Tattoo Style

One of my current projects is a little something which I have invented all on my own, merging my eclectic tastes and sometimes conflicting styles and interests.  This series of photos is entitled "Tattoo Style" and I shall be fleshing this out more and more over the course of this year. I'm saving my words on the subject for another medium but for the blog lovers out there, heres a selection from the series.....

dreamcatchers and Indian Girls

Art Nouveau and Peacock Feathers

Antlers and Skulls, heads and hands

hot air balloons

dreamcatchers

religious

Wise old Owls and Scientific Steampunkery

Nouveau swirls

Skulls and Roses

Keys and Skulls

Credits for items used in the photos should go to Van Asch who designs the coolest cushions and fabrics, BrocantUK who travel all over Europe collecting the weird and wonderful and to charity shops everywhere, without whom I would be a lot less inspired.

I shall also be updating my Steller story with these photos, Steller is a new app for your phone where you can make collections of photos, videos and words, its rather lovely, so please find me there under the same name I use on twitter Jan.is.IT (my homage to Will.i.am and because its about time I cashed in on having such a ridiculous name).

See you all soon xxx love Janice

DIY marble tray

I came across this pretty DIY marble tray, made of a marble slab&2 drawer pulls. Nice right?

To follow the steps in making this DIY please go to this blog

Last months were a roller coaster ride. I am so so in love with my two little boys, but they are a handfull! There was basically no time for mommy and no time for blogging.
I am very happy that we hired help. We have a sweet girl that loves my boys almost as much as I do and she knows how to educate them.
Slowly I am trying to become my old self again. I gained a lot of weight during my second pregnancy and I decided that I wanted to loose that during these months. I have help from a doctor that monitors my weight, gives me food advise and gives me mesotherapie. I also get lasertreatment to try to diminish my stretchmarks and get sclerosetherapie to get rid of little veins on my both legs. I go to Zumba classes with 3 girlfiends. The Zumba classes are highly addictive, the first time I laughed so hard, I am hooked.
So now you know my beauty routine, hopefully in a few months I can show you some results.
Another exciting fact is that we might move to a bigger apartment (with a balcony) or house (with a garden). Tomorrow we have our first house tour. We are looking in to something that needs to be reformed. A lot of work, yes but also the only way to get a house to your needs and taste.
I just recently discovered the hippy side in me, which made total sense. I love the hippy chic lifestyle, I will add more of those details to my life and home.

Marlow bound on an antiques hunt ...

I like to shop local, well lets be honest, I like to shop, anyway, supporting your local independent retailers, I do believe, is a very good thing.  When it comes to Antiques it's essential as you can never just go out and find exactly what you want when you want it, you have to keep an open mind, wait sometimes or be flexible.  It's treasure hunting of the highest order.

Today I took a mooch down to Marlow at the other end of Bucks, to two places I know have excellent stock.  I'm currently working on a series of photos called "Tattoo Style", its a working title but one I hope to make my own, (sounds like something they would say on the X Factor), I digress.

First stop was HOME BARN

It's just on the outskirts of Marlow at Tithe Barn, Wilton Farm, Marlow Road SL7 3RR, look out for the Farm Shop signs as there is produce for sale just next door.

Home Barn have a very distinct curated style, collections under glass domes, cool memorabilia, strange and unusual, pulled together in a very stylish way. Their look very much sits into my Tattoo Style theme, plus, like myself they have an association with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, which they sell and use on some pieces. 

These photos should give you a feel for the beautiful high vaulted barn, full to the brim with vintage loveliness.

the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint colours are shown on wooden spoons.

mini globes and American flags. 

medicine bottles

American advertising labels, butterflies under glass domes

If you are going to Home Barn then you really must take a short trip up the road to the Furniture Recycling Shop it is in Bourne End, opposite the station : SL8 5QE

The huge shop goes back a long way and has many many different styles and periods of vintage and antiques. Some pieces that look decidedly French, sitting amongst the kitsch and retro.  Lots of excellent wardrobes, if you need one, from Victorian through to Thirties and including armoir style. Their prices are great and if you are looking for furniture to make-over with paint you can find that here too.  Heres some photos taken in the shop ...

great display of cotton reels on a lovely old pine dresser

some Indian Kashmiri wears in a basket

very much pre-loved but gorgeous anyway

love this French lady and the shutters

beautiful dome

Marlow is a lovely town for a day out, parking is a bit difficult in the town centre but these two lovely shops have their own parking which is another bonus.  Check in with their facebook pages for updates of new stock.