Welcome home...from Madi bleu!

Welcome to my new home. It's a 1930s bungalow, still with original stained glass door...

Which opens to reveal a 'grand' entrance hallway (well, it's grand for someone who's never had a hallway before!). Welcoming in our visitors in pride of place is....

Us!
Courtesy of the fabulous Madi Bleu (NZ artist Amanda), we've proudly hung a personalised family portrait of me, hubbie, Maddie and Lorilou and our wee dog Oscar.

I've loved Amanda's textile and upcycled collages made from fabric, zippers, buttons, vintage scraps and other loved items for a long time now, and blogged about her before on babybites. In fact it was her creations gracing a fabulous striped wallpaper wall that first inspired me to try designer wallpaper in my own house.

So when she notified on her facebook fan page that she would be taking orders for 'family portraits' I jumped at the chance. All I had to do was send in a photo...and wait for a 2011 moment in time to be immortalised into a special Madi Bleu for a forever keepsake. Thanks so much Amanda, you are hugely talented!

Read More

Loving...pretty shops no 2

Last week Greta wrote a lovely post on this blog about her favourite pretty shops..we didn't converse about her post before she wrote it, as I have been quite ill for a couple of weeks and out of 'blog action'. But if we had, I definitely would have suggested she add Floozie NZ Design store in Silverdale, Auckland.

It's a gorgeous mix of vintage home decor, children's toys, women's accessories...and just - good old fashioned knick knacks. You know the kind of store where you could buy a million things? I think the next time I go, it will be with a set budget burning a hole in my pocket...which just MUST be spent.

I've borrowed a couple of pictures off Floozie's facebook page...I hope she won 't mind...but I just have to encourage you hop over and have a look!

Read More

Loving... pretty houses

I have seen lots of pretty houses on the interweb this week - somehow looking at amazing houses isn't frustrating like looking at the local ones just out of our reach!

We write about Amy Butler a lot because we love her fabrics - Apartment Therapy has a tour of her house and it is so beautiful. 

Lovely blogger Retromummy is considering a move from Sydney to the country, and her weekend open home adventures (with four children!) have produced some gorgeous photos.

Have you seen Sophie Dahl's cooking show? This is the London house where it was filmed, clean and white so you can imagine what you would do with it... on the show it was filled with vintage china, candles, bunting and snuggly furnishings... (via Meet Me at Mike's)

And finally, my favourite new website, Unhappy Hipsters. 'Mid-century modern' decors with dream furniture - and tongue-in-cheek captions (like this one). I even spotted Karen Walker's house...

'Things I'm Loving' - Fridays at Paisley Jade's     :)

Read More