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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Another day, another mood board

In the midst of getting ready for work and getting the dog some treats, I was inspired by something in my own house today. The fantastic typewriter I picked up at a garage sale a few weeks back is slowly running out of ribbon but there's just enough left to write funny messages and love notes to my man in the hope that he'll see them when he comes home from Melbourne last night!

I just love the bright yellow and black of my typewriter so thought I'd create a mood board to reflect it (and also to try and encourage the sun to come out in Brisbane since it's been raining all morning!). Enjoy.

Photo credits/items:

Table setting: Design Mom

Jar: Tomato & Cantaloupe Salad from Sunday Suppers

Feather Fascinator: Vie Moderne on Etsy

Necklace: Sweet Surprises on Etsy

Absinthe poster: Blue Dog Posters

Singlet: French Connection

Lady in yellow (and blue): The Satorialist

Jordana Brewster: Popsugar

Bouquet: Green Wedding Shoes

Typewriter: Authors own!

Print: Authors own creation!

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Feeling moody

I felt like creating a mood board this morning. I may have been inspired by the colours I saw on a few houses while sitting in traffic on the way to work..... lots of beige, grey, off white and a little pale pink in some gardens. Enjoy!




Photo credits as follows (from left to right, top to bottom):
Flower print: Etsy
Table setting: Sunday Suppers
Maxi dress: Rose and Ruby
Married couple: 100 Layer Cake (don't you just love her shoes?)
Name necklace: Simply U Jewellery on Etsy - this was an uncanny find.... I love necklaces with names on them and I actually found one with mine and my partners names on it!
Leggings lady: Chictopia
Paris gift tags: Etsy
Chandelier: Etsy
Suitcase: Rubie Green
Fascinator: Marilena Romeo Millinery from Madaboochoo (this is my all time favourite fascinator.... if only I had the $400 to buy it)
Floral skirt: Chictopia
Bouquet: Pink & Purple Petals (if you live in Brisbane and want a good florist, contact Danielle, she is AMAZING!)
Invitation: Mae Mae Paperie
Nicole Richie: Google

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Tonal love

I've gone a little tonal today.... and created a mood board comprising of a few things I've recently bought and a few things I want. Starting at the top, check out this gorgeous little cotton dress I bought over the weekend from Sussan. Yes, you heard right, Sussan! It's no longer the Mumsy store it used to be and this great black and beige printed number is going to be perfect for summer, dressed up or down. Worn with a black waist belt, it's even better and a reasonable price at just $119.95.

With such a versatile dress, I've every intention of wearing it for a number of occasions, the first being Melbourne Cup day at the office - all I need to add is a little fascinator. From one of the millions of talented artists on Etsy, the lovely little number top right is from LiveInStyle, a beautiful store full of feathered head pieces and stunning necklaces. Since the Australian dollar is doing so well at the moment, now's a good time to buy up big in the US - total cost of this peacock feathered headband is only AUS$26. Quite the bargain really, hence the reason I just bought it!

A few other purchase I've made in the last week were a cute sale item from Sportsgirl - a girl can never have too many bangles and this wooden & silver animal print one was just $4.95. Not only was it cheap but it works wonderfully well with a great bargain I purchased on Ebay, a cute grey "faux" leather handbag (unfortunately one's bank account doesn't allow for real leather this month). A low, loow $45.45, it's a great piece for when I'm not wearing any black.

Last but not least, on my wish list are these stunning nude coloured heels from Tony Bianco. With a cute buckle and little bit of texture, they'd look great with a dress or jeans (I've got a few light printed tops they would look stunning with!). The "Erin", $129.95.

The reason for my explanation on vintage you ask (since none of the images in the top picture are technically vintage?). This FABULOUS typewriter I picked up at a garage sale last weekend. All I need is some ribbon and I can spend hours writing silly messages to my bloke for him to find when he walks past it next. All for just $25. Now all I need to do is come up with some witty remarks to type..... suggestions welcome!

Enjoy your weekend!

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Friday photos - mix & match

Today's picks (or pics, however you would like to take the pun) are a bit of a mix of everything, inspired by my new found love of a few blogs I mentioned in my post yesterday.

Of course, there's still a few fashion related images for those of you who might be out and about this weekend doing a spot of shopping like I am. My wonderful Mum is coming to Brisbane for the last few days of the school holidays to do a spot of shopping and to check out Trinny & Susannah at Westfield Chermside on Sunday afternoon (3.30pm if you want to check them out - they're at Carindale at 11am as well).

Lets face it, it's impossible to go past a picture of David Beckham (shirtless or not) without pouring drool all over your keyboard. Or is that just me? Either way, I had to include this smashing image of him at an airport (where he no doubt spends half his life). THAT shirt..... THOSE jeans..... THE Louis bag...... can he do no wrong? Now if only I could get my man into an outfit like that (he may not be a world renowned soccer player but one can dream right?).

Wondering who this lovely young lady is? So am I. That's because I found her on The Satorialist. I am normally one who doesn't mix and match colours in an outfit (ie. if I'm not wearing black, I wouldn't carry a black handbag) but something about this pink dress, those pale shoes and the LV bag just works. The drab black suits around her are helping her stand out like the proverbial but hey, isn't that what most women want?

All I can say is if I look ANYTHING like Faith Hill when I'm her age, I'll be happy (just without the blonde hair and country twang voice). You've got to give her or her stylist props for dressing her in something sophisticated but sexy. Of course we all know you can't go wrong with a black suit but to pair it with a silky unbuttoned shirt and a little "bling" (god I hate that word) hellloooo Mama.

So I've mentioned big necklaces before and if you read fashion magazines or window shop as much as I do, you'll know they are THE accessory for the season. I've been after a "bib" style neckpiece for a few weeks now and Sportsgirl has saved me. Fabulous without being freakishly expensive, this $59.95 stunner is perfect for something that could potentially go out of fashion within weeks. If you're after a cheaper version, Dotti has got a similar shape & look for less (as seen in the November issue of Madison).

Slightly off the fashion topic but still adorable are these fantastic party blowers I found on Utterly Engaged. How great that they give you the instructions on how to make them?! If you've already attempted the gift bow from yesterday I know you're going to love this one... In case you're wondering what velum is, I googled it (having no idea myself) and it looks to be some sort of transperant paper. No doubt your local craft or invitation shop could help you track some down.

I was recently telling a work colleague about my parents old business (anyone know Hatz from Oxford St, Bulimba?) and remembered some of the wonderful feathers my Mum used to use on turbans, hair accessories and hats. They started out collecting the dropped feathers from the cages at a pheasant farm but soon realised the accessories were in such high demand, they needed to buy the birds and pluck the feathers themselves (I have heard stories that they would hang them up on the clothesline out the back of our Bardon house and lop the heads off, pluck the feathers, then have the animal for dinner!). This got me to thinking about the fascinators that are everywhere at the moment for the summer racing season.

There's something to be said for making your own piece of headwear and when I saw these pictures from an overseas company, Bando, I couldn't help but think back to my Mum's feather collecting days. The contrast of brown & beige feathers with the aqua of the bead is to die for. I'd wear this with a beige dress and accessorise with a big aqua ring and maybe matching necklace. The gorgeous model even looks like a girl who used to pose for my Mum's business..... uncanny!

Last but by no means least today, a wonderful image from Blue Dog Posters. If you're after cheap and fantastic posters for yourself of for a gift, these guys are worth checking out. This great Guiness number is just $11 without a frame (not including postage). Get yourself a cheap Ikea or Target frame or send it off to a professional and whola! Cheap & cheerful gift for someone special. Thanks to my Mum for passing these guys onto me. I'm highly considering purchasing myself an Breakfast At Tiffany's poster after the last one I had mysteriously ended up with little holes in it after I found the dog walking around our spare room..... seems our pup isn't a fan of Ms Hepburn.....

Enjoy your weekends, whether your hot (Brisbane), windy (Melbourne) or anywhere in between (the rest of the country!).

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