Fleur Wood: Food Fashion Friends

I received an email last week telling me that one of my favourite Australian fashion designers, Fleur Wood has released a new book titled 'Food Fashion Friends'. I love an excuse to visit her store and so I picked myself up a copy. If you've ever visited one of the Fleur Wood stores you'll know it is a visual treat full of great ideas. The store I went to has a padded fabric counter covered in a doily tablecloth, one wall covered in ceramic rabbits and the change room curtains are made of patchwork fabrics. Love.



I'm sure there were more details in the store but I was distracted by the clothes and her new book. The book is filled with beautiful photos, event styling ideas and recipes with ideas for throwing a tea party, children's party and more. I have been wanting to organise a garden tea party at my place and this book has given me the motivation.


My favourite party ideas? The peacock cane chairs painted in various pastel colours, overturned pot plants covered in table clothes and used as tables, the mismatched plates and cake stands and the coconut ice recipe looks delicious. There's lots more inside too.

Fashion Friday: Dress Ups

I remember when I started these Fashion Friday posts. I was a new mum, at home, low on sleep and in a cycle of feed, play, sleep (and not necessarily in that order). I dressed up as an excuse to get out of my pyjamas.

These days I juggle a whole bunch more and I have to get dressed but there is a part of me that misses those days. There's no satisfying this girl!

My little baby is a little man now with a personality the size of this universe and he keeps me entertained and laughing. I know I'm biased, but I think he's pretty cute too!

Have a beautiful weekend.

I'm wearing
Dress: Fleur Wood
Tights: Leona Edmiston
Shoes: Asos

Robbie is wearing
White top: Target
Shirt: Sprout
Pants: Cotton On Kids and a little too large
Shoes: Infancy

Decorating for spring/summer

Thank you for your lovely comments on my new painting. I love it, especially the colours and it has inspired me to add a little more colour to my home which I like to do as we head into the warmer months.

A new favourite

I haven't watched Design Star. I have no idea if I can even watch it here in Australia but I have heard about it.


What caught my attention is this image of contestant Emily Henderson's living room and it has become a new favourite of mine. The combination of wood and the different textures of the cowhide rug, leather ottoman and what looks like suede fabric on the sofa work well together.

Of course the standout feature is the reversed Swiss flag. It reminds me how important artwork can be in a room. A large piece such as this can really change the way the space looks.

Emily won the competition and you can follow the excitement on her blog. She's pretty funny too.

PS: Thanks Nicole and Kirsten for introducing me to her work.

Fashion Saturday.. oops

I meant to post this last night but I got halfway through and fell asleep at the keyboard. What an exhausting week it has been!

I'm not too happy with these photos taken at night and unsure about this pink outfit but never mind. I do like the shape of the cardigan though.


What I like BEST in this post is this pink front door. Makes me want to rush out and pick up a tin of pink. Somebody stop me! (or don't)


Cardigan: ModCloth
Dress/Tunic: ASOS
Stockings: Myer
Boots: A little local shoe store


(Bottom image: LEOOB via Young House Love)

Artwork for the living room

Aboriginal art has long captured my interest and my wish is to fill my home with a collection of colourful aboriginal paintings on almost every wall. This piece is a new now hanging in my living room by artist Jeannie Mills Pwerl. Each stroke looks as though it is painted with a brush loaded with various colours at once and the colours that are used... I adore!




Lovely to see that Jen of MadeByGirl liked my painting so much she purchased one for herself too. Have a peek at her beautiful painting here.

Shopping for a bed

Would you consider yourself impulsive? I wasn't sure if I was. I find I can put a lot of thought into the planning more so than the doing. Take the projects I have written about here. I haven't counted lately but I am pretty sure the number of projects yet to be completed far outweigh those that have been finished.

I went shopping with my mum over the weekend. What started off as a day of window shopping ended with me settling on this bed for my home (with the help of my twitter friends too - thank you!). Can you imagine it in my home? I think it might suit nicely.

My mum suggested pairing the bed with a stainless steel bedside table and I love her suggestion of mixing this traditional piece of furniture with a more modern material such as metal.

I am open to other suggestions though. What do you think?

Fashion Friday and Shop 4 Kids

Apologies! I haven't been around so I have a lot of catching up to do!

I wanted to pop my head in and say 'hi' and to share with you a sweet little mention in the latest Shop 4 Kids written by Belinda. She asked me for my thoughts on handmade items for kids. Have a peek if you get a chance (page 108-109). Thanks B and thanks Shop 4 Kids!




In the meantime, I'm ready for the weekend. Are you?

Scarf: Third Millenium
Blouse: ModCloth
Top: Kookai
Skirt: Alannah Hill
Stockings: Leona Edmiston
Heels: ASOS

Lampshades

Hello! Did you have a nice weekend? I had an amazing one spending time with the people I love and filling up on Adriano Zumbo sweets. Heaven. Pure heaven. It was worth waiting in the queue to get into his shop.

I wanted to start the week by sharing with you three lampshades I have been attracted to lately for the way in which they appear to float in mid air and because they would make an amazing focal point in a room. It is all about the lighting for me in these rooms.

Ostrich feather chandelier by Haldane Martin

Tutu lampshade by Jonas Bohlin

DIY whirl-it lampshade. Tutorial here.

Do you have a favourite?

Fashion Friday: My perfectly imperfect chair

It is Friday. My favourite day of the week. As I write this Robert is tucked into bed and I am planning on spending the evening catching up on my favourite blogs and magazines. I would really like this weekend to be a lazy one spent soaking up every minute I can with my little boy. He's growing up so fast.



This blouse is from ModCloth. It is pretty versatile and I can wear it over tops and dresses. And do you remember that chair from here and here? I have finished it, but only the one. I find milk paint takes some time to mix up and apply and then you have to wait 12 hours in between coats and buff with bees wax after the final coat. I hope I finish the other five chairs this year!





What do you think? I used the same Florence Broadhurst fabric as this lamp shade to cover the seat. Not sure if you can tell from the photo above but milk paint gives a chalky, rustic appearance to furniture. The application isn't perfect and that is probably what I love most about it. My perfectly imperfect chair.

Have a beautiful weekend. Enjoy!

Living Room Inspiration

I have had this photo bookmarked since I came across it via MadeByGirl and dug it up again tonight because I wanted to have another look and to share with you too.

My eye is immediately drawn to the gold centrepiece on the wall but there are more minor details that I enjoy in this room too including the gold of the inside of the lampshades, the delicate legs of the coffee table that almost mimic the lines of the rug and the yellow green piping and buttons on the lounge. Sometimes it is these little details that can bring a room to life.

Is there any particular feature of this room that you think works well?

(Photo by Manny Rodriguez via MadeByGirl)

Trying to keep organised

I am finding with this course I am studying that I am collecting a lot of.. stuff. Pens, pencils, papers, rulers and I am now a new owner of a set square and T-square. Please don't ask me how to set them up because I have no idea yet!


Off to the right of the study desk that I have posted a bazillion times these last few days (sorry) is a built-in wardrobe that I am using to store my materials as well some of Robert's toys (it is amazing at how many toys this little boy has!). I am trying to keep organised but I find it never usually lasts very long and things become scattered around the house over time.

Is there a trick to keeping organised?

PS: Thank you to Helena of A Diary of Lovely who recently asked me to share the space I blog from and I shared these photos with her readers. Also, thank you to Sarah of My First Little Place for the little interview. Please feel free to pop over and have a read.

Covering a lamp shade

I visited Signature Prints again over the weekend. The store now has a large wall-mounted rack with all the different wallpaper rolls hanging from it. So lovely to see the entire wallpaper collection in this way.

This is the best photo I could take of the shimmery gold outline of the wallpaper I mentioned last week

I picked up a large off cut of fabric some of which I used to cover this old lamp originally in my son's room and some of which I will use for another project. I followed this tutorial by olive & joy but I cheated and covered straight over the original shade instead of starting with a new base.

It is really quick and simple to do and a nice way of updating old lamps I think.

How was your weekend? Did you work on any projects around the home?