What happens when I fancy a change...


I’m constantly thinking of ways to improve myself and better the things in my life. Let’s just say I like things to be perfect. Granted I don’t always take my own advice. It’s just hard to self critique yourself constructively without being destructive sometimes, isn’t it? Girls, I feel ya.

I tend to throw myself into things whole-heartedly, rightly or wrongly. And so for once, I decided to stop, take a step back and mill over what I was doing. (Proud moment) Trust me guys, not a me thing to do all of the time.

With University life concluding back in July, I found myself at a loss. My life in limbo and more to the point, stuck in the countryside. Well what do you do? Easy. You decide to re-decorate!

If i fancy a change, everything has to change, the world has to stop. I'VE MADE A DECISION, I've made a decision, and I'm Queen of indecisiveness. Of course if there was such a position. Previously what I like, I've got, no matter what it costs. Give or take because money tends not to be the issue for me and not because I'm a money bags, but because I'm frivolous with it and like to treat myself and others.

I had decided now I was back in Devon and spending more time in my room at home and not my Uni room (cry cry) it needed a facelift. An innate girly girl, I liked sparkle, glitter, diamonds and everything pinktastic. I loved it all. So naturally what colour was my bedroom before? Pink? I hear you say. Well naturally darling you were right.

 I’ve also always loved vintage and shabby chic furniture however so I already had the perfect white furniture in my eyes. But even that could do with a facelift. My large chest of drawers and wardrobe were from Ikea some years ago and I'd always hated the black knobs that came with it, because well yeah, they were black. I wanted them to be white and subtle like the rest of my furniture or at least pretty. And these were just bland, plain, ordinary, bleurgh bland. 
To solve this problem I simply went on ebay with to find what I had in mind. I found hundreds of options for what I was looking for: some clear crystal looking plastic ones, diamond shaped.

This is a picture with the old knobs and a couple of new knobs ones on:



The finished product:


 I was thrilled with the results, took less than five minutes to unscrew all the knobs and screw in the new ones. My wardrobe completely transformed to an even chicer and classier piece of white furniture. It added an element of glam to my room and changed the look to a much more expensive one than those dull ones.


Here's what my wardrobe looked like before:



And after:


(Sorry, please do excuse the poor excuse the poor photos. They were taken on my iPhone and my room was messy.)

If you want to achieve this look, just type into google what you're after and you'll find loads on amazon, ebay or my personal fave: easy

How about these?


This gorgeous bunch of mixed colours and patterns are so cute. They will add a hint of colour to your room, and give it more depth without you even realising. My favourite finishing touches are the little details, after all.

If you've gone for white shabby chic but one main colour to accompany it maybe a lilac hue or a duck egg in your feature wall the ones below are the perfect choice to match:

 Varying the pattern but keeping the same colour is such a cute and simple idea but so effective. This is what shabby chic is all about.



The next phase of my room-over was a drastic colour change. Something more grown up and neutral. Considering how small my room is white was the smartest option. A cleaner, fresher, bigger feel to my room was exactly what it needed. After all white is cool, sassy and on trend. Winter whites are a hot fashion statement at the moment by the way despite the cold weather. Embrace it! I have, in my decor and my outfits.

Here are a couple of photos of my room before:



During the painting process:








After:



My bedroom is far from finished and certainly has a long way to go but for the time being, with full time work I think I've done a good job of redecorating my room within a weekend and successful in creating a totally different feel to my room. 

I might do a blog on furniture painting and creating shabby chic furniture soon so keep your eyes peeled.

K x














 









❄ Kate's November Wish list ❄

Sorry I haven't posted a blog in a little while guys but I've been pretty busy...there's an exciting blogpost on it's way to you very shortly however!



I'm currently sat here covered in paint, splatters in my hair and some very old questionable outfit, if I'm honest. So, can anyone guess what I'm up to?

In the meantime, I thought I'd post a wish list of mine.
But it's only going to be a short one I'm afraid. But do not fret mes petis amis (my little friends) for I will make it up to you.


My friend Jade and I were minding our own business on Bonfire night, walking home, when we saw the most beautifully decorated (normal house, if you catch my drift?) we'd ever seen! It was pure, chic heaven. It brimmed with class and oozed a certain 'je ne sais quoi'. It was my ideal home, white with tones of oatmeal, mixed with greys and silvers. It was bootiful, it was! If you'd ever seen a house with so much inspo, it was this one alright.


So, without further a due, here is this month's little wish list with lots of home inspired details:



I'm obsessed with Boots' vintage collection so I have a fair few of those on the list.

1. 

This cute Boots Vintage Collection trinket pot is just £8. You can store anything from jewellery and earrings to cotton wool pads discretely in here whilst it decorating your dressing table beautifully.

2. 


This Boots Vintage T-light holder is also £8. It's just adorable, isn't it? I'm so in love with this little one, its so cute as an ornament to sit and look pretty with it's gorgeous silver vintage detailing but it's also has a use an is practical, it holds a little t-light candle. This would look gorgeous lit at night in your living room or bedroom. A must have!

3.

This third item is once again part of the Boot's vintage collection, and I love it. AND it's only £5! Once again the silver detailing with glass is just so effortlessly glam and will inject a bit of va-va-voom into your home. (I guess you're sensing the theme here) 
I actually love candles, I love white most of all in a glass jar but I also love them to last and last and last. That's how you can tell they're a good quality candle. My boyfriend bought me a gorgeous expensive one for my 20th birthday almost three years ago now and it only just ran out a few months ago. It looked pretty and smelt amazing. I was thrilled with that prezzie.

4.

Moving away from Boots, we have these gorgeous vintage inspired bottles from Next. At £22 for the set of 3 they are quite pricey, working out at roughly £7.33 each but I think they're worth it. They're simply gorgeous and exactly what I'm looking for.

5. 

Keeping with the candles, no wish list can be complete without a Diptyque Candle on it. They're a lot of money at either £20 or £40 for a larger one, that most men of ours wouldn't be able to justify, but they're great to keep the glass even when the candles ran out. They make brilliant make-up brush holders or you could put all your cotton ear buds in them, a nice way of storing them. So save up ladies and treat yourself to one of these! I promise you won't be disappointed. John Lewis or Space NK stock them amongst others.

A brilliant blogger, www.owmaknee.blogspot.co.uk  asked if asking for a candle for christmas was a sign your getting old? Well it maybe Harmony, but at least we're getting old with grace and style girl!

Have a great weekend bloggers.

Kiss me Kate x


October details: Poor vs Posh! Must have accessories for October

This is the start of my Poor vs Posh blogs, a blog where I pick out some of the staples in trend at the moment and find one you can treat yourself to if you have a bit extra money coming in that month and the cheaper ones that make you able to still buy a hot trend on a budget.

October's list:

Standard Tartan Scarf 

- In fashion year on, year out, this trend never fails to look on point. Last year there were a lot of reds and deep burgundy's around, this year it's a lot more autumnal colours like oranges and browns and some dark greens as well. I have many scarves from Zara and they're lovely quality but I also have the New Look scarf featured and it's ever so soft! You can just lose yourself in it on the train to work in the mornings, ah bliss!

1.
Posh

2.
Poor

1. Zara, £19.99
2. New Look £14.99

Fedora Hats

- A structured hat doesn't suit everyone but suit most people. Don't be afraid to invest, they're a cracking accessory to have and often complete any bland outfit. If you're wearing an all black outfit, a camel colour, this season's hottest colour, makes the whole ensemble pop. They compliment each other so perfectly. 

1.
Posh

2.
Poor

1. Topshop, £28
2. Missguided, £12

Knee high black suede boots

- I am dreaming of a gorgeous pair of black suede Knee high boots this winter. Seriously, they suit any type, big girls, curvy girls, petite girls. As long as they're worn with a complimentary classy outfit they ooze elegance and edginess at the same time. Pair it with a cute wooly oversized T-shirt dress and tights or a cream blouse and jeans.
(A nice chunky, solid heel and a pointed toe is especially dominating this season this a/w14.)
1.
Posh

2.
Poor

1. Schuh, £120
2. New Look, £39.99

Monochrome Scarf

- You can't wear your tartan scarf all the time, you need to mix it up a bit. There are certain outfits that you can't pull off with a tartan scarf, they just clash or it doesn't do the outfit or yourself an justice. In this instance, this is where you bring back a trend that is hot all year round, come winter or summer: Monochrome. There are lots of different types on the market, a classic checkered one is always a winner or a Houndstooth one is also bang on.

1.
Posh

2.
Poor

1. River Island, £18
2. New Look, £12.99


Please feel free to leave a comment saying how helpful you found this post :) I love hearing feedback.

Thanks for reading!
Kate x


Kiss me Kate launches | Hello bloggers




Why hello there, you beautiful bunch of bloggers!


Welcome to my newly launched blog; 'Kiss me Kate' please do excuse me for the ever so unoriginal name for my thoughts, I've always been known to be, well, a little bit cringe shall we say.

I'm just counting down the days until I discover there is already a Kiss me Kate...but until then I will be updating my blog as much as possible.

The boring details:

Before I start, details is a fab word isn't it? I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and so usually I want to know all the details down to the T. My english teacher in year 10 (who was a little bit of a heart throb at only 23, phwoar) used to call me a pedant all the time and I'll be honest, it used to infuriate me. It's only now however, I realise he was spot on with me, Harden-England. 

So...Kate Harden-England | 22 | Exeter, Devon/ London | Journalism graduate and blogger

I recently graduated from the fabulous University of Sheffield (recently ranked 69th in the world - go sheff!) where I read Journalism at one of the greatest departments in the field. Despite being an ex Journalism student I simply cannot put into coherent sentences how much it was the best three years of my life, ha. There just isn't enough words in the world to describe how incredible it was and shaped me to be a better person in more ways than one can imagine. 

Now only four months on whereas it feels like its a year since I handed in my last ever University assignment, I am giving myself the much needed kick up the arse to express myself through my blog.
I wanted to start my blog years ago, and even did start one in first year of university but didn't have the courage to continue, I didn't have self belief. In my opinion it was tripe, and no one wants to read tripe, so I got rid.

We had so many awe-inspiring women journalists come in to speak to us and give guest lectures at my department, which was an honour and yet I was still embarrassed at not being good enough and failure. That's all changed now. Sorry guys, you're just gonna have to put up with me eh?

Now back in Devon, which I've called home for the last six years or so and without any way of putting out content I've written, I find myself at a loss. A proud born and bread Londoner the pace of life has somewhat killed a little bit of my soul regardless of the amount of times I travel back and forth to the big smoke. So what better way to occupy my time than blogging? I read countless blogs a day, I have too many favourites already and it doesn't stop there. Instagram, online Facebook presence of my favourite monthly's I read it all. I am a self-proclaimed social media addict. What can I say? It's just too darn good.

An interior design geek, I find myself constantly flicking to the homes section in mags and although I'm only in my early twenties I plan my ideal home over and over again, utilising my favourite designers and brands with new season releases. I get this from my mum who's always been a whiz at it, and has designed all of our homes as well as the properties in her buy-to-let portfolio. So expect a lot of blogging on interiors and decor. To add to the mix I'm a keen fashion and beauty enthusiast. 

Lifestyle, style, fashion, beauty and interiors posts to be expected.

Enjoy,
Kate x