It’s easy to see why butterflies continue to be a hot trend in the world of interiors… they’re delicate, ethereal and remind you of lazy summer days. There’s also a sense of freedom and fantasy about them, and just look incredible pretty on porcelin, fabrics or even on shell door knobs (my personal favourite from this collection of all things butterfly). And they’re also another indication that winter is truly on its way out! What do you think of this trend?

{1. Cox & Cox butterfly paperweights – £14.50 (for pair) / 2. Graham & Green engraved butterfly hooks – £6 / 3. Cox & Cox magnetic butterflies – £7.50 (for set of 12) / 4. Graham & Green shell butterfly door knobs – £1.98 / 5. Portmeirion Dawn Chorus jug – £20 / 6. Cavallini & Co butterfly stamp set – £20 / 7. Lolita Social Butterfly wine glass £17 / 8. Jenny Arnott butterfly cushion – £55 / 9. Graham & Green butterfly print – £19.95 / 10. Graham & Green butterfly tealights – £6 / 11. Graham & Green Farfalla drum lamp shade – from £39 / 12. Anthropologie butterfly towels – from £8 / 13. Anthropologie picture frame – £24 / 14. These Charming Things butterfly tea cosy – £22.50 / 15. John Lewis butterfly shower curtain – £28}

Is it just me or has it actually been the longest week in existence? I feel like I’m approaching the finishing line in a marathon… but maybe that’s to do with the cocktails I had last night at the very glamorous, brand-spanking-new and “about time too” W Hotel in London. Go for the Watermelon Martini and you won’t regret it. Anyway, I digress. Truly TGIF, and I’m looking forward to meeting up with family this weekend at one of Jamie Oliver’s restaurants, and meandering around Covent Garden (which is where I work, but have no time during the week to make the most of it). And I’ll make sure I get to the cinema to watch The King’s Speech, no excuses this time.

{images via Donna Wilson, Biscuiteers & General Pattern}
The Royal Wedding is next month! As I was merely a month old for Charles and Diana’s wedding, I’m fully on board with Wills and Kate’s big day… in fact I’d love to go to a public occasion with the wedding showing on a big screen (is this happening anywhere? I need to find out). As a bit of a wedding nut myself, I can’t wait to see all the details: her dress, her hair, the flowers. I get the sense that I’m not alone in this excitement… in female circles mostly, I suspect. The Royal Wedding bandwagon shows no signs of slowing, as the amount of memorabilia cropping up left right and centre is evidence of. Tacky? Pah! I literally want it all.

{images via H&M, Jimmy Choo, Matches, French Connection & Kurt Geiger}
What’s not to like about wedges? They’re the member of the heel family that you can wear all day without being crippled, they have the power to make your legs look gazelle-like, and, well, they’re just so purdy. I can almost smell the Ambre Solaire.

{images via pinterest}
January and February are over, and there’s no better way to celebrate their exit than to buy a bunch of fresh flowers. My kitchen now looks and smells delicious thanks to a cheery vase of tulips – Spring has sprung, and I couldn’t be happier.

As far as I’m concerned you can keep your weird Bang & Olufsen phones – they don’t even look like phones. I’m currently lusting after this vintage model that would add class to any desk.

Supergirl had the ability to fly, She-ra had He-man… and Wonder Woman had the style. So MAC cosmetics have come up with the ingenious idea to collaborate with the fictitious heroine and bring out a Pop Art-esque range of make-up. Now, I’m not the biggest make-up connoisseur, but I love the packaging. Pow! It’s so fierce.

To wrap up the week we have Rosie Huntington-Whiteley at an Oscars party wearing a spectacular Valentino gown that looks like it has been painted on her… the colour and the cut couldn’t be better, making Ms H-W another Brit bringing a touch of class to the Academy Awards. And those stairs, absolutely to die for… not a room as such, but I couldn’t resist.
I hope you have a beautiful weekend whatever you’re doing and wherever you may be…

When I posted this amazing West Sussex beach house, I promised that I would shortly feature a ‘best of’ the ridiculously lust-worthy locations from 1st Option. And I’m a girl true to my word… so here is a selection of rooms that caught my eye. Ok, so the majority caught my eye, but it was something about the subway tiles, the purple velvet sofa, the cashmere rugs, the pink clawfoot bath and Arabian nights by the pool, that especially stole my heart. Do you have any particular favourites from this line-up?

{images via 1st Option}

To start the week, I wanted to bring you some inspiration that I’ve been seeing a lot of lately… gallery walls. The beauty of displaying art, photographs or possessions in this way is that there’s no order to it. In fact, the more randomly the items are placed, the more interesting the effect is. I think it brings a real homeliness to a room, whether you’re showing your favourite memories, your hobbies or just a mishmash of images. Unfortunately in my current flat the walls are harder than Alcatraz to infiltrate – I therefore have a handful of pictures hanging on nails that are precariously embedded in about three millimetres of plaster. I worry every time someone so much as sneezes. But this is an idea that I’ll definitely use in future homes:

{images via pinterest, tumblr, House Beautiful, design*sponge & LivingEtc}
What do you think? Are you a fan of gallery walls?

Happy Friday everyone! Spring has definitely been in the air this week, with the temperature in the capital yesterday hitting a practically tropical 15°C. This weekend I’ll be staying in London, catching up with friends at a restaurant that I’ve been dying to try out since it opened, working hard on getting {weddings you fancy} ready to launch next month, and hopefully watching either The King’s Speech or The Social Network (I know, I’m so behind, although I’m a still freaked out by my Black Swan experience) before the Big Event on Sunday night. For me, though, it may be a little more about the dresses, I have to be honest… you can expect a full report on the Oscar’s red carpet fashion on Tuesday. Best of luck to Colin! I know he’ll do us Brits proud.

{images via pinterest, Into the Fold, Coralie Bickford-Smith & This is Your Kingdom}
1 – I’m always jealous that the US gets to see all the Oscars action live without having to stock up on Red Bull and pull an all-nighter (oh, memories from uni)… but a pre-Oscars party could be a solution. Invite friends round and don your swishiest gowns, serve Champagne cocktails and popcorn, and have your favourite films playing in the background whilst you choose your best-dressed stars from past years (stand-outs for me have been Jennifer Lopez in 2003 and Reece Witherspoon in 2007). For an event planner I’m extremely disorganised, but I will do this next year!
2 – If you’ve never been on Camilla’s fashion blog ‘Into the Fold’, then please do so when you get a chance. Now, I don’t know about you, but when I was 14 I had acne issues, was sporting hypercolour t-shirts and really knew nothing about myself. This 14-year-old, on the other hand, writes like a pro features journalist and carries a Mulberry Alexa like, “yeah, it’s my school bag, what of it?”. Maybe being American-Danish is some magical hybrid combination that grants you natural wit and maturity in your teens, but whatever it is, she’s hilarious. For example, she named her Tumblr account ‘Astrid’ because, “I wanted to name my future baby girl that, but then I changed my mind, but then I wanted to name SOMETHING Astrid, you get the idea”. She might not be to everyone’s taste, but I love clever writing and random commentary, and ‘Into the Fold’ has it by the bucketload.
3 – Shiny pink peep-toes with a fancy schmancy heel. Seriously, Monsieur Louboutin is really spoiling us with these beauties. All they need is skinny jeans, a white tank top and a blazer, and you’re good to go. Also, I’m trying out a little experiment: my blog as a handy and not-at-all-cheeky gift list for my 30th birthday in June. Somewhere for family/boyfriend/friends to pick up SUBTLE hints. I’ll let you know my findings.
4 – Love these vintage book covers by Coralie Bickford-Smith – not only do they look gorgeous on your book-shelf, they’re a great way of encouraging magazine fiends like me to read the classics. I don’t think the fact that I’ve read no.75 about 243 times makes up for my performance on the rest of this list.
5 – When I came across this beautiful website, I soon realised that it was created by a girl who used to live with a good friend of mine (Congrats on the site, Hannah, what a fantastic idea!) – small world. TiYK came to be after two friends agreed, “how wonderful it would be to create an online community where people could both discover and share invaluable insider snippets of local knowledge.” It currently covers London and a few other counties (but I’m sure it will grow to encompass the whole of the UK), and readers can discover hidden gems in their region where they can “eat, drink, walk, think, potter, ponder, snuggle, shop or sleep”. Celebrating what’s great about Britain? I’m all for it.

{images via prphotos & pinterest}
I recognise that I have a verging-on-the-unhealthy obsession with OP and her fashion choices, and I did try to find someone whose ensemble I preferred this week… but I went with my motto: If in doubt, go Palermo. The fact that she sat next to Pixie Geldof at LFW, who looked like she’d just rolled out of bed and dressed for the gym, only highlighted the immaculate outfits (oh yes, there were many) of this New York socialite. So, please Olivia, dress down next week… give the other ladies a chance. Finally, here’s a bathroom that may not have a bath (and usually a bathroom without a bath is a deal-breaker for me), but I’m a big fan of the double basin action and that rug. Mornings wouldn’t be half as bad if you had this to greet you.
I hope you have a superb weekend whatever you’re doing and wherever you may be…