Is It Really Worth It?

Can someone please explain why as soon as you decide to watch what you eat in time to look decent for summer, everyone around you seems to be eating cake!!!

Jessica Alba I will be, so help me God

Oh My God - I'm in so much pain!!!
Tonights pain was totally self-inflicted at my reformer pilates course. (Which I am absolutely loving by the way)
Tuesday's pain was kind of by choice but I stepped innocently into an open pilates class with the gorgeous Karla who I have now re-named the 'Smiling Assassin'. Little did I know her love of travelling lunges, duck walks and crab laps!! As a result I have not been able to lower myself without my thigh muscles screaming. Sitting at the computer was hard but getting up from this chair is going to be harder!
Wednesday I stupidly agreed to help out one of the instructors by allowing her to use me as a guinea pig while she practised her routine. God I'm stupider than I thought.
So... having done very minimal exercise in the last 6 months I opt to do 3 open pilates classes in 3 days!! Can anyone say 'moron'?
Excuse me while I get Kahuna to rig up a rope and pulley system to lower me into a hot bath...

Lantern Love

Last week when I was searching the internet for bathroom images for Maryam I came across this gorgeous image of the Kasbah Hotel in Marrakesh. What a wonderful idea for an exterior entry wall. I LOVE this!

Kitchen Love

Another kitchen to add to my ever expanding "I Love" files thanks to Desire to Inspire. What a great kitchen this would be for a large family.

A White Canvas

Yet another white room from my "I Love" files above and another vase of gorgeous blowsy yellow roses!!

Image courtesy of House & Garden.

Too Pretty For Words

The quality of this picture isn't great but I just had to post it because I LOVE it!! What a beautiful atmosphere the candles create around this pool and I just love the rose covered arbours which may create a bit of a mess in the pool but who cares sometimes it has to be all about the look!!

Image courtesy of Bountiful Home.

A Perfect Mix

This house, which was featured in Elle Decor October 2006, is one of my all time favourite houses. I love the mix of furniture styles, fabrics and textiles and the collections of "things" displayed oh-so "perfectly" throughout the house. I also adore the all-white back drop (floors, walls, ceiling) which sets the perfect scene for such a beautiful collection of things.

A Pretty Bedroom

White bed linen always looks so fresh and inviting. I love the white flowing bed linen in the above picture and those yellow roses are to die for. This is definately a bedroom I would be very comfortable living in.

Image courtesy of Bountiful Home.

Today I Love: Ruffles

I adore this image which I found on This Is Glamorous blog and I think when my mother sees this I'll be getting a call from her to say how much she loves the ruffled tablecloth.

Image originally courtesy of Martha Stewart Living.

Flashback Friday

What happened to the days when parents felt comfortable letting their children ride scooters up and down their street, or climb ridiculously high trees, or ride their bikes to the creek for some yabbying (whatever happened to Yabbies? Are they still out there?), or let their firstborn share her blankie with their boxer dogs? Yes DOGS. There is a photo somewhere of me asleep wedged between two of these gorgeous creatures. This one is the matriarch of our Boxers - Bijou, who was Dad's first child and who graciously made room in the family for me.

Happy Weekend!

Hope you all have a great weekend. I might post some little surprises over the weekend if I have some spare time. If not, I'll see you all next week.

x
Anna

Image courtesy of Aman Resorts.

Inspiration For Maryam

Maryam from My Marrakesh has sent a request out for some bathroom inspiration for her Guest House, Peacock Pavillions which she and her husband are building in Marrakesh, Morroco. I have sent her through some pictures which I thought were beautiful. If anyone has some inspiration for her please visit her site and leave her a message. I can't wait to see what she ends up creating.

Image courtesy of Aman Resorts.

Hotel Particulier

Another pretty, small hotel in France, Hotel Particulier in Arles seems like it would be a restful and serene place to spend a few days. I love the light filled, ethereal apperance of the large guest room in the top image in particular - I could imagine sleeping through a Summer afternoon in this gorgeous room with a light breeze flowing through the windows throwing the white sheer drapes in and out, in and out.

Turtle Papers @ Etsy

I don't usually post about stationery but I thought these note cards by Turtle Papers were too pretty not to post. Just new at Etsy, Turtle Papers is a small design studio based in Seattle, Washington and I just love their fresh, pretty and colourful designs. I also adore the scalloped edging detail on some of their note cards. NB. Shipping to Australia is available.

Yesterday I was so excited you could see the drool on my chin. My heart rate was soaring and my hands were all warm and clammy... the reason for all this panting and sweating was maybe not what you would expect.....

Yes the Mill Markets. What a place of wonder. Due to bureaucratic red tape they have had to move from the actual Mill in Geelong but have found themselves a new home in Newcomb which is conveniently but dangerously on route to the holiday house. I stood at the doorway and had to pause a few moments to soak in the scent of old wood, dusty nicknacks and moth eaten clothing. This place is like a shrine for someone like me. A glorious jumble of yesterdays finery and oddments. To complete my almost erotic pleasure - there is a cafe tucked away amongst the treasures! How good is that.

This place is MASSIVE so there is hours of spaced-out wondering that can be done.

To really cap off my day we headed to HOW BAZAAR on the way home. This gem almost eclipses The Mill as there is not so much stuff but it is all quality treasure. (no cafe though)

The kids and I spent a glorious hour sticking our noses into every corner.

'1000 square metres of fine antiques, used furniture, collectibles, books, and a few things we haven't quite figured out yet!'

I'll save our purchases for another day but let me assure you there are a lot more items with my name written all over them - if I only had a bigger car (and a bigger house for that matter).

The Hermes Blanket

Hermes blanket on Kelly Wearstler's son's bed - image courtesy of Stylecourt.

Hermes blanket in pink & orange.


Image above courtesy of Domino Magazine.


Hermes blanket in black & white.

The Hermes blanket seems to pop up in so many rooms I love - either thrown over the arm of a sofa in a lounge room or on the end of a bed - this beautiful rug always looks striking. I love both the black and white colourway and the orange and pink colourway and if I was lucky enough to get one I think I would have alot of trouble deciding which colour I would want. Which one would you choose?

Pretty Men

Look at these two - don't they look pretty! I love the colours in the top image and the contrast of the pink coat against that amazing white wall at the Parker Hotel in Palm Springs has long been a favourite!

Yellow Snow

The kids and I took a drive down to the beach house today, and what a glorious day to do it. The town looked like it was in dress rehearsal for summer. It was worth the drive just to see this vista. Photos like this have always made my heart sing - I must have dozens taken from the same spot over the years and it still thrills me.

I think there is even a photo just like this in Mum's album of Mick and I many moons ago!

The loveliest sight was the blanket of yellow flowers that has been thrown over the Bellarine Peninsula. I know these are weeds but they are just gorgeous. Every paddock, roadside verge and spare inch of grass is starred with gold. We kept catching our breath as around every corner there was a new delight. What a gem of a day!

Another Shade of Grey Etsy Store

I'm loving the new Etsy store which the blogger behind Another Shade of Grey blog has opened and in particular I love this vintage embroidery piece currently available for US$18.00. I'm sure it won't last long!!

Trophy Style

A little while ago I pulled out of a cupboard at home two old silver trophies which belong to my husband and were given to him by his grandmother. The trophies originally belonged to his grandmother's aunt and were won by her for tennis. I have placed the trophies in a display of things I have in some bookshelves at home. I am so pleased I pulled them out as they are special to my husband and now they are seen every day instead of being stored away in the back of a cupboard.

Another use for such items is to use them as a vase. I recently came across the 3 gorgeous old trophies above for sale from Paris Hotel Boutique. NB. They do ship internationally.

For related post topics Courtney at Stylecourt posted "Best in Show" 14/7/2007 and Pink Mohair at Casapinka posted "Trophies & Pink Chandeliers" 10/7/2007 .

Secret Gardens of Sydney

I love this pretty garden and pool courtyard created by Secret Gardens of Sydney. The Frangipani tree leaning over the pool and the pool house at the back are my favourite features. This type of design would be fantastic for small lot housing or a property with little outlook as the pool, pool house and trees surrounding create such a private, pretty and relaxing atmosphere.

Chateau Les Merles

Located in the Dordogne region in France, Chateau Les Merles is a small luxurious family run hotel comprising of 12 guest rooms, 2 suites, 1 spacious apartment, restaurant, golf course and swimming pool. The chateau has been restored by it's current owners and renowned Dutch interior designer Joris Van Grinsven has given the Chateau a fresh and new charming character. I love the mix of modern pieces with old and the black and white colour scheme is simply beautiful. This is certainly a place I would love to visit one day.

Flashback Friday

Photo removed due to the fact that it may incriminate others.

I think the less said about this photo, the better!!!!

Happy Weekend!

Have a great one! See you next week.

Image courtesy of Bountiful Home.

Mokum In Architectural Digest

Mia at Mokum Textiles sent me through this image today of one of their fabrics which is featured in the September issue of Architectural Digest. This is wonderful for Mokum as they are an Australian fabric house (one of very few) designing fantastic fabrics in-house in their Sydney studio. Over the last 10 years Mokum has taken the Australian market by storm and is now going global. It's very interesting to note that Australia does not have many fabric brands designing here in Australia. We are very isolated which makes it very difficult to design and manufacture a range of fabrics as most of the fabric mills are in Europe. I salute you Mokum for the innovative and beautiful fabrics you are designing and manufacturing for not only the Australian market but also for the International market as well!

Decorating Tips - Part 2

This is my idea of collections on display - a mismatch of special things adorns a beautiful old armoire. Image courtesy of Cottage Living Magazine.

A collection of shells and coral has been housed in a recessed shelving unit. Image courtesy of Cottage Living Magazine.

I often talk about collections and their importance in the decoration of a home. I believe that peoples things should be on display and not hidden away in a cupboard. Collections of things on display within a house add the owners personality to what otherwise is a blank canvas. With that in mind I have compiled a few images to show some ways you can display your collections within your home. Don't be afraid to pull out your grandmother's old china or your mother's old vase as it is special and should be used and not hidden away forever.

I personally like to collect shells, decorative boxes, old crystal & silver perfume bottles and jars, old tea cups & saucers and books just to name a few. I don't tend to display them altogether in a glass cabinet but instead I place them on tables and shelving within my home mixed up with other bits and pieces I have collected over time.

Old Glass bottles above create a pretty display on a dressing table or bathroom vanity. Image courtesy of Bountiful Home.

If you don't have a collection I encourage you to think about what you love and what you would like to have a collection of one day. Some things you might consider to collect are old plates, shells & coral, vases, depression glass, silverware, Christmas ornaments, black & white photographs, pottery, Antique textiles. I would actually like to start collecting old plates as I think it would be so lovely to have a big collection of old mismatched dinner plates and even old mismatched cutlery when setting the table for special dinners.

Mismatched cutlery above via Bountiful Home. Try Ebay or local Antique shops for similar cutlery.

Pretty old teacups above. Image courtesy of Martha Stewart.

Starting a collection is also fantastic for family and friends as it makes it so much easier for them to know what to buy you for Christmas and Birthdays and I must say it makes it lovely for you too as you will receive gifts which you actually love rather than things that might go into the back of a cupboard!!

For a related post topic Kate at Girl Meets Glamour posted a question to her readers earlier this week - What do you collect?