Lounge Configuration

The occasionals have arrived! 

So I tried the original configuration that I had invisaged but failed to look anything like I had thought! Amazing how different pieces are when they are in the real world! 

So moved on to try the second thought of having them on the wall side of the lounge to allow for the window to be less obscured (please ignore the seriously blank walls, the art/prints will come once the furniture is sorted!).

actually looks better in the photos on the wall side.. I think because the angle that the photo was taken is not really where you naturally stand.

The window side seems to work a lot better surprisingly. B, I tried the ottoman in the middle, was a bit overwhelming with the prints wouldn't you agree (you will be happy the bench has finally been retired to the hallway at present!

I got the lamp suggested to me by lovely Ms. B (that's behind the bright star light but you can visualise!)

Now the big question will be what for the other side (opposite the occasionals...) I know that big scale or several prints will help but I'm thinking I will need additional elements in this space.. tried with the linen occasional which is headed for the dressing room but didnt really work either.

If only life was easily cropped like this!

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

PS: The styling of the coffee table and entertainment unit is just temporary things thrown together to help get more perspective!

A new home for my shoes!

So after finding a pair of pink suede heels hiding in my laundry hamper and having to battle through a sea of shoes to access my wardrobe every day... I thought it was about time to source an alternative storage solution! 

After  a drive up the freeway, "girl-braincell" damage sustained navigating my way through Bunnings, literally hours spent putting together part A with screw E and connecting to side F (and so forth!) and a trip to the neighbours to borrow a hammer, the new abode was complete..! 

This glass cabinet is actually meant to be a bookcase but I added two additional custom cut shelves from Bunnings and some little crystal handles to tie in with the rest of the room.


Also provides the perfect space for the Samantha Wills Jewellery Box with assorted goodies inside;

Now don't you think some lovely little strip LED down lights inside the cabinet would make for the perfect finishing touch..!?

Some new additions

"As we have decided to stay on at our apartment by the sea for another year .." was how I had started off this post last week, however, the fairies of fate had other plans, and in keeping with tradition we sadly received notification of the sale of our unit and the subsequent notice to vacate! So 2012 will mark my 10th move in 10 years much to our dismay, and I'm sure to Ms. B over at the house on chambers (as she feels my moving is a conspiracy to mess up her address book!).

The good news is however that our property manager was able to find another unit within the building two levels down from where we are and get this.. the exact same style unit as our current and previous ones! So this means within the span of 13 months we will have resided in the exact same unit on three different floors the only difference being a slightly different outlook due to the distance up from the beach! 

Anyhow the quest is still on to continue to put my own stamp on our rental property and so I have acquired some new pieces that I thought I would share ..

Some dining table bits and pieces sourced from a day spent at Marina Mirage 

The West Elm bench recommended by B.x from the house on chambers lovely piece and the folks at westelm.com

were a delight to deal with, with prompt delivery arriving safe and sound well before expected.

Loving at the moment: white on white frames, finally got a frame for my Campbell's print picked up at
Warhol's last exhibition at the GoMA. 

I also got around to ordering this unique eye chart print which arrived this week from the lovely husband and wife team based in London, UK at keepcalmgallery.com.

I took a much needed trip up to Brisbane last weekend and my first stop was the antique stores at Woollongabba where I came across this dainty miniature tea set. I had seen them displayed under a glass cloche;

image from pinterest

the sweetest occasion

And finally for the piece de resistance, my KitchenAid stand mixer has finally moved out of it's home in a box in my living room! Mmm shiny! So far today it has helped to produce two dozen cupcakes for a work presentation by making things faster and with less mess! This has been on my wish list for so long and once considered a "grown up purchase when I had one of those elusive things called a job!" Does that then in fact make me a grown up and in turn means I have to grow up!?

It's beginning to look at lot like ...

.. Christmas on the coast! Although half a world away from any chestnuts being roasted on an open fire, Christmas in Australia has become synonymous with hot Summer days and eating prawns on the beach.  Having said that I think we have the perfect "front yard" to do just that this year:

X marks the spot for Christmas Lunch 2011

The Tree 

The outlook of our apartment today

Perfect weather for lazy days watching the surf

We're hosting Christmas Eve celebrations this year and backing the festivities up with an "orphan" Christmas Day lunch. Hoping to walk down to the trawlers who sell straight off the boat and pick up some deliciously fresh seafood, throw together a few salads and have a very low key, stress free holiday!

After a rather extended period of leave...

... I was pleasantly greeted by ...

A nomination for a Liebster Award by the lovely Brooke over at The House on Chambers as a gentle nudge to lure me back into blogland.

Liebster is a German word meaning "dearest" and the award is given to blogs with fewer than 200 followers. The award acceptance has a few requirements:
1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal the five blogs you have chosen and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Request that people you have sent the award to forward it on to their favourite bloggers.


As I am only new to the world of blogs I have made the selection more exclusive to include the top three blogs that I love to read on a regular basis. These three women post beautifully inspiring posts and never fail to tantalise the creative senses! 




The House on Chambers


Gild & Grace


B is Building a House

Afternoon Sugar Hit!

Not nearly as fancy as some: but here's the final result!

Now what to do with all those jars! 

Candy Buffet Inspirations & Farewells

This friday I finish up at my work after being there for almost three years. As a little way to thank those who have now become my friends, and due to my sometimes excessive nature, I have decided to put on a candy buffet. Here are some beautiful examples that were my inspiration;

the candy buffet company

the candy buffet company

the candy buffet company

amour amour

the little big company

the party dress 

the candy buffet company

the candy buffet company

the candy buffet company 

the candy buffet company

the candy buffet company

After making some calls to companies who service the local area I decided that it may be more economical to pull a DIY job and source the jars and sweets individually. As these things go I seem to have managed to have already spent $200+ on the glassware already so what initially seemed the cheaper option has become quite an investment! At least I'll have them for decoration after!

I am awaiting for the final touches to arrive from the Queen of lolly buffets from the online store Sharnell Dollar Designs including black and white paper party favour bags and aluminium candy scoops. The service was prompt and while they only unfortunately had limited stock left of the black and white bags were helpful in offering alternatives and shipping was prompt.

sharnell dollar designs

I will post on the final result, wish me luck in pulling it off! The real challenge will be however managing to not eat too many of them from now till Friday!

Pretty in Print

 I am drawn towards prints as the content and style can be quite eclectic yet can be tied together quite nicely. As mentioned in my last post, these prints below were sourced from the southbank markets in Brisbane and are hanging over my dresser in the bedroom. 

I instantly fell in love with these gorgeous cards after seeing them on the house on chambers blog, purchased from sappling press store on etsy and had them framed. The series of three include the Dear Fork, Dear Noah, and I just couldn't resist the Dear Twilight Fans letterpress print. I framed them with the lovely brown paper envelopes inside them, creating a little bit more texture to the final product.

sapling press

sapling press

I was given this Decorative Victorian Era Initial "N" wood engraving (London c.1860) from the Antiquarian Print Gallery by my dear friend B.  This was my first antique print and it takes pride over my dressing table.

The latest print I have my eye on (excuse the pun) is this fabulous I Spy Eye Chart from hunting for george. I want to frame this in white and add it to the beside table. Hopefully the white frame will help for it to blend into the room as I'm becoming aware of diminishing space available for anymore prints!

Finally, this little beauty I spied on art.com has been sitting in a virtual shopping basket in my browser for months! After a little investigating into the sport and quickly becoming aware of the associated costs, one thinks that this print and the occasional visit to RL will be as close as I'll come to polo in this lifetime. 

I was thinking of framing this one with an oversized matt board and an ornate black frame. Any thoughts?

Vanity & Vanities

I can cite that my obsession with makeup vanities was the source that fuelled my obsession with makeup. So much in fact that I now can add certified makeup artist to the resume and the truckload of makeup to prove it (not to mention the gaping hole in the bank account). 

A little look into the inspiration behind the quest for the perfect dressing table.

  

homes direct

the white cottage company

dibor

brown turtleneck sweater

french boutique

Unfortunately again, the limitation of space ruled out many of the above options. Just when I was about to give up or succumb to the fact that I would have to get rid of my bed and sleep in a ball on the floor I made this find at  home sweet home:

The size is perfect for apartment living and provides a little feeling of luxury each morning while getting ready to go to work.