Bag lady

The planets have aligned in my favour. 

 I heading to Sydney tomorrow to attend the 2011 Dulux colour Awards and this little beauty turned up at my doorstep this morning.  

Of course I feigned surprise and declared that I must have won it, but my husband had already seen the bill on the VISA.  

Who cares you are now mine little baggie.

It's smells so good.  

Its made by The Cambridge Satchel Company and  you can purchase (or win it, not really) from Pedlars in the UK.

Toilet Humour o' the day

Talk about small things...  Whilst walking back from school drop off, my friend Lucy (pictured) and I were wetting our pants at the corner "bathrooms".  I mean you gotta laugh don't you (otherwise you would cry).

While we are on the subject of laughing at silly things - I love these photos that featured on a real estate website.  Bit silly but that's how today has panned out.

Excuse me but there's some dog love out the window

Nob shadow points to cactus garden 

Royal Fever

Thanks to Wills for the recent trip to our wee city we have reached royal fever here in NZ.

It got me thinking about Royal memorabilia.  

Outside the box thinker Donna Wilson has made gloves with must have engagement ring 

You can now fondle Wills' Union Jack - ooohh eeerrrrr

Tasteful cup twins from Pedlers

Tea bags from Pedlers

Mat from Pedlers - might be a tad hard to wave around but great for cleaning muddy boots

From our very own Lester Hall - Queenie

The naughty step(s)

Hey Lady!... yeah you up there at the top of the stairs.

Your stairs are not cool - the only excuse I would consider is that this is the Pantone office, even then I would not accept applied combo.

While I'm at it your corrugated iron art sucks.

Logs-a-lordy

Great news - we can now "log" inside.  No long do we need to queue on the main street corner trying to act inconspicuous whilst standing next to a bright green portaloo.

Thrift by Judith Seng

These logs would look pretty good inside too.

High gloss at the top and dull at the bottom.  I can relate.

Saved by the yell(ow)

Thank you image you just cured my hangover....

Found on Pinterest

..it didn't but I wanna lie here.

ALL good in the knitting hood

Warning:  Heart may beat faster because of colour combos, patterns and cool designs.

Once I'd calmed down I then wanted to order all the products from ALL Knitwear.  

Top of my list is:

and these (mind you they might be more suited to someone who does not have Roger Ramjet type thighs)

Annie Larson is the groovy-cat behind these amazing creations.  She knocks these out on her Brother KH-910 Electroknit knitting machine.  

She's based in Minneapolis, USA but good news is that Rebecca from Douglas+Bec is going to be stocking her scarfs and hats. Rebecca...I will be first to get something - pinkie promise.

PS: Rebecca also runs a great blog/workroom etc.  Clever girl.

 Just in time for winter (see... there are good things to look forward too).

Look closer... good enough to eat.

You know what else I love about products like this?  Look at her use of colour and how she uses it.  All inspirational and can be used in our environments.

Knitwear for thought....

(images all from ALL Knitwear website)

Brothers from another Mother?

I saw the recently opened Hermes store in Paris - the "lattice pods" were created for the new space by Architect Denis Montel.  

Images from Style.com

and immediately thought of this

Koura Light by NZ lighting legend David Trubridge

What do you think of that Mr Trubridge?

Dining rooms: Good enough to eat (in)

On my mind are dining rooms.  Today I was asked to write about the importance of colour in a dining room and it got me thinking.

You can go obvious colour.  The take home point here is that you can match bright with a muted colour.  I love that orange with lime.  You wouldn't think it would work but it so does.

Not so obvious colour works too. Bright hints pop against grey and wood.  Traditional that does not yawn.

I'm not known to use beige but here it works.  The trick here is the clever use of vertical stripe wallpaper.  The wooden detail = interesting.  That red light is one of my all time lust-items - A Jielde Lamp (Flotsam and Jetsam sell these french beauties)

NB:  Mixed matched chairs give me the willies.

Shaker-modern looking cool.  Mustard and bright yellow I love as it's unexpected and interesting.

Not loving the teapot light but great injection of colour.  Good use of gloss vs. matte.

This I love.  So simple.  So good.  So yum.

If you want people to eat your food - would you serve off-white, monochromatic fare?  Food for thoughts my friends.

(images from Living etc, Station Road Carpets, Classic Interior Design Blog)

Lil'fundraising

My fellow Cantabrian Maddie from Lil'Magoolie is fundraising up a storm and you all need to check out the auctions - like now ok!

Go here to get an auction started

It's taken me 90 hours to get this posted as I keep looking at all the amazing items that have been donated from some seriously cool peeps.

Another wick idea she's had is to donate some paper cranes - she needs 1000 and they will be donated to a local school.  Paper cranes are a symbol peace and harmony and it's believed that 1000 of them = a wish.  We need that fo' sho'.

Image from Flickr

So pretty.

Thanks Maddie - you doing good.  See you back in Christchurch x

What's brown and sticky...

...a stick!  (Fav and only joke I know).  

Look at these cool woods man.

Found these woody friend over at Design for Mankind

Wood (haha) you put these in your Casa?  I think I wood? (Falls down in hysterics).  I kill me.

Happy Home wares: Dinosaur Designs

The seasons are a-turning and with it is a small sense of boo.

When I do feel a little melancholy I write a list of fun things winter brings.  Usually it starts short but soon I get going and it makes me all excited again.

One thing I will say is that just because the days are starting to darken - our home wares needn't do so.  Point and case is Dinosaur Designs.

They are bold and bright and I love it.

From their 2007 range - Calder

Images from Dinosaur Designs

Image from Mimi + Meg  (nice blog ps)

They are available all on-line so no excuse people.

Poos News

The state of interior design in Christchurch was changed the day of that darned quake last month.

In tough times you gotta laugh (and poop).

Enjoy these "wee" gems.  All found on the newly popped up site Show us your long drop.

Visiting: Auckland

On my weekend away I saw some cool stuff and wanted to share...

Askew on Ponsonby Road had an extensive and drool-worthy range of home products from the Champion of Chic - Mr Jonathon Adler.  Sure...I purchased.  I my not have a habital house but I now own a laptop case (far left with green zip), a zig-zag pen and a book called "Happy Chic Colour".  Essential shit for homeless designer.

Very tempted to purchase vase below but fragile items not computing at present

Similar thoughts arose when I briefly ooogled this fish bowl.  Need to sort my own house first before buying designer homes for fishy friends.

These puppies can be stacked to create a fishy apartment block (not advisable for my Christchurch peps).  It's cleverly called a Fish Hotel and was designed by Teddy Luong.  Of course all purchased from Askew.

Still liked it - heaps.

Other Shopping establishments of note were also in "P" Road...

The gallery next to Sass & Bide (Orange one-piece - check!)

Liked "Nose-brush-cat-dog".  That was my name for him.

Of course MACY Home.  More essiential house stuff for non-exstistant house

The Fairy Shop (gifts for my girls).  It's seriously  like someone pooped out candy-floss.

and Mr Vintage (Great North Road) for "man-pressie"

Then after all that shopping one has to re-group and there is really only one place to do that...The Mighty Prego.  With their outstanding service, glitzy clientele and fuck-off squid, it's my "must-do" in Auck.

Speaking of lunching...  SPQR for showing off the fact that you "don't have to be anywhere in a hurry".  Over sized Dane Rumble-esk sunnies a must.

Yum plats (celebrating pink-ink with my BFF Midge).

The last part of my mini-break was spent being jealous of my friends "toy" collection.  His recent visit to Japan made me wanna make that my next destination.  We soooooooo need some new ornaments (more earthquake humour)

Thanks Matt for the Lego iPhone cover, hamburger danglie and sushi key rings.  It's the little things that brighten ones day.

Finally thanks Roxy Music for providing ultimate escapism (oh and the guy who took us around the whole vineyard in a golf-cart - there are SOME advantages to being on crutches).

Smell you again sometime AKL.  Enjoyed ya.