A Girl called Tara

Hi everyone! Today we're heading on over to Arizona to meet Tara.

Tara has a beautiful blog that I just adore - she shares some wondeful crafty projects and her photos are stunning!!
Tara's paper craft style and creativity is SO inspiring to me
-I think you will feel the same way!

So welcome Tara! Can you tell us, What is currently inspiring you?
Autumn picnics - I recently packed the loveliest of all picnic baskets this past weekend. I pulled out my favorite vintage table cloths and napkins, milk glass serving dishes, small glass cake platters and vintage floral tin trays. I piled everything into a wooden wine crate, packed the picnic basket full of yummy food and treats and hot apple cider, and headed north to the forests for a lovely afternoon picnic with a very dear friend. I absolutely adore picnics and preparing for them!!
Vintage mason jars- I just happen to think that everything is more beautiful in a mason jar!
Pretty Gift Wrap- There's something very sweet about giving a gift that's been wrapped nicely. With the holidays approaching, I'm really looking forward to wrapping gifts again! Every year, I decide on a color combination for and design my own gift wrap, tags and gift box toppers. This year's colors are; red, pink, gold and lime. The prettier the better!

Name 3 things you couldn't live without?
If we're talking crafty type stuff, my top 3 would be:
camera
sewing machine
note books
Everyday life stuff:
my family; Peter, Alaina & Chase
my 2 dogs, Dutchess & Maggie
the computer

Can you define to us, your personal style?
My personal style is greatly influenced by color, texture and lots of layers. I love creating fun color combinations inspired by the pages of fashion magazines. I tend to use a lot of vintage textiles in all of my work. From office papers to vintage bed linens, I'm always looking for something that I can re-purpose and make new again!

Favorite color (or color combinations)?
Black and White with red/coral and pink. So feminine and yet dramatic too!

Favorite Smell/Fragrance?
It changes with each season, but one of my long time favorites is gardenia and tuberose. It smells flowery and tropical, a perfect summer fragrance!

What do you love about your City?
Although I have a love-hate relationship with living in the desert, I will admit that I have grown to appreciate the tiny town I call home. Cave Creek is a very small, historic western town, nestled into the hills of the Phoenix Valley. I love everything about small towns, the farmer markets on Saturdays, the concert's in the park on the weekend, and the parades down the main street for special occasions. It's rustic charm is sure to make you smile. Plus, the desert here in Arizona is particularly beautiful, especially at sunset.

Do you have a favorite quote you'd like to share with us?
Lewis Carroll: (Through the Looking Glass)
The Queen: "Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
I love this quote! Just saying it to myself in the morning, motivates me to start planning my creative day!

Thanks SO much Tara for your wonderful interview - dont you all love her work and colour combinations?!
Beautiful!!!



To see more of Tara
head on over to her
gorgeous BLOG
ETSY Shop
and FLICKR page

A Piece of Cake....

some sweet inspiration today!

Looks delicious right??

yumm! i wouldnt mind some cake right now...

I love the white + pastel colour combination and it inspired the card that I created this afternoon - I wanted to make something for the Creative Collective too since its a 'Spring' theme this month.

Last nights

ABCD Sydney meet-up was SO much fun! im so glad i went along.

I got to meet some lovely creative gals - cant wait for the next catch up!!

Top image by Keikolynn

Card by me - in my Shop

ABCD Bloggers -Sydney gathering
its on tonight!
and ive been frantically making some recycled tags this afternoon so I can add to the goody bags being handed out.
Im looking forward to it!
a great chance to meet lots of lovely local bloggers

if you're a blogger and live in Sydney - come on by!
Its on 7pm - 9pm
and the venue details - The 3 Weeds Hotel (the lounge), 197 Evans St, Rozelle, NSW

Do you know where you're going to?

Do you like the things that life is showing you?

Where are you going to?... do you know?

I have no idea why but when I spotted these 'I heart London' inspired images taken by Hugh Stewart for 'Marie Claire' magazine,

I thought of Diana Ross and her song 'Do you know?' ...such a sweet song but maybe its because they reminded me of me being young and wanting to visit London...I couldnt wait!!
Growing up we were right into the British music, new wave pop bands - pretty boy bands.

London seemed such a cool place to be - the fashion, the street style, the punk & grunge mixed with aristocracy and the Royals!

I couldnt wait to be amongst it all - black cabs, friendly pubs,

tea houses, cobbled streets, castles, Oxford St, city parks, Harrods, pretty gardens...
Its my favourite city in the world - ever!
Two weeks ago I went to see British band
'Simply Red' live outside the Opera House ( remember them?)
it was such a great night and bought back so many memories ...the crowd went crazy as we danced our way through the evening ...song after song the words came out easily for everyone! and we sang with all our strength into the cool night sky....

* All images by Hugh Stewart for Marie Claire Australia *

Garden Wishlist

The Tulip Chair from Domayne

It has a lovely retro feel to it...which sadly reminds me of a 1950's outdoor cane furniture set that I missed out on Ebay late last year....it did need a lot of restoration and hubby so gently reminded me that we dont really have anywhere to put it so maybe it was a good thing!?

..anyway this, I like!

Yes I do!

Its on the Wishlist.

At My House: When it rains....you stay indoors and bake.



I dont mind, i love a rainy day
and i love to bake too.
A perfect weekend at Home!

The house smells divine!
dont you just love the smell of baked goods in the oven? its the best!!

Cinnamon & Walnut swirly bread anyone?
(...Hot water is on for a cup of Tea too!)

For more 'At My House' posts head on over to Lou's blog
to play along!

Blogtoberfest Day 22 - Pretty Hair
Some inspiration for the upcoming festive season and all the parties

...i cant believe they have Christmas decorations in the shops - Im like Why??? its only October 22nd, people!!

Crazy!!

no wonder by the time Christmas does come around all I want to do is curl up in my pyjamas and stay in! haha...

I adore smooth Veronica Lake inspired hair - such beautiful waves dont you think?

I have no idea how to achieve something so glamourous but it sure looks pretty!

Today i went in for a haircut - i cut loads off the ends, i told my hair stylist to just go for it - all the nasty dry bits are gone and it feels great!

Images:

from Vogue China and Vogue USA editions

Blogtoberfest Day 21
A Room With a View....
a beautiful room with an even more beautiful view....




image: Carolina Herrera.Jr - master bedroom at her Spanish country home photographed for Vogue Living by Francois Halard

FLOWER POWER Love

Top image by Chris Craymer *
You are my Sunshine Ring by Recyled Fabric *
Vintage Metal Tray by LeVintageMaison * Vintage Sheet Fat Quarter 6 pack set by MyPoppetShop

Dear Mrs Kennedy
There are so many books about The Kennedys.
Ive read a few... their love story and life in the White house, at the time they were a breath of fresh air in American politics, all eyes were on this handsome and glamourous family....
but not all was rosy as we all know now. there were scandals, rumours and then sadly the tragic assasination of the young president.
I just found out there is a new book out called 'Dear Mrs Kennedy' - a collection of letters that Jacqueline received after the assasination of her husband in 1963.
Jacqueline and the family received more than a million letters and cards in the months following his death and with this new release it seems like people still have a fascination with this family and unforgettable event...

I like to remember Jacqueline not as the sad grief stricken widow but as the strong devoted mother that she was....

'I will be a wife and Mother first, then First Lady'
Jackie Kennedy

At my House: A Slice of Spring

Hope you all had a gorgeous weekend!
Yesterday my sister hosted a small lunch for our Mothers birthday so I decided to make a savoury slice to take along. Our Sunday paper had a great

Donna Hay recipe
so I followed that adding and tweaking ingrediants as I tend to do with all recipes I follow...

it turned out delicious and was super easy to make, especially since there was no pastry so it was ready in no time and less mess!

Im really enjoying cooking and baking in my new kitchen!

Im still waiting on 4 doors to be fitted this week so once I have it all ready, I'll be showing you my before and after shots!!

anyway lunch was delicious...lots of food as always and delicious cakes too!

For more 'At my house' posts head on over to Lou's great blog!

Etsy Pretties - touch of Teal...
























Top image by Tim Walker * The Silence seemed to speak Bracelet by TheArdentSparrow * Annabelle milky Turquoise necklace by Brideblu * Teal Confetti Paper Garland by KristinaMarie

A Girl Called... Lucy
hi everyone, hope your day is going nicely!!

Its time again to meet another girl and today we're heading on over to England to meet
Lucy Claydon.


Lucy is a talented graphic designer and the creative girl behind Lottie Frank illustrations.


Firstly, Welcome Lucy!!
Can you tell us what is currently inspiring you?
I am always inspired by the use of colour because of the positive effect it can have on your life from what you wear, to what you see, to what you eat (I have just come across Renowned pastry chef Claire Clarks delectable desserts, she opened a brief pop-up spot for afternoon tea at Harvey Nichols in London. Just the names were inspiring to me:- bubblegum marshmallow pavlova; rose and raspberry eclair; pistachio, passion fruit pain de gene; lemon madeira cake; praline roulade; mini battenburg cake; and warm chocolate cherry cake. Lovely! I can immediately visualize my Lottie ladies wearing tea cake dresses in these wonderful colours and flavours!
Another truly inspiring find for me is Heather Bailey for her colourful designs and stunning photography of her studio space...check out her shop here .
For this Autumn my current fashion favourite has to be Miu Miu for its campaign photoshoot.
Oh my list could go on I am inspired by anything and everything!

My day job as a graphic designer definately keeps me up to date with the latest trends as i work predominately for the fashion and beauty areas of a large department store creating editorial pages for new season brochures and promotional campaigns...so I always love to see the new brands and products coming through....


Name three things you couldn't live without
1. My little lady - she is my true inspiration and I am at my happiest when she is by my side...she is definately the root source of my inspiration for my Little Lottie Ladies collection... I set up my etsy shop for the little ladies when i was pregnant with her in 2009 - I knew I'd have a girl!
2. My Apple Mac - I do a lot of my work straight onto my mac and I would be lost without it, but ...I do have a new one on my wish list!
3. Magazines - I have piles of them, when I feel like I am in a creative rut I can always go back to them and tear out new sources of inspiration form styles, to girls poses and colour mixes.

Can you define to us your personal style?
My style is playful, bold, colourful and confident I want people to view my work and create their very own stories, for them to take it in and draw out elements from it that reflect their own lives or they dream of being that stylish girl that is full of confidence and lets nothing stand in her way!
I want my ladies to become icons for people to look up too, they can give them there own personality and imagine the circles they would mix in and the lavish lifestyle they would lead.
Whether these ladies reside on someone's wall at home or are used as part of a commercial campaign. I hope that my Lottie ladies have the potential to strut their stuff on the world catwalk!


What is your Favourite Smell/Fragrance?
I currently love Lola by Marc Jacobs, I was drawn to it for its bottle design, colours and packaging, it is new out and definately one you want out on the dressing room table! and of course it smells gorgeous!
I also like to collect the Gwen Stefani Harajuku Lovers fragrances as my little lady likes to collect & play with the dolls that are the bottle tops! I love anything Japanese inspired! and I am a true sucker for pretty packaging!


What do you love about your city?
I live about 50 mins away from London city, so it is easily accessible for an inspiration fix...I love the fabric and haberdashery stores especially VV Rouleaux, I could spend hours in there! Also the V&A Art Gallery always has interesting fashion related exhibitions on. I am going to the Barbican in a few weeks to visit the 30 years of Japanese fashion exhibition, which I can't wait to do! I will post about it once I have been.. So mainly I love it for its galleries and of course shopping!

and lastly Lucy, do you have a favourite quote you would like to share with us?
Oh yes I do, I recently wrote this quote in my weekly wonders column on my blog..I found it truly inspiring and it made me want to get on and do!

"Work with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet firmly on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire within you, to leave this world better than when you found it" by Wilfred Peterson
Thanks so much Lucy, great chatting with you!!

To see more of Lucy's work please head on over to her
Website
Etsy Shops LottieFrank
and LittleLottieLadies
and of course her inspiring Blog

The Slip Dress
so i mentioned earlier that I recently watched 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'...i loved it and
Maggie, Elizabeth Taylor's character, who is SO beautiful only had 3 wardrobe changes in the entire movie!
a skirt and blouse
a white party dress
and for the bedroom scene, a simple white slip dress

of course these days we get to wear the slip dress anywhere we please! how lucky are we??
Thanks for the inspiration Maggie!

top image: Steven Meisel

Bottom: Scott Schuman

At My house
ive been feeling a little bland lately, not much to blog about really
...i am looking forward to tommorow as its my day off...the boys are back at school so i can have a few hours to myself, maybe I'll grab a coffee and a cake at the local Italian bakery, i took the boys there the other day - the traditional sweets are always SO good!

Ive also got to finish a wedding order for a lovely Melbourne bride - she'll be using the birdies to wrap around their invite and matching birdy tags for her party favours! Weddings are always so wonderful, we have two family weddings coming up early next year - cant wait - i love weddings!

anyway fingers crossed the weather will be warm tommorow so i can do some laundry and dry it outside.
How was your electiricity bill last quarter?
ours shot up like crazy - winter heating and overuse of the clothes dryer...not good!

hope you enjoy your day!
for more 'At My home' posts head on over to lovely Lou's blog.

the inside on the outside....

i love the idea of creating a perfect 'hanging out area'
in the garden - an extention of inside living, on the outside...this is very common in Australia although my garden is a little small to host such a relaxed area....
....maybe in my next house?

we're still house hunting, its a frustration process as the housing market in Sydney is so hot right now - you dont get much for your money and our hopes of finding what we want within our budget is quickly fading!

Top image: Eric Boman
Bottom image: Amy Neunsinger

Blogtoberfest - Day 7
for the love of floral...

ive enjoyed posting daily for Blogtoberfest this week - hope you're enjoying my random posts- more to come!
I actually wrote a list of what could be future blog posts, do you do this? plan ahead?
or do you sit at your computer with no idea what you'll blog about then start typing away...
and voila! out pops a blog post?
either way works right?

Today its all about florals, these gorgeous images have that Nanna-chic vibe happening - I love it!

*images

Top: Domino magazine

Middle: Polly Wreford

Bottom: Chris Everard

Etsy picks of the week: Red white and Blue...

Top image by Nick Scott * Old Airmail style cotton tape by Marchare *

Sailboat on Navy & white stripe pillow by Mazizmuse * Voyageur by Blancucha