Irresistible Tessuti fabrics

Tessuti fabrics is based in Melbourne and Sydney Australia and is home to the world's most beautiful designer fabrics including top European, Australian and New Zealand designers and manufacturers.

As I'm currently on the lookout for fabric to make my arty crafty bag I of course had to visit the Tessuti online fabric shop.

I've fallen in love with this gorgous Japanese cotton fabric called 'Osaka Sand Bloom'. I love the colours, its texture, everything! I'm not sure however it's my 'bag' material, but I think I'll have to grab some of this one anyway and find a good use for it. Any suggestions?

Pretty Maxi Dress

This pretty Ted Baker Butterfly Print Maxi Dress at ASOS would be perfect this Spring for date night, don't you think? ...or Autumn at the Sunshine Coast, 'cos it's still warm there!

Hamm and Bublé

Whilst listening to Michael Bublé today on Pandora, I was reminded of the SNL skit he and John Hamm did together a little while back!  It was an absolute blast to watch!  Enjoy!

Brisbane - Brooklyn - One Photo - Each Day

I discovered 9626 Deventures today. It's a blog where cousins Anna and Anoushka, who live on opposite sides of the world (i.e. Brisbane and Brooklyn), each day post photos on an agreed topic. For example the topic for the photos above was 'Feet'. They describe their blog as: Brisbane - Brooklyn - One Photo - Each Day.

There are obvious parallels between our 365 days project and what Anna and Anoushka are doing, firstly they are in the US and Australia (like us) and secondly they aim to take a photo everyday (like us). However, I love their concept of setting a topic for the day and then interpreting it into photography. I'll definitely be checking in often to see what's new.

The perfect hair accessory

Recently I found the hair dresser of my dreams!  She did the simplest thing with my hair - changed the way it parted and voila!  Was such a lovely change!  Since then, I have been looking for some irresistible little hair pins and discovered this mini bobby pin on Etsy by Babetteworld.  She makes lovely little pieces, don't you think?

Arty crafty bags

I was inspired today while in the little Buderim book nook, by a whole range of books that were about getting crafty and making all sorts of things from recycled books to aprons to cushion covers.

One thing I really want to do is make a bag for myself and one of my inspirations is Amy Butler. She has the most gorgeous fabrics and I love her patterns. It just remains for me to dust off my very creaky sewing skills, find a pattern, source some delicious fabric and go for it!

Watch this space.

Cute little birdy

I am loving everything cute and birdy at the moment!  How cute is this little birdy necklace from FreshlyFig from Etsy? 

Eye *heart* DuWop eyecatchers...

I just wanted to share this gorgeous eye shadow that I was lucky to find the other day.  They are called "eyecatcher shadows" from DuWop and they are amazing.  DuWop explain:

"These stunning eye colors contain a matte shade that directly contrasts the color of the iris using basic color theory. The other side contains a shimmering mosaic of shadows that match the iris, creating the ultimate eye-enhancing duo. This combination brings out the blue in blue eyes, the green in green eyes and the golden tones of brown eyes"

I have blue eyes, bought the blue eye intensifier, wore it today to meet my Husband for lunch (which in itself was a rare and lovely treat) and he was quite complimentary!  What is your current favourite make-up/beauty item?

Darling recipe card and box set

Check out this adorable little recipe card and box set from Etsy seller 1canoe2.  I love everything about this from the cute font letterpressed onto the 'recycled French Paper'.  Wouldn't this be lovely to write your favourite recipes from your Mother or Grandmother, then use and hand down to future generations?

Cute lunch carrier

These are the cutest lunch bag carriers and I instantly wanted one of these badly! Pity I work from home. They are made by Built and called the Gourmet Getaway lunch tote. Check out all the different patterns and types of bags you can get. *Love*

Birthday Cup Cake Stand

This cute little happy birthday cupcake stand is a lovely way "to make a little treat special".  And you all know how we love our cupcakes!  Too cute!

Babycino

My sister and her family are staying with us this weekend and this morning we went out for coffee together. I thought that my little nephew was so cute with his babycino I had to take a photo. Just gorgeous!

Wooden hanging

I was visiting my mother-in-law at her new house which is in the middle of a lovely tropical garden, and just outside the the deck area there is this wooden hanging. I've known them for 10 years or more and since that time, this little wooden hanging has been around. It was a little reminder of how lucky I was to discover my lovely husband almost a decade ago. Time flies!

Date night discovery: Restaurant Chez Claude

Last night, we had a spontaneous date night. Mostly because I didn't feel like cooking! However, there is a little french restaurant just down the road from our house that I've been wanting to go to for a while.

There were only two seats left when I rang to book (the phone was answered in french), so I knew it was meant to be! And it was an absolutely delightful experience. The food was market fresh, sourced locally and cooked to perfection by french chef and owner Claude Faullimmel and our waiter was just the right amount of friendly.

Inside it was very cosy with lots of french prints and photography on the terracotta walls. Feeling very European, we ordered a carafe (see the pottery one above) of award winning New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (not very European of us) to complement our very reasonably priced three course meal.

If you visit the Sunshine Coast, Australia, or live close by, I highly recommend you experience Restaurant Chez Claude in Woombye.

Cup Cake Number 15

Guess what I'm making this afternoon?

Thanks to Ming Makes Cupcakes (Via A Cup of Jo)

Oh Mimco, how you tempt me so...

Best.Cuff.Ever!  As Mimco explains, "Evoking the kitsch element to vintage Marilyn Monroe styling, the Overblown Rose Cuff combines jet and mixed acetate with jet Swarovski crystals on a jet cuff.  Combines serious glamour with a sense of light hearted fun!"

And as my husband said in response to my "send a hint" email, "That is MASSIVE.  I need to see it ON someone...for $129 it better be as big as my face!  It's just plastic, Mimco!!!"

I like how Tina Fey explained it in the VOGUE USA March 2010 article called Miss Tina Regrets by Jonathan Van Meter, "I think women dress for other women to let them know what their deal is.  Because if women were only dressing for men, there would be nothing but Victoria's Secret.  There would be no Dior."

I *heart* icecream

Look at these amazing vanilla bean icecream chocolate sandwiches I found on Tartlette! Apart from the mouth wateringness that is the subject matter, the photography is so irresistibley lovely that I just had to share this with you. And the best thing is that Tartlette includes a recipe so you can make this too. I've never made icecream before, but this is certainly inspirational material.

Discovering kids

Parenting, as I have found out, is a daily journey of discovery. Once again being able to experience the beautiful moments in life that often, as adults, we forget to appreciate or just don't see.

It was raining yesterday and my almost 3 year old, Alex, jumped out of the car so excited to be running out in the rain and splashing in puddles. He constantly takes off his shoes when playing to feel of sand in his toes and he loves nothing better than sitting at the park and just watching the ducks and turtles.

He loves eating watermelon and iceblocks, loves the taste of chocolate (who doesn't), is fascinated watching ants as the scurry along, runs madly after birds yelling 'shoo birds', and gets very excited about seeing the horses with his Greffy and Grammy and going for walks with his Aunty Amy to feed the ducks.

One of my discoveries as a parent is that everyday, I am shown the wonder and the beauty in the little things I would often miss.

Cup of Tea anyone?

My husband and I were first introduced to Ceramika Artystyczna, beautifully painted Polish pottery a few weeks ago.  We were visiting this cute little town that had this amazing kitchen shop that displayed these beautiful pieces of artwork!  Don't you love the beautiful floral designs of the pieces?  Cup of tea anyone?

The perfect Spring/Autumn boyfriend blazer

I love this blazer - it's perfect for the seasonal changes no matter where you are in the world.  Just as it's getting warmer (for me), or cooler (for Amy), it's light enough for that Spring/Autumn weather!  Perhaps, it would even look great with skinny jeans and these? {Any excuse for irresistible mimco shoes} 

Solar String Lights

Spring is finally here, and I have been inspired to update our little outdoor area!  My favourite addition to date are our solar string lights!  They cast the softest glow, and the best thing is they are powered naturally via the sun.  It's lovely to sit outside just after dusk and enjoy the weather with a glass of wine under the pretty string lights!

Gorgeous colours

I discovered this beautiful illustration on the Pink Blossom Tree blog. I just love these colours. A series of greeting cards is being planned based on Pink Blossom Tree's new illustration series. I can't wait til they come out.

Floating eggs

Before cracking any egg open I absolutely have to see if it floats or not. If it floats - it's rotten and gets thrown away. If it sinks - then it's fine and ready to use! Much better than cracking open a smelly egg, don't you think?

Pretty Pansies

My husband and I were out for lunch and walked past these beautiful flower beds with all these mini pansies!  The colours were so pretty and vibrant against the concrete surroundings, it made me smile!  Now I hope to plant some in our garden!

{Irresistible} Aprons are a must!

If you're anything like I am when baking/cooking, aprons are a must-have!  I'm loving this apron from Anthropologie at the moment!  All their aprons are super cute, very flattering and serve their purpose with a bit of class!

Tea and cookies

Tonight I'm enjoying a cup of chamomile tea and freshly made oat cookies. I recently discovered the below recipe which is really yummy as well as being relatively healthy. Just perfect and I'm already looking forward to morning tea tomorrow morning!

Ingredients

1 cup (150g) plain or gluten free flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup quick cooking oats, uncooked

¼ cup dried apricots or sultanas

¼ cup dates, finely chopped

1/3 cup lite dessicated coconut(optional)

1/3 cup (80g) brown sugar firmly packed or raw sugar

1 tablespoon each of golden syrup and honey, warmed in microwave for 15 -30 seconds until runny

1 tablespoon canola or olive oil

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla essence or 1 teaspoon each vanilla and coconut essence

Step1

Preheat oven to 190 C. Spray a large non stick baking tray with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients and mix well.

Step 2

Then mix together the warmed syrup and honey , oil, egg and essence. Add the wet to dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

Step 3

Using wet hands shape tablespoons of the mix into balls and flatten with a fork, placing on tray with 2 cm between each. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool on tray.

Recipe source: www.guyleechfitness.com

Looking for the next view

One of the greatest things about travel is coming across an amazing view that you wouldn't find anywhere else. I think this is what stirs the 'travel bug' and makes finding the next new vista so irresistible.

This is a view across Lake Wanaka in the South Island of New Zealand. There's something about the crispness of the winter air (it was taken in July) that makes every photo I took during that trip look too good to be true!

So Tweet...

Maybe it is because of Twitter, or maybe they're just so darn cute, but I'm loving anything with birds and owls at the moment!

You're So Tweet Notecard Set With Darling Birds

From ChrissyWatson on Etsy - 12 A1 Blank You're So Tweet Notecard Set With Darling Birds

Just Darling!

Wanna dance?

Happy Friday everyone!


Janelle Monae Tightrope ft. Big Boi [OFFICIAL VIDEO]!

Doesn't this just make you wanna dance? Love it!

Have a great weekend!

I. LOVE. MIMCO.

Shoes never really got me interested.  Until now.  These new shoes from Mimco have got my heart pounding!  Tan/Camel/Nude coloured shoes are on my radar at the moment, and I can't get enough of them!

My top two contenders: 

Mimco "Nude Mix" 

Cole Haan's "ot air pumps in pumice".

These would look fantastic with jeans or a pretty dress, don't you think?