What’s not to love about beautiful flowers, prettiness and a fluffy puppy? When Emily from @acorn_cottage_ agreed to be next up in our hot seat, we were delighted! We could scroll for days admiring her Instagram feed, and it was lovely to catch up with her to talk about all things flowers, life and her new pup...
We love your Instagram account; what prompted you to start your page?
When we moved into our cottage we had always planned on changing lots of things, and I thought it would be a good idea to start a separate Instagram to keep track of the progression and as I loved seeing other peoples interior/lifestyle accounts for inspo. I also didn't want to bore all my friends with posting interior related photos constantly on my private IG! I never in a million years thought 2 years ago I would have met so many wonderful like-minded people through there and have all the amazing opportunities I've received through my account, it blows my mind sometimes!
Your cottage is so pretty; what do you love most about it?
I absolutely love the location of where I live, when we viewed it I stepped in the front door and it just felt right, we live right next to our local (dog-friendly which is amazing) village pub and have a group of geese that live on the little green opposite our house next to a stream, it's the loveliest little area and it feels so homely.
If you had to choose a favourite flower… which would it be?
This is so tough!! I love so many flowers haha! But I think I would have to go with a café au lait Dahlia, they are just so whimsical, and I am determined to grow some this year! But day-to-day I would say Roses, my local market does so many pretty varieties and they are the cheapest flowers going and last for ages. I always treat myself to 7 bunches each week as nothing makes me smile more than seeing pretty bunches dotted around my home.
We have fallen in love with your new puppy Pippie. How is she settling in?
Aww, thank you! Honestly so well, for the longest time we had been thinking about getting a puppy, and we had put in so much research about the breed that would suit us best, and it feels like she's never not been a part of our family! She has already bought so much joy to our lives with her crazy little personality, and nothing (for me) beats a fluffy cuddle!
What have you learnt about having a puppy and do you have any advice for new puppy parents-to-be?
In the beginning, they are testing, so go into the whole process having no high expectations, we were fully prepared for the crying, puppy biting, little presents being left in the house (haha) but we knew with lots of training and determination she would learn.
A big tip is... if they cry at night just leave them to it, they will want your attention but the first few nights we had Pippie I would sit stroking her until she fell asleep then I’d sneak off, we have a little webcam setup in the kitchen so I can see if she's ok in the night or when we pop out and that's really comforting, but try not to pander to the crying as difficult as it is.
If she gets overexcited with teething/biting, we just give her a toy straight away to distract her and this usually works every time.
What does a typical day look like for you?
A normal day for me involves getting up very early (6am), I jump in the shower, then I'll get Pippie ready for doggy daycare and we give her a walk before dropping her off, I'll have breakfast and off to work I go during the day. I then pick up Pippie and get her dinner sorted, she has a little walk later in the evening, then I’ll get our dinner ready. I spend a few hours catching up on Instagram, I have been trying to put my phone away so I can have a little read to wind down with a nice cup of tea before bed.
When I am not working during the day I'll be doing my Insta work, so replying to emails, creating content for brands and doing household jobs, trying to cram as much as I physically can into the day as well as juggling me time, and time with family and friends and of course Pips!
Two things you can’t leave your house without…
My phone, so I can check on my emails and Instagram messages, and in case anyone needs to get hold of me! Where would we be without our phones?!
Hand moisturiser, this time of year when the weather is so cold I can't be without it, nothing worse than dry hands!
If you could invite anyone for dinner (past or present), who would it be and why?
What a question! Love this, I had to really think about this as there are so many people I would love to have dinner with, but if I could honestly choose absolutely anyone it would be my mum and grandad! I lost them both when I was 14, so 15 years later I would love more than anything to be able to have dinner with them both and give them both a cuddle and chat about all sorts of lovely things that have happened over the past 15 years.
What are your tips for styling a home?
Go with what you love, it doesn't matter in my opinion whatever trends are running at the time, pick a colour that you feel is true to your preference. I find picking a feature item helps to figure out how you want the room to look, I find greenery works for me, plants or flowers as added décor can bring that something extra to any room, making it feel fresh and inviting. I also think grouping items together on a mantle or shelf makes a nice impact as a whole rather than spread out.
Tell us something we might not know about you…
I lived in Ghana for a long time when I was a little girl as my dad has his own company over there, but we ended up coming back to the UK as my mum missed it so much.
Room in your home?
I think I would have to say my kitchen because when we moved in it was so dark and dingey and I had been planning for the longest time exactly what I wanted before we even moved in! It's such a cosy space, but it works perfectly for the two of us, and we are so lucky to have our utility next door which meant we could utilise as much space as possible for storage in the kitchen.
Your Favourite
Holiday destination? Jamaica, we are determined to visit again in the next two years, it was the most beautiful country!
Food? Would have to be a classic roast dinner! (with chicken and homemade yorkies!)
Season? So tricky because I genuinely love all of them, but I think summer, nothing beats beach trips and nights spent in the garden when the sun has gone down, but it still feels so warm!
Sophie Allport Collection? I have so many favourites, but I would have to say the Bees or Hearts!
Be sure to check out Emily's Instagram:
Do you have a favourite Instagram account or blogger, that you'd like us to interview? Let us know in the comments below.
