FUN, FUN SITE ..

It was difficult to get through dinner with kids on their laps, but neither was willing to sully the Stokke high char.


Turning his back to the empty seat proved a pathetic defense against the unending loneliness.




With nearly 12,000 facebook fans, the Unhappy Hipsters blog might already be known by you all - but is only new to me. Pretty pictures with funny captions submitted by followers. Too too funny. Here are just 2 of them, but go through and have a chuckle .. a nice end to the weekend (-:

CLARE COUSINS ARCHITECTS ..

It's Saturday night .. the boys have finally headed off to bed. The fire is burning, the footy is on the idiot-box and I am scouring the ww-world for great interiors and stylish architecture. My searching has found Melbourne based Clare Cousins architects. I remember seeing one of her homes in one of the house magazines last month (from memory, Real Living ???) and if you go to her website, you will find lots of visual treats - both residential and commercial.

Before opening the studio in 2005, Clare ran her own interior design firm in her spare time while clocking up valuable post-study experience at Wood Marsh architects.

She has also done pro-bono work to help with last years horrible bush fire tragedy and home loss. She contributed to many projects and for that alone she gets a big tick from me.

RHIANNON SLATTER - PHOTOGRAPHER

Weeks ago I told you about how I got to do my first styling project. I take my hat off to stylists who must be constantly looking for new things to 'place' in their shots and work their butts off on the day/days they are shooting. BUT .. if you are lucky enough to work with a super-talented photographer, the day just goes oh-so-smoothly that you forget all the above mentioned hard bits of the job and get to really enjoy the final product.

For my client, I arranged Rhiannon Slatter to take photos of their display homes. And whoop whoop ... lucky me. She is so creative AND super nice and if you check out her website, you can see just what she does with her day. She DID make us stand out in the cold for hours waiting for 'just the right light' .. but I forgive her. The shots turned out great so well worth it.

THURSDAY FUN ... PART 2 ...

OK, I admit it, I should be doing a tonne of work .. but I am playing. Sometimes play is just too much fun. And these little people are just so much fun that I had to share.

I love to let you all know how I come to find these things so here goes: Reading Habitus Living online, went to Wishart Designs (link) (who did the original design for the magazine) .. then went to their inspiration section and found the Little-People blog.

Sometimes with the boys, we will setup the Lego and make a little movie. One day we even painted a backdrop in black with stars and made a Lego Star Wars movie - a big hit in our house. These pics remind me of that day. Little people made to look big. Cute!!

THURSDAY FUN ..,

This sums me up right now ..


Image via here

DESIGNER SALE ..

I must be quick on this as I have to go to my 4yo's Parent Teacher day at kindy (what could they possibly say .. 'Luke is going great at finger painting'!!) .. but, before I dash I had to let you all know about a great SALE at DesignLoop (link). These fantastic stools are usually $243 .. and NOW ONLY $45 .. quick, get going !!!!

HERE BIRDY, BIRDY, BIRDY ...

Some people are very creative. Skilled, original, talented .. and this guy even has a wicked sense of humour. The guy who designs and creates these is from the US (see link) and has been a carpenter, boat & yatcht builder AND has even built banjos (badabingbungbingbungbingbungbing) .. and now has turned his hand to these fashionable (if a little eccentric) bird houses. These are just too darn cute. Just wondering though. If these little caravans are for sparrows etc. IF you had a magpie - would you need a 4 birth caravan. OR if you had a pelican (which we sometimes get in the back paddock) would you need a winebago???

Oh, and you can even customise the number plate. The 'Going South' just cracks me up.

(note: I found these via Janina's Piccadility Market blog - a great local Geelong market)

POUF-TASTIC ...

Bet that heading tickled your fancy. And these delights from the lovely Louise @ Table Tonic (see site & blog) will too. I just read on her blog that, after many months delay, her Handmade Moroccan Leather Poufs have arrived. Woohoooo. I gotta get one (actually, I think I may need 2). The ones here are my colour of choice .. but they come in sooooo many colours I am sure there will be pouf for you.

The look a perfect size, not flimsy AND I just L.O.V.E. the stitching. I have a similar one I picked up from a little shop in Ivanhoe many years ago that is now a little ripped and worn (the kids love rolling them around - what can I say!!). These will go perfect under my feet (-:

(note: my use of 'pouf' here is a little bit of a giggle for me as in a previous post I spelled it 'poof' - hahahahhahah)

THURSDAY FUN ..

WOMEN IN BUSINESS ...

I just found this article online and was so impressed I popped over to check them out.

Edible Blooms, founded by WA's Kelly Baker, offers something so deliciously different to the standard floral arrangement. IMAGINE getting one of these delivered to your door. I do LOVE (note the use of capitals there) strawberries dipped in chocolate (and dont' even get me started on white chocolate .. hmmmm) and would love one of those sent to me.

I'm not sure this comes under my 'design' banner .. but heh, they are new, original, yummy and look good - so why not!!! Now I just have to find someone to send one of these too .. any takers???

Visit here and check out all their lovely arrangements ..

MORE MELBOURNE MAGIC ..

I don't seem to be straying far from home at the moment with yet another house from Melbourne making my post. A period home with modern extension is not new I know, but this one is done so tastefully and by one of the masters in the architectural community (Multiplicity Architects), that I just had to put the piccies up so you could view too. From the street you wouldn't know any different and then wham!! Nice huh ...

MELBOURNE MAGIC ..

I've mentioned before how we are 'thinking' of building a new home. Rather than renovate other people's errors maybe we would have better fun designing our own. The list of 'must haves' has been discussed and last night I decided we would just HAVE to have a Lego room. Sooo many teeny-weeny pieces are all over our lounge it just bores me. So, part of the fun in even thinking about it - is researching different styles. So today's search has led me to Marklew Constructions in Melbourne. Their site is filled with homes with different styles - urban, lifestyle, rural - and although some of the colour schemes in the images are a bit dated - the overall homes have so many great elements.

SUNSHINE AWARD ...

Morning everyone. In the relatively short time I have been blogging, I have seen these cute little 'awards' pop up on other blogs and now, my golly-gosh, Sal @ OnceDailyChic just passed one onto me. (awww thanks Sal!!). Not really sure how it all works - but as it is my FIRST award - I hope I don't mess it up. I am meant to tell you 7 things you may not know about me .. so here goes:

1. I am a man (only kidding, just checking you were paying attention).
Lets start again.

1. I met the Mr in year 12 at high school. I went to a girls school, he went to a co-ed school - our schools had a 'shared campus' thing happening - and basically, as soon as he walked in the door - I was smitten. Been together ever since (and have 2 little boys too).

2. One of my little boys, Luke (the youngest) had meningitis when he was only 3 months old. The scariest time ever. Brain swelling, horribly ill - BUT he is perfectly fine now and nearly 5 years old (his older brother Joe reckons Luke has the hardest head in the world - and I must agree)

3. I am petrified of spiders. This is embarassing to admit - but if I see one, I (involuntarily) spit - I have no control over this - I just spit. Spit and run .. hahahah

4. I started the OEKE umbrellas after having a brain-wave driving down the highway one day. I came home, researched it for more than 4 months thinking 'surely someone would have done something like this before' and when I realised they hadn't, I thought (hoped) it would work. Doing OK so pleased with my efforts.

5. I've never actually been to university. Been pretending all these years I know what I am doing.

6. My favourite all time food is fresh bread with butter and vegemite.

7. (sad) My brother died last year. He was 43, on his way to work and had a motorbike accident. It truly was the worst moment of my life and I miss him every single day (oops, crying as I type - doh!).

Well, apart from the last one, I hope it was vaguely interesting and worth the read. Now I am meant to pass this sunshine award on .. so, to these lovely ladies (some I know, some I just admire) please accept this award ..

camilla @ http://crj-design.blogspot.com/
chantelle @ http://fatmumslim.blogspot.com/
mariska @ http://iusedtobesnowwhitebutidrifted.blogspot.com/
jules @ http://thediversionproject.blogspot.com/
maria @ http://kiitoslivingbydesign.blogspot.com/


Hoping you all have a fantastic day. I am actually taking time off to be just a MUM for the next few days and are taking the boys to the movies today. Yipeee

UK ARCHITECTS ...

Not sure if you know, but by day I am a graphic designer. I have run the studio for more than 15 years and have great clients such as Lend Lease and Australian Unity .. AND .. I get to do lots of work for architects and builders. Some of that work is web design and therefor, my day can be filled with hours of browsing websites .. seeing how they work, what buttons do what - that sort of thing. I am lucky enough now to be working with a new builder who is expanding his business. They are Melbourne based and for them I am designing brochures, flyers, signage, website(s) and the list goes on. I even got to be a 'stylist' for a few days which was great fun as I got to work with Rhiannon Slatter (link) (who is just the ants-pants - I will post about her again another time).

Anyway .. this morning while researching architects and sites etc I stumbled upon McLean Quinlan Architects in the UK (via here). I have been attempting to extract images from their site but to no avail .. but the images here should entice you enough to go check them out. WELL worth the time. The houses are beautiful, the photography glorious, the webdesign stunning and the overall result .. 10/10!!!

(NOTE: i particularly like the roof tiles in image 1. We have added very similar in both style and colour to our new garage and will be putting on the house (when funds magically appear).