babies born sleeping…

March 10th, 2010

stars

In the past two days, two of my friends – who don’t know each other – lost their unborn babies halfway through their pregnancies. One of their losses came a day after her friend died of cancer. It’s not often I’m lost for words, but this week, I am. It’s hard to know what to say or do in times of unbearable heartbreak, and this is all I could manage. So to E and to A, this is for you… xx

Our thoughts are with you
Our tears are for you
Our invisible hugs are for the babies born sleeping
And we’ll wish upon the shiny new stars in the sky tonight that your pain is gone soon

ikat cushions & vintage suzanis a mouse click away…

March 10th, 2010

tabletonicinsitu

How’s this for moving fast: in early Feb, I visited my friend Lou from Table Tonic blog for a kids playdate and we got chatting about what she was going to do after leaving her job. I was excited to hear her thoughts about an online store selling gorgeous exotic homewares. Excited because I knew it’d be a hit bringing these gorgeous things to our shores and that someone was possibly going to succeed where I had failed (I’d planned to do a similar thing with Moroccan wedding blankets, poufs and Turkish towels a couple of years ago, had a supplier all lined up, then got scared off by the economic doomsday and wasn’t brave enough to resurrect my idea!).

So this was in Feb. On Monday, Lou opened her store – Table Tonic – selling the most gorgeous range of ikat cushions (starting from than $90), vintage and new embroidered Mexican suzani bedspreads, tribal tassles and jewellery and baby buntings. Just look at all this prettiness…

ikats

suzanis

Aren’t they beautiful? I’m astounded at how quickly it all came about, am impressed with the range and am looking forward to seeing what other goodies she has in store (ha!) for us shopaholics in the near future. I’m particularly excited (and slightly jealous of her can-do-ness) about the vintage Moroccan wedding blankets that will be arriving soon. I’m saving my pennies now! So, do you likey? I have my eye on the green chevron and grey diamond pattern ikat cushions, how about you?! Check out her store and say hi at her blog which is as colourful, pretty and eclectic as the items she now sells!

{top image courtesy Table Tonic. This was shot in Lou’s bedroom (which is in her dining room at the moment!). Collages 2 & 3 by me through my new fave tool – Picasa – using images from Table Tonic}

introducing…

March 8th, 2010

5blogs

…these fabulous five (god I loved that Enid Blyton adventure series…) blogs I discovered through the Blogging Your Way course I’ve been doing these past few weeks. It has been such fun and so inspiring, I’m sad it’s ending today – for the first time ever I’ve enjoyed doing homework (even if I’ve turned it in late!) and eagerly waited for class to begin. If you have a blog and are keen to give it a little more love, look out for Holly’s next class. I’m not sure if Leslie is also teaching again, but I hope for future pupils that she does – they’re a great duo. And so, I thought I’d introduce you to a few fellow classmates whose blogs I’ve found myself returning to several times. Enjoy, enjoy! x

Fabric of my life – an interior stylist’s blog from the UK.

Fabulous Doodles – sweet fashion illustrations from a clever New Yorker

Lolalina – a little bit of prettiness every day

Merissa – gorgeous imageryfrom a gorgeous Hawaiian

Going home to roost – crafty goodness for happy homebodies

wonderful wood

March 5th, 2010

woodmain

Lately – ever since I drooled over Tim Neve’s home in a recent issue of Real Living – I keep finding myself attracted to everything and anything in warm wood tones: lamps, vases, furniture, pencils, contact paper… Then I accidentally stumped upon a wooden bike in cyberspace, then the very cool wood tape dispenser I NEED for my many, many rolls of Japanese masking tape. And then, my mini obsession culminated yesterday and sparked this post when I discovered Polaroid is not only bringing back its instant-film camera (yay!) but in a woodgrain covering sometime this year. Me likey. Me also likey – and want – each and every one of the following…

Collages

1. Eco Bamaboo Squirrel Clock, $59, Hunt & Gather
2. Wood Tape Dispenser, $US30, Uguisu
3. Bike by Waldmeister
4. SRF Hantverk Table Brush Set, $74.95, Make Designed Objects
5. Wooden Birds, from $US80, Kristian Vedel at MoMA Store

wood2

6. Woodgrain contact paper, $US8.49, Hardwarestore (you can also get it at Kmart)
7. Replica Hans Wegner Wishbone Chair, $325, Matt Blatt
8. PIC 1000 instant-film camera, Polaroid
9. Window Stool, $US239, Viva Terra
10. Ono lamp, $99, Oz Design Furniture
11. Moso Bamboo Vessel, Stone Forest

It’s likely because winter is on its way and I’m actually thinking ahead of time of ways to warm up my home – a few earthy touches and textures will do this simply, stylishly and naturally. I’m also mightily impressed that so many everyday items are being grooved up a little; that even the little things can be stylish (hello tape dispenser! and contact paper – I have a few rolls just waiting to be played with), and eco-friendly too, with many made from recycled wood or planet-friendly bamboo.

But mostly, it’s such a delight to see manufacturers embracing our natural materials and not just resorting to plastics and other man-made bits and bobs (or at least faking the look!) Not just to save the planet, but because in a time of techno everything and a plastic world, there is something so calming and nostaglic about quality wooden items – a benchseat made from a bunch of PVC pipes just wouldn’t get the same reaction as the wooden version in the top picture would it? The texture, the colours, the imperfections: it all makes for a beautiful piece of furniture. I wonder how hard it’d be to DIY?!?! Do I dare to even think about trying it?! Thoughts?

{all images linked to in credits; top image House to Home}

this weekend I…

February 26th, 2010

craft2

… want to gaze at this colour combo for a long time. is that not the most perfect shade of turquoise ever? If only you could capture the pretty transparentness of glass in paint and fabric… I’d live in a blue world in an instant.

… will be painting the floor of cabin in the top coat and hopefully moving some furniture in. hopefully.

… need to try to focus at the sewing craft/shop and ONLY buy the two tiny things I need.

… will officially welcome another sister and twin neices into my family when Steve’s brother marries his Alayna tomorrow afternoon.

… will enjoy dancing to bad ’80s music at the reception and enjoy the night off from children.

… have a sewing challenge to start and finish. And challenge it will be – it’s been a while since I sewed. the machine broke last time – and is still broken – but i have another, less-than-great one. should be interesting…

… will catch up on my blogging course lessons and look forward to all the good and bad feedback about my blog. Hopefully more good than bad!

craft1

… will try and think of something fab to do with the new papers I bought recently (above) and play around with a pattern to carve with my new lino tools!

… have lots of super-boring admin and filing stuff to do. The thought of which makes me want to have Meredith from Penelope Loves Lists magically email herself here and do it for me.

… will no doubt crash out on Sunday night in the middle of dinner and fall face first into my meal from total exhaustion. It wouldn’t be the first time…

What are your plans? Can someone – anyone – please do absolutely nothing all weekend to balance out my busy one? Thanks, I’d appreciate it! Thanks for visiting, commenting and emailing me this week – you guys rock.

B xx

{images by Belinda Graham for The Happy Home}