Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
My new Fringe USA vase
I finally caved and bought myself a $12 bunch of cherry blossoms branches at the local grocers here in the Blue Mountains.
These blooms somehow last longer than most other branches and I am so happy with them.
Stupid silly me, I sold my one large pastelly pink vase at the recent garage sale so I had to go get myself another large vase. I got one for $5 at the local St Vinnies store which did the job but looked completely ICKY.
But today I had to pick up a wigwam for my daughter from Bed, Bath and Table here and found they had 15% off storewide! So I happily paid less for my wigwam than RRP and picked myself an early birthday present, a glass Fringe USA vase.
I first fell in love with them via Ruby and Rose Interiors' online store a year ago, but due to their prices I couldn't afford them (not to mention shipping for such a heavy item!). The beautiful pieces of glassware are fired at 180˚C with a thin layer of lacquer applied over the decals to protect them.
This is my new vase, the Walnut Bird.
And this is it in-situ:
Makes me so happy and it invites Spring 2011 in! :)
These blooms somehow last longer than most other branches and I am so happy with them.
Stupid silly me, I sold my one large pastelly pink vase at the recent garage sale so I had to go get myself another large vase. I got one for $5 at the local St Vinnies store which did the job but looked completely ICKY.
But today I had to pick up a wigwam for my daughter from Bed, Bath and Table here and found they had 15% off storewide! So I happily paid less for my wigwam than RRP and picked myself an early birthday present, a glass Fringe USA vase.
Aren't these absolutely gorgeous?? These are my favourites.
I first fell in love with them via Ruby and Rose Interiors' online store a year ago, but due to their prices I couldn't afford them (not to mention shipping for such a heavy item!). The beautiful pieces of glassware are fired at 180˚C with a thin layer of lacquer applied over the decals to protect them.
This is my new vase, the Walnut Bird.
And this is it in-situ:
My vase! (Rubber bands are to prevent ants from getting there.
Makes me so happy and it invites Spring 2011 in! :)
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Share the fragrance around please!
In this grim financial times, a lot spread around makes all the difference.
I try not to splurge on flowers and fragrances for the home much. After all, when $15 can buy 4 punnets of strawberries enough to supply Hannah's lunchbox with her morning and afternoon tea munchies for a fortnight, it's a no-brainer to forgo the lovely bunch of roses. So when I have access to the best mother-in-law and her lovely winter-bursting camellia tree, I try to fill my home as much as possible with bunches of the blooms :)
I am also fond of fresh scents through the home but cannot often afford the $40-50 splurge on my favourite picks from the Abode Aroma range. I know it can last up to three months... and that spreads the costs alot, but it's been tight times lately.
I've recently hit on a great way to spread the aroma around the home!
This is my Lime and Coconut Abode Aroma diffuser. (Did you know you can make it last longer by using way less reeds than provided?)
There were two things that made the lightbulb in my head light up:
1. I wanted that fragrance in my bathroom and other places in my home
2. I had a bottle on my bathroom window sill that ... looked so lonesome.
It's a beautiful wine bottle in the loveliest shade of jewel-blue. I placed it on our bathroom window sill just for some interest in the tiny room. For weeks it's stood there, mighty lonely...
Remember the 2 premises above? Well, I poured a tiny bit of my Lime and Coconut into the wine bottle, sacrificed one reed... and now my bathroom smells beautiful!
But it was still lonely. Looked odd. So I had enough of it today and went through my things to find it mates...
First, there was this:
It looked odd, and I like things in groups of three or fives... So I got out another glass bottle I love and added it to that...
Then that quickly got ditched on account of uglyness!
I knew after that attempt that it needed something blue to highlight the delicate blue tones of the bottle. I raided my dresser and am now happy with my final attempt:
I try not to splurge on flowers and fragrances for the home much. After all, when $15 can buy 4 punnets of strawberries enough to supply Hannah's lunchbox with her morning and afternoon tea munchies for a fortnight, it's a no-brainer to forgo the lovely bunch of roses. So when I have access to the best mother-in-law and her lovely winter-bursting camellia tree, I try to fill my home as much as possible with bunches of the blooms :)
I am also fond of fresh scents through the home but cannot often afford the $40-50 splurge on my favourite picks from the Abode Aroma range. I know it can last up to three months... and that spreads the costs alot, but it's been tight times lately.
I've recently hit on a great way to spread the aroma around the home!
This is my Lime and Coconut Abode Aroma diffuser. (Did you know you can make it last longer by using way less reeds than provided?)
Do you like my fantastically polkadot-ty cruet set? I just love the shapes... like commas!
There were two things that made the lightbulb in my head light up:
1. I wanted that fragrance in my bathroom and other places in my home
2. I had a bottle on my bathroom window sill that ... looked so lonesome.
It's a beautiful wine bottle in the loveliest shade of jewel-blue. I placed it on our bathroom window sill just for some interest in the tiny room. For weeks it's stood there, mighty lonely...
Remember the 2 premises above? Well, I poured a tiny bit of my Lime and Coconut into the wine bottle, sacrificed one reed... and now my bathroom smells beautiful!
But it was still lonely. Looked odd. So I had enough of it today and went through my things to find it mates...
First, there was this:
It looked odd, and I like things in groups of three or fives... So I got out another glass bottle I love and added it to that...
Then that quickly got ditched on account of uglyness!
I knew after that attempt that it needed something blue to highlight the delicate blue tones of the bottle. I raided my dresser and am now happy with my final attempt:
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Liz Taylor's Jewels and her gorgeous home
Firstly I apologise for not being as frequent as I'd like in my blogging. I'm not really into re-posting the already-posted-to-death things... I like to make my posts as personal-to-my-musings-and-situations as possible... and sometimes that hits a "bloggers' block"!
I have been rather focused on my family (daughter's been on school holidays) and looking for part time work that allows me to work from home.
But I did want to share a MOST inspirational home with you.
I first discovered Elizabeth Taylor as a young child entranced with Cleopatra (1963).
I remember thinking what gorgeous eyes that seem to drag you in forever and ever. Then I heard in my teens that she had eyes of the most unusual shade of violet. I also read that a genetic hiccup blessed her with double rows of eye lashes! No wonder her eyes were the main star!
And of course we can't have a blogpost about Liz Taylor without incudling her iconic jewels! (Just a few...)
The La Peregrina Pearl; a perfect pear-shaped natural pearl once owned by Bloody Mary, Queen of Scots; a gift from husband Richard Burton. Karipearls includes a great story about her La Peregrina pearls... now only with great pics of the piece, but also highlights her passion for life, her largeness of character and her.. normal-ness!
You'd think this blog was all about her jewels, don't you?
Well... it's actually about her beautiful ranch-style home in Bel Air, California, for 30 years until her death in March 2011. Her property sits on just under 1.5 acres of land (very modest compared with other uber-celebs). 7000 sq feet of that was devoted to the house that was surrounded by a bricked motor court, swimming pool, stunning landscaped gardens, a hothouse for orchids and a koi pond with a waterfall.
I couldn't get enough of Elizabeth Taylor's gorgeous home featured in Architectural Home Digest July 2011. For someone who has such fiery tastes in jewellery, her newly decorated home is peaceful, exudes warmth and casual living. Taylor worked with Waldo Fernandez in 2010 and the gorgeous actress passed away during the Architectural Digest photoshoot.
Her house was redecorated in a beautiful shade of blue to reflect the iconic lady's gorgeous eyes. Paired with warm woods, grey-whites and punches of fushcia, the result is a gorgeously calm, bright and beautifully relaxed abode.
The beautiful gardens feature many roses; the hybrid tea rose Elizabeth Taylor, introduced in 1985, abounds.
Since Ms Taylor's death, her house has sold. We have lost yet another style and life icon.
I have been rather focused on my family (daughter's been on school holidays) and looking for part time work that allows me to work from home.
But I did want to share a MOST inspirational home with you.
I first discovered Elizabeth Taylor as a young child entranced with Cleopatra (1963).
I remember thinking what gorgeous eyes that seem to drag you in forever and ever. Then I heard in my teens that she had eyes of the most unusual shade of violet. I also read that a genetic hiccup blessed her with double rows of eye lashes! No wonder her eyes were the main star!
And of course we can't have a blogpost about Liz Taylor without incudling her iconic jewels! (Just a few...)
The La Peregrina Pearl; a perfect pear-shaped natural pearl once owned by Bloody Mary, Queen of Scots; a gift from husband Richard Burton. Karipearls includes a great story about her La Peregrina pearls... now only with great pics of the piece, but also highlights her passion for life, her largeness of character and her.. normal-ness!
The divine Cartier ruby and diamond necklace, presented by husband Mike Todd
The 33.19 carat Krupp diamond, an engagement gift from Richard Burton. She is known to have worn this rock more than any other of her pieces.
The 69.42 carat giant Taylor-Burton diamond
The stunning emerald and diamond necklace by Bulgari, a gift from Burton
The massive Bulgari 321-carat Burmese sapphire pendant in a diamond and sapphire sautoir necklace, from Burton
You'd think this blog was all about her jewels, don't you?
Well... it's actually about her beautiful ranch-style home in Bel Air, California, for 30 years until her death in March 2011. Her property sits on just under 1.5 acres of land (very modest compared with other uber-celebs). 7000 sq feet of that was devoted to the house that was surrounded by a bricked motor court, swimming pool, stunning landscaped gardens, a hothouse for orchids and a koi pond with a waterfall.
I couldn't get enough of Elizabeth Taylor's gorgeous home featured in Architectural Home Digest July 2011. For someone who has such fiery tastes in jewellery, her newly decorated home is peaceful, exudes warmth and casual living. Taylor worked with Waldo Fernandez in 2010 and the gorgeous actress passed away during the Architectural Digest photoshoot.
Her house was redecorated in a beautiful shade of blue to reflect the iconic lady's gorgeous eyes. Paired with warm woods, grey-whites and punches of fushcia, the result is a gorgeously calm, bright and beautifully relaxed abode.
The beautiful gardens feature many roses; the hybrid tea rose Elizabeth Taylor, introduced in 1985, abounds.
Since Ms Taylor's death, her house has sold. We have lost yet another style and life icon.
Pics of her home via Architectural Home Digest
Friday, 8 July 2011
George Nelson Clock
Via blueantstudio
I think any one of the George Nelson clocks would go perfectly in my home, with my penchant for white walls and brightly coloured furnishings!
I particularly love:
Via Fancy House Road
One of my favourites, the Ball Clock, 1947
Via Flickr: monitorpop
But I think my favourite sculptural one is the Sunflower Vitra:
Available from Design Public for US$1085
But because we're trying to teach my 5 year old daughter to read time and numbers etc... I'm afraid our very-basic round clock with easy-to-read numbers will have to do for now!
Friday, 24 June 2011
Clementine/Mandarin orange candles
I was so inspired by Apartment Therapy's new vimeo workshop on making these sweet clementine candles (we would call them Mandarin oranges here in Australia. Clementines are way redder.).
So sweet. Would have been perfect for the simple winter dinner I whipped up for my in laws earlier this week. I used mandarins in my salad.
On the table, twice cooked field mushrooms with cream, oregano, garlic; chicken with dukkah and a salad of mandarins, walnuts, grape tomatoes, raddichio, butter lettuce and rocket with my fav cheese: bocconcini! :)
Yummmmm
How To Make a Clementine Candle from maxwell gillingham-ryan on Vimeo.
So sweet. Would have been perfect for the simple winter dinner I whipped up for my in laws earlier this week. I used mandarins in my salad.
On the table, twice cooked field mushrooms with cream, oregano, garlic; chicken with dukkah and a salad of mandarins, walnuts, grape tomatoes, raddichio, butter lettuce and rocket with my fav cheese: bocconcini! :)
Yummmmm
Sunday, 19 June 2011
What to do with our courtyard?
While the interior of the house is more-or-less completed in terms of livability (as far as affordability and space), the backyard, front yard and courtyard leaves plenty wanting.
Because it's just a rental (up to the next 2 years), we have to pace ourselves, both pocket-wise and ambition-wise. Everything has to be easy to move around.
The yards are just grass... nothing exciting. Very boring, in fact, but at least it's neat and clean.
The courtyard has commanded plenty of frustrated what-if scenarios. All in all it's a really poorly planned space.
Big Picture: A plain, if poorly, concreted area, with a slope down to the backyard. (in green, below)
Small Picture:
1. Where the two walls meets, there is a drainage hole. But the builder has stupidly built it on a slight mound! So nothing drains.
2. There are no covered areas.
3. Some mad architect (maybe owner builder) built is so that the only rooms facing the beautiful morning sun from the North are the bathrooms! The courtyard (and rest of house) is on the opposite side and gets almost no sun!
4. The walls of the courtyard aren't really usable either, it's very utilitarian with air conditioner split unit, dustbins, windows and doors. (see illustration above)
I think this is the plan with the easiest layout:
Even in winter, I often love to sit out to have a short read or a tea. I think I have settled on a sandstone outdoor setting. Something like this would be great since it's weather-proof.
I brought Sir Lancelot with me, although right now, it's not in a good spot. We left our lovely potted gardenias and birdbath back in Melbourne for our tenants to enjoy.
I love swings.
I still want badly a swing in my garden. My mother had a gorgeous 70s wrought iron garden swing, in this style but more ornate:
For furniture, I'd love to have an expansive sandstone table like the one below with some (much more) comfortable chairs:
Maybe something like this, hardwearing and rustic. This image has been foremost in my mind:
Our tenants asked us to leave my beloved yellow breakfast Colebrookdale setting in our property, so I love the fact that they enjoy it so much!
We still have those white wicker pieces, but since there's no covered area here, they have to languish away in storage.
I'd love to have a courtyard filled with ferns and greenery, in a bright spot, much like Halle Berry's beautiful pied-a-terre:
Of course it's a smidgen larger than our previous courtyard-cum-frontyard-cum-backyard!
Keep on coming back to see how I create living spaces for me and my small family :)
Because it's just a rental (up to the next 2 years), we have to pace ourselves, both pocket-wise and ambition-wise. Everything has to be easy to move around.
The yards are just grass... nothing exciting. Very boring, in fact, but at least it's neat and clean.
The courtyard has commanded plenty of frustrated what-if scenarios. All in all it's a really poorly planned space.
Big Picture: A plain, if poorly, concreted area, with a slope down to the backyard. (in green, below)
Small Picture:
1. Where the two walls meets, there is a drainage hole. But the builder has stupidly built it on a slight mound! So nothing drains.
2. There are no covered areas.
3. Some mad architect (maybe owner builder) built is so that the only rooms facing the beautiful morning sun from the North are the bathrooms! The courtyard (and rest of house) is on the opposite side and gets almost no sun!
4. The walls of the courtyard aren't really usable either, it's very utilitarian with air conditioner split unit, dustbins, windows and doors. (see illustration above)
After almost 2 months of what-ifs
I think this is the plan with the easiest layout:
Even in winter, I often love to sit out to have a short read or a tea. I think I have settled on a sandstone outdoor setting. Something like this would be great since it's weather-proof.
From here
I brought Sir Lancelot with me, although right now, it's not in a good spot. We left our lovely potted gardenias and birdbath back in Melbourne for our tenants to enjoy.
I love swings.
I still want badly a swing in my garden. My mother had a gorgeous 70s wrought iron garden swing, in this style but more ornate:
For furniture, I'd love to have an expansive sandstone table like the one below with some (much more) comfortable chairs:
Maybe something like this, hardwearing and rustic. This image has been foremost in my mind:
Our tenants asked us to leave my beloved yellow breakfast Colebrookdale setting in our property, so I love the fact that they enjoy it so much!
We still have those white wicker pieces, but since there's no covered area here, they have to languish away in storage.
I'd love to have a courtyard filled with ferns and greenery, in a bright spot, much like Halle Berry's beautiful pied-a-terre:
Via here
Of course it's a smidgen larger than our previous courtyard-cum-frontyard-cum-backyard!
Keep on coming back to see how I create living spaces for me and my small family :)
Monday, 30 May 2011
She's out of my league
I finally watched 2010 romantic comedy She's out of my league, starring Jay Baruchel, the beautiful Alice Eve and T.J. Miller.
I quite liked her bachelorette pad, set in Pittsburgh, PA ... very chic, simply decorated with shades of taupe. I normally like bright and airy spaces, but at night when these scenes were shot, the dark, moody feel added to the chic-ness of it all.
I love the purply-grey walls and darker brown architraves/trims of the apartment, only a move if your room gets plenty of light during the day. (And this apartment is, if the twinkling lights of the night is any indication - of course this is a movie-set illusion...)
The bright pink pops around the apartment makes it feminine... makes the wall darker, more romantic and the pink more... pink! I love orchids too, hey that might make a good indoor plant for my office space! *planning* Right now, I have the ONLY faux floral arrangement in the place. And it fools my flower-crazy-and-green-thumb MIL every single time!
The picture hanging next to the door (which incidentally reminded me instantly of Carrie Bradshaw's old apartment) has a subtle pink going on, which echoes the pink of the orchids in its foreground. I think it's a painting of an orchid... but could be one of my favourite flowering trees, the Luculia.
Actually the more I compare images, it does look like Luculia!
If you don't know its merits, go to a nursery, ask for it and then when it flowers, breathe in its extremely heady (and addictive) perfume! It only flowers in winter (and prefers mountainous areas) ... which make it desirable for anyone who loves colour in their garden in winter! I'm trying to grow two from cuttings.
The apartment is mostly monochromatic, and keeps it sedate... and the flowers offer a beautiful respite from the "masculinity". The pink candles again add that pop. I think the set designers wanted Alice Eve to be the focal fair maiden of this space. (And they succeed with her white frock and gloriously blond hair!)
The kitchen again is stark with its stainless steel benchtops and splashback and the dark wood cabinetry. Even the Kitchenaid mixer and blender she stands in front of is black. Softened only by Eve and the flowers and fruit.
The apartment isn't large, but the expansive flooring makes it feel spacious, whilst the furnishings and wall keep things cosy and intimate. Here you get to see that the apartment is high above, and overlooks some spectacularly beautiful gothic-style churches.
Again the very tall pink flowering spray to the left the pale pink posy on the coffee table. Everything else is kept in very earthy tones, even Baruchel's clothing. I don't normally like blinds but in this case, the open blinds frame the large windows... and it becomes a picture in itself.
The only wallpapered wall in this movie. (Notice how every recent movie has beautiful wallpaper??) The floral motif softens the rather masculine colours again. I love it.
I really loved the surprise of blush pink in Molly's bedroom. The wall really brings out her sweetness and femininity. Everything else has hard straight lines and colours. I did like the touch of the lamps against the wooden headboard though. Very chic.
And I added the above photo because I've always liked to see where designers place bedroom furniture around the room. I like that the room extends beyond our purview to reveal a dressing area (and where I assume the bathroom is). It allows the bed to be the focus of the room... and gives the feel of a walk in closet and dressing room. Nice.
All in all, a beautiful room.
I quite liked her bachelorette pad, set in Pittsburgh, PA ... very chic, simply decorated with shades of taupe. I normally like bright and airy spaces, but at night when these scenes were shot, the dark, moody feel added to the chic-ness of it all.
I love the purply-grey walls and darker brown architraves/trims of the apartment, only a move if your room gets plenty of light during the day. (And this apartment is, if the twinkling lights of the night is any indication - of course this is a movie-set illusion...)
The bright pink pops around the apartment makes it feminine... makes the wall darker, more romantic and the pink more... pink! I love orchids too, hey that might make a good indoor plant for my office space! *planning* Right now, I have the ONLY faux floral arrangement in the place. And it fools my flower-crazy-and-green-thumb MIL every single time!
The picture hanging next to the door (which incidentally reminded me instantly of Carrie Bradshaw's old apartment) has a subtle pink going on, which echoes the pink of the orchids in its foreground. I think it's a painting of an orchid... but could be one of my favourite flowering trees, the Luculia.
Actually the more I compare images, it does look like Luculia!
If you don't know its merits, go to a nursery, ask for it and then when it flowers, breathe in its extremely heady (and addictive) perfume! It only flowers in winter (and prefers mountainous areas) ... which make it desirable for anyone who loves colour in their garden in winter! I'm trying to grow two from cuttings.
The apartment is mostly monochromatic, and keeps it sedate... and the flowers offer a beautiful respite from the "masculinity". The pink candles again add that pop. I think the set designers wanted Alice Eve to be the focal fair maiden of this space. (And they succeed with her white frock and gloriously blond hair!)
The kitchen again is stark with its stainless steel benchtops and splashback and the dark wood cabinetry. Even the Kitchenaid mixer and blender she stands in front of is black. Softened only by Eve and the flowers and fruit.
The apartment isn't large, but the expansive flooring makes it feel spacious, whilst the furnishings and wall keep things cosy and intimate. Here you get to see that the apartment is high above, and overlooks some spectacularly beautiful gothic-style churches.
Again the very tall pink flowering spray to the left the pale pink posy on the coffee table. Everything else is kept in very earthy tones, even Baruchel's clothing. I don't normally like blinds but in this case, the open blinds frame the large windows... and it becomes a picture in itself.
The only wallpapered wall in this movie. (Notice how every recent movie has beautiful wallpaper??) The floral motif softens the rather masculine colours again. I love it.
I really loved the surprise of blush pink in Molly's bedroom. The wall really brings out her sweetness and femininity. Everything else has hard straight lines and colours. I did like the touch of the lamps against the wooden headboard though. Very chic.
And I added the above photo because I've always liked to see where designers place bedroom furniture around the room. I like that the room extends beyond our purview to reveal a dressing area (and where I assume the bathroom is). It allows the bed to be the focus of the room... and gives the feel of a walk in closet and dressing room. Nice.
All in all, a beautiful room.
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Barbie art
Again, I can't say I did it first! How many times do I have to have that "hey I have a great idea! I'll do it, it'll be so cool and unusual" and find it already done.
I went through my newest collection of ideas-file collected over the last few weeks and stared at the wall of the above image and realised what I was looking at.
I was going to frame all 12 months of my Barbie 2011 wall calendar and do as above (in much less luxurious surroundings).
{If you've been reading my blog a while, you'd know I appreciate Barbie!}
Bleh. (Although I'm sure the designer/owner in the room above got the prints NOT off this calendar!)
Still going to do it anyway. One day.
Saturday, 21 May 2011
Op Shop Score!
I thought I'd start doing an "Op Shop Score!" segment on my blog :)
I have been lusting after vintage 1950s Australian pottery Diana cook and bakeware. Characterised by the creamy greens, blues and yellows with white polkadots, these are so sought after on eBay and vintage/antique stores.
I check frequently on eBay Australia for these pieces but never can justify outbidding the highest bidder for them, which is normally near the three figure mark for larger bakeware. A Diana jug can fetch up to AUD$60.
At time of writing the exchange rate is AUD1.10=US1.00.
The newer Diana (still vintage) bake-and-cook-ware had a stamp like the one below:
or
But mine is older, without a stamp, just a number impression. But I knew immediately what it was.
Being devoid of the stamp, I think the person pricing this piece at St Vinnies had no idea of the make... which means I scored this for only AUD$6.00!!
Yay! In perfect condition, no crazing, no chips, no cracks, no discolouration.
Matches my other $25 Diana baking dish (the green one on the right).
I have been lusting after vintage 1950s Australian pottery Diana cook and bakeware. Characterised by the creamy greens, blues and yellows with white polkadots, these are so sought after on eBay and vintage/antique stores.
I check frequently on eBay Australia for these pieces but never can justify outbidding the highest bidder for them, which is normally near the three figure mark for larger bakeware. A Diana jug can fetch up to AUD$60.
At time of writing the exchange rate is AUD1.10=US1.00.
The newer Diana (still vintage) bake-and-cook-ware had a stamp like the one below:
But mine is older, without a stamp, just a number impression. But I knew immediately what it was.
Being devoid of the stamp, I think the person pricing this piece at St Vinnies had no idea of the make... which means I scored this for only AUD$6.00!!
Yay! In perfect condition, no crazing, no chips, no cracks, no discolouration.
Matches my other $25 Diana baking dish (the green one on the right).
At home
What have you scored recently? Do Share! From one op-shop junkie to another!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)