envy.

This post is top-secret. So much so that I can only show you half a picture.
A friend of mine is just about to open her own store. How exciting! I am just so happy for her, what an achievement when we are still so young (well I like to think we're still young anyway!). I am also just as happy because I got to work with her on the shop logo design, and very very soon we can unveil it! It was so much fun working on the project, my friend *Melody (we shall call her) really let the creativity run wild with ideas. She wanted a chic rustic look to reflect the kind of style shoppers can find inside her store. Also with a modern colour palette. I can't wait to stand front row at her opening in the next couple of months!

the grates.

A very short post today. But I have to express my MUCH LOVE for The Grates, which I had an amazing time seeing last Saturday night at the Uni Bar (one of Adelaide's best gig venues in my opinion!). Once a 3-piece band, the now twesome have just released their 3rd album "Secret Rituals". Their live set was a great mitxure of the golden oldies and the fab newbies, and my friend Kenny and I didn't stop dancing all night! Just amazing!! xx

 

wishful wednesday's.

I'm a avid wishful thinker, but not wishful in the way that I'm completely unrealistic about it. My wishful thinking is simply about exploring the options. Some days I've gone from wanting to visit Vietnam, to buying a house in the hills, to starting a business turning thrift clothes into everyday household items. Just imagine, a hot-water bottle cover made from a turtle-neck wool jumper, how cosy would that be!
So in honor of my often distracting and hard to keep-up-with train of thought, I will be dedicating every Wednesday's blog posts to wishful thinking.

Today's wishful Wednesday is about.... opening a Tea Parlour.

While I was travelling last year, I had a few days to myself in London which was spent wondering the streets. On one of the days, I popped into Harrods, and amongst the fabulous restaurants and cafes in the food level I found Lauree. It was a jaw-dropping site, a french inspired tea room with the most exquisite furniture and decor, like something straight from a Palace.
When I recently read about a tea parlour opening in Sydney, I started to ponder the thought of opening something similar in Adelaide, or somewhere regional like the Barossa. Since tea parlours have such a rich history (Lauree was opened in the late 1800's!), a vintage theme would work so well. A decor much like a grandma's lounge room - china plates, patterened table covers, brass candeliers, fresh flowers. Plus I've grown up with a love for tea and scones, no matter where in the world you are, if there are tea and scones on the menu you can feel right at home. Partnered with french delicacies and original Australian Women's Weekly recipes (hedgehog slice, strawberry spongecage, lamingtons), and a range of tea blends from all over the world. It would be a dream space to be surrounded in every day!

Laduree in Harrods, London. Even the napkins were stunning!

Tea Parlour, Sydney. My ideal vintage inspired decor. Odd matching plates and crockery, wall hangings, French-inspired furniture!

Victoria Room, Sydney. I love the idea of dressing up in your Sunday best for an afternoon at the tea room.

Thanks to fellow bloggers for some images:

Sunday Collector

inspiration for elle.

A friend of mine, Elle, has asked me to design her 21st invites. I only met Elle a few months ago, but she is such a ball of fun I instantly fell in "friendship" with her! The party style is conversative, with a black and white theme. I am yet to start on my design concepts for her invites, however in the meantime I wanted to share some inspiration for party designs. So Miss Elle, here you go....

 




Images from top:
1. Style your outdoor party with funky lighting, colour-themed furniture, and funky decor.
2. Set up your guest seating with some flair, add coloured chairs, some chandeliers, and table decor to match.
3. A funky nightime party can look just as great during the day with the right decor style. Add some personalised party decor to your ornaments and vases.
4. A nightime party feel indoors. I love the black and white striped cushions!
5. Go all out with themed desserts, complete with labels and table cards matching your invitation theme.
6. Wow your guests with personalised wine labels!
7. Themed food and drinks will add some flair and originality to your party.
8. Create a 21st photo board with a difference, not just photos and funny taglines, but a display of important years in your life so far.
9. I love blackboards in any occasion....and they're black!

beer tasting.

Next year my hub Simon turns 30, yep 30! We are entering a whole new era, soon we'll both be 30-somethings still living week by week, storing our fridge only with the necessities, attending Sunday family lunches with sore heads, charging our credit cards when our bank accounts run low, and sleeping in on weekends! Peter Pan and Wendy would be so proud.
Apart from the growing up factor of turning 30, there is the party factor. We've been talking about party ideas for a while now, even more since going to a friends 30th last year themed "W" for Will. Before that, we thought 30th birthdays were just a sad goodbye to your twenties, and preferred to ignore it all together. However thanks to the inspiration of our friend Will, who took 30 by the hands and shaked it up and down all night on the dance-floor, we will celebrate 30th birthdays with much anticipation.
A few ideas have been thrown around for Simon's 30th; hiring out a lawn bowls and sell beer at 1982 prices is our favourite to date. That was until I came across the beer tasting challenge. Perfect for Simon, who let's just say would sacrifice his first born for a cold beer! I especially love the idea of a tasting card, to record your preferences of beer as a star rating. Although I think for health-sake, and event like this should definitely start in the afternoon so guests have plenty of time to taste each beer!

St Patricks theme styling by White Library.

a "tootin" birthday.

I have been planning for a couple of months now to add "party theming" to my design collection. Being an enthused party planner on many occasions, I saw an opportunity to combine events and design and decided to roll with it. About 12 hours before my nephews 1st birthday (last Saturday) I decided to test out some party theming ideas. With a little 'market research', a theme was born for my first test-run - owls!

Okay, so the theme doesn't exactly fit with the fact that the party was at a railway museum in town, but hey I was coming up with these ideas at 2am in the morning, so I did my best. The venue was inside an old train they had converted into a cafe, and the kids got to ride the steam train as many times as they wanted. Alec's first birthday (a train-cake) was yummy-licious too! A great day out!

My sis, me, and my older bro.

warm winter.

Well, Winter, your not so bad after all. Today is the second day of our coldest season, and we have been treated with sunshine and clear skies both days. I wouldn't mind it at all if it decided to stay this way, even when I have a wardrobe of new coats to wear. As I was driving to see my Nan today (who has just moved into a nursing home in the eastern suburbs, although nursing mansion probably describes it better), I noticed there were autumn leaves still falling from roadside trees. The leaves were a burnt orange colour, and the trees were still full of them. Perhaps our seasons are running a bit late this year, something I can relate to well. For some reason, sunny Autumn weather always makes me think of garden weddings. Today would be a perfect day for a wedding. Brides shouldn't be so quick to rule out an early Winter for their wedding date, it might be a risk, but any time of year is these days.  Check out some great Autumn-inspired wedding ideas I've come across...

Inspiration from: Style Me Pretty, Ruffled