'Roo's Beach' {Store}, Porth, Cornwall

Aaaaaahh...the last days of Summer have turned to Autumn here in Ireland and I had one last blog post to write from our holiday in Cornwall. Those Sunny, Beach days seem a distant memory now but maybe some of you lucky people are taking that last sneaky trip away before school starts? Well, for those of us here in rainy Ireland, I thought I might give you one last Splash of Sunshine!! 'Roo's Beach' store www.roosbeach.co.uk is a little taste of Miami in Cornwall. The lovely Australian lady who was there that day had been an Interior Designer in London for many years. When I asked her could I take a few snaps, she was happy for me to do so & as I 'oohed + ahhed' around the store, this is what I found. {Oh! And I also bought a gorgeous pair of flip flops, which I wore all summer and, resigned that, yup, it's Autumn, put them away yesterday}. So, sit back and let me take you on a last little journey to the sun and if you have a second to comment, would love to know your thoughts xx

As I walked down the hot boardwalk, I knew I was in for a treat!

A really cute take on the Pineapple Trend

I still have no idea why I didn't purchase any of this fab collection!

An Up-Cycled Lamp! ♥

"The Details are not the Details. They make the Design"  Charles Eames

'Share it Friday' #1

• Have noticed for a while that I've tended to want to share what might be happening at the weekend/something interesting that's caught my eye/something I'm up to myself. And this tends to occur on a FRIDAY! Hence: 'Share it Friday'! It feels pretty random at the moment, as, as you know, I'm learning my craft and might I add, enjoying every second. So, here's my little roundup for today xx It comes at a funny time as I'm going to take a little 'Blog Break', what with a lovely Family wedding on the horizon and both my little one's starting school {eek!}, I need to be "Just Mum", but, I'll be back, after the settling in period...for all of us!! Hope you'll still be here.

  

  A super talented Friend. For more information: www.keelinggallery.com 

  

  A long-time fan of Welsh Designer, Sian Elin-this is a 'sneek peek' of her new notebooks!! 

  

  Some of my weekend reading-from the Library

  
  
  

  

  Retro VW Love 

  
  

  

  More Retro Lovin': this time, a Tea Caddy from the fabulous www.quackanddirk.com

  
  

  

  A broken plate meant a new one had to be purchased. Mental note: Buy extra if I like a range! There was a different range of CDe {Carolyn Donnelly Eclectic at Dunnes Stores}, on left, but, hey, I like it too!!!

  
  

  

  And I leave you with the words on EVERY French person's lips! C'est la rentrée! Back to School! 

Out + About: Charity Shop: The Treasure Chest

Childvision, is "the only centre in Ireland for the education and training of Visually Impaired Children" www.childvision.ie and a few parents got together recently and opened a Charity Shop called 'The Treasure Chest' on the grounds. They have lots on offer: Clothes {a green dress to die for that just. wouldn't. fit. Grrrrrrr!!}, Books, Children's Stuff...etc. and a little way down the back, is their homewares section. I had popped in to collect a bookshelf/storage combo for my little girl's room and, um, it was only polite to stay a while. I chatted with the lovely lady who was there on Sunday Morning & asked would it be ok to take a few snaps. And this is what the magpie in me was attracted to that day! I know, that there are so many demands on our hard earned cash these days but, these items were so reasonably priced and it's such a worthy charity. Just Sayin'. The Treasure Chest is located at the Childvision Campus, Gracepark Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9. 

Cath Kidston? Nope. But Cute, eh?

This piece was long + tall + stunning 

Ready for some Hilda by Design lovin'!

A 50c Tea Light Holder on our new book shelf

Our House: Boy's Room

I'm clearing out my little guy's room at the moment, as he enters the next stage: 'Big School'! It's a little feeling that he's growing up and his 'baby' toys should possibly move on to the Charity shop where they may get a new lease of life. There are some toys, however, that I'm not ready to say goodbye to yet! I'm looking for cute ways to store them and came across these two examples which I think are pretty cool-do you? • Have a little 'thing' for Glass Display Domes for a while now!

Toys Cars in a Glass Display Dome rockettstgeorge.co.uk

Old Comic Books + A Peanut Container Via roadkillrescue.net

Visit to Padstow, Cornwall

WARNING: This is a frustrated Blog Post. Why? Because the first time we visited the Beautiful Fishing Village of Padstow, Cornwall, our little guy was only 1 year old. At this stage, children may sleep at some stage and you can pop 'em in a stroller and meander your way around the town. This time, we visited with a five year old and a three year old. Yup. Meander? Run, more like!! Ah, our little darlings had ideas of their own and these mostly involved eating Cornish Ice Cream {Double Yum!} and not, most surprisingly, visiting the numerous beautiful Interiors/Gourmet Stores dotted around the town! So, I peered from afar mostly but the first stop had to be the deli section of Rick Stein's Padstow Empire. It was here we got some take away Cornish Pasties on our last visit and I was eager to repeat. The building itself is impressive as it's a huge Industrial looking Barn. Old Fishing factories, I would say. The first part houses a store, fish & chip shop and gourmet section. As you walk in to the town, you pass Stein's Restaurant and further in still, you come across his Café and Gift Shop. If you have been, please let me know if I am omitting something!! I loved the Coastal Interiors i saw while in Cornwall and Stein's didn't dissapoint. As we walked through the town, just near the Café, we came across these Almshouses. My kids were entranced. Padstow is a spot that I think I can visit again & again and still, experience something new. Some fine dining in Stein's Restaurant would be really lovely in the future but for now, we were happy with pasties on a bench, in the sunshine xx

All photo's © Hilda by Design

Out + About: IKEA-Part One!

My love affair with IKEA started in Paris, France when I was 21. I'd recently moved there and we didn't yet have a store in Dublin. My first purchase was a black, wooden side table and I loved it! IKEA was there for the next big chapter in my life: moving in with my {then} boyfriend i.e. Hubbie and now, IKEA belongs to an exciting new phase: the designing of our first house together as a family. I braved the masses at the recent Bank Holiday Weekend here in Dublin and popped in to the Ballymun Branch...for Bookshelves {ahem! I MAY have made one or two extra purchases!!} and couldn't resist a little look around the store while I was there!! I was literally 2 seconds in the store when I spotted these super cute Coloured Glass Vases and as I am collecting coloured glass at the moment for my mantle, I couldn't leave them there, eh? They have actually ended up on the Bookshelves...but, I think that's another day's Blog Post! | These beautiful Screens have a little 'Information Tag' from the Interior Design Team which helpfully describes how they were made | A High Back Armchair with a pretty Autumnal Cushion | A Colourful Chaise Longue and Two-Seater Sofa in Husie Orange and a Customised Table | The same High Backed armchair, this time in Mosta Green | I love the Lövebacken Side Table and it's Retro-Look but when I saw it displayed, I appreciated it's 'Leaf-Like' appearance and speaking of greenery, I love these pails and Cutlery Stands which I would really love in our Kitchen! I'll leave you for the moment with some super-on-trend Insect Cushions {wish I could have seen the Moth Cushion out of it's packaging: I'm sure it's lovely} and some cute, colourful cushions that could look really lovely in a Girl's Bedroom, eh? What's YOUR IKEA experience??

TROPICAL!!!