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My English Country Cottage
  • Blog Posts
    • Our Home
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    • What Makes an English Country Cottage?
    • Home County Candle Company
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  • Escape To The Country Necessities

    When we first moved to this cottage we knew that there was a tick list of items that we would need to buy to achieve our country idyll. Aga – tick. Logburner – tick. Large scrubbed pine table – tick (would prefer French oak refectory table but my our kitchen table has stuck by us for years so I couldn’t betray the poor love, especially not after a big move,…

    October 17, 2020
    What Makes an English Country Cottage?

  • Top 5 ways to Embrace Autumn with open hearts and joyous faces…

    …I’m trying ok? I am a summer baby, this is not my metier but I am trying to move to the darkside. Get outside and gather We don’t have a dog (I am incapable of looking after anything else, I am just not up to the job), I have so far managed to stay firm in the face of a powerpoint presentation by my children as to why dogs are…

    October 3, 2020
    What Makes an English Country Cottage?

  • Country Cottage Cosy

    I BELIEVE!!!! Hallelujah! I am converted! I LOVE AUTUMN!!! What a glorious season, a time to run carefree through leaves (well – maybe watch out for hedgehogs and fox poo…), a time to gather and harvest. A time to pull on cosy jumpers and plodge through puddles in wellies, returning home to warm up by La Aga and stuff faces with autumnal morsels (any fruit in cake and jam). Hang…

    September 26, 2020
    What Makes an English Country Cottage?

  • Florals

    I realised with my last couple of blogs that they are both floral based. Years ago when we first moved into this shell of a cottage, I read Ros Byam Shaw’s brilliant book “English Cottage” and although our house has most of the elements of the styles listed in this beautiful book, Romance is the one that sang out for me and my ‘rustic charm’! More specifically: Florals, Ros (I’m…

    August 15, 2020
    What Makes an English Country Cottage?

  • Floral Paintings

    Interview with artist Emma Perring Many people have commented upon the numerous paintings of florals and textile explorations that we have in our home. When you live in an old cottage that requires off white walls but when one is a secret lover of colour, paintings allow our walls to brighten our lives. We are extremely fortunate to have inherited a wealth of paintings from my husbands Great Aunt Muriel…

    August 8, 2020
    What Makes an English Country Cottage?
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Latest Posts

  • Bringing the outside in
  • Escape To The Country Necessities
  • Digging up Dahlias and Planting Peonies
  • Top 5 ways to Embrace Autumn with open hearts and joyous faces…
  • Top 5 Autumnal gardening Answers

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I often write "it's not me, it's the wonky house" and yes, your honour, the window is slightly bowed and wonky but I fear I am heading the same way as the house. . Perhaps it's not just dogs that owners morph into? Perhaps we all begin to take on the characteristics of our home? . Thatched hair, pulled out by chicks and greyed with age? Check! . Bulging plasterwork and wonky walls? Check! . Cracked rendering and sagging eaves? Check! . Creaks and groans on movement? Check! . Oh lawks, I've become a 17th Century Thatched Cottage. . This was not in my 5 year plan. . Happy time to buy a sleek modern apartment with a shiny copper roof and immaculate brick work Tuesday! X . #happyplace #kitchenwindow #kitchenwindowview #gardenview #autumninspiration #simplethingsmadebeautiful #countryliving #periodhome #oldhouselove #oldhousecharm #autumngarden #cottagestyle #cottagedecor #cottage #cottagecharm #countrydecor #autumnfeels #countrycottage #interiordetails #autumnvibes #englishcottage #oldhouse #loveofcountryhouses #countryfeatures #windowview #myseasonalwindow #instawindow


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Oh fugly tree, how I love thee. . The tree that gets forgotten, the tree that was only remembered in one of my husband's happy hacking sprees. . This little gem has battled the hacking and pruning of almost certain death. Most would not have survived such enthusiastic "we don't need to employ a specialist, I will sniff a book, glance at a google page and chops away! We will have apples aplenty from this little lady in a year's time". . We didn't. . That new years eve we invited friends over to wassail (throw cider on the apple tree - small masked and caped children got covered in warm spicy booze as the grown ups became more enthusiastic with the wassailing and the smalls became slower with exhaustion). Yet some cider definitely landed on the tree. . Still no apples the following year. . But this year... well glory be! Sweet and tasty but unbelievably fugly fruit. You couldn't put it on a platter and serve it to a roman emperor but by golly the spotted, lumpen what even is this colour apples are utterly delicious. . Naturally I thank the wassailing and my husband credits his newly lauded tree hack...pruning skills. . Happy made with love if not skill Monday. X . #seekthesimplicity #ofquietmoments #cottagelife #countrycottage #englishcottage #cottagegarden #thatch #prettylittleengland #englishhouse #countryliving #englishhome #periodhome #oldhouselove #mygardentoday #rustichouse #autumnday #cottagecharm #appletrees #countrycottagestyle  #rusticgarden #charminghomes #englishcountrygarden #englishcountryliving #thatchedcottage #mycountryhome #thisprettyengland #calmversation


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Yes, the clocks have gone forward. . No, I am not up super early and that's why it's dark outside. . This is a GASP, SHRIEK, FAINT CLEAN AWAY a yesterday shot!!! . I intend to RELISH this extra hour. We have had a VERY serious talk with our 9 year old 6am rising daughter gently suggesting and in no way bribing that she does not wake us up at 5am. We have promised to leave 2 new books (she guzzles them) by her bed and a well earned hot chocolate 6am not 5am award. I got a bit confused in this conversation - particularly the fall back, no it must be forward as we have an extra hour but I was sure it was fall back which my ridiculously over assertive now he is at big school 11 year chipped in with "it's DEFINITELY fall back Mummy", at which point I faintly agreed but put the hot chocolate centre stage on the island. . I too have a gorgeous new (second hand but new to me) wild flower book and discovered to my deep joy a little saved example of The White Dead Nettle leaves within the pages on nettles, these are the small things that make me very, very happy. Hot chocolate makes my daughter very, very happy, let us pray it is enough to buy us this joyous autumnal gift of an extra hour. . Happy sleep pleeeeease Sunday! . #library #windowseat #libraries #cozyreads #windowseats #cozyreading #homelibrary #readinggoals #librarylove #booksemoju #bookfeatures #readingtime #bibliophiles #booksofig #bookshelves #igreaders #bookpost #bookishpost #readersofig #bookshelfie #librarylife #bookworld #bookishfeatures #bookshelfie #classicinteriors #oldcottage #cosyreading


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The sunshine has actually turned our house yellow! This is brilliant!!! . We have been muttering and procrastinating over painting the house as it is almost grey with age and weathering. Paint is peeling and windows are - let's call them 'gently declining'. . I fear we may be the cause of much 'weathering' - the house had been inhabited by just one solitary, quietling lady for some years and was then left empty to enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside for a year and a half before we descended, scootering up and down ancient hallways of shrine like peace. Yelping around the garden like banshees escaping from... wherever banshees escape from, I'm not sure but I do know that they must have been somewhere pretty awful and very quiet because banshees are VERY, VERY LOUD. . The poor house shudders and groans waiting for the next nerf gun attack, the next cricket ball, the next arrow (we have several nerf bullets and arrows in the poor thatch) and the next door-slam of extreme fury and indignation. . But today, today the creaking, groaning, crumbling cottage is mellowed by this extraordinary Autumnal light and the children are exhausted after their first half terms back at school. May these small people keep quiet for as long as possible, this old home and this old Mummy need some quiet time (Mummy over celebrated again last night). . Happy sunshine and shhhhhh Saturday. X . #seekthesimplicity #ofquietmoments #cottagelife #countrycottage #englishcottage #cottagegarden #thatch #prettylittleengland #englishhouse #countryliving #englishhome #periodhome #oldhouselove #mygardentoday #cottagestyle #cottage #cottagecharm #cottagechic #countrycottagestyle  #countrystyle #charminghomes #englishcountrygarden #englishcountryliving #thatchedcottage #mycountryhome #thisprettyengland #calmversation


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It's a very, berry bathroom shot! . I have always had cleptomaniacal tendencies which, as time has passed, have progressed from 'Fancy Pencils'- I referred to this recently & my daughter stared at me sympathetically laced with disdain "It's a pencil Mummy, it writes words, it's not fancy". Then she stopped & considered "I suppose you didn't have phones or devices in your olden days, is that why you call them fancy?" I nodded through tears of age & retreated to cuddle my cushion collection. . This clepto tendency has exploded again with the fruits of Autumn. Hawthorne berries litter the house, leaves crisping nicely, dropping crunchily onto rugs & carpets for the children to stomp into the weave. I can't stop myself from gathering these bright shiny jewels of Autumn, clasping them to my bosom is painful & I have snagged several jumpers but I feel the need to grab & gather. . My husband returned yesterday to find the stables bathroom filled with joyous berries. "Instagram?" he enquired. "Mainly you!" I replied "I wanted it to look lovely when you got back now that this is your office." "But I don't use this bathroom" he puzzled, "the washer is loose on the tap, remember? I have switched the water off? " " Oh yes", I gaily trilled "Well perhaps you might like to FINALLY mend the tap in here so you can enjoy my Autumn decoration... & the main bathroom taps & the taps in our ensuite whilst you are at it!!" . I legged it before he could rightfully point out that I am perfectly capable of mending them myself & buried myself in more berries (I am almost immune to the thorns now). He'll never look for me here.. . Happy never find me Friday. X . PS Head to my website to read @flowersandlifestylebymargot absolutely stunning 'how to' on a foliage doorway installation. No berries in sight! . #bathroomdesign #bathroomvanity #bathroomsink #bathroomgoals #bathroomdetails #cottagestyle #vanityunit #mycreativeinterior  #rustichomedecor #rusticdecor #bathroomideas #bathroomvanity #bathroomvanities #rustictiles #rusticbathroom #whitewalls #whitewash  #weatherboard #bathroombasin #bathroomstyling #allinthedetail #washstand #countrycharm #vintagebathroom


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This is actual real life, with no filters, just amazing Autumn colours. . Admittedly it is now 2 days old, but I couldn't face posting the eternal, infernal, when will it end rain (yes, alright, I know it has only been a day but it's that sort of rain that makes you think that it has rained incessantly for months, I feel drenched to my soul... ok, not quite that bad but definitely a bit soggy). . The pears were shelved yesterday - I couldn't find any wretched jars, which resulted in a whole cycle of hashtag be kind to myself and so I didn't go for a run, didn't put the summer clothes in the suitcase for the loft, didn't pickle the pears or get any work done. What I did do was apparently order 28 pints of milk and 8 packs of butter and two broccoli, one cauliflower and then a massive mixed bag of cauliflower and broccoli , just in case, just to really ensure that we have a years worth of cauliflower and broccoli cheese (thank goodness I also ordered a massive cheese) in my Ocado shop. . I retired a la Lady Bertram to the kitchen sofa with a pack of milk chocolate digestives and sought refuge in a chapter of Nancy Mitford.. suddenly it was school pick up time. I wonder at what point hashtag be kind to yourself becomes total lazy indulgence that actually isn't really kind to yourself? My jeans may well be trying to alert me to the end of this 'me kindness'. . Happy think I might be overkinding myself Thursday X . #autumnsunshine #joyfulmoments #cottagefarmhouse #embracingtheseasons #cottageliving #mygardenthismonth #cottage #hyggegarden #englishcountrygarden #gardenliving #englishcottage #thatch #myhomesanctuary #outdoorliving #embracingaslowerlife #country #countryliving #countrycottagestyle #countrycottages #countryhomes #thatchroof #autumnfeels #countryside #outdoorspace #seekthesimplicity #autumnvibes


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Ok pears. This is it, this is you crowning moment. Behave well and you will be the stars of Christmas again. You will be introduced to your perfect partner Stilton and you will make everyone /me... very happy. . Dame La Aga is primed, she has been turned up for the occasion (ok, I turned her up last week for the inaugural roast of the season and a cottage pie the next day and then totally forgot to turn her back down). . A lot is riding on these pickled pears (mainly about £85 worth of oil). . No pressure. . I still can't find the original recipe that I used years ago that wowed us to silence on Christmas day (in a good way: this was the year that the family found our Christmas Carols party song sheets and we merrily swayed around the Christmas table singing Carols a cappella yet somehow the power of the pears silenced our choir of festive joy and allowed us to melt into the cheese course). . I think I will hedge my bets and split betwen the BBC Good food recipe and The Hairy Bikers' fail safe method - it's basically a scientific experiment. Well done me. . Happy which recipe Wednesday! X . #cosykitchen #myhyggehome #rustickitchen #agalove #aga #agalife #theartofslowliving #countrykitchen #simplelife #rusticdecor #thisishome #cottagelife #countryhomes #countryinteriors #daysofsmallthings #smallmomentsofcalm #cottageliving #cottagestyle #cottagedecor #nestandthrive #countryinteriors #homely #mycosyhome #kitchensofinstagram #heartofthehome #cottage #cottagekitchen



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