So yes, it has been a long time since my last post. I come back with this post about bringing the outside in. It turns out using a moving country is a huge deal. The smalls are settled into school, and work has begun to make our house a home.

The thing that struck me once everything was unpacked was the need for greenery around the house. Emigrating meant leaving the houseplants behind.

Prints

The instant fix was these beautiful prints, from Mode Prints. I was really pleased with the quality of the print. The a5 prints, give an instant fix of greenery to a room. Check out their amazing designs.

One of the first things we did in the house was painting this fireplace and the lovely rusty wall. It is a great backdrop for anything green.

Terrariums

Back in April I took myself to a terrarium workshop. This was great fun, and I was surprised at how easy a project this is. The terrarium is made by layering stones, spagnum moss and cactus soil. The next step is to plant your chosen plants and decorate with more stones or reindeer moss. It was a really simple craft that would make some great gifts. Here is my efforts. The workshop was run by Flowers by Jena Paige in Downingtown, PA.

The cute little water sprayer is from an all time favourite shop, Terrain. Terrain is one of my favourite places for plant inspiration.

The Porch

A big part of the house work just recently has been creating a space that bridges the house and the outside. Our covered porch! The space still needs some final touches. Being in here is like living outside. Nothing beats the fresh air, the birds and the comfort of great interiors.

Mr Rens, made this incredible sofa from pallets. The sofa wasn’t expensive to make but it was labour intensive. He then used deck boards for the back. The cushions I got from IKEA. I’m not sure how I drove all the way to Ikea on my own, on American roads. I’m loving how it turned out. The peacock chair we got back in England and that cute sign on the wall? That’s from another workshop. Check out AR workshop in Malvern.

My favourite thing is the concrete sink come drinks bar. I got for FREE out of someone’s house. These things are mega heavy, invest in friends to help. Dan made a stand for it, and the plate on the wall is a bargain I found at a boot sale in England. I left it out in the rain for a few years to get that weathered look. I just love how it looks here.