Merry Christmas

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends!  I'll be back in early January after some R&R.

Thank you all for visiting my wee blog and to all the gorgeous design bloggers out there - thank you so much for all the beautiful, inspiring and amazing posts in 2009 - I'm looking forward to reading lots more in 2010.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

(Image: Lucyina)

Real Living real good

Got the latest edition of Real Living in the mail today and I devoured it from front to back immediately.  It's absolutely packed with beautiful interiors, interesting people and stylish homewares.

I loved it from the first house featured...a Bali home that looks so beautiful, inviting and relaxing right from the front door - an old, faded green wardrobe with a beautiful oval shaped mirror draws you in to the house...

Whilst on the back verandah the glamorous chandelier and deep wicker chairs in charming pastel colours look extremely welcoming...

And the bathroom makes you want to draw a bath and linger a while...

Next up in the magazine, a very different home - I adored the story and pictures of a Victorian home right here in Surrey Hills, Melbourne, that was renovated by Neil Architecture...

And then at the very back of the magazine florist Simone Gooch of Fjura shared some of her trade secrets.  Just take a look at some of her beautiful work - it makes me want to visit my local florist tomorrow morning to fill the house with flowers...

(BTW, how divine is that plate!!! I'd be hanging it on the wall quick smart)

It's no wonder I subscribe to this magazine - every month it inspires me to love and improve the home that I live in, particularly this issue!

(Images: 1-3 - Partners in Style; 4-7 - Neil Architecture; 8-11 - Fjura)

Today I love...

This very unusual bookcase at The Crosby Street Hotel in New York...

This sweet teacup by fab artist Esther Coombs...

The paint colour of this house renovated by The Lowther Group - it looks quite English but it's actually situated right here in suburban Melbourne...

(Images: 1 - Crosby Street Hotel; 2 - Esther Coombs; 3, 4 & 5 - The Lowther Group)

How to wind down for the weekend

After a long hectic day working at a client's offices, I'm winding down after work by...

...sneaking a piece (or two) of my son's toblerone to get the endorphins going...

...kicking off the heels...

...reading something, anything non-work related...

...listening to some nice, relaxing music...

..enjoying a glass of white wine...

All the while ignoring the mountains of clothes to be washed, mouths to be fed, papers to thrown out etc (they can wait until a bit later). And I'm trying hard not to think of all the Christmassy things I need to do this weekend! It can all wait...

Hope you find the perfect way to wind down for the weekend.

(Images: #3 - The Book Depository; #4 - Amazon)

Ortigia

Okay, I'll admit that sometimes I buy soap and other body products just for the packaging...and I love the packaging of Ortigia home & body products. I spied them at Safari Living a couple of weeks back and they smell as good as they look.  Apparently the woman behind the product is Englishwoman Sue Townsend who created the Crabtree & Evelyn line in the 1970s. She has based the Ortigia brand on plants indigenous to the region of Sicily...

P.S. Sorry for the lack of posts this week (and visits to my favourite blogs). I haven't intentionally been neglecting my blog, I've just been absent in hospital having a small operation. Never a dull moment in our household! Anyway, I'm back on deck now & looking forward to catching up on what everybody has been up to.

(Images: Ortigia)

Monday shop post - Quintessential Duck Egg Blue

Well I think I'm going to have to take a quick trip up to Sydney soon because I'm falling in love with so many Sydney shops lately (I have a business trip planned for mid-January so I might just tuck in a 'personal' day either side of the trip). My latest crush is Quintessential Duck Egg Blue, owned by Leanne Carter-Taylor and situated at 497 Darling Street, Balmain.  I actually think very few words are required for this post because the gorgeous images speak for themselves.

Luscious enamel ware

Antique clocks

David Edmonds ceramics

More gorgeous David Edmonds ceramics

French industrial cabinets - they'd make great bedside tables!

Rustic French patisserie boxes with time-worn green lettering

Vintage tram rolls and leather club chairs

A pigeon hole unit in which to display lots of lovely objects

Vintage suitcases (which we all know make for attractive storage)

Fabulous wallpaper that makes you feel like you're in the middle of some grand library (I have seen this wallpaper elsewhere but I can't for the life of me remember who produces it. Do you know?)

More fabulous wallpaper, flanked by two leather & timber Russian gym benches.

And my personal favourite...this German industrial cabinet:

You can check out more of this loveliness at Quintessential Duck Egg Blue's site.  I just know that I won't be able to leave this store empty-handed.  Has anyone visited this vintage & industrial store - is it as heavenly as it looks in these pictures? Of course I'll just have to go find out for myself.

(All images from Quintessential Duck Egg Blue)

Back soon

Hi - I'm off to Perth for the rest of the week to undertake some training workshop evaluations.  I'll be back posting on the weekend. In the meantime, have a lovely week.

Image from here