DISNEY x SHORT STORY

December 8, 2019 by Hayley Leave a Comment

Disney has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories are my parents reading bedtime stories from my vast collection of Little Golden Books, all the classic like Bambi, Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty.
Then I grew up, had my own kids and the tradition continued with Disney bedtime stories. These stories hold special messages of family, friendship and dreams, they encourage kids to be themselves, be honest and be brave.

My kids, now 18, 17 & 8, have embraced the same love for Disney which becomes quite obvious when a Disney song comes on and they all break out in singing at the top of their lungs. So, when Disney & Short Story approached me about sharing their collaboration I jumped at the chance!

I first discovered Short Story about 5 years ago through social media. I instantly loved the unique way they use paper to create beautiful art and homewares, from their origami art to their paper lamps, their attention to detail is just beautiful. It is no surprise to me that Disney have chosen to collaborate with them on this incredible collection and I can’t wait to share it with you.

Let’s go …..

For this collection they have created a sophisticated and stylish range of homewares and jewellery for all ages, my 18 year old daughter is just as excited about this range as my 3 year old niece.

The framed art is whimsical and uplifting with stunning gold-foiled quotes inspired by the movies. The origami is individually hand-crafted from iconic Disney scenes and hand signed by the artist. They come packaged in a velvet lined box ready to gift. These collectors edition pieces are limited to 120 pieces and will be treasured though the generations.

Perfect for a child’s bedroom, the lamps are individually hand wrapped with vintage scenes from the Disney original animations, they bring a comforting glow at night sure to put a smile on anyones face.

I’m in love with the candles and I can’t pick a favourite! The soy wax candles come in pretty pastel glass jars and embellished with real flower petals. The delicious fragrances are beautifully paired with the princesses and include Coconut Sea Breeze for Ariel and Enchanted Rose for Belle. They are ready to gift in bespoke designed boxes complete with nostalgic scenes from the Princess stories.

The votive candle lantern sits on a wooden lacquered base and showcases favourite Disney scenes wrapped around the heat proof glass. They are presented in a beautiful box, pair them with some tea light candles for a gorgeous gift.

Floating flowers make these diffusers something really magical. The glass jars showcase real flowers chosen to embody the princess and the scents are just as enchanting with fragrances like Night Lit garden for Jasmine.

If you want to share your love of Disney with the world, the range of earrings is super sweet and they come in a huge range representing all your favourite Princesses. Crafted by hand in sterling silver and 14K gold plating, these earrings include characters such as Elsa, Ariel and Mrs Potts.

The bubble earrings are fabulously fun with a ball of sparkle or real flowers on one side and a sweet representation of your princess on the other side, and the best part is they are reversible, it’s like having two pairs of earrings in one!

Lastly, and so lovely, are the trinkets created to conjure special memories, positive thoughts and to serve as a lucky charm. They come in their own special pouch with an inspiring story card ready to gift or treasure as a keepsake.

If your ready to bring some magic into your home, you can find all the beautiful pieces here.

If you want to win a candle, diffuser and pair of earrings from the Disney range, ENTER HERE!

Happy Shopping!

A Sofa Slipcover Review with my friends at Comfort Works

August 18, 2019 by Hayley 11 Comments

Have you ever bought a piece of furniture that you thought was timeless and you were going to love it forever, then a few years later you’re a little bored and the love is fading? That’s exactly how I felt with my sofas, just a little ‘meh’.

My sofas are from the IKEA Stocksund range, IKEA sofas are durable, practical and very affordable. Ours are super comfortable and only a couple of years old, they are still in perfect condition and they work well in our living room. The issue is that I am interior decor obsessed and I like to change things around often. I felt stuck in a rut with my current blue and white ticking sofas and was longing for a fresh new look.

That’s when I decided to have a look at Comfort Works and see what they offered in the way of IKEA sofa covers or more specifically Stocksund sofa covers. I think slipcovers are a great choice for families as they are so carefree ….. who wants to be that parent that is always yelling at the kids and wrecking all the fun by being precious about the furniture? Not me!

When I asked for your advice and ideas about my fabric selection on my social media I was inundated with so many questions, so I popped up a quick blog post about the ordering process and a few other questions.
If you missed it you can find it here.

I was blown away by the customisation options and range of beautiful fabrics available at Comfort Works.

Firstly, lets talk about the fabrics. They have curated a collection of beautiful colours in a selection of both synthetic and natural fibres. Natural fibres tend to be softer and comfortable but less durable, while the synthetic fibres are tough but not as comfortable. A natural and synthetic blend tend to be a great compromise of comfort and durability. They also have speciality fabrics available like velvet and leather.

I chose the KINO fabric for my sofas. They are from the Heavy Duty range and are 100% polyester. This fabric will withstand lots of wear and tear from the pets and kids, it will hold up to lots of washing and is the most hardwearing fabric in the collection. With three kids and 2 pets, this is just what we need!

I also chose to have contrasting piping for my sofas. This is another customisation option available, you can choose plain seams, matching piping or contrast piping. I know most people tend do do a darker colour for the body of the sofa and a lighter colour for the piping, while I love this look I really want these slipcovers to be as carefree as possible, so I chose a mid strength colour for the body of my sofas and a dark colour for the piping.
I think if you want to do the reverse, with the light coloured piping, slipcovers are the only way to do it. Can you imagine trying to clean white piping on a sofa without removable covers!

The last, and most exciting customisation option I chose was to have long skirted covers. The Stocksund sofa has tall legs and is high from the ground. I thought the open air underneath them would give our living room a sense of space, which it does, but now I find myself wanting a more intimate looking space and the long skirted slipcovers have created the warm and inviting atmosphere that I was looking for.

Other customisation options include built-in USB ports, yes you read that correctly, you can have a USB port built into your slipcovers for easy-peasy charging of all your devices. Genius!

Comfort Works kept me updated with every step of the order process from the beginning through to shipment details and delivery date.
When my covers arrived they were neatly folded and packaged with care. They all had individual labels telling me what part of the sofa they were for, no guessing required. It made it so easy to pop them on, I had a whole new look in under half and hour!

So, the big question on the edge of everyones lips is – Am I happy with my new slipcovers?
ABSOLUTELY!
I am thrilled with them!
The fabric is softer than I was anticipating and the fit is perfect. I love the colours I chose and the contrast piping is amazing. The best part of all … the long skirts, they have completely changed the look and vibe of these sofas and it truly feels like I have all new furniture.

I am so happy with entire process and I have no hesitation in recommending Comfort Works for all your custom sofa covers and slipcover needs.
I am already planning my next transformation!

Happy Shopping!

Hayley

DISCLOSURE – I was gifted my slipcovers by Comfort Works. As you all know, I would never recommend anything unless I have used it or experienced it for myself. I know you trust me and I will not betray your confidence by recommending an inferior product or brand. All opinions above are my own.

What’s all the fuss about Bamboo?

August 7, 2019 by Hayley Leave a Comment

Tired, tired, tired … everyone is tired!
Maybe they don’t know what I know … sleep is important!
I know that sounds pretty basic, we all know that sleep is important, but people are sleeping less than they have in the past and the quality of our sleep has also decreased substantially, which is obviously why we are all so tired!

Now, more than ever it is important to create a sanctuary in your bedroom where you can relax, unwind and get the best night sleep possible. Choosing the right bedding can be beneficial to getting that elusive good night sleep, but choosing the right bedding can be overwhelming, there is so much on offer and it’s confusing unless you know the facts.

The lovely people at Linenly know how obsessed I am with bedding, they believe in their product, and they offered me some of their bamboo sheets to try out and review.
Here’s what I learnt ….Bamboo is sustainable, eco-friendly, hypoallergenic, anti-bacterial, thermo-regulating, breathable, absorbent, durable and very luxurious. Pretty impressive huh!

Bamboo is growing in it’s popularity due to it’s sustainable and eco-friendly nature. Bamboo doesn’t requires chemicals and needs very little water to grow, healthy bamboo can grow up to one metre per day, every part of the plant can be used for food, building and of course … creating beautiful bamboo sheets. You can sleep easy knowing your sheets are friendly to the planet.

These silky soft sheets are also fabulous for allergy sufferers. The breathable nature of the fibres creates an environment that discourages dust mites, and because they are organic there are no harsh chemicals or dyes.

The thermo-regulating fabric is perfect for our Australian climate where the nights are hot and humid. These sheets are moisture wicking which means they draw the moisture away from your skin making you less ‘sticky’ and they are highly breathable which keeps the air flowing around your skin creating a cool environment.

Bamboo is a durable fibre that will outlast cotton if cared for correctly. It is incredibly soft and drapes beautifully over your bed with no ironing required.

What’s my verdict?
The initial investment may be a little higher for the luxury of bamboo sheets, but the peace of mind you get from using a sustainable source, along with the comfort and coolness of bamboo is definitely worth it.

You can find your new bamboo bedding here.

Happy Shopping!

Hayley x

Redis-Cover your Sofa!

August 6, 2019 by Hayley 2 Comments

It seems I’m not the only one interested in giving my sofa a facelift!
I shared a little peek of my project on my Instagram over the weekend and my message box exploded with questions. I thought I would give you all the details here instead of repeating myself 3,758 times.
Here’s the most common questions I got asked ….

Your Sofa is an Ikea Stocksund, but do they do covers for other sofas?

YES! Not only Ikea sofas, although they do nearly every Ikea sofa currently and previously on the market, but also sofas from Pottery Barn, West Elm, Restoration Hardware and more.

50a5fef871189eb9a44d44e5c77984dd — My Sofa – IKEA Stocksund

What if my sofa isn’t from any of these brands?

They do a made-to-measure range where you can select the sofa that is the closest style to your own depending on the arm style and shape, then measure it yourself. They have a handy video on their website and you are encouraged to send in a photo of your sofa so they can help you find the best fit.

Did you say you are having ‘skirted’ slip covers?

YES! Many of the sofas have the option to choose a skirted or non skirted option. There is also options for plain seams, piping or contrast piping. You really do the ability to customise your cover just the way you want it.

SU3-S_1003-24 — The Ikea Stocksund with a Comfort Works skirted cover in Kino Denim.

Do they make slipcovers for other things too?

YES! They also do covers for armchairs, dining chairs, barstools, ottomans and sofa beds.

How do you choose the fabric?

I ordered some sample fabrics first. Often fabrics look different in person, it’s aways a good idea to touch and feel the fibres and see the colour in your own space before making your final selection.
They also suggest that you rub it against your skin, give it a wash, really put it to the test before you place your order.

98925638-CFA2-4E50-98EE-289A760000DD — Kino Frost and Kino Denim

Is it expensive?

NO! I was pleasantly surprised at the prices! It’s much more affordable than buying a new sofa and the fact that the covers are machine washable at home saves you on professional cleaning fees down the track.

Do they ship to Australia?

YES! They ship to Australia and nearly the whole world including most of Europe, Asia and America. See here for a full list.

Where do I get them?

From Comfort Works … right here!

OK, I think I’ve answered the most popular questions, if you have any more please don’t hesitate to send me a message!

Happy Shopping!

Hayley x

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