8 Happy Ideas

Happy Idea # 1 - Set the table and invite some friends for lunch.

Happy Idea # 2 - Call a friend and invite them to go bargain hunting this Saturday.

Happy Idea # 3 - Bake a cake.


Happy Idea # 4 - Go for a ride on your bike in a pretty park.



Happy Idea # 5 - Go fishing.

Happy Idea # 6 - Cuddle a loved one.

Happy Idea # 7 - Float in the water.

Happy Idea # 8 - Hang out with some friends.

Here are 8 Happy Ideas.

Image 1 - via My Notting Hill, Image 2 - via Nibsblog, Image 3 - via Martha Stewart, Image 4 - via Paul Costello, Image 5 - via Paul Costello, Image 6 - via Cookie Magazine, Image 7 - via Paul Costello, Image 8 - via Paul Costello

Wilston House

Here are some pictures of a lounge room I recently redecorated for a client. We recovered her old sofas, added some new slip covered armchairs and lots of new scatter cushions. It's all very fresh and colourful against an all-white background. The lovely client is thrilled! I am hoping she will go ahead with large sisal floor rug which I think would complete the room beautifully but all in good time!! I couldn't help posting a picture of her gorgeous flowering Wisteria which hangs perfectly over her front gate - so pretty!! I wish I had a Wisteria like this growing over my front gate...maybe one day!!

All images - Anna Spiro 2008

Happy Week!!

One of my lovely friends reminded me that I had forgotten to do a 'Happy Weekend' post last week so to make up for it I thought I would do a special little 'Happy Week' post! This week I've decided to stop reading the newspaper, stop reading CNN News on the Internet and stop watching the news on the t.v.!! Instead I am going to focus on the happy things in my life. I hope you will all join me this week in focusing on being HAPPY!! Look at this beautiful image Abbey posted last week of some fresh flowers she arranged in her apartment! This picture makes me happy!! What makes you feel happy??


Image - Abbey Goes Design Scouting

Black & Spiro Today

We've got lots of pretty new things at Black & Spiro. We just had heaps of beautiful new cushions come back from the workroom today and a beautiful old pair of Peacock chairs arrived as well. We also just received a beautiful {hard to find} old work bench and a lovely 1940's round Bentwood table...lots of nice new things to see!! Oh, and the little Pansy painting is a vintage one I picked up when I was in France which is now for sale in the shop.

Loving

via Dan Marty Designs

Via Country Home

These pretty bottles...

Nb. Anthropologie have some bottles like these available here...

Anne's Absolutely Favourite Things

Anne Harwell is a name known throughout Blogland. Anne is a talented artist and her gorgeous work has been featured on blogs worldwide. I absolutely adore Anne's chair series. I purchased a set of her chair note cards from her Etsy shop a while ago and every time I write a note on one of her cards I think I must order some more before I use them all up. I think her work is so fresh and vibrant and inspiring. She is also very gracious and never leaves it too long with out leaving a comment on my blog to stay in touch. Today I'm thrilled to be able to share with you some of Anne's favourite things...

"The arrangement includes a tole container that I re-painted with a lavender color I mixed myself (to get it the shade I wanted). In it is my dwarf braided ficus. In front of that is a cross I bought in Florence, Italy. Then there's a porcelain votive from Anthropologie, a fuschia glass bowl from Spain, a carved box I gold-leafed myself and a Tiffany box from a special gift. Atop that is a sea urchin my sister brought me from the Florida Keys. To the left is some coral and a shell, my pink reading glasses and one of my quote posters that I made to remind me to be thankful for what I have. I love these things for their color and beauty, but also because they remind me of special travel memories, people who are dear to me and what's important in life!"

Anne your favourite things are so pretty...love all the pink and aqua!! Thank you for sharing your special things with us!!

This ends Series 1 of Absolutely Favourite Things. Series 2 will start on Thursday 30th October. Thank you to all of the amazing bloggers who have contributed to series 1. It has been so wonderful to see your favourite things and to hear about why they are so special to you. Thank you also for the wonderful feedback I have received about this series. I can't wait to share the next series with you all!!

More Paul Costello Loveliness

I think I may have saved every single image from photographer Paul Costello's website in my 'I Love Files'. His work is so beautiful, fresh, pretty, colourful and youthful. Last week I posted a few of his photos and I couldn't help sharing some more here today. How dreamy is that beautiful white house in the top image?! Love the cane furniture on the grass! My mum puts her cane furniture out on the grass under the shade of the trees at her house at Straddie in the Summer. It's just so lovely to sit with your bare feet in the cool grass on a hot Summer's day!!

All images - Paul Costello