Just poolin' around

Today's little incursion into cyberspace includes a collection awash with aqua, azure and a large amount of H2O. You've guessed it, what could be nicer on a 27 degree day that a dip into some crystal clear water for a refreshing swim.

It's always wonderful to hear a fountain or a stream. There's still water running off the rocks from the recent rainfall here, it makes it's way over the sandstone down the ridge into the brooke nearby keeping the wildlife quenched during the hot days.

 

A plunge pool incorporating overhead font with seating for relaxing doubles up as an outdoor spa, this is reminiscent of a mediterranean resort.

Fountains inpart an air of tranquility and serenity. Jets creating arcs of water are always an attraction is public spaces, but to have this feature in your garden is a premium.

Love the lap pool featured here set against the terraced garden.

Whether it be a pool for swimming laps with an ocean view beyond or just an urban oasis, the water looks very inviting.

Obviously not an Australian pool, we are governed by laws which oblige us to fence the surround for safety's sake.

Dreamy gardens and pools for a fun splash to get you all in a Spring mood.

A Lazy Susan Kinda Day

Good evening you 'all. What a day... the kinda day I call a Lazy Susan Day, do you know the kind? 

They're probably what you do every day.. you know, when you pick up from where you left off - only to be able to do just a little, nowhere near the amount you'd set yourself. 

You reach a dead end with one task, so roll that lazy susan around and pick up on the next task, do a little of that till you reach a full stop. Drop that one and pull off another task - push that a bit further than expected and hey.On and on the Lazy Susan rolls round offloading a job and progressing it a little. Round it goes til .. it's the end of the day.

So I was looking for tealights today, and hopped on over to madeit.com.au - searched for the lights and bumped into this fabulous statement piece by fromagelarue. 

Custom made for you, these Vegas lights feature plywood and oven lights assembled into these showgirl statuesque one offs. Built in a Byron Bay these are beginning to make debuts at barmitzvas, weddings, shop window displays and home if you'd like. Yes - I like.

Lights like these ones or one featured here, first came to my attention at Liberty's in London last year. An amassed collection of bulbs really have an attention grabbing allure.

I'm one of these people that am very particular about my lighting. I abhor neons and will put them out of their misery immediately. I prefer enviro friendly lights - no overheads, just side lamps.


Fairy lights like the song "all of the lights" I've been known to display overhead on a suspended branch over the dining table. It looked great.

Letters in gold leaf and puce are hot. Images courtesy of New York Times.

This graphic designer has adorned their walls with an accumulation of prints. I love the red prints that jump of the dark walls.

Easy on the eye, casual and creating an eclectic atmosphere: mixing pieces in white is so serene. These images are from Sweet As A Candy blogspot a beautiful mix of everything for the special day from Frederica in Italy.

I keep seeing these lights over the counter I shall ponder them until I decide which ones to add above my kitchen counter. They're all contenders.

Isn't this a fab creation from the fun lane. I've been loving' menu letters that you see in showcases outside schools etc for sometime now and the combo of white ornate frame black interior and 3d letters works wonderfully together. Tres Chic!

Love old plan cabinets so useful with hundreds of prints lying around.

A mirror leaning against a wall is very alluring. I first came across this idea at 17 visiting a friend in digs in Leamington Spa whilst she was at university my mate Philippa's bedroom in a huge Leamington terrace consisted of a large space, high ceilings, wide oak floors and an original Queen Ann 8foot tall 4 foot wide gilt framed mirror. Awesome.

I love the art direction in these photos, they capture a look that is so now.. I remember being told by a "craft consultant" that some photos I put forward just wouldn't do as they were blown out. Oh how wrong those people are.. As its just so right.

Benches, branches pillows and lanterns, all the ingredients for an outdoor setting.

Hoping you have a bright and sunshiny day:)

Empressionista's Etsy Roundup

How are you all on this bright, humid and sunny day in Sydney, after a wet and windy weekend and some internet breakdowns this morning I am back online. I wanted to showcase some wonderful work by fellow etsians and first up photographic work by ScarletBeautiful.

I found this cute sailing ship upon a rolling sea via Polli's blog. It's an automaton (mechanical toy wind up and it moves) all handmade of course, by cartoonmonster. This little guy fits in the palm of your hand. The model boat rolls upon the sea and can be seen in motion here. Cleverly handmade in Oregon using scrap materials.

There's nothing daintier than doilies - these have such appeal as you can hang them anywhere. They'd make an ideal accoutrement for a shelf. So if you'd like to find them, they're in store at MaisyandAlice

As you all know I have a keen interest in Code and was delighted to find this example of a Decoder - it's very steampunk which makes it all the more pretty. This device will code and decode any message you can create. Available from crankbunny.

In the fashion stakes it's always important to have the right gear - this street cred tunic is aarrsome! Found at Malam.

These pill boxes by specimenboxshop are wonderfully detailed featuring sea fans, molluscs and ferns which are always a fetching addition to your beach collection. Specimenbox also have a large array of specimen boxes containing everything from shells to beetles.

I just love this amusing improvisation of a cloche - so if you've got lanterns and they don't work or need converting to house a light you could always do away with the idea of a light altogether and create a cloche that's totally unique. House in it anything that takes your fancy - it's rustic, beachy, casual and eclectic. Love it - found if you forage at Jennasbeachretreat.

And so to point you in the right direction is this fine compass charm for your wrist of neckline by CSCharms. Head on over to etsy and take a look at the lovelies. 

Seafarers in the middle ages benefited from a ships compass, indicating all cardinal points and further divided in segments every 15 degrees showing  West North West etc. Printed atop a pillow from Royalkane this design as a nautical graphic for a bedroom looks great.

All toothy grins and smiles

This post comes to you after a wondrous visit into town to Doug's up on Bourke. This place is an old warehouse full of industrial furniture hailing from cricket grounds to dining halls of schools. It contains a plethora of 1950's old public works equipment and desks right the way to the harbour docks. 

Doug's houses a huge emporium of eclectic goodies some small, some large and some ugly. Though the chap below, the old swine, is a prime example of loveable hunt trophies, falling into the latter category, hubby found this chap hugely funny as it reminded him of me! 

My boy Finley is continually being told to make sure he brushes well after meals, otherwise an hour in the dentist's chair could lead to an extraction. A small history lesson was carried out to show him how it used to be done!

Am so wanting to take this Eiffel Tower home and place it under the screen printed sign I made. Made of wire and crystals it stands over 6" tall. Not for sale, though it can be hired out.

In my long search for home lighting, we came across this original operating theatre light from the 60's.

Here I go again with the stencil infatuation - drawers and numbers. Love that steel architects drawer set too.

A wonderful example of early 1920's cash register, but...

.......

Elks, reindeer, goats and wild boar all for hire - hope these leave you with a smile:)

What a load of old cobblers, as the cockneys would say! Shoe dyes a plenty old and original.

Signing off today with a lovely handpainted shop signage demonstrating a well top-heavy hand script.

A Brit Fix and the Royal Wedding

My Brit fix comes about through Royal visits and climactical influences. Prince William is in Australia's top end; Cairns and is visiting the recently devastated flood affected areas of Queensland.

Meanwhile in Sydney, yesterdays evening rain turned from a downpour to a deluge. Rain tanks are filled, swimming pools overflowing and dogs drenched, our dog loves it really. Royal Wedding fever is gearing up to the big event and has created another wave of Brit LUV.

For a long time I've enjoyed Ann Carringtons beautiful work. A vast number of mother of Pearl and abalone shells go to make these magnificent art collages. Commissioned for the Queen's 80th birthday the coronation crown is available as a limited edition print. Ann has undertaken many works using everyday items.    

I first saw her works via sixxdesign.com The Novogratz's: Courtney and Robert are design gurus extraordinaire, flipping houses in Downtown New York to uptown in the Hamptons. Their style grabs from industrial and retro eras. Ann's First Class stamp, featured over their vanity, has left an imprint on me forever.

A London vista wouldn't be complete without Tower Bridge, such a fab sight, depicted in many a movie. I've heard of people sleeping under bridges and now I think I might also like to. Available from blissliving they've got some sumptuous items.

Have you ever been caught in a shower at Big Ben? Shower curtain from Bed Bath and Beyond.

You see to a Brit, bathrooms and thrones go together. Just cannot get enough of the Union Jack chair a very nice addition to add colour.

This engraving by Gustave Dore has adorned my websites home page for the last 9 months, though I've recently taken it down, it's still one of my favourite depictions of London.

The Naked Decor British Invasion clock is from CSN stores.

My dog SB (Sapphire blue) just has to get one of these Union Jack Dog beds.

That's where the Brit fix closes today and heads back downunder with an Australian favourite phrase. True blue is for all Aussies, for boys, for men and wanna be's. This would be soo cute in a little boys room. To get your hands on my new print head over to my shop

I've also styled in the same font another very familiar word to Sydneysiders ... available in the US here and in Australia here Eternity...

Being a Sydneysider the sight of the word Eternity is commonplace. Originally chalked as street graffiti by Arthur Stace, a man born from the slums of Balmain in 1884.

He sought enlightenment later in life after a life of crime and sin, attending scripture and christian conversion, he wrote this wherever he went across Sydney from the 1930's onwards. 

Eternity is still scrawled across the streets of Sydney to this day by Sydneysiders and lives in our hearts. It also heralded a New Year emblazened across Sydney Harbour Bridge in fireworks one New Years Eve celebrations.