This post contains ad affiliate links (denoted by a ‘*’) & gifted items (denoted by ‘ad – gifted). You can read my full disclaimer here.
I spotted a comment on a TikTok a while back about whether I’d spotted any good dupes for the ‘beloved, long-discontinued, have to scour secondhand sites for years to get one‘ Celine Hobo Bag and at the time the answer was no. However I’ve put in some scrolling hours and found 12 bags that fit the bill – some are slightly more slouchier, others a little more structured and fit the more curved profile that some Celine Hobos have. Most are real leather and all are under £500. Most importantly they fill the space that my Celine Hobo Bag does in being structured enough but not stuffily so, and extremely roomy so practical for everyday use. If you’re still in the market for the original then check out my buying tips here – but maybe one of these will take your fancy…
Mateo Kovacic has completed a move to Manchester City from Premier League rivals Chelsea.
The fee is understood to be worth an initial £25m guaranteed plus £5m in performance-related add-ons.
He will wear the No 8 shirt recently vacated by Ilkay Gundogan, who has joined Barcelona.
Kovacic had been at Stamford Bridge since joining from Real Madrid – initially on loan – in the summer of 2018.
The 29-year-old Croatia international won four major trophies during his time at Chelsea – including his fourth Champions League at the expense of Pep Guardiola’s side in 2021 – while going on to make 221 appearances for the club.
Kovacic said: “This is a brilliant move for me, and I cannot wait to get started with City.
“Anyone who has watched this team under Pep knows how good they are – for me, they are the best in the world. The trophies they have won are clear for all to see, but they are also the best footballing side out there.
“To be joining this squad really is a dream for any footballer. I still have plenty of learning and developing to do, and I know under Pep’s management I can become a better player, which is really exciting for me.
“My plan now is to rest for a few weeks before coming back to Manchester to prepare for the new season. I want to help this club stay at the top and win more trophies.”
Man City director of football Txiki Begiristain said: “Mateo is an excellent footballer.
“He can play as a six or an eight, has plenty of experience at top level clubs and he understands the Premier League. It was a very simple decision to bring him to City because he has the tactical and technical qualities we are looking for in a midfielder.
“He is someone we have monitored for a very long time and always we were impressed whenever we watched him.
“I am delighted he is here. This is a great signing for this club, and I am very excited to watch what he can do with Pep and the rest of our backroom team.”
Follow the summer transfer window with Sky Sports
Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 14 and closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
I received a kind message the other day from a TIR reader who mentioned that she loved how I mix classic pieces with whimsical elements. I loved that she is so observant and picked up on that! It is true, I’ve included a sense of whimsy into every home we’ve ever lived in.
To me, whimsy could be a sense of humor, playful patterns or colors that always seem to find their way into my style. I wouldn’t have it any other way, a mix of whimsical moments alongside of classic pieces make ME happy!
In the upcoming weeks I’ll share how I decorate to bring whimsy into our home and ways I use those elements in combination with our classic pieces. I’ll also show more about our upcoming decorating plans and how we designed our new kitchen and dining room specifically with these two elements in mind!
Today in Strolls and Scrolls I am featuring some happy inspiration rooms that caught my eye as they capture the fresh mix of elements I love! ENJOY!
Sunday Strolls + Scrolls is a series inspired by the interiors and exterior spaces I fell in love with while scrolling the internet. I particularly enjoy finding spaces and ideas that reflect a sense of sanctuary! I hope this series will feel as relaxing and enjoyable to you as a leisurely walk down a charming street, a peaceful stroll through a garden or finally getting to peek inside a lovely neighborhood home during a Sunday open house.
Learn how to prevent drywall nails from popping out and what should and shouldn’t be put down a garbage disposal. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Hour 1
Listen to hear how to prevent nails from pooping out, raise an outdoor dryer vent’s height, and more!
How to Stop Drywall Nails from Popping Out
Use a drywall screw instead of a nail to stop nails from backing out. ( 3 Echoes Content Studio)
A homeowner’s house was built in 1954 and she is tired of watching nails back out of the drywall.
She asks, “How do I fix this? Can I pound the nails back in?”
First, pounding the nails back in is just a temporary fix — they will eventually pop out again. But the bigger question is this: why does it happen?
In a home, there is a lot of movement — doors slamming, people walking, etc. All these movements cause vibrations. And, over time, those vibrations will cause a drywall nail to back out.
You don’t want to just remove the nail and replace it with a screw before checking if the nail is in the center of the stud or close to the center. The stud might be the reason it is popping out.
So, we recommend taking a hammer and a finishing nail and tapping through the drywall until you find the center of the stud.
Once you find the center and pull out the nail, then drive one or two drywall screws an inch or two above the old nail hole. This will hold it tight.
After replacing the nail with a drywall screw, put joint compound over the screw heads and in the old nail hole, let it dry, sand it, and do it again. Once you have it filled and sanded dry, paint it.
The screws will hold up very well, and you will hopefully never have to do this process again!
An outdoor dryer vent should be at least 12 inches from the ground. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
A homeowner’s dryer vent runs on an exterior wall and under the brick veneer. It is installed about an inch off the ground instead of 12 or more (the recommendation).
He has trouble with stormwater getting into the vent, and now asks, “Do you have any recommendations for me?”
First, it’s rare to find a dryer vent so low to the ground. It is possible that when the vent was originally installed, it was the correct height off the ground. However, as time passed, grading and landscaping could have been added, and the vent got closer to the ground.
To make this dryer vent work efficiently, you’ll want to have as short of a path as possible. So, we do not recommend rerouting the current ductwork and going through the soffit.
Instead, we recommend trying to elevate or extend the existing vent upward, or digging dirt around the vent to give it more space. You could also add a slight turn and elbow to get it off the ground.
Check your local home center for a device that curls up at 90 degrees, which will help elevate the vent on the outside. There are many dryer vent options.
For safety, do not use PVC pipe for an elbow because it cannot handle the high temperatures that come through a dryer vent.
In addition, make sure you frequently clean your dryer vent to prevent house fires and keep your dryer working efficiently.
Hour 2
Listen to learn about garbage disposal rules, how to fix a toilet that won’t flush, how to lay an underlayment over a tile floor, and more!
What You Can Put Down a Garbage Disposal
It is acceptable to put things down a garbage disposal if they are small enough. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
A homeowner and his wife have had an ongoing disagreement about whether it is okay to put scraps of meat down the garbage disposal. They have septic tank disposal.
He says, “Can you settle this debate?”
It is perfectly fine to have a garbage disposal with a septic tank. However, some septic tanks are really good, and others are very marginal. That plays a large part in the disposal’s functionality and what waste it accepts.
When it comes to garbage disposals, you do want to use them sparingly and not put everything down it. You want to avoid putting large substances down.
The answer to the question would be yes, but only small pieces of meat, and don’t pack it full.
Make sure you use and maintain garbage disposals correctly. It is recommended to use cold water to wash waste down the drain and ensure you don’t put something in the garbage disposal and not run it!
If your garbage disposal gets clogged, use this trick!
How to Solve Toilet Flushing Issues
Adjusting the chain is an easy fix to solve toilet flushing issues. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
A homeowner is struggling to get her toilet to flush completely. She says she has to hold the handle down until the bowl is flushed.
She wants to know, “Why does this happen, and how can I fix it?”
There are two reasons that she may be having this problem. One, there is not enough water in the tank, meaning the water stops before reaching about half an inch below the overflow tube. That is where you want to adjust it.
Next, you want to ensure that when you push down the handle, the flapper stays open to allow the flushing action and then closes. If the chain is too short or too long, that will prevent that from happening.
Another reason is an obstruction in the drain. If there is an obstruction, then you won’t get that flushing action because it’s resisting the water going into it.
It is most likely the first problem. This is a very common fix, and there are lots of great repair kits out there. Do this quickly so you won’t waste water!
Although fixing a toilet might not be the most glamorous form of home improvement, it is so important to have a working toilet that will stay in good shape for a long time.
Make sure you use the right notch trowel size to install an underlayment. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
A homeowner wants to put a quarter-inch underlayment over a tile floor.
He asks, “Do I need to nail or screw it? What do I use?”
No, you are not going to want to nail through or screw it. You will have to glue it down. Do some research and find the right adhesive you need, depending on the materials you are using. Most likely, it will be in a bucket, and you’ll use a notch trowel to install the right amount.
Make sure that you read the directions to ensure you use the recommended notch trowel size. A lot of people do not realize that the size of the notch trowel needs to correlate with the adhesive in order to work well.
To ensure there is no movement when putting down the floor, use leftover blocks, bricks, or heavy objects to weigh it down a little bit. Leave it overnight so that it will dry and really cure well.
There are multiple options for underlayment. One option is a self-leveling underlayment. This is like really thin concrete. Do a thin coat over the tile to create a smooth and flat surface for a vinyl floor to be put over.
The StyleWell Parker Mill 4-Piece Metal Patio Set is durable and long-lasting, providing you with the outdoor furniture you can count on. Learn more>>
Simple Solutions
Use a push broom before painting to remove dust and dirt from walls. (®JodiJacobson via Canva)
Push Broom Paint Prep—Prior to painting a room, it’s important to clean the walls and ceiling to remove all dust, dirt, and cobwebs. Here’s a quick and easy way to do that: Wrap a towel around the head of a push broom, and secure it with a binder clip or pinch clamp. Then lightly mist the towel with water. Now use the towel-wrapped broom to wipe down the walls and ceiling. The damp towel will trap any dust or dirt, leaving behind a clean, ready-to-paint surface. This tip also works great to remove joint-compound dust from newly sanded drywall joints.
Use concrete blocks to create easy storage for your gardening tools. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Easy-Access Garden-Tool Storage—Most people store their lawn and garden tools in the garage or shed by simply standing them up and leaning them in the corner. There’s nothing particularly wrong with this except that it’s a little messy, and it’s hard to grab one tool without knocking over another. So, here’s a super simple solution to that problem: Take three concrete blocks and stack them up wherever you want to store your tools. What you end up with is two deep compartments for storing long-handled tools. The blocks are heavy enough that you don’t have to worry about them falling over, no matter how many tools you put in there. If you don’t have enough headroom, you can use two blocks so you can lift the tools out. This will give you a neat place where your tools are out of the way and easily accessible, and you don’t have to worry about them falling over.
Chronicling the history of science at a recent event, the eminent primatologist Frans de Wall lamented the long-burning damage Skinner and the behaviorists of the mid-twentieth century did to our understanding of non-human minds and lives — the way their views stalled science and thwarted empathy. I asked him which of our current paradigms about other animals we will look back upon in another century with the same shamed shudder with which we now look back upon the behaviorists. Without hesitation, he flagged factory farming and the large-scale consumption of animal meat.
A century and a half before us, the Victorian visionary Samuel Butler (December 4, 1835–June 18, 1902) bent his gaze past the horizon of his culture’s paradigms, giving impassioned voice to this sentiment and contouring a different moral future for our species in his prophetic 1872 novel Erewhon (public library | public domain).
Once upon a time your fore-fathers made no scruple about not only killing, but also eating their relations. No one would now go back to such detestable practices, for it is notorious that we have lived much more happily since they were abandoned. From this increased prosperity we may confidently deduce the maxim that we should not kill and eat our fellow-creatures.
An epoch before Jane Goodall radicalized the study of animals by illuminating the presence of higher consciousness in nonhuman primates, before octopus intelligence stopped us in our tracks, before we knew that whales remember and elephants grieve, Butler adds:
It cannot be denied that sheep, cattle, deer, birds, and fishes are our fellow-creatures. They differ from us in some respects, but those in which they differ are few and secondary, while those that they have in common with us are many and essential.
[…]
If it was wrong of you to kill and eat your fellow-men, it is wrong also to kill and eat fish, flesh, and fowl. Birds, beasts, and fishes, have as full a right to live as long as they can unmolested by man, as man has to live unmolested by his neighbours.
Actual progress on the studio has been a bit slow lately. I’ve had a lot of non-house-related things taking up my time since last Friday, but I’m coming up on three whole, uninterrupted work days, and I hope to get quite a bit done. But there are a whole lot of things rumbling around in my mind regarding the studio! And I think I’m edging closer and closer to narrowing down some decisions that I’ve had a hard time with.
First, let’s talk about the paint color for the studio cabinets. I told y’all a few days ago that I went to Home Depot to find paint colors, and they didn’t have anything even close to what I was looking for. Their colors jumped from too purple to too pink, but what I needed was somewhere in between.
But a couple of days ago, I went to Lowe’s (I don’t think I’ve ever bought paint at Lowe’s), and they had two colors that might be just perfect! They’re both HGTV Sherwin Williams colors. The darker one is called Tuberose, and the lighter one on the right is called Jaipur Pink.
Here’s a close up of them. It’s hard to tell when they’re standing alone, but they have a touch of purple in them. And it seems to be just the right amount of purple without actually reading as purple.
Here are the colors from the HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams website, with Jaipur Pink on the left, and Tuberose on the right…
I’m hoping that one of those will actually end up working, because I really don’t want to have to do a custom color for my cabinets.
Moving on to the floor, I finally got all of the design for the painted checkerboard floor marked off, and I’m ready to tape off the white squares and get those painted. If everything goes as planned, I should have the floor finished by the end of the day tomorrow.
And regarding yesterday’s post about perfectionism and how it affects me, I wanted to show y’all exactly what it was that had me paralyzed for at least 30 minutes (probably more like 45 minutes) while I sat on the floor and tuned out of “real life” while I avoided the floor and scrolled Instagram. It was this 3/8-inch discrepancy. The distance from the wall to the first point on the floor design on this side of the cased opening is 9 inches…
While to the right of the cased opening, the distance is 8-5/8 inches…
I know that probably sounds so stupid to some people to be worried and anxious and overcome by a sense of dread over what turned out to be 3/8 inch — a measurement that the overwhelming majority of people would never even notice. (To be clear, I didn’t know at the time what the measurement would be, but I knew it wouldn’t be perfect. In my mind, it could have been an inch, or an inch-and-a-half.) But, like I explained yesterday, that’s the effect of perfectionism. It’s not pleasant, and it doesn’t lead to a peaceful mind. But I finally made myself get up and continue working. I got it done, and I’ve moved past it. Once I got over that hill, my mind relaxed, the dread left me, and I can now peacefully move on to the painting stage of the project.
Now about the bathroom, I may try to make the wall design work. The more I look at it, the more I think it’s the yellow tile that needs to go. I think taming the accent tile by replacing it with white will actually make the wall design look softer.
I’m still not sure if I can make it work because the vanity color needs to be changed. and the colors on the wall design may still end up being too bold.
But you can see below the vast difference between the original direction I was going with the studio, with the much bolder colors, and the new direction I’m going, with the softer pinks. The vanity color, much like the hallway bathroom vanity, looks very orange compared to the pinks I’m considering for the studio cabinets. And when compared, you can really see the touch of purple in the new paint samples.
And finally, several people suggested that I use the flower mural on the ceiling of the back entry since wallpapering the walls is too expensive for my budget.
I love the idea of a wallpapered ceiling, but I do wonder if the ceiling is too high for that. I think the ceiling is about 11 or 12 feet high, and unless you’re standing in the back entry or very close to the cased opening, the ceiling isn’t even visible. So I’m not 100% sold in the idea, but I do love the idea of a wallpapered ceiling.
The other reader suggestion that really appealed to me is loading up these walls with my own art and crafty creations.
(That’s an older picture. The floor is now primed and painted, and ready for the white areas to be taped off and painted.)
One thing I thought about was making a whole lot of resin petri dishes in colors that coordinate with the studio colors, and using them on the walls in a loose “floating bubbles” design, similar to the way I hung the ceramic birds on the corner wall in the living room…
…or how I hung the plates in Cassandra’s dining room MANY moons ago. (Wow, that was 12 years ago!)
But you get the point. It’s that random floating/drifting design that I’m talking about, as opposed to my standard “everything symmetrical and square” design that I’m generally so drawn to.
So I’ve narrowed down the back entry options to those two — wallpapered ceiling with a solid color on the walls, or paint the walls a solid color and use something like a “floating bubbles” design of resin petries all over the walls.
Things are moving forward, and I’m hoping to get a lot accomplished on Thursday, Friday and Saturday!
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Hello, friends! Our contractors have been busy bees here on our beach house kitchen remodel and the addition of the Tiny Cottage! Every time I refer to our home as our beach house I think it sounds like we must have a second home, but in fact, this is our only every day home! Even so, it is like being on vacation every day. We live up by the San Juan Islands, so it’s a lovely place to visit and you can easily get to so many beautiful destinations by car or ferry.
If you are new here or just catching up, we moved to this island from Seattle a year and a half ago. My parents have moved in with us and we’re in the process of adding on a Tiny Cottage for them to the back of our home and a renovation of parts of the rest of the home. It’s not a large house, in fact, it’s just a little over 1900 square feet, but we’re adding about 450 square feet to it in the Tiny Cottage.
My husband and I are officially empty nesters now, but we want this beach home to be a gathering place for our family so we’re making it as comfortable and inviting as we can!
There are still many key details to come in both spaces, but it’s fun to share the latest project progress with you!
Last I shared we didn’t have our walls or ceilings done yet! They are painted Classic Light Buff by Sherwin Williams (same as the kitchen cabinets). We are loving the cozy warm white and the beautiful golden hour glow in here when the sun pours in (thanks to our new windows and doors!) I can’t believe the natural light we get now!
We’re still waiting on Beatrix to be brought in (our new blue green stove) to the new kitchen. She will of course be the STAR of the kitchen (and a color style-setter for rest of the house ha!) but we also can’t wait to see the faucet, lighting (these pendants over the island, and this chandelier with blue shades over the dining table), wood floors to be uncovered, other appliances to go in, and all the finishing touches that will bring the space together as we envisioned it.
Each new addition is so exciting, but I’m also always anticipating these next significant parts of the design so we can finally see and enjoy it as a whole.
My vision for our renovation was to create a beach home that feels happy, warm and welcoming (in all seasons). I’m thrilled about the cozy timeless character that has been added through the architecture.
As soon as the renovation is complete we’ll be layering in fabrics, furnishings and accessories in shades of blue and greens, warm whites and a variety of other NW cottage-by-the-sea-worthy colors throughout. As I mentioned, we want it to be a happy place! I’m even envisioning adding a lovely shade of coral color and a bit of yellow to our palette, so I’ll be on the hunt for just the right fabrics.
I love to decorate for each season and play with color combinations all year round, so it’s exciting to now have the backdrops in place that I know will give me so many creative opportunities to decorate in every season.
This past week we started looking at fabrics for our dining bench, considering window treatments and coming up with a vision for the adjoining living room. We’ve considered painting the living room walls blue (all the trim will also get a fresh coat of paint), but right now I’m leaning towards putting in blue grasscloth! I just ordered a sample of this blue imitation grasscloth to try out.
Visualizing new elements prompted me to set some books in the bookcase and a couple of pillows on the dining bench. It’s a start haha, but it helps me to set up accessories to start to get a feel for the space.
I can’t wait to set up a table and chairs and be able to do simple homey things again, so we’re feeling very grateful to be on the home stretch!
The Tiny Cottage for my parents is also coming right along. It will be so adorable I can hardly stand it, so cute already! The lower blue cabinets for the kitchenette look SO GOOD (there will also be a blue dish display cabinet above, which will be installed soon). The color is Languid Blue by Sherwin Williams. Soon there will be white sink, cooktop, and darling fridge. The sunny kitchenette windows will have window boxes right outside so they will be filled with flowers!
You can see the tiny cottage kitchenette design mood board here.
While they are now covered up, the gorgeous floors were recently installed. They are the same flooring as what will be in the rest of the house (European white oak). All of the walls and ceiling will be covered in Simply White painted paneling. Light, bright and yet soft, warm and cozy!
The cabinet in the sitting room will get a new top and the darling checkered tile will be added. It is a multi-purpose spot (as is the entire Tiny Cottage, ha!). They will use the cabinet as an extension of the kitchen for their coffee station and countertop oven, additional storage, as well as their Frame TV on the wall above. Speaking of making every inch count! My mom has planned every detail of this tiny cottage so it will be as functional and cute as can be.
The natural lighting in here is just gorgeous, she has morning sun and southern exposure all day so it’s just the happiest! There will be an adorable blue fireplace by the windows. It will just be the cutest cozy place in every season, like a charming Bed and Breakfast getaway!
Some of you had asked how you get to the Tiny Cottage and where it is connected to ours. You can see the connection in this photo above. This is our mudroom right off our kitchen. Through the far door you can take a left into the Tiny Cottage or a right into the garage!
Stay tuned for more updates! Subscribe to my newsletter HERE to stay in the loop and get all of our decor posts and resources.
Emma Hayes was coy on her future after guiding Chelsea Women to a fourth successive WSL title, while Sam Kerr says winning league titles gets better each year.
The Blues were two points ahead of Manchester United Women heading into the final game of the season, and easily dispatched Reading Women 3-0 to secure a domestic double, having also won the Women’s FA Cup two weeks ago.
When asked about her own future after another successful campaign, Hayes swerved the question, instead focusing on how she will recover from her recent successes.
“People say don’t make major life decisions when you’re knackered, and I am knackered,” the WSL title-winning manager told Sky Sports.
“But I will enjoy these celebrations tonight. I feel relieved as I take on the pressure for the club.
“How many people think about their next step when they’re absolutely knackered? I’m going to go away, chill out, be a mum, do all those things. I’ve just shown you the art of avoiding a question!”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Chelsea lifted the WSL trophy for the fourth consecutive year following a 3-0 win over Reading.
It was an emotion-fuelled afternoon at the Select Car Leasing Stadium. Not only were Reading relegated but duo Magda Eriksson and Pernille Harder bid farewell to Chelsea as they depart this summer.
Hayes said of the emotions at full-time: “What an unbelievable team I’ve got. I was being man-marked by the cameraman at full-time so I couldn’t let loose with a few tears.
“It’s not just about building a team, you know how much I care about the sport and the business – looking at that wall of 6,000 fans gave me so much joy.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of the Women’s Super League match between Reading and Chelsea.
Reading’s boss Kelly Chambers is a close friend of Hayes, who said: “I’m upset too as she [Chambers] is heavily pregnant, she doesn’t need that stress. I’m really proud of her as she’s been in the business for 20 years. If I was a top club in this country, I’d be going after Kelly Chambers as she has so much knowledge.
“Sometimes she doesn’t get the recognition for the work she has done, building a football club on the lowest budget possible. I’m sad for her. It takes so much out of you. I’m looking forward to letting my hair down.
“I was crying for Kelly. I was crying for Magda. I was crying as I’ve got to have weeks off. I do enjoy it and feel the emotion. Keeping my motivation high hasn’t been difficult.”
Kerr: WSL titles get better each year
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Sam Kerr says the feeling of winning the WSL title gets better every year after she picked up her fourth consecutive title with Chelsea.
Sam Kerr scored twice in the win at Reading, taking her total to 12 for the season. She has won a WSL title in each of her seasons at the club, and says being knocked out of the Champions League did help Chelsea’s end of season form.
She told Sky Sports: “I think they get better each year. They get harder definitely, so it makes it sweeter when it’s tight at the top. It’s my fourth but some people’s first so we’ll celebrate like it’s our first.
“We’re the greatest team in England. It’s not about me, it’s about the team and I’m happy so what can I say.
“We’ve shown over the last few years that in the last few games of the season, we’re a different team. Once you get knocked out of the Champions League, it’s easier to be fresh and prepare for games.
“After we did get knocked out, as disappointed as we were, we had two days off then it was back to business and we had more time.
“There was a little bit of pressure [for the title], but last year was the same thing. We knew that we had to win every game and if we did, we took care of ourselves and we like it that way.
“We play better under pressure and the next step for us is to play like that in the Champions League. This is amazing, but it would’ve been great to have two more trophies.”
Eriksson: My favourite title
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Magdalena Eriksson and Pernille Harder reflect on their time at the club as they said goodbye to Chelsea after lifting the WSL trophy with 3-0 win over Reading.
Eriksson departs Chelsea with two more winners medals under her belt after winning the FA Cup and WSL in her final two weeks at the club.
But she earmarked the latest success as her favourite, and said she tried not to focus on her final game during the week.
“It’s my favourite Chelsea Women win WSL title: Emma Hayes coy on future as Sam Kerr says triumphs get better each year | Football News one,” she told Sky Sports. “They way we’ve done it this year, I don’t think anyone has used every single player with the amount of games we have – everyone has played their part and has been important.
Harder: Farewell from fans more than we could have expected
“The farewell from the fans has been amazing, much more than we could have expected. It’s emotional, but also makes me happy to see how much they support us both.
“During the game, I was just focused and to score goals. But when I got subbed out, I was like ‘OK this is my last’. That’s when it sunk in.”
“That’s the way we do it at Chelsea and I’m so proud of that. We’ve also had setbacks with injuries, but people have stepped up.
“We also lost our manager for a short time and we had to step up – that says a lot about this team. I’m really happy to be saying goodbye after such a season. The fans are amazing as well.
“I’ve been living in denial because I didn’t want to focus on it before the game, it would be too emotional. We had a job to do here today, that was the main thing.
“As soon as I got subbed off, the emotions came. I feel overwhelmed.
“We take so much pride from the environment that we create as a team. It’s not just about winning, it’s about being nice to each other, being a family with players stepping up and developing.
“It’s something I’m all for, I stand behind it so much. The way we win is so important where everyone is equally as important.”
Chambers: A tough day for Reading
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Kelly Chambers gives an emotional interview following a 3-0 loss to Chelsea, which sees her Reading side relegated to the WSL Championship.
Reading manager Chambers – who was honoured ahead of kick-off to mark her 20 years at the club – gave a tearful post-match interview, commenting on how difficult the final day was for her and her side.
She told Sky Sports: “It’s a tough day. In terms of the season, the league doesn’t lie. You need to be good enough across the season, but at the moment, a club like us can’t compete with the investment that other clubs are putting in.
“But I’m very proud. We’ve been in the league for eight years, and every year we’ve had the lowest budget, but we’ve managed to compete and find ways to make sure we stay in the league. It’s a very hard day overall.
“The first conversation will be with the club to make sure what is next, where do they want to go and how they want to take the women’s side forward.
“Then it’s building a team for next year and step into the Championship ready to compete and try to bounce straight back up.”
The Reading manager also paid tribute to friend Hayes, adding: “She was the first one to come up to me and say sorry!
“What she has done at Chelsea has been amazing – to win four titles on the bounce – and I know she’s hungry for the Champions League, I know she wants that desperately. To be able to do it year on year, it’s tough but you can see the support around her to be able to do that.
“Her knowledge of the game and what she’s done for the game to grow it at the same time is unbelievable.
“She does deserve it, not only with a small family, but her health issues this season, to go through all of that and to keep a team on track to win the league and other cups this season is phenomenal.”
Telford: Hayes has galvanised this team
Image: Emma Hayes celebrates with her fourth successive WSL title
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Carly Telford joined the Sky Sports punditry team, and congratulated Hayes on how she has managed to keep evolving her winning team.
“This season, it hasn’t always been about those players. Sam Kerr hasn’t scored as many goals, Pernille and Fran have been injured and everyone has stepped up.
“That doesn’t come from any old manager – that’s from experience, from Emma Hayes, who has been there and got many of the t-shirts.
“She has galvanised this team into something special. Four titles in a row is unbelievable.
“The pressure to evolve, the chasing pack gets closer, the league gets tighter – every team wants to knock Chelsea off their pedestal every single season.
“For Chelsea to come through the way they have, especially after the Barcelona loss, and kick on the way they have with the goals they’ve scored, the amount they haven’t conceded, they’ve got their heads down and gone on another mad run.
“You can see the relief on everyone’s faces to win it. You tick off the games, pick up the three points and move on. But now you can say ‘it’s done now’ and have a holiday.”
