My Office Decor & Styling Fairy Lights

When I moved into my house I knew that I wanted to convert the spare room into an office area where I could also do some blogging. The room was painted a mint green colour when we moved in and had a blue carpet. It was used as a reading room I suppose, complete with bookshelf and rocking chair – which was still there when we moved in! When we had the electrics rewired in this room, we added an extra plug as we knew we both wanted to have our computers in here (or laptop in my case). This was really handy as it allowed us to set up our own computer areas at each side of the room. We painted the entire room white which is a great backdrop for my blog photos. There was a cupboard in this room which we wanted to utilise this space for some storage and at first I wasn’t sure what to do with it so it became a bit of a junk storage place.

Before Photo - Courtesy of Rightmove.

James very kindly surprised me on my birthday by sorting this room for me and buying me some great furniture and accessories. Firstly, he took the doors off the cupboard and replaced them with some sheer curtains which he popped onto a copper pipe for me, matching the theme of the room. Inside the cupboard which was bare, he added some shelving which he painted with a copper edge and a book case. Inside I have popped some of my books and some of my blog items. He also added a copper clock to the wall to really tie the colours in together.

My desks are from IKEA. I have one which I put my laptop on for when I am writing blog posts, and the other I use for taking my photos. This has been topped with some Marble fablon which you have probably seen in the background off all of my photos. I have a chair that I got from IKEA as well and on this chair is a gorgeous cushion that James bought me from B&Q.

Under my desks I have some more storage units which I have filled with craft supplies. He also decorated these for me in copper and marble to fit in with the theme of the room. I also have a light curtain which is great for the winter when I want to add some pretty bokeh to the background of any shots I take.

I love having fairy lights in this room as it makes for a really relaxing environment. If you're looking for your own light curtain, then be sure to check out Festive Lights. They have an amazing range of lights in every style imaginable. I am thinking of getting these adorable Unicorn Fairy Lights as I think they will really go with the relaxed decor in this room. They are also perfect for Children's rooms and nurseries so will be a great transitional piece once this room becomes a bedroom one day! 

Imagery provided by Festive Lights

On the floor, we have used the offcuts from the bedroom carpet just so there is something soft to put your feet onto. I also have a sheepskin rug that I pop down now and again, or failing that it hangs off my chair. James also has his side of the room sorted with his desk, massive computer screen, chair, shelving and art supplies.

I have not had the ceiling or coving done in here, but will be something that I do if I ever change this room around as well as replace the floor to a complete one. I love this room now it has been organised properly and it’s a great space for me to work on my blog posts. I would eventually like some curtains or a blind in here but for now, it’s just right. For a room that we haven’t really put a lot of time or money into I think it works well, and can stay this way for the foreseeable future as we have more important rooms to focus on next (the living room!)

Do you have any room before/after’s to share? Can you recommend any other fairy light hacks like these ones that I could add to this room?

Find the post about my bedroom makeover here.

Free Business Cards - Moo Review

A while ago now I got some business cards made up that I designed myself and then had printed via Moo. These had my old blogspot link on and I was embarrassed about giving them out so I decided I would invest in some more up to date ones with the upcoming blogger events I have coming up.

I decided to go back to Moo because I love that you can get mixed designs rather than 50 of the same thing. I designed a standard front which includes my blog link, Twitter, Instagram accounts and email address using PicMonkey. I then took some photos specifically to use on the back of the cards. I chose small fun quotes and picked some items that are relevant to my blog to go around them. These came to around £15 in the end including delivery, I managed to find a discount code on Google beforehand for 10% off which helped a bit and if you go via this link you will get 10% off too.

These came in a handy box, thanks Moo! I ordered Matte cards with a square edge but there is the option for a gloss finish. They arrived in the post after around a week which was perfect timing. They are of sturdy quality and I am really impressed with them.

Before I bought these cards, I ordered 10 free ones from Moo to get an idea of what the quality was like and was happy so I went on to purchase some more. To get 10 free business cards from Moo, head over to their website here. No purchase necessary.

If you would like to order some business cards for yourself, head over to Moo. There are plenty of templates and options available if you’re not the creative type and I am sure you will find something. What do you think?

The perfect office snack - Office Pantry*

(photo c/o Office Pantry)

So, you're sitting in your office. Maybe it’s the morning, you’re on a 1 oclock lunch but it’s only 10:30 and you can feel your stomach starting to ingest itself. It could even be that lunch is over, and you just fancy something sweet to help with the afternoon. Wouldn't it be great if you could have a supply of amazing snacks, within easy reach? If this sounds like you, Office Pantry is something you NEED to check out.

Office Pantry supply snacks to offices across Britain feeding those morning hunger pangs and ridding those 3pm energy slumps. I think this is such a brilliant idea and when I heard about the concept I could imagine it fitting in with my office perfectly. 

Office Pantry offer a selection of snacks like the ones included in this post. They arrive in a handmade wooden pantry complete with menu and price list for your colleagues. The Honesty Model box is something that interests me the most and the concept works around it being just that, an honesty box. You pay for the box full of snacks (prices start at £35) then your colleagues pay as per the included price list. The pantry is delivered directly to your office containing over 35 super snacks so you don’t even have to leave your seat!

One of the snacks I fell in love with was these Hectares Sweet Potato crisps. These were AMAZING, words cannot explain. These are also the sort of snack I can imagine eating in the office and everyone else wanting to try them too, as they’re not something you see in every corner shop. They are also Gluten Free which is great as personally we have a coeliac in our office who can’t always eat the snacks we bring in so it’s awesome that there’s something for everyone.

You decide what and when they deliver. You can vary what you get in your Pantry and if your colleagues don't like a particular product you don't have to have it again - although judging by the samples I received, I can't see anyone complaining!

Another Gluten Free product 9 bars are a great source of energy and a guilt free alternative to a chocolate bar if you want to be a bit healthier. I loved this fruity flavoured mixed seed bar and could easily see myself grabbing one of these after lunch to get me through the afternoon.

My favourite snack I got to sample was this Honeycomb Tiffin from Marshfield Bakery. I imagine these would go so quickly. Technically as this is a fridge bar, I like to have mine out of the fridge so it's nice and cold but I couldn't trust anyone with it. It was literally the most luxurious snack I have ever had at work.

Lastly, another healthy treat. These dried cranberries (from here) really satisfy a sweet tooth and are one of your five a day and less than 100 calories per bag so you can eat these without feeling like you have to do 3 hours in the gym afterwards.

Overall, I am really loving this concept and can really see this taking off in offices everywhere. It's a great idea. You pay for the pantry and box, and get your money back through honesty. Why not pool some money together within your team and try one out?

(photo c/o Office Pantry)

If you want to know more, or find out what other great snacks are on offer, please check Office Pantry out at the below links for more info and get a quote for your office, trust me, you’ll love it. I've also heard rumours they could be offering fresh fruit soon too, so keep your eye out...

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*The snack samples were provided free of charge from Office Pantry in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own. For more information, please see my disclaimer.