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Thifting like a pro

Charity shops are definitley having their moment right now. After the long lockdowns and people cleaning out attics, garages and…
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Meet Michelle

Michelle is a compulsive home maker and DIYer. She designs and makes adorable handmade gifts, accessories, homewares, dolls and lots more from her charming cottage in the West of Ireland. When she’s not making she loves sharing her creative and business skills through workshops, both at the cottage and online. Read More…

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Take one duvet cover, some brown paper, a bit of s

Take one duvet cover, some brown paper, a bit of stitching and voila … I made a dress 👗 🧵 🪡
Then my niece arrived for a surprise visit and we did a mini photo shoot this afternoon. So much fun. I’ll share more pics in the morning.
Hope you’ve all had a lovely weekend. 🌸🌸🌸

Happy Sunday from the cottage 🌸 Hope it’s per

Happy Sunday from the cottage 🌸
Hope it’s perfect in every way.

Happy Friday from the cottage 🏡 Looking forward

Happy Friday from the cottage 🏡
Looking forward to chatting with the lovely Cathy @cathymcgovern_carrowlane tonight at 7 on insta live. Pour a vino and join us if you like. We’ll be chatting charity shops, and Cottages and all sorts. It will be fun either way. Have a lovely day x

Happy Hump Day everyone 🌸 Hope it’s been good

Happy Hump Day everyone 🌸
Hope it’s been good for you all. Still waiting for summer to return.
In the meantime I’m brightening up the cottage with shop bought flowers. Something I do for myself every week is buy a bunch of flowers. I’ve always done it since I moved into my first flat. I love pimping them up with faux eucalyptus or roses, sometimes both. (I think there’s a highlight for this) Little extra touches are always the magic makers when styling don’t you agree? What’s your go to extra touch when you’re styling?

Always take time to smell the roses 🌸 Especiall

Always take time to smell the roses 🌸 Especially these beauties that have been growing in the hedge along the boreen that leads to my cottage. The scent is amazing and they are the prettiest shades of pink. Sorry for the MIA my one day insta break turned into a weekend break. These pics were from yesterday’s cycle. So disappointed with the weather. We were promised a scorcher and we got none of it 🙈😂 Come on summer sunshine, I’m waiting for you to return. I have 675 summer dresses that all need to be worn 😂😂👗

Oh my gosh thank you so much for all the lovely bi

Oh my gosh thank you so much for all the lovely birthday greetings 🥰 officially feeling the love x I had the most amazing day. My friend and I packed the car up with a picnic and swimming gear on a very grey Thursday morning, drove along the Coast watching the sky get darker and the rain heavier and then … the birthday fairies worked their magic. We arrived at the beach and the clouds disappeared to reveal a cobalt blue sky and beaming sun. Swipe to see more pics 📸 It could not have been more perfect. All of my favourite things for my birthday. Happiest girl ever. Enjoying being offline too so I’ll catch up with you all on Monday. I may have had birthday celebrations part 2 last night and may be feeling a little delicate 🥂 🍾. Oh it feels so good to have friends over, hear and see everyone laughing, making plans for the weekend, talking about outfits and almost forgetting the nasty 🦠. Here’s to more if this. Have a super weekend everyone. Do what makes your soul sing xx 😘

This is 47. Happy Birthday to Me 😁 I’m so ex

This is 47.
Happy Birthday to Me 😁
I’m so excited as I’m heading to the 🌊 sea 👙🧜‍♀️ The phone is staying put and I’m going offline. Not sure what I’m more happy about.
Do what makes you happy and makes your soul sing x
Especially on your birthday, right?
Have a lovely day everyone x

Happy Hump Day from the cottage 🌸 Look what my

Happy Hump Day from the cottage 🌸
Look what my mum just arrived with! The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Sunshine jug was a CS find and the buttercups freshly picked from the hedgerow. I mean come on if they don’t make you smile 😊 there’s something wrong with you ☀️ Sunshine in a jug ☀️ Have a lively day buttercups ☀️

Good Morning from the cottage and Happy Bank Holid

Good Morning from the cottage and Happy Bank Holiday Sunday (in Ireland) 🌸
I’m reading all your messages about my stories last night and giggling. I promise you I didn’t intend to leave you hanging at all. I had to get help as it was so heavy and then a couple of friends called and we had some vino, which was the first time that’s happened in over a year, unexpected but oh so lovely. So no one has guessed what I bought yet. I need to scrub it up and you know me, set the scene. So do I show it in it’s raw state or wait to style it up?

Good Morning and Happy Friday from the cottage and

Good Morning and Happy Friday from the cottage and even better, happy bank holiday weekend (in Ireland) 🌸
Sharing my thrifted magazine rack from last week … swipe to see what it looked like before. I love it!!! I was going to keep it for books but then I faffed about and filled it with my chopping boards and rolling pins, which I think I’m liking best. Not bad for €4 from the charity shop. I gave it a really good clean, scrubbed it down, painted it and then sanded it for that more farmhouse shabby look I like.
I’ve got a few other fab charity shops upcycles in progress and more bargains to share later on my Instagram live with the lovely Sarah @retwiggdstylist Sarah is a fellow thrifter and I’m frequently oohing over her gorgeous finds and makeovers. We’ll be chatting all things charity shop hauls and thrifting here at 6pm. Pour a wine or make a cup of tea and join us.
Then On Saturday morning at 11am I’ll be chatting to the gorgeous Louise @louslovedhome I can’t wait to see how she sets her table and find out more about her gorgeous new home. If you have any questions just comment below or tune in and ask on the lives. Likewise, if you know any fellow charity shop shoppers please do share this with them. I’ll also be announcing next Fridays guest. You’re not going to want to miss any of this 🌸 Have a fun filled fabulous Friday 🌸

Good Morning from the cottage. I got the vaccine.

Good Morning from the cottage.
I got the vaccine. 1 down and 1 to go. Feels like we’re a part of a future history lesson. So to my niece and nephews here’s what happened the day I had my vaccine ...

I was anxious, very anxious. I got up to glorious sunshine on Tuesday 1st June 2021. I had coffee and toast sitting outside in the sunshine before a zoom meeting online, because so much of the world is still working from home. I worked for a few hours on an app that hopefully, by the time, you are reading this, will be hugely successful for Peter and help so many people in the world with anxiety 🤞 Then I went to town to post my handmade collar orders. The Main Street in our town is all dug up for roadworks and a new path. The coffee shops are open for take away only and people queue outside with their masks on. It’s never something you can get used to, even a whole year later. I hope you never have to experience this in your lifetime. I got my coffee and a take away sandwich, as everyone said to eat before the vaccine. I sat in the car park and ate it. It was very surreal. No where to sit and eat and no one to meet. I thought of you all there and what the future will be like. I hope we can all be together soon and have family get togethers without any worries or talk of this virus. I love you all to pieces and this is why I’m getting the vaccine. For you and mum and your future. So hopefully you guys will never have to experience this.
The vaccine was given at the Abbey Hotel. It was s surreal experience. You were met at the carpark and asked your name and details, told where to park and directed inside. It was a military operation and everyone was so nice. You will come to find out about my fear of needles but I barely felt it. You waited 15 minutes after in case there was any side effects and then you could go. That was it. An entire year of worldwide misery and this single Little Jab could hopefully prevent it from happening for you 🤞, cont/d in comments

Good Morning from the cottage. Hope you all had a

Good Morning from the cottage.
Hope you all had a lovely weekend and here’s to a great week ahead 🌸
I have two lives coming up this week. On Friday evening I’ll be chatting charity shop hauls with the lovely Sarah @retwiggdstylist and on Saturday morning I’ll be having a virtual coffee with Louise @louslovedhome . I can’t wait. I really enjoyed the chats with Kat @vintageirishkat on Friday, it’s saved in my IGTV. If you have any questions for my chats with Sarah or Louise leave them in the comments below 😊 Right, i better get to work. It’s a long commute from the bedroom to the kitchen ☕️ Have a super day 🌸

Happy Sunny Sunday from the cottage ☀️

Happy Sunny Sunday from the cottage ☀️

Good Morning from the cottage 🌸 Happy Saturday

Good Morning from the cottage 🌸 Happy Saturday 🌸
Waiting patiently, ok not so much, for the promised sunshine here. Hope she comes out soon.
Have a super weekend x

Hello 🌸 Happy Tuesday 🌸 Sorry for my absence

Hello 🌸 Happy Tuesday 🌸
Sorry for my absence the last couple of days. I’ve been a busy bee. How are you? Hope you’re having a good week so far x I started back at Bootcamp last night so I’m all systems go today.
🌸
In between zooms I’m trying to decide what I’ll put in my summer pots this year. I loved the foxgloves last year but I feel like a change. I’ve had geraniums, lavender, sweet peas and all sorts over the years. Any recommendations/suggestions?

Happy Monday from the cottage 🌸 Exhausted is an

Happy Monday from the cottage 🌸
Exhausted is an understatement after a full day in the garden yesterday planting, weeding, faffing, styling and cement mixing! As I do. The universe sure did answer my request for sunshine, albeit for just a few hours.
I literally turned into something from a Benny Hill sketch the minute it sun came out. I did more in those few hours than I did all day. It was so lovely to see the sun, feel it on my face, hang washing on the line and faff outside.
I finally planted up the hosta and was inundated with messages warning me about slugs 🐌 so 🤞she survives. I planted out some of my cosmos seedlings, stick amd more sweet peas too. I hung the hammock in my swing frame for a change too. What do you prefer there? The swing or hammock? Right. I better get cracking. Busy week ahead. Today I’m visiting a friend, outside the county, at last! And later I’m back training, the covid couch potato days are over and it’s time lift something weights again. Have a lovely Monday 🌸

Happy Saturday from the cottage 🌸🌸🌸 Than

Happy Saturday from the cottage 🌸🌸🌸

Thank you so much for all the love on yesterday’s afternoon tea. I spent my afternoon confirming that yes, practically everything was from charity shops, boot fairs etc. It definitely got you all talking. Because of that I just know you’re going to love who i’m going to be chatting with live here on Insta next week. She’s a fellow charity shop/vintage lover, full of fun over on her own insta, an Irish diyer and quite often you’ll see her on wheels …. Can you guess who?
We’ll be sharing our charity shop hauls from the week and you’re all invited. Can you guess who it is? 🐈 I’ve given you loads of clues 🕵️‍♀️

I’m a little teapot short and stout I lost my li

I’m a little teapot short and stout
I lost my lid a while ago
And thought I’d get thrown out
But Michelle kept me anyways
Knowing this day would come
When I’d be full of pretty lilacs
And loved by everyone.
🌸🌸
Have a fanfuntabulous Friday everyone!
And leave a little love for my lidless stout teapot below 😂😂😂 🫖
I promise no more lilac pictures.
I’ve got some cake to share later as part of #greatirishbake 👌 Join me at around 2ish. I’ll share on stories abs maybe even go crazy and do a second post on the grid. Oooh living on the edge today. 🍰

Oh my god I thought the cottage, and me were going

Oh my god I thought the cottage, and me were going to be blown away last night 🙈 What the heck is going on with this weather!? It’s crazy.
I’ll need matchsticks to keep my eyes open today.
You’d never know but I finally used lightroom yesterday. Probably overly so but holy crap, no wonder everyone else’s houses look so much better than mine. I always avoid filters because a) it’s extra work and b) I don’t want to portray that magazine picture perfect look when in fact I’m in a cottage, in Ireland, in the greyest May in history but enough is enough. Do you use any photo editors for your pics?

Good morning from the cottage . Sharing a pretty

Good morning from the cottage
.
Sharing a pretty wild flower bouquet from my walk yesterday. Blown away by the pretty blooms I came across on the forest floor. It never ceases to amaze me what I find there. Can’t wait to style them up in one of the many pretty glass vases and vessels I bought yesterday (all in my stories) Beyond happy to get back to the charity shops and part of the circular economy 😊 Excited to be doing a charity shop haul with a fellow charity shop insta chum soon too. Would that be something you would be interested in? Please do give a thumbs up below to confirm it’s not a naff idea. It’s gonna be so much fun. Will share more with you soon 🌸
Have a Super Tuesday

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