Simple spray paint make over.

As  I mentioned on Monday, I got busy with a can of spray paint over the weekend and gave a dark brown wooden picture frame  a simple  update by spraying a few coats of gloss black paint.  It does take about a day to do as you have to allow each layer to dry, but I'm pleased with the finish.   The print I down loaded ages ago from here, and just printed it out in black and white.So there you have it, a simple make over with spray paint.

The glass jar is by Bloomingville 

Guest Blogger Marianne, Nordic Bliss.

As promised earlier on today, I would like to introduce Guest Blogger, Marianne from Nordic Bliss blog and owner of  her online shop,  I'm very excited to be able to have Marianne here today, as I have been following her blog for a while now and watching as her new online venture unfolds,  I'm sure you will find Marianne's  post an inspiration and pleasure to read,  Enjoy!

Hello, my name is Marianne and I've been given the honour to be a guest blogger on This Home Sweet Home. You probably haven't heard of me before so I thought I would start with an introduction. I'm 26 years old and was born in the very North of Norway, up where the sun doesn't shine in the winter and never sets in the summer. After 5 years in Norway our family moved to Sweden, then we moved to Denmark, then we moved back to Sweden, and then (I know, I know, I've written "moved" too many times already) about 5 years ago I decided to move to England to study bringing my Swedish boyfriend with me.

Photographer Ditte Isager

Since then I've finished my studies and gotten married to that Swedish boy. Together we have started to become quite settled here in the UK. Furnishing and decorating our little flat and the rest of the process of creating a home has sparked my interest in interiors and designs. For years I could sit for hours looking through lovely blogs and interior magazines to get inspiration for our own place.

Picture from Alvhem

As I was hunting for pieces for our home I didn't always find what I had in mind and other times when I did find something I liked it was not in a price range of a newly graduated young couple. Being a bit of an optimist who starts projects without realising just how much work is involved I decided to start my own shop - Nordic Bliss (and after convincing my other half that this was a great way to spend our savings). It's our little space online where we sell carefully selected yet affordable products from Nordic brands. I try to focus on smaller brands that are not high street but have potential to become great. So far we have products from Hubsch, Madam Stoltz, Lapland W Design, Ylva Skarp and Shyness.

Pictures from Boligmagasinet and DesignoForm

I've collected a few products that would help keep me warm these cold winter days.

1. Pillow from Fine Little Day 2. Wall paper from Bodie and Fou 3. Teapot and Cup by Höganäs from The Lollipop Shoppe 4. Wool rug from Nordic Bliss 5. Felt basket from Nordic Bliss 6. Log side table from West Elm

It has taken time to find out what "my" style is and of course I have moments when I fall in love with pieces that wouldn't really go well with anything else in our home. But after years of searching I've come to realise that there is a deep rooted Scandi inside me (surprise!). I want white bright rooms - a Scandi cliché perhaps, but as I mentioned - the sun doesn't come up in the winter - we need all the light we can get. Details in natural materials such as cotton and linen and pieces and accents in wood to bring nature inside.

Picture from Livet Hemma (Ikea Live)

I also blog so if you want to see more pictures like these here you are welcome to visit me there.

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Thanks once again to Marianne for kindly agreeing to be my Guest Blogger today.

Happy Monday!

Hello all, did you have a fab weekend? I spent mine  updating an old photo frame by giving it a spray paint make over, eating too many cakes that my daughter baked, (the before baked shot is above,  they didn't stick around long enough for an after baking shot)  and treating myself to a lovely glass jar by Bloomingville, from my local garden center Ransoms.  The spring/summer Bloomingville  catalog  looks lovely as usual, have you had a look? lots to be tempted by....

On the blog front, I have been making a few updates, some new links added to the links page, and I have updated the FAQ page, which is mainly for PR enquirers, it would help me greatly if you could please check out this page before sending emails to me, while I love getting your emails and enquirers, if you could just check out that page first, it would save me having to email back on similar questions multiple times.  The most often asked question is about being a  Guest Blogger, which is now answered here, question 6.  So with this in mind, I am going to introduce a new Guest Blogger spot, (I have done interview posts before) which will be on an invite only basis to start with, and I have my first Guest Blogger all lined up for you and ready to go, so check back later to see who she is! 

Spring time colours

Heading into the Weekend and I can't help but feel all feminine and girly.  Out of all the Seasons, spring is by far the most Feminine seasons  don't you think? with its delicate blooms and pretty pink flowers you can't help but give into your girly side, and I am noticing a fair bit of pink about for spring 2012, just perfect for injecting some life back into the home after the winter.
While I'm not really into the whole floral and flowers look for my home, I do like the use of pink here and there such as  a pink haze (photo one) created  using a soft voile curtains at the window.  Flowers, always a quick way to add some instance colour to a room, I love how these tuplips have been grouped  together to add impact using the 3 subtle colour changes lilac, pale pink and white, and who wouldn't love to walk across that lovely tiled floor, it reminds me of day trips to France where all the homes have tiled floors, though not as pretty as these ones.

Image 1  Nina Broberg/IKEA Livet Hemma

Image 2  La belle Vie via Pinterest 

Image 3  Nina Broberg/IKEA Livet Hemma

Image 4 Rose des Vent Tiles by Zazous

Winter Warmer.

Photos credit, Roland Persson/IKEA Livet Hemma

Are you feeling the cold where you are?  I know am, even though we don't have snow, the temperature is hovering just above freezing and the wind chill is making it feel a little colder, so  how about some lovely warming soup to warm as all up.  Today's offering comes courtesy  of  IKEA's Livet Hemma blog, a colourful tomato soup, don't you just love that colour combination, makes me feel warmer just looking at it.

If you intend to make the most of the winter snow this weekend why not take a flask of soup with you to keep out the chill.

Tomato soup with lemon creme fraiche (4 people)

10 medium sized tomatoes 

1 large onion 

3 cloves garlic 

olive oil, 

about 6 cups water 

1 liter chicken stock 

fresh thyme, 

a little sugar, 

black pepper and salt

1 can of creme fraiche 

zest and juice of one lemon 

honey 

salt and pepper

Click here for instructions and Table ware all from Ikea.