changes

With everything we've got going on at the moment I do feel like I've been neglecting this little blog o' mine. We're on the cusp of things settling down, and I can feel my mind relaxing as I step into the studio more and more. And I've also been trying out some changes around the house. On a whim I started shifting things around over the weekend, which included moving this painting and the cabinet beneath it.

It also involved a reconfiguration of the living room, but since everything is still in limbo due to toilet training (and the removal of all floor rugs), things are still looking a little sparse. Hopefully not long now...

The Style Emporium

Over the weekend I had a relaxing lunch with friends and followed it up with a stroll into one of my favourite shops in Canberra, the Syle Emporium. It's such a gorgeous little shop, partly devoted to cake making, but mostly filled with some of the most beautiful designs, such as Love Mae, Orla Kiely, and Paper Boat Press, as well as beautiful things for children.

I wasn't feeling like spending much money, but I did notice the most beautiful, simple paper mobile. As my son has slowly destroyed the paper crane mobile I made for my daughter's room, and as she has now graduated to a big bed, I thought something a little more feminine and delicate would be nice, and it ties in with the other butterflies in the room.

I'll post a more complete picture of her room later, but for now, how sweet is this?

Pendleton

One of my 'must buy' items while we're in the US is some Native American influenced design. I've had a blanket in mind, but while I'd prefer something traditional, I really like the look of this Pendleton weekend bag, which is a little more practical and can do double duty to help bring home our loot!

in progress...

I've been working on a large abstract that seems to be taking forever. Hopefully it will be completed this weekend, as I'm ready to pick up on something new. Unfortunately I'm not going to get much time for it though, between trying to organise our trip and doing some serious potty training (joy), we're a little bit overwhelmed. 

Today I'd like to be....

1.Cobble Hill chair; 2. Bergdorf Goodman earings; 3. Anthropologie Pillow; 4. Anthropologie Mechanic's Beacon light; 5. Alannah Hill dress; 6. Miranda Skoczek painting 'Florid Flourish'; 7. Melissa Campana Zig Zag flats.

Packing light

One of the most exciting things about our upcoming trip to the US is the idea of all the (eep!) shopping. So many stores to visit, so little time! But this also creates a big problem. With two small kids in tow, we can't be carting around bags and bags of luggage, so I'm going to have to pack light, super light, as I will be fitting both my children's clothes, as well as my own, in one bag of luggage. Of course, this means that we will have room for extra bags on the way back home, but figuring out how to pack for 7 or 8 states over almost two months of weather is doing my head in.

Everything must work together, so I'm planning on sticking to a dark uniform with the exception of a couple of colours, and I hope it will look a little something like this...

1. Madewell jeans; 2. Forever New purse; 3. Jeffrey Campbell shoes; 4. Pea Coat; 5. Witchery shirt; 6. Witchery shirt; 7. FCUK Wide brim hat.

T2 Tea

Friday the 13th is looking set to be a beautiful day. It's been the coldest summer ever, but it makes us appreciate these beautiful days even more. It's also meant that our crazy fuchsia plant has been growing... well, like crazy (crazy because no matter how we try to kill it, it always grows back - and also because it happens to be growing between our walls???). 

I bought these beautiful tea glasses above from T2 Tea after a shopping trip with my sister. After not being able to get them out of my head I had to go back and pick them up, and I think I might add a couple more to the set. It makes drinking a glass of water feel a little bit special, and I can use all the encouragement I can get. 

New work

Okay, so the original purpose of this blog was to keep myself (read: my painting practice) on track, consistent and regular. I'm a bit disappointed with the final point, so finally I'm able to share some new work. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure it's finished (it might need a little more blending between the highlights and the darkness), but I'm happy with the overall composition.

And for now it's taken over space in the living room, which means I've had to move some things around. It's always nice to keep things fresh. It's quite a large painting, and being so dark I think it needs a big room to hold it, though I can also see it in a darker, smaller space and it taking on a very masculine vibe.

Somewhere like this...

After a break from blogging (and the reading of other blogs), it's interesting to sense how my tastes have changed. All of a sudden I want to wake up somewhere like this...

via Little Emma English Home via Bolig

//Plugging in//

Hi there - yes, I'm back, but only just. It has been relaxing, and I feel almost ready to re-enter the world again. Living without schedules, taking time with simple things, it's been lovely. But truth be told I'm much more at home with a good plan, and January is always a good time to start a plan...

via Best Made Company