Inspiration

Love at first Site

2011-09-27T09:49:00.000+10:00

TRY

www.ikeahackers.net

A worldwide network of clever people who personalise their Ikea purchases and post the results online. You will be amazed at what they do.

www.sayyestohoboken.com

Liz Stanley's charming blog features quick and delicious recipes, fashion and craft ideas - from sewing pockets into dresses to decorating glass jars.

BUY

www.shophorne.com

An American mecca of unique , style driven homewares.

www.fatherrabbit.com

This New Zealand based site has beautiful, vintage inspired treasures such as tin measuring cups, linen and gardening tools and much more.

BE INSPIRED

www.apartmenttherapy.com

If you are stuck with a small space bookmark this site, make yourself a cup of tea and spend hours ogling stunning departments in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and beyond.

www.delightsbydesign.blogspot.com

This blog features gorgeous photography of homes from around the world - original design ideas, products and upcoming trends.

Courtney Cox's new home

2011-07-08T17:08:00.002+10:00

Well it's been a while since I have been inspired clearly! However, now I am looking for some interior inspiration.

I saw these pictures of Courtney Cox's new home in LA in Elle Interior and I really love the simplicity and spohistication of the design (all her own doing apprently). Grey, white and black are my new colours too so I thought I might borrow a few of her ideas... what do you think?

Do you like it or do you think it lacks a little personality and colour?

Happy

2011-01-26T17:35:00.000+11:00

Australia Day!

Melbourne definitely inspires me.

I spent it at St Kilda, It is something else. An inner city suburb, with its own beach, fun park, theatres and the best cafes and shops around. Enjoy some photos.

My new neighbourhood

2011-01-16T10:56:00.006+11:00

My new neighbourhood for the next three months is in an inner city suburb of Melbourne, the second largest city in Australia.

The suburb contains an eclectic mix of expensively converted warehouse residences, public housing high-rise flats and Victorian-era terrace houses, along with a lively retail sector. The suburb has a vibrant and popular Little Saigon area just around the corner from where I live where there are small fruit and vegetable markets and many Vietnamese restaurants and grocery stores.

Here are some photos of my neighbourhood. 2011 is the year I have set aside for living differently and while its stretching me and pushing me outside my comfort zone its exactly the mid-life change I need and will expand my horizons in a positive way.

Click to enlarge

1. The side lane where I live. 2. In a converted warehouse at the end of the lane 3-8. Which is an amazingly quiet and peaceful place to live 9. Here, you walk everywhere or take trams. Luckily this tram stop is at the end of the laneway. It takes me to some of the best shopping districts I have ever seen. No doubt I will be fitter and poorer after this stay.10. One street away from where I live is Little Saigon, where I am being educated .....and confronted.....on many, many levels.

Oh the shopping in Fitzroy....

2011-01-12T12:48:00.000+11:00

Fitzroy is home to Melbourne's bohemian culture. Its streets contain an edgy mix of alternative, artistic and trendy elements.

Colour of 2011

2010-12-10T21:07:00.007+11:00

"Honeysuckle" is the color of 2011 chosen by Pantone Color Institute, the research arm of Pantone Inc., the company that largely sets color standards for the fashion and home industries.

So what colour is Honesuckle?

Really lovely! Now if I can only give up wearing mainly white, black and grey I might give it a try.

What do you think?

Lofty heights

2010-05-07T18:52:00.028+10:00

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Jane Fonda is selling her gorgeous loft in Atlanta given she has resumed her acting career in Los Angeles.

I just LOVE this loft. It's so feminine, curvaceous and timeless. Totally my cup of tea, and I would move in tomorrow, just a shame about the seven figure price tag....

To die for

2010-05-06T12:19:00.005+10:00

It's been a while but I had to post this recipe. Easy and so delicious.

Pavlova

Recipe courtesy of Donna Hay

Ingedients:

150ml egg white (approximately 4 eggs) 1 cup (220g) caster (superfine) sugar 2 tablespoons corn flour (corn starch), sifted 2 teaspoons white vinegar.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F).

2. Place the eggwhite in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, whisking well, until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Add the cornflour and vinegar and whisk until just combined. Shape the mixture into an 18cm round on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper.

3. Reduce oven to 120°C (250°F) and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and allow the pavlova to cool completely in the oven.

4. Decorate with your desired toppings

Eating well for health

2009-09-13T15:57:00.006+10:00

I have just been reading and rereading Andrew Weil's essential guide to nutrition called Eating well for optimum Health and, what can I say, I was so inspired that I have planted a vegetable garden. Most unlike me.

This is probably proof that this man can seriously affect your health and inspire readers to take control of their nutrition. This is the first book I have read about nutrition that makes sense to me. I am a bit slow to join the organic brigade (my own parents were there 40 years before me and my daughter is very conscious about the food she eats) but it seems incredibly satisfying to know exactly what I am now eating and why (yes the book scared me given the amount of pesticides and hormones now included in our food which has dire consequences for our health).

However, while I have the fruit and vegetables taken care of, I am not sure I will be adding chickens, a cow or a lamb any time soon. But, stranger things have happened I guess.

What about you do you have a vegetable garden? Do you buy organic produce? Are you into nutrition or do you think its all about balance.

Slumber time

2009-08-06T23:06:00.002+10:00

I love luxury bed linen, mainly white linen. My two favourite stores are the White Company and Brocade.

Goop

2009-07-04T14:11:00.005+10:00

If you are looking for some inspiration, sign up to Gwyneth Paltrow's newsletter. Yes, I am serious. She writes about things you can do, make, see, get etc.

A lot of people were very negative about a 'movie star' doing this (essentially blogging), but I think she has proven that she has something worthwhile to share. Plus, she knows a lot of interesting people who provide their expertise and insight on wide-ranging issues.

I've found Gwyneth's newsletters to be fascinating and full of great ideas.

Go visit http://www.goop.com/ and check it out. You, like me, may be surprised.

Inch by Inch Art Project - Bloom

2009-06-30T06:54:00.008+10:00

Either bloom or go to seed. It's more of a choice than we think.

This week's theme reminds me of a garden show I watch which always finishes with the line, "well thats your blooming lot, see you again next week!"

Apologies for such a quick effort this week - I was in a big hurry and only had moments to spare but I did not want to miss out. Thanks Paris, I truly look forward to doing this each week and in seeing what everyone else creates!

See other contributors to Remembering Paris' Inch by Inch Art Project

Courage - Inch by Inch

2009-06-23T20:02:00.002+10:00

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This week I thought long and hard about the word Courage. I wish I had it moreso and in greater abundance. I remember reading once that it is the ladder that all other virtues mount (sorry I don't know who said this). So I looked though my photos and saw lots of evidence of courage all around me. Maybe we are more courageous than we think we are once we look more closely for the signs of it.

Courage is from top l - r
1. getting up close and personal with a lion at the zoo 2. shooting for the sky 3. being willing to dye your hair the PMS colour you hate 4. the brave soldiers who lost their lives to protect others 5. being in the middle of a bushfire 6. trying new and more creative makeup approaches 7. being alone on a deserted beach 8. this in Japanese 9. looking fear in the eye 10. taking an unknown path 11. growing old 12. loving someone 13. tasting foreign looking food sources 14. clinging to a twinkling star when there is darkness all around 15. patting a cougar 16. saying good morning to a huntsman spider 17. not being afraid to stand out from the crowd 18. sailing away from shore 19. bravely suffering injuries 20. changing your look, uh um, substantially for a dare 21. eating loads of sugar 22. being willing to stand away from the pack 23. developing a bullet proof spirit 24. being different and being proud of who you are 25. being willing to stand all alone in tall grass.

Thank you Paris from Remembering Paris for setting up the Inch by Inch Art Project. You can see other entries here.

Geraldine Georges

2009-06-22T20:30:00.001+10:00

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I really love the work of French illustrator Geraldine Georges - beautiful isn't it?

PutItOn.com

2009-06-20T13:20:00.006+10:00

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I have just found a new site which features undiscovered artists from around the world.

This site showcases ART, FASHION, FILM and MUSIC. A great place to feature your own work (no commissions) and also a great place to discover new artists. Oh sometimes I do love the internet just a little too much.

Go visit the site - www.PutItOn.com

Bookshelf by Colour

2009-06-17T19:39:00.004+10:00

Need something to make a room appear bright and welcoming? Try this idea and add excitement to your old and dusty book collection. Re-organise your bookshelf by colour and create a sort of book case installation. By simply dividing your books into separate colours, grouping them from lighter to darker shades, and arranging on the shelf by hue, you can add a new, uplifting and artistic feature to a room without the expense. Relax, read and enjoy!

Inch by Inch Art - Journey/Travelling

2009-06-16T00:01:00.009+10:00

As we travel the journey of life

We learn that the worthiest of us are not those who avoid the darkness in the world, but those who have seen it, acknowledged it and then have transcended it by purposefully seeking out the light shining in the darkness.

Lilly 2009

By way of explanation, I grew up with the belief that evil did not really exist, that war was necessary and that people are intrinsically good. I have since learnt that everyone has both good and evil in them and its a choice we make either as individuals or entities to go in one direction or the other. This sketch represents the darkness of war shown by the fighter jet and the doves of peace. I think we have to acknowledge that evil will always exist and that the only way to fight it and overcome it is by choosing to find and live in the light anyway. Err, a bit deep, sorry. Happy travels!

Inch by Inch Art Project created and hosted by Remembering Paris

Changing - Inch by Inch Art Project

2009-06-08T16:31:00.029+10:00

Changing Seasons

Do we live monochromatic lives, eventually falling from great heights and decaying before our time?

Or do we choose to revel in the colour of life and look forward to the myriad of opportunities change brings?

Basking in the warmth of life in the summer sun,
Never giving thought to when these summer days are done.
But before we realize the cold wind starts to blow,
And our basking summer sun turns colder with the snow.

Only then we realize that life has changed so fast,
Only then we realize that nothing ever lasts.
Life goes through the seasons as the years accumulate,
Many times we long for summer when it is too late.

James A Kisner

Inch by Inch Art Project hosted by Remembering Paris - theme Changing.

Image: Lilly's life, 070609

Thank goodness things have changed, or have they?

2009-05-27T20:49:00.010+10:00

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I found this Advertisement in a Women's Weekly Magazine published in 1933. Click on the image to enlarge.

For some more great ads visit the Steve-O Zone blog here.

Easy does it!

2009-05-23T23:38:00.007+10:00

Today I bought some plain white pillowcases and added some trim to them. It really dresses them up and is very easy to do. I like plain things as a rule and its hard to find what I like sometimes so I make my own. And the great thing is you don't even have to be able to sew that well to do this. It's just a straight line. These are great for gifts as well (when you iron them of course).

I had a special request today from my dear old Dad to make him some rock cakes. I have never tried to cook them before. He is really going back into his childhood here as he remembers his grandmother making them for him. He told me to use my grandmother's cookery book to get the recipe (err except some of the ingredients listed were unrecognisable to me). The book was given to my grandmother by her grandmother (my great, great grandmother) and was published in 1895. I read recently that when we go into a supermarket we should ask ourselves would my grandmother have eaten this and if the answer is no then we should not buy it (this of course means any processed or packaged food is out). So, maybe the cookbook will come in handy again.

The gorgeous floral napkin comes from Patchwork Harmony. I recently purchased a few things from the UK based store and its great!

Summer Images

2009-05-13T01:05:00.006+10:00

I love the new images coming out of Brocade Home in New York. Love it, love it!

Seamless design

2009-04-29T22:35:00.006+10:00

I so love the streamlined and clinical design of this Toronto house. And it's in my favourite black and white colour combination. I wonder if I could live in it though? Some colour and clutter would undoubtedly creep in. Click on the image to enlarge the photo.

Style comes cheap sometimes

2009-03-28T19:21:00.008+11:00

I have always believed that if you have a good sense of style you can create something from nothing. You don't have to spend a lot of money to have stylish surroundings.

Decorating ideas can come from anywhere and everywhere and often the most unlikeliest of places.

This week I visited the National Library in my city and, as I explained on my Lilly's Life blog, I got distracted looking at women's magazines from the 1930s. I particularly loved the artwork used in the magazines and printed off a few pages to keep (with copyright permission).

When I came home, I scanned the photocopy of the artwork and had fun playing around with the colours. I then made a set of A5 postcards.

Then I printed some A4 sized sheets on glossy photographic paper. One to frame and the other to go on my Inspiration Notice Board.

Then I bought a $5 picture frame for one of the larger prints and put it on a side table that needed a bit of a change.

Easy decorating items for next to nothing! And I will be returning to the Library to get some more images as I would like to do a series of 30s, 40s and 50s prints too.

A Taste of Colour

2009-03-21T23:30:00.004+11:00

I made some small loaf cakes today (perfect as gifts) and got the chance to decorate them using two of my favourite colour combinations, pink and orange. Colours that I love to use in decorating. Click on the image to increase its size.

I also did some sewing. A long time ago I bought lots of material when it was on sale and today I thought I better get started and make something.

I need the practice of sewing something other than bed linen.

I made an apron.

I've never made one before. In fact, I have never worn an apron before either. I might try making one with frills next time. It was quick and fun.

Yes, I know, its in my other favourite colour combination of black and white.

I guess the more you practice the better you get at these things.

Gorgeous ceramics

2009-03-17T21:52:00.000+11:00

I visited my favourite shop, Bison Homewares today. I've been collecting their ceramics for ten years or so. They have a studio and small shop in a picturesque area outside of the city.

Bison Homewares was founded by designer Brian Tunks. After attending school in Scandinavia and Australia, Brian trained in classics and archaeology at the Australian National University. It was during his work on ancient Greco-Roman excavations in the Middle East that Brian developed his love for ceramics, both early and modern. Every day he unearthed incredible artifacts – decorative vessels, domestic bowls and pottery shards – all of which spoke of ancient lives and skilled artisans.

He then decided to make ceramics himself and Bison was born.

His stoneware ceramics are beautiful, handcrafted, and durable. I love the simple designs, and the unusual colour palette. There is not a pattern to be seen anywhere. I bought an espresso set today.

Bison sell their products all over the world. You can visit their website here. Soon they will be launching an online shop which prove dangerous for some of us.

Do you collect home wares of any kind?

PS. No, I didn't get paid in cash or ceramics to write this unfortunately. I truly just love their gorgeous products.

Floury afternoon tea.

2009-03-07T16:06:00.000+11:00

I had to go and visit a former elderly neighbour today so I made a quick cake to take for afternoon tea. For something different I made the cake in a flower shape, iced it in wavy icing and made some quick flowers for decoration. It's a real Spring cake even though we have just hit Autumn over here.

While I make my own icing roses, for other types of flowers I always use simple moulds or cutouts. For these flowers for example I used ready made icing (yes its cheating but when you are in a hurry its good), mixed up some different colours then cut out the flowers and and place one on top of the other to give them some depth. It's all quick and easy but very effective and something different. A lovely surprise for afternoon tea. You can buy flower moulds at every food supplies store. You can also use chocolate in the moulds if you prefer. Try it for something different.

Here is the easy way I make the flowers. Click here (sorry its at my other blog Lilly's Life).

And here is the Ebay shop Blossom Sugar Art, that I buy the flower moulds (its in Australia but it should be cheap shopping for anyone outside of Australia given the value of our dollar!).

A love of colouring in

2009-03-04T23:00:00.000+11:00

As a child I loved colouring in so I guess it was no surprise that I would love colouring in my own face with makeup when I became a teenager. I still remember the purple Rimmel eyeshadow set my parents gave me when I was 13.

I pursued academic studies and didn't do anything about my love of makeup until I was 30. I then studied Film Makeup both here and in the US.

Colour can make a huge difference to our lives. Colouring in still fascinates me and I firmly believe we have a range of colours that suit us more than others.

Have you ever had your colours done? Do you like makeup? Feel free to ask any questions about makeup if you would like an answer.

Paper Magic

2009-03-02T22:20:00.000+11:00

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I love visiting Etsy and discovering new shops. One of my favourites is owned by Courtney from Just Another Day Designs in Minnesota. Courtney makes gorgeous stationery and party invitations.

Here are some of the cards, notecards and gift tags I have bought.

Courtney's shop is really well worth a visit if you are looking for original and quality designs.

All things Black & White

2009-02-28T10:25:00.000+11:00

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I have had a life long love of all things black & white which is at odds with the all shades of grey which is often reflected on my blog, Lilly's Life.

Recently I have been making my own bed linen (pictured above) and yes, you guessed it, a certain black and white theme is emerging. I don't usually favour prints in many of my decorating choices but this time I made an exception.

Here are a few examples of how this colour scheme features in my life in other ways. From the cupcakes I make, to black and white movies I watch, my favourite stationery, to pearls, towels, scarves and tshirts.

Then there is the back and white picnic basket I recently found!

And finally, I received this box as a gift recently. Gorgeous. Inside were beautiful pillowcases. Ivory white with beautiful lace detailing. Classic and stunning.