Wednesday Workspace {feminine chic}

 

I can never resist the combination of feminine chic and black and white, so I was excited when I came across the the workspace of illustrator Bernadette Pascua and fashion photographer, Andrew Stinson, who reside in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

So much to love about this space - the glamorous lamp, the black and white photography and the Victoria ghost chair.

See the rest of their gorgeous apartment here.

 

Rachel xo

Image via: DesignSponge*

Love her style {giovanna battaglia}

I've had a style crush on Italian former model, and current freelance stylist, Giovanna Battaglia for a little while now. 

Whilst her style would be defined as fashion forward {Giovanna is not one to shy away from risks}, she always looks extremely chic and elegant. 

Giovanna quotes her fashion icons as Audrey Hepburn and Italian actress Monica Vitti and I can definitely see how these women have influenced her unequivocal, fabulous sense of style. 

Would you agree?

Rachel xo

Image credits: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Christmas Gift Guide {for the domestic goddess}

Happy Monday lovelies, welcome to a brand new week! 


Can you believe there are only 3 weekends left until Christmas?! I started my Christmas shopping on the weekend but still have a few more people to cross of my list. Have you started yours yet?


On that note, its perfect timing to kick off the Christmas Gift Guide series with part one being for the domestic goddess. 

The domestic goddess thrives on keeping her home orderly, clean, uncluttered, 
and of course, tastefully decorated. 
She is exceptional in the kitchen and a brilliant entertainer.

{1} Jasper Conran for Wedgwood Kilim tea cup & saucer set
{2} The Perfectly Imperfect Home
{3} Cath Kidston Jam Jar set
{4} Kate Spade Live Colourfully gift set
{5} Mrs Meyers Clean Day Variety Gift set
{6} Nigella Lawson measuring cups


Hope your week is of to a fabulous start! 


Rachel xo

{happy weekend & lovely links}

Happy weekend friends! It hasn't stopped raining here all week but luckily it looks like the sun will be shining for the weekend! 

I will be tackling a few projects around the home like re-arranging our home office (still very much a work in progress!) and starting a gallery wall in the living room. 

I also plan to check out the Black Friday sales; Net a Porter in the U.S went live tonight, as did Zara**. 

Do you have any exciting plans?

Here were the lovelies that caught my eye this week...

* Beautiful discovery: illustrations by Kerrie Hess, 

who also has a blog

* 23 famous siblings photographed by Max Vadukul for W Magazine

* The Design Files interview Donna Hay

* A lovely collaboration between Zara & The Selby

* Recipe to try: Clementine Macarons

* The irresistible allure of French glamour

Thank you so much for visiting this week and your lovely comments;

I hope you have a wonderful weekend,

Rachel xo

**Hint to my Australian readers: register for a HopShopGo account and receive a US postal address - you can then buy from sites that only ship to US and get some amazing shopping bargains!

Image credit: Left My Hear in Paris

A few lovely things...

I thought it might be fun to share a few lovely things 

around our home today...

It's spring time here which means my favourite flowers, peonies and hydrangeas, are in bloom. 

I love how they instantly add cheer to a room.

Slowly starting to decorate our home for Christmas, I found these pretty decorations from Papaya.

I have so much glossy reading to catch up on over the weekend 

which I am rather looking forward to.

I was the lucky eBay winner on this fab plaited leather shopper from Zara which was new with tags!

I found these brass beauties from our local Vinnie's shop for $1 - the best dollar I have spent.

Happy Thanksgiving to my friends celebrating 

today with your nearest & dearest! 

Rachel xo

All images by me via instagr.am

Wednesday Workspace {Scandinavian Chic}

I stumbled across this lovely workspace, which is actually the corner of a living room in a Swedish apartment. 


How amazing do those windows look, letting all of the glorious light in? 
I also love the clever wall-art calendar idea, which could make a fun {and easy} weekend DIY project.


See the rest of the apartment here.


Hope you are having a lovely Wednesday!


Rachel xo




Image credit: 1 Kind Design

Summer Style Series :: Part #4 {fashion}

 

Despite the {unseasonally} dreary weather in Sydney today, I am excited to bring you the final installment of the Summer Style series. 

To end the series on a high note, its a pleasure to introduce you to the lovely Lenya from 7 Year Wedding, who is going to share with us with her style inspiration for the warmer months ahead.

***

Well hello there Little Bits Of Lovely readers!  I'm Lenya from 
7 Year Wedding. I'm so excited Rachel asked me to share some summer style inspiration with you.  

For me summer is all about being easy and breezy during the day with a cute little cozzie, sunnies, shorts and a panama hat!   

...Perhaps some afternoon drinks call for a little crochet dress and some sandals.  

And then for the night?  Well a little bit of sparkles never go astray!  

 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

***

Lovely picks Lenya; now all we need is some sunshine!

This post wraps up the Summer Style series so I wanted to say a BIG thank you to Abbey, Lana, Andrea & Lenya for your beautiful posts over the past few weeks. 

I hope you enjoyed the series!

And in case you missed them, take a look 

back at each of the posts here:

* Decor

* Entertaining

* Travel

* Style

Rachel xo

Currently Coveting {shades of camel}

Lately, I have found myself drawn to the sophisticated shades of camel. These classic neutrals easily translate to a chic casual look, or can always be dressed up for a more glamorous effect. 

I personally love it mixed with black and gold, but paired with brighter colours also works well.

A few favourite pieces...

1. West Elm Cushion 2. Jersey shirt 3. Mulberry Skinny Belt 4. Candle 

5. Ballerina flats 6. JBrand Jeans 7. Zara Messenger Bag

How would you go about incorporating camel into your home or wardrobe?

Rachel xo

Image credits, clockwise from L to R: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

My Style in 7 {Bijou & Boheme}

Happy Monday friends! 

Today I am over visiting one of my favourite bloggers, Christine from Bijou & Boheme & sharing my Style in 7. 

Head on over to see how I sum up my Style and while you are there make sure you have a leisurely read of 

Christine's fabulous blog!

Rachel xo 

{happy weekend & lovely links}

Happy Friday my dears! I have a fun {but jam packed} two days ahead full of birthdays and seeing friends, but will hopefully squeeze in time for some shopping! Do you have any exciting plans?

Here were the lovelies that caught my eye this week... 

* Loved this "timeless eclecticism" home in Amsterdam

* I can't wait for this movie to be released - it looks amazing!

* New {delicious} blog discovery: Call me Cupakes (Thanks Lana!)

* Tips on preparing for the Holiday season ahead 

Thank you so much for visiting this week; I hope you have a fabulous weekend ahead,

Rachel xo

Image credits: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

{Thurley Spring Summer 2011}

I'm currently crushing over the soft muted hues from Thurley's Spring Summer 2011 collection.

These fabulous leopard flats and blouse are currently at the top of my wishlist.

See the full collection here.

Rachel xo

Credits: Thurley

Wednesday Workspace {cheerful chic}

This cheerful little workspace and inspiration wall made me smile as soon as I saw it. I love the vintage desk, and the pop of red in the striped curtain adds just the right amount of colour into the mix. 

Definitely one for the inspiration files.

By the way, I created a board on Pinterest where I will be pinning all of the inspiring workspaces I find. Follow along here!

Rachel xo



Image credit: 91 Magazine

Summer Style Series :: Part #3 {travel}

Hello lovelies! Today I'm excited to introduce you to Andrea who's beautiful blog is all about luxury travel and style.  Fittingly, Andrea will be posting on the topic of travel and inspiring us with the delights of the Kiwi Summer. I haven't been to New Zealand yet, but I know the scenery is spectacular, so it is definitely on my list of places to travel to; hopefully you will be compelled to add New Zealand to your list too!

***

Welcome to the Kiwi summer, an utterly beach and bach based affair. Come Christmas, it feels as though the entire city of Auckland packs up and takes off for baches (better known to the rest of the world as beach houses) in the gorgeous Bay of Islands, Bay of Plenty and Coromandel Peninsula. 

My own family is lucky enough to have a three-generations-old bach at Waihi Beach, to which every summer we make a pilgrimage, packing up the car with all manner of beach going essentials - jandals and togs, sausages and tomato sauce for the obligatory Kiwi barbeque, and a plastic bag of the yellowest lemons to squeeze over fish and chips, fresh from the shop... Andrea x

***

Thank you Andrea for taking us on this mini escape! For more travel inspiration be sure head on over to Andrea's blog.

Next week will be the 4th and final part of the Summer Style series, where Lenya will sharing her Summer Style inspiration.

Happy Tuesday my dears,

Rachel xo

A new week & a few Lonny favourites

Happy Monday lovelies! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and are feeling refreshed for the new week ahead.

Over the weekend I gushed poured over the November/December issue of Lonny - have you taken a look yet? I highly recommend you do as this edition is filled with so many ideas to inspire, and of course beautiful homes - three of which I wanted to share with you today.

First was the apartment designed by Celerie Kemble where she aimed to create "a tranquil but feminine urban oasis" on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Whilst this is very much a family home, I adore the feminine touches she has used to balance out the dramatic use of colour and black and white.

Second, was the home store and art gallery, specialising in vintage and contemporary sculpture, created by Paul Cadell. I was particularly drawn to this home given the interesting dynamic of it doubling as a gallery, and I love how Cadell has decorated his home, filling it with family heirlooms and whimsical items collected from his overseas trips.

Lastly, I couldn't resist the sophisticated & glamourous apartment of Micheal & Robert Leleux. They had a small space to work with, but through clever decorating you would never have guessed the size.

What caught your eye in Lonny this month?

Also, stay tuned for the 3rd installment of the Summer Series tomorrow!

Rachel xo 


Image credits: Lonny Mag, Nov/Dec 2011

{happy weekend & lovely links}

Happy weekend friends! The husband has gone away for work so I've planned a fabulous weekend of catching up with girlfriends & a bit of pampering...plus hopefully a few episodes of SATC will be snuck in {something I never get to do with hubby around}!

Here are week's loveliest picks...

* Loving the US Harpers Bazaar {December} cover: The Supers VS. Duran Duran & the not to be missed Girl Panic video featuring our coveted 90's Supermodels

* How to bring more luck in your life

* So much to love in Lonny's Christmas issue 

* New shopping destination The Iconic has launched, stocking fab Aussie brands like Ginger & Smart, Manning Cartell & Fleur Wood

* This blueberry, maple & mascarpone tart looks divine and so easy to make!

I want to thank you each of you for visiting this week and your beautiful comments; I hope you have a most wonderful and relaxing weekend,

Rachel xo

Image credit Candice Lake

{stylish inspiration}

 1 | 2 | 3

“I don’t understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little.  If only out of politeness.  And then, you never know, maybe that’s the day she has a date with destiny. And it’s best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.” 

- Coco Chanel

Wednesday Workspace {black & white}

Ever the fan of black and white, I adore the classic Scandinavian style of this workspace, easily recognizable by the neutral colour scheme, wooden furniture and floorboards.
Despite the size of this tidy work area, which has been conveniently tucked away in the corner of a bedroom, the pops of red gives this space the right amount of personality, don't you think?

Take a full tour of the apartment here.

I do love Wednesday Workspace posts because I know when I'm posting them the weekend is finally in sight. This week has been a bit crazy so I'm already counting down the days until Friday!

Rachel xo 








Image credit via

Summer Style Series :: Part #2 {entertaining}

Happy Tuesday lovelies! Today I'm delighted to introduce you to Lana from Lanalou Style who is guest posting today for Part #2 of the Summer Style series on the topic of entertaining. Lana and I have been blog-buddies for some time now and her blog is one of my daily reads, so I am very excited to have her guest posting today!

***

Hi, I'm Lana from Lanalou Style and I'm thrilled to be here today, thanks for inviting me to take part in your Summer Style series, Rachel!

For me Summer entertaining is all about relaxed, simple and spontaneous get togethers, plenty of picnics and outdoor entertaining. Suddenly you have that perfect summer's day and you need to be ready so that you can throw everything into one bag and hit the beach or park.

A few Summer entertaining essentials that I like to keep in stock are pretty paper serviettes, disposable cutlery (preferable recyclable) and a colorful picnic blanket or table cloth.

When entertaining at home, raid your garden (or your neighbour's) for a few pretty flowers, a little bouquet just makes everything more cheerful. Also be sure to grow some useful herbs in your garden, there's nothing nicer than a jug of chilled lemon and mint water on a hot day. Plus they're great to add to your salads for a homegrown touch.

A few colorful glasses and plates plus some candles or fairy lights for when the light fades are all musts for me as well. Lastly add some great company and tasty food and you're all set for a perfect occasion!

***

Thank you Lana! I love the idea of whipping up a jug of chilled lemon and mint water using fresh herbs from the garden. Aren't all of these shots so lovely? Lana, being exceptionally creative, styled and shot all of these vignettes herself!

Stay tuned for Part #3 next Tuesday on the topic of {Travel}.

Rachel xo



All photography by Lanalou Style

Style Classics

I'm a girl who will favour style classics over fashion items any day. So today I thought I would share with you a few favorites you will find in my wardrobe all year round & that will never date.

 1. Black blazer 2. Nudie Jeans 3. Mulberry Bayswater Bag 4. Ray-Ban Aviators 5. Ballet flats 6. James Perse t-shirt

What are the style classics you can't live without?

Rachel xo

{happy weekend & lovely links}

 

Thank goodness the weekend has arrived! 

Our couch is finally being delivered today, which I am ridiculously excited about. 6 weeks sans couch is a long time! The arrival of the couch triggers us being able to start hanging things in the living room which had all been hold.

Getting organised makes me very happy!

Tomorrow our good friends, who also happen to be amazing photographers, are going to take some shots of M and I to celebrate our second wedding anniversary.  The weather is supposed to be spectacular, so I'm looking forward to a fun day!

Here were the lovelies that caught my eye this week...

* I just read the latest issue of Matchbook from cover to cover & loved the article about Kate & Andy Spade

* After reading the Matchbook Mag article, I felt compelled to revisit the original Kate Spade advertising; take a look back here

* Isabel Lucas looks incredible in her shoot for Interview Magazine

* The new Vogue Australia ipad app is a must to download & as an added bonus, the first issue is free

* I love these black and white prints (thanks Ez!)

Thank you for your company this week; I wish you all a fabulous weekend,

Rachel xo

Image credit: Elle France August 2011, photographed by Matt Jones via