dreamy swedes

I haven't visited style-files.com in a little while, but of course as soon as I do I stumble across so much beauty and dreamy apartment style. This apartment is only 46 sq metres, um how incredible is that. I love the beautiful display of mirrors on the wall, the mismatched chairs, the healthy green plants everywhere and of course the white, white, white.

Originally found via beautiful blog Pulmonate

These dreamy, romantic images are thanks to Samantha Wills, the talented Australian jewellery designer. Wow, if I got married again and was a gazelle, I would want to wear all of the above. That head piece is just pure vintage inspired luxury. Do visit her beautiful website.

toast, toast, toast

The new Toast catalogue is out and even though our seasons are opposite I can't help but want to buy everything in their house and home collection. Everything is always simple, earthy and dreamy. I've just packed away my slippers and popped our duvet into the dry cleaner, but this makes me want to jump right back into winter.

summertime fun

I want, I want, I want. It's almost summer, spring is a good enough excuse, and that means ice cream and sorbet on hot summer days. Ice cream totally goes with poolside afternoons and long weekend days lying under the whirling fan watching movies, movies, movies and look at that this ice cream churn is on sale here.

peaches and cream

So time poor at the moment, aarrrhhhgg, and the sweet bubba isn't even here yet. Goodness my posting is rubbish. Thank you for still visiting, those of you that I see from day to day. This photo certainly made me stop in my tracks and smell the peaches. Summertime is upon us.
Found via

byron weddings

This time 2 years ago I was out at our wedding venue playing with all things pretty. The butterflies in my belly were fluttering with excitement and anticipation of our big day the next day. I didn't know at that stage that it would be one of the best days of my life. Marrying my best friend and love of my life, the man that makes me laugh until my cheeks hurt and has my heart gently cradled in his soul. A day where every where you turn is someone you love, your family, friends, those special people in your life that are sooo happy for you. Your wedding day truly is one incredibly special day. People say it's just one day - yes it is, but it really is something that must be experienced to understand what a special day it is.

This weekend we have a wedding in Byron. We're stoked to be celebrating another dear couples love at the same place on the same weekend. Byron really is a beautiful place to be married. We wish you all the happiness in the world Mitch and Ange. Thanks for gifting us the pleasure of sharing this day with you, we're blessed to be your friends.

roman holiday

Our hotel in Rome was a slice of roman heaven. Tucked away on the north side of Trastevere, steps from the river Tiber. You couldn't want for more a tranquil place to rest.  The Gran Meliá Rome Hotel is one of those places you don't want to leave. The staff don't miss a beat, they are friendly, extremely helpful and have a lovely sense of humour. Every experience they recommended couldn't have been more perfect. They have the best of Rome at just a phone call and it's not your run of the mill tourist expeditions.

The elegance of the hotel is noted everywhere, historic yet modern. The building is the authentic Villa Agrippina, which once belonged to the Roman empress, mother of the Roman Emperor Nero. Yet inside it is so elegantly modern, from the egg shell baths to the Nespresso facilities.What's more you're only 5 minutes walk from Vatican City and Saint Peters Basilica and if you spend a day in the Vatican State, which most visitors do by the end you are absolutely exhausted and an urban retreat is just what your bodies are commanding. This hotel was a gem. We couldn't recommend it more.

All images via Gran Melia Rome website.

wedding hearts

I love this gorgeous wedding detail. So simple but oh so sweet.
Photography by Elisabeth Millay found via Grey Likes Weddings

poreta eggs

There is this lovely old lady named Rosella, whom owns the local village (Poreta) store. She sells all the simple necessities from olive oil, local bread, fruit, milk, cheese, washing powder, toothpaste. Even serves up delicious espresso. Fortunately for us, our brother-in-law speaks fluent, beautiful Italian, as Rosella speaks next to no English. Rosella absolutely loves Simon and engages him in some wonderful conversations and S always comes back from her little store with goodies.
What we adore about her is her passion and support of her local farmers and their produce. We had to giggle, S popped down to get some eggs for breakfast one morning. The Poreta chickens apparently hadn't laid enough eggs this particular day. Rosella did however have other eggs from another village in the fridge, when S asked if he could buy them Rosella insisted he wait for some Poreta eggs, they are much, much better!! So above are our Poreta eggs carried back in brown paper and absolutely delicious I might add. It's Sunday, are you having eggs for breakfast?

pool of paradise

The heavenly pool at our farmhouse/villa in Poreta, Umbria, Italy. Every detail is simple, elegant and fits together perfectly. It's natural. As if it was built by their ancestors in a way. And is meant to be there, tucked into the landscape. For you Frannie.

sofitel rome villa borghese

Our first night in Rome, we stayed here at the Sofitel Villa Borghese. I found a fabulously cheap deal on bookings.com and this was worth every cent. It felt more like a boutique hotel, the service was absolutely impeccable and every room was a treasure, the guest rooms were so spacious I couldn't believe we were in a hotel in Rome. A 5 star hotel at its best. Pure Luxe. We took photos, however they really didn't turn out very well with the light. The bottom image is their rooftop bar and restaurant and yes that is Saint Peter's Basilica you can see in the distance. It was breathtaking. To top it all off, when we arrived in our room from our 20 something hour flight there was a lovely handwritten (i must highlight handwritten) card waiting for us that read like so:
Dear Mr & Mrs C, 
We welcome you to The Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese. The whole team will remain at your entire disposal to answer every request you may have and wishes you a wonderful stay in The "Eternal City". Yours Sincerely, Manateressa Sesto
I have to say this hotel ticked all the boxes and more for me. I'll be back for sure. Fingers crossed.

Image 1, Image 2,  Image 3

smells of a family kitchen

So yep, we're doing it - Renovating and having a baby at the same time! Ok, it's not that bad, we're not going to be living in our house at the time as the renovation. Phew. But hey so many exciting things happening at once, I'll just have to remember to breath. Do you love our oven as much as me. Isn't she beautiful. I don't have her yet, I've just paid a deposit (she was having a massive sale, I couldn't miss the opportunity).
She's a Falcon Professional manufactured in the UK. It's love.

so many things to share

I had so many precious things to share before we left on our holiday and now the discoveries are endless. How will I ever post them all. I promise I will get there. Top of the list though is our impending renovation, some Melbourne finds and endless baby love. Patience is a virtue, patience with myself.  
The olive groves in Poreta are warm and glorious. I love living amongst them for a couple of weeks.

thank you sweet frannie

I want to thank beautiful Frannie for being my guest blogger. I loved having you visit, dearly loved your earthy posts. You're welcome anytime. Please visit again.

Image from Trevi, Umbria.

bubbles in my belly

Bubbles in my belly, such an exciting feeling and my news I have been meaning to tell you. In this photo I'm at 22 weeks with a bubba in my belly. Now we're 26 weeks and it feels a little more like basketball in my belly. So cute. Being pregnant is such a special feeling, I had no idea it would feel like this. Life is a miracle. So, so precious. We're back from our holiday. Dream holiday.        

earthy displays of love

I think Joslyn Taylor of Simple Lovely blog has such gorgeous earthy style. These photos of her home capture her creativity perfectly. She is so clever at creating little pockets of beauty by gathering her keepsakes and displaying them with what appear to be found objects - shells and stones, bits of sun-stripped wood, plant cuttings and flower buds in glass bottles. I've been looking for inspiration to decorate up high since my baby is on the move. All things within his reach have been cleared so our home is looking pretty bare/boring from my belly height down. I need to get inspired to decorate our walls, tables and shelves and these photos are just the ticket.

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Images by Manny Rodriguez

wholefood for children

When my baby's little mouth first opened asking for food, I suddenly realised what a big responsibility this mum thing is. My boy is so pure and it's up to me to keep him this way. When I started feeding him solids from six months I looked to this Wholefood for Children book by natural food guru Jude Blereau that my sister told me about. I love it and it's not just because the pages are coloured in pastel pink and blue sweetness. Her philosophy about food - to keep it whole, organic, nourishing, delicious and served with love - is heartwarming and inspiring. I also love that most of the recipes are for the whole family so it's helping us eat more consciously too. We're a bit hooked on the Baby Kichari recipe consisting of red lentils, quinoa, coconut oil and butternut pumpkin, among other spices and stocks. Do you know how creamy red lentils are! Delicious. Thanks Jude! Her blog is full of recipes and wholefood wisdom but I love holding her book in my hands.

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noosa love

My little sister is home briefly from her other home in Brescia, Italy so it's tradition that we head to Noosa for a holiday together. Our usual plan involves a stay at Tingirana Resort on Noosa's Main Beach. The resort's infinity pool is a little slice of heaven so we mostly spend our days perched poolside, flicking through trashy magazines, talking, laughing, swimming and snoozing. Oh, and we always order to the pool the seriously amazing goats cheese pizza from Seasons restaurant next door.  It is a very special time together. This time our ma and pa are joining us, and so are my little baby boy and my hubbie so it will be a party! We may even visit Rickys where my hubbie and I were married. It's had a hip refurb so I think a sunset champagne is in order. Of course, with a 10-month-old in tow this may not be as romantic as it sounds but perhaps our little Sebastian will surprise us and be an angel. I'm willing to take the chance.

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Image by Rickys

lilya love

I interviewed Sunshine Coast designer Lisa Chedanne for Salt magazine in 2010. At the time, Lisa had decided to pour all her energy into her label, Lilya, which she launched on the side in 2007 while working full-time as a fashion agent for beautiful brands like Lucette and Oscar the Third. During that story I fell in love with pretty much every piece of Lisa's Spring 2010 collection and have been a fan of Lilya pieces ever since. Lilya's Spring 2012 collection, Au Paradis, is newly out and it's making me crave balmy days, ocean swims and salty beach hair. I think the Alani Hand Embroidered Dress in white is so pretty.

Photos by Sullivan Chedanne Photography

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small plates and sweet treats

  

Over the past two years I’ve spent many an inspired hour roaming Aran Goyoaga’s foodie blog, cannelle et vanille. Pretty and fresh is the way I’d describe both her photography and recipes. Her blog makes me swoon. A Spanish expat based in the United States, Aran is a champion of gluten-free and often lactose-free cooking and she hosts food styling and photography workshops around the world, recently in New York and the Dordogne region of France (see – swoon!). She also explores local farms and orchards near her home in Florida with her young son and daughter, which reminds me how important it is to seek out fresh food and fresh air with my little boy. Aran’s first cookbook, Small Plates & Sweet Treats, will be published in October but pre-orders are open now. I can’t wait to pore over it.   

Photos by Aran Goyoaga 

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country wedding goodness

It was nearly two years ago that I was searching for a wedding venue. I remember it being an exciting yet daunting exercise. We happily settled on Ricky's at Noosaville because we wanted to be near the ocean. But if I had my time again and if all the planets aligned, this hideaway in the Byron Bay hinterland would be my pick. Isn't it dreamy! The property is called Coorabella and it's a mix of secret garden, country escape, cottage goodness and posh estate. Somehow it all works - seamlessly. These gorgeous photos (and the wedding it belongs to) were snapped by Brisbane-based wedding photographer, Jonas Peterson. He is seriously clever behind the camera and has carved a dream career for himself, traveling the world (with his family at the moment) and snapping people's happy moments. He's not your run-of-the-mill wedding photographer. He cares about what he does, and you can tell.

Photos by Jonas Peterson
 
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A spring clean for head and home

fig + fauna from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

After meeting a bunch of back-to-back story deadlines and reveling in a family birthday celebration (one of the highlights being a sunset campfire by the lake with toasted marshmallows and loved ones!), my head and home is in dire need of a spring clean. This video of the beautiful Fig & Fauna Farm in South Florida, U.S, reminds me of spring time and new beginnings. I find it soothing and hopeful and just the right medicine for a Monday. A light breeze and soft morning sunshine, freshly washed sheets on the line and vegie gardens thirsty for water. Such a sweet scene. I hope it inspires you too. 

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A Sweet Love Hello

Carrie, thank you for inviting me into your sweet love space. I am really looking forward to playing for a wee while! I love your style; it’s a beautiful blend of elegance, heart and fun, just like you. Happy travels. x Frances


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sweet as peonies

Say hello to my guest blogger, lovely Frances. As I've mentioned Frannie is one of the most talented, earthy, whimsical pretties I know. Sweet as peonies one might say. Frannie is an accomplished writer and a lady full of style and impeccable earthy taste. With a little one in tow these days, her loves are widespread. Enjoy and please have me back. xx

pretty days

A glimpse of our cherished Great Gatsby Party on the weekend. Thank you sweet Chris and Jo.

summer breeze

Source: stilinspiration.blogspot.com via ANOUKB on Pinterest

More Pinterest finds. White, white, white. Fresh, Fresh, Fresh. There's something that just captivates me about this beautiful image. What is it? Part of me feels like I'm travelling and capturing someone's backyard in an exotic country, part of me feels like it's early, early in the morning in summertime and I've hung out the most scrumptious fresh, clean cotton sheets (ok i'd be hanging out a lot of sheets), part of me feels like you could be flying in the clouds. How does it capture you?

pretty pastel flowers

Source: cboheme.tumblr.com via ANOUKB on Pinterest

Had to share, just sooooo pretty and I just love, love, love paper flowers.

a sweet guest blogger

I have so many stories to tell, but have been so busy and hence so terribly remiss with sharing it all with you of late. I must tell you about Vanuatu, Melbourne, our Reno's which are about to begin, the lovliest of Great Gatsby parties and some very special news. It will have to wait until I return.
We are off on our little holiday to Poreta in Italy on Thursday night. Let's just say I'm a little jumping bean with only 4 more sleeps to go.
With my absence, I will be introducing to you my "sweet" guest blogger. I am so excited that this dear friend said yes. Let's just say you are in for a treat as this person is the most earthy, whimsical, talented, sweetest lady I know. I'm just hoping you will have me back when I return. Just to keep the suspense I will introduce her before my countdown is out and I have her all set up to share with you her loves.
Thank you so dearly for putting up with my excuses. The photo above will be our view in 5 sleeps time. The quaint village of Poreta in Umbria, amongst the olive groves and basking sun.    

sun drenched supper

A late afternoon/early evening supper. The idea of watching the sun set over an early supper with friends seems heavenly. This photos says it all. I adore the simplicity, the sun setting in the distance amongst the hills, the pretty lace table cloth, the effortless paddock flowers, the lanterns for when that sun eventually does set. The rapture of never-ending summer long days.

I found this dreamy image via style-files.

weekend rituals

My favourite weekend ritual, breaky on the deck with my hubby, listening to Florence and the Machine, reading the paper, magazines, fresh coffee. Beautiful sunny winter days that only Queensland can deliver. xxx

winter woolies for melbourne

A girlie weekend to beautiful Melbourne, only 6 hours until we board our little plane. So very excited. So we think Brisbane is cold, we're pulling out our serious winter woolies for this weekend. I have this lovely Alannah Hill cream coat I rarely get to wear, but this weekend it will keep me forever toastie. Unfortunately we're a member down on our lovely team. It won't be the same without you sweet P.  

Loving this image I found via Little Expeditions Blog. Joanne Piechota has a love for travel and photography and her blog is filled with incredible travel photos. I'm so happy to have stumbled upon her blog.

photographer love of the moment

Check out this beautiful photographer. California based jen huang has an eye for capturing those special moments. Her blog is filled with beauty and love. She also conducts lots of workshops as well, so if you want to take part you can. One of my favourite things to do - be mesmerised by beautiful photography - the time passes by so quickly.

splendid days

These delightful, whimsy ladies are all over it. Grainne and Tanya from Splendid Days in Sydney have the perfect eye for your wedding day or special event. I've been mesmerised by all the images on their website and blog. It makes you want to get married all over again, just so you can have the fun of styling another special day. From the sweetest of flowers, to the most charming of furniture, everything these ladies possess is perfection. Imagine walking down the little isle above seated with all of your most favourite people in the world, just so simple and elegant. I'll be certainly looking out for these two ladies every where now.

poppies flowers

What a lovely little find Poppies Flowers located in Glen Osmond, South Australia. Specialising in arrangements for all occasions. I'm especially in love with one of the peony bouquets on the website, it's breathtaking. You must jump over and have a look.

poreta is calling

We're off to garner some European summertime in a couple of weeks. This photo just takes me back instantly. I just love, love, love it. I want that door, I really do and I want that pot and the bougainvillea. I just want it all!!!
dreamt by (this is a really fascinating tumblr site)