Cicely Mary Barker, Foxhill Manor, Victor Hugo, Lauren Robbins Interiors and more on Weekend Meanderings. 

Cicely Mary Barker, Foxhill Manor, Victor Hugo, Lauren Robbins Interiors and more on Weekend Meanderings. 

Weekend Meanderings

Good Saturday morning friends. It’s time for Weekend Meanderings with Kim and Juliet! Join us as we share all of the things that piqued our interests and caught our eye this week.

How was your week? It was a busy but quiet one here. We are still looking at flooring for the bedroom so we have not moved back in yet. And we are working on window treatments, as I have mentioned before the master bedroom is a former art studio and has lots of wonky windows. We already had one skylight closed up and are waiting for two more windows to be closed. Hopefully we will like one or more of the fabric samples.

This week we decided to go with carpet in the bedroom instead of hardwood. We will be aging in this house and think carpet is probably better for our feet and bones.  On that note, if you are tired of hearing about the never ending renovations believe me I feel the same way. At this point we do not want to rush the details and are willing to slow down and make sure we get the rooms the way that we want them.

Enough about me, let’s meander.

One to Follow~Lauren Robbins Interiors

A few days ago while perusing Instagram Lauren Robbins popped up in my feed. Not one to pass on an interior designer I started to explore her colorful design work and fell in love with the chartreuse ceilings, the magenta kitchen, pink living room and that is just a few of the beautiful rooms Lauren and her team have decorated.

You can see more of Laurens work on her website, Instagram and some of your favorite magazines, Better Homes & Gardens, Veranda, House Beautiful and more.

Wanderlust~Foxhill Manor

Foxhill Manor is nestled within the 500-acre Farncombe estate, with sweeping views over the Cotswolds and the Vale of Evesham. Foxhill is a private manor house hotel with eight bedrooms and suites. A Grade-II listed Arts and Crafts country home built in 1909 that has been refreshed and refurbished.

If you are planning a trip to the Cotswolds make sure the bookmark Foxhill Manor and maybe use it as a basecamp for your adventures visiting:

• Broadway, one of my favorite towns and  Stratford Upon Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare.
• The amazing Kiftsgate Gardens, created by three generations of women gardeners.
• Hidcote,an Arts & Crafts inspired garden that has ties to the first designer of the Kingsgate gardens.
• Or simply enjoying all of the activities and an adventures on the 500 acre estate, including falconry, archery, duck herding. tennis, spa and lots more.

Flower Fairies™: The Magical World of Cicely Mary Barker

I love fairies especially the Flower Fairies™ lovingly illustrated by Cicely Mary Barker. In fact this year for Christmas I gave myself a first edition. If you are not familiar with the enchanting fairies or Cicely you are in for a treat.

Cicely was born in West Croydon, England, in 1895. As a child, Cicely had epilepsy and was quite frail. As a result she spent a lot of time in bed, during this time she studied art, painted and read lots of books.

When she was 13 she took her first art class at the Croydon School of Art. At 16 she became a life member of the Croydon Art Society, the youngest person to ever receive this honor. The art critic for the Croydon Advertiser praised her work and commented, ‘Her drawings show a remarkable freedom of spirit. She had distinct promise.’

She sold her work to magazines, manufactures of greeting cards and post cards, and to book publishers. When she was 17 her father died and both Cicely and her sister helped to support the family, Cicely with her art and her sister teaching.

When she was 28 she published her first book of fairies, The Flower Fairies of Spring two years later Flower Fairies of Summer. Many more fairy books followed.

The flowers and fairies were painted from real life. Cicely created the costumes and the wings and the fairies were modeled after the children who attended her sisters’ kindergarten classes. The plants are all botanically accurate with the help of the staff at Kew Gardens.

You can learn more about the fairies and Cicely at the Watts Gallery exhibition which ends on April 27, 2025. The gallery is located in the Surrey countryside, just in case you plan to visit.

Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo as you know was a statesman and a writer, his most famous works are The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables. But did you know that he was also an artist?

For the first time in 50 years you can see a collection of his amazing drawings, including castles, travel drawings, caricatures, monsters, seascapes and abstracts at The Royal Academy. 

Even if you won’t be visiting the UK this year take a look at the RA website for more information on Hugo, his work, art and interior design. Yes, he was an interior designer and architect as well.

When you are done exploring the exhibit take a moment to explore Hauteville House, the house that Hugo and his family lived in for 15 of the 20 years he was in exile.

LINKS TO READ+WATCH+LISTEN

The 10 Habits That Are Making You Look Older

How one family turned their peach orchard into a rallying cry for saving heirloom flavors and building community.

12 Things You’ve Got Wrong About French Cheese

11 Ways To Stop ‘FOBO’ From Wrecking Your Life

Scientists Find More Evidence For Adding This Inflammation-Fighting Nut To Your Diet

How Oscar Schindler Saved 12000 people in WWII

A guide to peppers around the world

CVS is ditching the store and opening pharmacies only

The definitive superfood rankings

“We” gave up furniture and haven’t looked back. 

In Case You Missed It

Monday I shared 2 outfits, Moody Interiors, Homeworthy, The Gilder, Kathryn Kay, Classic Dress Outfit and more on Monday Musings. 

Next up, Colorful florals, prints and solids, a Spring Collection Women’s Midi and Maxi Dresses to add to your wardrobe.

There is still time to make Easy & Tasty Guinness Beer Chili Recipe. 

Last but not least, Friday Favorites where I shared a few books, this outfit, and the most scrumptious Irish macaroni and cheese!

You can see all of my outfits on LTK if you missed any. 

UNTIL NEXT TIME

I hope that you enjoyed weekend meanderings. If you did please share the post on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter or Pinterest.

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend friends.

Don’t forget to pop over and visit Kim and Juliet. 

If you missed any of the previous Weekend Meandering posts you can find them all here.

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