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My English Country Cottage
  • Blog Posts
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  • Interview with Tori Murphy Textile Designer

    As a child Tori Murphy wanted to be a fashion designer but as she grew up her dreams progressed to becoming an artist yet it wasn’t until her mid twenties that she realised she could have a career in textiles. Textiles is an area that allows me to be fluid as it is very creative but can then be applied across many different areas, including homeware, accessories, and elements of…

    November 21, 2020
    What Makes an English Country Cottage?

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Daily Instagram Blog

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Happy, happy 1st March!

Yesterday really truly felt like spring, so I am using a yesterday shot and ignoring today’s fog! Even the daffodils braved the sunshine to join the daring snowdrops. Even my son ventured outside for a whole entire two hours in the garden: it must be spring!!!!

We spent the day preparing the ground for glorious mixed hedging to allow us a degree of privacy- AT LEAST three dog walkers meandered past just in the morning. My directional skills and encouragement techniques excelled themselves- I don’t like to infringe on my husband’s manual labour, he likes to be at one with the earth, it’s an organic process ripping green wired fencing that has become entangled in years of tree roots and brambles. I knew he would just want an “ooh that looks wonderful “ and an “oh you are doing a fantastic job - just a few metres left” as I wafted past with my spring bulbs -I mainly carried them around and then put them back where they had been originally but I think they enjoyed the airing.

Here’s to a month of spring garden jobs and plenty of excellent encouragement.

Happy 1st March Monday! X

#thatchedroof #thatch
#thatchedcottage
#cottages #ilove_simplebeyond #houseportrait
#englishcountryside
#photosofbritain #countrycottage #englishvillage #housesofinstagram #oldhouses
#oldhomelove #oldhouselove #oldbuildings
#countryhomes #countrygarden #homeandgarden #houseandgarden #rustichome 
#everysquareastory #mygardenlife #farmhouselife #farmhouseliving #cottagegardens


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Ohhhh the lovely sunshine!

Light up my home and let me see the...what is ...oh brilliant!...let me see the sneaky naughty wheely tiger bug peeking out with its vicious nasty bite your ankles wheels as the children scream in delight.

Oh yes! You remain skulking but I know you are there, ready to pounce in your push push games (small daughter pushes beloved older brother up hill and down dale (17th century meandering floorboards) whilst attempting to break all records known to mankind (4.53 seconds from top of hallway to bottom).

This is the hallway that persuaded the older brother that there might be equally brilliant houses to the one he was currently living in - the smallest sister had no idea, simply filled her nappy and forced her slightly embarrassed Mummy to change her on the entirely empty sitting room floor which made her Mummy wonder at the true marvel of a house constructed of enormous beams as she tried not to inhale or be embarrassed at the clearly you have fed your daughter far too many blueberries nappy.

When I asked this week’s cottage dweller if there was a fall in love moment , she told me no! She admitted that she cried for the first week, I remember doing exactly the same when we moved in, the project seemed so vast and these glorious beams seemed so filled with cobwebs!! 

@victoria_at_thewhitecottage has created the most calming and serene home from a cottage that didn’t tick all the boxes but is now a truly beautiful and relaxing retreat, sometimes we need tigers and tears to make us see the potential!

Head to my website to read more about this beautiful white cottage (link in bio).

Happy serene sunny Sunday X

#cornersofmyhome
#floralinspiration #countryinteriors #storagesolutions #springflowers🌸 #paintedfurniturelove
#shabbyvintage #lovetohome #myhallway #shabbychicstyle #myhallaphoto #cottagestyledecor #underthefloralspell #cottagelife #storagebench #storyofmyhome #cottagelife #myfloraldays #countrycottagestyle #daysofsmallthings #thecottagejournal #hallwayinspo #hallwaydecor


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Hello! You catch me soaking up the rays and only shivering slightly whilst I pick Mothering Sunday cards.

No, no I only have one mother and one mother in law but if you swipe you can see the ridiculously beautiful array of cards that @emma.perring delivered to me this week.

Pre lock down she had created a truly stunning array of glorious cards taken from her incredible paintings. Then all the shops and galleries closed and now they are weeping quiet petals in cupboards and under her bed.

“Let me show them off” I calmly smilingly offered as I grabbed the beauties and slammed the door in her masked face “Bye now!”.

I struggle to buy beautiful Mother’s Day cards that don’t say “Mum you are a rose, you smell as sweet as a pose(y) and then some more awful words. I have decided that I will send these glorious beauties instead - as well as one for me: last year I threw a mega diva Lamda term 3 strop when my husband bought the most revolting cards for the children to sign “It’s not the revolting basket of sickly kittens or the appallingly worded ‘insert’ (shudder)..normally the children draw me beautiful cards!!! I miss “Happy Moth’s day” (that was my favourite card) waaaaahhhhhh” I sobbed into my bed of despair.

I am taking no chances this year. Head to my stories to see close ups of these gorgeousnesses and avoid Mothering Sunday meltdowns, use code MOTHERSDAY21 (until 10th March) to get 10% off cards, prints and her actual paintings as well!!! 

Treat yourself..I mean your mum... who smells of roses and not wee (that was another Mother’s Day delight) X

Happy save the cards Saturday X

#springgarden #thatch #thatchlife #thatchcottage #countryliving #myenglishhome #oldhousecharm #oldhouselove #cottagesofinstagram #cottages #cottagelife #cottagecharm #mycountryhome #countrycottages #countrygardens #cottagewindow #floralcard #springmorning #countrylife #englishcottage #englishcountrygarden #englishlife #gardenlife #pathway 

Emma Perring promotion x


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It’s Springter! 

Ok guys, this is great, so I am totally in the “yes we are spring go!” Loving the sunshine, the warmth, the bulbs, high five to all that.

Just erm..don’t know how to put this without breaking a few omelettes..frittatas..eggs...I am still quite cold!!! Sorry! So sorry! Cat amongst pigeons etc etc but actually cold, shivering...smiling with head tilted to sun but actually shivering.

No, totally get IT’S STILL FEBRUARY  and actually, completely embracing that but just, you know, the meeja are saying ‘BALMY SPRING’ and I definitely don’t want to miss out just because I don’t believ...just because I obviously live in a microclimate that  mainly involves February type weather.

So like I am totally involved in both seasons ok? Hedging bets, playing both..actually I don’t know any appropriate phrases, apologies. I have opted for winter blankets and candles with spring sunshine and florals and a ruddy good cup of tea. 

Springter solved. 

Happy feel the seasons Friday X

PS: @flowersandlifestylebymargot has thrown herself headlong into spring summer garden entertaining, head over to my blog (linkinbio) to read her brilliant tips for garden entertaining (as well as agapanthus and lily planting) X

#cottagestyle #cottageliving #cozycottage #cottagehome #cottage #cozyliving #cosyhome


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I am now on serious bud watch. These branches could blossom at any time and I need to be there to capture the beauty and the majesty. My Victorian lady Botanist will not countenance failure.

Although after yesterday’s howling gales, I think I am pretty much over spring. You can keep your brilliant for drying clothes winds thanks, I am ready for summer!!!

I had forgotten about the battle with the washing line, standing at 90 degrees to hold the clothes in place and hoping you have pegged them on as you can’t actually see because you have a woolly jumper in your face (reinsert enormous joggers for this spring). I had forgotten about the dash to grab the line as the wind whips the pole away and all the washing ends up in the huge piles of worm poo mud. I had forgotten about the constant rain watch, judging whether it is a passing tiny cloud or a vengeful huge storm about to drench your almost dry clothes.

Yes, once I have finally captured this mysterious blossom of unknown origin and once and for all classified it, I shall move directly to summer thank you.

Happy please drop wind thank you Thursday x


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I am outing spring. Well, it’s more of a midwife yelling “just one last push” than actually dragging spring out of the closet.

It’s slightly strong encouragement : bulbs peeking through from their mossy beds, wildflowers taking centre stage, another spring painting stolen *ahem* borrowed from @emma.perring to adorn my walls *ahem* sell.

A moss coloured jumper tossed carelessly over a chair - who needs jumpers any more ? It’s SPRING!! Initially I was muttering over the daily abandoned husband jumper but then I decided that this gave spring a very clear message:

Find your light love! You are on! Places please people! Action! Go SPRING! We are spring ready!

Happy when you are ready spring love Wednesday X

#signsofspring #kitchendecor #cottagekitchen #farmhousekitchen #farmhousekitchendecor #cottage #farmhouse #farmhousedecor #farmhousedecorating #nestandthrive #throughthewindow #cottagefurniture #tabledecor #cottagehome #furniturelove #home #homedecor #homeinspo #countrytable #interiordecor #interior4all #cosyhome #floralinspiration #kitchentable #tablescapes


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It didn’t go dark until 6 o’clock last night...so WHY was every single light blazing merrily away when we returned from our walk?!!!

Had burglers popped in and been forced to light up the rooms because they could see nothing of any value to steal? The television appears to have put itself out to pasture and very rarely works without a plug, unplug, start it up, hope, unplug, find missing button for the remote control and then give up and read.

The laptops should have retired years ago, we need to start them up a good hour before school starts, they need strong coffee and bagels before they can function and phones have been dropped so many times that they are simply laughable. 

My son did receive the most glorious go pro camera for Christmas but sadly Father Christmas forgot to put in any instructions so it is a rather mysterious box of unknown joy, we think we have recorded wonders, but who knows!

Ah, perhaps it is Father Christmas, bringing the instruction leaflet? No? Just my children and their inability to switch off any lightswitch that they have ever touched. Ever.

Of course they deny these accusations, I think perhaps today I shall don the head camera and film them merrily lighting the halls , even if I can never actually show them the recording, at least I have hard evidence, surely someone in court must be able to work out how to play the footage?

Happy not very techy Tuesday! X

#cottagecharm #cottagesofinstagram #cottagelife #cottagehome #cottagefarmhouse #homesweethome #homeandgarden #myhouseandhome #timberframe #oldhouselove #oldhouse #oldhousecharm #countryrustic #lighternights #twilightscapes #unlimitedbritain #englishcottage #countrycottage #thatchedcottage #thisprettyengland #suffolkcottage



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