DECEMBER LOVE

Where has the last month gone? Has it almost been a month since my last post?! (oops)

I have gotten a little older, celebrating my birthday last week. Visited many a market, including a few visits to the Suzuki Night Market, The Melbourne Design Market @ Fed Square Carpark last weekend as well as a wander through The Design Files Open House which was just gorgeous.

Birthday Flowers from my lovely friends ♥

The Design Files Open House Workspace – featuring artwork by Kirra Jamison, Dane Lovett, Kate Tucker, Kat Macleod, Madeleine Stamer.

Purchased this from The TDF Open House

and this 

(I had forgotten how much I loved the movie when I was younger and had to watch it the next day)

Some Snapshots I took from the Open House Balcony

*I will no longer let a month pass by without a blog post*

MUSIC COVER LOVE

This is on my want list right now. I love listening to Triple J and especially Like A Version. A segment played each week during Mornings with Tom and Alex. The premise of the show is that an artist or band will swing by to perform live in the studio with their interpretation of someone else’s song.

This year there has been some amazing covers. 

I especially love:

Owl Eyes - Pumped Up Kicks (Foster The People cover)

Sarah Blasko - Hey Ya! (OutKast Cover)

Angus & Julia Stone - Say It Right (Nelly Furtado cover)

Gossling - Dance The Way I Feel (Ou Est Le Swimming Pool cover)

Art vs Science - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Daft Punk cover)

Plan B - Runaway (Kanye West cover)

Eskimo Joe - Somebody That I Used To Know (Gotye cover)

The Wombats - Price Tag (Jessie J cover)

See what I mean? Amazing.

A FLORAL WORKSHOP

L O V E   T H I S 

Found via 100 Layer Cake, I have completely fallen in love with the Floral & Event Styling of Amy Osaba, an event design company with an aesthetic that is 'organic, free, and a twist on the traditional.'

They recently held their first floral Workshop which I would have loved to have been a part of, if not for the fact it was held in Atlana, U.S.A.

FROM 100 LAYER CAKE

'Drawing inspiration from fiery sunsets and warm evenings ‘round the campfire, this inaugural workshop gave students the opportunity to create a lush tablescape, styled with found objects and locally foraged botanicals.  At this workshop, students not only learned the basics of floral design, such as flower identification and composition, but they also learned how to implement some of our signature touches, from creating charming vignettes using vintage vessels, to incorporating local foliage into arrangements and creating a centerpiece with movement and balance.'

The day started with coffee & cupcakes, followed by lessons in floral styling and tablescapes, a gourmet lunch, then guided by Stylist Ginny Branch to create a photo shoot which was photographed by Heidi from Labor of Love (an amazing event Photographer). Gah, seriously if there was something like this in Melbourne I would put my hands up to attend instantly.

The moodboard behind the look and feel of the workshop.

"It was an Indian Summer, a bluebird sort of day...warm and sunny, without a breath of wind; the water was sky-blue, the shores a bank of solid gold."

-Sigrurd Olson

Looked like so much fun and the flower displays created...stunning.

Are you now as inspired as I to inject more bright floral-ness into your own space?

CITRUS PUNCH

Instagram for Iphone

Enjoying some T2 Citrus Punch Ice Tea w' orange, lemon, lime & mint leaves...

S I M P L Y   D E L I C I O U S.

SPRING SUNSHINE

My extended long weekend in the sunshine included:

A picnic in a park w' baguettes, yummy cheeses, dips, olives and mangoes

A backyard BBQ & Punch Party w' friends

Bike riding through the city outskirts

Sitting outside reading books, magazines and drinking Ice tea

D E A R   S U N S H I N E ,   P L E A S E   K E E P   S H I N I N G

T H A N K Y O U

OH LAND OH MY

New musical discovery: Oh Land

Nanna (that's her name) says "In my music, I try to create an environment wherein my voice is a dancer and the production is the scenography."

I read in an article she used to be a dancer until sustaining a career-ending back injury and as a result turned to music as an outlet and channelled her feelings into songs. Other tracks of hers I'm loving are 'Son of a Gun' & 'Wolf & I'.


* The beginning of this video clip is so cute and I love the set of her bedroom *

TAX·I·DER·MY

tax·i·der·my/ˈtaksəˌdərmē/

Noun:

The art of preparing, stuffing, and mounting the skins of animals with lifelike effect.

Taxidermy is fascinating to me. I recall my first encounter as very unimpressed and disgusted, however I've come to love the idea of displaying what was once a wild, living thing and purely admiring it for its beauty. Never before have I seen so many taxidermy animals and species than in Paris. From visits to Museums & Galleries, flea markets, shops and even cafes. I had the opportunity to buy many furry friends and bring them home with me but I highly doubt the Australian Customs Officers would have had the same affection for them as I!

I have to mention one place with a large collection of this stuffed kind on display. Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature (Museum of Hunting and Nature). The interior is lavishly decorated and filled with taxidermy animals of all shapes and sizes. Also on show is ornate weaponry, paintings and other 'curiosities' dating back to the 14th century. It really is an incredible space with amazing Visual Merchandising and Set Design / Interior Design. I highly recommend a visit if you are in Paris.

Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature 62, Rue des Archives, Le Marais 3eme.

MARCHÉ AUX PUCES

SNAPSHOTS:

This place is Vintage Heaven!

You could stroll through the many markets all day and still not have covered it all.

AMAZING.  

FLOWERS & PAGES

A little collage I made today which is filling the empty space I had above my Bed.

Really am loving floral details at the moment.. 

Must be the Spring air!

LES JARDINS DE PARIS

Flowers in every imaginable colour, lush green grass & white pebble paths with scattered iron chairs. Paris has the best kept gardens and Parks I've ever seen.

All Photos taken by me

From Top: Les Invalides, Square Des Batignolles, Jardin Des Plantes and Luxembourg Gardens

FLORAL INSPIRATION

Coveting this book.

I am so inspired by Saskia Havekes, her floral creations are incredible.

MOISSONNIER

All Photos taken by me

Let me introduce you to Moissonnier...

From their Website: "Born of a union of historical styles and the aesthetic avant-garde, Moissonnier works a strange alchemy in its creations: updating styles… bringing the past to life with light touches… suggesting without imposing… breathing new life into traditions to make the present feel magical again.

Creating jewellery for the home while cultivating an offbeat style, paradox with a dash of insolence, such is the dandy spirit of Moissonnier."

I was completely smitten with everything in this place. I had stumbled across their showroom during Paris Design Week on one of my many lost routes. I think every time that there was a wrong turn taken, it would lead to finding incredible places and this was definitely one of the top finds in St Germain
(one of my favourite areas in Paris)

The pieces really are 'jewellery' for the home. Such beautiful detail & craftsmanship and the colours & fabrics used really make them that more interesting. The style actually reminds me a lot of the furniture in Château de Versailles. 

J ' A D O R E

L A D U R E E

Instagram for Iphone

Yum   yum YUM !

I visited Ladurée 3 or 4 times during my stay (I don't know whether this is something to brag about?) My first visit was to the Bonaparte location on a Sunday morning for 'Petite Dejeuner'. This was more on the grand side as I indulged in an assortment of french pastries. I left with 15 Macaroons although this particular day reached 31 degrees and in an attempt to save them from the heat, I decided to walk 30 minutes back to my apartment before returning to the Luxembourg Gardens where I had originally planned to sit down and enjoy a couple as I read my book. Luckily they were worth the effort!

Another visit was with a friend for afternoon tea where we both enjoyed a Tarte Passion Framboise (Passionfruit Raspberry Tart) while I sipped on a Vanilla, Cinnamon, Citrus and Strawberry infused cup of tea. Both were at high levels of deliciousness.

My favourite Macaroon flavours: Caramel, Cassis (Blackcurrant) and Reglisse (Licorice)