A little thought on decorating

As it gets closer to student loan pay day (!) I'm starting to think seriously about how this money will be spent.

As you will probably all know, I live with my lovely fiancé, Calvin, who works full time as a care worker with disabled people and he does the odd couple of nights of palliative care (i.e. caring for people in the last few weeks of their life). So, we get by mostly on his wages.

That means, that when student loan day comes around (every 3 months during University time) it's spent on things we've needed and not had the chance or bother to save up for. Here I am going to share a few of the little things that we will be getting :)

We moved into our little house back at the end of november, a week before my 21st, and have been slowly doing it up. We already had our sofas, telly, etc and we got a few other things such as a desk, book case, fridge/freezer, lamps, etc from our parents. For christmas we got an awesome little bedroom set, not vintage at all, but it's nice (all black gloss and walnut "wood").

We've been telling ourselves that we will get a coffee table, a rug, shelving, a vanity table, another chest of drawers and a little telephone table as soon as we have the money to, so that's what I'll be looking for over the next few weeks. All thrifted/eBay'd or at least very cheap (but good quality!)

These are a few of the things I've had my eye on though!

Living Room

I love how practical this is. We don't have much space in our living room due to one wall being completely open to the kitchen and the others being taken up by huge ass comfy sofas! So I love the idea of being able to store two smaller tables under the coffee table. I've also been looking at shorter legged coffee tables with a little shelf and drawers. Let's be fair, the living room has most of my stuff in it, including books, magazines, craft stuff, etc. 

Which one?! (My walls are a pastel sage green kinda colour and my sofas are a fawn) Ohhh, they are so gorgeous! I'm thinking bigger is better, but I don't know?

Bedroom

I'm also trying to work out what colour to paint the bedroom. I'm thinking I want to paint all of the walls, rather than just one, but I don't know. And I don't have a clue what colour! Can't really be too girly though :/ Hmm! I was thinking some sort of blue? Argh! I hate deciding!

I love the mega strong mustard colour here against the blue. Maybe I could do something like this?

Or a colour like this one on wall? It's so luxurious against the utilitarian flooring and bed frame. 

This is quite nice, fresh, strong but not overpowering. 

Decisions, decisions!

Peace and Love

xx

The Perfect Study

Hey lovelies!

I've put my professional-business head on recently and have some very exciting plans in the pipeline which I can't wait to share with you! I've also been looking at new build houses with my OH and day dreaming of the perfect starter home! I don't think I'll ever rent, and the possibility of owning a new home using the amazing government/house builder loans which means you can get a 75% mortgage, while still only putting down 4-5% is amazing. This has also lead to looking at £200k houses and conning myself I could actually afford them, well, I need to get a job first!

So, the words professional and home can only mean one thing, home study/office! I've been collecting images on pinterest like it's nobodies business. Seriously, I am so obsessed with that site, I'll go through everything recent and 'like' the images that appeal, I'll then meticulously go through my haul and repin them to the most appropriate board....Yeh, you too?

Here are a few of my favourite study/office designs. That's probably what I'm looking forward to the most about moving out; a room with all my favourite things, so inspiring and colourful, totally feminine and totally me.

I love the white corner desk, and the gorgeous aqua chair matching the walls. Simple. 

The Wedding photo is perfect too.

Chevrons! As well as this funky design technique, 

ombre also seems to be popular; definitely using it my house!

Loving the grey with the warm yellow and the fresh flowers.

I always prefer offices/studies to be in a separate room, allowing you to close the door on work life/mess for the evening. So this room above is a little odd, but the rug is perfect and I love the warm greys with the white.

A little more traditional in decor. My main love of this design is the floor to ceiling bookshelf.

This is something I'll definitely need! Currently, even though I'm not in a state of moving, all my books are either in boxes, or random piles about the house. I can't wait to see them all together!

I LOVE the idea of having an office large enough to have a separate desk. It's a brilliant idea and I really think it would allow so much more creativity! You'd have your little computer desk to do your emails, accounts, (blog/pinterest) and get inspiration, and then your larger, electronic-less table to do crafts, sew, etc. I think it's so important to have a break from technology and reconnect with the world and yourself; this idea seems perfect for that. 

How is your office/study set out? Are you like me and can't wait to have one? 

Peace and Love

xx

Start of the Summer

College is all but done now. I have a few more exams and a few more accountancy classes to do, but my Monday to Friday schedule is almost completely free now, meaning that I'll be spending more time in my shop and hopefully dragging it up by the scruff of the neck to how I want it. I've been a bit lapse these last few weeks, letting it just trumble along and just about pay the bills; a terrible thing to do when you run your own business. 

I've found that whenever I have been in the shop, I can see that it's not what I dreamed it to be, the atmosphere, the location, the stock, is just all wrong. A drastic re-think is needed and needed very soon!

When I started to think about going into my business, I had all those hopes and dreams of how it would be, what it would look like and how well it would be doing. I planned everything precisely, budgeted, wrote business plans, applied for small business grants and did everything I felt I needed to give AS the best start.

Two and a half months on, and I feel like I've hit a wall, we're dead in the water and I don't know what move to make next. I've read a few similar things in my search for an answer, it seems quite a common thing to feel so lost. I think it's the case with most projects that are long term, you go into it full pelt but fail to think of any long term objectives or worst case scenario plans. 

I need to be more pro-active, and certainly by having a lot more spare time I can do this. It's just a problem of where to start. I think it would be a lot easier to have fresh eyes and go into the shop and see it how someone else sees it. I know something is wrong but I just can't put my finger on it. 

I've been researching a few shop interiors, its the little things that I'm interested in. How they display their clothes and accessories, the colour schemes, etc. Obviously we want to be able to reflect the clothes we sell, which is 50s rockabilly day and evening styles, it's hand picked, and beautiful clothing. But we also sell "designer outlet", such as Monsoon, which is up to 70% off and has proved to be our day to day income and helped us to pay the bills, whether I like it or not. 

from toast.co.uk - one of their shop interiors

*I love the bright red floors with the sumptuous teal walls. The clothes also go well with the colour scheme

which I think is really important. It's bold, but it works well*

from http://buttercupandroses.blogspot.co.uk/

*isn't this just the cutest shop front? It seems so homely and effortless, but I just know it is well

choreographed. The colour scheme is darling too*

An anthropologie store display

*Shelving <3 just proves how useful it can can be! The paper rose display is great too*

Anthropologie again

*I love the use of the crates as display, and hanging the belts on nice old hangers, really nice and useful!*

A few I found from the blog "http://the-lark.blogspot.co.uk"

*Oh, how darling is this?! The colours, the sweet prints, the nicknacks, the flowers. 

Now to just apply this to a 50s clothes shop!*

Have you ever felt this way about your business? Totally stuck in a rut and not knowing how to move on? Did you manage to find a way?

I think my next step is to source some bits and pieces and consult the colour wheel, get some paint and get cracking. Going to try some different advertising techniques and get some window stickers too. 

Peace and Love

xx

For the love of Art

Hello my beauties :) How is everyone today? I'm well, had a relaxing day doing a few errands and going to college. The weather is terrible here, but I'm hoping it will get better soon!

A week or so ago I bought one of the most beautiful bikes ever! It's very simple, but dutch, traditional, pink, has a big wicker basket and cute print panniers. It's also very comfortable to ride and is steeped in history, which I love! It's a Gazelle Basic Single Speed (Gazelle being the oldest Dutch bike company) and it's PINK (Havana Pink to be exact) <3 I bought it from the lovely people at East Coast Bicycles in Hull, you can find them here and here.

<3 The start of a life long love affair I think!

I had a video to hand in for a college deadline, so, as is me, I got it done the week before (fantastic you think! Until I tell you we've had the brief for about 4 months! Whoops!) I headed over to Flamborough North Landing, an absolutely tiny bay on the East Coast about an hour away from Hull, just past Bridlington. It was a perfect location and I can't wait to go back when the weather is better to get some more footage and photos. I also took the opportunity to use up the film in my camera for college, we have a landscape assignment due in the first week of May, where we must use film (eeep!). I'm eagerly awaiting their arrival so I can get them scanned in and see what they're like, really loved using the Canon EOS 3. 

The shop is going well, we've added some new stock from Sourpuss last week, you can check it out here :) Hull's Angels Roller Derby are having a bout May 13th in Hull against the Bruising Banditas and we'll be having a stall there among some over local business. For more info check out the Facebook event. 

Recently I've been indulging in reading the blogs of some of my favourite people, specifically Honey Bee In the City, Cupcake's Clothes, The Plus Size Life of Tess Munster. 

Also pinning everything in sight on my pinterest account, remlangton, especially French Bulldogs, home interior, crafting and delicious food <3

Tess Munster <3

Texas Trash 

1 package cream cheese 1 cup sour cream 2 cans (16 ounces, each) refried beans 1 packet taco seasoning 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded 2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded... must try:)

I can so see Calvin doing this sometime in our future!

I'd call him Frank <3

Beautiful Ranunculus <3 Quickly becoming my favourite flower!

I live by this!

How gorgeous is this print combo? I think a polka dot skirt is in the making!

I'll be posting soon enough with something a bit more structured, but for now you'll have to put up with this brief update and pretty pictures!

XOXO

Introduction to Emily Mary Loves.

         Hello Lovelies! And welcome to my little piece of cyberspace.
Emily Mary Loves is a blog dedicated to the next few years of my life, an adventure through my studies, love life, work life, documenting my inspiration, love of vintage and design. If I love it, it will be here.

     I'll start off with a few images that is currently inspiring me in my latest project that is re-decorating my bedroom (:. Enjoy!

Laura Ashley "Lori Floral" Wallpaper

A beautiful Chunky Knit Elsham Bed Blanket, again from Laura Ashley. 

These fantastic Owl Book Ends, again from Laura Ashley! 

(In a bit of a love affair with LA, atm!)