A Neutral Breeze

Mum's things on her fireplace mantel @ Straddie.

Happy Ned having the best time on the beach.

Not another person on the beach.  Just me & Ned...pure bliss.

Neutral chair, ethnic cushion, antique mirror and natural rug @ Black & Spiro

There seems to be a neutral breeze in the air for me at the moment.  Maybe it's because there is just so much colour happening out there and I usually prefer to move against the current.  Not sure but it seems as though a dash of neutral is like a breath of fresh air for me right now.  Note, I said a 'dash of neutral'.  Don't worry I won't be going all beige but I really am enjoying a mix of neutral with colour. 

On the weekend I went to my parent's beach cottage which sits on the most beautiful, quiet beach at Straddie and it was a perfect breath of fresh air for me.  I can't believe that Ned and I were the only people {well Ned is a dog not a person} on the beach on Sunday morning.  We walked for over an hour and we didn't pass 1 person except for the man in his surf ski.  It was quite extraordinary and just so refreshing.  It's amazing what a bit of fresh sea air and time on your own can do for your head and soul!!  It definitely gets rid of the cobwebs. 

xx
Anna

Happy Summer Days

"Time slows at the Summer House.  The pile of books you have set aside for Summer reading awaits leisure time in the hammock.  The days begin and end in long shadows and quiet anticipation."  - Terry John Woods

Our Summer holiday was perfect in every single way.  We spent most days here at this beautiful beach swimming and playing in the sand.

We found lots of fabulous shells.  Harry's friend B found the big creamy coloured shell in the photo above.

Harry was obsessed with snorkeling in the big rock pools and looking for treasure.

And treasure he found.  He stumbled across this fabulous big old shell in one of the rock pools which he and his father snorkeled over the top of at high tide.  It now sits proudly on our sideboard at the beach house amongst all the other shells they have found over the years.

Ned our Golden Retriever spent every minute he possible could on the beach and if he wasn't swimming or running he could be found resting in the shade under the umbrella.

You couldn't wipe the smile from his face.  I am unsure who was the most depressed today coming home...Ned or Harry or Max or Brad...actually I think I was the most sad about leaving the beach.

Although most of our holiday was spent at Straddie we did manage to spend a few days down at my cousin's beach house at South Golden Beach just north of Byron.  Whilst there we visited the Easton Pearson pop-up shop and my cousin reminded me of the pop-up shop I opened about 12 years ago over at Straddie for the Summer.  It was called Holiday Things and I had totally forgotten about it until he reminded me of it.  Pop-up shops seem to be all the rage these days but 12 years ago nobody had really ever done it before....well around our part of the world anyway!!  Did anyone go to Easton Pearson's pop-up store in Byron or Noosa?  I absolutely loved the beach umbrella they had and if they were for sale I definitely would have bought one!!

Happy times were had.  There were lots of laughs and lots of cuddles and I cherished every single moment I had with them.  As Harry said when we drove off the barge this afternoon -  "it's now back to the real world mum..."

Summery Daze

I must admit I am in a bit of a Summery daze.  After a very hectic couple of weeks all I can think about is going to the beach for a few weeks at Christmas.  I can't get it out of my head.  I am so desperately longing for the holidays to roll in.  Not long now.  I thought I'd post a few pictures I have been saving for Summer. 

BTW - I will be posting some fun interviews here this week from my Summer Vignette guests.

xx
Anna

images 1,2,3 via milenachka, image 4 matchbook magazine via notestosarah, image 5, 7 - rachel mcginn photography, image 6 via chance via matchbook tumblr, image 8 via cottages and gardens mag, image 9 via pretty stuff tumblr

Today

My morning started in the garden collecting some bougainvillea which I plonked into a vase and packed into the car along with a full load of lovely things.  I headed off on my journey down to Broadbeach on the Gold Coast where I spent the day installing new furniture at an apartment I have had the pleasure of working on over the past few months. 

My grand plans of arranging the big bunch of pretty pink bougainvillea in a vase on my clien'ts new sideboard went down the drain about halfway there when the bunch and the water fell out of the vase as I was going around a corner.  By the time I arrived at the Coast the poor flowers had dropped.  I had to improvise.  I found a native bush in the front garden of the apartment building which I cut a few branches from.  They looked great arranged in the glass vase on the sideboard along with the other new bits and pieces I organised for her.

It was a full day of unpacking new furniture and placing pieces, cushions, lamps and accessories.  The owners of this apartment actually built the building way back in the 60's.  It has a divine view of the beach and the breeze is sensational.

I didn't want to leave.  I could have stayed on for days and days.  Unfortunately B&S and my boys can't survive without me so I reluctantly left my client so that she could enjoy her beautiful new things.  It's so rewarding seeing a project come to fruition and especially when the client is a happy one at the end of the day.  Phew!! 

I wish I took more photos but I only had my phone with me so I quickly snapped these as I was leaving...

xx

Anna

Summer Is That You?

I am usually more of a Winter girl but I must admit I haven't really enjoyed Winter this year.  I have no idea why.  I am so excited about this coming Summer.  Maybe it's because I've been working really hard or maybe it's because our weather here in Brisbane this past week has been a bit warmer.  Whatever it is, I just keep dreaming about long Summer days at the beach.

With all of my thoughts turning towards Summer I couldn't help posting this image today.  It's very Summery.  It is a room I have loved for such a long time.  I love how layered and thrown together it is.  It is a great example of blue and white done well, in my opinion...not too fussy and not too contrived. 

Actually Jennifer over at Peak of Chic wrote a very interesting post this week about decorating with blue and white.  I am in complete agreement with her.  As she says 'I feel as though there is blue and white...and then there is blue and white!'  

Click HERE if you would like to read the post...

I'm taking a few days off from the blog.  Hope to be back mid-next week!
xx
Anna

image via vacation homes book

Summery

This image captured my heart this morning.  I know it's Winter but I love Summer and this space above is pure perfection!  Of course it is by that very clever person - Sig Bergamin as captured by Elle Decor.

Happy Times

My beautiful dad.

The beach houses surrounding the house we stayed in. The agapanthus grows wild in front of these houses. I would love to see them flowering.

The gardens in this small sleepy beach side town are to-die-for.



Table set for Dad's Birthday lunch.






I spotted this cute beach shack when I was out picking flowers and loved it. In New Zealand I've noticed they paint many of their houses black and white which I love.



I had a bath in this huge clawfoot bath every day we were there. I love the little vintage butterfly prints on the wall.




When we eventually renovate the kitchen in our new house I definitely want to have a cabinet built just like this one which was in the kitchen at the beach house. It was so perfect for all the plates, platters, cups etc.

The beach in front of the house.

We've just returned home from a week in New Zealand where we celebrated my father's 60th Birthday. After spending a few days in Auckland we caught a plane down to Napier and drove down to a beautiful beach house my parent's have been frequenting over the past 12 months in a sleepy beach side town in Hawkes Bay. We spent 3 days here with my parents, brothers, cousins, aunty & uncle and our grandmother. It was the most wonderful holiday with lots of laughs, lots of tears and lots of reminiscing. Mum cooked an amazing lunch for Dad on his birthday. I went down the street and picked some gorgeous roadside flowers which I arranged for the table. It was the most amazing week away from work and the craziness of life. Happy 60th Birthday Dad. You are one in a million and we all love you so much.

If anyone is interested in staying at this beautiful house click HERE for details.

A Pretty Boat House

Look at this pretty Boat House....so lovely and inviting. What a perfect spot for a Summer Holiday.


Image 1 & 2 - Mike Newling

Stuart Membery

Although this post isn't really Christmas related, I had a feeling you would love to know about a new friend of mine, Stuart Membery. My Australian readers may remember Stuart from the fashion industry in Australia in the 1980's and also as the man behind bringing Esprit to Australia many moons ago.

This week I've had a few email conversations with Stuart and then yesterday he picked up the phone and called me from his divine home in Bali. Stuart's home has been featured in this month's House & Garden magazine and I must say I feel like I could move straight in and not change a thing. It actually reminds me of something my mother would create. His mismatch of cane furniture, collected things like shells, baskets, books and magazines is very much a look I love and have grown up with myself. The whole thing feels like I have seen it before. I absolutely adore his aesthetic and as for his life in Bali, well it sounds amazing.

Apparently, US decorator and journalist, Annie Kelly has just been over to visit Stuart and has photographed the house and it seems that international interest for his homewares and furniture is mounting daily....including my own keen interest in his products for our Black & Spiro store which we are renovating and extending in 2010.

I will be sure to keep you updated with our purchase of his pieces for Black & Spiro. In the meantime, you must race out and grab a copy of this month's House & Garden and see for yourself how beautiful his home is and how wonderful his life sounds!!

Vintage Beach Photos

I love these vintage Hawaiian beach images which have been hung in the staircase of the Moana Hotel in Hawaii. They remind me of the staircase Windsor Smith filled with framed black and white photos as below.

Image 1 - via Flickr, Image 2 - Domino via Flickr