Ivy

I love pot plants, but they don't seem to love me.  It is my own fault for abusing my plants.  I always seems to forget to water them, or over-water them, or put them in the wrong environment where they will not thrive.  I am far better at vege gardening than I am at pot-plant-keeping but I'm hoping that I can break the curse.  There is a hook near my front door just begging to cradle a macrame plant holder.  And I would love to fill the rest of my house with greenery.  Today I started with buying some Hedera to go atop my bookcase, inspired by the beautiful Ivy at Everybody's.  

Unexpected pretty

I quite enjoy having pretty things in unexpected places. This piece of ceramic work is directly outside my back door, so I get to see it every time I put on my gumboots. It's sheltered enough from the elements that I don't have to worry about weather damage, and was cheap enough ($6 from TradeMe) that I won't fret if it breaks/is stolen. I like how it has a very 1920s look, despite the date '1989' being carved into the back before it was fired. Have you noticed how her earrings match her scarf?

Poster Art

I am all for homes with neutral coloured walls.  I went this way myself.  It's a safe bet and you can easily change your mind, unlike the palaver of wallpaper.  What I am not for is neutral coloured walls with nothing on them.  Unless your netural walls are the backdrop to colourful large scale art, the starkness of them can be uninviting.  In the next few months I want to strip and paint my halls and am on the lookout for something to fill them.  I have an original piece of artwork on the shaded side of the hall but I wouldn't dare put original art on the sunny side for fear of UV damage.  Instead I am thinking of installing large framed posters with a large white border.  This way I can always get a new poster should the original become faded in a few years time.  

All Posters is the world's largest online poster store.  Not only does this website have a great range (including giclee prints, which last longer than standard posters) the site also has great functionality.  You can even upload a photo of the room you are decorating to see how the print will look in it.  I will definitely be taking my time to select something.  There are so many options! 

EDIT: I have just discovered prints.co.nz, which is far more reasonably priced.  If you're into kiwiana, it looks especially good.

Chickens

I have been talking about getting chickens for a couple of years now and as much as I would love to, now is not the right time.  They do take some maintenance, particularly if you are in a situation like me where my husband has taken the stance that I can have chickens as long as he doesn't have to have anything to do with them and doesn't have to suffer through standing in chicken poo all the time.  So having chickens will mean thorough weekly cleaning sessions (brushing away and hosing of chicken poop) as well as the daily changes of food and water.  Nope.  Definitely not enough time at the moment.

When it does come time I know exactly what breeds of chicken I would like.  I know the right thing to do would be to rescue some generic battery chickens but I think if I went to do it my heart would melt and I would end up with a dozen or more, instead of just a couple, and my husband would kill me (followed by the chickens).  Instead, my Dream Chickens (yes I said it!) would be as follows:

Silkie - How could you not want at least one of these?  They look like muppets!  

Auracana - These South American chickens lay the most beautiful blue eggs.  Boiled eggs for breakfast would be a real treat.

Auracana Egg Photo from Vermont lifestyle blog Know Whey

Holiday Home Inspiration

I have been researching accommodation options for my next couple of holidays.  The sorts of places I'm attracted to have a lot of the features I am enhancing/adding to in my own home.

Home features that I will always love - crisp white walls, original artwork, gilded mirrors, warm wood, lamps (vs spot lighting), green plants in white pots, colourful accents, reclaimed mid-century wood furniture.

New York Loft with amazing views of Empire State

Funky Tokyo Loft

Tea towels

On my way home from the optometrist, I came upon a little shop on upper Queen Street called the Dollaria.  Amongst all of the cheap makeup and plastic toys were these fantasic kiwiana tea towels.  I bought the ones below to send to my brother-in-law in London as a house warming present.  I may go back for more.

Art Deco

When my husband and I first started decorating our house, with pauses and sidelong glances, we asked each other what we thought of the light shades.  Thankfully we both had the same reaction - the thought of modern lighting in our retro bungalow made us flinch.  We agreed that it would be best to keep the old art deco light shades, replacing the one or two modern anomalies with something similar.  I've since bought a couple of additions from TradeMe and now our home is filled with deco shades that compliment the ceiling moldings.  They may not shine as bright as modern LED lights, but I see this as a flattering bonus.  At any rate, it's a good excuse to buy some pretty floor and table lamps.

   

Making time to read

This may seem like a trivial solution to trivial problems but every little helps, right?  The two little problems in question are:

1. I too often cook old reliable standards for meals (how boring!)
2. I too often will opt for time on the interweb or in front of the television when I have a spare moment instead of relaxing with a book, which would be a far better option for my brain.  

A somewhat-solution to both these problems is a stack of books on my bedside table.  Cookbooks make excellent bedtime reading as they're something you can flick through without needing intense concentration.  And having a stack of unread novels on my bedside table is enough of a gentle reminder to encourage me to break a spine instead of logging on.

Rose hip

My local fruit and veg shop will quite often have a great selection of reasonably priced flowers for sale, and if I have the excuse of hosting people for dinner I will indulge (I still think of buying flowers for my own house as a real luxury).   When I saw these it took me a couple of seconds to identify the plant - and then I realised that it's rose hip.  It's not something I usually see and I really only think of rose hip as a flavour of tea.   I'm now pondering whether rose hip could be something that I grow in my own garden.  As well its ornamental value, I can see its culinary potential, and I'd quite like to try out this recipe for jam and jelly.

Tips and tricks

There's an email that has been going around with some awesome tricks and tips to make home life easier.  Here are my favourites:

"Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes". (I've tried this - it works on minor scratches.  Prob not the best way to deal with the problem, but what a novelty!)

"Store bedlinen sets inside one of their own pillowcases and there will be no more hunting through piles for a match". (Why didn't I think of this?!)

The rest: 25 clever ideas to make life easier

Auckland Art Gallery

Last weekend I finally got around to visiting the refurbished Auckland Art Gallery.  But my, how it's shiny and exciting!  The new architecture is very glam, and I think it will date well.  More importantly, there is finally enough space for the collection to breathe and it's a joy wandering around inside seeing old favourites and new contemporary additions to the collection.  There is such a spectacular range that I'll definitely be back for multiple visits to enjoy the regular collection, let alone the special trips I might make for exhibitions like Degas to Dali.



Choi Jeong Hwa's Flower Chandelier



Stunning artwork aside, the gallery's cafe is a little average.  Great for a cup of coffee and cake, but Reuben's, directly across the road from the gallery, is a far better option for a meal.  The food is great, as is the service, and there's a good small wine collection.  Sitting outside on the balcony under the canopy of trees is a pleasure.

It's pleasing to see that the managers of the gallery shop have tried to stock the shelves with beautifully designed objects instead of tat, but the prices may deter a lot of people from taking away a keepsake.  I would love one of their cast glass birds on my walls at home, but at over $300 I don't see that happening any time soon.  I am however seriously considering ordering a print from the gallery's art collection. This is my favourite thus far:



Edward Fristrom, Pohutukawa



Invitations

When I announced to my friend Angela that I was planning to elope in a couple of months time, she raised an eyebrow at my seemingly laissez-faire attitude about it all...  Or rather my lack of organisation!  Not only did she prompt me to action and (overwhelmingly) offer to make my wedding dress, but she also assembled a group of our lady friends at my house for a lovely bridal kitchen tea.  The invitations she created were made from the pages of a children's book, hand printed on the inside and sewn together with her sewing machine.  Just darling!

I have had less luck with invitations of late.  A while ago I sent out some invites to a tropical themed event, with the intention of drawing a bird of paradise on each envelope, using water colour pencils.

Oh dear.

I guess the moral of the story is to know your limits.  Mass producing hand drawn watercolour pictures is definitely beyond me. 

Coffee table slash book shelf

It won't be long before I run out of space in my current bookshelves and I have been pondering solutions that won't take up too much space.  I love 2-4-1 furniture solutions, and this coffee table/bookshelf is a winner in my eyes, out of the book shelf ideas presented here.

Glass Milk Carton

This beautiful object was pointed out to me by Kathryn at Joyrider Promotions.

Swoon.

Sofia Coppola's SoHo Apartment

Macrame

There is a very fine line between home-spun charm and tacky tat.  Sometimes I struggle with judging between the two.  I have been pondering putting some more greenery on my balcony and am not really a fan of the hanging-baskets-filled-with-pansies look.  This image makes me wonder if macrame isn't due for a revival.  It's heartening to know that I'm not the only one.

Floral Carpet

We're halfway through fixing our master bedroom, with all the walls now plastered.  While my other half focuses on sanding, I'm starting to research options for what to do with our blank canvas.  In contrast to the truly blank canvas Quarter Spanish White walls of our other renovated rooms, we're going with grey walls which we'll match with crisp white bedding and curtains. Jury's out on what to do with the floors though.  I like the idea of exposed floorboards in principal, but the practical side of me wants carpet as a buffer against furniture and the cold.  I'm thinking we'll end up with floral carpet like the home of Karen and Avril on The Selby.

Frida Kahlo

The couch and curtains in my lounge are various shades of brown and gold.  At the time I bought these, it seemed sensible and smart to buy neutral furnshings.  Then one day I walked into my lounge and was depressed at how very beige and boring the room looked.  I ended up going to Etsy to search for something unique to add.  And my cushion covers are certainly not beige.  They're not to everyone's taste I know, but I have always been a fan of Frida Kahlo - of both her art and her person.  She had such strength through so much pain.

Vienna Art & Design

I am currently in Melbourne for work and am doing my best to fit in a spot of sightseeing in my down time.  First stop was to visit the NGV to take in the exhibition Vienna Art & Design.  And it is gorgeous.  Really well curated with some lovely content, though slightly on the pricey side for an exhibition of this scale.  I admit that the only thing I previously knew about Viennese art and design was Gustav Klimt's gilded ladies, so it was educational for me to learn a bit more about the Vienna Secession and Art Nouveau.

All of the beautiful curlicues and gold and square gemstones and brightly coloured graphic design have immediate appeal, but I also appreciated the simple lines and details of some of the less extravagant pieces.  A lot of the objects had a slight Old School Sci Fi feel to them which has given me a craving to see the film Metropolis.

Mustard Pot by Josef Hoffman

Front door for the Viennese newspaper Die Zeit, designed by Otto Wagner.  The full scale reproduction at the NGV is impressive and includes newspaper pages pinned to the panels in the front, as they would have appeared on a daily basis back in 1902.

Wall Hooks

Wall hooks are very practical, for indoors and out.  The silver hooks I have about my home match the other fittings I have in the house, but it's very tempting to add some interest with the cast iron hooks on offer through Monkey and Squirrel.   I like the idea of a turquoise mermaid in the bathroom, or a wall of barnyward animals in my hallway, holding onto visitors coats.  Or maybe some fleur de lis outside, clasping onto potted plants.  Stock constantly changes, so Jenn Pierce's shop is certainly worth bookmarking.