Found these on Pinterest and thought I’d share them. Some really interesting thoughts and ideas to keep your brain fresh when it’s bored and borne down by work, life’s little irritations and the dirty dishes in the sink that you should have probably cleaned last night. Enjoy 🙂
Ok, I just had to share some of these great DIY ideas – really clever, and fairly simple too. I keep collecting things like this so that when we move into a house I can start implementing them!
Here are a bunch of fantastic and easy to do DIY tips that have a really amazing effect and will get everyone else going ‘wow’ 🙂 Happy Wednesday!
Simply drill through your wooden fence and insert some colourful marbles – what a great effect when the sun shines through! Make sure your neighbours are ok with this though 🙂
Marbles in the Wooden Fence | source gardendrama.wordpress.com
Simply clean the surface of the chair with a stiff wire brush to remove any rust, then wipe down with a cloth. Spray with metal primer and let dry, Then apply several thin coats of a rust inhibitor paint. Spray lightly to avoid drip marks!
Spraypainting a Vintage Metal Chair | source Fresh Home Ideas
Revamp! remove extra slats where necessary, give a coat of paint & cover in patterned fabric or pretty paper. Add hooks and hang on the wall! Place your favourite knickknack and admire 🙂
Cutlery Holder to Printer Tray | source Going Home to Roost
Use wooden fruit crates to create a shelving solution for wine bottles! glue and nail together and fix to a wall for extra support. You can also simply stack together and move around when you want. Display your wine collection proudly!
Wine Bar Shelving | source Pinterest
Buy a metal tray with high edges and fill with smooth white ‘river’ stones – you can get this at your local hardware shop. Place dirty or wet boots here to dry! Easy to clean too 🙂
River Rock Boot Tray | source Martha Stewart
I’ve always loved the pale colours and rough edges of traditional farm kitchens – and while achieving that look as a decor style around your entire home can be a little difficult, a country-style effect is really quite achievable!
Today on The Good Girls Guide I’ve sourced some amazing ideas and inspiration on how to create country-style goodness in your home – from the kitchen to the loft bedrooms to the little touches 🙂 It’s amazing what rough wood painted white, a few overflowing vases of soft flowers and some vintage touches can do!
Remember, it’s often ALL about the accessories. If you can add little bits of inspiration to your home, you can easily add a country-style look that’s not hard, inexpensive and just looks like you’re a vintage queen 🙂 Enjoy!
A Bucket of Flowers | source here.
A Country Cupboard | source here.
A Country-Style Loft Bedroom | source here.
A Gorgeous Country Kitchen | source here.
Sleeping in the Barn | source here.
Scaffolding Coffee Table | source here.
Traditional Farm Kitchen | source here.
Vintage Farm Kitchen | source here.
Today I decided to share a gorgeous African-inspired moodboard with you all – iconic, classic, quirky and quintessential elements and images that typify Africa in many ways. From art to landscapes to gorgeous safari-style decor and furniture, to fashion, endless horizons and wildlife appreciation…
I love creating moodboards – they can be inspirational in so many ways: sparking an idea, setting a mood, getting you motivated, reminding you of dreams…I encourage you all to create your own moodboard in your home – above your desk in your study, on the kitchen fridge or even on the back of the bathroom door – whereever you are, be inspired!
So enjoy this ROAR like a Lion African-inspired Moodboard today, only on The Good Girls Guide:
Africa Inspiration | all images from Pinterest.
Today Cape Town is awash with colour, light and fragrance – it’s undeniably the beginning of Summer. While 1 September went by with a classic downpour and 17degree weather, Spring has finally arrived and everyone’s out in cute outfits, smiles and drinking smoothies!
To celebrate the start of our gorgeous Summer season, I’ve put together a yellow-sunshine-inspired blog post entitled: Sunshine in the Home! Bring the light in with bigger windows (or better placed ones), brighter, lighter colours, flowers and open doors! No reason why Winter has to remain indoors when outdoors looks so HOT. THat’s why I love DIY and easy-to-update decor: you can do it in a heartbeat, and all it requires is a good idea and some inspiration.
Celebrate the start of Summer with me! Happy days 🙂
It’s a Yellow Summer! | source here.
Summer in the Kitchen | source here.
A Room That Smells of Summer | source here.
Sleeping in the Summer Light | source here.
Bright as a Button | source here.
Sunshine Cleaning | source here.
Let the Light In | source here.
I’ve always loved weddings that go the extra mile in the detail. It’s the light touches, the hard work, the attention to detail that for me, shines as extra special! Having attended quite a few weddings in the past few years, I’ve seen some incredible ideas on what to do with ‘the detail’.
There are so many elements that go into making a wedding day breathtakingly beautiful, and I suppose it’s totally up to the couple to decide which is the most important. Photography, cake, stationery, decor, outfits, favours, guest entertainment, music, vows & ceremony…there’s plenty to release your creativity upon!
Some great ideas for some of the above:
Photography
Choose your photographer wisely. I would recommend a partnership team: they have experience working together and can ensure a wider variety of pictures. Also, choose someone whose style you enjoy – you want your vibe to be captured 100%! Most of all, feel comfortable! My lovely friends Rebecca and Bruce Meissner rocked our wedding 🙂 (see them here: Love Made Visible)
Cake
Cake Schmake. Yes, R4000 cakes are around, but trust me, unless you’re a confectionist, you really don’t need one of those! If you have a talent in your family/friend circle who can bake – go for it. Else, investigate cakes that taste amazing but don’t cost a bomb! We did an awesome chocolate fudge mousse cake from Melissas – and then decorated with blushing brides, icing sugar and a wire bicycle made for two!
Stationery
If you’re creative, do as much as you can yourself (table menus, name tags etc), but even if you are, leave the actual invitation to an expert! Trust me, it’s worth it. Look online for ideas – invites these days can be crazy fun and inspirational, elegant and classic or totally out of the box and different. Think different textures, wording, typefaces and imagery! Thanks to the gorgeous Nikky Dowding of Moonbeams & Polkadots for ours…
Decor
My absolute FAVE! Be specific – think of a theme/colour scheme and then go with it. Don’t look back. We did a vintage theme with lots of proteas, fynbos, old suitcases, lace overlays, clear glasswear of different sizes, a wine menu and white candles... Start with a moodboard and collect ideas. Pinterest is a good place to start brainstorming! Remember, decor is TOTALLY 100% DIY doable – have fun!
And those are my tips to making your day extra-special. Get involved, do the hard work and be rewarded with a magical day when it all fades blurrily into the background as all you have eyes for is your husband. You can see how gorgeous it all looked in the photos later on!
View all our wedding photos here.
Our bedrooms, our boudoirs, our place of safety, our place of refuge…yes the bedroom, whether it’s all yours or if you share it, needs to be a place we can disappear to at the end of the day and feel home.
Many tips and tricks can make your bedrooms better than just an average space, so if that’s with a coat of paint, a special feature, a unique bed or quirky decor – it’s really just about reflecting who you are and making it all about you!
The Good Girls Guide has found a few innovative ways in which you can make your bedroom your own, check out our choices for The Great Bedroom Idea Award, and tell us which you think works, doesn’t work, or would like to try out…
Creative Four Poster Magic | source here.
> use home made four posters (here – branches), adorn them with twinkle lights, and wah-la, a beautiful, romantic space on a shoestring budget <
Lower that High Ceiling with a Chandelier | source here.
> bring down the height of your bedroom ceiling with a low-hanging chandelier or two. It creates a great focal point and prevents people from looking up too high <
Create a Dark Feature Wall | source here.
> innovative use of a dark colour paint on just one wall in your bedroom (behind the bed is good) creates a dramatic feature point, anchoring your main furniture and also offering options to match colours throughout <
Clever Design for a Small Space | source here.
> making the most out of a small space or odd space is often tough – here a bed, couch and desk area compliment each other and the small space is hardly noticeable <
Pop a Wall with a Photo Collage | source here.
> decorate a plain wall with a detailed feature: here a collection of similarly framed photos. This makes a larger room more intimate and is a great way of displaying photographs or memories <
Create a Soft Space with a Brick Backdrop | source here.
> bedrooms don’t have to conform to smooth painted walls. brickwork, stonework and even wood-plastered walls can be effective, dramatic and create a unique atmosphere <
Go Retro with a Warehouse Feel | source here.
> using smooth cement floors, a low-lying futon and a minimal use of other furniture, means you can create an artistic warehouse space, without the space being massive. Great for converted bedrooms or rooms that are oddly designed or built <
The Good Girls Guide 