Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Currently Coveting {blue & green)


Lately I've been inspired by blue and green - a combination I probably wouldn't have previously considered as part of my wardrobe or home, but now it's grown on me and I'm seeing so many lovely possibilities... 


1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7


Are you crushing over this colour cocktail as much as I am?

Rachel xo



Image credits clockwise L to R: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Monday, January 30, 2012

Lovely mix of old & new

Happy Monday lovelies, I hope you had a wonderful weekend! 


I discovered the home of prop and fashion stylist Rosy Strazzeri-Fridman and was immediately drawn to the stunning mix of old and new pieces she has used to create a home full of charm and sophistication.

To decorate, Rosy combined antique collectibles, along with vintage flea market finds which have translated into a home that has an incredible amount of character. 


The kitchen is a stand out for me, where the beautiful Carrara marble bench tops and modern bar stools have are mixed with an antique chandelier and mirror - so unexpected, but very lovely!


And again in the living area, the modern sofa and coffee table are juxtaposed with the antique mirrors and vintage porcelain pieces.


I'm all for mixing old and new and think it adds so much character to a home; what do you think?


Rachel xo






Source: DesignSponge*

Saturday, January 28, 2012

happy weekend & lovely links

'




Happy weekend friends! I'm looking forward to having a play date with my nieces, plus working on a few projects at home, with a mission to find lighting for my workspace - wish me luck!

Some lovely picks for you...

 * See the sneak peek of Est. Magazine issue #4

* Loved this shoot with Christina Ricci for Oyster Magazine

* With all of the Oscars buzz swirling around, I cannot wait to see Michelle Williams and her performance in My Week with Marilyn


* From the Domino archives: Carolina Herrera Jr's Manhattan home

* These chevron + gold foil cushions are divine!




Wishing you a most beautiful weekend,


Rachel xo 




1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Love her style {christine centenera}

In honour of celebrating all things Australian today, I wanted to share the fabulous style of Australian Harpers Bazaar Fashion Editor, Christine Centenera


Christine's amazing style has seen her featured on numerous street style blogs including The Sartorialist; it's hard not to love her sassy and edgy, yet chic style.








So chic and lovely don't you agree?

Rachel xo



Happy Australia Day!


To all of my Aussie friends, Happy Australia Day! It was so lovely to have a day off during the week and despite the gloomy start to the day it turned out beautifully. I had a fun day celebrating with a picnic which of course included lamingtons and lots of fun by the pool!

I found this recipe for this brilliant looking Green & Gold Checkerboard Cake with Milo Ganache - so fitting for Australia Day, which really doesn't look complicated at all to make (not quite!)  

I hope you had a wonderful Thursday!



Rachel xo



Image credit: Rasberri Cupcakes

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Wednesday Workspace {the perfect space}



I love nothing more than the feeling of being organised, and having a clean, fresh workspace goes hand in hand with this. With all of the Wednesday Workspace posts I have garnered quite a collection of inspiration; so now that I'm getting to design my own space, it is rather easy and I'm also having waaay too much fun!


Here is what the current plan is looking like...




1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7




* I plan to re-purpose the cow hide that was in my old dining room.


* I have great plans for this grey chevron fabric - another DIY project I'm working on - stay tuned! 


* I love the sleek and minimalistic design of West Elm's Parsons desk, so this was a no brainer.


* I've had a crush on this gorgeous chevron tray for a while so I couldn't resist finding a place for it :)


Still to be decided is the lighting; I'm having trouble finding a lamp that I like, so my eyes are currently peeled for finding something reasonably priced. 


More to follow soon!


Happy hump day lovelies,


Rachel xo



Tuesday, January 24, 2012

A few of my favourite lovely things

Today I'm dreaming of Paris and a few of my favourite lovely things....


* Sparkles during the day time
* Delicious macarons
* Sharpening my photography skills 
* Cozying up for a leisurely afternoon read

Thank you so much for all of your comments yesterday about my headboard project! I've also received a few emails about the IKEA Rast hack, asking how I went about this so I will be putting a post together to share with you later this week.

P.S I'm this week's featured blogger this week over at the Decorator's Forum!

Have a wonderful Tuesday lovelies!

Rachel xo



Image credits: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 

Monday, January 23, 2012

Introducing Miss Marilyn...

Happy Monday lovelies, I hope you had a brilliant weekend!

I hinted last week that I had been working on a project featuring the gorgeous Marilyn Rubie Green fabric & today I'm excited to share with you my DIY headboard project...



I first had a crush on the Marilyn fabric when I saw Michelle Adams' used it for her headboard and I wasn't disappointed when the fabric arrived - it is even more gorgeous close up!

I followed this DesignSponge* tutorial to make it and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. 

Deciding to keep it the square shape, it definitely makes more of a statement in the room, but a very good statement at that!

Goes nicely with the IKEA Rast hack, don't you think?

Hope your week is off to a lovely start!

Rachel xo

Saturday, January 21, 2012

happy weekend & lovely links


Happy weekend lovelies! This week has been kind of crazy so I'm looking forward to relaxing, catching up on your blogs and treating myself with a bit of pampering; heaven!

Here are the lovelies that caught my eye this week…

* For anyone starting to get back into running or who hasn't run before, Jas has got some great ideas on running for beginners.

* I loved this Essential Reading list; a fabulous list of classic books that should be on everyone's bookshelf.

* This lovely and feminine apartment made me go weak at the knees; how darling is the wallpaper? 

* A fabulous round up of creative (and easy!) DIY decorating projects.

* Behind the scenes of the making of Chanel's spring/summer 2012 campaign.

Thank you for your company this week; I hope you have brilliant weekend ahead!

Rachel xo




Image credit: Clemence Posey for UK Glamour Magazine, via Dustjacket Attic


Thursday, January 19, 2012

Simple, yet Chic


I love simple, yet chic classic look.

Ashley looks incredibly stylish and proves you can't go wrong with a blue collared shirt, dark jeans, Wayfarers & gold watch.


Rachel xo





Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Wednesday Workspace {the perfect palette}



I spied this chic and stylish workspace belonging to Nicole and was  drawn to the sophisticated neutral palette featuring the loveliest shade of grey on the walls.

I love the idea of stacking books; not only is this a great way to store books, but they also add the perfect amount of colour against the grey. 

Also, how fun is the vintage brass pineapple? I would love to find one of these and will be keeping my eye out in case one happens to pop up on ebay or Etsy!

Take a peek at the rest of Nicole's home over at the Glitter Guide.

Happy hump day lovelies!

Rachel xo




Monday, January 16, 2012

Hello 2012!

Hello lovelies, happy 2012! 

After indulging in a couple of weeks being technology free to enjoy the Summer sunshine {which has been blissful}; I'm now back and ready to start 2012 with a renewed energy that I can't wait to share with you!

For the first post of the year, I thought I would take a leaf out of Rach's book and create a vision board for 2012, illustrating what I hope to achieve for the year ahead. Also inspired by Rach, I have chosen three words to live by for the year - words that will be guiding everything I do, every decision I make and path I choose. 

Here's what I came up with...


{explore}

There are so many places I am yet to travel, but this year I have India and Nepal on my list as well as New York. My sister is going away in June for 8 months of travelling and the plan is to meet up with her a couple of times for some fun sisterly adventures together!

{create}

The most exciting thing for me in 2012 will be opening my own business. Last year I decided to start freelancing with the aim of setting up a business, so behind the scenes I have been hastily working on some exciting plans that I will be sharing very soon. It has always been a dream of mine to have my own business, so I need to make sure that 2012 is the year this happens!

Of course I have many decorating projects planned - the first of which I will be sharing next week. The pic above with the gorgeous Rubie Green Marilyn fabric is a little bit of a hint - can you guess what it might be??

{illuminate}

I'm already relatively healthy (most of the time!) but this year I want to focus more on what I am putting into my body and making my body the strongest it has been yet. I always feel amazing when I do all the right things (eat well, sleep, exercise more) so I intend to do this with gusto and reinvigorate my fitness regime, making sure I consistently challenge my body, along with fuelling it with the proper foods. I plan to share my healthy recipes with you along the way too!


One thing's for sure: 2012 going to be a fun ride, one that I plan on savouring every moment of! Are you ready?!



Rachel xo