Oooh, so pretty

I just saw this lovely photo over at the image is found blog. The shoot was done at Joshua Tree National Park and was styled by the amazing Angel at Love and Splendor. It highlights the 5 different looks Angel created for the photographers and number 1 and 5 are wearing Twigs & Honey headbands. Yay! The fifth headband was also featured in the current Portland Bride & Groom Magazine. Here is a link to the full size picture HERE.

Close-up

photo credits: the image is found
styling: Angel at Love and Splendor

Dorm Room

As much as I do love the look of a gorgeous bunk room, I have found that bunk beds really are such a pain to make. Lately I have been preferring the look of a large dorm room with rows of single beds like the picture above. I love the lidded basket placed at the end of each bed - perfect for storing each person's clothes in. I personally would be much happier making these beds instead of numerous bunk beds.

image - cote maison via aged & gilded

My Favorite Flower

If I need some quick inspiration, blogs are my go-to. I found this amazing pinata not long ago:


at Inchmark and thought I needed to do something cute like it. Spring is finally coming closer too, so I thought some little versions might be in order! They are incredibly easy and so much fun.


Go to a craft store and buy a round foam ball; ours is 6". Then go find the tissue paper and pick some springy colors, and be sure to grab some hot glue sticks if you're running low!

Start out by cutting approximately 100 1" circles out of your tissue paper. You may need more or less, but it's a good starting point. Take your warmed up glue gun and glue a few petals to the "top" of the foam ball (the side we photographed). Carefully start layering them in concentric circles, being sure to overlap little by little. Be patient and before you know it you'll get to the end! They turned out really nice, but I thought it could use just a tad more of something. I grabbed some Tumble Dye and lightly sprayed the tops to create the gradient. Just what I wanted!

It would be pretty to have three different sizes and make a bunch for a table setting. Go and have fun with your pretty peonies. :)
-Mandi

Decorating A New Home {Over Time}

When I look at these images I love that they are all so casual and not overly decorated. I am leaning towards this more pared back look in our new house. I want it to be a home where we can relax and not be too worried about the white slip covered sofa when the big 1 year old {yes he turned 1 yesterday} Golden Retriever jumps up on it.

I am dreaming of faded denim fabrics on sofas, washed out florals and checks and stripes and mismatched pieces of cane furniture on the verandahs - not new cane - old mismatched cane collected over time. I will retain all of our Antique pieces of furniture which Brad & I have collected over the years. That's what I love about Antiques...they transcend fashion and trends, they are the pieces we hold onto and they are the pieces we pass onto our loved ones. I find I never tire of my Antique pieces. It's the mass-produced pieces I tire of very quickly.

This time round Harry and Brad have made me promise not to have the floors painted white. My obsession with keeping our current white-painted floors clean is all too much for my boys. All the internal walls will be painted my usual white but this time I think we might just sand back the old wide plank floorboards and apply an oiled, not glossy finish.

Everything about this house will be about living and enjoying and adding to it over time. I find that so many people {me included} rush into renovating or decorating a new home. I have learnt that you must live in a house for a period of time before you start the process of change....something my mother has been trying to instill in me for years!!

This time, I am going to take my time and enjoy the process of decorating the house which my children will call home for many, many years to come.

image 1 - pamela easton's home via creative homes, image 2 - deborah needleman's home via lonny, image 3 - via charlotte, image 4 - via charlotte, image 5 via lonny

NEW! English Rose Collection :: In my Etsy shop

I just finished listing a lovely new Twigs & Honey Collection: The English Rose Collection. I love the softness and vintage look of English Roses. Just like real roses, these ones are all one of a kind and unique. No two will be alike. I have hand dyed, hand painted, and hand sewn them with brooch pin and hair clip backings so you can wear them in your hair, clothes, purse, belt, wherever! Enjoy!

Here are all your choices:

Wear them in your hair:

Wear one or a ton!

Wear one on your jacket:

Or wear many on your jacket:

Or just let them sit there so you can enjoy all the prettiness:

The Twigs & Honey English Rose Collection, available in my Etsy shop HERE.

Nursery Thoughts...

My friends keep reminding me that I have a baby's room to decorate. With approximately 8 weeks to go I decided last week that I needed to at least get a few things organised.

My few things ended up turning into a complete room scheme for our little bundle. It all started with the original joker water colour by Rupert Hamilton dated 1916 which I stumbled across at a little Antique store here in Brisbane last week. I then decided I would collect a few bits and pieces to work back with it to create an artwork cluster wall full of lovely colour.

From there I selected the watermelon coloured Brunschwig & Fils Ikat which I am having an old chair I have recovered in and a lampshade for a floor lamp will be made in the small patterned chinnoiserie fabric. I also have an old Eastern embroidered piece of cloth which I will have made into a little cushion for the chair.

Over the weekend I started to wonder what I would use as a change table so Harry and I made a quick visit to our friend Nick Wallrock on Saturday morning {the most wonderful European Antique store in Brisbane}. We purchased a lovely circa 1780 Swedish Walnut cabinet from Nick which will be perfect.

I plan to use fresh white bed linen for the turned white timber painted cot which I picked up on Ebay for a mere $57.00 {a new mattress will be made and it will be re-painted with a fresh coat of white paint} and a few little Etsy cuddly numbers will be hunted down over the coming weeks.

So I can now say to my friends...yes it is all under control, I am organised!! {Fingers crossed it will all be made in time!!}

I Love...

Every now and then I spot a room I absolutely love and this one above, as published in Elle Decor, is one of them. I think it's the lovely fresh colours against the all-white background, the dining chairs and the beautiful old marble fireplace which I love most!

image - elle decor via frolic via seesaw designs

Sneak Peak! :: English Rose Collection

Coming this week!

Hand dyed, hand painted, hand sewn, just for you. Death by prettiness. Each one is unique and ready to go, so get ready!

Friday Flowers

A weekend full of time spent with Harry is what I have planned. I have worked many long and crazy hours this week so this weekend will be catch up time with my boys. Hope you have a lovely weekend. See you next time.

xx

Anna

Quiet blogging but a busy week!

So sorry for the light posts this week... actually, for no posts! I promise that it's because I'm up to too many good things! More on those "things" later! For now, I just wanted to post about a couple new pieces in my etsy shop. I think they are super girly and unique. I was recently asked by Willamette Woman Magazine, a local magazine in Oregon, to provide some headbands. Here's my favorite:

Tea and Cookies. A little vintage inspired number with a mini tulle lace veil. Perfect for not only a bride but for an afternoon tea party or bridal shower.

I also made this piece last week for fun, but didn't have a chance to list until today:

Antique Pink. Hand dyed silk, tulle lace, feathers, freshwater pearls and more, all hand sewn just for you!

Monika's Favorite Things Book

Today we are featuring Monika Wright and her Favorite Things book. We love the idea of having a neat little book handy to jot down your ideas. What a beautiful job she did with papers and embellishments from the Poppy collection.

Monika won one of our giveaways a while back and has sent us images of several projects she made with her goodies. Thanks Monika! We love to see everyone's creations. Just send them to our e-mail at seiblog(at)shopsei(dot)com and don't forget to enter March's challenge.

Inspired By

I save so many images in my picture files to keep as inspiration for co-ordinating different colour schemes. It's often the combination of different colours in a picture or different products or different textures which can inspire me to put together a scheme for a client's home. I love the colours in these two product images above. The first image is from Jean Brown, a Brisbane fashion mecca, advertising some of their latest offerings {I adore the bangles by Paula Bianco} and the second image is a product editorial from House Beautiful. I just love all the wonderful colour and patterns and textures in these images. I find them very inspiring.

Spring Tree

Pia made this spring tree with a freshly cut branch. She layered Claire petals, Lovebirds Forget Me Not paper, and Bridgeport petals. Then she placed treats on it, put it in a vase of water, and tied a Lovebirds ribbon around the vase.



Just in time for Easter, leaves will appear on this branch and add even more color. What a fun way to spruce up your home for spring!

A Verandah Vignette

One of my lovely clients emailed me this photo of the windmill she just had hung above an old work bench she purchased from us a while ago on her verandah. Doesn't it look fabulous? She was telling me that she had to hang it in a spot where the children wouldn't brush past it because the blades on the windmill are obviously very sharp. What a wonderful idea for a verandah vignette.

Smile

Today I stumbled across this great poster over at Made By Girl whilst searching for pieces for a cluster wall I am currently working on. Just thought I'd share it with you...

Pinkham Millinery :: 10 years

Matt and I stopped by Pinkham Millinery's studio yesterday evening for their 10 year celebration in Morgan's Alley. Dayna Pinkham is one of my most favorite milliners around. She made custom fedoras for Matt and I and we love them to death. The annual sale was also kicked off last night and I snagged a fabulous hat. There were so many that I loved, but I need to save up for those and spread my purchases out... I dream of having a huge Pinkham Millinery assortment of hats someday. :)

Dayna's studio is so charming and lovely.
I really loved this one:

This one was one of my favorites...

Another lovely hat

And another...

And another!

The sexy hubby in his custom hat.

Such a fantastic space with gorgeous hats! I decided to get this lovely felt hat:

Fun, yeah? Thank you Pinkham Millinery!