Hallway Rug Love ...

Just saw this pic on Jule's DIVERSION PROJECT blog of a stripey hallway rug .. just after viewing the Armadillo & Co sale section which had just about the same rug (0.9m x 8m). Weird huh. Now excuse me while I go measure my hallway to see if it fits (-:

Friday Funny ..

Hello from ant1mat3rie on Vimeo.

A great mix to go with a great song.

Found via here

A new year ..

Hi everyone. I'm back. I've been back at work since Monday and really, it isn't that bad. I get to sit in my little studio and design stuff all day AND I don't have to pick up endless Lego pieces the boys have dropped in their Lego-frenzy day.

I have heaps of images to show you from over the break of work that we have done around the house. We have paved down the side of the house, we have finally got some cabinets in the lounge for under the TV to hold/hide everything (eg: Lego) AND we have started the crazy paving out the back. I'm teasing you a bit I know - I should get off my butt and take some pics to show you - it's just that I can barely move my arms from carrying the large slabs of whatever-the-hell-it-is that makes our crazy paving .. so I am staying put today and will take pics when the muscles stop spasming.

For now, I just wanted to say HI and hope you all had a great festive season. I can't wait to see what the blogging world dishes up this year - and it's great to be back (-:

Oh, and this image is from an old Yellowtrace post - rather appropriate considering the doozy of a SP (can't say the word) I saw yesterday .. ahhhhh

Happy Holidays ..

Just wanted to wish you all very merry Christmas. May it be filled with fun, family, food and festivities (keeping with the F theme there!!!). Signing off from blogging for a short break to enjoy some time away from the computer. Kids finish school @ 1pm today and then I'm taking them to Adventure Park for some fun, then wrapping presents tonight while they sleep. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas - and let's hope 2012 is a great blogging year (-:

The Big New Thing ..

I'll let you all on the BIG NEW THING .. and that is THE SMALL GARDEN. A great new Aussie business set up by (stylist) Carolynn & (landscape designer) Tom (and their cute dog Lola no doubt has some say in things). With a website, a blog, facebook, twitter and soon an online shop, both Carolynn & Tom are sure to be run off their feet designing and creating urban sanctuary's Australia wide.

I wish them all the very best in their new business.

Not your ordinary hammock ...

Now this is a hammock. An Adam Cornish creation. Love it. Really, I love it (-:

Found via The Beach House FB page .. who found it via here

Reprint me ..

Found this super cool site this morning via Atelier A1 (a German design company). They have designed desk calendars (either weekly or monthly) that are free to download and you can print them out on those pieces of paper that are misprints, useless, wrong or just not needed. Good for the environment. Good for your desk. Good for your everyday lists (I love lists!!!). The site is Reprint Me (and I am loving it's simple stylish design).

Today is the day!!

Today is the day! A day we have been dreaming of for nearly 5 years. 5 years!! Ever since we moved in we have hated (with a big old capital H) our roof tiles. We knew they would be gone eventually - and today IS eventually. The 'men' will be here in about 30 minutes to start taking them away. No more Mexican style roof for us. Soon it will be sleek and stylish.

I can't tell you how excited we are. Poor Stephen said he hasn't slept a wink all night (which is a major pity as he has a huge day moving the 4,000+ tiles down to the back paddock when the men take them off). I'll post more update pics soon and once the render is done, and the new windows installed, and the exterior of the fireplaced 'stoned' like our interior fireplace - I'll post you all some finished pics. Now I must run and get dressed before they get here so they don't catch me in my PJs.


ps. the bricked up bit on the right is where out front door used to be. the bit beside that was a big window we filled in (and where our tv hangs on the inside). you can see one of the old windows resting up against the wall. the driveway will one day be lillydale topping. OK, I'll stop with the 'will-be-fixed-so-just-ignore-how-ugly-it-is-now' explanations

Stylish Bright getaway ...

Our friends have just opened this very stylish, very luxurious and very drool worthy holiday home in Bright, Victoria. It opened last week and the owners, Rae & Jase, have done such an amazing job. The stonework on the front of the building is not fake (not like my fireplace - doh!!) and was built by a 70yo stonemason from Beechworth. I L.O.V.E. the old style lights on the exterior - they were rescued from an old Railway station and were restored.

Rae has gone to great lengths to make this holiday house a home with all the stylish details - from the MOR products to the linen to the lighting .. and that bath is calling my name - and we can't wait to go and stay there (heading up in March). If you would like to see more pics or enquire about staying there, you can view their Facebook page or call Rae on 0407 614 232.

New ADORE and MAEVE magazines out now ..

Don't you just love online mags. No need to drive in the car to the newsagent .. just pop online and read when you like AND good for the environment (not to mention my bookcases which are nearing FULL status). 2 x new fab releases from both ADORE and MAEVE are out now and I am very excited to say both have included my OEKE umbrellas in them.

So Santa, I don't need any presents as I feel I've been lucky enough already (-:

The mother juggle ..

Image via Pinterest

Do you juggle? I'm not talking balls .. but being a mum and work? I tried today - and now, the end of the day, I feel I failed.

I took the day off work. I mean, it's the END OF THE YEAR. It is SO busy - I mean extremely busy - and I took the kids out of school and took them to Adventure Park (a water-type them park down thisaway). Sounds good in theory. A special treat for the boys. A great day out being a mum - just a mum. I know 'other' mums do it. I feel guilty for not being like 'other' mums. And I had promised them I would take them before school holidays started. I figured today was the best (and only) possible day I could manage it. We had a ball. It was hot. My sister came. One of their friends came from school too. We all wagged and went on the water slide.

Then I got home. There were so many emails. Brochures needing to be printed urgently (even one that the client has been dilly dallying on with for SEVEN months), umbrellas that weren't delivered (the couriers fault), press ads that needed to be sent to the newspapers and 3 new jobs (on top of the 15 existing ones) that simply must be done before the christmas break.

So I guess my juggling act failed - here it is .. the end of the day, I am plain old exhausted and feel in need of a big cry. I guess I want to know - do any of you out there get like this, try to do what I did today and actually succeed?


ps. I know I don't usually post 'life' type posts - that is best left to the likes of Baby Mac and Sara .. but just this once is OK isn't it???

My OEKE inspiration(s) ..

I'm not sure if I've ever told you just how I came about the business name OEKE. Well, my 'inspiration' is these 2 .. my boys. They inspire me to 'be' alot of things .. and inspire me to 'do' alot of things too. I don't usually put family pics on this wee little blog - but if I am to tell you how the OEKE name was decided, I can't not post a pic.

Their names are Joe and Luke. And the name OEKE is the last 2 letters from their names .. (j)OE .. (lu)KE .. sounds pretty simple now I've shown you huh. This is one of my favourite pics of them - they are sitting on the front gates and look so happy, so grown up and so brotherly. Their smiles are super big and they are looking all summery (this was from last summer).

Oh, and if you wondering how to say it .. it is pronounced OH-KEY (like Ni-Ke .. or karoeke).

Having the Mr's birthday party here today so best get off the computer and get cooking. Have a great weekend everyone (at least it's stopped raining here for the moment).

Designer garden gnome!! Yep, that's right ..

Garden gnomes would not usually fall under the 'designer' category. But these beauties slip through for originality, style & function. They would look good in any garden and I can picture a whole army of (colourful) little men lighting your way. Definately my favourite product of the year.

Found here

OOP snoop ..

Did you know that Outdoors On Parade have just released their 2012 catalogue. It's packed for of soooo many goodies. AND they have a blog where they update all their favourite things. Go have a peak here. AND AND you can shop online here too. Might be good for christmas gifts (which, I may add, I am yet to start - or even start writing a list for .. doh!!!)

ps. this is not a sponsored post, I just really REALLY like all their things

simple is always best ..

I know there are a tonne of designs out there (both interiors & graphic) that work better busy, cluttered, full. But me, I'm a simple gal and I love clean and simple (not that you could tell by the state of my kitchen right this minute). I'm not one to have tonnes of things everywhere - although I do have 'corners' where I have (what my hubby calls dust collectors) vases and picture frames and knick-knacks.

This artwork suits me. It says everything with very little required. The colours are perfect. The car illustrations spot on. The overall design, with lots of space between title and car, well thought out. I know girls aren't meant to like cars - but this is more about the 'art' than the content. It would work with drawings of furniture, shoes or flowers.

Go visit Marcin's web, facebook or blog and check out the rest.

I do love the 'Font Weight Classification' art (but if I had posted that you might think me a nerd!!).

Funny side to internet issues ..

This post is for Happy Howard. "Howard, if you're watching - flash back to Thursday".
It's also for everyone else out there who has had internet problems (and like WHO hasn't).

I found this via The Coolhunter FB page .. always a source of creativity, humour and style.

Crazy or cool .. ?

this is with them as a splashback, I will be using them on the floor

I'm thinking about being a bit daring with our main bathroom. I found a picture in a mag a few months ago (which I have since lost .. sorry 'bout that) that had a heavily patterned tile on the floor. So off I went hunting to see what I could find similar and found JATANA INTERIORS.

What do you think .. will the bathroom look crazy or cool?

I love JAM ..

Well, let me clarify that. If I was talking toast for brekky, I actually prefer vegemite. Not everyone's cup of tea I know, but for me it is SOOOO tasty. But this post is not about what I eat for breakfast, it's about a Melbourne firm of creative architects & designers who have the most delightful homes on their site. JAM ARCHITECTS do both commercial and residential projects - and these pics here are a mix of some of their recent projects. I love the use of wood .. and white .. and light.

If you dig further into the commercial section you will see they are developing a mammoth apartment block in Smith Street Fitzroy. We had 1 house and 2 offices in the vicinity of Smith Street, and looking at these photos I wonder how it will change the feel of the street. The area that is being updated was pretty much a nothing area of the street (a video store where druggies tried to sell you stuff when all you wanted was a movie to watch, a doctors surgery & chemist, a $2 type shop) - but it WAS what Fitzroy was .. a mix of everything. I guess time moves on and things change. Oh well.

FREE POSTER .. today only

Hi everyone. It's sunny. I'm feeling happy & relaxed after a hectic few weeks .. and I am just doing some posters for my office to jazz it up a little. I have just completed this one titled 'SUMMER LOVE, Wallington 2011/12' .. and for today only, if you would like your own poster - send me your 'Newtown 2011/12' .. or 'Tahiti 2011/12' wording and I will produce you a PDF which you can take to get printed.

PS. Offer ends at midnight Aussie time 16th November 2011
PPS. No, I won't be awake at that time - hope you are not too
PPPS. Colours are as per here - I can't change the colours. Well, I can change the colours - but it's free remember. F.R.E.E.

Woohoooo ..

Great news .. my OEKE umbrella can now be bought online via the online-shop-that-has-it-all-and-then-some ... DOWN THAT LITTLE LANE.

Tessa launched DTTL less than 1 month ago after years of research and a heap of hard work .. and in her words .. "We aim to attract an elite community of fine product makers and suppliers and become the best on-line multi store in Australia".

So with that sort of write-up I just knew I had to include the OEKE's in there. You can find all my umbrellas here .. and you can find my favourite artwork (which I talked about a week ago) here