a change of pace today…
after a couple of days spent trying to right the world’s wrongs i’m in the mood for a little whimsy!
& these lights seem to fit the bill rather nicely!
a weekend in hurley {the olde bell}: part two…
there’s a point at which, having had so many things go awry, a given situation can turn from infuriating to comical…
i’m pleased to say i got there by day three of our stay at the olde bell…
i could eventually see the humour in punting on the success rate of various things we ordered actually turning up {with some startling accuracy on my part dare i say!}…
& hearing a plethora of fellow guests muttering under their breath in exasperation eventually brought a smile to my lips instead of further fuelling the flames of anger that were ferociously flambéing my own innards…
there was even a point where my disappointment turned to compassion because, at the end of the day, i get what they’re trying to achieve here &, quite frankly, it’s commendable…
a weekend in hurley {the olde bell}: part one…
there’s something smugly satisfying about finally being rewarded with something you’ve long denied yourself…
the only problem being that the very same anticipation & excitement this creates can ultimately lead to a similar level of disappointment…
case in point, our recent pilgrimage to the olde bell…
finding inspiration {bunnies}…
explorers, all of us {happy friday}…
we’re off exploring the english countryside this long weekend & little would please me more than to stumble upon a cinematic classic being projected onto the back of a barn in the middle of seemingly nowhere {providing i had my fully-stocked picnic basket in hand, that is}…
this, my friends, is my idea of heaven…
happy weekend all…
image by tim walker via: georgina graham
just because {textural landscapes}…
because sometimes it’s the simplest of spaces & the quietest of palettes that take my breath away…
image via: edelkoort
quirky finds {my source book}…
i feel like i’m witnessing a bit of a phenomena of late: the rise of the quirky homewares store…
& i’m not complaining…
for far too long department stores have dominated the market, quashing everything in their wake…
& i don’t think i’m alone in thinking most high street chains have had their day too: that endless stream of same ol’ same ol’ instantaneously sucks any creativity from my veins…
hence, for me, the lure of the flea market, car boot sales & op shops & hence why i’m always chuffed to find a new source {be it online or bricks & mortar} to add to my source book…
here are a few of my current favourite haunts in my search for quirky finds…
holly’s house: i’m a little spoilt with this one: walking distance from my house, i dare say i find myself popping in here with stalker-like frequency… there’s always the heady scent of a nearby candle filling the air & enough eye candy on the walls, floors & hanging from the ceilings to keep me coming back {i think the photo above was taken a while ago as it’s full to the brim with stock these days}… i’ve had my eagle eye on their ornate circus mirrors for a while & i felt a quick intake of breath when i discovered they also stock this range of japanese brass ware which, until now, i’ve had to covet from the confines of my computer… their brickett davda crockery selection is also a firm favourite!
abigail ahern: ok, admittedly i’ve been banging on about this lady for eons now, but she’s positively still worth the mention as this is pretty much where it all started for me… i still find myself doing laps of the room every time i venture to this upper street venue & the stock is updated often enough to keep me going back despite the long schlep across town… abigail has an unrivalled eye for outlandish pieces, but it’s her upscaled elements which really win my heart: her super-sized lighting {like this chandelier & this floor lamp} & mirrors {a long time fave & a new contender} are complete game changers in my eyes…
bitten london: newly launched, this is the love child of sassy fellow-blogger fay vowell… i’d only just discovered fay’s blog late last year when she suddenly leapt off the radar & i thought we’d lost her forever to the lure of travels abroad… turns out she’s been busy pulling together an eclectic array of homewares for her latest online venture… with fay’s hunger for creating “gobsmackingly WOW” pieces, i’ll be watching this new venture very closely indeed!
rockett st george: ok, another shop that has been on my radar for some years now, but this online emporium still has pulling power & keeps things fresh with an ever-changing stock… i’m particularly taken with their extensive selection of lights, wallpapers & quirky home accessories like this bear table {which reminds me of a piece my brother once made in art class} & they’re also cultivating a covetable furniture section which incorporates some vintage pieces too… these guys really do have their finger on the pulse…
& finally…
this one is so new it hasn’t even launched yet!
phoenix & fox: fellow klc alumni sam lennie & kelly sparkes have pooled their talents to bring us this new online collaboration… & from the glimpses i’ve been privy to from their blog i’d say their soon-to-be launched boutique holds much promise indeed! shaggy sheepskins, industrial tables & rustic wooden stools: this is my vibe down to a tee! congratulations ladies!
happy days!
formulating a plan {our new home}…
i’ve been up half the night formulating a plan: a house plan that is!
it’s yet another iteration of the same floor plan we submitted to our architect months ago for him to base some drawings on before we left for australia…
the same plan we walked through with him whilst back home & the same plan i’ve been pondering ever since our trip, trying to resolve some niggling issues in my head {it seems entrance ways & staircases are the thieves of my dreams}…
but first things first…
a little piece of home {new art}…
last saturday i finally persuaded my other half to accompany me to pick up some artwork which i’d long-since dropped off for framing…
we picked up two pieces, one of which i thought i’d share with you today…
this piece, entitled bush medicine dreaming by aboriginal artist jeannie petyarre, was a birthday present from my mum…
i’d be lying if i claimed to be even notionally educated in the nuances of aboriginal art {though i did find this article interesting}: like anything else, i simply buy what i love…
& i love this…
but aboriginal art wasn’t always my thing…
growing up in brisbane in the 70s & 80s {ie, long before the internet}, aboriginal artwork for me meant one of two things: either cave art in bold, earthy colours depicting scenes of daily life {eg, hunting, etc}, or brightly-painted native animals &/or landscapes adorning boomerangs, didgeridoos, teatowels, ashtrays & other such touristic souvenirs…
both well & good, just not my cup of tea…
but then, many years later, my whole perspective changed…
i came across an article in an interiors magazine where the home owner had installed a giant black & white aboriginal painting into his seaside home…
i remember it distinctly: there was such simplicity in the individual brush strokes & yet combined they made the whole canvas come alive with an energy & sense of movement akin to a swathe of fabric billowing back & forth in a gentle breeze…
i never knew this genre of artwork could be so subtle & yet so powerful: i was mesmerised & vowed to one day track down something similar…
& eventually i did: hailing from the utopia region in central australia, jeannie petyarre‘s paintings primarily focus around a variety of local leaves used in traditional bush medicines…
her work is both simple & striking & captures the very essence of everything i loved about that first black & white canvas i fell in love with all those years ago…
as my canvas is relatively small {only 60cm x 60cm}, i decided to give it a little more presence {& simultaneously protect it from the inevitable deluge of knocks, drops & beatings it will have to endure in my home} & had it framed in a tray setting…
the original canvas is stretched around a wooden frame & this, in turn, is then mounted inside a second, outer frame: a small gutter {approx. 1-2cm} between the canvas and outer wooden frame gives the appearance that the artwork is actually floating inside…
one day i hope to add to my budding collection of aboriginal art, but for now this canvas has already been elevated to one of my favourite pieces in our home…
well worth the wait!
the sunday nook {too much heaven on my mind}…
forgive me for i have sinned: i’ve been a little over-indulgent in my ecclesiastical pursuits of late & have church conversions on the brain…
i’ll repent later, i’m sure, but for now at least do feast your eyes on this beauty…
this lovely nook, which i fondly refer to as the jesus lounge, has my interest well & truly piqued…
though i’d not considered it before, i’ve discovered i’m not entirely averse to introducing a little modern, masculine edge into my places of worship…
& this plump, leather lounge seat juxtaposed with that expanse of delicate lead light windows is just the thing…
i dare say i’d be forced to make a few tweaks here & there {coffee table out, some well-placed greenery in}, but the bones are decidedly good, no?!?
{ps, stay tuned for more posts on this conversion later this week}!
image via: homedit
