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My English Country Cottage
  • Blog Posts
    • Our Home
    • Interior Design projects
    • How To Create A Cutting Garden
    • Pantry Recipes
    • What Makes an English Country Cottage?
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  • What makes an English Country Cottage?

    The article in Period Living Magazine (May 2020 with ME in it…well, ok,the house…) has made me think about what makes “Effortless rural style” (Period Living May 2020 about MEEEEE…the house). I was quoted as saying: ” ‘I wanted (to create) an English country homewith lots of textures, fabrics, rugs, thick curtains and comfy, sink-insofas.’  Thankfully they didn’t misquote me or force me to take them to court fordefamation of…

    June 4, 2020
    What Makes an English Country Cottage?

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Baskets at the ready!!! Foragers…ready! And…pick! I just need to have a quick cup of fortifying tea and maybe a tiny read and then I am absolutely all over the harvesting lark. Look out damsons! Beware pears! Apples on your guard! I actually managed a run for the first time in…(insert appropriate length of time for me to be red faced and heaving after thirty seconds)…so it seemed a little unfair that I should encounter the local hunt in my slightly deranged state. I heard the hounds before I saw them, had even smiled at a couple of riders before my tiny brain pieced together the Marpellian facts…I am in the midst of a hunt!!! What if the hounds think I am a fox? Red faced? Bushy pony tailed? Admittedly a fox clad in fluorescent pink and rather large but clearly a mangy old fox. I took to my heels and fled as fast as a summer of Sauvignon Blanc and cream teas would allow. Thankfully the hounds were terribly gentlemanly and ran around me. It was all rather embarrassing but I did achieve my fastest pace in quite some months. Perhaps I need to channel my inner mangy fox more often. Just one more cup of tea and then I will hit the fruit hard…I shall transform from hunted fox to greedy squirrel - still red and bushy ponytailed but now who’s terrified? I have baskets and I am not afraid to fill them. Happy terrifying Thursday x #countrykitchen #countryhouse #farmhousekitchen #hyggehome #countryhomedecor #myhouseandhome #myseasonalstyling #seasonalstyling #myhomesanctuary #cottageinstincts #kitchenview #kitchenisland #morningmood #ofsimplethings #styleithappy #kitchenwindow #kitchentime #cosywithcasa #paintedkitchen #countryhomesandinteriors #openconceptkitchen #countryliving #country #countrykitchen #rustickitchen #freestandingkitchen


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Ok gird your loins for a cheaty yesteryear shot (well…two days ago…when it was summer). There have been ENORMOUS improvements since this shot was taken…in two days??? Eh? Yes! This is the shot that sailed a thousand ships…erm forced me to sail a thousand weeds…into the wheelbarrow. I was horrified, shocked, how could it have got this far? How could I have allowed the no mow May to continue onto my drive??? Admittedly I was only shocked and horrified when I realised that my husband had sweetly rearranged a meeting with very important fundraising people from school to happen here..at our cottage…the one that looks like no one has lived here for years and could be in a really dark (slightly stinky because of all the rotting windfall apples) Hans Christian Anderson story. I had forced him to rearrange so that I could skip gaily down the lane to join my gang of neighbours in a top secret wedding party planning meeting for two neighbours that missed out on a proper wedding this year- our meeting mainly consisted of a lot of fizz drinking and “oh let’s have pizzas! Champagne! Flowers! Fill the barn with champagne and flowers…and Gary Barlow (that was towards the end of the ‘meeting’). I had brought this upon myself, I was forced to clear up the mess that I myself had created two weeks ago when I had geniusly bought a ghostbuster backpack and thought that I had sprayed every living weed to hell and back. I hadn’t. It took me two days to clear. I shall take a shot of the eat your dinner off it drive..EAT IT!! It took me days!!! as soon as the sun shines again (I am unwilling to promote rain on here). Happy weed free Wednesday. X #cottagecore #cottagestyle #cottage #countryliving #englishcountrygarden #englishcottage #englishgarden #allwhatsbeautiful #prettylittleengland #theprettypursuit #your_beautifulhouses #chasingfacades #englishhouse #loveuk #lovemyhome #thisprettyengland #genuinebritain #britishcottage #bestunitedkingdom #thiscountrylife #theartofslowliving #gloriousbritain #houses_phototrip #englishcountryside #thatchedcottage


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This started yesterday as a “oooh pretty morning light and white geraniums”, it ended with half the kitchen behind the lens and a hungry family. I think I need an Instagram trolley - not my beautiful Mave and Elsie (wicker baskets on wheels) but an actual massive trolley that I can push into a room, fill with all the detritus (and maybe small child) and simply push out of shot. No more “Don’t try and go in there!!! There is stuff behind the door! Don’t go upstairs! There is a mountain of clean washing and 85 hoodies waiting to avalanche you!”. Just a gentle Mrs Mop (I see myself with hair swept up into scarf, perhaps even glamorous dark glasses if it is very early, a floral housecoat and a kindly maybe even quietly squeaky trolley, slowly making the house a better place (well…emptier). Happy trolleytastic Tuesday x #rustickitchen #countrykitchen #belfastsink #countrydecor #cottageinteriors #unfittedkitchen #kitchendesign #fromwhereistood #cottagehome #homeadore #moderncountrykitchen #farmhousekitchen #cosyhome #cottagestyle #mycottage #cottagekitchen #countryhome #moderncountry #kitchen #sinkie #falldecorating #myhomestyle #housebeautiful #kitchenideas


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Do not adjust your phones! This is a real life conker in the top centre of the photograph. We have hit conker season!!! This is clearly a beautiful mid seasonal shot of goldening apples…yup…use your imagination again…somehow the conker has rather stolen the limelight and ordinarily I would be weeping at the fulsomeing of conker shells (it’s a farming term…) but today I am simply grateful. I found an already prised open baby conker whilst wild shooting (hiding under the conker tree waiting for the clouds to pass). “Ha!”I exclaimed loudly, frightening off two fat squirrels, “Eat the conkers squirrels!!! EAT MY CONKERS!!!!”. This will hopefully delay them eating all the Damsons whilst I waft around claiming that I can’t make Damson Jam yet because of Pectin levels/ missing Kilner jars/ lack of sugar, I can’t possibly begin this incredibly important process just yet… …yes, this happens every year, yes I am reluctant to retreat inside when there is still sunshine. No, I don’t want to gently ‘glow’ into the jam pan as I spoon out 75000 damson stones and yes we will have solid damson jam again this year as I leave it too late and the pectin levels go through the jars and astonish science. It’s traditional and reassuring. Ok??? Happy munch away Monday xxx #cottage #cottagife #ruralliving #rurallife #appletree #meadowcore #naturecore #oldfashioned #cottagestyle #cottageliving #mycountryliving #thecountryjournal #cottages #listedbuilding #cottagehome #exteriordesign #countrycottage #cottagecoreaesthetic #countryliving #characterproperty #thatchedcottage #chocolateboxcottage #thatchedroof #autumn #explorebritain


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I tried ok? @emma.perring has done it again, pulled another stonker of a floral fancy out of her extraordinary paint strewn hands so naturally given that I have the same jug from @made_in_cley (albeit tinier) I had to pluck the last remaining hollyhock & subbed Dahlias from the benches for the glorious Buddleia in the painting. I know that I am only the keeper of these beauties for a very short time & I am not allowed to say DO NOT BUY THIS!! IT IS TOO BEAUTIFUL. LOOK AWAY!!! but unfortunately I have just said it… …although given my prowess at the village fete yesterday (not our village but somehow I found myself dropping off a friend’s child & five minutes later sat in a marquee running the stone painting stall). It transpired that I was excellent at stone painting, yes, there was a tiny kerfuffle when the same small girl returned for a fourth time & I was down to 3 stones with my ouevre still to complete….I won..she was only painting incessant rainbows…I was on a country inspired roll with foxes & rabbits leaping fro..”what is that?”..”er it’s obviously a fox chasing a rabbit”…”Oh!”…never has a puzzled “oh” from a 6 year old cut so deep. I backed off & wandered over to the ‘guess the name of the teddy’ stall where my pal’s 7 year old son was delightedly celebrating giving away the teddy to a tiny girl (the sister of my painting nemesis which put a whole new spin on her “oh”). “Ah!” I exclaimed - trying to inject a heartiness to the fete Code Red situation - “Ordinarily we let everyone spend all day guessing & then announce the winner at the end”…”But I just knew his name was Wolfie & so when she guessed Wolfie then she had won”. A logical explanation & thankfully the Tombola mafia weren’t as territorial as last year & gave up a teddy to replace lucky Wolfie (poor poor Wolfie living in a house with that artistic monster). I don’t mind if “Hollyhocks & Buddleia” sells, I shall just replace it with my series of country inspired “splats”. Happy IT’S NOT A “SPLAT” Sunday…..Philistine! X #floralpainting #floralpaintings #villagelife #flowersfrommygarden #hallwayinspo #hallwaydecor #myhousebeautiful #myhouseidea #housedecor #pocketofmyhome #affordableart


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My garden has finally decided that it is summer. Cosmos and Dahlias are dancing in the beds (brilliantly hidden Dahlias behind and in amongst the rampant “oh these cosmos will never grow as tall as those bad boy Edison’s and Stolzes Von Berlins). Roses are rampantly rioting in frankly a rather unpleasant “ha ha ha now we will bring out the big petals, you weren’t worthy of us before. Admire us and worship at our bountiful September flush that will confuse the betwinkle out of you and make you think it is still June. The sun is low, there is only one red apple left of on the pretty look at me tree and looking at the chimney has reminded me to book Tomas the chimney sweep. This is September, do not try to play floral mind tricks on me, I will not fall for your brain bending skills. It is September, I need blankets and possibly even my silver sparkly Penelope Chilvers boots that winked at me from the bottom of my wardrobe yesterday. Out, damned summer! out, I say!- one: two: why, then, 'tis time…oooh look at the pretty night scented stocks…and the solar powered lights that are finally lighting up at night after fifty years of no sunshine…ooh I need to sit here this evening, basking in this balmy summers eve….oh drat! They won. Happy It is still summer Saturday x #theirenglishcountrycottages #autumngarden #latesummer #cottagehome #cottagefarmhouse #cottageliving #mygardenthismonth #cottage #englishcountrygarden #gardenliving #englishcottage #thatch #rusticstyle #cottagedreams #rustichome #countryliving #countrycottagestyle #countrycottages #countryhomes #thatchroof #cottagewindow #cottagehome #realhomes #idyllic #rural_houses


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Unusual shafts of light captured in a frenzy of oooh sunshine, ohhhh cloud, ooooh sunshine….ohhh scary cloud. I am wonderfully accepting this weather, allowing nature to run its course (I even chatted in a terribly friendly manner to the annual shrew who makes her way past my garden bench, stops stock still as I bid her good morning and then continues in her hollyhock seed collection. Perhaps it is her that I have to thank for the glorious display every year?). I was a little less accommodating of the mouse at the back of the house. They are less timid and desperate to break into my sitting room, poo and wee all over my carpet and then take a well earned snack in my larder. I shall maintain my circle of life mentality and ignore the mouse. I shall wave to the swallows and swifts - perhaps a handkerchief, dabbed to the eye and then valiantly waved in the glorious September skies. I will welcome the Mistlethrush and I shall shout at Clive : “Get out of the sitting room Clive!! The mice are bad enough but adding a nosy Robin into the mix is one Disney dance step too far. Back off Clive!” Happy feel at one Friday x Disclaimer: I didn’t actually shout at Clive - I explained where the open windows were and how to fly out…he ignored me… I spent a good hour convincing him to fly off from the music stand/ bookcase/ cushions and stop head butting the 400 year old mullion window…my husband came in, sniggered at the old wives tale of asking a bird to leave, closed all the curtains and Clive flew straight out of the open front door. This still has not shaken my natural affinity with nature. #heyhomehey #specialplace #livingroomdecor #sittingroom #countryinteriors #cottageliving #charminghomes #curtainsdesign #cottagedecor #autumndecor #mycountryhome #cottagestyledecor #myhousethroughalens #sittingroom #goodeye #floralheaven #cottagewindow #beams #floralarrangement #cozyvibes #roses #dahliaseason #florallove #colourfulhome #floraldecor



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