Party season is here in the Clough household! We have a lot of family birthdays on the run up to Christmas and this year we’ve got 2 more parties added to the roster, both to be hosted by me – one for my sister’s baby shower, and the other for my daughter’s first birthday. Ahhhh, babies babies everywhere!

When I need party stuff, I head to a place called Country Baskets. It was a recommendation from my sister-in-law when I needed decorations for my wedding. I’d never heard of the store before then, but it’s now become somewhere Joe and I visit about twice a year to stock up on a few crafty bits, general wrapping materials, and if you’re absolutely bonkers about Christmas like I am, they have the most amazing stock from September onwards. And that just happens to be the reason we were there a few weeks ago.

So, off I went for some decorations but instead I came out with something else. A little homeware haul!

OOPS.

Other home decor addicts will understand going into a store and wanting absolutely everything. THE STRUGGLE IS REAL. However, this time I actually splurged on the lot. And you know why? Because they had the most epic clearance section and I only spent £23. That’s right, twenty-three English pounds. I LOVE a good bargain.

It suprised me actually because I’d seen they sell mirrors before, some gorgeous candles and occasionally the odd storage cabinet, but actually they’ve gone some pretty nice house items!

So here is what I bought…and as a heads up, it’s pretty much entirely vases.

Pink vase filled with artificial moss  (£3 + £2.59)

I’ve been looking for pink accent pieces to go in my lounge for a while now and this vase is the most gorgeous shade of pink. It reminds me so much of Sketch, that restaurant in London you’ve most likely seen on Pinterest (and if you haven’t, here it is in all it’s beauty). I’ve popped this on our TV cabinet topped with some faux moss which drapes beautifully in the same way that Sideshow Bob’s hair does. I know, odd comparison. It rocks my world.

Origami-style ombre vases (£2 & £1)

We’ve got a couple of rooms with pink accents now, so these could go anywhere and we can interchange them when things start to feel a little stale. They remind me so much of origami inspired lampshades that I’ve been eyeing up. I love everything about these two and can’t wait to get some beautiful white peonies or hydrangeas bunched in there.  We’ve got some growing in the garden but for now, I quite like them empty on the shelves of our office/guest bedroom. I originally just picked up the large vase, but when I saw that the small version was only a pound, in the basket it went. Couldn’t resist.

Yellow paint tin vase (£2.50)

I know this won’t be to everyone’s taste. It’s going in our hallway which is already yellow, and yes this means the room is very monochromatic. But Joe and I just loved it. It’s so ‘us’. It’s a vase with a good sense of humour and besides, we always have tins of paint lying around anyway so it fits in perfectly! It’s quite wide and will need a lot of botanic shiz to fill this badboy, so I’m thinking instead it might be better put to use as our new keybowl.

Twine effect blue vase (£1.50)

This I picked up because it was just so unusual and I adore this cornflower blue colour. The opening for the vase is so narrow and to be honest, I just don’t know what to do with it! I really adore the twine-like effect of the ceramic and I’d love your ideas as to how to style it!

White vase with feet & tail! Filled with pom poms (£3 & £1.50)

Another acquired taste for sure but I saw that this vase had a teeny tail and a set of feet and I actually squeeled in the store. I love its quirkiness. I paired it with some pompoms, which were also on sale, yesssss, and gave it pride of place next to my huge jar of M&Ms (don’t judge me) on our kitchen windowsill.

Geometric cushions (£6)

Now, these make my eyes go a little fuzzy because of the velvet texture of the cushion cover, but the colouring just pairs so wonderfully with our guest bedroom. We’ve not quite got around to fancy sheets or covers for our pull out bed yet but these throw pillows added onto the assembled sofa bed just makes the room look that little bit cosier.

So, the grand total came to…£23.09

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?

I’ve seen single vases I want on the high street now for double that!

This isn’t in collaboaration with Country Baskets or anything like that. I’m just a regular customer who happened to have a really good shopping day. If you want some new Christmas decorations, you should check them out, and whilt you’re there, take a gander at the home section and let me know what hidden treasures you find! Which of my spontaneous buys are your favourite? Don’t forget to leave me your styling suggestions for how I should use them around the house.