Little elephants

I couldn't help posting this today - a special one for my friend Miss S and her nieces first birthday. I don't know if the party has happened yet or not but if not, your Sis might get some inspiration from these beautiful photos! (Miss S, please send some photos of the event!)

I discovered these this morning on Head Of the Table and am totally in love with this blog. I could look at photos of table settings and party themes all day. Another great one for party inspiration is Party Perfect. Some fantastic ideas for kids and adults alike. These two are definately going in the favourites list. I also know a few friends who have some wee ones first birthdays in the coming months that will no doubt drool over these blogs! Enjoy everyone.

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It's (finally) beginning to look a lot like Christmas

While it may have taken a bit longer than usual, it's finally beginning to look (and feel) like Christmas in my home. I managed to get to Ikea earlier today and low and behold, I came back with some bargain Chrissy decorations and oddly named furniture that my man had to put together.

To make our little house a bit more festive, I managed to pick up a gorgeous wreath in the Christmas decoration section - on sale for just $9.99! Being only a week before Christmas, all their decorations and trees were marked down and I've been looking for a non-traditikonal wreath for years. I simply added a little red ribbon to jazz it up and I'm so in love with it, I'm wondering how long I will be able to leave it on the front door for before my man tells me to take it down.

Left: Ikea Kotte Wreath, Right: Hanging on our door

We have 3 spare rooms in our house - one for the guest bed, one for the weights bench which never gets used and one for my desk and the ironing. I've longed for a beautiful home office for years and am slowly getting close to it. I may not have everything matching exactly just yet but I know one day I will. I picked up a very reasonably priced bookshelf whilst at Ikea and now have all my paper, ribbons and magazines off the floor where the dog enjoys putting little claw holes in everything.

Now if only I could get the place to look something like this, I'd be the happiest woman in the world! (don't you just love the wallpaper?)

After watching my man get a blister thanks to the bookshelf assembly, I re-organised the office room and sat down to read a few blogs. If you haven't checked out Parcel Post yet, you are missing out. I found out that this particular blog is the work of a lovely young couple who own a store in Venice, California called Urbanic. And I tell you, this is my DREAM shop. All that stunning paper and stationery, bookshelves full of ribbon and gifts and invitations..... lord I would go nuts in a place like this. If I had the money, I'd be out scouring Brisbane for a shop front to fill with things just like the products at Urbanic right now. I think I'm going to start buying lotto tickets - first on my list would be travelling to Venice to check these guys out, then back home (maybe via New York, Paris, Greece) to set up my own shop....... Ahhhh, one can dream can't they?

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Blogs worth checking out: Magnolia Gray + more

Weeeellll, it didn't take me long. I've had my computer back for less than 24 hours and I've already found things to post about.

It's unfortunately 4.26am Saturday 19th December. Yes, I'm awake and posting. For some reason, I woke up at roughly 3am this morning (actually, I know the reason and it had everything to do with my bloke throwing his arm over me in his sleep but unfortunately not in a "I even want to cuddle you while I'm asleep" kind of way). Once awake, I started thinking of a million things and couldn't get back to sleep: Why can't I find plain white gift tags for my christmas presents anywhere? Am I going to have to make them myself? I really want to go to Ikea tomorrow but I know I will end up spending money we don't have and my man will kill me (I wonder if I showed him my list whether he'd allow me to go and promise not to get anything more than what's on the list). What am I going to wear to a friends BBQ this afternoon? Why did I drink so much wine last night (wait - I think I know the answer to that one). I wonder what my dog thinks of me sitting in an almost pitch black room in front of the computer at 3am?

And the list goes on...... I'm sure you can now see why I got up.

Anywho, I'm babbling so I shall get on with it. I realised after doing some general web browsing that it's been about 8 months since I started this blog and in all that time, I can't remember dedicating a post to a cute blog by some close friends of mine. So belated it may be but ladies and gentlemen, here is Magnolia Gray!

Ok, so I'm sure I've mentioned it before and there is a link over there ----> to their site but I can't seem to remember doing a "Blogs worth checking out" on them. The two lovely ladies who are Magnolia Gray are Merrin & Courtney. I went to school with Merrin and Courtney is her soon to be sister in law. And I tell you, these two have such an eye for great things, it kills me.

Since I've got so much time on my hands of late, I went to visit Merrin and her little baby Evie yesterday afternoon and as always, had to stop myself from admiring everything in her house and not paying attention to our conversation. After looking at their blog and their wonderful assortment of hand made gifts, baby clothes and more, you'll see why I enjoy visiting Merrin and checking out her house so much.

They sell their items to friends and family but also at the Powerhouse Markets. Back in October they invited a bunch of people around to drool (and purchase) their items and I tell you, I was in heaven. They make everything from decorated rompers and baby singlets to hand painted artwork and gift cards. I got myself a cute bird image frame but can't seem to find my picture of it right now (I shall post one later though).

I'm not sure how frequently they attend the markets these days (Merrin/Court, if you're reading this, please let everyone know!) but be sure to check out their blog and contact them if you want to purchase any of their items (I believe they are working on a website so I'll post about that when it goes live).

Another reason for my early morning post this morning is gift tags. A few weeks back I decided to can christmas cards completely. While I love getting and giving cards (and enjoy making my own) when it comes to christmas cards, I just can't get excited about them. You have to think of a million different things to say to each family member, they read it and tell you how lovely it is then put it in the pile with all the others while they attack their gift. So to a) avoid buying or making cards that will only get thrown out after a few months and b) help save some trees by not buying/making them, I decided that the best way to personalise each present while still allowing me some space to write a small sentiment was to use gift tags (sorry ozone layer - I will need some paper for this).

The problem with this idea though? They are not easy to find ready made. Which normally is fine by me, I would rather make my own. However, what I've been searching for for almost 2 months is plain white, blank pre-cut gift tags that I can personalise with my own images, stamps, text etc. Can I find them anywhere though? No. And it's slowly driving me insane (hence I'm up at 4am writing this....).

I have found some at a local newsagent but they are that lovely shade of cream - you know, manilla folder cream and unfortunately that colour just doesn't go with my christmas tree nor my christmas presents (my decorations are red, blue and white and I match all my wrapping paper and ribbon to the tree decorations).

One of my many reasons for wanting to visit Ikea is there is every chance they have some in other colours - apparently Courtney managed to pick some up from there (thanks for the tip Merrin!) so I'm desperate to get down there and find them. Failing that, I know I'm going to have to make my own.

While this isn't a hard task (draw the shape, print, cut, personalise), I do like ready made ones with the little punched hole and cute die cut shapes. Plus anything that requires me to cut non straight lines makes me shiver, I'm hopeless at getting cut edges to look professional.

And so my search continues. Should anyone know where I can find some blank gift tags (other than ebay or etsy as it's a bit late for delivery so close to christmas) I'd love to hear from you! If my search brings up nothing, I shall document my attempt at making them and endeavour to post all about it in the coming weeks.

Since it's now 5am and I'm ready for cuppa number 2, I shall bid you farewell and only hope that you're not up reading this as I hit post.....

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Where have we been?

Yes, it's been a while readers.

I'd firstly like to apologise for the lack of posts in recent weeks (or by now, it's probably months). Due to some unforseen circumstances, things in my personal life have changed and I just haven't been able to spend much time searching the net and finding interesting things to write about.

I do hope that this will change though and whilst I have some time off I will be able to post a little more for you all. I've been without a computer for almost 2 weeks so now that I'm back online, I feel back in the land of the living and shall endeavour to update you on all things design+style (I had every intention of doing some special Christmas posts but alas, the world had other ideas for me).

Secondly, we have a winner in our Westfield Gift Card competition! We have randomly selected (and by randomly, I mean everyone's name went into a Tiffany's box and I had my man pick one out with his eyes shut) and one lucky person will in the coming weeks be the happy owner of a $50 Westfield Gift Card.

Congratulations to Miss J Cook! I'll be getting in touch with you soon via email to get your address details.

And lastly, a big thank you to YOU, the readers for coming back and checking out my blog this year. While I may not have a cult following (I'm certainly no Satoriliast) I love finding things to post about and only hope that you all enjoy reading them.

A very Merry Christmas to you and all the best for 2010. I hope it brings much joy and success for you all and your friends and family.

Till next time....
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When materials are limited

Ever needed to wrap something with limited access to fancy materials? Never fear. There is always a way to make something look just that little bit special without a lot of effort (or money!).

A roll of brown paper, a clever quote that relates to either the gift or the recipient, a bit of coloured paper, printer, scissors and your in business.

I recently created a design in Illustrator that my Mum fell in love with when she noticed I was using it as a bookmark. We came up with the idea that it would look great in a white box frame and set out to find one. While the Country Road option was great quality, the price was a little more than what I intended to spend (especially since you can get the same thing for half the price in a number of other stores).

After some more searching, I found a medim sized white stand alone frame in the Reject Shop in Byron Bay for just $19.95. I printed out the image to size, removed the white board from the inside of the frame (I could have left it in but wanted as much space as possible for the print for more impact) and whola! Instant gift.

My intention was to give the gift to my Mum as part of her Christmas present but after hearing about a difficult situation she had to deal with at school (she's a primary school teacher), I thought the frame could be just the thing to pick up her spirits.

The only set back was I had everything ready to go at work but no wrapping paper or ribbon. But that didnt stop me from thinking outside the box. With a little brown paper from the stationery cupboard, a little folded red paper ribbon (that wont get crumpled when packaged) and a nice quote glued to the front, it's cheap, effective and will most certainly make her feel better.

If you're wondering what the quote was I used, here it is:

The mediocre teacher tells.

The good teacher explains.

The superior teacher demonstrates.

The great teacher inspires.

William Arthur Ward

For a massive list of fantastic quotes, I use The Quote Garden. Almost every subject you can think of, and more!

Hopefully when my Mum receives the gift she might leave a comment on how it went down when she opened it (hint hint Mum!).

Till next time....

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Blogs worth checking out: The Cherry Blossom Girl

The Cherry Blossom Girl

I dont think this little lady needs much of an introduction other than she's gorgeous, she's French and she loves fashion. If you don't like reading but love having a sticky beak at what's hot on the other side of the world, you've got to follow Alix. A fashion designer and amateur photographer, visual candy doesn't get any better than this.

Well worth keeping in your favourites, go check her out!

The Cherry Blossom Girl

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Thats a wrap - part 2

Finally..... having 2 computers can be such a pain in the you-know-what. I've finally managed to get the photos of the engagement gift I made/wrapped from one computer to another ...... and so here they are in all their glory!

You've already seen the canvases..... but here they are again just in case you haven't.

Add some brown paper (recycled of course)....

Find some ribbon and a matching gift tag..... wrap the present

Tie the ribbon to the gift and add the wooden letters....

And voila!

It may not be as fancy as A Gift Wrapped Life but it still had the desired effect - I got word from the newly engaged couple that they couldn't bear to open the present but when they did, they loved it so much they put the canvases up straight away!

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design+style's first giveaway!

For the first time on design+style, I'm giving one lucky subscriber the chance to win themselves a $50 Westfield Gift Card. Imagine all the lovely things you could buy.... an early Christmas present to yourself perhaps? Or maybe a special something for your special someone. Personally I've got my eyes on a cute little bright yellow singlet in French Connection but unfortunately I can't enter my own competition.... damn.

All you need to do is subscribe to our newsletter to be in the draw, it's that easy (if you're already a subscriber, you are automatically in the draw). To subscribe, simply enter your email address in the "subscribe" section over to the right ---->

If you are already an avid reader, I'd love for you to pass this on to friends and family, and what better time to subscribe than when there's a $50 Gift Card up for grabs! The competition's open till the end of November and the winner will be announced the first week of December - just in time for any pre-Chrissy sales at your local Westfield!


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Terms & Conditions: Winners must become a subscriber before November 30th, 2009. Winner will be drawn Thursday 4th December and will be notified by email (prize will be sent via Express Post). Gift Cards only valid in Australia at participating Westfield Shopping Centres. T&C's for the Westfield Gift Card can be found on their website. Design+Style is not responsible for lost and/or stolen gift cards. All care will be taken to ensure the prize is delivered to you safely however I'm not responsible for missing mail sorry! Any questions in regards to the competition, please email me.

Thats a wrap

It's Friday.... finally! I apologise if anyone was waiting for photos today, I simply haven't had the time to find any (I have a few but to just post 3 feels a little lame).

Instead, I couldn't help but post about the wonderful new additions to A Gift Wrapped Life (this is her online shop, for the blog click here).

If you're ever stuck in one of those "what to buy someone who has everything" moments and you know they like stationery, gift wrap, ribbon and all manner of beautiful things, here is the solution.

It may seem odd to give someone gift wrapping materials as the actual gift but if the person you giving to is anything like me, they'd think they've died and gone to heaven. Included in this lovely wrapping sets is everything you need to re-create what's in the image. Beautiful paper, quality ribbon, decorative labels and even things like the goregous white paper rose above.

I was so inspired by these adorable packages that I came up with a fabulous idea for an engagement party gift I have to have ready for tomorrow evening. While trawling through Lincraft recently I came up with what I thought was a brilliant and cheap idea for an engagement gift - 2 canvases, paint, first letters of the couple's first names and glue. Get the idea? Well, I did (at least in my head).

Unfortunately, when my man asked what I was doing with armfuls of crafty nick nacks and I explained the concept, he pointed out that the weight of my letters was going to be too heavy for the thickness of my canvases.... ooops. Yes, I could have nailed the letters instead of just glued them but I'd then have to have the letters sitting right over towards the edge of each canvas. Not what I wanted.

And so onto Plan B. I decided to ditch the wooden letters and paint the J and A straight onto the canvas. And since I'm not one for painting the straightest line in the world, I simply typed out the letters I wanted, printed them onto A3 paper, cut them out and traced around each one. To ensure they didn't look like baby blocks I turned one slightly to the left, the other slightly to the right and left the '&' symbol dead straight with each letter so big, it's edges just go over the side of the frame.

After completing the canvases, I was at a total loss as to what to do with the leftover wooden letters I had purchased. Neither my nor my man's name begins with a J or an A and I don't know any other couples who are a 'J & A'. Here's where A Gift Wrapped Life came in. I've always thought adding an embellishment to a gift is almost better than a card - why not take the extra time to make the gift itself look spectacular than spend half an hour in the newsagents looking for an overly priced card that you're only going to end up writing the same thing on it that you did the year previous and the recipient will keep for 2 months then throw out with every other card they've been keeping for the last 10 years.

Lacking in funds, I've armed myself with some brown paper, thick brown twine, black, white & red ribbon (to match the black and white letters I've painted on the canvas) and....... those pesky wooden letters. Once I've wrapped the canvases in brown paper, I intend to paint the wooden letters and attach them with the twine and ribbon. Not only will it stand out against everyone elses gifts but it's handmade and the couple will get to keep the little wooden letters to put somewhere in their apartment.

Once I've actually put the whole thing together, I'll be sure to post some photos. In the mean time, check out the letter canvases (note: these aren't actually complete - if you ever paint a canvas and have some white space, never leave it the white of the canvas, it just looks silly).

And in case you're wondering, no the couple who are receiving the gift don't read this blog so I'm not giving away the idea before I give it to them!

Watch this space for more pics after I've attempted to uniquely gift wrap the aforementioned canvases!

Enjoy your weekend.

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A little bit racy

Today's mood board proudly inspired by Melbourne Cup....ok, so traditionally Derby Day is all about black and white but I do like a bit of monotone every now and again (especially when it's clothing, so easy yet so dramatic). Enjoy and I hope you backed a winner!

Credits

Jodi Gordon: Yahoo7

Hat: OperaScurra on Etsy

Sonia Kruger & Jen Hawkins: Yahoo7

Fascinator: Diva

Outfit: Portmans

White dress: Sportsgirl

Race Day cutie: Ninemsn

Lace dress: Birdie on Etsy

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