Tuesday 30 April 2013

A painterly apartment

I have long been a fan of design blog Yellowtrace - part of my morning ritual involves a check of my inbox to see what new inspiring goodness they have to offer. Rarely disappointed, today I was utterly compelled to share it with you.

Upon seeing this apartment I was in interior's heaven - but it also instantly made me think of something.

I have decided that if the 17th century dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, he of the Girl with a Pearl Earring fame, had been a modern interior designer this is the apartment he would give us.

A selection of Vermeer







































Then

The most amazing Old Chalet Refurbishment by Bergdorf & Nick Ruef // Bernese Oberland, Switzerland, as seen on Yellowtrace today, stunningly photographed by Martin Guggisberg.










































What do you think?
Do you think living here would feel as enveloping as the faded and delicately colourful charm of a Vermeer painting?

There are many more beautiful photos of the apartment - make sure you check them out.
http://www.yellowtrace.com.au/2013/04/30/old-chalet-refurbishment-by-bergdorf-bernese-oberland-switzerland/

Friday 26 April 2013

Found Friday

Time together and patterns in rock pools - great day to find yourself at the beach.













Wednesday 24 April 2013

Finding Everywhere

Tri Colour
It seems there are three sides to every story, and many colours - triangles of bold colour keep catching my eye and I am not alone




























































































1. Geometric Electric Cushion via Etsy
2. Multicolor Long Sleeve Triangle Print Jumper from SheInside. I would love to cosy in this for winter
3. Tiny little Triangle pendants chains from Minoux
4. Artist Eamon Donnelly's fine art print  #1 from the Tri Colour Series. This is only one of several in the series.
5. Mountain Tank shirt by Gorman in collaboration with artist Ellie Malin
6. Themis DIY Geometric paper mobile by Clara von Zweigbergk available via Top3 By Design. This is great for adults or kids.
7. Ferm living's spear vase
8. Triangle shelves/blocks/wall candy by Subtle Takeover
9. Mosaic wallpaper by Minakani Lab - I have featured this before and am mad about it but sadly have found no Australian supplier so far
10. Australian artist Beci Orpin always inspires me with colour and whimsy this cushion is from her collaboration with Urban Outfitters


If you get my tri-colour point you might like to check out these great DIY's I found

DIY painted plates from ConfettiPop















Amazing modern triangle quilt by Happy Together

























A festive felt triangle garland by The Alison Show


Friday 19 April 2013

Found Friday

I haven't done one of these for a while so here is a little catch up of just some scoops and scores from my latest trips to the op shops and related bargain bestowing places I like to frequent.


























A cuter than cute vintage cosmetic case



























Snooker balls - because we all need snooker balls right? 
Actually my vision for these is to have them in a nice wooden bowl as a centrepiece of vibrant colour. 
That will only work when the little people around here are big enough not to throw them. 
I can wait - just!



























Some very now - but really old school - macrame 



























And my favourite a classic rocking horse! It now has pride of place in the little mans room. 
It also has a home made cloth saddle that I intend to use as a pattern to make my own fresh one. 
On top an 80's plastic apple money box who has a little worm that pops up to say hello every time you add a coin.


Hope your weekends are full of happy findings folks.

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Finding Everywhere

Welcome to the first of what will be a weekly post of things I am "Finding Everywhere".
This is a little like trend spotting - no not train spotting - but a selection of things I have noticed reoccurring in my world, virtual or otherwise.

It could just be that it is something I am interested in and you know how when you buy a new car all of a sudden you see the same one everywhere you go - surely the world did not just produce so many more cars just like yours but suddenly you are very aware they exist. It is a bit like me and little red headed people - when I had one of my very own there were suddenly so many more crimson haired little folk everywhere I went.

Here is what I have been Finding Everywhere - Honeycombs and Hexagons


1. Zazzle Modern Hexagon Pattern Pillow
2. Geo Pastel 6 Hexagon, part of Beneath the Sun's Woodys range
3. MintMyDay Gold plated honeycomb necklace via Etsy
4. Mutina Phenomenon Honeycomb and Rock mosaic tiles
5. Xenia Taler Insects Art Tile, as seen via Design Sponge this week
6. HenriettaAndMorty Geometric cushion cover via Etsy
7. Marc Isaac Hexagon No. 1 Art print through Society6
8. Theory of Willow Shelves, as seen via Interiors Addict this week
9. The Land of Nod large Strapped for Storage Bin
10. Surya Fallon Rug in royal blue, available in Australia via fishpond

That's the honeycomb and hexagon buzz

Monday 15 April 2013

Bathroom Brights

Today I came across and pinned this yellow bathroom to my 'For The Home board' on Pinterest







































I like the idea of being woken up by this smack of colour every day when you take your morning shower.

I also realised it's not the first time I have been drawn to the idea of a brighter than bright bathroom delight.
Here are some others I have seen and loved

















































































































I am torn however as I do also love the idea of a muted tone sanctuary of relaxation as well.
What to do?

I will have to wait and see which way I go later this year when it comes to our own reno and whether I have the colour courage. Though as we plan to move on from this place I might save that sunny dose of colour for our dream home.

Would you be so bold?

Friday 12 April 2013

A special day

Recently I helped my sister in-law organise and celebrate her baby shower. It was a great team effort by myself, Kelly, Cara and Lauren, the guest of honour.

The venue was a little church hall in Sydney's inner west; perfect for an afternoon of friends, family and food. We celebrated, chatted and crafted.

The craft kicked in with a crafternoon at mine a few weeks prior. One of the joys of DIY decorations and favours is the coming together to 'make'.  The crafternoon was a mini gathering in itself, we had lunch and cakes and catch ups - a crafting coven of sorts - making is made better when you can share it!

We started with a lose dandelion theme based on the way they softly grant the wishes we make. The colour palette was yellow, green, creams and whites. Going DIY meant we were able to personalise the day in some lovely ways. The ideas are not ours as such - they are gathered from various blogs and the web - then reinvented. We pulled them together in this pin board which is something I share so you can link through to our inspiration sources but also find inspiration yourself for your next party.

Here is what we did:

From the rafters


Pom poms, bunting and lanterns, a combination of bargain store and party supplier lanterns and paper bunting and home made tissue paper pom poms Martha Stewart style

On the tables
















We made our own table runners with craft paper and paper doilies - over yellow spotted fabric it was just so pretty. Other tables were covered with a selection of my vintage tablecloths, sheets and fabrics in the yellow and greens of the day. We hung hand made pin wheels from windows and pews and topped the tables with paper wrapped jars of carnations and daisies.

In our tummies



There is no point in an afternoon tea looking this pretty if it didn't taste so good - it did. I had fun making the layer cake topped with meringue icing (Martha Stewart again) and coconut. I made the mini cake bunting using scrapbook papers, skewers and twine, I am delighted to say it now hangs over the lamp in the nursery.

And gifts for everyone


As a party activity and a keep sake we bought a beautiful bound blank book which we covered to say "Wishes come true" then we provided guests with a crafting table full of an array of cut outs, paper, pens and washi tape and let them go wild decorating a page each with a message for the parents to be or the baby that's nearly here. This lovely excerpt above is, I believe, from one of the grandma's to be.

Lastly, with our dandelion theme in mind, we hand made pom pom flowers for each guest as a take home reminder of our lovely afternoon.


A special day for a very special person in my life and a very special person soon to be.

Wednesday 10 April 2013

Absent ponderings

Hi!

What is that all I have to say after all this time - I don't write, I don't post - I disappear without so much as a postcard?

Yeah - sorry!

Hopefully some of you have been kept up to date with my ramblings and rovings over at Facebook or Instagram - I haven't dropped off the planet completely I have just been a bit creativity and energy deficient - something I hope to make up for in the coming days/weeks/months. I'm back!

So where have I been?

Well nowhere really just here in a different way - my main excuse, and I don't really have any other good ones, is that I haven't been feeling that well for a lot of the months of January, February and March but don't feel sorry for me - it has been the best kind of unwell. Un-wellness caused by the best kind of joy and blessing. I am delighted to say another little person is growing inside me and was making me delightedly tired and perpetually sea sick. I am now feeling on land and with some spark again as I reach half way in this growing journey - we hope to welcome our little 'beannut' (who is now called that in absence of any better name) in late August.

Here is a little pic that sums up my thoughts. It is an instagram pic I posted a few weeks back when I was tagged by the lovely Heather of  Ollie and Ruby to post up a #hopestagram. A hopestagram is a picture that captures your hopes. Here is my pic and the words that went with it

























"My biggest hope this year is that this little person growing inside me is as healthy happy and lovely as their brother to be, that I find somewhere the time to be the best mummy possible to them both, oh and that this day in day out motion sickness feeling goes soon."

Well we are part of the way there. Now my hope is to not leave it so long before I post again.