Spring Festive Décor | featuring EASY DIY

Hello!

" grab a glue gun, some flowers and possibly some fabric to create an array of beautiful Spring decor"

"April Showers bring May's Flowers" is what they say, and as we're in the middle of May, I thought it'd be a nice idea to bring those flowers into our homes. Pinterest is a great source for fun and simple DIY ideas that look super cute - so doing a roundup of a few favourites seemed like such a festive post to write in May.

Ca we just take a moment to look at this. How stunning? Of course, you can use fake flowers if you want it to last longer, but either way, it's so pretty! A hot glue gun can produce masterpieces (though you don't necessarily need a hot glue gun, it looks pretty cool to work with ;) ).

Mason Jar's have made their debut this past year, and I must admit, they're super cute and oh-so versatile! This ombré affect looks wonderful, and the hydrangeas are beautiful. Luckily we have a few hydrangea plants in our garden (see picture here), so as soon as they grow, this will be a lovely way to display them!

"you could totally gift it to someone, and I'm sure they'd love it!"

I have a thing for wooden furniture, and I love the way this looks. In fact, although I'm a bit of a glass fanatic too, the contrast of the modern glass with the wooden piece would look gorgeous (ideas for my future home..).

Have you seen the little hanging succulents around instagram? This reminds me a little of that. Oh, and what cute little way to up-cycle old light bulbs?!

"what better way to make the perfect quote pillow than make it yourself?"

As well as having a thing for wooden stuff, I have a thing for cushions. If you've seen my bed, I have about 7 pillows, which might be a bit excessive for some, but I love it! For those on the same wavelength as me, you can never have too many pillows, right?

Pillows with quotes are lovely and inspiring, and what better way to make the perfect quote pillow than make it yourself? You can choose your own fabric, particular shades of colour and your favourite quote! Using Spring prints and pastel shades will look beautiful during this season!

So why not grab a glue gun, some flowers and possibly some fabric to create an array of beautiful Spring decor to spruce up your home. Even better, you could totally gift it to someone, and I'm sure they'd love it!

Tell me, what are your favourite DIY's to do with flowers? Oh, and your favourite type of flower?

iPhone 6, My First Onesie & Bathroom Makeover : BerryWeekly

Hello! 

This Friday has been long anticipated. Why? It's my first weekend off in a very long time! I can't say I wasn't looking forward to it. Actually, do you not think that when you're looking forward to a particular day, the time leading up to it just drags on?

Well, anyway, since the last BerryWeekly, it did actually snow in London! Whoopie! However, not a lot. By afternoon the snow had melted and I didn't get a chance to build a snowman :(
I hope it does snow properly this year!

Though what did make me happy was my new phone cover! The gold and white combination so pretty. On another note, I got my first onesie! How is that even possible? Well, I was obviously late to jump on that bandwagon, yet it has bambi all over and bambi is my fav, so it was totally worth the wait until I got one I loved! Believe me, it was the comfiest thing ever!! I call it "big peoples baby grow" - yeah, cringe but I think that's it's kind of cute!

Here's the old case next to the new. A bit of photography at it's finest! Who would've thought such a small thing would make you feel happier? Change is good :)

Finally, a super random thing to add to this post: I redid my bathroom. I love a bit of pot pourri and scented stuff in the room, so putting some fragrance drops in there, cleaning the bowl and turning the sticks in the fragrance diffuser made the room smell amazing! The main reason the bathroom was redone was all because of towels. That's right, towels. So, all the towels are matching - the face cloths, the hand towels, the bath towels, the lot! A switch over of all the towels to a warmer shade makes everything seem 100x cosier.
By the way, by 'redone' it was mainly just rearranging and decorating! Well, that was a lengthy description of the bathroom, but believe me, it made me so happy that entire day!

That's it! In case you missed this post, follow me on Instagram to see what goes on during the week. It's fun writing about them on a BerryWeekly afterwards, as Instagram only explains half the story!

Tell me, did it snow a lot where you are this Winter? Did you get to build a snowman ;)?

Red Everywhere, a Fresh Room & a Special Snowman: BerryWeekly

Hello!

"feel like such a grinch saying that... but it's the truth"

Another Friday, another week over! It's been a pretty relaxing week, recovering from the first week back to college and just taking it a step back. You may have seen these images on my Instagram... well not ALL of them, there must be some special ones reserved specifically for the blog, right?

"great for this time of year where it feels like everything is just piling up"

More than a fortnight past 2014 meant it was about time the Christmas decor had to come down. To be honest, there came a point when I was sick of Christmas decor in the room... I feel like such a grinch saying that... but it's the truth, and that's that!

Instantly, my room felt more 'fresh'. Not 'fresh' in the context Will.I.Am uses it in (btw, anyone keep up with The Voice?), but the more airy, spring-is-coming, kind of fresh! So, from that day, there was a little less red to be seen in my life.

How cute is this notebook? Little birdies hold connotations of freedom, relief and nature... okay, I really bought it because it's the most gorgeous colour! Debriefing yourself is a good way to wind down - great for this time of year where it feels like everything is just piling up!

"this nail paint makes life so much easier...See more in Wednesday's post HERE"

Did I say there was a little less red in my life? Well, I take that back. Shortly after taking down the christmas decor, I decided to paint my nails. The colour I went for? Red! I haven't really painted my nails in a while but this nail paint makes life so much easier. It has a wide brush so a coat is done in a matter of seconds! See more in Wednesday's post HERE. Oh, and so far, no chips! Yay!

"It's the little things in life! :)"

A special photo not shown to the instagrammers: I present you: Snowy.. the snowman! He is the little pattern on my PJ bottoms (which I'm wearing right now, actually), and guess what? The nails matched his scarf! It was meant to be! It's the little things in life! :)

I hope you have a super fun weekend, full with the little things that make you smile!
Tell me, how do you wind down from a stressful day?

The end of Christmas 2014, Quotes & iPhones: BerryWeekly

Hello! 

"Who would've thought such a small gesture would transform a room into something a lot more festive?"

That's it. This marks the end of Christmas. The 25th is gone by a day, the presents have been open and families are cherishing the moments they've had together. Not to mention, we're probably knackered from all that shopping we did today, right? Or were we tactic enough to do it online? Either way, we can pack up the decorations soon (okay, we'll allow it for another fortnight, shall we?) and reflect on this beautiful holiday we just had!

"Time to pack these beauties away"

My bedroom looked super festive this year. It wasn't because of the tinsel handing on my window, the wreath hanging or the festive printed candle holders. It was the draught excluder turned long pillow that was the centre of attention. Who would've thought such a small gesture would transform a room into something a lot more festive?

Oh, what is winter without candles? Also, what's a BerryWeekly without some candles, right? Time to pack these beauties away too... until next year, my friends ;)

"Don't be affected by the 'end-of-Christmas Blues' - we can get over that. "

As of this past week, I am a new owner of an iPhone 6. Not as big as people make it out to be, let me tell you! Now looking back at the 4S, it seems tiny! I can't believe how quickly you get used to the bigger screen! Nonetheless, the phone takes great photos and I love the Touch ID feature - seriously makes it so much easier to unlock your phone! Oh and the background is, of course, non other than winter inspired scenery at the moment! ;)

" the presents have been open and families are cherishing the moments they've had together."

Finally, a little quote to get you going. Don't be affected by the 'end-of-Christmas Blues' - we can get over that. All you need is a little enthusiasm (and the leftover Christmas dinner) to keep you going! 

Hope you had a fab holiday, grabbed awesome stuff from the sales, spend quality time with family and look forward to the new year!

What's the thing you're going to miss/cherish about Christmas 2014?

The Christmas Tag: 2014

Hello!

"I have always wanted a puppy but was never allowed one, so one christmas I asked Santa for a robotic one"

With this week being jam packed with festive cheer, how could we not do the 2014 Christmas tag? Although not tagged by anyone in particular, I first read it from milkbubbletea.com and wanted to do it too! (see if you're tagged at the end). Let's get into it.. or should I say 'Let the sleigh bells ring' (okay, dead joke, I'm sorry!).

1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie/s?

How could one surpass Christmas without watching the iconic 'Home Alone'. My mummy loves that movie and we watch it every year. My fav bit is seeing the beautiful New York Christmas tree being lit up (Home Alone 2, I think it's in!) - oh, and that awesome toy store!

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

Well, we have a tradition of opening the presents with my mum's sisters children (ie. my cousins), so it's either on Christmas Day or the 26th, depending on when we're all free. However, this year one of my cousins is going on holiday on the 25th , so we'll probably do it on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day... no set day, really - just a tradition to do it together. 

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

Every year our family get together at various houses on different nights and have 'cards night'. This is where we get together at around 7pm and play cards, watch movies and just chill until 3-4am in the morning. One year (think it was 2012), we were at my aunt's house for cards night on Christmas Day, and my two cousins and I stayed up until 6am and went straight to the boxing day sales. It was manic, with queuing for 3hours in the freezing cold, getting inside the stores and shopping like crazy and finally getting home at around 11am in the morning. We all slept like babies that day and didn't get up until about 5pm, and had another cards night at another uncles house at 7pm - it was super tiring yet fun at the same time. Definitely a crazy experience, but one of my favourites.

"spending time with the family, making my bedroom super festive and, of course, the annual cards nights!"

4. Favourite festive food?

Biscuits! My mummy and I bake during the holidays and make our traditional biscuits. Everyone loves them and it's fun spending quality time with my mum!

5. Favourite Christmas gift ?

Generally, Santa never surprised me. I either got money or something I asked for. One year, when I wasn't really expecting anything for christmas, there was a present for me under the tree. It was a pair of pink and white Heely's. These are basically shoes with wheels. We went out the very next day to Asda, just so I could hold on to the trolley and wheel around. Trust me, all the kids were jealous and I had the biggest smile on my face!

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

Spiced Apple or Vanilla... or the smell of freshly baked biscuits!

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

Not really, other than watching Home Alone with the family! 

"One year, when I wasn't really expecting anything for christmas, there was a present for me under the tree"

8. What tops your tree?

 This year it's a sparkly red star!  

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?

I have always wanted a puppy but was never allowed one, so one christmas I asked Santa for a robotic one. Although I never got my puppy, Santa did buy me a robotic one which responds to your voice and walks around. There was also a sensor which means it doesn't walk into walls, and turns when it comes close to one! It was pretty awesome!

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?

Well, not to be typical or anything, but spending time with the family, making my bedroom super festive and, of course, the annual cards nights! 

I TAG:

- Paula (Thirteen Thoughts)

- Rebecca (Rawrrbeccabeauty)

- Leah & Rachel (Beyond The Velvet)
- Monique (Writing Monique)
-Becky (Under The Sea Beauty)
- Ana (Meet Me @ 2AM)

-& YOU!

Wishing you a very happy holiday and tell me: what's the best part about Christmas for you?

Wahaca - Lunch in Covent Garden

Hello! 

"Food comes in various sizes."

As mentioned in Friday's post, last week was my week off, so obviously that means catching up with friends over lunch in London! Duh.. who really relaxes during their week off?! *looks around like she didn't sleep all day for most of the week* 

Wahaca is near Covent Garden station - it's a small, cute little Mexican restaurant inspired by Mexican Market/Street Eating.

"service was great, the atmosphere lovely"

As you walk in, you see this skeleton on a display table surrounded by macaron hearts and gingerbread men! It's so super cute and it decorated for 'The Day of the Dead'. The whole decor in Wahaca is very quirky and full of primary colours!

"small, cute little Mexican restaurant inspired by Mexican Market/Street Eating"

Food comes in various sizes. There's 'Street Food' which is recommended to order 2-3 plates per person, and there's classics with foods such as Burritos. Unfortunately for the one dish meals, there weren't many vegetarian choices. Being a vegetarian, I was a little disappointed. However, they had a few other dishes in the street food section which were vegetarian. I went with the mushroom, corn and cheese Quesadilla and it was exactly what it said on the tin. 

Overall, not a bad place to have lunch with friends, especially if you go for Frozen Yogurt at Snog down the road later, which is what we did! They did have desserts, such as churros, if you want to have your sweet treat in the same seat. The service was great, the atmosphere lovely and not too busy (bear in mind we went on Monday at around 1.30pm) and the food is good.

What's your favourite Mexican Dish?

Decor Haul: Hanging Ball Lights

Hello!

"bringing that warm fall glow into the room... the kind that warms your heart"

With this cooler weather, it reminds us Christmas is coming - 78 days, people! Christmas is all about beautiful lights, tree decorations, christmas wreaths and snow - although all of this can't be achieved yet, we can bring some lights early. Trust me, they really give a warm vibe (yes, pun intended!). 

"The lights in these last for about 10 years,"

There are so many different shapes, hearts, stars, even flowers that you can choose from on Blaze-On.com (which is where these are from) but these round ones are perfect. They work year round, are neither more feminine or masculine, and suit in any room... they're currently surrounding the noticeboard in the study. 

"many different shapes, hearts, stars, even flowers that you can choose from"

The colour is a off-white, almost yellow - bringing that warm fall/winter glow into the room, you know the kind that warms your heart? Yes, it's that kind!

"They work year round...and suit in any room"

Although the packaging is gorgeous, there was a dent in one of the balls :(. I'm sure they would exchange the box for another, but you can't really see the dent when they're up and running. The lights in these last for about 10 years, so no need to worry about changing them.

The most important part about Blaze On is their ethics, which is great about buying from them - click here for more.

As well as lighting up your life (there's another pun!) through the balls, you can also choose a candle. This is the pretty one that came with the box! How gorgeous?!

Let me know how you have decorated for this season?

Autumn Inspiration Board

Hello! 

"it is OFFICIALLY Fall.. even though we've been on about it for a while now on BBXO!"

As of last Monday, it is OFFICIALLY Fall.. even though we've been on about it for a while now on BBXO! We can finally feel the air being crisper when we woke up in the morning, with the sun rising at a later time everyday and the days getting shorter - yep, it's autumn!

Having never been one for Pinterest boards, believe me I've tried but never kept it up for long, this is a different way of doing the same thing. So, here's for fall inspiration:

"finally feel the air being crisper when we woke up in the morning"

Things that spring to mind: Fuzzy Socks, Hot Drinks, Roasted Chestnuts, Grey/Darker Nail Shades, Candles, Acorns, PUMPKINS! :D

What springs to your mind when you think of Fall? 

BerryWeekly: Flowers, Room Scents & Vita Coco

Hello!

"prepare to get some tips to spice up your room for Summer"

Another Friday has approached us! OMG I feel like every Friday I start with the same intro, either that or 'TGIF'. Gosh, it's getting old! Anyway, that may be getting old but lets see what's new and loving this week! Also, prepare to get some tips to spice up your room for Summer, too! :)

"you would have NEVER in a billion years thought of it"

The flowers in the garden have been blooming and that's when the most creative idea ever hit me: Cut up a few flowers and leaves and stick them in a vase for the room! Yes, I know - you would have NEVER in a billion years thought of it!

Why not make the most out of what we have - so if you have flowers in your garden or if anyone allows you to take their flowers, definitely do this - it's super easy and looks amazing! Plus, it's always lovely to wake up to these beauties in the morning!

"you would understand my excitement when a whole box of it landed on my doorstep"

You may be as hyped about coconuts as I am - as shown in this post, this post and this post - and if you are, you would understand my excitement when a whole box of it landed on my doorstep on Monday! I ordered it from Amazon, by the way.

"Definitely recommend it"

Finally, another thing thats great for your room is this fragrance diffuser. It is a plug-in and has 3 scents which change every 45 minutes. This makes it so you can smell the fragrance every time it changes and realise it is there. I have the trio in 'Thai Orchid' and this is the 3volution fragrance diffuser by Ambi Pur. Definitely recommend it and it lasts forever!

I hope you had a fantastic week and tell me: What's your favourite type of Flowers? 

Weekly Roundup #LastEver

Hello!

This is BerryBloomXO's 100th post!!! What??! Can you believe it! Well, to keep this one more personal, it's a weekly roundup, and quite possibly the last EVER Weekly Roundup…

That's right, last ever. Okay, well, not the last EVER ever, but seeing as there are more than 10 Weekly Roundup posts, it may be time to change it up a bit… like a new name, perhaps? Considering that 'Weekly Roundup' is used by like every blogger, that or 'Friday Favourites'! To make things different and change up the name, a new one is needed so here are some ideas: Weekly Berry, BerryRoundup … okay, I'm not that creative but YOUR help is needed!!

We'll come back to that, but to the Weekly Roundup:

I passed my Driving Test!! 

I obviously had to blur out like all of the certificate due to personal information and things, BUT I passed! It was my first time taking the test and I thought I was going to fail as the first turn I took was very wide - because I was nervous, of course - but it was all good! Honestly, it was unbelievable and it still hasn't hit me that I can drive officially now! 

Relax time watching BRITs 2014

Being a true candle-lover, you would know what joy it brings when a candle is lit! After having redone my room, I had not lit a candle - purely because I had forgotten. Watching the Brits on my Laptop (while tweeting, of course!) with a candle on my bedside table was super fun and the show was great this year! 

Birdie Time

The rare times when the sun actually shines in London, we make the most of it! Having gone to the park to feed the ducks and birds in the beautiful weather, I couldn't resist but take a snap!

It was a lovely week! I hope you had a great one too and I wonder what your highlights of the week were!
One solution left to find: What to name the series, please share your suggestions!

Desk/Home Office Inspiration!

Hello!

Thank Goodness It's Friday. I thought I'd post this so you might get some inspiration to do some DIY this weekend!

Well, productivity should be full blast right now. If you're a college student like I am, then this week may have been Mock Week/Month. I had quite a few Mocks this month, luckily I did some last month before Christmas break, so there weren't as many exams as there could have been! Anyway, that means we should be studying.

However, if the area in which you work is not sorted, or doesn't make you feel happy, then you're less likely to study/work well enough, believe it or not! I find that if the area that I am working in is a mess, my mind won't work straight.

Yet you might be the type of person that likes clutter? Lets be honest, we only REALLY say we like clutter when we cannot be bothered to tidy said clutter away!

1)

I like having a nice view from my desk too. It used to be facing a wall (see a picture in this post) but that got boring pretty quickly for me! This picture was actually taken in autumn when the sun was nice and golden throughout the day. Nowadays we tend to get overcast or fog hiding that beautiful sun! 

2) 

via: 1, 2

These two desk areas are lovely. They're minimalistic, have very little clutter - which is the best way to go, and the colours are all very easy on the eye. I like the stationary and small decor pieces yet nothing overwhelming or anything to distract focus.

3)

This picture was taken at night so doesn't look as bright but I like to keep plants on my windowsill. I've heard looking at natural plants and greenery is great for your eyesight and makes you feel good. 

Green being a colour connoting success, wealth and growth, it's perfect for the study. I mean when you see them grow over the days, it's really nice! Oh, and this is the type of plant that if you forget to water it for a couple of days, it won't die… just the type I need! haha! (species: Jade Plant) 

4)

via 1,2

Both of these desks are made out of glass which give a modern, clean vibe. I also have a glass on top of my desk and love it because I can jot notes with whiteboard pens which rub out (and can be colourful). Also, because I can slide papers and notes underneath the glass so it's visible yet there's no clutter.

I got mine from starglassuk.com which provided great customer service and delivered it to my door.

They also provide mirrors and frames - which is what I like about the first image - which adds another clean vibe to the room. 

5)

Finally, creating a studious atmosphere with books and files may just make the room feel complete. 

I hope you have gotten some inspiration for your desk to get that all important work done.

Oh, and starglassuk.com have offered a DISCOUNT code for YOU - enter BerryBloomXO at checkout to receive 20% off your glass/mirror or anything! 

What can you not live without at your desk or What helps you work/study?