See you soon

I've unexpectedly been asked to head to the U.S. for work (Washington DC) for the next couple of weeks, so my little blog will be unattended. But I'll be back soon, so please drop by again. Lee :)

Image from here

Searching

In my narrow hallway is a tallow wood hall table made by my husband over 15 years ago. The lovely little shoe lasts that feature in my blog header used to sit on this table...

And whilst this table is quite serviceable and I love the fact that my husband made it with his own two hands, quite frankly I am tired of it after 15 years. I want to inject a bit of colour into our narrow, dark hallway. There are no drawers in our hall table - I want drawers. I want rustic, and I want green. Not a deep, dark green table, cupboard or chest, more like a sea foam green, a light apple green - something that looks fresh. I want something that looks like these:

So, I am searching, searching for that elusive hall table that is in the perfect shade of green, that has just the right amount of 'oldness' and that has two or three drawers. Wherever I go, I search for MY table - I will know it when I see it. I just know it will show up one day. In the meantime, I am prepared to wait.

[Images: 1 - me; 2 - Steven Randazzo via Brabourne Farm; 3 - First Option; 4 - Indenfor; 5 - NY Times; 6 - Wisteria; 7 - Real Simple]

Monday shop post: Twigg and Blossom

The Notebook magazine just dropped into my letterbox this afternoon and in said magazine is a lovely article featuring Belinda Seper's floral/homewares/cafe store, Twigg and Blossom, located in Berrima (about an hour or so from Sydney).  Belinda is perhaps better known for her beautiful high-end fashion forward Belinda stores in Sydney and Melbourne, and of course as you can imagine her foray into flowers is just as beautiful.

I particularly love the 'flowers for a year' offered by Twigg and Blossom, described on the site as:

"A wonderful gift idea, or a domestic necessity? Each month a special bunch of flowers will arrive filling the house with seasonal colour and perfume.


Flowers for a Year costs $700 which includes 12 bouquets worth $70 each, delivered locally in the Southern Highlands (you only pay for 10) and a complimentary vase (worth $40) is chosen to suit our Twigg and Blossom country bouquets."

What a fabulous idea! Now why isn't there something like this available in Melbourne ?? Perhaps there is but I just don't know about it.  If you do know, please let me in on the secret - my husband would think that this is a present that is absolutely tailor-made for either me or his mother (we both absolutely love fresh flowers in the house).

Getting back to Twigg and Blossom, here's just a taste of the beautiful flowers they put together...

Such floral beauty (and more can be seen here) - we've organised a visit to the Southern Highlands next January and I'm flagging Twigg and Blossom as a 'must visit' when I'm there.

[All images from Twigg and Blossom]

Good FORM and great COLOUR

Last night I made myself a cup of strong green tea, got comfortable on my sofa and  eagerly unwrapped and devoured the latest issue of Home Beautiful.  Reading through the magazine I was particularly taken with the pictures of a house that was rejuvenated by Sydney based interior designer Wende Reid, of the interior design firm Form and Colour. Of course, one thing lead to another and I just had to check out Form & Colour's site.  Unfortunately there were very few images/examples of work shown on their site, but what was there really did show very good form and great use of colour. I think the pictures speak for themselves...

[All images from Form and Colour]

Vineyard in the city

I can't believe I missed this - McGuigan Wines 'pop-up' right in the middle of the city at Federation Square.  I really do need to pay more attention to what's going on in my own city!

Green Rooms created this little lovely little patch of vineyard in the city for a period of four days only. I love the flower/oak barrel combination and the twinkling fairy lights on the vines...

You can check out some fabulous gardens designed by Green Rooms at their website.

[All images from Green Rooms]

Monday Shop Post: Shelley Panton

If I ever had the nerve (and the money) to open a shop, I would love it to look like Shelley Panton's gorgeous little emporium @ 88 Park Road, Middle Park. It's chock full of beautiful objects and smack bang in the middle of the shop is Shelley's pottery wheel (you see her at the wheel in the picture below).

The shop of course carries Shelley's beautiful pottery - this is her eggshell stoneware collection:

Besides her own ceramics range, Shelley is a great supporter of Melbourne producers and artisans and she sells lots of other gorgeous, local wares...such as:

My favourite tea by Melbourne-based tea merchants Larsen & Thompson:

The ever so stylish dog leads and collars by Best in Park:

Greg Hatton's rustic timber furniture:

The fabulous Hookturn reusable coffee cups:

Pepperino's timber 'cooking stuff':

This is just a fraction of what's in store at Shelley Panton's shop - there's also beautiful photography, artworks, recycled timber frames, cushions etc etc etc. Well, really, you'll just have to check it out for yourself if you're ever in the neighbourhood.

[Images: 1-2 & 4-7 - Shelley Panton; 3 - Larsen & Thompson]