the week that was....

not much of a Summer holiday up the coast - it rained and rained some more... but life was so slow and leisurely I wasn't complaining!

We still managed to go for long walks on the beach everyday (great for those leg muscles), we played card games, the boys went hunting for sea creatures among the beach rocks, Andrew and I celebrated 12 years of marriage....lots of great family time and yummy food in a great house with a huge deck and an awesome view- bliss!

Whilst it rained I had many coffee and tea breaks and managed to read some

great books!

back home now, we're back at work, boys went back to school

....life is back to normal!

off to the beach for some fun in the sun!

see you all next week!

kisses, Anastasia

xx

Classic...with a twist

If you had to describe or pinpoint your decor style, would you find it an easy task....?

...i always seem to lean towards

Classic with a twist

what do I mean by that?

Traditional rooms with loads of character

* high ceilings

* beautiful windows ( lots of natural light)

* airy & spacious but never sterile

* lived in rooms with a feeling of organised chaos

and a room that reflects life

... personal touches with artwork, fresh flowers, lots of books...

old furniture, traditional lines mixed in with an unexpected touch of modern accents and design!

What about you??

images via Pinterest

Inspiration Now: a Delicate State...

no I'm not in a delicate state at all, I'm feeling great...a little tired maybe..actually a whole lot tired since I have both boys at home on school holidays - I'm sick of hearing how bored they are haha...i'm sick of hearing my own voice giving suggestions of what they can do...I havnt had much time to blog or create!

I'm looking forward to next week as we're heading to the beach!

We've rented a cute little house for a whole week, its walking distance to the beach, has a great large deck and an amazing view so Im packing a bunch of magazines, a few good books, my sun hat...you get the idea! Cant wait...

Im loving these soft delicate shades of pink....inspiring!!

What colours and tones are you loving lately?

* images

Top - illustration by Clare Owen

Middle - image from Candice Lesage Austen

Bottom - image from Scout & Catalogue

a Healthy nut

so you know that feeling when you have to eat something sweet but dont want to raid the pantry as you'll reach for that un-opened chocolate bar
... you just know you wont stop at just one piece?

how about an alternative? Healthy brownies....health-y!
no cooking required either so this is so easy if you have a food processer on hand.

I spotted these via pinterest (where else??) and have made them a few times now...I always change up the recipe
so this is what I used this time.

1 cup pitted dates (or date paste)
1 cup pitted soft prunes
1-2 cups raw almonds (soak overnight if your blender cant handle hard chopping)
handful of sunflower seeds
handful of pepita seeds
handful dark chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons Chia seeds
2 Tablespoons Almond butter (peanut butter is fine too)
a splash of water if needed

mulch it all up in the blender!

press in lined tin and refrigerate for a couple of hours - cut up in small pieces and store in air-tight container in the fridge - eat often!
(...and No! these are not laxatives although they might look like they are haha....)

Colour Combination: Blue White and Peach

how pretty is this table setting?

i really love Gingham - its fresh, preppy, casual ...wholesome goodness!

and the blue and white cotton tablecloth looks perfect teamed with white and peach don't you think!

some other lovely Gingham ideas

* printable 'Lets picnic' invites by

EatDrinkChic

*fashion bloggers styling up their gingham - Lucy here and Kendi here

* a Gingham feature wall?

*images via GraceHappens blog - details from the baby shower she hosted for her friend!

Blog It!

ive spotted some fun happenings on some blogs...

FatMumSlim has a 'Photo a Day' Challenge for the whole month of January, quick its not to late to join in!

Jess of Epheriell Designs is doing a 365 day challenge - declutter your space, one item a day, you can follow her progress or join in and free up your own home and mind of clutter!

Holly is hosting DiscoMania for all bloggers - perfect excuse to dress up and sparkle! would make a great blog post too!

This creative e-course 'rediscovering the beauty of your gifts' by blogger & designer Jeanne Oliver starts next week - sounds perfect!

read about the girls behind Ruche, i always find it inspiring to read about creative types and this workplace sure looks like a heap of fun!

Amanda is hosting Project 52 - join in on her fun challenge - 52 weeks, 52 tasks!

Cathy and Louise are hosting an Art filled Workshop 'Your Awesome Year' in Melbourne, Australia -

lots of people ask how they can get more views/comment and blog readers, I say Get involved!...go seek, search for what inspires you, who inspires you and if you have time join in on all the fun out there in bloggy land!

oh and do let me know if you know of any other FAB bloggy stuff going on!!

*image via my Pinterset pins

That list of New Year Resolutions you made last year can be used again.
Its as good as new....
(oh so true isn't it?? ha-ha)

I don't normally make resolutions
but its always great to start fresh, to start something new and isn't January just the perfect month to make that change??

Its been a slow start for me, I had some time off...lazy days ...which felt just perfect!
I celebrated my birthday on the

1st January and I'm feeling good!!! GREAT in fact and very motivated ....so here goes....

This year I hope to
* Be Creative - keep going strong with my Etsy shop (i acheived my 500th sale just before the year ended! Woohoo), schedule more time in my week to play with my papers, blog often, start drawing again (practise is key!!)

* Be Organized - my crafty space is currently a mess and this dampens my creativity big time, so I need to clear out what I don't need/use and find some order!

* Be Healthy - I haven't exercised in months!! pretty bad I know.

Really, there is just no excuse for it! Our health is our greatest asset so the plan is to move my body at least an hour a day, think about what Im eating plus I plan to make (and drink) a Green Smoothie at least once a day!

* Be Crafty - I've never done a Craft market before and I've always wanted to so the plan is to join forces with some creative types and have a stall - Should be fun!
* Be Thankful - At the end of the day its important to remember what's really important in life and being thankful for what we have at this present moment is what really matters!

*image by Roland Graf - fresh green plants always make me feel renewed