Heart Palpitations....

{ for a little more if your heart can stand it, visit here }

OMG, is this not the dreamiest of wedding locations you have ever seen?! I have long followed the Elements of Style blog and now I also stalk this girls life on Instagram where I was first alerted to my dream wedding. As much as I'm happy to be live where I do and be Australian my Mum recently reminded me that I could (should) in fact be American. Hosted by the Grooms parents on their Conneticut estate (I'm sure I'm related somewhere down the line) isn't it the most heavenly thing you've seen. Or is it just me?  ps. LOVING the Bridesmaids and Groomsmens outfits.

The Next Chapter

{ the good life... via here }

Well, I can't believe the month of June has almost passed me by and I have not posted a single blog entry. It's been on the "to do" list for the last 5 weeks and yet nothing! Feeling a tad guilty (but trying not too.... it's not working!).

My new country life is living up to my dreams. It's so good to be away from the stresses of the city and to get back to a more simple way of being. I have wanted to do that for such a long time and needed to do it for even longer. I'm really not missing anything from the city (ok, maybe that the supermarkets are super close) and I can't wait for the exciting adventures in this next chapter.

Watch this space.... good things come to those who wait xox

Last Day!

{ cute image from here }

Well, yesterday was supposed to be my last day in the office but I didn't quite get everything finished. Didn't help that my day started with my car battery being completely dead! So today is my OFFICIAL last day having to be in an office!  Y.A.Y!!! From here on in I will continue my career from the comfort of my home and I'd say for the most part in my trackies!

Vision v. Reality

{ find these and more here }

For as long as I can remember I have been collecting "inspiration" for my dream home. I have scrapbook after scrapbook and a magazine collection to rival any serious hoarder. And now with Pinterest the inspiration just grows on a daily basis. And finally, I am moving into a house where I can bring some of my visions into reality. Although, I have an awful feeling that there may be a fairly significant gap between what I want (ie. need) and what I can actually afford. Damn you $$'s!

1 more sleep....

{ image via pretty stuff tumblr }

Really, I should be a little more excited. You see, tomorrow is my "official" last day in the office. Then it's all about working from home in my new cottage in my new country town. I still feel like I've got soooooooo much to do before I leave that office tomorrow that I don't think it will really hit me until it's finished! In any case, it's an exciting time but mixed with a fair amount of upheaval and change it's also scary, overwhelming and daunting. Fingers (& toes) crossed it all works out for the best!

Ha Ha....

{ who knows where it originated but i found it here }

Can you think of anyone that should have been given this as a youngster? Mmmmmmm, me either!!!

The little things....

{ image from here }

For most of life, nothing wonderful happens. If you don’t enjoy getting up and working and finishing your work and sitting down to a meal with family or friends, then the chances are that you’re not going to be very happy. If someone bases his happiness or unhappiness on major events like a great new job, huge amounts of money, a flawlessly happy marriage or a trip to Paris, that person isn’t going to be happy much of the time. If, on the other hand, happiness depends on a good breakfast, flowers in the yard, a drink or a nap, then we are more likely to live with quite a bit of happiness.

Open House

{ our beautiful home, captured in wide angle to make it look even bigger & better than in real life! }

Well, after 18 years of living in my beautiful sunny apartment it's time for me to move on..... We're moving to our new house in the country in a few weeks and although I'm really excited to be moving to our beautiful cottage in all it's timber panelled glory (and a backyard!) I'm a little sad to be saying goodbye to my city home. I haven't even started packing yet because a) it seems like too massive a task and b) I don't want my home to not look like my home - you know what I mean. As I prepared for our Open House today it's making me even more sad because everything looks so perfect and clean and beautiful when you're preparing to show other people your house. Mmmmmm, time to suck it up and keep moving forward. The only thing to do.

I die!!!

 { my re-discovery of Devon Baer came via matchbook magazine then images via pinterest }

As only the great Rachel Zoe could understand I died and went to fashion heaven when I came across this designer today. I'd actually found an image of hers last Christmas but didn't dig deep enough to find out that this woman 'Devon Baer' and I are kindred spirits! Part of me loves her to bits and another part is just a tiiiiny bit jealous - ok, it's more than a tiny bit. In any case, I understand that these outfits may not be to everyone's taste but to me they are perfection ON EVERY LEVEL....

Roller girls

{ sorry, can't remember where I got these roller girls }

Why is it so hard to do the things you love and not let the other things get in the way? After a very late finish from my "day job" yesterday I was reminded that I need to seriously apply myself to doing what I love as a way of life. No matter what. No amount of money (or whatever it is I do it for ?!?) will take me off course.I must start now.... done!

Happy Saturday xoxo

I woke up this morning to the sun streaming through the window (forgot to close the blinds), a nice clean house and my kitty cat smack bang on top of me. Could life get any better?! With only weeks until I have to pack up my apartment of 18 years and move to my new life in the country I'm savouring every last morning that I wake up in these 4 walls that have seen some of the best and worst of me over the years. As much as I'm excited about our new adventure, I must admit I'm a bit sad and scared at the same time. There's no chance to stop.... just need to keep moving forward x

Dotty duds

{ image via pinterest }

I mean seriously, who could resist a navy and white spotted pair of skinny leg pants! They're from J Crew which previously meant that I couldn't do any damage because they didn't ship to Australia. Well that was until last week. Ka-ching!! I know I should be saving money it's true but I really feel like I'd be a better person if I owned these pants!

Happy B Day to me!

Just got this cute picture via text this morning from my lovely friend Dolly. She knows I love a good pic! Nothing much planned for today - looks like this is going to be an uneventful birthday. I'm slightly depressed by the number but feel a little guilty saying that when every year on planet earth really is a blessing. Enough blabbering... off to work... x

Preppy Poster Girl

{ images found whilst cruising on pinterest! }

OMG, OMG, OMG! I love a bit of preppyness just as much as the next WASP but when I came across these images of Gywnie my heart seriously skipped a beat! I love absolutely everything about these pics. Everything. Dear Gywnie, do you want to be my best friend?

A thankyou pie

{ photo's of the thankyou pie taken by sambo! }

This is just too cute for words!! My hubby is currently staying at my parents house while he is doing some work near where they live. Well, last night he cooked them dinner. A chicken and mushroom pie. Nothing too "special" about that. But then he text me these pictures and I just wanted to give him a big mushy kiss. How cute is he!!

Today I ordered....

{ image via here }

...this book. It caught my eye in a magazine recently and then today I received an email with a special offer. It must be a sign!! And given that I haven't started living a "simple" (read: frugal) life as yet I decided to treat myself and buy it. I'm expecting that it will pay for itself if I apply some of its wisdom!! And it will look pretty on the bookshelf.... tres important! I promise to give a full report when the book arrives but if you're wanting to know more you can visit the blog here (ps. it's not as pretty as the book).

Celebrating the chicks

{ image via a long google search }

It's really only in the last couple of years that I've truly begun to appreciate just how lucky I am to have some amazing girlfriends. Although I don't see my besties all the time they are so loving and supportive and generous with their friendship and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. To old friends and newer one's too, I'm eternally grateful xox

Shame!

{ via David Airey e-newsletter }

Had a little chuckle to myself when I came across this little gem!  It's like someone just read my mind. But seriously, what I want to know is WHEN WILL IT BE BACK IN STOCK??? 4-6 weeks? Do you have a customer service line that I can make a complaint to? Can you put me on a priority waiting list? I'm going to need more information!

I never do that!!!

{ sorry, can't remember who's tumblr page I got this one from. I wasn't thinking at the time!! }

Well, this is the prettiest portrayal of 'over thinking' that I've ever seen. And if you (like me) tend to suffer from over thinking on a daily basis then you'll identify with feeling like your head is exploding. Note to self: must stop over thinking. Why don't I think about that for once!

{ image via the design files }

‘Follow your heart
Trust your Judgement
Do it with joy’

This is the mantra of Sydney based furniture company Koskela.  Their furniture is cool - not necessarily my personal style but cool just the same.  But with a mantra like that, they've got my vote.

Loving.... the new Mulberry campaign

{ images found all over the place, but I'm sure you can find them at Mulberry }

Some visual eye candy today... literally! I'm not sure who is at the helm for Mulberry these days but in my opinion they're doing a great job at breathing new life into what could have become a 'dusty' British brand. Loving this Spring/Summer campaign... makes me want to eat ice-cream.. Oh, and buy Mulberry!

Welcoming a Goddess

{ image of Lakshmi via google }

I don't know about anybody else, but every now and then things keep showing up in my life, I keep seeing certain images etc and the new ager in me knows that I'm being "told" something. When this happens of course I do what any normal person would do and "google it". Well, my latest search has put me onto the Goddess that is Lakshmi - this is what she represents and why I love her. She's just what I needed...

"Because Lakshmi's true mission is to bring eternal happiness to Earth, she helps us find meaningful careers that bring about handsome rewards, including personal fulfillment......... Pressing with your mind to try to make things happen is your greatest barrier and blockage, which can only be overcome when you become convinced that all riches worth having are already manifested within. When you relax with this knowledge and know with certainty that all is taken care of, then all restrictions are lifted completely"

Dear Kate Spade Designers

{ image via kate spade }

I'd very much like a Kate Spade bracelet or watch with 'every cloud has a silver lining' inscribed. Do you make one already? Over here in Oz I have to rely on getting my Kate Spade fix very sporadically, mostly through blogs and your website. Actually, that's another thing I'd like. How about our very own Kate Spade store in Sydney? 


You see, yesterday I had my very own 'cloud with a silver lining moment'.... or another way to put it is that I put something out to the universe and it totally delivered, as it does when something is 'meant to be'..... 

Big changes are a coming....

 { image via pinterest }

One of my very dear girlfriends sent me a quote this morning and I thought I'd share it just in case anyone reading this blog either today or in the future needs a bit of a push in the right direction. Here it is..... "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined".

Tea?

{ image found here }

I'm looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend drinking lots of tea with my Mum. Just stumbled across this image this morning and it made me so happy!  Love her outfit!! Makes me want to get skinnier legs.... Mmmmm, must start exercising next week. I've been putting it off for way too long. And don't even get me started on that top.... love, love, love it!.... Oh, and the teacup, and her hair.... OK, enough. Happy Friday xoxo

Random....

{for more random but cool images, click here }

One of the great things about Pinterest (have I mentioned how much I LOVE Pinterest!!) is that you can 'like' stuff without categorising it on one of your boards. It's a place for those random images that you 'like' but don't really have a home for. I've got heaps of them. Sometimes there's something about an image that draws you to it. Sometimes I don't even like the whole image but just a part of it. Well today I'm sharing some of the random ones from my 'likes' page.

I'm in looooove.....

{ i found these at grandyart.com }

OMG, how AMAZING are these artworks by Georgia Fiennes. It would be so cool to have all 3 but if I had to choose a favourite I'd probably go with the top one. Who can resist a puppy with a striped ribbon & a bird cage with pom pom's?? Not me!!! 

A Happy Anniversary xox

 { just as we were leaving...... do we really have to come back to the 'real world'???.... uggggh }

 { this pic was taken just as you stepped out of our room. can you get a sense of the divineness!! }

 { a little anniversary pressie from my mum & dad. so cute! }

Today is our 2nd wedding anniversary and to celebrate we took ourselves off for a romantic weekend to a beautiful place called 'Woodbyne'. It was heaven. Woodbyne is my new favourite place in the "whole wide world"....No exaggeration!!! I must have said that about a thousand times over the 2 days we were there. It was just too divine for words. It was so much fun - just how life should be....

Soft....

{ you can find these & more pretty images at my pinterest board here }

This week has been too crazy, busy, stressful for my liking and I feel the need to retreat and just look at things that are soft... and pretty.... and make me happy. Happy Friday friends xx

Monogram me!

{images via pinterest. The top one is Lily Pulitizer.. swoon! }

I'm in monogram mode at the mo'! Coming up to our 2nd wedding anniversary and I think it's high time I started monograming various household items. Only problem is the monogram I designed for our wedding invitations doesn't really translate to a suitable style for pillowcases etc so may have to come up with something new/different.... Add it to the 'to do' list...... xoxo

Missing Kitty

{ this is not our kitty but I found him at alinakaras tumblr & couldn't resist }

Our little kitty kat 'Arthur' is having a holiday with his grandparents in the Highlands this week and we have been missing him terribly!! I know he's a cat (not a child) but he is like our little baby and it's so strange when he's not here. Even though he has got a major attitude and for the most part doesn't want a lot to do with us when he is here (if you've got a cat you'll know what I'm talking about!) I miss the little guy and can't wait to give him a big fat cuddle (he HATES cuddles!!!!)  xx