Christmas Decorating Ideas

With only 8 days to go until the big day it's probably safe to say that you've already put up your decorations but if you still need some ideas then you're in luck!  In case you haven't decorated yet, I've put together a few ideas for what to try this year. I feel like you can always work with what you've already got to achieve different looks and maybe just buying a few little extra things each year. My top tip however would be to take a look in all the shops and take inspiration from their Christmas decorations

- Folksy -

It's all about colour, colour, colour with this look. Be bold with what you choose and don't be afraid to mix in quirky little pieces, you don't want anything to match. Mixing textures and fabrics really brings the folksy look alive.

/ 1. £15 Sainsburys (in store) / 2. £2 Sainsburys (in store) / 3. £15 Marks and Spencer / 4. £12 Sainsburys (in store) / 5. £5 Wilko / 6. £1 Sainsbury (in store) / 7. £7 Debenhams /

- Tartan Traditional -

If you want your house to look extra cosy at Christmas then this is the look to go for. Imagine a hunting lodge in the highlands of Scotland filled with fresh greenery and subtle hints of tartan, that's what you're aiming for.

/ 1. £45 Next / 2. Marks and Spencer £3 (in store) / 3. Sainsburys £1 (in store) / 4. Sainsburys £8 (in store) / 5. Sainsburys £5 (in store) / 6. Marks and Spencer £35 (in store) / 7. Next £12 (in store) /

- Blue and White -

For the modernist who likes a touch of colour, navy blue and white is the way to go. Paired with silver accessories, this look is pure luxury yet still feels warm and inviting.

/ 1. £15 House Of Fraser / 2. £1 Sainsburys (in store) / 3. £5 Next (in store) / 4. £1 Sainsburys (in store) / 5. £10 Debenhams (in store) / 6. £30 Sainsburys (in store) / 7. £1 Sainsburys (in store) /

- Winter Wonderland -

Mixing white with bare, natural wood creates a welcoming feel to come out of the cold and in to your home, almost as if you're bringing the outside in. There's something magical about this look, like everything is lightly coated with glittering frost. 

/ 1. £12.50 Tesco / 2. £7 Tesco (in store) / 3. £35 House Of Fraser (in store) / 4. £52 House Of Fraser (in store) / 5. £4 Sainsburys (in store) / 6. £8 Sainsburys (in store) / 7. £20 House Of Fraser (in store) /

I LOVE decorating for Christmas but I don't have my own house yet so it's my Mum who gets the last lay in how we decorate. Does anyone else's Mum not let them decorate the Christmas tree!? She always does such an amazing job however so I really can't fault her! What theme(if any!) have you gone for with your Christmas decorations this year? Let me know below!

pictures property of Wilko, pictures property of House Of Fraser, pictures property of Tesco, pictres property of Sainsburys, pictures property of Next, pictures, property of Debenhams, pictres property of Marks and Spencer

Pinspiration - Bedroom Decor

Now that my sister has moved out I've decided to move in to her much bigger room and then the fun bit begins, redecorating! If you're a long time reader you might remember that I only redecorated my soon to be old bedroom last year so it seems a shame that I'm moving to a different room but honestly I really think I'm gonna appreciate a little extra space. Although, if you asked my Dad, he'd say it's just more space to make a mess in, I'm really not the tidiest person when it comes to all my clothes and makeup! 

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I turned to pinterest for inspiration as to how I want to decorate, in fact I've made a board of all the pins I like so make sure you go take a look here. There's an overwhelming theme of white and grey amongst most of the pictures I've pinned which is kinda odd for me because normally I love tons of really bright colours.

I'm hoping that a neutral colour scheme will create a calm and relaxing room to help me drift off as I'm the world's worst sleeper so I'm trying to stay away from having too many bold patterns and prints. I am slightly concerned I'll get bored with all the white so I'm undecided whether or not to add a few pops of colour in with the cushions and throws. Once I've got all the walls painted and the furniture in then I'll decide on the final look and I'll make sure to share the pictures on here.

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What kind of look would you go for/ have you got in your bedroom? Any ideas would be hugely appreciated so let me know below!

Top 5 - Best of 'A Girl Called Eleanor' 2013

2013 was a big year for me blogging wise because it was the year I started this blog way back in April. For 8 months now I have been regularly updating my blog each week and recently I wrote my 100th post, yay me!
I thought it would a pretty good idea to do a round up of the 5 most popular posts on 'A Girl Called Eleanor' in 2013 as a nice way to round off the year that was so lets take a look shall we? To see the corresponding post either click the link or the picture above.

5. Number 5 is most recent of all of the top 5 and my favourite type of post to read at this time of year, it's what I got for Christmas. It could be that I am perpetually nosey, ok yes it is, but I love seeing what everyone gets for Christmas and that's the only reason I made my own post. I got some amazing gifts this year and was thoroughly spoilt by my lovely family. If you're as nosey as me then take a look at what I got here.

4. At number 4 is a surprise entry, (ooh I feel like I'm on top of the pops) this post was all about home decor using the colour scheme aqua blue and coral. I guess I got inspired to do some home decor posts because I was redecorating my bedroom at the time. I haven't done any of these sorts of posts for a while but I think I will do more in the future, I really enjoy writing about home decor and they seem to be pretty popular. Check out the original post here.

3. Make up reviews have been very popular on my blog this year so it's no surprise this beauty features in the top 5. It's of course my review of the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Lipstick in the shade 'Peach Passion. I didn't stop wearing this lipstick throughout the summer and the packaging is just so stunning which makes it a real winner in my eyes! I suggest you take a look at my review here, but be warned, it may make you part with your cash immediately afterwards.

2. The popularity of this post is slightly surprising to me as I haven't heard many people talking about the Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam mascara but my review of it has been my most popular beauty review of 2013 especially from google searches. I rave about this mascara constantly and I haven't used any other since I've tried it which only means one thing, you should definitely try it! I'm sure my review here will persuade you!

1. At number 1 is my most exciting post of 2013, my 100th post and also my very first giveaway of a gorgeous Bobbi Brown eye palette. Unfortunately my giveaway has now closed but it was extremely successful and I was completely overwhelmed by the response so thank you to all you lovely lot who entered! I am planning more giveaways for 2014 so keep checking back on A Girl Called Eleanor for more chances to win. Have a gander at the lovely prize here.

So it's a real mixed bag of post for 2013, I'm still tweaking my writing style as well as what subjects to write about so it's interesting for me to do this kind of post, in fact I'd love some feedback on what you think works/doesn't work and what you'd like to see more of on A Girl Called Eleanor in 2014.

New Bedroom Decor

It's been months in the planning but my bedroom is finally finished! I've been wanting to redecorate for ages seeing as my room's been the same since I was about 14 and my taste has changed significantly since then. I was starting to get sick of all the pink, not that I don't still love pink, but I just wanted something a bit different and  a bit more me.

If you've seen my previous post, you'll now realise that I went in a different direction to what I had previously planned. (If not you can read it HERE). I saw a picture of a bedroom in one of my Mum's interior magazines and straight away I was like 'That is what I want!'. The colour scheme I chose is aqua blue and white with coral as an accent colour and I don't think I could love it more! It's exactly what I wanted and I just have to say thanks to my Dad for helping me to put it all together! Although saying that, where were you when I decided to start stripping wallpaper on the hottest day of the year! Just kidding.      

The chevron print cushion I made myself (you can see a tutorial HERE) and the blue

cushions duvet cover and shelving units are all from Ikea. The colour on the walls is Javan Dawn 3 from Dulux. The colour changes throughout the day from aqua blue to more of a green blue which I absolutely love. The Sabrina Movie Poster Print is originally from TK MAXX and I 've had it for ages but I think it looks great above my new bed. 

These are the Expedit Shelving Units in white from Ikea with the grey drawer inserts which you buy separately. I've always wanted a wall of book shelves but sadly my room is just not big enough. However I love how I'm able to show off my favourite books and knick knacks and I think they look really great either side of my bed. 

   

Not much has changed with my dressing table, just a much need de clutter and a new chair which fits snugly underneath to free up much needed floor space. I've also since made another chevron print cushion for my new chair. Also, you might not even have noticed but I am definitely planning on replacing all the glass balls which have fallen off the drawer handles and nope I haven't been saying that for the past two years. 

  



The poster was a present from my Mum and Dad a few years ago when they visited Ronda in Spain. I've always loved it and the colours match perfectly with my new colour scheme. It's always just been stuck up on my wardrobe door but it definitely looks much better framed on the wall. Next to it is a reproduction print of an autographed Audrey Hepburn photograph which I love so much. Hopefully one day I'll be able to afford a real signed print of Audrey Hepburn. 

There's a few more things I'd like to do such as painting the opposite wall the same colour and I'll update this post as soon as it's finished.

Vibrant Vintage Style Bedroom

First row: Butterfly Art (Available here), Pink Trunk (Available here), Picture Frame (Available here)

Second Row: Blue Chair (Available here), Yellow Bed (Available here)

Last row: Desk Lamp (Available here), Pink Alarm Clock (find similar here), Floral Bedspread (no longer available), Duvet Cover (Available here)

                        

I really enjoyed my last interior post so I thought I'd do another! I LOVE these colours together and originally this was what I wanted when I was deciding to redecorate my bedroom. The only reason I decided against it was because it was too similar to what I already had and I really wanted a change. The look is vintage patterns and furniture in vibrant greens, blues yellows and pinks. I think it could look great with a statement colour on one wall, perhaps blue, with white on the rest of the walls. What's great about this look is that there are so many great buys in the shops at the moment as it's such a popular look so you can get some really great bits and pieces for not much money. Also it would be pretty easy to incorporate this look in to your current colour scheme.        

Turquoise And Coral - Room Inspiration

You might know if you've read my previous blog post (which you can read here) that I'm currently in the process of redecorating my bedroom. It's taken longer than I expected, mainly due to life in general just getting in the way, and since that first blog post I've changed my mind a little about what I want. In fact I was reading my Mum's copy of the latest Ideal Home magazine and in it they had a feature on the most beautiful bedroom using white and turquoise with accents of coral. It's funny cause I never really considered those colours together but actually I can really imagine the pops of vibrant colour against the bright white.  

I got really inspired and immediately went on the net and started (window) shopping for all the lovely things I want in my room. I then got even more carried away and put together a little wish list. Oops, I'll probably change my mind again by the time I actually comes round to decorating but gaaah I just love these colours together so much I can't help myself!    

Row 1: Chevron Fabric from Etsy - Fabric Secret, Red Picture Frame from Zara Home £5.99, Duck Egg Blue Chenille Cushion from Tesco £6.00 

Row 2: Vintage Cameras Print Set from Etsy - AldariArt, Happy Wall Art Print from Etsy - AldariArt 

Row 3: Damask Fabric from Etsy - Fabric Secret, Spindle Table Lamp from Tesco £34.97, Coral Pillow Cover from Etsy - SewGracious £12.11    
  

Hope you liked what I picked and let me know below if you're planning any redecorating, I'd love to hear your ideas!

Most Wanted - Home Accessories

I'm currently in the process of giving my bedroom a bit of an update although it's on the back burner at the moment until I get back from my holidays. Here's a few things I found online that I would love to have in my room. Most of which is out of my budget, you definitely wouldn't catch me spending £90 on bedding!

Bedroom Makeover Ideas

I absolutely love my bedroom but I've outgrown it a bit so I've decided it's time for a update to give it more of a grown up / relaxing look. Over the next few weeks I'll be posting ideas / updates as well as before and after pictures of how it looks.

I've created a mood board to put all my thoughts and ideas in one place. I'd definitely recommend it if you are redecorating as it really helps to have it all in front of you and show other people your ideas. It takes some time to compile everything and put it all together but it's definitely worth it and once your room is finished, you can display it on the wall as a cool collage.

A few places to look for inspiration:

• http://www.housetohome.co.uk/bedroom
• http://www.easyliving.co.uk/homes/bedroom
• Pinterest is my favourite place to look for inspiring ideas and colour schemes.

Are you planning any redecorating? Let me know below!