Christmas joy...

Yesterday I received this picture in my email from my beautiful daughter which she had taken on her ipod earlier that day. It was such a lovely image to open during a busy day of Christmas planning and last minute organising. To me it is these simple little messages of love which means the most at Christmas time. I look forward to spending a lovely day with our dear family and seeing the delight and happiness which this season brings to them especially my daughter, niece and nephews.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas,

may the season bring you joy, peace and many blessings.

Ax

{image by my daughter}

Beautiful blue wallpaper and fabrics....

I thought I would give you a sneak preview of some really lovely wallpapers and fabrics which I am looking forward to using on some upcoming projects. This collection is a breath of fresh air, classic and timeless colour combinations perfect for our Queensland homes. I absolutely adore how the wallpaper has been used on this ceiling!

Holiday decorating....

I have fallen for this beautiful Magnolia Christmas wreath ever since I spotted a picture of it in this months Harper's Bazar....It would look fabulous on my door this Christmas. So this weekend we will put up the Christmas tree. Have you trimmed the tree yet? Ax

Holiday season....

...thinking of Christmas and adoring these lovely Holiday cards by Anne from Annechovie.

I cannot believe how quickly the year is ending! Who has started getting organised? Not Me! Ax

On the market...Terrace House

I am finally getting a chance to post after a couple of busy weeks finishing off a few big projects I have been working on. I stumbled upon images of this 1880's sandstone terrace house in Sydney's Paddington last weekend while doing a little real estate stalking! The home retains its wonderful period architectural details while combining beautiful interiors. Hope you enjoy taking a look at this lovely home.....Ax

{images via McGrath}

Adore Home Launched

The new Australian online home and lifestyle magazine has launched its first Spring edition. Oliveaux is proud to be featured in the new online magazine. Founded and created by Loni Parker, Adore Home provides us with inspiring interiors, latest products and takes us to beautiful holiday destinations. Even better....its free so have a read here. I look forward to enjoying the next edition.

{images: Adore Home Magazine}

Outdoor spaces...

Hope you all had a great weekend. I have just enjoyed a few days off last week for the school holidays. Needless to say that it rained nearly the whole time we were away! However, it was wonderful to have a small break before the start of the end of year rush (which I feel has already begun). This time of year I am always inspired by outdoor spaces and have been choosing fabric to recover an outdoor lounge setting I recently acquired. I cannot wait until its ready to be enjoyed this Summer - I shall take some photo's when it returns from my upholsterer.

Loving these two outdoor spaces and the splash of colour.

{image 1. Ruthie Sommers 2. Coastal Living}

Hey fiddle...

I have been inspired by gardens now the weather is warmer and my garden is starting to grow and flower again. So why not bring the outdoors in and fill a spare corner with a pot or basket of green? One of my favourite indoor plants is the Fiddle Leaf Fig. It has such a wonderful structure and better still they are meant to be easy to care for! Adding a plant makes these rooms look beautiful and fresh.

Spring...

September is the start of Spring here in the southern hemisphere and it is one of my favourite times of the year. This beautiful Cath Kidston image makes me think of spring cleaning, although I must confess I never traditionally do a big 'spring clean'. However, I am convinced that using some of her gorgeous products might make the job a little more fun and inspiring!

Happy Monday!

...I was completely mesmerised by the Valentino retrospective which is currently showing in Brisbane until November, that I thought I would start the week by sharing some of these beautiful images from 'the book'. This exhibition celebrates the work of Valentino from the 60's to the 2010 collection. It was amazing to see so much haute couture in real life. The attention to detail and amount of work which goes into each piece can be appreciated. It was perfectly unforgettable....

{Valentino: themes & variations}

...a beautiful keepsake for anyone who loves Valentino!

Bon Weekend!

When I was in Paris last month I visited the store Merci. There is a wonderful little cafe at the front of the store where the walls are lined with old books which you are able to read. It was a warm day outside so I decided this would be a wonderful place to stop for a while and have a fresh orange juice. Look at how it arrived. It really is all in the detail ...and the little white paper cup had a perfect mouthful of cake.... delicious!

For me its all about enjoying the simple things! I hope you have a wonderful weekend and get some time to stop and enjoy the little details which surround us....Axx

{image me}

Ralphs....

Hello again...I am back from my trip to Paris and share with you the first lot of my Paris photo's.

Ralph Lauren opened his first European restaurant in Paris just 8 weeks before I arrived. The new store and restaurant is located on Boulevard St Germain.

Surrounded by gorgeous Ralph Lauren fabrics and furniture, the courtyard is a wonderful spot to enjoy lunch before spending the afternoon shopping the many wonderful boutiques. The beautiful potted flowers, plants and the sound of water coming from the fountain add to the Summer atmosphere.

Unfortunately I was not able to eat there. I tried to book into Ralph's for brunch in the beautiful courtyard and was told they are booked out for one month. So next trip I shall make sure I book well in advance!

{Photo's me}

Au Revoir...

I have packed my bags and taking a little trip to Paris...I shall be sure to

share some of my adventures......Ax

{image visualizeus}

A cozy window seat....

{image me}

With the official start of winter yesterday in Australia, the weather has decided to give us a little change from the warm sunny days we are custom to here - today it is overcast and a little cool outside. On days like this I always dream of finding a cozy nook to curl up with some books....the window seat in London's Liberty store would suit me for a few hours...Ax

Loving...

The latest book to make it's way into my library is Joe Nye's Flair, a book of inspirational ideas and details which would make any event spectacular. This gorgeous chair makes such a wonderful statement in the entry designed by Nye. I always love his use of fabrics and colour. So after enjoying his book I have revisited some of his rooms from my files I love....

fabulous colours and fabrics are used in this raspberry and blue L.A living room...

A feminine bedroom which he describes as "Christian Dior in Palm Beach"

{image via Home Beautiful}

Bon Weekend!

I'm off to the beach for the next few days....

enjoy your weekend.

Ax

{image via miss wallflower}

Black + Green

Happy start to the new work week & I hope you all had a great weekend....today I am drawn to the colour combination of this porch, I love the bold combination of the green and black!

Today....

Well this week has just flown by so quickly and I cannot believe it is already Friday! It has been another short working week here in Brisbane as Monday was a public holiday. I really could get used to working a four day week. I thought I would share some of the things on my desk today...Firstly, I am so excited that A-M's house along with Oliveaux has been featured in this month's Home Beautiful magazine. If you are a subscriber I am sure you will have already seen it....if not it is out on Monday!

Otherwise my desk is covered in lots of gorgeous fabrics and wallpaper samples which I am putting together for a few different projects I am working on at the moment...

Hope you all have a wonderful Friday....Ax

{Images: Oliveaux}

Thank you....

To all my dear friends....words cannot express how much all of your love, messages and support have meant to me over the past few weeks.

Thank you...Ax

{image via just be splendid}

Sad days....

...Vicki...

My dear Mum passed away Friday morning...my heart aches...

she was such an amazing person and a beautiful Mum...Ax

Happy Friday...

...beautiful furniture, gorgeous fabrics, antique fireplaces and accessories...this would be a lovely spot to spend a few quiet moments on a Friday morning. This captivating room is the work of Ludwig Interior Design which is based out of France. He has an innate talent to create beautiful rooms which seem to transport me into another place.

...you just can't help but love it!

{images via Ludwig Interior Design}

Signing off after a difficult week...

It has been a difficult week with more sad news regarding my Mum's health which has been deteriorating over the past few weeks and she is now back in hospital. I have not had much of a chance to visit all of you...so thank you for reading and commenting this week and I will stop by again soon! Enjoy your weekend...Ax

{image via flickr}