Making It My Style

Bathroom tiles

2012-02-09T08:25:00.001+11:00

We have tiles on our bathroom walls. They haven't been grouted yet, but it's exciting to see the room finally coming together.

The black tiles (which will also be used on the floor) have a slight glitter effect which doesn't show up in the photos.

By the end of Friday, the tiler should be finished. Then it's just painting and fittings and this room is done.

Est Magazine

2012-02-01T09:42:00.001+11:00

Est Magazine is an Australian online magazine full of inspiring interiors, fashion and food. Here are some of my favourite images from the latest issue. I especially love the mix of chunky knits, neutrals, metallics and a splash of bright pink in the first image below.

Above images from Est Magazine Issue #4

Musical chairs

2012-02-01T08:47:00.000+11:00

I remember playing this game at school as a kid. It was so much fun. Of course, I wasn't this stylish.

Above video via Kate Spade New York

Pink accents

2012-01-27T08:31:00.000+11:00

I couldn't live with a room like this in my house, it feels a little to showroom to me, but I do like how it looks in a picture.

Above images from Sköna Hem

Happy Australia Day

2012-01-26T22:59:00.000+11:00

I am very tired and about to head to bed, but before I do... and before this day is over... Happy Australia Day from beautiful Sydney.

Above image from Wikipedia

See you soon

2012-01-25T11:37:00.001+11:00

This morning we picked up our 12-month working holiday visas from the French embassy. It's all official now. Paris, we'll see you soon.

The above image is from Eye Poetry on Etsy. Irene's photographic prints are truly beautiful, check out her shop here.

Black, white & cosy

2012-01-25T08:17:00.001+11:00

It's raining outside and inside everything in our house is covered in dust from our ongoing renovation. Our new kitchen and bathroom are still maybe three weeks away and we leave for France in four weeks. It's all getting a bit chaotic at the moment, so I thought I'd share these images of a lovely cosy and calm (and dust-free) home in Skåne, Sweden.

Above images from Skona Hem (found via Desire to Inspire)

I love that this home is all black, white and grey and yet it looks very warm and cosy. This is a look I would like to achieve in my own home.

Bathroom progress

2012-01-23T22:20:00.000+11:00

After six weeks with no bathroom or kitchen, our new bathroom (our old kitchen) is finally starting to look like one. The plumbing is all done, the bath has been set, they've started sheeting the walls and we even have a brand new skylight.

As a reminder, here's the new floor plan and in the pictures above, the cut-out above the bath will be a recess in the wall for toiletries and candles (and perhaps the occasional glass of wine).

The builder says the finished rooms are only another two to three weeks away.

Christian Dior Pre Fall 2012/2013

2012-01-22T10:57:00.001+11:00

This is not a fashion blog, but I absolutely love and had to share these images from Christian Dior's Pre Fall 2012/2013 collection.

Above images via Cool & Chic Style Fashion

In the detail

2012-01-21T20:21:00.000+11:00

I love cropped fashion images that focus on a particular detail rather than the whole outfit... the bows, bags, bracelets and baubles.

Above images via Classy in the City (no original photographer credit)

Above image via We Heart It (no original photographer credit)

Above image via Glitter Guide (no original photographer credit)

Bathroom lighting

2012-01-20T21:46:00.000+11:00

We were planning on using simple downlights in our bathroom, but our electrician is not sure there will be enough space between the ceiling and the tin roof, so I have been working on a back-up plan.

I am thinking of this Kartell E wall light in either black, white or crystal for above the mirrored vanity.

Above: Kartell E wall light from Space Furniture

It also comes in a pendant light version which we could hang above the bath or it may go nicely with this pendant light from IKEA.

Above: IKEA 365+ LUNTA pendant light

Pretty in pink

2012-01-20T09:25:00.000+11:00

We had our appointment with the French embassy yesterday and it went well. There was a lot of paperwork required beforehand, but the actual process of gaining visa approval was easier than we anticipated. We should be able to pick up our visas as early as next Friday. Hopefully that means everything is now on track on that front for our departure on 20 February.

On the home front, however, there is still a lot to do and I have plenty of errands to run today, so this will be a very quick post.

Here are some of my favourite images from around the web this week, all shared on my Pinterest and all with just a touch of pink.

Above image via Classy in the City (no original photographer credit)

Above image from Apartment Therapy

Above image via Classy in the City (no original photographer credit)

Above image from Stylizimo

Above image from BOLIG Magasinet via Blackbird Style

Thinking in the box

2012-01-18T15:36:00.000+11:00

I am currently organising the final bits of paperwork for our appointment with the French embassy tomorrow (wish us luck) and packing things away in crates and boxes ready for storage when we head to France next month.

While procrastinating I came across this cute photography shoot called "thinking in the box". It's certainly a lot more creative than the more traditional use I currently have for cardboard boxes. My personal favourite is the first one, I could actually see something similar to that in my home.

Above images via Yellows Photography

Photographer Per Gunnarsson

2012-01-18T07:43:00.001+11:00

This morning I felt like sharing a curated collection of lovely images from photographer Per Gunnarsson's online portfolio in soft muted colours.

Most of the homes featured in this montage have been photographed for Swedish interiors magazines, including Sköna Hem and ELLE Interiör. I love the photographer's attention to the small details in each home.

New kitchen design

2012-01-17T11:53:00.000+11:00

I meant to post this yesterday, but instead spent the whole day searching for a missing bath mixer/tap... which is still missing and now discontinued, so I just spent another $428 on a replacement which won't match the basin mixer/tap. The one positive of this experience is that my house is now pretty organised since I turned the whole thing inside out yesterday.

The concrete floors were poured last Wednesday and have now dried enough for the builders to return to work.

We have decided to keep the concrete floor in the kitchen area (above) and have it polished, rather than tiling over the top. We figure this will not only look good, it will also make it easier when we extend this room and redo the kitchen in a couple of years' time.

As this is just a temporary kitchen (so that we can rent our house while we're away for 12 months), we have chosen a simple white kitchen from IKEA. The layout will be as in the picture below with the exception of having a dishwasher in place of the cupboard between the oven and sink and with the little round knobs on the top cupboards to be used for the bottom cupboards as well.

Above: FAKTUM kitchen from IKEA

We have also bought simple square white tiles (slightly larger than those pictured above) and are planning on using grey or black grout.

We had already bought top quality Bosch kitchen appliances and a sink for our new kitchen. We will have the appliances installed now and moved to the new kitchen later, but we had to buy a second sink from IKEA because the sink we already have is designed to be installed under a stone countertop and the IKEA kitchen has a laminated countertop.

With our visa delays, at least we should get a chance to try out the new appliances before we head to France... I am trying to remain positive.

Skirts with pockets

2012-01-15T17:18:00.000+11:00

There's something I love about skirts and dresses with pockets. Maybe it's that they're both practical and pretty.

Here are my current season picks in classic colours.

Above: Tiny Dot Tweed Pockets Skirt from Emerson Made

Above: Cotton Sweeney Dress from Kate Spade

Above: BCBG skirt via Wendy's Lookbook

Above: Liana Dress from Kate Spade

Above: Monique Lhuillier Fall 2012 via the cinderella project

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Stylizimo

2012-01-15T08:01:00.000+11:00

I discovered a fabulous new blog to follow last night. Stylizimo is written by a Norwegian girl named Nina, who has an obvious passion for interiors and home decoration.

Nina's photography is lovely (a reminder that I really need to work on mine) and her home is full of fabulous DIY projects with amazing results that seem so simple to achieve with her step-by-step instructions.

Here are some of her fabulous ideas.

Above: DIY sofa with chaise lounge

Above: DIY chalkboard wall calendar

Above: DIY Scrabble picture

Above: DIY dining table

Seriously, if I were this creative and handy, I would never have to buy furniture again. Head on over to Stylizimo to be inspired by more of Nina's fabulous projects and images of her beautiful home.

Currently coveting...

2012-01-14T21:31:00.000+11:00

...Dazzle Dot Treesh in Heather Grey from Kate Spade.

Isn't this a fun handbag? I think I'd practically skip down the street if I was carrying it.

It reminds me of this fabulous sofa that popped up in Kate Spade's shop in London a little over a year ago.

Above images from Bright Bazaar

Florence Broadhurst & Kate Spade

2012-01-14T12:44:00.000+11:00

I can't wait for the unveiling of Kate Spade's collaboration with Florence Broadhurst this year, despite the fact that I'm not quite sure how I'm going to get my hands on any of the stock while I'm in France.

Above: a preview of the Kate Spade home collection via Signature Prints' Facebook page

The Japanese Floral design in black and white is my favourite Florence Broadhurst print. I used the same fabric as in the picture above to cover the bench seat in my bedroom. It seems like it may be Kate Spade's favourite print too because they're releasing a huge homewares range in this design. I want the dinnerware, the coasters, the notecards and the gorgeous little vase in the picture above.

Here's a sneak peek of the S/S 2012 fashion collection.

Above: a sneak peek of the collaboration via Signature Prints' Facebook page

I don't know that I would wear a dress in a Florence Broadhurst design, but that hot pink suit is pretty cute and I could definitely take a black and white geometric clutch.

:( Urban Outfitters

2012-01-13T14:44:00.000+11:00

I seriously want this zigzag printed rug from Urban Outfitters for my living room.

It would look lovely with my vintage Parker lounge suite currently being restored by my mum. I'm having the seat cushions covered in black denim and this rug would be the perfect complement (it would also cover most of the dark honey coloured timber floor in the room which would be nice).

There's just one problem with this perfect solution; Urban Outfitters won't ship this rug to Australia. Why do they have products on the Australian site that don't ship here? It is incredibly annoying because I always seem to pick things I can't have.

Here are some more sweet items I am currently coveting from the Urban Outfitters Apartment range.

Above: bottle vase garland

Above: please don't leave rug

Above: talk board dry erase board

Above: cable photo holder

Packing for Paris: travel guides

2012-01-13T09:08:00.000+11:00

If you read this post back in November you would know that we were due to be boarding a plane to Paris in four days. Unfortunately there were delays with our visas, lost paperwork and our departure is now booked for 20 February. It could be a blessing in disguise given that the bathroom/kitchen renovation has also blown out well beyond schedule.

Anyway, the next five weeks is likely to pass really quickly with everything we have going on at the moment, so I decided I had better start getting organised for our departure.

I've already started packing, but having had no previous experience living overseas, I have no idea how much stuff I should be taking for twelve months. I just know that when we land it will be Winter in Europe and it will be freezing, so I have bought thermals, a down jacket and waterproof boots.

But let's start with something easy: books. Aside from my French language books, I will be packing the following travel guides.

We have the usual Lonely Planet 'France' guide with a pull-out map of Paris which I'm sure will come in handy, but we also have the less usual Lonely Planet 'Not-For-Parents' guide to Paris which was a Christmas present from a friend.

Of course I have a couple of shopping guides: 'Chic Shopping Paris' and 'Parisian Chic: A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange'; and lastly, the ultimate luxury travel guide, Louis Vuitton's 'Paris' City Guide.

Yes, I am aware that half the weight in my suitcase will be books, but it's important to be prepared. I might take the Lonely Planet 'France' guide on the plane to distract me from the fact that I hate flying overnight and can't sleep on a plane and remind me that there is a very good reason for why I am putting myself through the torture of 22 hours of flying time.

New wardrobe design

2012-01-12T10:52:00.000+11:00

I am trying to finalise our new wardrobe design and am throwing around a few different ideas at the moment.

We could close in the wardrobe, leaving just my dressing table area open for access.

We would need 50cm doors in the slanted ceiling sections and 60cm doors in the middle section for an overall symmetrical look. I would have the doors painted in Dulux Vivid White to match the rest of the room and possibly go handle free for a cleaner look.

Or we could leave the wardrobe open and get rid of all the upright sections, leaving something like this.

In the 2D picture above, those funny looking squiggly things are supposed to be coat hangers and the dark squares are supposed to be storage boxes to differentiate between hanging spaces and shelves. The greyed out area is supposed to be a mirror above my dressing table.

I like the way it looks from front on, particularly the floating shelves, but I am concerned about our clothes being exposed to sunlight and dust.

I suppose we could always hang curtains or blinds across the bottom section, leaving just the top shelves and my dressing table area exposed.

Alternatively, we could install sliding doors all the way along (similar to the image below), but this is by far the most expensive option and I don't know that I'd like the fact the doors aren't all flush with each other.

I think I'm leaning towards the open option, but I can't make up my mind. Your opinions please.

A sneak peek + new shoes

2012-01-04T20:27:00.000+11:00

Tonight I have been busy making decorations for our engagement / bon voyage party on this weekend. Here's a sneak peek.

Apologies for the dark photo, it's quite late and there's no natural light left in the house. Maybe I'll post some better pics tomorrow or after the party.

Plus, here's a pic (taken when there was some light in the house) of my new Vivienne Westwood Anglomania + Melissa shoes. They remind me of jelly sandals I wore when I was a child.

P.S. Please ignore the living room floor which is covered in dirt and sand... it's only going to get worse tomorrow.

Busy and browsing

2012-01-04T11:59:00.001+11:00

After only 4 hours sleep last night, I am surviving on caffeine at the moment. So far this morning I have arranged a measure & quote for our wardrobe and delivery of our kitchen appliances, removed a pile of concrete and rubble from our old kitchen / new bathroom floor and raked it flat(tish) in preparation for new concrete and started compiling a big box of stuff to be given to charity.

Still on my to do list for today:

Clear the living room (the builders are demolishing a section of the wall tomorrow)
Clean out the fridge (I need to move it for the demolition)
Finish making pompoms for our engagement party
Buy drinks for our engagement party
Drink more coffee

But for now I'm taking a short break for lunch and browsing the web. Here is some insight into what is currently on my mind.

Places to visit in Paris:

Above: Assouline Paris

Above: Les Archives de la Presse

Above: Ladurée Champs Elysées

Currently on my wish list:

Above: Pantone wallstore

Above: Assemblage by Seletti

Black dining room walls:

Above image from sfgirlbybay

Above image via emmas designblogg

And this sweet illustration from Kate Spade's tumblr:

Now I had better get back to that list. Bye for now.

Back to work

2012-01-01T13:42:00.001+11:00

It's the first working day after the Christmas and New Year break and work has recommenced on our renovation. The plumber is here today running copper pipes to supply water to the new bathroom and kitchen.

Because my home is still dirt and rubble and definitely not photo-worthy, here's a cute black and white home recently featured on Marie Claire Maison.

Above images from Marie Claire Maison

This home belongs to the creator of children's fashion and jewellery label, Mérésine. I love the fine silver bracelets and necklaces available in her store.

I may need to add one of her Paris boutiques to my list of places to visit while in France this year.

Happy 2012

2012-01-01T01:07:00.003+11:00

Happy 2012 from Sydney, Australia!

NYE 2011

2011-12-31T21:56:00.001+11:00

I love living in Rozelle. Sydney Harbour NYE 9.00pm fireworks as seen from our bedroom window.

A Swedish lakehouse

2011-12-31T16:08:00.002+11:00

Check out the view from the back deck of this lakehouse for sale in Förängen, Sweden.

I would love to be sitting on that deck right now, taking in the peaceful surroundings, sipping cocktails and waiting to welcome the new year.

It is very much a traditional little lakehouse, complete with timber floors, walls and ceilings and the obligatory bunk beds. But there is one striking difference. Every wall in the open plan living/dining/kitchen area is covered in black and white striped wallpaper.

Above images from Booli

I love the little bit of drama the stripes add to this otherwise tranquil setting. I could definitely see myself spending many relaxing weekends in this little lakehouse. If only I had a spare $600,000 and Sweden wasn't so far away.

It has started

2011-12-15T18:02:00.001+11:00

Our bathroom/kitchen switch is finally underway.

My Dad started it off by smashing out a wall in the bathroom, both ceilings and the kitchen cupboards.

Then the builders came in and smashed out pretty much everything else.

So at the end of week one, we have progressed to dirt floors and rubble and it all looks a whole lot worse. Let's hope it's looking a whole lot better at the end of week two.

Made me smile

2011-12-15T11:58:00.000+11:00

It's been a really tough week, but this pink front door made me smile for a moment today.

Above image from The Design Files

It makes me wish I had painted the front of our house in white and grey, so that I could have a happy pink door too.

Currently coveting...

2011-12-04T08:39:00.001+11:00

...this season's Chanel camelia brooch in black and white satin.

Le Tour Eiffel

2011-12-02T18:03:00.001+11:00

I am at home sick today. I have spent most of the day watching episodes of 'How I Met Your Mother', but I did achieve at least one other thing. I found a new place to store all my brooches (and a big pink and red felt heart Christmas tree decoration).

My sister bought me the Eiffel Tower photo holder from Blue Illusion for Christmas last year (or was it the year before... how time flies). I never intended to use it to store photos, but until now I hadn't made good use of it.

I love that it almost looks like a Christmas tree. Given that we don't have the space to put ours up this year, it may have to suffice.

Our Parisian home

2011-11-17T21:27:00.001+11:00

Two months from today we will be on a plane to Paris and a day later we will be dropping off our suitcases in our little Parisian home before heading out to explore the city’s sights.

We’ll be spending our first two months in Paris in this 20m² studio in the 8^th arrondissement.

Above images via Parisian Home

Isn’t it sweet? It will be a huge change from our three bedroom semi in Sydney’s innerwest.

There were so many rental options on Parisian Home, it was a littleoverwhelming. Once we had narrowedit down to three studios, we decided to take a virtual tour of their surroundings via Google Maps Street View.

You can see below why we finally chose this particularstudio (apart from the cute modern interior).

There is a wine bar just two doors down,...

...a bicycle share station right across the road,...

...a restaurant strip around the corner...

...and a fresh food market just a little further down thestreet.

It’s also only a few blocks from away from Champs-Élysées…

…and the Arc de Triomphe.

Above images via Google Maps

I can’t wait to drop off my suitcase and head out to order my first cafécrème.

Engagement party invitations

2011-11-16T07:13:00.001+11:00

Wow, a whole month has passed since I last published a post on this blog. I suppose I have been super busy, but still…

Anyway, we finally crossed a big job off our to do list. The engagement party invitations are done.

Harry and I spent the weekend printing, cutting, folding, stamping, punching, tying and sticking and this was the end result.

I ~~stole~~ borrowed the idea for the origami heart invitations from Eat Drink Chic. I changed the design slightly so that I could make bigger hearts out of an A4 page and so that the centre of the invitations wouldn’t have a fold down the middle, giving us more space to print the details.

We used linen paper in ivory from Cristina Re. The stamps on the front of the envelopes are from the ‘Love Mail’ collection from kikki.K and the stamps inside the invitation were bought on Etsy.

We wanted to print a sweet message on the front of the invitations, but the printer margins were making it difficult, so instead we decorated them with Japanese washi tape in three different Parisian designs.

Then we spent Sunday evening hand delivering them. They received lots of compliments and very confused faces trying to figure out how to open them (I guess my tiny little arrows weren’t obvious enough).

It was a big job, but we were very happy with the end result and you can tell a lot of time and love went into the making of these beauties. Thanks to Eat Drink Chic for the inspiration.

You might be wondering, why all the Parisian motifs. The font is small, but maybe you can make out the details in the third image above. That’s right, we’re moving to France… and these invitations were our announcement to our extended friends and family (those close to us have known for a little while). We’ll be living in France for up to 12 months and or engagement party will also be our bon voyage party.

P.S. Please excuse the photo quality. I couldn’t find the camera battery charger, so these were taken with Harry’s phone.

A little mishap

2011-10-15T22:09:00.000+11:00

The sun stayed out again for most of the day and Harry and my dad replaced the other half of our roof today… with just one little mishap.

Harry’s foot went through the ceiling in the bathroom. Luckily he didn’t fall right through and wasn’t hurt. The ceiling is rubbish and needs to be replaced anyway, I guess this will just save a little time when we get to the demolishing work later.

Weekday Carnival

2011-10-15T22:01:00.000+11:00

This morning I discovered a new blog to follow. Weekday Carnival is the blog of a Finnish photographer, mother and creator of beautiful objects. Her photography is lovely and so is her home.

I was originally drawn to the blog by this photo via Pinterest.

I love the quirky mix of posters and postcards. I would love to get my hands on some of those colourful Pantone postcards.

Above images via this post on Weekday Carnival

Also, check out the Weekday Carnival shop for super cute jewellery, posters and other bits and pieces.

Proxy jewellery tree

2011-10-14T19:02:00.000+11:00

I have been trying to find a practical and nice looking jewellery tree for a while, to store some of my most frequently worn accessories in one place. I have not had any success, so today I bought a bamboo mug tree instead.

It was only $9.95 from Howard’s Storage World. I like how the bamboo contrasts against my white wall and mostly black and silver jewellery.

Above: Kate Spade ‘Date Night’ ring, necklaces by Mimco and Kate Spade, bracelets by Oroton

Above: Naomi Murrell flower ring, Kate Spade heart ring, necklaces by Mimco and Kate Spade

Above: black heart necklace and white bow necklace both from Mimco, bracelets from Oroton

I still need to find a way to store some of my longer necklaces. For now they are hanging on a belt hanger. How do you store your necklaces?

I like boring things…

2011-10-11T22:52:00.000+11:00

It’s been a while since I shared a Swedish home tour. It’s the smaller details I love in this home… the Andy Warhol poster, the Eames rocker, the red bows on the otherwise black & white art, the Marimekko curtain…

Above images from Hemnet

A cute combo

2011-10-10T21:41:00.002+11:00

I love this cute sofa and coffee table combo.

Above image from ninemsn.homes

Hello sunshine

2011-10-09T18:34:00.000+11:00

I apologise in advance that there are no glamorous pictures in this post.

I am so excited, the sun stayed out for most of today and we managed to get half of the back roof done. Goodbye horrible rusty reddish brown corrugated roof and hello sleek new woodland grey colorbond steel.

Midnight in Paris

2011-10-05T21:22:00.001+11:00

Tonight I watched an advanced screening of Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. It was a nice romantic comedy and one I would recommend if that is your type of movie. Personally, what I loved most were the flashbacks to 1920s Paris and the gorgeous fashions of that time and the scenery which was amazing. I can’t wait to visit this beautiful city.

Above image by Felix Doaz via Pinterest

Elkington Park

2011-10-04T21:30:00.000+11:00

Harry and I took an extra leave day to make this 3-day long weekend into a 4-day long weekend. Due to bad weather for the past 3 days, our weekend didn’t quite go to plan and it wasn’t as productive as we’d hoped.

But the sun was shining today and we took advantage of it to get at least one thing ticked off our to do list. We rode our bikes around to every park on the Balmain peninsula and we have decided on a venue for our engagement party: Elkington Park in Balmain.

Above image from joemills2 via Flickr

When we first moved to Balmain around 3 ½ years ago we rented a house across the street from Elkington Park and I would take our dogs there for a walk every morning before work.

The views from the park are amazing…

Above image from joemills2 via Flickr

...but the main reason we chose it as our engagement party venue is the rotunda.

Above image by Kerrie via Flickr

I have seen many wedding ceremonies held in the little rotunda and the surrounding rose garden. I think it will be a lovely place to serve food and drinks and provide shelter from the harsh January sun.

We also designed our engagement party invitations over the weekend and bought all the supplies we need to make them. I won’t share them just yet, but watch this space.

Neon pink

2011-10-02T09:47:00.000+11:00

I love this neon pink faux bedhead, which may be painted onto the wall or a decal, and the cushions from la cerise sur le gateau.

Above image from VT Wonen's Facebook page

Here's another image of the same room, but this one shows the width of the whole bed, giving us a better look at the bedhead and cushions.

Above image via Style Files from a VT Wonen blogger event

Those screen printed toile cushions are just gorgeous aren't they. I have my own screen printed la cerise sur le gateau cushion, which I absolutely love (seen below with my little Rascal).

A fresh new look

2011-10-01T22:35:00.000+10:00

I had planned on spending today helping my Dad replace the corrugatediron roofing on the back of our house, but the weather report said it wasgoing to rain and thunderstorm today, so I told him not to worry about comingover.

No rain fell from the skyuntil late in the afternoon, so we could have installed the new roof after all.

Ah well, instead I decided to give my blog a fresh new look.

I really like that it's much simpler and lighter than the last design. What do you think?

An 18th century apartment in Strasbourg

2011-09-18T21:03:00.000+10:00

How was your weekend? Mine has been nice and relaxing… lots of lounging and eating, a couple of bike rides and a bit of time in the park lapping up the sun. We decided to spend this weekend unwinding as I spent last weekend in Melbourne with my mum and we’re planning on spending next weekend working on the house.

Whilst lounging I stopped by some of favourite inspirational websites and discovered this lovely home in Strasbourg in north-eastern France on Marie Claire Maison. I especially love the bedroom with its mix of grey and white and that little splash of bright pink in the fireplace.

Images from Marie Claire Maison

Currently coveting...

2011-09-17T11:38:00.000+10:00

...Lanvin ballet flats. I'll take a pair in every colour please.

Black and white stripes in Linnéstaden

2011-09-14T23:20:00.000+10:00

I love the black and white striped wallpaper in the living room of this apartment for sale in Linnéstaden, Sweden. If only I was brave enough to attempt something like this in my own home.

Above images from Alvhem Mäkleri & Interiör

Something old

2011-09-09T21:27:00.000+10:00

If you read my Melbourne posts, you will know that Harry popped the question while we were away. His timing was perfect as we were having such a lovely weekend, at a time when I have been a little down with so much to do at work and at home.

My ring belonged to my Godmother. It was a gift from my Godfather and she gave it to me when he passed away years ago. My Godmother also passed away earlier this year and it made sense to use this beautiful ring with so much sentimental value rather than spend a lot of money on a new one.

I’m not sure of its exact age, but I know this ring is older than me. I guess I have my ‘something old’ sorted for our wedding day.

Don’t cry because it’s over

2011-09-09T20:40:00.000+10:00

I love this image: the gilded mirror and the handwritten quote. I thought it was appropriate to share it today after attending my Great Aunt’s funeral.

Above image from Rue magazine

New items in my Etsy shop

2011-09-04T18:52:00.000+10:00

I have been home all weekend looking after Pixie. We have set up a child’s playpen so that she has enough space to do what she needs to do, but not enough space to run around and hurt her leg. Despite her comfy little space, she is not happy about being confined. I can’t blame her, but at least she has an open window and fresh air, which is more than I can say for my workspace.

I decided to make it a productive weekend by continuing to sort through my stuff and listing more vintage items in my Etsy shop. If you love retro pink 1950s kitchenware, there is plenty to choose from and more to come.

Above: 1950s Nally Ware spice canisters (these have already sold)

Above: 1950s Nally Ware stacking canisters (I have suspended the listing to get a postage quote for an international buyer)

Above: 1950s Lustro Ware kitchen canister set

Above: 1950s Lustro Ware waxed paper / paper towel dispenser

Above: 1950s Lustro Ware salt & pepper shakers

Above: 1950s Kromex bread bin

Pixie

2011-09-02T13:36:00.000+10:00

My poor little Pixie had surgery to repair a torn cruciate ligament in her right knee yesterday.

She is doing very well, but is a little sulky… understandably so, as she is obviously in pain and uncomfortable with that giant bandage. The bandage will remain on her leg for a week and she will be confined to a playpen for 8 weeks while she heals.

She is getting lots of cuddles for reassurance that it will get better and her little world isn’t ending.

A renovated Harry Seidler apartment

2011-08-20T22:49:00.001+10:00

Living in a relatively small space has meant I have had to put a lot of thought into redesigning our home, incorporating lots of storage, built-in furniture and space-saving ideas. I have taken lots of inspiration from architecturally-designed renovations in magazines, books and online and I have developed a real appreciation for a smart use of space, such as in this renovated apartment in Sydney’s Potts Point.

This 38sqm space was converted from a one-bedroom apartment to a practical home for a young family of three. The apartment is in a Harry Seidler building and the original bathroom has apparently been left untouched. I love the work of Harry Seidler and I would really like to see pictures of that bathroom.

Above images from Gill Architects and I discovered this amazing apartment via Desire to Inspire

Hot pink jeans

2011-08-19T23:32:00.000+10:00

I really want a pair of hot pink jeans or trousers. I think they would be a perfect complement to my mainly black, white and grey wardrobe.

I really like the pair in the fourth image below. They are apparently from Joe's Jeans, but I haven't been able to find them online.

I also haven't been able to find a pair I like in the shops. The few pairs I have seen are all super skinny and cropped, which is definitely not my style. I might have to hit one of the big shopping centres out of the city, perhaps Chatswood or Bondi Junction, to do some more research.

Above image from Style Scrapbook

Above image from Net-A-Porter

Above image from Atlantic-Pacific

Above image from Chictopia

Our long weekend in Melbourne: part two

2011-08-16T21:26:00.000+10:00

Sunday was the day we had dedicated to Melbourne Open House, but with my body aching after Saturday’s marathon bike ride we didn’t get around to many places.

We visited the lavish Myer Mural Hall.

The murals were lovely…

Above: Revelation of Fashion

…but I was mostly infatuated with the light fittings.

We also visited Denmark House, where I posed with my dream sofa, the Poeten by Finn Juhl.

And we visited Council House 2, the first sustainable building in Australia. It was very interesting hearing about all the features of the building, including the fact that fresh outside air is pumped through the entire building every 30 minutes.

We stopped for coffee and strawberry éclairs from Laurent.

Then we had a very late dinner of delicious tapas and sangria at Movida. This is another restaurant I would recommend to anyone visiting Melbourne, just don’t forget to book as this place is very popular.

After dinner, we took a walk along the Yarra River and met this cute little guy.

Then Harry popped the question. That’s right, he proposed and now we are engaged! He had planned to do it on Saturday’s bike ride, so that was the grand plan I ruined. I almost did it again on Sunday night because I wasn’t sure that I could be bothered going for a walk after all that food. Poor Harry, I’m lucky he is persistent. Here was our view from the other side of the Yarra River.

On Monday morning, we took a ride through the beautiful Botanical Gardens before returning our bikes.

This was our French food day, starting with breakfast at Le Traiteur. This was the best café breakfast I have ever tasted: toasted brioche with spinach, mushrooms, poached eggs and an amazing béarnaise sauce.

Harry’s breakfast looked equally delicious: baked eggs with pork belly, beans and sourdough toast.

With full bellies, we headed to Chapel Street, South Yarra for a bit of shopping. Then back to the city for a six-course lunch at PM24. That was amazing! Sorry, I was too wrapped up in the great French food and wine to remember to take photos. My lunch included: bread & French butter, chicken & vegetable soup, sea scallops, rotisserie lamb (their specialty), a cheese course, hazelnut praline (an éclair filled with hazelnut mousse and a side of hazelnut ice cream), home made marshmallow and coffee.

After all that food, we took a walk through the city before heading to the airport and home.

It was so nice to spend four days in only each other’s company, unwinding with great food in a city full of interesting things to explore. We should really make an effort to take these little breaks more often.

Our long weekend in Melbourne: part one

2011-08-14T12:57:00.000+10:00

This post is slightly belated as our long weekend in Melbourne was a couple of weeks ago, but as they say… better late than never. I rarely seem to have the time to put together a proper post, I really don’t understand where all my 'free time' goes.

Anyway, our long weekend in Melbourne was fabulous. The weather was nice apart from a day of patchy rain on Saturday and the food was fantastic. The whole weekend turned out to be quite a gastronomic affair, which was more than fine by me. After all, when I am on holiday, I simply like to eat, shop and explore… no resting on the beach or poolside for this girl.

After checking into our hotel on Monday, we kicked off our foodie weekend with savoury French crepes and coffee for breakfast at Roule Galette. We found this place tucked away in a tiny little laneway off Flinders Lane.

We wandered aimlessly around the city until lunchtime, when we stopped for a two-course lunch at Seamstress.

The food was amazing! I took pictures, but they turned out too dark so I won’t share them here. I’ll just say that if you’re visiting Melbourne, this place is definitely worth a stop… especially if you can take advantage of the mid-week lunch special like we did. Also, the décor is quite funky, playing up the fact that this space was once a textiles factory, with draped rolls of fabric in oriental patterns and vintage sewing machines.

After more aimless wandering around the city, we headed to the Melbourne Museum to see Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. The exhibition was really interesting and we were exhausted after spending more than 1.5 hours discovering all it had to offer. We headed to the Atrium Bar at Crown Casino for a pre dinner cocktail. I ordered a Raspberry Kiss.

We’re not really the casino type, but last time we were in Melbourne I stumbled upon this cocktail after making a trip to the casino to pick up a purchase from the Louis Vuitton store. This time, we visited the casino just so I could order this cocktail. It is creamy, chocolatey, raspberry bliss.

We headed back to Seamstress for a casual dinner of hokkien noodles with crispy slow-cooked melt-in-your-mouth pork belly pieces in the underground bar, Sweatshop.

On Saturday, we picked up our rented vintage bicycles from The Humble Vintage and started our day with a deliciously healthy breakfast from Trunk Diner.

Then we kicked off Melbourne Open House with a tour of the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

We rode our fleet down to South Wharf, where I bought a new Fossil handbag and a few books. Then we continued on through Albert Park where we stopped to eat some Byron Bay cookies we had picked up the day before.

We rode through St Kilda and all the way to the Brighton Beach Huts.

From that point, I realised perhaps I had pushed myself a little too far. Why are bike seats so uncomfortable? We rode all the way back to Melbourne (more than 13 kilometres) with me refusing to stop because I was afraid that if I got off my bike, I wouldn’t be able to get back on it. To top it off, it started raining. There was one positive, we saw a double rainbow on our way back into the city.

Harry had some grand plans for this day, unbeknownst to me, but I shattered them due to my cranky behaviour… more on that in the next post.

In-store: Peter Alexander

2011-08-08T21:44:00.001+10:00

I visited the Peter Alexander store in Sydney's Mid City today to check out their range of very cute (yet also very expensive) pyjamas and casual accessories. I looked up to the ceiling and this is what I saw.

Above image via my iPhone

Yes that's a full size bed, complete with matching bedside tables, rug, throw, magazine and teddy bear... all upside down and stuck to the ceiling.

My new ride

2011-08-08T20:58:00.000+10:00

An update on our Melbourne trip and a very exciting announcement coming soon, but for now check out my new ride.

Above image from bikes.com.au

I wasn't going to buy a new bike, but at $329.95... complete with retro styling, basket and pannier... I couldn't resist.

Planning a weekend in Melbourne

2011-07-26T23:31:00.000+10:00

Next Monday is a bank holiday in NSW. I have been working for a bank for over 12 months, but last year I forgot about the bank holiday and booked a client meeting for 9am, which couldn’t be rescheduled as the client was travelling from interstate and in Sydney for only 1 day. After missing my first bank holiday, I decided to make the most of it this year. I am taking an additional leave day on Friday and Harry and I are heading to Melbourne for a long weekend.

We are planning 4 jam-packed days, featuring fabulous food, ancient Egyptian history, architecture, cocktails, vintage bicycles, a French film and a little shopping.

Our list of things to do includes:

Friday

A morning spent exploring the city’s boutiques.

Lunch at Seamstress Restaurant & Bar, housed in a 100 year old former textile factory, warehouse and one-time Buddhist monastery.

A visit to the ‘Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs’ exhibition at Melbourne Museum.

Cocktails at Atrium Bar at Crown Casino.

Saturday

Breakfast at Le Traiteur, which means ‘The Caterer’ in French.

A ride from Melbourne’s CBD to St Kilda Beach, through Southbank and Albert Park, on vintage bicycles rented from The Humble Vintage.

Sunday

Keep the bicycles and a day spent exploring the best of Melbourne’s architecture, with a collection of 75 contemporary, historic and sustainable buildings and spaces open to visitors for one weekend only for the annual event, Melbourne Open House.

With a break at 1pm to watch ‘Tales of the Night’, an animated French film, at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

Monday

A morning spent (and perhaps a bit of money spent too) at Chadstone Shopping Centre, the first freestanding regional shopping centre in Melbourne and now the biggest shopping centre in the Southern Hemisphere.

Back to the city for lunch at PM24 for a contemporary take on French cuisine.

We are staying at The Victoria Hotel. It’s nothing too fancy, but it has a great history as one of Melbourne’s first hotels, opening in 1880 (as pictured below). The rooms are decorated in a simple heritage style, but they are recently renovated and the hotel is very conveniently located in the middle of Melbourne’s CBD.

P.S. It’s my Mum’s birthday on the bank holiday Monday too. I had better bring her back something nice from Melbourne.

Thoughts for Norway

2011-07-23T23:24:00.000+10:00

I woke up this morning to see the terrible news of the attacks on Norway’s capital. My thoughts are with the people of Norway today.

The image below is of Ålesund in Norway, a place I hope to visit someday.

Above image from The Cool Hunter

Etsy finds: typography

2011-07-16T23:58:00.000+10:00

I am currently a little obsessed with all things typography. I have bought quite a few typography prints lately. Here are some of my favourite items on Etsy at the moment, all featuring typography, but not in printed form.

Above: vintage metal hanging letters from Lackluster Co.

Above: ooh la la felt appliqué pillow from Alexandra Ferguson

Above: vintage porcelain letters from Lackluster Co.

Above: in and out file box from Kitsch Café

Above: vintage letterpress blocks from Harmonie Park

Above: antique spoon garden markers set from Hammermann

Above: love necklace from Truche

Girly glamour in London

2011-07-13T22:34:00.000+10:00

I discovered this gorgeously over the top girly residence via this post on Desire to Inspire.

This glamorous London property is available as a shoot location for stills photography via 1st option.

See many more images of this fairytale space here.

Project Runway: black jersey dress

2011-07-12T22:51:00.000+10:00

I somehow missed the fact that Season 3 of Project Runway Australia started last Monday. I caught up late last night, watching episodes 1 and 2 back-to-back.

I loved the winning design in episode 2.

This beautiful gown was made in black jersey (which is a very flattering fabric, stretchy but not at all clingy) and a heavy geometric black lace for the cap sleeves and back. I would definitely wear this dress.

A weekend in the country

2011-07-11T23:13:00.000+10:00

I’ve had a pretty exhausting past couple of weeks. With a lot of time off sick, the work has been piling up and I have been doing some pretty long hours in the office.

I decided I needed a break and Harry suggested we take a drive and head out of the city, so off we went to Bowral (only 1½ hours from Sydney) on Saturday.

It was a freezing 5°C when we arrived, so our first stop was for hot coffee and toast at the Milk Factory Gallery Café.

We then wandered the streets of Bowral, stopping at some interesting little stores, like Sidetracked Depot…

…and Berkelouw Books.

We ate lunch at the Elephant Boy Café, which has a great atmosphere, with walls of bookshelves filled with vintage books and jars of curry sauces.

After lunch we visited some of the Southern Highlands wineries. Our favourites were Tertini Wines, McVitty Grove Estate…

…and Centennial Vineyards.

We came back with quite a few bottles of wine, some camembert style cheese from Small Cow Farm and a bunch of gorgeous fresh produce from a local growers market, including baby asparagus, crunchy pears, passionfruit and kiwifruit.

It was a lovely relaxing day and so nice to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city for a day.

Fabric and wallpaper

2011-06-24T16:58:00.001+10:00

It has been 11 days since I last posted on my blog. I had a busy week last week, then a long weekend with Harry and I have been really sick since last Sunday night. I even took an ambulance ride and spent a day in the RPA emergency department on Tuesday.

I appear to be on the road to recovery now. I managed to get out of the house for an hour yesterday, but I spent that time walking at a snail’s pace. This morning I drove to Rosebery to visit the Signature Prints warehouse sale before the weekend rush. I felt a little exhausted afterwards, but I figure it’s good for me to make the effort to get out of the house and I picked up a few nice things.

The great thing about the Signature Prints warehouse sales is that you can pick up off-cuts of Florence Broadhurst designs in non-standard colourways (perhaps leftovers from special orders or trial-runs). Today I bought an off-cut of Japanese Floral wallpaper in pink on cream…

…and an off-cut of Japanese Floral fabric in a different shade of pink on cream. Japanese Floral is my favourite of Florence Broadhurst’s currently available designs (in the picture below, you can see my stack of new fabric resting on my bench seat which is covered in the same design in black on natural calico).

I also stopped in at The Remnant Warehouse on my way past and picked up 5 pieces of fabric, including metallic linen for cushions, black and white striped jersey and a couple of suiting fabrics to have some trousers made.

P.S. Thank you to Harry for staying at home with me for the worst 3 days of this week. It was really nice having you around for support when I was feeling so unwell.

A Scandinavian grand design

2011-06-13T21:29:00.000+10:00

It has been lovely spending three days out of the office, but the long weekend is almost over now.

I spent most of today taking photographs of my old clothes, to sell on eBay, but while taking a break for lunch, Harry switched on the TV to an episode of Grand Designs which I couldn’t walk away from.

It featured the home of interior designer and owner/builder, Kathryn Tyler. She talks about her love of Scandinavian design as the inspiration for this build and she loves bespoke fittings and preloved furniture.

I love everything about this home: the combination of white-painted brick and cedar, which will grey with age…

The dining chairs, which are apparently an English design that is no longer made (I must try to find more information about them)…

The white kitchen cabinetry encased in teak…

My favourite feature: the bespoke storage under the staircase, and I love all the colour in Kathryn’s display of knick-knacks…

The built-in coat rack/message board just inside the front door and the bookshelf/room divider…

The living room furniture, especially the sofa with its button detailing…

Kathryn’s home office/design studio (I am so jealous, just look at all those design books)…

And I assume this is her husband/partner Chris’s workspace.

I’d even consider moving to cold, rainy Cornwall if I could make this house mine.

Visit Kathryn’s website to see more images of her beautiful home.

Confessions of a shopaholic: week 3

2011-06-12T11:15:00.000+10:00

I had another extremely well behaved week (perhaps because it was also another incredibly busy week at work or perhaps because I had a lot of bills to pay and my monthly pay day is not until next week).

I bought the latest Lonely Planet France guide for $28 (40% off RRP) from Myer. Yes, we are planning a trip to France at the end of the year.

I also pre-ordered a copy of the English version of the J’adore Couture 2012 calendar for $10 from The Book Depository. Not because I am organised enough to actually use a calendar, but because I am hoping it will be filled with large scale images of some of René Gruau’s amazing fashion illustrations.

I also received a couple of parcels in the mail this week, including my belated birthday present from Harry (belated because the ring was out of stock in my size for over a month)…

…and this Swarovski crystal and gunmetal ring and earrings from Anthropologie, which I bought online about a month ago.

In light of my otherwise good behaviour, I have decided to strip $50 per week out of my budget for all the unnecessary food I buy (yes, that’s you Lindt macaroons, double-shot cappuccinos and chocolate bars). With a reduced budget, that still leaves me $62 ahead this week.

Seriously, how long can I keep this up? Any week now, I am expecting the crazy shopping binge that wipes out all this good behaviour and reveals me as the crazy shopaholic that I truly am.

Currently coveting...

2011-06-09T21:27:00.002+10:00

... a Louis Vuitton Favorit Bracelet in classic Monogram canvas.

A mid-century modern home in San Sebastián

2011-06-09T20:50:00.001+10:00

The San Sebastián home of Spanish designer Mikel Irastorza is a perfect combination of old and new. The apartment features architectural details from the early 1900s and the furniture is a mix of mid-century and modern pieces.

I could easily move right in.

Above images via Houzz

My favourite rooms are the living room, for its white walls, contrasting furniture and those fabulous pendant lights, and the bedroom because it looks sooo cozy. I would love to snuggle up under that fur blanket right now. It is absolutely freezing in my house tonight.

Vivid Sydney

2011-06-07T22:15:00.000+10:00

It’s panning out to be another exhausting week. I’ve already had two late nights in the office and two microwave dinners and it’s only Tuesday.

At least I’m planning on ending this week on a high with a visit to the Vivid Sydney light festival on Friday night. Check out these amazing images of the Opera House all lit up at this year’s festival.

If tonight’s weather is anything to go by, I imagine it will be freezing on Friday night, so a warm coat and a visit to the world’s biggest campfire will be in order.

A corner of my bedroom

2011-06-05T22:47:00.000+10:00

This is what you see when you reach the top of the stairs that lead into our bedroom.

The Louis style chair is from HorganS and the coat rack is an Eames Hang-It-All. It’s a great spot to store our Winter essentials (gloves, scarves and a couple of my most frequently worn necklaces) and I can drop my handbag on the chair.

My mum is making me a little cushion from Florence Broadhurst’s Birds of Paradise fabric in black silk for the chair.

Aside from that, I need to decide on a piece of art to hang on the wall. Then I think this corner will be finished.

My current thoughts are that a colourful piece might work well with the Hang-It-All. Maybe this Inner West map from Suburban Type.

Or a framed page of Andy Warhol Chanel prints from this book.

Whichever piece I choose, I am thinking of hanging it on the wall opposite the Hang-It-All, so as not to overcrowd the one wall.

What do you think? Will the combination of one of these colourful prints and the Hang-It-All look to busy? Should I try something simpler instead? Maybe I’ll wait and see how the cushion looks before making up my mind.

Confessions of a shopaholic: week 2

2011-06-05T12:00:00.000+10:00

The June sales have started, but due to my insanely busy week I haven’t had time to hit the shops.

I did drop into Country Road to buy a couple of photo frames for the prints I bought last week. The frames cost $15 each (on sale from $35 each). Here they are, ready to hang.

The timber grain in these frames is beautiful. Here’s a close-up.

I am not really living up to my ‘shopaholic’ status. Having to justify everything I spend to the people that follow my blog certainly makes me think twice before I buy anything. So I guess this shopping confessional is working for me (my credit card thanks you all).

I could say that I was running $120 under budget this week, but in reality I spent a lot of money on food, including more than $50 on macaroons and mochas from the Lindt Café. So let’s just say I broke even.

Isn't she lovely

2011-06-04T13:33:00.001+10:00

It has been a whole week since I last posted. I have been insanely busy, working well past midnight more than once this last week. I made up for it with a lovely sleep-in this morning.

Last Sunday I visited my grandmother for her birthday and I picked up this lovely lady.

My grandmother bought this dressmaker’s dummy from David Jones back in the 1950s I believe. She was a dressmaker by trade and my grandfather was a bootmaker.

Alas, she is not here to stay. I am just borrowing her to help with selling some of my old clothes on eBay. While I am not using her as a photo prop, I thought she would look pretty in the corner of our bedroom holding some of my favourite necklaces.

Above: Necklaces from Mimco, Alannah Hill and Betsey Johnson (top to bottom)

Confessions of a shopaholic: week 1

2011-05-28T20:47:00.000+10:00

I admit that I have a bit of a shopping habit and I can go a little crazy at times (seriously, I need to find a cheaper hobby).

I am supposed to be sticking to a budget, so in an attempt at keeping myself honest I am going to use my blog as a weekly shopping confessional.

Firstly, the rules: my shopping budget is $150 per week and that includes everything except food (and wine) and other necessities and gifts.

So how did I go this week? I must say I am very glad I didn’t blow it in my first week… that would have made me look bad wouldn’t it.

I bought this little white birdie bangle holder for $15.

The bangles are from Oroton.

I bought this embellished black knit dress for $75 from Guess. It was on sale for 50% off.

And I spent $16 on these 2 prints from theloveshop on Etsy (I actually bought 4 prints, but the other 2 are a gift so they don’t count).

I really need to stop buying prints and posters. I have no idea where I am going to hang them all.

Running total: at the end of week 1 I am $44 under budget.

Nigella Lawson on sale

2011-05-28T11:26:00.000+10:00

Nigella Lawson is on sale now at brandsExclusive and I am very tempted to buy these…

Above: Nigella Lawson bread bin in pink

Above: Nigella Lawson cake & cheese plate in black

…but I am going to exercise control and walk away. How very unlike me.

Staying in

2011-05-27T21:35:00.001+10:00

Harry is out with the boys tonight and I am staying in. I ordered dinner from the local Thai restaurant and now I’m lounging with a gin & tonic, So Frenchy So Chic on the TV and my laptop.

While catching up on my Google Reader subscriptions, I came across this minimal black & white home in Copenhagen on Jennys Hus. I especially love the idea of displaying shoes on an open staircase and the grey modular lounge.

Above images from Femina

Colour feature: Pink

2011-05-26T20:22:00.000+10:00

Pink is my favourite colour. It is one of the few colours in my wardrobe, to complement all my neutrals, and I have a few pink accessories in the kitchen too, like my baby pink Le Chausser French oven and my fuschia Nespresso coffee machine.

Pink is a colour fuelled with emotion and therefore a great choice to liven up an outfit or a room. It is passionate, nurturing, romantic, warm, friendly, feminine and uninhibited.

A splash of pink always draws my eye and always cheers me up.

Too much pink in an interior can be shocking, but I love it in small doses, especially when paired with a monotone mix of black, white and grey.

Lighter pinks are calming and nurturing and a great choice for bedrooms, living areas and outdoor spaces.

See this post for how tiny pops of bright pinks can add warmth and energy to an otherwise cool room.

Add a little girliness to your home with these fun finds:

1. Paul Smith Dot bowl from Scandinavian Design Center

2. Dualit toaster from Peters of Kensington

3. Ikat cushion from Fabricadabra

4. JANSJÖ clamp spotlight from IKEA

5. Retro refrigerator from SMEG

6. Dandi Petal napkins from hardtofind.

7. Live What You Love print from Heartfish Press on Etsy

8. Alessi Gianni jar from Peters of Kensington

9. Dew Drop vase from Dinosaur Designs

10. KitchenAid Artisan mixer from Peters of Kensington

P.S. I really enjoy putting together these colour features, but they take quite a bit of time. Moving forward I am going to try to start doing at least one per month. Which colour should I do next?

Heartfish Press typography prints

2011-05-21T22:14:00.000+10:00

I just bought these two letterpress prints from Heartfish Press on Etsy.

I love typography prints and these two are extra special as they are letterpressed by hand using vintage wood type blocks.

I think I might hang the 'Smile' print near the front door... or perhaps I'll save it as a gift for when someone else needs a little cheering up.

DIY heart garland

2011-05-19T19:11:00.000+10:00

I discovered this pretty little DIY project on Pinterest and traced it back to grace and light.

I would really like to make one. Does anyone know where I can buy a big heart punch like the one pictured above?

My Etsy shop is back up

2011-05-19T12:55:00.001+10:00

After more than 12 months of inactivity, I have finally opened my Etsy shop back up.

I only have 3 items listed at the moment (1 handmade and 2 vintage), but I hope to get some time to add more items over the weekend.

At the moment I have listed 1 of the 2 spare Missoni scarves made by my mum…

A 1950s toaster cover with a pink poodle design…

And a set of 1950s pink kitchen canisters…

Yes, the latter 2 items were purchased when I was going through this phase.

I think the ‘biscuits’ and ‘cakes’ canisters would be very cool as storage in a home office or studio space, don’t’ you? Of course, I suppose they could also be used to store actual biscuits and cakes.

An alternative to painted art

2011-05-18T23:21:00.001+10:00

I was scrolling through this home tour on Sköna Hem when I noticed the artwork above the sofa and thought to myself “that looks pretty cool, I wonder what it’s made of”.

A little more scrolling and I came to this close up.

It’s an interesting twist on the usual, using the empty paint tins instead of their contents to make a fun and colourful piece of art. I really like it.

I also love the living room with its Arne Jacobsen Egg chairs and the READ bookshelf by Jenny Ash Fors and Sofia Ehrengren.

For more images see here.

No more Kate Spade :(

2011-05-17T22:18:00.000+10:00

It appears that Kate Spade no longer accepts Australian credit cards (even though the website says they do) and HopShopGo no longer forwards parcels from Kate Spade due to “brand manager’s rights”. That means I now have no way of ordering products from my favourite brand. :(

Why would they send me an invite to their current sample sale when they know I live in Australia and they will no longer let me order from their website… that’s just tormenting me!

I was hoping to purchase these:

I think the reason I can no longer order from Kate Spade is because they now have a couple of Australian stockists. I went to David Jones (apparently the largest stockist in Australia) today and every Kate Spade handbag in stock was black (boring) and they don’t stock any of the clothing or accessories range. This Kate Spade fan is not happy at all!

Saarinen’s perfect match?

2011-05-16T22:24:00.000+10:00

I want a Saarinen table. I don’t know if I would choose the white marble top or the plain white top, but given that they both have a price tag in the thousands, I guess I’m not going to have to decide any time soon.

While I’m dreaming, I think I’ll pair it with a set of Eames chairs… perhaps the Eiffel chair in black…

Or the DCM chair in walnut…

What do you think? Are Saarinen and Eames a match made in heaven?

I certainly thought so… until I saw Saarinen with Bertoia…

And Bentwood…

Perhaps it’s a good thing that I can’t afford to buy any of them, because I’d have a tough time choosing my perfect match for Saarinen. Which is your favourite?

My new Missoni scarf

2011-05-15T20:00:00.000+10:00

I bought the Missoni Jenny fabric and my Mum made it into a little scarf for me. I love it! Thanks Mum!

She used my Coach scarf as a template and she did a fantastic job… this is the woman who designed and made her own wedding dress at 19 (and I still can’t sew on a button at 29). There was actually enough fabric to make 3 scarves the same as this one, so I will be selling the other 2 in my Etsy shop soon.

Vintage patio chair (9 May 2011)

2011-05-14T22:25:00.000+10:00

I typed this post on Monday, but Blogger was down and I haven’t had a chance to post it since… it’s been a very busy week.

I made a little discovery on the way to work today. This vintage patio chair had been abandoned in our back lane.

My apologies for the bad photo, it was taken with my iPhone in our crowded hallway (note the stack of floorboards salvaged from the upstairs renovation, the termite damage in the skirting board and the pink dog toy)

It’s in pretty good condition (despite how bad it looks in my crappy photo above). A lot of the white paint has worn off and there is a far amount of surface rust, but with a little bit of rubbing back and a fresh coat of paint it should look pretty good. I’m thinking of buying some weatherproof foam to fit the seat and covering it in this plastic-coated black and white polka dot fabric from IKEA.

Above: Lialotta plastic-coated fabric from IKEA

Onto something a little more glamorous… I love the mix of black, white and metallics in these images found via this post on The Diversion Project.

Above images from the portfolio of Bryn Alexandra

P.S. It’s my birthday tomorrow.

A glamorous family home in Espergærde

2011-05-06T23:25:00.000+10:00

There are so many things to love about this home in Espergærde, Denmark… the black kitchen, the white floors, the fabulous chairs in the dining room and study nook and the feature wall in the bedroom are my stand-outs.

Above images from Bolig Magsinet

Accessorising by IKEA

2011-05-04T19:42:00.000+10:00

After my last post and speaking of cool stuff from IKEA that isn’t available in Australia… this groovy little side table just popped up on the Livet Hemma site and I want it!

The colourful chunky necklace is part of this piece of furniture and the lid comes off to reveal hidden storage space.

It is called AGUST and is part of a new limited edition range available in Sweden.

The inspiration behind a great DIY

2011-05-04T19:08:00.000+10:00

This DIY bookshelf made from IKEA PRÄNT boxes (not available in Australia) has certainly done the rounds since it first appeared on the Livet Hemma blog back in March.

I believe that behind every great DIY there is some truly great inspiration and I think I may have found it for this one: the Stacked Shelving System designed by JDS Architects for Muuto.

It is remarkably similar, don’t you agree?

New Winter layers

2011-05-01T10:36:00.001+10:00

I need some new basic long layers for Winter. I’ll start with these two items from ASOS (only £11 each with free shipping).

Moving on to Victoria's Secret...

I’ll take the v-neck tunic in the featured colour and black (2 for $40), the turtleneck tunic in the featured colour and charcoal ($14.99 each) and the long fleece jacket in the featured colour ($59.50). Shipping is a little pricey though at $38.99.

Apart from that, I think I’ll take a walk through Pitt Street Mall and see what else I can find. I have avoided shopping in the city while I have been off work (actually, I have avoided shopping altogether for the last 1 ½ weeks… that is a big thing for me). I wonder if the new Zara store has calmed down a little now that it’s been open for a couple of weeks, the Easter holidays are over and everyone is back at work.

Speaking of back to work, we’re back to work tomorrow, so how did we go with our holiday task list:

~~Go to The Little Marionette for breakfast~~

~~Grocery shopping~~

~~Go to IKEA~~

~~Meet with Architect~~

~~Move files from my laptop onto my HD drive and new laptop~~

~~Sort through all the paperwork/filing in the study~~ (almost)

~~Go through at least half the magazines under my desk~~

~~Finish going through my wardrobe and sort items into categories: eBay, charity, etc.~~

Finish stripping the stairs

~~Finish my SMSF assignment~~

~~Go to The Orange Peel café~~

~~Go to the gym~~

Walk the dogs

Go to the movies

Take a day trip

That doesn’t look good, but of course I have some pretty good excuses. No walking the dogs because apparently Pixie has a torn cruciate ligament and may need surgery. She is currently on a course of anti-inflammatory injections and needs to rest her leg. We didn’t bother taking a day trip because it rained every day we were off (yuck!). We also didn’t get any washing done for 1 ½ weeks for the same reason, so the bathroom/laundry looks like a disaster zone at the moment. As for finishing stripping the stairs, sorry I don’t have a decent excuse for that.

Birthday wish list

2011-04-30T15:28:00.000+10:00

It is my birthday in 10 days and Harry, my mum and my sisters have all asked me what I would like. I can’t think of anything in particular that I really want, but there are plenty of things I like. I decided to put together a list here on my blog so that they can take their pick if in need of inspiration.

Perhaps this sweet love print from lovemaki is the one thing that I do really want and it’s a bargain at US$25 (including shipping).

There are always plenty of things I love for sale at Kate Spade. Below are my current favourites.

Above: houndstooth lola dress US$197 (on sale), artist portfolio prints spring series US$45, hot to trot idiom bangle US$28, earn your stripes idiom bangle US$33 (on sale), darla shoes US$209 (on sale)

I always have a wish list of books. At the moment there is a French theme.

Above: Paris Creative Couples approx. A$30 (incl. shipping) from Paumes, Parisian Chic approx. A$25 (incl. shipping) from Amazon, French Lessons approx. A$21 (free shipping) from AbeBooks

When buying books I use booko to work out the cheapest place to buy them. Select a book and the search engine will compare prices on Australian bookstore sites and those of international bookstores that ship to Australia (including the cost of shipping). It is a fantastic service.

How about a little luxury from Louis Vuitton.

Above: leopard bandeau US$145 and Louis Vuitton City Guide Paris 2011 US$34

I love this gorgeous cushion by la cerise sur le gateau (which translates to the cherry on the cake).

Above: coussin pois shoes A$95 from Stem Gifts in Balmain

And lastly, I really like this cute little ring from Tiffany & Co.

Above: Paloma Picasso Love & Kisses ring US$150 (plus 10% service charge and shipping via hopshopgo which is still much cheaper than buying it here for A$230)