to stumble across this – it is so good to see you! How are you?

While being absent from this blog and YouTube I have still been posting on Instagram – mainly life and family, which keeps me busy! Please do come and say Hi @natalyafgm!

As a very brief life update of the last 3 years… After moving and refurbishing our new house I finished redecorating pretty speedily in preparation for our new arrival. Though I feel like the house needs an update already due to its intensive use! I had my son Joshua in January 2017. We had a tough first year following a long (73 hours!) complicated birth, colic, recurrent mastitis and 15 months of intense sleep deprivation, but he is wonderful  - intelligent, sensitive, fun, cheeky and the absolute love of my life! Maxie is now 11- he has had a few tummy issues, but is doing well and has been the most patient big (cat) brother we could have hoped for! I went back to work full time in Jan 2018 and have been doing my best to balance the spinning plates of toddler, career, childcare, home, husband, friends, family... the list seems endless. I rarely feel like I have the right balance, but I know where my priorities are.

I would love to find the time to blog again as a creative outlet for myself, but with working full time and keeping a toddler entertained often any energy I have left after the intense negotiation that is ‘bedtime’ is just enough to watch an episode of Love Island (or Netflix or any other reality TV rubbish that doesn’t involve any brain engagement)!

My interests have also changed, which I think is natural now being at a different stage in my life. Do you still read blogs? What are you interested in? I still love beauty, but it’s a much smaller part of my world and has become pretty routine and time efficient. My main priorities at the moment are health (especially in terms of fertility, which has been a really difficult journey for us), toddler behaviour/ nutrition/development/activities and still having a little fun thrown in so I am not a slave to the routine - which can be beauty, fashion, self-care, fitness, food, fun places to visit.

I have shared so much over the years and feel like it would be nice to speak to you all in my former little corner of the internet! Is there anything in particular that you would find interesting? 

Speak to you soon my lovelies! xxx

Making a House a Home: Bedroom

One of the reasons we fell in love with our new (old) house was that it had a spacious master bedroom that felt airy and light. As much as I still love my old flat, living on the lower ground floor did mean that our bedroom wasn't the brightest. So we decided to keep the spacious feeling and make the bedroom very simple - white walls, white furniture and a statement kingsize bed with matching ottoman.

I had always wanted a canopy bed, or at least one with a really high headboard that felt super cosy and enveloping. After weeks of researching a number of styles the most sensible and budget friendly was from MADE, especially with the added storage under the bed.

 

Bergerac bed with storage in Graphite Grey

I was pretty set on the Bergerac, but as we were buying various pieces from MADE I was yet to place my full order when I came across a gorgeous fully upholstered customisable winged bed in Barker and Stonehouse.

 

This was not the sensible option both in terms of price and the lack of storage. However, I loved the button detail, their wide selection of fabrics, the matching storage ottoman and the fact it was on sale just sealed the deal! The only negative was the 10 weeks waiting time (though I begged and in the end it was just less than 8 weeks).





Wiltshire Bed

 

Having splurged on the bed, and being very aware of our multiple back issues (mine from birth and the hubby's numerous rugby injuries), I was very surprised by the cost of a king size mattress. I had never had to purchase one before and was shocked that some cost more than our bed! When Leesa contacted me to see if I would like to review one of their mattresses I decided to be open minded, though my natural scepticism was still there. Having seen the hundreds of glowing reviews on their website it sounded a little too good to be true that one mattress could be comfortable for everyone. Especially given the hubby and I couldn't decide on one between us as every mattress we tried was a bit like Goldilocks and the three bears' porridge... not quite right.

The Leesa mattress arrived (less than a week after I ordered it) packaged in a narrow cardboard box. This was exceptionally useful as it took up very little space and could be safely stored in our loft while the renovation works were being done. As Leesa has no springs and is made entirely of foam (top layer of cooling avena foam, middle layer of contouring memory foam and base layer of dense core support foam) it is not as heavy as a traditional mattress and therefore much easier to manoeuvre.

It took just seconds to unpack it, as it is coiled in plastic that can be cut away, and after leaving it overnight it had decompressed evenly.

The Leesa mattress is soft enough to feel comfortable, yet supportive enough that you don't feel like you are sinking into it. One of the main things I love about it, especially compared to my old mattress, is the lack of springs making it quiet and also ensuring there is no transfer of movement. So when the hubby is getting into bed (often long after I have fallen asleep) I don't get woken up by squawky springs or bounced out of bed as he sits down.

 The Leesa mattress fit perfectly into our kingsize Wiltshire bed in pewter velvet.

 

I wanted to wait a little while before writing my review and now that it has been a few weeks of sleeping on the Leesa mattress, both on the floor and our luxurious new bed, I think we are ready to join all those excellent testimonials on the Leesa website! Our experience was great - easy to order, quick delivery in a convenient box, simple unpacking and above all else it has given us a great night of sleep! So much so that my bed time has slowly been shifting earlier and earlier!
 

Bed: Barker and Stonehouse, Bedsidetables: Dunelm, Lamps: Wayfair

 

If you are looking for a new mattress I would highly recommend Leesa - and you can now get £50 off using the code SLEEP50. Prices start from £390 for a single and shipping is free. Sweet dreams!













Making a House a Home: Our New (Old) House

Those of you who follow me on Insta and Twitter would have already seen a deluge of posts about my husband and I moving house.

(The day we got our keys)

 

After two and a half years of looking for our future family home and feeling pretty disillusioned we finally had an offer accepted on a house in a completely different area in July. We felt that it was a sign and decided to take the plunge and move south of the river for the first time!

(Our entrance now)

 

The following months were pretty stressful with mortgage brokers, banks, solicitors and contractors being exceptionally difficult and ignoring all deadlines. Unfortunately, blogging had to be put on hold (along with the rest of our social life) while I redesigned the house, packed, chased builders and furniture deliveries.

 

However, I am very happy to say that we finally moved into our new (old) house at the end of November!

 

Now that most of the boxes are unpacked I am really excited to share with you some of my interior design ideas, as well as tips and things I learned from taking on and managing a refurbishment project. Please let me know if you have any particular requests, but as the house slowly comes together I am looking forward to sharing it with you and getting more inspiration on the final touches!



Home: Dining

Over the past year I have definitely been experiencing home envy when looking through countless Pinterest and Instagram posts of cosy living rooms and glossy kitchens. As I always need a project on the go I decided that rather than feeling restless (and in lieu of having the opportunity to move) I redesigned our living and dining area to make it a little more modern. I previously featured snippets of this in my post here, but today I wanted to look closer at our dining table as it is (finally!) almost complete.

With a grey, blush pink and white palette in mind I wanted a sleek dining area that was stylish, but comfortable. Having picked out the Bramante extendable grey lacquer table from Made I paired it with two different styles of grey upholstered button chairs that fitted well with our new Chesterfield sofas.

As I was trying to keep to a tight budget it has taken a while for all the pieces to come together as many were purchased from various sale sites such as Achica and Casafina, which have beautiful stock, but long waiting times that can be frustrating. In fact, I am still waiting for our white and grey marble salt and pepper mills (to match the placemats I made using glass mats and vinyl contact paper), which I ordered over 2 months ago!

 

I adore fresh flowers and knew that I wanted a large square vase to be the centrepiece of my table. I always try to buy flowers when we have people over… and often buy them just for myself as they make any space look instantly more welcoming. I ordered this cube vase on Amazon (here) which was amazing value, but in hindsight I do wish I had purchased a slightly smaller one. This arrangement was made using one bunch of pink and 2 bunches of white roses and took me over half an hour to put together… not even mentioning the number of thorns I had to dodge while arranging them into a dome!

The cutlery and glasses are both from Villeroy and Boch, which I love for their amazing quality. We chose the La Divina glassware range (currently on sale here!!) for our wedding list and have received lots of compliments on them, especially the ridiculously large red wine glasses! They can be very dangerous…

To add a little bit of texture I added some grey and cream patterned napkins and ceramic napkin rings to our set. These were both from Zara Home, which also have amazing sales and are perfect for picking up little finishing touches such as unusual door handles or linens. To add a little extra colour I completed our settings with some vintage pink and silver candlestick holders, which I found on Etsy.

I hope you guys enjoy these little home posts as I have really loved seeing inspiration on so many different blogs and wanted to post a little of my own to show that you can get Pinterest worthy living spaces on a budget if you are willing to invest a little time!

 

Home Improvements: Making a House a Home!

Over the last year I have updated our home to make it a little more modern and a lot more reflective of my current tastes. After five years I felt like my living room definitely needed an upgrade!

Here is a little before photo (taken on the night hubby proposed, but it gives a good feel of the room - very brown and a lot of leather).

 And the after...

The first thing I decided to change was the colour scheme and feel of the room. I have become obsessed with grey furnishings and wanted to balance out the muted grey tones with warm blush pinks and a touch of cream.

 

I purchased two Chesterfield sofas in a rich grey and added a little texture and colour contrast with velvet cushions and a grey faux fur throw. I kept the rest of the furnishings, including the side tables and coffee table, in ivory.

I also added an ivory sideboard that worked perfectly with our new Vera Wang photo frame, cacti and the bonbon holders that we had left over from the dessert table at our wedding.

The last part was our dining table and chairs. Both were purchased from Made.com.

I love the lacquer table as it not only looks simple, modern and stylish, but is also extendable and super easy to clean.

For the table settings I used our old plain black glass settings and covered them in marble contact paper to make grey marble placemats and coasters. The napkin and napkin rings were purchased from Zara Home.

Let me know what you guys think! The photos aren't quite Instagram worthy, but I have really enjoyed researching and putting different pieces together!

Neom Scent With Love: Home Scenting Gift Set

Have you ever bought a present for someone, but couldn't quite make yourself part with it? Well greedy guts over here has, and from discussions around my office it seems to be a common trait. Though the gift set below has been compiled as such, I think it would also make a lovely treat for you. After all you deserve it!

The Neom Scent With Love Home Scentig Gift Set comes in a beautiful, weighty box that bursts with fragrance even before you lift the lid. It contains a perfect mini reed diffuser in the scent Happiness (White Neroli, Mimosa and Lemon), a Complete Bliss (Moroccan Blush Rose) scented travel candle and a Pillow Mist in send-you-to-sleep Tranquillity (English Lavender, Sweet Basil and Jasmine).

With a beautiful mix of the most popular Neom scents this gift is a great introduction to the brand, letting you try out three of their most popular fragrances.

The Neom Scent With Love gift set can be purchased for £50 here.

Timothy Dunn Arabian Fig

Christmas is all about setting the scene, and my favourite way of doing this is with scent. We all deserve a little luxury and my indulgences often include candles. The latest candle I have been sampling is Timothy Dunn's Arabian Fig, which I think is the perfect scent for the festive period.

The candle comes in leather look packaging, which contains a beautiful burgundy hand-blown glass holder with a classic silver lid.

The look of this candle is incredibly sophisticated and makes a proud addition to my coffee table. I think it would make a wonderful Christmas gift as it evokes luxury and smells absolutely amazing.

The inspiration behind this candle is the sophistication of ancient Constantinople – the largest and wealthiest city of the Middle Ages.  With notes of fig, basil and clove enhanced by frankincense, cassis, rose and jasmine, as well as rich sandalwood, cedarwood and musk this candle creates a festive aroma that warms the room. Plus with a burning time of 60 hours it will ensure the atmosphere lasts for weeks!

The Timothy Dunn Arabian Fig Candle can be found for £45 here.

Melt Candles

As the evenings get colder leaving the house becomes less and less tempting, so it's important to find ways of treating yourself at home. After a long day at work there is nothing I love more than snuggling on the sofa, watching a movie and lighting one of my (many) candles to fill the room with fragrance.

My most recent discovery are candles from Melt, which come in a fantastic range of 30 different scents. All the candles are hand poured and come in different sizes to fit your need.

I was sent two of their Luxury Glass Jar candles, which have a burning time of 70 hours each. One of their most popular fragrances is Angel (which is burning as I type). This is the perfect fragrance for this time of year as it feels very warm and smooth with hints of vanilla, jasmine, rose, cassis, patchouli, amber and even a little chocolate.

The second scent was Still, which is described as a true spa fragrance as it definitely has a clean aroma. The scent is very relaxing and rejuvenating with notes of lavender, rose, geranium, peppermint and eucalyptus.

I love the packaging of the candles and will definitely be using them (perhaps as drinking glasses) once my 70 hours are up. The candles burn really cleanly and so far I have not managed to make a significant dent in the last 2 weeks. The aroma they create in the room is really subtle and soothing with no traces of the synthetic, overpowering fragrance some candles have. I am already eyeing up a few more of the Melt scents on their website - More (rose, rose and more rose), Love and Blush are currently bookmarked.

Melt candles can be found here, with prices starting from £7.50. As well as candles Melt also specialise in beautiful reed diffusers and sophisticated perfumes. Bring on those chilly evenings!

Inspiration: Neom Organic Reed Diffuser

I have a very sensitive nose. Perhaps it has evolved to compensate for my poor sight, but I don't always view it as an evolutionary benefit when living in a city that isn't particularly fragrant. Therefore, when at home I try to take refuge in a space filled with delectable scents. I always have a candle burning in my living room and am an avid Febreeze purchaser. However, this does not always mix well with my abundant allergies! Candles are amazing as they can make a room feel alive with light and scent, but sometimes you may want a subtle, clean aroma with no sooty remnants. I have come to absolutely adore Neom's organic reed diffusers for just that!

The Violet, Chamomile and Cedarwood scent from Neom is called Inspiration, and aptly so. This mix of pure essential oils with 80% certified organic ingredients and 20% natural ingredients releases a light, fresh fragrance that is soothing and calming, while being uplifting and energizing. 

I have always struggled with having a candle in the bedroom (not least because if left unattended it can tarnish a perfectly white wall... oops), but also because the last thing you want is smoke in the room that you sleep in. This reed diffuser has been sitting on my side table for a few weeks and it has made the whole room smell absolutely heavenly. I have had no problems with my allergies and am happy to see that the level of oils has not decreased rapidly, so I can enjoy the scent for weeks to come!


Other fragrances in the range include Complete Bliss, Real Luxury and Refresh and after being sent Inspiration to review I will definitely be purchasing another as a gift or a treat! 


Neom reed diffusers are £32 and can be found on their website here.

Are you a fan of home fragrances? Have you ever purchased a reed diffuser? What are your favourite scents? xxx

Home Comforts - Candles

With the days growing colder and darker I find myself increasingly looking forward to cosy nights in on the sofa. So with home comforts in mind I thought I would do a little round up of my favourite scented candles at the moment.

Ila Candle for Inner Peace - £45

 

In keeping with it's higher price tag this is one of the most deeply scented candles I have ever had. The essential oils of tuberose and rose give it a delicious, sweet scent that reminds me of Turkish delight. This candle is perfect for relaxation as it is very soothing and calming.

Pearl Lowe for DP London - £30

I was given this candle at a PR event in Spiced Punch, which contains notes of bergamot, orange peel, cedarwood, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and vanilla. This candle creates a beautiful, warm, spicy yet comforting aroma, which is perfect for cold winter nights! The packaging is also gorgeous and it makes a beautiful addition to my coffee table. The only (tiny) thing that lets it down somewhat is the fact that the PL design is a plastic sticker, rather than a permanent etched image. Especially as you are paying a little extra for the DP logo over the normal white, embossed ceramic holder (normally £28).

Pintail Candles Filled Tin - £3.75

 

These are super affordable and come in a great selection of colours and fragrances. I can recommend the mulled wine.. yummy! These make great stocking fillers too.

Neal's Yard Calming Aromatherapy Candle - £28

This is a beautiful candle infused with delicate organic rose and geranium essential oils. The fragrance is well balanced and creates a comforting aroma in the home, without being overpowering. The 100% organic blend of beeswax and botanical wax means there is no sooty smoke or harmful toxins. 

Air Wick Colour Change Candle - half price £3

I have absolutely no idea how these work, but I absolutely adore them! The light at the bottom comes on as soon as you light the candle and cycles through the colour spectrum with a gentle glow. These are not the most strongly scented candles, but they do add a lovely splash of colour to any space.

 Yankee Candles - £1.30-£18.99

Yankee candles are a classic with an amazing range of delicious fragrances. These come in a great variety of sizes from individual tea lights to large jars. They also have a great range of Christmas fragrances, guaranteed to put you in the festive spirit!

Jo Malone Home candle - £38

Jo Malone candles make a perfect, indulgent gift for yourself or a loved one. The exquisite range of fragrances is more akin to perfumes than scented candles and fills the room in minutes with a refined and interesting scent. Even the smaller travel candles are extremely potent - pricey, but worth it in my humble opinion ;).

I hope this little review and collection of my top scented candles is helpful to some of you. Please let me know your favourites and recommendations! xxx