cocoon and chic

a new beginning

2011-07-08T10:07:00.000+09:30

i have been AWOL but i've been thinking of you...!

on 26 April we welcomed Max Gabriele into the world. he is a real joy - a happy baby that has consumed my world for the past couple of months. here he is...

(i'm also without a laptop as it's on the blink so i'm sorry i haven't visited your blog or been around the past few months. i have missed you all!)

an arty shot of our home renovation + update

2011-04-07T10:49:00.001+09:30

Wow - it's been so long since I was last here. I wonder if there is anyone out other or if I've lost you? Here is an update of sorts:

I'm 37 weeks pregnant - 3 weeks to go. Where did the time go? I'm feeling excited and and scared at the same time!
Cue arty shot of our home renovation...the frame is up - next the roof beams and roofing will go up. It will be another few months before it's all finished. I haven't posted that many photos because the progress has been a little slow - slower than we thought. But it's getting there! Our Stegbar window and stacking doors have arrived AND that's exciting. The space will open up so much, can't wait to show you how when it progresses a little more.
I've been away so long because I've been a bit unmotivated to blog. I've been wondering lately whether I should continue with the blog at all. How can I get motivated again?
Here is a preggers photo update featuring Lizzy...!

Lizzy & me at 36 weeks pregnant hanging out!

a baby shower - sans photos

2011-03-21T16:28:00.000+10:30

it's been a while since my last post - quite a while! i finish work this friday to have a bit of a rest before bub arrives - not long to go now! and yesterday i had my baby shower. i went to all this effort with my thank you gifts for guests and decorations such as pink, white, purple and yellow flowers in simple jars - and forgot to take photos! how annoying. and everyone else forgot to take photos too. i guess that's a good measure of how good a day it was!

i used these party bags from emerald & ella for my thank you gifts - i filled them with chocolates, home made heart shaped biscuits and a home made paper fortune cookie filled with a personalised thank you message - you can find the DIY here.

note to self: next time take photos!

Images - emerald & ella

preggers in port willunga

2011-03-03T10:47:00.000+10:30

It's been a while since I've given a preggers update mainly because my lack of motivation lately has seen me lose interest in posting up on my blog of late. I'm 32 weeks pregnant, I have 3 weeks of work left and our house renovation continues. So much to do and only 2 months before bub arrives is enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed. So, in the meantime here are some pics of me at 32 weeks at Port Willunga (beach)...

citta design + two halves

2011-02-24T14:32:00.000+10:30

We had a fabulous weekend away just gone and I was lucky enough to do a bit of shopping at some really funky shops in Port Elliot. Port Elliot is a wonderful little seaside town full of great shops and one famous bakery (there was a line up out the door on Sunday when we lined up for our pasties and iced coffee!). It's just down the road from another little seasside town called Middleton where David Bromley used to live and work. Adelaide was in fact where he started his career. I digress - here are some goodies I picked up ...

Coat hooks (which we'd been looking for, for ages!) made by Two Halves - two industrial design graduates from Adelaide. They'll live on the back of our bedroom door. One boy, one girl, both black, both fabulous on form + function!

Citta Design from NZ never fails to impress me. I couldn't go past Salvador the dog! He is adorable and looks so good I could eat him. I'm hoping Lizzy or the Baby won't! [Diego the cat would make a great companion for Salvador, even if just for the name alone!]

Images - 1) Two Halves, 2) Artessen

love me, love my slab

2011-02-21T12:43:00.001+10:30

On Friday, Adelaide had it's wettest day in February since 2003. And it's summer! So how we came to have our slab poured on Friday is a slight miracle and big joy to us! We had tarps covering the trenches which prevented rain getting in and lucky for us, the slab was poured on Friday. Just in time for our perfect weekend away (which I will post about later this week)! It could not have worked out better and made for a stress-free, relaxing weekend.

Here are some photos that show you the progression from demolition to slab pour...

The original back part of our house with the verandah - outside w/c, hot water system, back door, bathroom window...

Demolition begins... and continues here

After Demolition...lizzy makes herself comfortable, the white door is my back/kitchen door

And the slab gets poured...(sorry about the low res iphone pic!)

The above photo is taken from our kitchen door - you can just make out the tarps which saved the day! It's a beautiful thing that concrete!!

I have learnt a few things over the past few weeks. Renovating is exciting, frustrating and is a test of patience beyond belief but watching every step of the process, and achieving every milestone is such an exciting and satisyfing feeling that it makes up for all the other stuff. I can't wait to see the transformation from here on in!

if it's good enough for Kylie it's good enough for me!

2011-02-15T11:55:00.000+10:30

This weekend we're off to Port Willunga for a bit of a mini (babymoon) break. Port Willunga is a sea-side town, on the Fleurieu Peninsula, about a 45 minute drive from Adelaide. It's home to some fabulous restaurants such as the Star of Greece which Kylie apparently loves, and Russell's for their famous wood-oven pizza's.

Image - http://tk-tiffanyk.blogspot.com/

The view from the Star of Greece - Port Willunga beach

We're planning on eating some good food, including shopping for produce at the Award winning Willunga Farmer's Markets. Vogue loves them! I want to see what the fuss is all about.

If we have time, we'll pop into Dog Dragon at Port Elliot who specialise in recycled teak furniture, artefacts and art pieces. And Little Bird for craft, homewares, textiles and cushions.

Image - Little Bird

We're staying in a little cottage with a spa bath...that's all I really cared about - a spa bath (we don't have a bath) and close proximity to good food and the beach. What more could you want for a weekend away? Just for our new slab to get poured on Friday as planned!

my house in ruins

2011-02-11T13:24:00.000+10:30

This is what my house looked like a couple of weeks ago. A pile of bricks, dust, dirt and timber. If all goes to plan, the new slab should be poured next Friday! I never thought I'd be excited by concrete but I am. Pouring of the slab is so significant in so many ways - it puts a temporary end to all the dust and dirt, it signifies the project is moving ahead onto the next stage (timber frame to go up) and means we're one step closer ...

FLER love

2011-02-03T12:25:00.000+10:30

Ever since missing out on an original FLER chair on e-bay (ummm by $1 in the last 4 minutes - but no, seriously I'm over it, just!) I have become a bit obsessed by finding myself a FLER arm chair! I can see myself reading a good book in one of these.

Fred Lowen was a furniture designer and founding partner of Fler Furniture, creating his wonderful furniture in the 50s and 60s. Originally from Germany, Lowen was influenced by the scandinavian style. It's no wonder they are so popular today! And ... I have come across the name 'TH Brown' before but was super pleased to find out they were an Adelaide firm! They released a range of furniture in the 60s made from moulded timber with natural oil finishes.

I have my eye on a Fler again - wish me luck!

Image: 1) Retromiko, 2) Antiques Plus

beautiful bright bentwood

2011-01-27T16:27:00.000+10:30

My bargain $20 Bentwood is now ready to make our bedroom it's home, after two coats of paint and plenty of sanding and priming! Here is the BEFORE. I even like it in white..

I'm glad I'm now able to tick this project off my 'to do' list. It brightens up the bedroom and works in well with the Bespoke Press print.

black, grey and a touch of mid-century

2011-01-24T13:30:00.001+10:30

On Friday night, I missed out on a 1960s FLER chair on e-bay by $1 dollar in the last 4 minutes of bidding. I was gutted! I would have put in a higher bid but I was in a yoga class and well, not cool to check your i-phone mid yoga pose! I had visions of reupholstering the (very similiar looking) chair like the one in the above photo (with the grey sheepskin rug). Incidentally, I would also have this as my lounge room any day! Oh well - I will have to keep searching and waiting..

p.s this is my 50th post - yay to me :)

Image - via Desire to Inspire

have approval, will build !

2011-01-20T13:53:00.000+10:30

We finally got council approval for our home renovation - YAY! It only took 3 months - hmph. But, we are both beyond happy. L will start to demolish the walls and roof, I will provide cold drinks and lunch! Here are the before + after...

Before - the red dashed lines show the existing back part of the house (existing bathroom, laundry and outside WC)

After - new open plan kitchen and lounge area, extension includes new bathroom and turning existing bathroom into a laundry

I can't wait to see the transformation take shape!

a revamped bentwood - from drab to (almost) fab!

2011-01-17T10:55:00.001+10:30

I decided to get my act together this weekend and finally do something about my Bentwood chair....4 months after I first mentioned it! I'm very good at getting inspired, not so good at finishing a job. I get lazy and unmotivated. Maybe it's that 'nesting' pregnancy thing but it had been bugging me that I seem to be good at starting projects but not finishing them. So with some free time on the weekend, I got cracking.

Here's what the chair originally looked like. I had done some sanding months ago here (told you I'm slack!) so this is what I was left to work with.

First step: sanding. I hate the prep work associated with painting! I'm so impatient.

Once the sanding had been done (which I gotta say I did a pretty good job!), it was time to add 2 coats of primer. I used British Paints 'all in one' sealer/primer/undercoat.

Two coats of primer and I'm ready to paint the first coat of my chosen colour which I blogged about here. I find it really hard to pick paint colours (am I the only one?) but in the end, I went with Taubman's Solar Burst. It's not a sunny yellow, more of a citrus lemon/lime colour which at first I wasn't sure about but now I'm loving it.

Ta-da! After 1 coat of Solar Burst the chair is almost ready to rock and roll!

L is making the chair a new seat cover (from an old laundry door) which I have to prime, clamp on then paint 1 coat. 1 more coat all over and it will be ready to grace our bedroom with its presence! I can't tell you how good I feel for achieving something this weekend...woo hoo :)

the beginnings of a home renovation

2011-01-10T15:28:00.000+10:30

Finally some photos of the start of our home renovation!

To give you a sense of what we are doing. This is a view from the backyard looking back at the house. We are extending into the side concrete driveway and out into the backyard to create an open plan kitchen/lounge area and new bathroom.

Part of the driveway removed...

The pergola comes down, trench is dug, hot water system moved...

I'm a bit embarassed to show you the state of my kitchen but here it is. Temporary kitchen wall created so once the kitchen wall and part of the above wall (from left to the right of the door frame) is removed, we still have a working, functional kitchen and security with a solid, lock up door.

This photo was taken from the end of the hallway as you enter the kitchen. Once it's transformed you will see an open plan lounge and kitchen. That's the plan!

if you surround yourself with things you love, your home will make you happy

2011-01-07T12:15:00.000+10:30

says Michele Adams from Lonny. I couldn't agree more.

A daybed on a new deck in the backyard could make me very happy! On my interweb search for the perfect daybed I came across Ashley Ann's daybed (via Apartment Therapy and ohdeedoh) which happens to be in her daughter's nursery (total coincedence!). The daybed is dubbed the 'reading pallet bed', made from wooden shipping pallets. The bedhead is an old door.

I can see my dream of owning a daybed not being so unattainable after all! We have a lolly factory down the road always getting rid of wooden pallets - we'd just need some castors, a big single or twin bed and some lovely bedding and cushions.

What I love most of all was that she filled the room with handmade objects, keepsakes such as family photos and gifts given by family such as quilts, art prints, antique handkerchiefs and a mirror which was a wedding gift. It doesn't all match but it works.

And as another coincidence, like the first image in my last post, Ashley hung lanterns to great effect. I love this look and the more I see it the more I want to do it! I don't like the idea of hanging lanterns above a cot, but above a chair (or daybed as Ashley has done) could work..

Find out here how Ashley hung her lanterns.

Images via: 1 - Apartment Therapy, 2 & 3 - Ohdeedoh. All images copyright Ashley Ann Photography.

nursery inspiration (no ducks or rabbits here!)

2011-01-05T13:23:00.000+10:30

Decorating a 'nursery', or any room, is a good excuse to get decorating...in the holidays I managed to buy the IKEA Egeby rug and pick up a white cot and bassinette (hand me downs). The baby's room is also our study so it will be white on white with hits of colour. Our room is very similiar to the first pic below: window in the middle, white walls, pine floors, white cot on the right. I think the pom poms below are a great way to add some colour and 'wow' factor - would you do it? (Or could they potentially fall on the baby's head and be a hazard?!)

Image: (1) Jodi Pudge Photography via Decor Pad, (2) Decor Pad, (3) Absolutely Beautiful Things via Decor Pad, (4) Decor Pad

2011-01-04T14:13:00.000+10:30

Hello!! What a year 2010 was. It was H.U.G.E. Thank you for joining me for part of 2010!

One of the highlights for me this year (other than marrying my best friend and becoming pregnant!) was walking the Inca Trail to Macchu Pichu on our South American honeymoon. Something I'll never forget.

So 2011 is shaping up to be a busy year too. What are you hoping for in 2011? I'm dreaming of a newly renovated house and for the baby to be healthy and fashionably late to accommodate the first wish. I'll settle for on time!

christmas feast

2010-12-21T16:07:00.000+10:30

Baked Cocunut & Pistachio White Christmas Tarts - photo courtesy Pinecone Camp

It's been a while since I last posted. This is what I've been up to:

I'm 22 weeks pregnant and feeling good. Getting lots of movement and lots of kicks which are now visible from the outside. Pretty amazing stuff! Must post baby bump pics soon!
I have changed jobs as of yesterday. I seem to always be moving from job to job but this time I'm back to an old job after my recent contract finished. The change feels good, and after all it's only for another 3 months before I leave to have baby..
We have received part-approval from Council for the house extension/renovation (or extenovation?!). The skip and bobcat arrive in a couple of days. OMG!!! First task is to rip up part of our concrete driveway. I will post pics as I'd like to show the progression of the house 'extenovation' as it moves towards a 27th April deadline!!
Planning a feast on Xmas Eve. Just for me and hubby. We're spending Xmas Eve cooking up a feast. I'm thinking a whole baked snapper in the weber with roast potatoes and asian coleslaw. And I might try my hand at Janis's (Pinecone Camp) Baked Coconut and Pistachio White Christmas Tarts.
Planning another feast - Xmas morning hubby and I are having a whole lobster with champagne and orange. We decided not to give each other presents, but instead we're making a lobster and champagne breakfast a Xmas morning tradition. Our gift to each other.

So - in case I don't get a chance to post before Christmas...please have a wonderful Christmas wherever you are in the world.

I hope yours is filled with happiness, love, laughter, warmth and joy.
xxx

Image - courtesy Pinecone Camp

a whirlwind of a time

2010-12-08T16:35:00.002+10:30

I got to thinking lately that the last few months have been a whirlwind. In a matter of months (5 to be exact) I got married, went to South America for 6 weeks, welcomed a puppy into our home and got pregnant! Whew.

Starting to slightly panic thinking about all the things that we need to do before baby arrives next April! Before that though, it was just champagne and frocks...

decking out the nursery part II

2010-12-07T11:41:00.006+10:30

An excuse to think of more lovely things that I'd love - here is my part II installment of what I covet for the nursery.

we have a hand-me-down cot coming our way but i'd love this one. it's great to see well designed nursery furniture, even if it costs a bomb! ($1,759.95)

i have recently come across this - a rocking moose (cute take on the traditional rocking horse). do i love it because it's red, functional or just plain fun? All of the above I'd say! ($59)

we're not painting the room but i think a wall decal/sticker would be an easy way to add some spice to the walls...here is a selection of my faves

birdcages - available in red too ($110) a giraffe height chart/wall sticker ($84.95)

another birdcage - i couldn't resist ($50)

giraffe obsession continues... ($70)

storage - there is never enough. i don't love this but it got me thinking about a sturdy storage box to store toys, nappies etc. if we don't make something ourselves, i thought some paint or gift or wall paper covering would do the trick ($24.95)

images: (1) - Leander Design, (2) IKEA, (3) Baby Indulgences, (5, 6) 41 Orchard, (4) The Wall Sticker Company via Bebe Online, (7) IKEA

decking out the nursery part I

2010-12-02T12:31:00.001+10:30

Turning our second bedroom/study into a quasi nursery has got me thinking about how I want to deck it out. We're not going to paint, it's already painted Dulux 'Antique White USA' so it's a blank canvas for us to add finishes and textures - a rug, Eames hang-it-all, shelving...

ikea egeby sisal rug ($99)

eames hang-it-all (replica - $69) eames rocker (replica in white or red - $125)

i have wanted this for ages and now i have a great excuse! i heart NYC.

muji new york in a bag (USD $15)

prints from printspace which I already have (bought at Bowerbird Bazaar).
i have a thing for giraffes.

Not sure about the eames rocker, in red or white? Fibreglass or plastic? Plastic (replica) is much cheaper. What do you think?

images: (1) ikea, (2, 3) matt blatt, (4) moma online store, (5, 6, 7) printspace

colour & light: one gorgeous wedding

2010-11-29T09:50:00.000+10:30

I'm back this week to share photos of a gorgeous wedding we went to yesterday. The table settings, flowers and candles were absolutely beautiful. Set in an old barn with paper lanterns - it was magical. See for yourself...

My gorgeous friend B (the bride) arranged the flowers and collected all of the jars herself. It was an explosion of purples (her favourite colour), white, cream, red, pink, yellow and lilac. Together with the candles it looked amazing!

I love this type of floral table arrangements at weddings. I had only ever seen this done in magazines or blogs at American weddings. It's not cookie-cutter but shows real thought has gone into it - the picking of the flowers, the many months spent sourcing jars and the time spent arranging the flowers.

We were lucky enough to take some jars and flowers home. I'm now inspired to do this at home or for a fancy-pants dinner party.

p.s These photos were taken with my iphone using the Hipstamatic app!

chillin' lizy

2010-11-23T12:03:00.000+10:30

I think someone had a good weekend! I feel like doing this on a daily basis, around 3pm Monday's to Friday's! It's hard to believe that I was scared of dogs until about 6 years ago. She is one happy puppy who is growing fast. I read somewhere that home renovations are stressful for dogs (as well as their owners no doubt!), I wonder if this is true?

some things you don't know about me

2010-11-18T17:16:00.010+10:30

The lovely Jaclyn from Little Paper Trees has passed the Versatile Blog Award to Cocoon & Chic. I follow Jaclyn's blog regularly so I was touched that she thought of me. Think what you will of the so-called blog Award but I'm gonna do the honours and give it a crack. I only have 4 followers (at least it's an even number, I have a weird thing about odd numbers!), but here's 7 things you didn't know about me. I'll then pass the award onto 7 other lovely verstatile blogs that I follow...

1. I hate mice. I'm terrified of them. Childhood memory of a mouse running around in one of my underwear drawers will do that.

2. I'm scared of deep water. I need to be able to touch my feet on the bottom of a pool or the beach, otherwise I start to panic. I once went snorkelling with my family in Vanuatu, in deep water, and started hyperventilating when I realised how deep it was (only came to my realisation when I saw a big, mammoth fridge-sized piece of coral!!).

3. I was never one of those girls desperate to get married. I was more interested in travelling the world and living life. But now that I'm married, I couldn't be happier.

4. I lived in Edinburgh, Scotland for 2 years. It was two of the best years of my life.

5. Bad customer service gets on my nerves. When did being helpful become so passe? Hello and a smile can go a long way!

6. I am covered in moles but I have three distinct ones on the top of my right breast. They're special because my Mum has the exact same ones in the exact same spot :)

7. I am known for curling my eyelashes. Yes, I love my eyelash curler and couldn't live without it!

I'm passing this award onto:

1. she left on a monday
2. pinecone camp
3. little lady
4. mel bomba
5. la la lovely
6. olive and joy
7. one sydney road

one sydney road

2010-11-16T09:43:00.000+10:30

One great blog I've been following is One Sydney Road, and the little lady behind it is Piper. I love how she came up with the name which you can read about here. Piper has just opened her online store of the same name. Another online store to drool over let me assure you!

I don't know what it is but I have an obsessions with cushions - so much so I've been told in no uncertain terms not to buy anymore because all our storage is taken up by them! I love these though - perfect colours for summer.

Images - One Sydney Road

mirror mirror in the bathroom

2010-11-15T16:42:00.000+10:30

I got thinking about bathrooms on the weekend, and what our new bathroom might look like. It will be a relatively compact bathroom, with a shared bath/shower.

Searching through my old Real Living magazines, I keep going back to the idea of using floor to ceiling mirrors to double the light and space of a bathroom. I love this look - and despite the cost - it would be a great way to make the bathroom appear bigger. On my search though, I struggled to find many images of mirrored bathroom walls...I'm wondering if anyone is doing this? That chair is to die for as well - you can get it here.

Image - Living etc

fake it till you bake it

2010-11-09T16:48:00.000+10:30

The lovely girls at Wedding Style Guide (my absolute style bible when I was planning my wedding) are sending me a can of Fake Bake - ooh la la! I used to have spray tans for special occasions but I'm not keen on inhaling chemicals (well, you know, at least not for the next 6 months!). The can looks so glam, it looks too nice to use.

p.s Thanks for all your well wishes on my news. Now you know why I haven't painted that Bentwood yet...did someone say donuts though?!

Image - Wedding Style Guide

home extension part I

2010-11-08T10:37:00.000+10:30

It's exciting (and scary) to think that in a few (several?) months we will have a new extension to our home. Now that I'm pregnant we have sped things up a bit! We have put the plans into council, and the engineers report has been received. The go-ahead from Council will take 6-8 weeks. This is what we're proposing to do:

Knock out three walls (one in the kitchen, and two are exterior), extending into the backyard and partly into the driveway
In doing the above, we will create an open plan kitchen/lounge area
New kitchen and bathrom
Turn the current bathroom into a laundry
Have a baby!

Our house was built around the 1920s and has retained original features such as high ceilings and floorboards. We plan to make a modern looking extension using colorbond (corrugated iron). It will look something like this except our original exterior walls are red brick. The contrast of red brick and silver/grey colorbond, I think, will look striking.

Image - colorbond.com

+1 = 4

2010-11-03T10:28:00.020+10:30

I'm 15 weeks pregnant today! We couldn't be happier. And I feel huge! I thought it was time to tell you (which I wasn't sure about, I'm not sure if anyone will be interested and I'm wary of having pregnant (er fat) photos of me on the web!! But on the other hand, if I didn't tell you and all of a sudden I say I've had a baby, would that be more weird?!). So here I am at 15 weeks...

Being pregnant is so freaking exhausting (oh my god, no one tells you about the tiredness, the utter exhaustion on a daily basis) and eye opening in that why-is-my-lower-back-sore-all-of-a-sudden kind of way (especially when you've never had back problems before!). I'm fascinated by watching my body change shape. I think it's totally amazing and scary at the same time!

On another note, my lovely Mum bought me this dress from Sussan the other day. Very bump friendly, very 40c summer heatwave friendly! I think I'll be living in maxi dresses this summer...and for once instead of maxi's making me look pregnant, I'll actually be pregnant!

Sorry about the fuzzy photo - but it sure shows my bump :)

much ado about nothing!

2010-10-29T16:10:00.004+10:30

I have had an odd week - started off badly (there were tears - it will make sense soon!), I had a sick day off work and today I had a job interview, of which I only found out about yesterday! It has meant a fairly quiet week in the blogosphere. Along with all of that, I missed our 6 month wedding anniversary on 24 October! What a terrible wifey I am.

But I have given him the best anniversary present of all - will share soon! In the meantime, I wanted to share with you where we got married..... oh how I'd do anything to be back there now...

Lotus House on Magnetic Island, Far North Queensland. Heaven on earth!

The lush pool at Lotus House - where the wedding was held and where L & I stayed whilst on the Island. My Dad jumped into the pool at our reception - it was one of the highlights of our wedding! Everyone still talks about it!

We had our reception here on the lawn area with a marquee (forecast was rain and gee, did it rain!)

Absolutely stunning (and the smokers thought so too!)

We had our ceremony here on the decking instead of on the beach front due to the rain.

It was such a tropical, lush and unforgettable setting!

And I would do it all over again! Have a lovely weekend x

Images - Lotus on Magnetic (c/o Best of Magnetic Island)

yellow in the kitchen

2010-10-25T15:36:00.000+10:30

I have a slight obsession with yellow at the moment. I love how it's been used in this kitchen. I'm not sure I could pull off the use of yellow like they have done here but I think it works great mixed with white and the tan/yellow tones of the floorboards. I admire how some people use colour in such a bold way. Then again, it's only paint so you can always paint over it, right?!

Image - Beckers via Desire to Inspire

i'm lovin...emerald + ella

2010-10-22T11:18:00.001+10:30

You may have seen this online loveliness pop up over the blogosphere lately - Emerald + Ella is my new favourite obsession. Gorgeous name, gorgeous finds for the home and kitchen, including vintage goodies! Ever since I found Amy Moss's use of cherry striped twine for hand sewing I've wanted some myself. I'm thinking I could use it to hand sew more gingerbread men, or use for packaging - especially for Christmas presents.

And I love the bunting as red is my favourite colour...I'm thinking a good way to spruce up a pretty bland white wall in our second bedroom or as a substitute Christmas tree?

I'm off to make some purchases! You can find Emerald + Ella's shop here. Have a great weekend x

(p.s Thank you for your lovely messages from my last post - your kind words made me smile)

Images - Emerald + Ella

be thankful for what you got

2010-10-20T10:49:00.001+10:30

I have had a strange couple of weeks and it has often impacted me in terms of what to write on my blog, and wondering whether I should post anything at all. I have people close to me going through hard times. Put simply, I have had two funerals in two weeks. It certainly puts things into perspective and makes you appreciate what you have in life. And often makes me feel silly for sweating the small stuff. I have some good news I want to share with you all but it doesn't feel right at the moment so I'll have to wait.

That said, there are so many things I'm appreciative of but one I have a cute photo to accompany is .. Lizzy's first bath in our drinks-tub-cum-laundry-basket! (And my, hasn't she grown since I first introduced her here!). Every day I get home from work she greets me like I'm the best thing in her world. And for that, I'm thankful xxx

getting my hobby fill

2010-10-18T12:15:00.000+10:30

Hello friends! I hope you had a lovely weekend. I didn't get anywhere with the Bentwood chair but I got really inspired by Amy Moss and her fantastic blog, Eat Drink Chic. Amy has loads of DIY projects (and free downloads) and one that caught my eye were these gingerbread men.

They are adorable and all that's needed is some fabric, cotton, hobby fill, some patient hand sewing (using a blanket stitch) and voila - here it is! It's not as polished as Amy's but it's a start (the head is slightly wonky like someone has taken a bite out of it, oops!). I gave it to my best friend's 19 month old daughter and she seemed to love it! I used chambray fabric and I really love the button! You can buy these individually from Spotlight, along with the fabric.

I also bought polka dot and pink patterned fabric which I can't wait to use next!

a bentwood work in progress

2010-10-15T12:00:00.001+10:30

This is how far I got on my Bentwood. Really rather pathetic, right?! L took the seat off for me and gave me some bench space in the shed to work on it (which is a small miracle in itself. Never mess with a man's shed...or so I have learnt!). The sanding, which I started last weekend, is going to take a while, then I have to apply primer a couple of times, then the colour which I chose here. Thanks to you guys for helping me decide what to do with it. Now I just have to get cracking on it and stop procrastinating! Yeah! Have a great weekend x

market finds - fabric & paper

2010-10-13T12:04:00.000+10:30

Here are the goodies I picked up at the Bowerbird Bazaar markets on the weekend. Last time, I bought prints from printspace, this time it was about fabrics and paper...

Fabric from Ink & Spindle. I thought they'd look great framed in white Ikea ribba frames. I couldn't go past this yellow (which looks mustard-y in the photo) which works really well contrasted against navy.

Fabric from Cloth Fabric. I picked up a few remnants I could turn into cushions. I'm not usually into pink (funny considering it features in my blog colours a fair bit!) but with chocolate, I think it's a winner!

Cards from Able & Game. I'm going to use these as birthday cards...they give Hallmark a run for their money, don't you think?

I can't wait to get stuck into these fabrics, handy considering I had my first sewing class last night. I seem to start things with the best of intentions but then when it comes down to it I tend to lose motivation. Maybe the idea appeals to me more than actually having to get off my butt and do it. I borrowed a sewing machine I had never set eyes on before, let alone used, so I didn't get to sew. Hopefully at the end of the 5 weeks I'll have something to show you!

bowerbird bazaar weekend

2010-10-12T14:05:00.001+10:30

I was lucky enough to pop into Bowerbird Bazaar on the weekend. I was impressed, yet again! The stalls keep getting better, with lots of local art and design on offer.

Held in the Queens Theatre, an old and beautiful barn -

it's the oldest purpose-built theatre on mainland Australia!

The sea-shell timber light fitting is like a beautiful piece of art

Lovely vintage brooches and retro fabrics

Handmade lamps by 'Feed the Dog' - what a great name!

Tasmanian oak and bamboo chandeliers by 'Who Did That'

I bought a few goodies which I'll post about soon! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Spring has finally arrived here which means beaches, ice creams and sun kissed faces. Bliss!

Dizzy Lizzy had her first beach visit on Sunday but I forgot to get photo evidence! oops

mellow yellow bentwood

2010-10-07T13:49:00.001+10:30

I really hate picking paint colours. I'm scared I'll get it completely wrong and eventhough you can paint over, who wants to spend more time painting? Painting is fun for the first 5 minutes, then it sucks. My husband and I painted our home (with help from family), and a couple of years later repainted our bedroom in one weekend. Both times I wished we'd had the money to pay someone to do it. But, it doesn't quite suck painting a chair, that's fun! I suppose if I get the colour wrong I can paint over the Bentwood quite easily. I quite fancy a slick black Bentwood anyway as I love everything black (I want black walls - L.O.V.E).

I've chosen Taubman's Solar Burst - what do you think? I know the actual colour will differ from how it displays online but I have tried to match it as much as possible with the example here. Now that I've put it out there I've got to make sure I start this project this weekend!

kitchens on my mind

2010-10-05T13:04:00.002+10:30

I have decided I need to get my butt into gear and start thinking about our home renovation. We're hoping to get it off the ground in December - pending council approval! (argh). We are basically opening up the back of our (north facing) house with an open plan kitchen/lounge area. We are also planning a new bathroom and laundry. (Asking for trouble I know!). One thing on my mind is that I have no idea of the finishes or look I want! On a budget, that is.

It will be an L shape kitchen with an island. We need a look that doesn't make the space look smaller. The kitchen and lounge area need to be seamless in order to make the space appear larger than it is. This is what we have to work with - Baltic pine floorboards, relatively high ceilings, galvanised steel Tolix stools and one very handy handy-man!

This photo has done the rounds already but I love it - the use of white, steel and timber. The opening shelving, the contrast of timber accessories against the stainless steel. The display of treasured objects on open shelves. What I'd like for my own kitchen: open shelving, stainless steel splashback (if $$ was no object), timber accessories, ivory/grey paint.

What I'd like for my own kitchen: industrial style lights (above an island), hanging utensils (we have a small alcove like this where we will hide the kettle, toaster etc and I think some hanging utensils or at least a small shelf could be placed in here for coffee, tea, sugar...)

I like the white on white-wall kitchen with black benchtop and use of stainless steel shelving. What I'd like for my own kitchen: the mix of overhead cupboards and open shelving to maximise space and light (our kitchen is north facing), handles with clean lines.

I have posted about our Tolix stools before - the same as in this picture but ours are 65cm high to suit the height of future kitchen island. This picture highlighted to me how great stainless steel finishes look against timber. Very rustic. I like this look and as I have the stools already I think any timber finish would look great with them. An idea: perhaps a (reclaimed) timber benchtop for our island with a white benchtop for the rest of the kitchen? I'll need to find some images where this has been done successfully...

Decisions, decisions. Once we start work on our renovation I will post before, during and after shots but for now, I'll continue to catalog and dream...

Images - via Style Files (2 - by Living etc, 3 - by Mikkel Adsbøl)

irving baby!

2010-09-30T12:15:00.004+09:30

I have always wanted to cover a wall with magazine clippings - it's such a great look, and an affordable one too. A great way to use all those magazines that we seem to accumulate. I have only had the guts to create this look using a framed chipboard (I think I'm worried about chipping off paint and damaging walls). I think Irving Baby! have executed this look really well. Irving Baby! sell original, retro and vintage clothes and accessories and in line with their brand they have used old 1950s/60s vintage newspaper clippings.

If done really well I think this look has the ability to transform a space, or a wall - like in Julie from Olive & Joy's dressing room. I think Julie has nailed it here.

Have you done this or is it something you'd like to try? Real Living have tried it, see here.

I know it's only Thursday but I have an extra long weekend planned. We are taking a road trip to the Grampians in Victoria, we'll be camping and soaking up the fresh air. I have a picnic rug, snacks and the new Real Living so I'm all set! I'll be back Tuesday, till then have a lovely weekend.

bowerbird bazaar

2010-09-29T09:08:00.001+09:30

In Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne it’s The Finders Keepers market. In Adelaide it’s Bowerbird Bazaar – a market for designers and makers alike. Here I interview the founders of Bowerbird Bazaar - Jane Barwick & Rebekah Cichero (thanks ladies!) – to find out what’s going on in the Adelaide design scene…

How did Bowerbird Bazaar come about?

We were both exhibiting interstate (Jane – in-sync design and Rebekah - sprout design) and kept bumping into each other and talking about the fact that Adelaide really didn’t have a high-quality market for designer/makers. Rebekah called me one day and asked shall we organise one? And I said yes!

What was your motivation behind creating Bowerbird Bazaar?

We saw a gap in the market in Adelaide and a need for a selling place for South Australian designer/makers locally, as well as an opportunity for interstate designer/makers to tap into the Adelaide market. We wanted to create an opportunity to promote the makers and invite retailers and media to the event too.

What do you look for when choosing artists and designers to sell their wares at Bowerbird Bazaar?

The design base of the products, presentation, the professional approach to the design and business. Products need to be designed by the applicant and preferably made in Australia.

Do you have any advice for aspiring artists and designers looking to sell their products at local markets such as at Bowerbird Bazaar?

We provide stallholders with a lot of information and support, particularly to those who are emerging and have less experience in both wholesaling and retailing. Join mailing lists so you can be notified when applications open. Accompany an application with good photography. Treat your stall like a temporary shop front, i.e. merchandise well.

What would I expect to find there?

Beautiful products and the chance to meet the makers behind them… Everything from a rug for your floor, cushion for a chair, textiles, furniture, wall art, jewellery, glassware, ceramics, clothing, leather goods, stationery. Wonderful local gourmet food, wine, beer and coffee too! Over 80 stalls.

What has the response been like to Bowerbird Bazaar?

Overwhelmingly positive. There’s a hunger for good design and the venue, a wonderful historic gutted theatre in the CBD, has a character of its own. It’s a great shopping and socialising event. We had 6000 people through in March – and it was only our second event. Many local stallholders are now participating in events interstate.

And...where to from here for the Adelaide design scene?

There’s a large design and artistic scene in Adelaide that’s largely been underground. There’s now a strong platform for designers, makers and artists to promote that work directly to the public and retailers. Adelaide can only be acknowledged more and more as a design town – as a destination to find good design, as well as a place to come to and sell and promote Australian design to a design hungry market. There will be more and more South Australian Design seen interstate now too.

These are some of the great designs on offer - see more at their web site & blog.

The next Bowerbird Bazaar is being held next weekend from 8 - 10 October. If you're in Adelaide you should definitely check them out. I'll be there and hopefully I'll walk away with some goodies to talk about in a later post...

how to revamp a Bentwood

2010-09-27T11:50:00.001+09:30

I have always had a thing for op-shopping, whether it be for clothes and shoes or furniture as I now seem to be obsessed with (although I can never usually find the time for op-shopping or revamping! Is it just me who has this problem?). It must have been one of those lucky days that I decided to check out a junk shop on my way home one day - and sitting outside was this bentwood chair! I knew I had to have it. It was $25 but I got it for $20 - bargain! Now my dilemma is how to revamp it...

I have a few ideas. Here's what I'm thinking (after sanding, and replacing the awful seat):

1. Leave the chair in it's original colour - like this one

2. Paint the chair white, perhaps using Porter's Paints Milk paint (and if I get creative, I'd like to create a cushion insert for the seat using a nice fabric) - like this one here and here

3. Paint the chair a canary yellow - like this one

What do you think? What would you do if you owned this Bentwood?

I look at it every day as it sits in the corner of our bedroom, crying out for me to do something to it, so I'm hoping to for some Monday inspiration..

i'm loving...

2010-09-24T13:08:00.004+09:30

cuff links! This etsy seller makes very cool custom made cuff links so you could get them to make something unique and individual. Like this first set here...I gifted these to L to wear on our wedding day. We got married on Magnetic Island in Far North Queensland and Sherry found vintage maps for me showing the island. Clever huh!

Great for a bike lover or just a lover...

Cuff links with different locations would be a great gift idea for people that come from different countries/cities etc...

Images - Sherry Truitt Studios

Have a lovely weekend everyone! The weather is slowly warming up here and I'm meeting two of my best friends for brunch on Sunday, perfect. I hope yours is too x

shining the spotlight...

2010-09-22T14:28:00.000+09:30

I've been meaning to do this for a while but I have to confess, I was going to do it privately via email. I haven't had this blog for very long and sometimes when I log on (and feeling very nervous that no one out there has seen my posts which often happens!) or am feeling unmotivated I can always count on two people to do two things - 1) make me smile when I see their comments and 2) have made that nervous feeling go away because they have made the time to comment in the first place!

Those two lovely chics are Jaclyn from Little Paper Trees and Nell from On the First Day of Marriage. I haven't been blogging for long but have managed to make two blogger friends which is something I hadn't even considered when I started this blog. Check out their blogs if you haven't already!

These girls are going straight to my blogroll :) So, thanks Jaclyn and Nell for making me feel that there are some pretty cool people out there!

Image - Bespoke Press

beautifully bespoke

2010-09-20T12:37:00.001+09:30

I started this blog last month and doing decor8's Blogging Your Way course is really challenging my ideas and thoughts around my blog and why I'm here. I'm here to write about the beautiful and lovely things I come across .. and stuff in between. Something lovely I wanted to share with you were two prints that I have and love. From Bespoke Press who create gorgeous paper products, I discovered these guys when I was organising my wedding and looking for invitation inspiration.

All handmade in Brisbane and letterpressed with love, their prints are really gorgeous. The first one graces the wall in our bedroom...and the second is a surprise 1st wedding anniversary present for L (here's hoping he doesn't read this). Perfect - traditionally you give 'paper' for the 1st year (I think!). They ship internationally, you can find their shop here, and their blog here.

Images - Bespoke Press

i'm loving...

2010-09-17T15:28:00.002+09:30

...or should I say not loving my wardrobe at the moment! It's supposed to be spring but it's still cold here so I'm still living in my winter gear. I can't wait to start wearing summery tops and dresses and shed the woolen coat. I'm loving these looks for spring/summer - just need to find a way to fund a whole new wardrobe! It's amazing how new clothes can put a spring in your step and make you feel good. Ahhh :)

Images - Copyright Sussan Corporation

tolix tonic

2010-09-15T13:48:00.001+09:30

I have been sick the past week and feeling a bit sorry for myself (that's why I haven't been around much). So sick I forgot to share my excitement about our new Thonet Tolix stools that arrived last week! With wedding money we decided to buy some Tolix stools (we wouldn't have been able to afford them otherwise) which we had been coveting for a while. L.O.V.E is an understatement when it comes to these French stools. This isn't the best photo, and this is our ugly kitchen...you can see why we want to get rid of it soon!

Here are some better photos of the Tolix stool .. also check them out at Viv from ish and chi's kitchen...

Image 2 - Kelly Green Interiors via My Villa Life, Image 3 - Caffe Paparazzi

i'm loving...

2010-09-10T16:06:00.000+09:30

Buenos Aires - oh how I miss you!

We spent 6 weeks in South America for our honeymoon and I fell head-over-heels in love with Buenos Aires. There is not one thing I didn't love about this city! I will post more photos of this amazing city in another post (and can you believe these photos were taken with the iphone Hipstamatic app? too cool). Have a lovely weekend x

reading chair dreaming

2010-09-08T13:39:00.000+09:30

On my 'must have' list for a long long time has been a reading chair. I love to read and figure I need a dedicated reading chair to do it in, instead of reading on the couch (being distracted by the TV) or on the bed (where I'm likely to fall asleep!). I love the idea of having a little reading nook complete with side table, cup of tea and nibbles to devour while reading a good book! So I was inspired to rediscover a book I bought years ago at Aptos Cruz Gallery here in Adelaide. 'Fusion Interiors' explores design and interiors from different cultures around the world. I discovered the book has some pretty cool chairs...in the right setting any one of them would make a good reading chair. For now, I'll keep dreaming of one day finding a perfect reading chair to plonk myself in..

It also showed a gorgeous picture of the late President Kennedy and (then) Jackie Kennedy on the cover of Life magazine - with the title 'Senator Kennedy Goes A-Courting'. So old fashioned! And such a gorgeous photo..

All Images - original photos taken from Fusion Interiors authored by Martin Waller and Dominic Bradbury, published by Andrew Martin.

i'm loving...

2010-09-03T15:06:00.018+09:30

..everything about Michelle from M.A.Belle's home - the stripes, the yellow, the gorgeous red chair and especially the NY print. I.want.that!

Images - Real Living via M.A.Belle

credenza credentials

2010-09-02T15:03:00.003+09:30

The Jam Factory in Adelaide showcases contemporary craft and design by leading and emerging artists and 'makers' and they are without a doubt a local and national institution. I visited them today and discovered an exhibition called 'credenza credentials'. Here is some of the amazing design on show... I love Edward Garcia's piece, it reminds me of mid-century Parker style furniture (and it would sit nicely on the set of Mad Men, don't you think?).

Edward Garcia

Petra de Mooy

Andrew Bartlett

Gareth Brown

Tom Mirams

Michael Penck

All images - Copyright Jam Factory Contemporary Craft and Design and the exhibiting artists

snap!

2010-08-30T13:06:00.007+09:30

It's no secret I love art and I love to buy (affordable) art so we were lucky to be gifted a new painting when we got married. I'm lucky that L and I have very similiar tastes when it comes to aesthetics! Lucky me indeed. The painting is titled 'snap!' by Shane Bowden who was shortlisted for the 2010 Archibald Prize - good for him, and especially good for us! Shane is a self described 'New York schooled expressionist and action style painter'.

Shane Bowden has exhibited all over the world including Paris, New York and London and is collected by the likes of Cindy Crawford and The Killers. Which sounds rather cool but we were taken by this painting before knowing any background info!!

Shane Bowden paints under 5 different 'pseduonyms' to reflect his different styles of painting. Our painting was painted by his alias 'Maggnuss Larrsson'. He sounds like a real eccentric! Check out his bio here. If I could fill every wall in my home with art I would .. I just need more walls!

i'm loving...

2010-08-27T10:47:00.002+09:30

I started this blog as a creative outlet but also to capture the things that make my heart skip a beat (you know, the kind of thing you see that you madly 'want' and convince yourself you 'need'!). So I thought I would dedicate every Friday to things that I'm loving right now. It's a good way for me to capture and share some of the things that may find their way into our home when we renovate, hopefully next year (fingers crossed).
What are you loving right now?

Images 1 & 2 - Urban Outfitters, Image 3 - Whiteport

mellow yellow

2010-08-25T16:43:00.000+09:30

Around the corner from our house is this gorgeous 'golden wattle' tree, which I pass most mornings when I catch the bus (if I'm not walking as we are 1 mile from the city). Apparently this is Australia's national flower, but I love it because of the intense but lush yellow colour. It reminds me of another yellow flower called the 'billy button'...

I fell in love with the billy button and styled most of my wedding around the colour of this flower. We ordered them for my bouquet, the buttonholes and table centrepieces. But having a 'destination wedding' on Magnetic Island in Queensland, and organising a wedding in general, taught me that nothing ever really goes to plan! The day before our wedding I found out they weren't delivered because they weren't available (despite being told the opposite!). It didn't matter in the end as flowers is not what a fabulous wedding makes. Still, with such a cute name I can't help but love the billy button and it's colour which is slowly trying to creep its way into my home...

Images 3 & 4 (I think) - Once Wed

Lizzy on Bentwood on 'Desire to Inspire'

2010-08-24T16:45:00.005+09:30

My girl Lizzy is a star already - she featured on Desire to Inspire's weekly pets on furniture post! Here she is...on my Bentwood chair which I picked up for $20 (it's the chair in my profile pic). It needs a lot of TLC, and so does Lizzy.

(Ahem, I promise this blog won't all be about Lizzy but then again...that's not such a bad thing!).

Dizzy Lizzy

2010-08-23T14:00:00.003+09:30

Say hello to Lizzy - the newest and third member of our family! We got her on Wednesday night. It was all such a whirlwind. We have been looking for a Labrador x Kelpie puppy for a while now. L's wishlist was a black and tan female and on Wednesday afternoon I saw a female Lab x Kelpie advertised in the local paper. 3 and half hours later we went to 'view' her (which consisted of falling in love with her in about 2 seconds flat!) and took her home 5 minutes later. And she was free, can you believe it? We were so smitten that we forgot to ask all the important questions like when she was born and if she had any health issues. She is black and has white/grey on her tummy, her chin and on her paws (we like to call them her socks). Look at her socks/paws, they're quite big for a puppy!

She's already got a couple of nicknames - Dizzy Lizzy, Licky Lizzy and Lazy Lizzy.
Isn't she the cutest thing?!

Aboriginal Art - Ninuku Artist

2010-08-21T20:20:00.003+09:30

I love Aboriginal art, and have for some time so it's a wonder I only have one small piece in my home. I was inspired to show you some photos after Viv from ish and chi showed us photos of her new Aboriginal painting by Jeannie Mills Pwerl. What strikes me about Aboriginal paintings is the strong use of colour such as pinks and oranges. This painting is by Regina Ngamina Davidson, displaying rockhole's from Regina's grandmother's country.

This is definitely my style of Aboriginal art - the dots and the bright colours. I love the orange, the white and the hint of grey coming through really makes the orange 'pop'. I just wish I had more!

Melangerie NYC

2010-08-19T14:34:00.009+09:30

Image courtesy Melangerie Inc

I love the work of Melangerie NYC. I first came across Melangerie when planning my wedding in April this year. Their work is so original and so hip - in that way only New York is capable of! I am totally biased as New York is one of my favourite cities in the world. Their genealogy charts and 'to have and to hold' totes are my favourite. Check them out at their etsy shop here, and also here and here.

Image courtesy Melangerie Inc

Melangerie have also been nominated as a "Best of New York" wedding vendor by bridepop.com in the Invitation, Favor and Gift Category. Support them by voting for them via the following link: http://bridepop.com/contest/wedding-vendors-in-new-york (scroll down to the bottom "New York Wedding Invitations, Favors and Gifts" category).

My vote is in - good luck Melangerie Ladies!

Le Papier Studio Giveaway

2010-08-18T09:36:00.001+09:30

Image courtesy Le Papier Studio

The lovely Vana from Le Papier Studio is giving away gorgeous twine from the clever people at The Twinery. It's not your average twine, they come in luscious colours such as mandarin, lemondrop, peapod and cappuccino. I am dying to get my hands on some of this twine - the only twine I have been able to find is the normal brown/beige twine (which I love) from Bunnings!

To win yourself 1 of 4 spools check out Vana's 'Le Papier Studio' blog post here.

I will be posting about Le Papier Studio's Smitten Sticks in a future post...

Good luck!

honey, i'm home...

2010-08-17T11:26:00.007+09:30

Image courtesy reflexio

I'm finally here (thanks Julie!) and by *here* I mean to a place that gives me a creative outlet for my (often frustrated, always looking for escape) creative soul!

How did I get here? I got married in April 2010 (that's my dress!) and for inspiration I turned to blogs (thanks to my lovely friend P who introduced me to this whole new world). An obsession was born – admittedly a little late compared to other bloggers. Planning a wedding can be a crazy ride but I found it ignited my dormant creative side. Updating (and soon to be – renovating) an inner city 1920s semi has also fuelled that passion for anything art, design and er – shopping!

So why ‘Cocoon & Chic’? Cocoon, because my home is my cocoon and I suspect others feel the same about their homes too. Chic, because everyone needs a little chic in their lives – food, fashion and anything fabulous!

I'm new to blogging (so bear with me) but I hope you can join me for the journey...