Garden: Taking over the house

I simply adore overgrown gardens - I love the way the ivy has literally taken over this house...

[Images: Kay & Burton]

Pretty: Magnolia Square 'Look Book'

Love this little 'look book' from Magnolia Square pop-up market - it definitely whets the appetite. The market is on in Melbourne again from 3 to 6 March. I have the date circled in my diary!

[Image: Magnolia Square]

Holiday pitstops

Winding our way back home from our recent holiday at Hawks Nest in New South Wales we made a few pitstops along the way, taking in the gorgeous rural scenery...

There was a leisurely lunch at Berowra Waters - we took the ferry to the other side for lunch at the marina:

We stopped at Leura in the Blue Mountains to marvel at The Three Sisters and take photographs along with the hordes of tourists:

Whilst in the Blue Mountains we also stopped to peer through the fencing to sneak a peek at the beautiful old Hydro Majestic that's currently closed for major renovation - it's due to open in 2012 and I've promised my aunt that we'll return to enjoy lunch there next year:

We stopped for coffee at Berrima and went for a walk to look at lots of pretty gardens and cottages:

Then we stayed overnight at Gundagai (roughly halfway between Sydney and Melbourne) and while I can't say there was a lot to take in at this very small town, the old timber railway bridge, which is no longer used, was a pretty sight. For some reason it reminded me of the railway line in the movie 'Stand By Me'.

And to think, if we had have caught the plane we would have missed all that and more!

Reading: Covetables

Recently a lovely houseguest, Gaye, gave me this book as a hostess gift:

The book, Covetables, is gorgeous - it makes me want to visit France all over again **sigh**

In 2008 two Australian designers moved to a farmhouse in a small Dordogne village - and this is their story, told in snippets and accompanied by quintessential images of rural France...

A truly charming read that's easy to dip in and out of. Thank you Gaye.

[Images: Covetables]

And somewhere to stay...

While I'm thinking about my forthcoming visit to Kyneton, if the day trip extends to an overnight stay, Apartment 61B would be a lovely place to stay...

[Image: Macedon Ranges Interiors]

If you've been to Kyneton, do you have any 'must see' or accommodation suggestions?

The best tree

Being a book lover, this was hands down the best Christmas tree of 2010 for me...so cute and so clever! Inspiration for next Christmas perhaps.

[Image: Victoria Alexander]

Piper Street is calling my name

My sister recently visited Kyneton and raved about Piper Street in general and two places in particular: The Stockroom and Lauriston Press...

The Stockroom, located @ 96-98 Piper Street in an old butter factory, showcases a diverse range of Australian artists, makers and designers:

 

The Stockroom is also currently holding a terrific Flood Aid Auction on Saturday 12th February - lots of beautiful art and objects up for grabs and all for a great cause. If you're interested you can check out their site for more details.

Also in Piper Street (@ 37B) is artist Sarah Gabriel's studio / shop, Lauriston Press:

Just a few other enticing reasons to visit Kyneton:

• Kabinett - a fabulous shop @ 66 Piper St specialising in beautiful vintage wares (check out their site to see their great range
• Annie Smithers Bistrot @ 72 Piper St for beautiful fresh, locally sourced produce
• Inner Biscuit @ 34 Piper St for divine biscuits, cakes and coffee
• Little Swallow Cafe

When things settle down workwise, I think I'll to head off to Kyneton for a day trip within the next few weeks.  Any other recommendations? They'd be much appreciated.

[Images: 1- The Age; 2-10 - Stockroom; 11-17 Lauriston Press]

Home again

What day is it again?  I've had a blissful 'internet free' two weeks away at Hawks Nest (on the Sapphire Coast in New South Wales) - we rented a great big gorgeous house with three other families and spent copious amounts of time talking about life in general, making daily feasts, playing 'lifeguard' to the kids in the pool, drinking G&Ts, reading books, newspapers and trashy mags etcetera etcetera. So hard to come back to work!

Plating up

Cleaning out my picture files I realised that I have quite a few shots of plates as a decorative wall feature - whilst I think this look is quite traditional they do look very nice. But I know that I just couldn't commit to nailing a large number of hooks on my wall to hang plates. You'd have to be pretty sure that you loved the look and that you knew what you were doing when you nailed those hooks! So, I think I'll just clean out my picture files and enjoy these pretty pictures instead...

[Images: 1 - Janne Peters; 2 - John Jacob Interiors via My Notting Hill; 3 & 4 - Living Etc; 5 - Margot Austin; 6 - Michael Del Piero; 7 - Phoebe Howard; 8 - Unknown; 9 - Sarah Kaye]

Timber splashback

An unusual timber splashback...a nice feature in an otherwise plain kitchen:

[Images: Philip Building Group]