take time out of your daily grind to appreciate beautiful things,.....

so,..it's a day or so before christmas,....  i am defrosting my great big turkey,..making scones,.. amusing 3 children,...cleaning around the house, washing toddler poo off the daybed covers (don't ask), and am altogether downright busy and important! 


mental time of year.


i thought i would stop for a second though and have my 'style fix'.


i think i mentioned the other day that the postman had brought me (sounds better than 'bought online') a copy of stylist, Sibella Courts book 'etcetera'.

i am mad about this book,...  i can't actually bear to sit down and look at it properly,..as i fear it will be too overwhelming!

anyway,..  thought i would share some of the gorgeous images....

take a moment out of your day,..and enjoy looking at pretty things with me!

                                                       

                                     

   

i am a little obsessed with old typewriters at the moment,..  the shape of them,.the sound they make,...the texture of the written word,..  it's lovely,..

i am also loving the artwork of hand written letters.  i wrote my first letter in a long time last week,..on parchment paper,..with a hand-stamped letterhead.  the experience was lovely!





i love the casual humour in Sibella's style.  she is happy to attach things to the wall with twine and bluetack.  to hang lights on hooks etc.  it shows that design does not need to be permanent.  that you can move things around at whim.  that you don't have to 'live' with a piece if you get tired of looking at it.

everyone should have a copy of this book!!  there is still some time before christmas to get yourself a special gift!  this should be it.

jane xx

christmas day fare,...

so,..i have my christmas day table design sorted out,..  i guess the next thing is to organise the food!


we are a traditional aussie family when it comes to christmas day food,..  mum and dad come to our place ladened with a massive glazed ham,.and there is no way of changing that!  however, after drooling over the christmas edition of inside out magazine i thought i would change things up a bit this year,...


here are some things that will be on our table christmas day...

image inside out

some fabulous fresh seafood,..  you cant go past prawns and lobster medallions with a balsamic, pepper and salt dipping sauce.  freshly shucked oysters are also divine..

image from inside out

BBQ'd turkey with middle eastern spices, carrot, orange and cranberry glaze.

image inside out

this coconut japonaise with almond cream and berries is going to prove a little difficult,..but hopefully worth the challenge!

add to that an apple, fennel and honeyed walnut coleslaw,..  roast kipfler potatos with crispy pancetta and this gorgeous vodka and cranberry cocktail,...

merry christmas everyone!!

jane xx

(phtos from inside out magazine,..  styling by glen proebstel)

stylish christmas gift wrapping ideas that won't destroy your bank account,..or the envionment!

ok,....  i'll admit it....  i tend to get a little scroogy when it comes to wrapping christmas gifts.


i have 3 kids,..who all rip and tear paper off gifts faster than you can imagine,..and in no time at all, we are left with massive piles of torn paper,..horrible cards and packaging that all has to be chucked out.


it urks me.


oh,....and that pile of torn,.horrible paper is expensive!!!


so,..this is what i am doing this year.


i love a good swing tag,..so i went online and found some lovely vintage images,..which i have printed up onto some thick parchment paper,...

i cut them out and punched a hole in the top of each one and then tied with a piece of vintage ribbon,... 

i think they look gorgeous!


i have also decided to wrap most of the gifts in fabric this year.  much better for the environment than reams and reams of paper,...and looks lovely too.


i chose fabric that complimented the decorations on the christmas tree,.and then used come contrasting grosgrain ribbon as an accent..

adding a vintage doilie looks cute and adds texture.


finally,...i like to wrap some gifts in good old brown paper,.... it grounds the colour scheme and adds lovely contrast.

so there you go!  some cheap,..easy ideas that look lovely!


have fun wrapping!


jane xx