Okay so the middle east isn’t the safest of holiday destinations to choose at the moment but I wanted to share these beautiful images with you!  When I was a young child we lived in Jubail, as my parents both had jobs there.  Of course, religion is taken very seriously over there and I remember the sound of prayer time in the local mosque waking me up every night! Some of the mosques are amazing pieces of architecture…

Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque, via Beautiful Mosques

Via Flickr

Vakil Mosque, via Wikipedia

Via Pinterest

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How many of us still actually sit down to the dining table as a family at meal times?  Not many I’m sure.  It’s a real shame as family time is so important.  Having such busy lifestyles means we tend not to all be home at the same time, which naturally disrupts meal times.  Perhaps we should have one day a week where we make a conscious effort to all sit down together as a family and not just leave it until Christmas day!

Here are some table decor ideas to get you started…

Via Heather Bullard

Shabby chic at it’s best!  Using white as the main decor colour means any colourful home accessories really ‘pop’.

Via kotamulia.com

The dining room above just shows how simplicity can really make a statement.

Via Shannonfricke.com

A beautiful old picnic table makes a fabulous dining table… I wouldn’t want the end seat though, where do you put your legs?!

Via Decor8

This lampshade above is stunning.  If you’re going to add one statement piece, a fancy lampshade is your best bet for obtaining that ‘wow’ factor.  This one is made of paper though and would probably be a nightmare to dust!!

Via Apartment Therapy

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I’m absolutely loving San Francisco interior designer, Gary Spain’s, decor style.  Modern, colourful, eclectic and extravagent are words which spring to mind- it just goes to show what you can achieve when you think outside the box in terms of design and decor.

The rich yellow colour of the chairs and framed picture look stunning against the patterned wallpaper and wooden flooring.  These rooms may look ‘thrown together’ but in reality, a huge amount of thought has gone into every piece of furniture and its placing.

Against all odds, the mix of pattern, colour and texture really works in this room above!

This bathroom is to die for!!

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As our Boutique of the Week competition is running for two weeks this time (see the This Is Pretty competition here- make sure you don’t miss out!), I thought I’d use today’s post to have a little look at dressing tables instead.

Your dresser is the one place where you can really go to town on girliness- this is your personal space and no man should have any say as to how it’s decorated!  Of course the style of the dressing table needs to fit with the style of our bedroom but think old vintage perfume bottles, large fluffy powder puffs and pretty containers for all your bits and bobs.  A girly haven in an instant!

Via Domino magazine

Via House To Home

I love the vintage style of this dresser, the distressed finish on the frames and pretty glass containers add to the girly style.  Not everything needs to be vintage though- mix the old with the new, like the chrome lamp above.  Notice how the blind fabric matched the seat- how pretty!

Via The Independent

It’s heaven for a girl if there are numerous makeup storage options.  Vintage dressers tend to be the best for storage, as they were often made with great attention to detail- little drawers galore!

Via Home Interior Site

Necklaces tangle easily and it’s not much use having just one earring.  Hang them on the wall to keep them tidy and easily accessible.  Looks great, too!

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The closest I’ve ever been to India is eating a korma (and that probably wasn’t even that authentic!) but I’d love to go to one of the markets and be surrounded by traditional Indian craftsmanship.  The colourful fabrics, intricate patterns and great attention to detail make their products so appealing.  There really is nothing like handmade.

Dowry boxes hand painted in Northern India, £95 via Plumo

Indian interior style is as elaborate as their crafts- the use of intricate pattern and strong colour provides endless inspiration…

Above images via Elle Decor India

Although bright, these cushions, above, are in no way garish.  Mix and match colours and textures sympathetically for an exotic result.  I like the uniformity of the picture frames, it helps to keep the room sophisticated rather than childlike.

Above images via Lisa Corti

Image via An Indian Summer

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