Etsy picks: A Colour Called Greige

Top image Russian Vogue *

Linen Rickrack by Petitsdetails

Smoky Quartz Pear Briolette Earrings * by CarthyJewlery

Letter Canvases - Classic by Beachchik

Style Icon - Natalie Wood
one of the most beautiful ladies of old Hollywood...
her life cut tragically short by her mysterious drowning at only 43 years of age...so young!

7 things
The lovely Jessica of gorgeous blog Oscar and Ruby has tagged me to list seven things about me...here are some very random things!

* I like to do my housework listening to tacky (but great!!) music like The Carpenters greatest hits, Tina Arena songs of love and lost, Soft rock from the 70's.....

* This Friday im going to meet style queens Trinny and Susannah!!!!
Im at stage 2 of a makeover competition! Gahhh!!
im super excited...a few people have said i dont need a makeover which is highly flattering ( thank you lovies ) but everyone loves a good makeover right?!
Wish me luck, I shall keep you posted.


* id love to learn how to play the piano...its never too late to learn something new is it? i already know how to read music thanks to highschool music class, i played the flute back then but i was not very good!


* On my days off i live in jeans and boring T-shirts which is kind of sad since i adore fashion....(yes! i need a makeover!) im sure the mums at the school think i have no other clothes heehee

* The last movie i watched was 'Down with Love' which was on TV last night - silly fun...last month I saw 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' twice in one week - i love it SO much, i could easily watch it again tommorow if i felt like it!!

* Indulgence for me would be a thick slice of Baked Cheesecake....yum!! actually i think i enjoy any baked treat...turnovers, tea cakes, fresh bread...

* After cleaning out part of my craft room (its a slow process...) i realised i have SO much stuff!!! Ughhh! so ive placed a ban on myself - no more craft supply purchases - i need to use up what I already have.

Some lovely Spring images found via my Flickr favourites - have i told you how much i adore Flickr?? its an instant source of inspiration for me!

Im going to tag
Melinda at Paperklip
Jess at Epheriell Designs
Deb at Two Cheeky Monkeys
- have a go if you like and
Happy Monday to all of you!!!

A Girl called Chelsea...
Im so thrilled to feature Chelsea in my new blog series about creative woman.

Chelsea's blog frolic!
is one of my absolute favourites! its fresh, inspiring and always features something beautiful...
Apart from her gorgeous blog, Chelsea is also a freelance floral and prop stylist.
All the images here have been styled by Chelsea - stunning, dont you agree?!!


Please meet Chelsea!
Chelsea, what is currently inspiring you?
Simple, rustic English style. Gardens.
Homemade food.


Name 3 things you couldn't live without?
Burt's Bees Lip Balm, Good food, and fancy scented candles.

Chelsea you always have such beautiful features on your blog, can you define to us, your personal style?
Cozy.
Comfortable. Timeless. Simple. Utilitarian.
Design is wonderful and although I am constantly aware of it, it takes a backseat to comfort. It's hard to put a label on everything that catches my eye. I am a bit of schizophrenic when it comes to style.


What is your favourite colour (or colour combinations)?
I've always loved navy blue for clothing, and pink for decorating!


Do you have a Favourite Smell/Frangrance?
Lilacs!


What do you love about your City?
Portland is like a very small town with friendly people and lots of opportunity for outdoor recreation but it's also got all the perks of a big city like great food and fabulous concerts and museums.

and lastly, do you have a favourite quote you'd like to share with us?
I've always loved this quote from Gilda Radner:
Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.
Delicious Ambiguity.

for more of Chelsea, head on over to her beautiful Blog , Twitter page and Facebook page

Image Credits - All images styled by Chelsea Fuss Top image photographed by John Valls Next three images photographed by Lisa Warninger

A busy day...
Not having a kitchen is making me fat!
we had takeout Pizza for the second time in 4 days! Shhh..dont tell my mother as she did offer to cook up something to bring over but I told her not to worry, we'd be fine and then I made a quick call to our local pizzerea...im just tired, ive had a busy day
and i want my house back in order!

Tommorow is even busier!!
The kitchen guys are coming back, im off to work, my father goes into hospital for Sinus surgery, Andrew will finish work early be there to see him awake, I finish work - pick up my mum, head on over to the hospital - in the meantime my inlaws will be dropping off and picking up the boys....I wont see them until late in the evening - i have no idea whats for dinner tommorow??
....phew! exhausted??
yeah me too...

Images from Domino Magazine - seems like whenever i spot gorgeous interior images, they are from the now defunct Domino mag...so sad!

At My House
Its Monday again...I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

we had no set plans and it was great to let the weekend unfold....Andrew took the boys for a little morning bushwalk at Wolli Creek which is just down the hill from where we live, they were excited about their little adventure and it gave me the morning to myself. Lovely!!

i made the effort to walk to the dry cleaners, yes, I walked and it was much more enjoyable than having to fight for a car spot - the weather was really lovely anyway and I enjoyed stretching the legs...
once home i found some spare time to play around with my camera. Im doing the 'Blogging your Way' e-course which is run by Holly and Leslie - im loving it so far, its making me think deeply and im really inspired..we even get homework!

if they offer it again next year, definetely enrol to do it, you wont regret it....

i created a spring mood board and tried to capture the feel of my Saturday morning - what do you think? it was fun!
I think i still need to learn a bit more about my camera and what it can do!

Have a FAB start to your week everyone!

For more At My House posts head on over to Lou's blog!

Etsy picks of the Week: Feeling the Blues
i wonder if Blue is the most popular colour of choice? It wouldnt suprise me if it was...
some associate it with sadness and feeling down but I see it
as endless summer sky, sweet little blue birds, lazy days in loose denim and pottering around barefoot,
my boys use a lot of blue in their artwork...i think most kids do as its a colour that really appeals.
for me it evokes calm and serene moments.
..something i need more of in my life!




Top image from Prada Fall 2011 show*
Oasis Bracelet by Realisationcreations *
Girl In Chair 2 by Belafontesbunsa
* Snail Brooch by Mamaslittlebabies ( i always appreciate a slow tranquil life and whats slower than a snail....bliss!)

Stylish New York City
I cant believe this time last year Andrew and I were pacing the streets of New York City....what an exhausting trip haha... we did SO much in two weeks!
The vibrant city energy sucks you in and takes you for a ride - uptown...downtown
...we were all over it!
i ♥ NYC!

... still cant believe a whole year has passed us by already?

Some beautiful vintage fashion images taking in New York City, who can resist the stylish backdrop of Manhattan!










Top image by Norman Parkinson
Middle Image by Nina Leen for Life magazine
Bottom image by Tom Palumbo

At My house
We have benchtops!
Yayyy!
Our new kitchen is starting to take shape now... we went with super sleek ceasar stone benchtops in a shade called 'Nimbus' - im loving it so far!
next up is
Plumbing,
Electrical connections for the new oven
and then the panels and cabinet doors can be installed, looking good! looking good!!
and to finish it all off - new subway tiles in crispy white!
we went to 5 tile shops on Saturday but im glad to have finally found what we were after.

Apart from kitchen excitement we had a lovely weekend - cant believe how fast Monday
comes around again! ?
I also took part in Gracie's
'Just beacause you're lovely' swap, i love taking part in craft and gift swaps - its always nice to receive happy mail
so I tried to make my parcel look pretty for its journey over the seas to Chicago, USA!!

For more 'At My House' posts check out Lou's lovely blog!!

A Girl Called Rodellee.....

Its that time again! Time to meet another creative girl.

This fortnight i want to introduce Rodellee , who runs a gorgeous online Vintage clothing shop 'Adore Vintage'

She seems to find the best vintage pieces and then styles them up to look even more amazing!

Im also a huge fan of her blog, i get SO inspired by her all posts

that I check in almost daily...

Im thrilled to have interviewed Rodellee for my blog series on Creative woman...

Welcome Rodellee!

What is currently inspiring you? - 1960s French films + music, Clara Bow, and the book "Sex With Kings" by Eleanor Herman, an absolute must read! There are so many women in history I must know more about now as a result of reading this book!

Name 3 things you couldn't live without right now? - Coffee, iPhone, and my "new" vanity, a gift from my mother-in-law from the 1930s.
(me - sounds fantastic, i hope you'll share it with us on your blog!!)

Rodellee, your love of fashion is so passionate, can you define to us, your personal style? - It's a bit granny and a bit French. I often get told by friends (and friends of friends) that I remind them of their grandmothers in their stylish pasts. I really enjoy mixing the very old with the not so old (early 20th century paired with the 1960s). Throughout the years my clothes have definitely gotten more "beige", I can't seem to get enough pretty and delicate cream and nude colored blouses!

* Favourite colour (or colour combinations)? - Nude, tan, camel, white, navy, and black.
* Favourite Smell/Frangrance? - Lollia Eu de Parfum - Lavender and Honey - It's so soft and lovely with a bit of sweetness and powdery after notes.

* What do you love about your City? - How diverse it is! I was a bit perplexed about moving to Los Angeles, I definitely got suckered into the perception that it was going to be a bottle blonde, skinny minis, dog eat dog kind of place and I thought oh goodness, where am I going to fit into this chaotic label obsessed city?

And I moved here and it wasn't like that at all!

That world does exist, but it's easy to avoid and only in certain pockets of LA. There are so many little shops to visit (plenty of beautiful vintage boutiques for all budgets!), tiny art galleries where the owners are super nice and have their pets in tow, tons of restaurants to satisfy any foodie, and plenty of culture that extends past what you would expect if you watch a lot of television.

I recently went to the L.A. Food Truck Festival which was amazing and something you can't really do anywhere else yet.

Finally, Do you have a favourite quote you'd like to share with us?

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; What is essential is invisible to the eye. - The Little Prince.

To see more of Rodellee

head on over to her

gorgeous online shop

Adore Vintage

or to her

Blog for inspiration

and behind the scenes and Twitter

for shop updates!

* All images by Rodellee ( what an amazing apartment right??) *

Rustic Fireplaces

im loving the way the mantels below are decorated - a little bit shabby and a whole lot of chic!

We have a fireplace in our formal lounge. Its not a working fireplace but its still the focal point of the room.
Think i might need a little update.....


*top image by Mikkel Vang and styled by Sibella Court for Country Style magazine

*Bottom image by Michael Luppino for Country Living USA

Etsy picks of the week: Metallica

Top Image by Mario Testino * Bullet hole Disc Necklace by OdetteNewyork * Vintage 1960's clutch from OpenEyesPressVintage * Vintage Gold Leaf Cocktail Dress by Salvagelife

At my house
nothing too exciting happening at my house - im feel a little stuck without my kitchen, its like everything is at a standstill... no cooking, no baking and with everything everywhere there's been no nightly crafting sessions, im feeling a little lost!

i have a makeshift kitchen going on at the end of our family table, all i have is stack of plates, an electric kettle and the microwave (cooking in the microwave? why bother...blah) and the fridge so we're eating lots of cereal and sandwiches haha... oh i cant complain my parents and my inlaws have been having us over for dinner.

The new kitchen is in and today our tiler was over fixing a couple of floor tiles, we're also waiting for the stone benchtops to get cut and installed and then the rest of the kitchen can be finalised.
ive been such a patient girl, im so proud of me... haha

no images from my house today but for those like me without a working oven, here is a link to some delicious No-Bake Cookies from the Martha Stewart website.
that Martha! why she has everything sorted....

For more 'At my house' posts or to play along, head on over to Lou's lovely blog!

*images from Martha Stewart*

A Week of Fashion: Fifties frenzy

i cant begin to tell you how excited i am about the cinched in waist making a comeback this season - i am so over the loose shift styles that did absolutely nothing for my body type, not that i follow fashion trends much anyway, but its just so hard to find clothes to wear when there are certain 'trends' out there...

This season i think i'll be okay.

I just loved this 1950's inspired layout in last months Australian Vogue.

Aussie model Catherine McNeil looks stunning - the hair, makeup and clothes are just beautiful!

Catherine was on our flight coming home from NYC last year - she stood out at the boarding gate even though she was dressed in layers and hoodie, freshly washed face...she looked tired and a little peeved...i guess the frantic pace fashion week and endless photo shoots can be exhausting for these young models?!...maybe she was eager to just get back home.

Photographs by Nicole Bentely

A week of Fashion: A girl and her chicken

(plus a winner too !)
have you noticed keeping chickens is suddenly a very trendy thing to do!

My mums neighbour Lela has a few and she sometimes gives us fresh eggs....so good!

but im happy to buy my carton of eggs, i think id be a little freaked out having chickens running around in the backyard!

Ohhh

I completely forgot about my August giveaway draw so im a little late - sorry sweeties!

The winner for August is

Lori from Kid-N-Around Creations

Congrats Lori! will be in touch soon!

*image by Liz Ham

A Week of Fashion: Remembering Corrine Day










i was sad to hear photographer Corrine Day passed away this past Friday, aged only 45.
So young!

A self trained photographer who was shot to fame after capturing young Kate Moss in a layout that caused an outcry over the model's lean figure and gaunt look -the start of grunge/heroin chic look that was popular in the 1990's.

She was also known to avoid airbrushing and liked the raw and almost gritty look in her images...



* all images from Google images*

A week of Fashion: Backstage at Paris Fashion Week





....the storm before the calm at PaRis Fashion week