If you love it so much then marry it: Swedish Glass Vases

Yay - it's another IYLISMTMI blog!  

What makes this blog even MORE mysterious than usual is the fact that I found this product on the Skona hem website...  That's all in Swedish.

 It means that I can only look at the pretty pictures as my Swedish is very rusty (read: non-existent, actually that's not true but knowing the Swedish for "Owl" has not paid huge dividends to date)

Enough of me - direct your eyeballs at these pulchritudinous pots.  Or as they say in Sweden - Vackra tinor.  Oh yeah.

After some more time spent with an online translator (I'm doing this for you my readers!!) I found out that these are designed by Tapio Wirkkala. 

I pictured Wirkkala being some bohemian nordic leggy blonde with side plaits and did not expect this...

...The Finnish Popeye. 

Nice glassware anywho.

(Uggla is Swedish for Owl in case you were wondering)

Visiting: Monster May Market

After Saturday sport my girls and I headed down to the Local Monster May Market - what a treat to see so many clever cookies under one roof!

Thanks to the Craft Collective for organising...

I had to buy the middle owl!  From my friend Nin from The Wardrobe

Ceramic detail from Mudbird by Gillian Weavers

Retreasured goodness by Christine Reitze

Goodies from Purple goose

From the "Bunny" book illustrator Katrina Roxburgh

All from Katy McRae from Threadmark

Very cute wing jackets by Jane from Tinksy (Melbourne based)

Had to buy this too (no idea when I will get time to do it!) by Stitchology

So beautiful designs from Mixing Ink

Sock Monkeys from Popcorn Design (021 023 67430)

My girls scoffing french crepes - yum!

Oi...Nice knobs!

Really they are.

Made by Anne Black - a danish ceramic artist.  

I think she's cornered the knob market.

She calls them handles but I just want to keep saying knob.

Knob (so immature).

Visting: Flock, Sumner, Christchurch, NZ

Well not really visiting as it's where I live...

...and I've wanted to feature a local shop called FLOCK for sometime.

Handmade earrings 

Jody Lloyd CD and handmade bookmarks

Jewels in glass and silver

Recycled fabric clutches and beautifully sketched Bunny book by Katrina Roxburgh

Plates in candy colours

Styley range of knitwear

Standard Issue stockist 

Emma Redfern Book Sculpture

Sock Monkey

"Up in the Air somewhere" Ceramics

Wooden arm decorations

Crystal Chain Gang Birds 

Amanda Shanley bowl

Morgan Haines Pottery

Amanda Shanley Cups

Hector Pottery

Third draw down tea towel

Amanda Shanley Cups

The store is oozing great design and a showcase for local and overseas createy type mavans.

They blog too with new products and current stock.  Pop in and see Emma if you are in these parts as it's a gem.  Lovely.

You had better come see me too (always keen for a coff)

If you love it so much then marry it: Folkware Plates

My crockery supply is very low at the moment thanks to M.Nature.

BUT lookee at these preciouses.  A gift from the porcelin gods. 

Well not really a gift but you can get them from my buds at Pedlers.co.uk.

Will knock you back 245 pounds (just noticed no pounds symbol on my keyboard) but with a good exchange rate I think OK for the best dinning wear seen for a long time. 

$500.22 NZD for a set of 18 pieces - just look at them would you!

They are Italian don't you know.

They also ship to NZ (they were the same people that sent me my beautiful yellow leather satchel - so kind they were).

Best in plateage...

What the?

I'm all for creativity and individualism but this is design madness!

Why o' why would you do this prey tell?

Have a missed some new interior design maneuver?

Image from Elle Decor

Anyone?

(I'm talking about the pillow cluster-fucking if anyone was unsure)

Giveaway Draw

Thank you all for entering the draw to win one of three amazing tea towels from "God Save the Queen".  

And the winners are.  Drum roll please...

The randomiser has spat out:

Charlotte Dunning

Robin Kerr

Jane Madison-Jones

Well done! and I will contact you and send out your prize asap.

Experimental-as-anything: New lick of Paint

I often read Design Mags talking about changing a "look" with paint or changing room's feel the cheap way - with paint.

I hardly know anyone that does so...

...I thought I would try the theory out before I made such bold claims.

Step One:  Take one white room with furniture and stuff that is all a mixy-matchy

Step Two:  Choose a paint that will tie in all the elements such as the rug, sofa, light-shade and ornaments (and one that sings to you).  

In this experiment I have chosen Dulux "Opua" from the colours of New Zealand range.

Step Three:  Set aside impossible time-frame (in this case one afternoon while Jeff the Husband was away).

Step Four:  Borrow all tools from neighbours and friends (even borrowed the actual neighbour in this case who was extremely handy in the "cutting-in")

Step Five:  Stand back and have a beer because hypothesis proven correctomundo.

Conclusion:  Yes a new lick of paint can change the look and feel of a room.  Yes it was cheap and made a massive difference to the vibe of the room (ie we actually hang out in it now).  

Disclaimer:  I don't give a rat if it's not the colour you would have chosen - the point being that I love it and I have to live in it.  Go choose one that makes YOUR bits tingle.

That's all.  Happy painting.