Spring Has Sprung...

It's the first day of Spring here in Australia and it's my Wedding Anniversary so here are some florals on florals on florals from an old Vogue Living article to celebrate...

Etsy Contest :: A Handmade Moment :: Last Day!

Make sure to watch our cutsy and modest little video for the Etsy Handmade Moment contest. Last day is today! Thank you to everyone who has already watched it!!!!

New Lines Available!

We are so excited to announce that our new lines are now available to order! It was starting to feel like this day would never come. Below is a video in which Paper Clippings interviewed Pia, our Art Director, at CHA. It's great because you're able to see the treatments of the papers and scale of the embellishments. You can get a better idea of the beauty that's awaiting you before you order. If you would rather be surprised, click here to order from our online store.




In case you forgot what the new lines look like, we'll reintroduce you. You can click on their titles to be redirected to the store.

Christmas Mint

Moravia

Winter Song

Hope you enjoy, and if you have any questions, email us at seiblog(at)shopsei(dot)com.

I Want A Loris

After my last photo I thought I'd better share something cute!

A Pretty House

I think this house is so pretty and charming. The all-white background is divine and I love the little hints of blue and pink and red and green.

All images via skona hem

Displaying Collections

I often talk about collections and how to display them. Here a few images to inspire...

All images via skona hem

Bright & Colourful

I love these two bright and colourful vignettes....perfect inspiration for Spring!

Top image from British Homes & Gardens and bottom image from Notebook magazine.

Also, I would like to send a huge thanks to Vera Klein for her mention of Absolutely Beautiful Things in this month's Notebook Magazine!! xx Anna

It Has Potential

This little old fisherman's cottage {bottom image} is one I've often admired on my morning walks over at Straddie. I think this house has so much potential and when you look at the top image you might possibly agree with me?!

Image 1 - elle decor

Classic Photography

I know this photo is really wrong but I couldn't stop laughing. That kid is REALLY ugly!

Top Marks Miley

When I got on Twitter today I came across this post from Miley Cyrus. Her comment about this photo is a good example of why I am happy for Miley to be a role model for my seven year old daughter.

'Just F.Y.I my legs DO NOT look like this in real life. That's the magic of a computer my friends. Just thought I would be honest. ' Miley , twitter

FIRE!!!

We had an interesting start to the day yesterday. At 6.45am there was a knock on the door which woke me out of a deep sleep. I cursed the knocker under my breathe and stumbled to the door. When I asked who it was a lady responded - 'Next door is on fire you have to get out!' Well as you can imagine that woke me up pretty effectively.
The kids had woken when they heard the knock so we all pulled on our ugg boots and jumpers, I grabbed the phone, and we headed out of the house. Sure enough next door had smoke billowing out of the roof and things didn't look good. (That's my house on the right - the one down wind of the fire)



Someone must have called the fire brigade just before I did and they turned up within minutes of us leaving the house. As they arrived flames started shooting out of the top of the roof and the wind fanned the flames toward our house. I started to feel rather stressed as I watched the flames lick our roof. The hoses came out not a minute too soon as far as our house was concerned and the firemen immediately started hosing down our roof and the side of the house while they tried to enter the burning house.
5 fire engines, three police cars and a watching helicopter later and they had the fire under control and I felt confident enough to take the kids in to our lovely neighbours for a cuppa and a breakfast of chocolates (the kids thought that was just fantastic). We weren't allowed back into the house for a couple of hours but when they accompanied me back in we found that the water damage they had warned me of had not eventuated and apart from some toxic fumes and the stink of smoke, all was well at Castle Kiely.

By lunchtime, Gidget was back at school and Moondoggie and I had a lovely view of fire trucks and firemen for most of the afternoon.

By the way the burning house was in the final stages of a major renovation and the owners were not living there. Luckily no personal items were lost, just the annoyance of lengthy delays on their now not so renovated home. I'm not sure yet what the damage is but I would assume the inside is pretty much destroyed. Funnily enough, after all the drama the workmen nailed the roof back down and from the street you would not know anything had happened.

So.. a massive thank you to the mystery lady who happened to be taking a walk and warned us of the fire, and to the fabulous firemen who saved my house!

(By the way Surfer Boy had already left for work and missed all the drama - I called him to tell him what was happening and I don't think he quite believed it until he saw the photos.)

Friday, whoo-hoo!

found via flikr

Hope you have a wonderful weekend. If you are starting to feel like this cute little girl, don't kiss summer goodbye! Make the most of your weekend and enjoy all the beauty around you. See you Monday with a good post!

Pretty shoes

I love my new shoes!
Matt loves seeing me in my new shoes!
I love how I got them at bargain prices... Matt agrees!

Kelsi Dagger heels in mauve with faux snake skin. Very pinup shape.

Banfi Zambrelli Lottie heels. Amazingly comfortable.
Both snagged on Gilt Groupe (I never could have afforded them otherwise). You can join HERE.

Elizabeth Messina... you are wonderful!

I love this lady too! Her photographs are magical and capture all the beauty in this world.

Photo credits: Elizabeth Messina
Hair pieces: Twigs & Honey

Friday Flowers

Here are some pretty fresh Freesias in an old bottle vase which I have placed on a table in the shop to end this week. See you next week...

I love this lady :: Fashion Is Poison

Her strength is inspiring. You must read her latest blog post:
Fashion Is Poison

Black & Spiro Today

The shop is brimming with lots of lovely new things. I thought I would share a few photos of some of our new bits & pieces.

Megan Park's Latest Collection

Today I viewed the new Megan Park cushion collection and I must say it was very beautiful. Our new stock will be arriving early November which is still a couple of months away but it will be well worth the wait. We will be sure to let everyone on our mailing list know when they arrive. I absolutely love the styling of her new range as above....so simple and beautiful.

To be kept in the loop please email us info@blackandspiro so that we can add you to our mailing list.

A dog and her bone...

Just some random new pictures of Indy with her BIG bone:

Cutie!

Fabric Deja Vu

I knew I had seen that gorgeous Christopher Farr fabric before when I opened up my copy of this month's Vogue Living and spotted those beautiful chairs on the cover by designer Darryl Gordon. When I stayed at the Haymarket Hotel in London last year that fabric was used by owner & designer Kit Kemp en masse in the foyer of the hotel. It's such a fresh and vibrant fabric and looks so beautiful on those chairs on the cover of VL. I thought I would show you a few photos I snapped last year of the fabric and how it was used at the Haymarket.

Image 1, 2, 3 - Anna Spiro, Image 4 - Vogue Living

BOOKGROUP - FINGERSMITH

It's book group tonight and we are reading the novel 'FINGERSMITH' by Sarah Waters. A few years ago we read her first book - 'Tipping The Velvet' and it was fabulous, so when I saw this in the bookshop earlier this year I had to buy it. I'm yet to find out what the other girls think but those I have spoken to throughout the month have been loving it.

I'm facilitating the discussion tonight and in my research I came across this trailer for the BBC production of 'Fingersmith'. For those of you who aren't readers, I've heard this production is fantastic, as is their 'Tipping the Velvet' production.

Wish me luck and I'll let you know what they think.

Beautiful bathroom and a little more!

shower curtain / bathmat / towels / stacking canisters

Sometimes it's nice to look around for inspiration that fits your mood. I am currently not wanting summer to end. It's my favorite season of the year. I never think that it gets too hot. I love the vibrant greens at the beginning of summer but I also find so much beauty in all the yellow hues you see as everything slowly dries up. I think it's the combination of those green and yellow shades, accented with white, that draws me to these bathroom accessories. Maybe if you have a summery bathroom to start off your morning in the long cold winters, you can still venture outside with a smile frozen to your face.

When I was collecting the "in my dreams" bathroom pieces, I thought of this Mimosa layout. It caries those shades of yellows and greens that are so lush. As summer closes in on me, I think it makes me cling more and more to the vibrant colors that Mimosa carries. I hope you enjoy this layout as much as I do!

There's My Chair

Anne Harwell recently painted the French chair in our lounge room at home and sent it to me as a very big surprise in the mail. I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened up the parcel. I absolutely adore Anne's work. Her drawings are so precise and beautifully composed. I particularly love her chair drawings. Courtney's chair certainly has been a favourite in the blogosphere! If you would like your own copy of my French chair Anne is selling it in her etsy shop along with all of her other beautiful pieces. I am trying to find a special spot to hang my chair and the frame is also still being decided on. For the moment I keep on propping it up on pieces around the shop. It looks so pretty with all of our mismatched cushions....I am mad, I know!

Blankie

This morning while cleaning out the top of the kids wardrobe I came across this blanket

which is the twin of the one Moondoggie had as a baby..

not looking quite the same after 5 years of extreme love! Gidget had dummies - Moondoggie has had this blanket. He sleeps with it, he carries it in his fist when he's feeling anxious, he rubs it on sores when he's hurt himself. Apparently it can fix and soothe anything.

Here he is with both of them! He was flabbergasted when he saw what it originally looked like. He keeps asking if I am sure they were exactly the same. The problem is he is now looking lovingly at the new one!! Best it disappear again before we're stuck with the stink'n blankie for another 5 years.