Au revoir...

Image via We Heart It

Bye for now...I'll be back in 3 weeks...

Thank you!

Nothing was more fitting than this pretty photo by the very talented Jen Altman for me to post as a thank you to you all for your very kind emails, comments and tips for my trip to France. I couldn't be more grateful. What an amazing group of people this blog has introduced me to. I hope you all stay happy and well while I am away and I promise to have lots of inspiration for you upon my return!! In the meantime, do visit the lovely blogs I have listed in my blogroll as they will give you lots of inspiration while I am gone!! xx Anna

1 Day & Counting..

My Heart Wandered to Paris by Jen Gotch for the My Heart Wanders project created by Pia Jane Bijkerk. Such a beautiful image for the last day of my countdown!!

New @ Black & Spiro

I thought I would post this picture of a vintage cane chair {one of a pair of chairs} which just came back from our upholsterer today for the shop. I just love the fresh colourway of this Florence Broadhurst fabric and I felt it was a perfect choice for these chairs. They actually look so gorgeous with the blue striped sofa we currently have in the shop...I hope they all get sold to the same person as they look so wonderful together!!

2 Days & Counting...

Image via Flickr

New Gambrel Images?!

Am I a little bit behind or has Steven Gambrel just added lots of new images of his work to his website?? Either way I just love his work and here are a few images above which I am mad about!

5, 4, 3 Days & Counting...

And now there's only 3 more days to go. Here are a few images displaying some special souvenirs/momentos from France...so gorgeous! Can you spot the Eiffel Tower in each picture??


Image 1 - Martha Stewart via This is Glamorous

Image 2 - via Elle Decor

Image 3 - Jenifer Altman Photographer

Happy Weekend!!

Hope you have a great weekend! I'll be spending my weekend packing for my trip and cuddling my little 5 year old!! xxAnna


Image - Delphine Chanet Photographer

Domino International Design Blogs

I am so thrilled to be included in the Domino Magazine Editor's Picks: International Design Blogs list compiled by Holly Becker from Decor 8! Click HERE to see my listing amongst an amazing round up of design blog talent!! Thanks Holly & Domino for including me!!

6 Days & Counting...

No countdown to France could happen without including The Palace of Versailles! I am so excited about visiting this amazing place!!

All Images via Flickr

Lunching Outside

In Summer I love having lunches outside and even more I love taking my table and chairs out on the grass! I love this image above - the white table, the white benches and those gorgeous white end chairs - so lovely!

Image via Traditional Home Magazine.

Craving...

I am craving the isolation this beautiful photo exudes!

Image - Elle Italy

7 Days & Counting...

Only 7 more days to go! Looking down on Cap Ferrat {above} where we will be staying for 4 days!! Oh my goodness, is this really about to happen to me???!!!

Image - Flickr

Jules' Apartment

Here are some pictures of an apartment I have been working on lately with Jules, it's gorgeous owner! She has been so fun to work with and she is so easy as she loves everything I show her! I just adore her Art Deco apartment and I love the very thrown together, imperfect sort of a mix we have created which is what she wanted from the outset - she didn't want it to look like I had been there!! Thanks for being such a lovely, lovely client Jules, I have thoroughly enjoyed working with you on this project and I can't wait till the wallpaper in the hallway goes up! I'll be sure to post pictures of that once it's done!!

Up, Up & Away...

While I was searching for my French Inspired images I stumbled across these beautiful balloon images from Imapix's photostream @ Flickr which I had to share...the colours are so beautiful don't you think?!

8 Days & Counting...

Incredibly beautiful Platane trees lining a street in Provence definitely makes my heart skip a beat!

Image via Imapix @ Flickr

Obsessing Over...

Oh, I absolutely LOVE this vintage lady from Paris Hotel Boutique but I can't have it as I am going away next week and I have to save all my pennies for my trip!! I'll just have to leave it for one of you lovely readers out there!!

Gift Wrap Idea

Tonight I'm going to dinner with a friend to celebrate her birthday. I always love to put lots of effort into wrapping my gifts and one thing I often do is wrap my gifts in wallpaper which I may have left over from a job or from a display we have done at Black & Spiro. This gift above, which I will give to my friend tonight, I wrapped in some left over Designer Guild paper I had. I just think it's a lovely way to make your gift look a little different and also for me it's a great way to use up the left overs!!

Paper Love

Totally in love with these gorgeous bow cards from Seesaw Designs!

9 Days & Counting...

And today I couldn't resist posting two French inspired images - The markets in Paris!!

Images via Flickr

Loving!!

I'm loving this beautiful vintage teacup & saucer artwork by Hennie Haworth!

10 Days & Counting...

As I am counting down the days until I leave for Paris I thought I would post a French inspired picture each day until I leave! Here's the first one...a pretty bakery in Paris.

Image from here.

Sunday Afternoon Pottering

Hello again! Hope you're having a great weekend! This afternoon I've been pottering around reading magazines, drinking coffee and just enjoying a lovely Winter Sunday afternoon at home! This picture above by James Merrell pretty much sums up my afternoon!! What have you been doing today??

Oops, Nearly Forgot...

Oh, I just had to pop back before I headed off for the weekend to give you this little picture which one of my friends sent me this week very early one morning via email with the words......"Have a great day!" What a lovely thing she is!! Isn't it wonderful to have friends who care about you!!

Image via All Things Bright & Beautiful

Happy Weekend & The Final Countdown!!

Remember back in January when I told you I was heading to Paris??!! If not, click HERE to refresh your memory!

Well here I am with 13 days left to go before I present my seminar in Melbourne and as I answer my last question on that exciting Thursday morning I will be filled with so much anticipation as that afternoon I will be leaving on a plane bound for Paris.

In Paris I will meet my two very special girlfriends for the start of a 3 week girls only trip. After a week long indulgent visit to Paris we will head to the South of France where we will stop in Aix-en-Provence for some time and then we head down further to the coastal town of St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. After a few days in Cap-Ferrat we head to Venice and then I will leave my gorgeous friends and head back to London where I will be visiting the Notting Hill Markets before I board a plane homeward bound. I will be purchasing lots of fantastic things for Black & Spiro and when I get home I will have some wonderful news for you all!! So 13 days to go and counting - it certainly has been a long wait as I booked this trip almost 12 months ago to the day!!

Hope you all have a great weekend and I look forward to next week as the final count down begins. Oh and I have a special apartment I have worked on which I will show you too!! See you soon! xx Anna

Image - Richard Foulser Photographer via Shannon Fricke

Loving Kathy Dalwood!!!

Oh my goodness, I'm loving the work of London based designer Kathy Dalwood...a girl after my own heart!! Thanks Designers Block for the introduction!!