Alive

It's been a whirlwind of a trip so far, I can barely wrap my head around everything we've seen. What an incredibly diverse and beautiful country, and we've only seen three states! USA, I quite like you.

Well, this is it. We are off on a great adventure, two adults, two children, and almost two months of (hopefully!) great times checking out this little place you might have heard of, the USA. I'm nervous and excited, as I should be, but mostly I just want to get on that plane and GO!

So, things will be a bit quiet around here for a while, though I am very much hoping to put my instagram skills to work and keep you posted on where we are and what we're doing. Wish me luck!

Caroline Allison

New work

A closer look at one of my most recent pieces, which you might remember from the other day. Still not complete, but getting there. I've had this series in mind for quite some time, and I've slowly been building up skills and techniques that allow me to achieve the feeling I'm going for. And though its still very much in the early stages of development (the series, not this painting), I feel like I'm moving in the right direction. You might also remember this painting as a simple landscape, which, while successful enough, it was really just the beginning.

Now to take a big break from painting while we explore the other side of the world, though I am hoping to fill my cup of inspiration while we are away!

Sometimes

Sometimes you find something that you really don't know you need until you have it. That is what happened to me on Saturday, when I purchased a rather dirty looking mid-century buffet at a local church garage sale. A little bit of cleaning and a good coat of oil later and we have the perfect addition to our living room. And don't hate me, it cost $20!

It goes to show that when you want good quality vintage, you've got to be persistent, even if it means scouring through junk a week before going overseas when you really have much better things you should be doing!
I've only just started thinking about what to put above it, and don't get me started on what to put in it (oh, the storage!). But those finer details will just have to wait.

still dreaming

I can't seem to get the idea of a new long dining table out of my mind, despite everything else that's going on. Here's another one, this is perfect, via Elle Decor.

rush

Its kind of a mad rush to finish off the paintings that I'm working on at the moment. Here's a better look at this painting, which has now taken on a slightly new character.

simple style

I've been dreaming of a new dining table. I think we've been through about 4 in as many years, going from a small hand made table care of my husband and made for our first apartment, through two mid-century ovular tables of varying quality, to the one we have now. This is what I've been dreaming of, only longer. Gentle, warm and sturdy, perfect for eating and drawing and writing and relaxing. Found via Petit Papier.

details

Spending a lot of time lately on the smaller things, trying to turn ordinary into something somewhat special. My hands are sore, my eyes are sore, but I love the slow pace and the fine details. 

US loves

Now that the bulk of our trip to the US is planned, I can start doing fun things, like thinking about what souvenirs I'd like to bring home, and I don't mean fridge magnets. Here are a few things I'll be taking a close look at while we're overseas:

1. J. Crew Sweater; 2. BDG Boots from Urban Outfitters; 3. Bag from Kate Spade; 4. Kate Spade Metro watch from Nordstrom; 5. Alvarie cushion from Anthropologie; 6. Elephant butter dish from Jonathan Adler.

quiet

via Lantliv via interiors porn.

Yes, I've been neglecting this little space. Having just spent time in Brisbane seeing family it's time to get back to reality, which is difficult when we're about to embark on what feels like an enormous adventure to the  US. 

So much to do, this little blog may be a bit quiet, but I hope to check in as much as I can.