Vickyb's Profile

Booo, just Googled and I don't think you have crumpets in the US. UK readers, definitely try it!

For me, it's the range of fresh food available. I'm lucky that, from where I live in South East England, i can be in Paris in a couple of hours. The cheese is my favourite thing - the stinkier the better! I trained as a pastry chef when I was younger and did a lot of work based on the classic French style. My favourite time every week was choosing the cheeses from the cheese van that came round - 500 perfect cheeses - I could have died in that van and been totally happy.

Rustic French food, food and wine and friends, Anthony Bourdain-style - that's what I'd like to see!

There's an ad on UK tv at the moment for Dulux paint that shows white stairs with a red runner painted on them so that every step is a 'red carpet moment'. Cheesy as hell but quite good fun.

I live in a shared house and am just about to swop rooms - housemate is moving out and I'm taking advantage of moving into her room because it has tons more storage. And I think that's something really key - somewhere to put things so they're out of sight. It has been really bothering me this last year in this room to see piles of stuff, and not know where to put it. I've just invested in vac bags for clothes and spare bedding to go on the shelf in the fitted wardrobe (something else the new room has and the present room doesn't), and shoe boxes to save some space and organise things.

Two other things that I a year with only a bedroom as 'my' space - a throw on the bed so I can pull that over me for a nap rather than completely 'going to bed' and two kinds of lighting - clear lighting on the walls or ceiling, and a softer light for your bedside table that is calming but strong enough to read at night.

Haha, clearly a subject close to my heart judging by the essay!

I like traditional croque monsieur with bechamel, ham and cheese - if I make bechamel for something else (i.e lasagne) I keep some leftovers and make a croque monsieur for lunch the next day. I don't make rich dishes with bechamel very often so I don't have croque monsieur very often but it's a real treat. Yum yum yum!!

That splashback looks almost exactly like a friend's kitchen - she has black units and then painted the wall green and covered it with clear glass. It's totally not my style but it looks great. Although, if it was me, I would have had brown units and worked a 'chocolate lime sweetie' vibe :-)

I'm not married but my housemate and I have fallen into good routine. I get home an hour earlier than her so I normally have a whizz round and neaten things up. I probably do the lions share of the housework but she deals with all the bills and does the more practical stuff - I have no idea how to change a fuse, or even how to right the fuse box when a light blows. She doesn't even mind cleaning the filter on the dishwasher - my least fave job! It's probably not evenly shared but we play to our strengths and it works for us.

Who makes Snow Drift in the UK? My scheme has lots of greys in it so a greyish-white is my quest. I would choose Chantilly Lace too, because it's a good song! ;)

Ooooh, this is up there with my favourites - I'm a huge fan of yellow and love the way there are pops of it all the way through the house. Very comfortable yet also energising. Really lovely! Congrats!!

I don't know about living in a container, but I do want to know how I would search engine those chairs in the first picture - I'm such a decor novice but I want them!! Help please?!