Lace Curtains... A very British tradition

Lace Curtains made from joining a variety of laces, trims and delicate doilies

Vintage French lace curtain

Vintage crochet lace

Scrap lace curtain with Tassle trim

As I walked home from a bar in Doidrech, Holland last year I was astounded at the amount of homes that had their lights on with the inside of their living rooms on full display for the world to see. .... and Gasp.....there wasn't a lace curtain in sight!!

I suppose you could say the lace curtain has made a bit of a world wide come back in Interior design because of the 'Shabby Chic' obsession of the 2000's, and although I wouldnt proclaim to be a fan of the Shabby chic look even I do like a good lace curtain....

 The obsession with lace curtains, I have been told is a very British obsession. I grew up with them and even have them in my home now..... I guess I just hate the idea of 'living in a goldfish bowl' as my dad puts it. Here in the UK even our former wild child Pop stars such as Pearl Lowe (Daisy's Mum and former front woman of Brit pop band Powder)  designing a rangein the 2000's.

Although there are some pretty grim curtains out there there are also some beautiful handmade curtains to be found.  Another option is to join a variety of laces, trims and delicate doilies together, like image 1 or cut squares of old lace to make a scrap curtain (image 6), to create a unique curtain of your own.

With the renewed interest in Macrame, crochet and knitting I recon lace making may not be too far behind!! What do you think?

My Nest: Megan Starr

Vintage Indian Gauze dress Collection

Welcome to the new 'My Nest' feature here on Moon to Moon. The aim of the new 'My Nest' feature is to get a glimpse into real life readers homes. That means no stylists re-arranging furniture and adding props, and no fancy photographers with light meters.... All photographs are by the owner ensuring all the 'nests' are the homes as they really are, lived in and perfectly imperfect, dirty dishes and all. . Alongside the photos there is also a set of 10 questions to get a bit of juicy background on the property and the family.

So to Kick off the 'My Nest' feature I am really proud to introduce the rather glorious Alaskan home of Megan Starr and Family aka @Ramblinstarr on Instagram. I for one am smitten with this beautiful eclectic home, and was really thrilled Megan agreed to take part... So over to Megan...

1) Where do you live and what do you do for a living?

I live in Anchorage Alaska and I am currently a stay at home mom.

2) What attracted you to your current home

This is actually the home that my family used to live in, they were here for almost a decade and now that they're all moving out and elsewhere my husband and I are buying it. I love that we've been coming to this house since before our children were even born so it feels extremely natural for us to now live here. Some of my favorite things are the vaulted ceilings, the massive amount of natural light thanks to all the windows, the gorgeous pale lavender the whole interior is painted and how big the place feels. We lived in a tiny 2 bedroom apartment before this so having all this space is such an awesome thing. 

3) how long have you lived there/ will you live there

We've been here for almost a year now and fully plan on spending the rest of our lives in this home. After moving around and living in apartments for the last 14 years I'm so excited to put down roots. 

4) what is your favorite/ most treasured item.

My vintage 1970's 'I Want Peace' Uncle Sam poster that my husband gave me for Christmas a few years back, I really love it. 

5) where do you buy most of your furnishings and accessories 

Almost everything we own has been bought at the thrift stores or through craigslist. Every once in awhile I'll find something on Etsy that catches my eye though! I really dig that we've been able to fill our home by slowly finding things we love and fitting them all together.

6) how would you describe your style. 

I would describe it as retro bohemian hippie probably. 

7) what/who inspires your home style / decision making when buying a new piece.

I'm so inspired by old 70s homes, overgrown plants all over, some mid century modern, Moroccan influences and a bit of Americana. Since I pretty much only shop secondhand it's always just a gut feeling and how thrilled I am to have found something, oh and of course the price! With a mortgage and three kids I like to spend as little as possible when it comes to decor, I'm all about being thrifty!

8) what/ where would be your dream home?

Honestly I think my home is! I'm having the time of my life turning this place into exactly what I've always dreamed of calling my home. Some places that I've always obsessed over though would be Barbara Hulanicki's studio, the house from Practical Magic, Erin Wasson's home and definitely the Eames house.

9) what was the last item you bought?

I found a gorgeous peacock chair for super cheap on Craigslist last week, so stoked! I'm thinking that it will look great in my daughters' room.

10 ) any wish list items?

 I've been on the hunt for a Moroccan leather pouf, a vintage Letterman triptych painting and a macrame curtain panel for the staircase that leads to the bedrooms upstairs.

I would like to say a massive thank you to the Lovely Megan for the beautiful photographs and taking the time to answer the questions. I am totally inspired by her beautiful Nest... and am wearing my Indian Gauze dress today :)

 
If you are interested in taking part please tag me on Instagram and send me an email...

New Moon Kantha Give Away... Soul Makes

SoulMakes started out as a little collaboration between two love birds, Mack and Trevor Mars. Inspired by our travels from coast to coast, we dreamt up a line of beautiful bohemian jewels, unique in design and 100% handmade. What started as a small collection has blossomed into a label that now offers gorgeous wears to adorn the body, as well as your home, carried in specialty stores across the world. 

We are so thrilled about our new House and Home line, which launched only a few short weeks ago and has seen such a wonderful response. Our home collection kicked off long ago with hand crafted dreamcatchers and slowly began to incorporate other unique and gorgeous wall hangings and ornaments, which pay tribute to our cosmic roots with materials like crystals, birch wood and feathers.

 The collection came off the walls and hit the dining room table with place mats and coasters, it landed on the couch with fluffy, cozy pillows and throw blankets and even entered the world of bath with our luxurious Turkish towels and you can only imagine what other goodies will be hitting the shop soon. We aren't done designing jewelry either and we like to think of our house wears as jewelry for the home! 

SoulMakes have been a sponsor of Moon to Moon for some time and I have been obsessed with their beautiful Jewellery,  so I was thrilled when Mack contacted me to let me know that Soul Makes was launching a Home Wares range...  Kantha quilts, dream catchers and Turkish Towels, whats not to love?

To celebrate the move into homewares, Soul Makes and Moon to Moon are teaming up to offer you a very special New Moon give away......One lucky Moon Goddess (or Moon Man) will win a one of hand made Indian Kantha throw and cushion...

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is visit Soul Makes and leave a comment below letting us know what you favorite item from the shop is... Simple!!

Extra entries will be given for tweets, facebook shares, pins and Instagram shares

The winner was announced on Monday 3rd November

Good Luck

Bar Cart Essentials

I love this Home bar with overhanging Star Lights

Home Bar

Bright and colourful Bar

Fully Stocked and ready to go

Vinyl and Booze :)

If like me you are a bit afraid of 'styling' your home then setting up a bar cart is a great place to start. You don't even have to have a dedicated bar cart, just a simple tray with a few bottles and a cocktail shaker will add instant edgy glamour and I think they always look put together.

If you wan to go one step further and get serious about your bar cart then luckily brands such as Hendrix Gin and The Bitter Truth not only make yummy alcohol but they also come in beautiful Victorian style packaging that looks great on the bar cart or just on your shelf!

My other favorite bar cart must haves....

Hendrix Gin
Amethyst Wine stopper by Brooklyn Thread
Long Wooden Stirrers by board and bread
Copper Moscow Mule Mug G & G Mercantile co
Vintage Claw Ice Pickers from eBay

The Home of... 3 Brooklyn Artists

"Though it somehow never feels cluttered, this space is filled with a miscellany of oddments accumulated over the course of the lives of its occupants—and each one has a story to tell: an Ikat textile adorns Wass’s bed, under the watchful eye of a flying pig (both acquired on trips to Bali); a handwoven belt bought in a Bolivian market hangs next to a ceramic necklace made by Wass’s grandmother; a one-armed lamp named “Hernani” stands guard over Ginsberg’s art; a yard sale of objects populates Wass’s bedside table—“vintage bracelets, a glass pendant that my mother made for me, striated rocks given to me by Bedouin friends while traveling in Jordan, a little tool for weaving yarn into a square cord, coins from various countries, shells from various beaches, a vintage umbrella sent from a friend in Australia…”—providing daily inspiration."

 This is the home of three Brooklyn Artists jewellery designer Laura Wass, Pepi Ginsberg (lead singer of the band Companion), and Lucy Childress (a photographer… and nurse). 

Images by Brian Ferry , original article from  BK magazine

The Moroccan Inspired home of.. Sybil and Dan

This fabulous Brooklyn home is owned by husband and wife Sybil and Dan (who own the people of tomorrow,) and their gorgeous little daughter. When renovating the 4 story property in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, the couple were inspired by Morocco and the French Caribbean. Juxtaposing earthy tones and exposed brickwork with fabulous neon paint and electric blue ceramics creates a creatively and visually stunning place that importantly, is also really fun and child friendly.

I love the little girls room in particular the gourd lampshade and thick reclaimed wood shelves. I am sure you would agree this would be an awesome house to grow up in!!

To see the full story and see more beautiful images visit Apartment therapy here