Thursday, December 29, 2011

Winding up

It's the second last day of the year an i thought it was time to reflect. There is always so much hype about New years eve and New year's resolutions but when watching the movie New Year's eve earlier this week I loved Hillary Swanks speech about the dropping ball in NYC it wen't something like this:

It's suspended there to remind us before we pop the champagne and celebrate the new year, to stop and reflect on the year that has gone by. To  remember both our triumphs and  our missteps, our promises made and broken. The times we opened ourselves up to great adventures or closed ourselves down for fear of getting hurt coz that is what new years is all about- getting another chance. A chance to forgive, to do better, to do more, to give more, to love more. And stop worrying about what if and start embracing what would be. So when that ball drops at midnight and it will drop, let's remember to be nice to each other, kind to each other. And not just tonight but all year long

I thought it was beautiful even brought a tear to my eye. I have had the most amazing 2011. It has been a good year work wise, and personal life wise. Today I also enjoyed reading Holly Becker's blog post on decor8 about her end of year ritual. She says rather than thinking about what you didn’t accomplish in 2011, make a list of all that you managed to do this year that you are proud of. You can also leave your list on her blog. So Today instead of worrying about what i'll be doing tomorrow night i'm going to dedicate an art journal page about the year gone by. If you are wanting to start your New year's resolution head over to Dandee for a new years resolution printable kit. What are you proud of from 2011?

Current Etsy Favourites

I got so spoilt for Christmas but during the lead up I added a lot of Etsy items to my favourites when I was searching for presents. I would like to buy all of these....

Earings from NicoleClare7

Perfect Twist poster from debbiecarlos

Abstract Print from twoems

Giclee print, at home by marlaelina


Miss joan bright pink headband from sunshineandcarousels

hot pink geo earrings by amerrymishap

Feather necklace by theblueballoon

Whats everyone doing for New Years Eve?

Wedding Wednesday (on a Thursday)

Well well well, clearly I'm relaxing a little too much, loosing track of days!
How was your Christmas? Mine was wonderful.
Today I want to share a Sydney Wedding which was featured on Style me pretty earlier this week. It was a wedding in Bondi and was styled by Scout and Charm


I love the brides and bridesmaids dresses. The brides dress is from Rose and Rudy and the bridesmaids from forever new. Isn't the bridesmaids hair lovely to? I have actually been wearing my hair like this of late. Head over to style me pretty for more pictures, the wedding had lots of daisies and pretty bunting. It was just generally really really pretty!


Ohh Those dresses.....

Friday, December 23, 2011

May your Christmas be Merry & Bright

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and happy 2012. 
Thank you for taking the time to read my little blog I've enjoyed having you here.


(This is my eldest niece Millie, We made her a letter to Santa) 

May your Holidays be safe and Happy
xoxoxox
Amy

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Loft Love

So my first day of holidays have been spent hanging on the lounge as I feel a little under the weather. So I decided to check out this months holiday issue of Rue magazine. In the magazine they feature Bri Emery's loft (who is the creative director of the magazine) and I am inlove with this space. I haven't felt so 'home' inspired in ages. You need to check this out. 


I seriously need the scarf hanging over the couch from here
There isn't one thing I would change about this space and there are a few things I will be purchasing for my home from this shoot. Like the garland below. I have the design sponge book on my xmas wish list as well (I saw it in Typo last week)


you can see all the images on the photographers blog too. So after reading Rue i followed the link over to Bri's blog and have honestly spent a few hours going back through it and its sooo amazing. Iv'e read all the way back to July and am still reading! I'm loving everything about it! I love finding new blog to treasure! enjoy


Wedding Wednesday

Yesterday I came across this beautiful Snowy Winter wedding over at Green wedding shoes (one of my fave wedding blogs). Toby and I love going to the snow and it'd be a real dream to get married there. Completely unrealistic for us as the snow is 8 hours away from our house and I wouldn't expect my guests to fork out that much money to attend our wedding but it would be ever so magical. 


I love that it snowed during Kezia and Ashton's wedding ceremony (how romantic) 


Kezia also sent her bridesmaids an email of 20 cream dresses from asos and urban outfitters all in similar shades that they could choose themselves (I love love this idea as mentioned in this post) head over to Green wedding shoes for some lovely wedding inspriation.


Sunday, December 18, 2011

Watch Rob Ryan at work

I've been fascinated by the work of Rob Ryan for a few years now. I dream of one day owning one of his originals pieces... (dreaming....) he has a home wares collection that i've seen popping up around the place even at general pants co. He also has an Etsy store. This video has been popping up all over blog land I first saw it on meet me at mikes (I think i'm going to make pips potato curry this week too)


Baking With Millie

I finished up work for the year at the School I have been working at and I'm off to a new school next year. I wanted to make my faculty a little Christmas gift and thought Shortbread would make a nice gift. I love shortbread. I used to make shortbread all the time but haven't made it for a few years. I found this recipe in my mums better homes and gardens magazine and when I brought the western star butter it's actually printed on the butter wrapper. I was looking after Millie and Blair on Thursday night so it was a great activity to keep them occupied. (Blair just played with patty tins while Millie and I cooked)


Ingredients
250g Western Star butter
2/3 cup pure icing sugar
2 cups of plain flour
1 cup rice flour
1 tsp caster sugar, for sprinkling

Method
1. Process all ingredients (except caster sugar) in a food processor (I used my mix master as I don't have a food processor and it worked well)
2. press mixture together until it forms a dough
3. on a lightly floured board roll out dough until 5mm thick
4. using a cookie cutter (i chose stars and xmas trees) cut shapes from dough and transfer to a lightly greased and lined tray sprinkle with caster sugar bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 1/2 an hour (i finally have a new oven and it's fan forced it only took 18 minutes for mine to be cooked) you want them to be dry firm but still pale. Dust with extra icing sugar and serve.


I gifted them in a cello bag with some nice ribbon (forgot to photograph this) I think the faculty liked them! I'm going to miss them next year.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

It's beginning to look a lot like christmas

It has been for a week but I thought I'd share an Instagram of the outside of our house.


toby got up on a very high ladder last weekend to hang the icicle lights. I think it looks pretty spesh. I had my little sister over tonight to watch one of our all time favourite Christmas movies


What's you favourite Christmas movie and Carols? I also watched A Santa Claus today and Family Stone on Thursday. I still have a small pile to get through before christmas. I love this time of year.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Wedding Wednesday

Have you been on the wedding blog Once Wed? If you haven't you should it's great. I've been a regular visitor for quite some time and it is there that I came across the idea of giving jam or honey as a wedding favour. I really love this idea as I love jam and honey and I also like the idea that you can make it yourself (not that I ever have made jam.... I'll give it a go though and if it fails i'll order some)
You can also jazzy it up with a small piece of fabric and ribbon and put a personalised label on them. All images used here are from Once wed's wedding ideas section link here. They have some other great favours as well. 

My favourite favour I received at a wedding was from my friend Kirra. Her and her husband gave everyone a rosemary plant. She had wrapped the pot in hessian and tied it with ribbon. What a great idea.

My friend Kelly recently did a post on her blog about gifts in jars. Check it out here

Monday, December 5, 2011

Life lately through instagrams





 


The last week has been pretty busy, varying from Ring-a-ring-a-rosy on my sisters trampoline, to homebake in Sydney where we got to see some great Aussie (and kiwi) bands (and catch up with a few friends), to xmas decorating and card making, to chilling out under our Apple tree. Life has been busy busy. I haven't worked the last two days as school is starting to wind down so I have tried to get into some Christmas crafts. I think December is busy for everyone but that's one of the reasons I love it so. 





Thursday, December 1, 2011

Happy 1st of December

Yay! only 24 more sleeps till Christmas! 
We actually put our christmas tree up early (much to Toby's disgust) only by 4 days but I thought I'd wait till today to share a picture. I love our tree! 


Katie.Cupcake put up a great DIY felt polaroid Ornament this morning on Instagram. When I didn't get called in to work today I headed out to print some photos and buy some felt and set to work. I actually didn't follow her tutorial  just winged it but I think it would have been way easier if i read it first). I highly recommend using her tutorial. Thanks for sharing Katie. I am going to use mine as gift tags so the recipient gets an extra little gift to hang on their Christmas tree the following year.


Please share any Christmas DIY's in my comments :)

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thankful

(image via pinterest)

In honour of america's Thanksgiving I thought today I would write
random list of little things i'm thankful for today:
(as seen on Taza's Blog)

Toby
iPhone
work
cloudy apple juice
family
food
friends
nieces
the rain
christmas carols 
messages that say <3 you
san cisco's "awkward" 
gluten free brownies
water
the colour turquoise
indy & meeko (poor wet pups this week)
smiles
cozy home
a good book

what are you thankful for?




Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Wedding Wednesday

What better thing to share on Wedding Wednesday than our friends Nat and Jonny's wedding which we have just returned from over the weekend. It was a beautiful event and I couldn't be happier for the gorgeous couple. The wedding was held at pepper's anchorage at Nelsons bay and the weather was perfect!

The beautiful Bride and her Dad

 The Ceremony. The bridesmaids dresses were all the same colour but each chose their design

Toby and I

 Nat and Jon (jonny mid blink)

 We got to spend some quality time with our niece Willow (isn't she growing up)

 

 Lot's of dancing into the evening


It was a great wedding. A real celebration of two people that are truly happy together. I got to help with a few things as well like making the table seating chart and writing out place settings, which was a nice way to be included in their special day. 

Have a good honeymoon guys
xo

Recovery

Toby and I returned from a weekend away yesterday (from our friends wedding will post tomorrow). I went back to work today but was absolutely stuffed. I even had a nanna nap this afternoon. We had a really nice weekend and are now on the countdown to christmas (32 sleeps incase you are wondering) we have a very busy month ahead but I'm really in the spirit 


How was your weekend?

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Wedding Wednesday

Today for Wedding Wednesday I wanted to feature a beautifully styled, backyard, surprise wedding. It is the wedding of Amy Moss and her husband she has a fantastic blog called Eat Drink Chic. They surprised everyone at their engagement party with a civil wedding ceremony.


Amy wore her mother's 30 year old wedding dress. The wedding was in Melbourne and my favourite part was the Flowers (credits go to Melanie from Cecilia Fox)  You can read more about the styling and all the details on Amy's Blog.


Aren't the flower arrangements gorgeous. Something even more special they had scones and jam as the wedding cake. I really like the idea of surprise weddings! 
In saying that I am not planning on having one, (clearly it wouldn't be a surprise now) but there just seems to be something so special about them, and it brings it back to what marriage is all about (to me) celebrating your marriage with the most important people in your life in your own way. Have you been to a surprise wedding?


Sunday, November 13, 2011

DIY Christmas wool Wreath

I've been admiring yarn wreath's on Etsy for quite some time and have wanted to have a go at making one myself. As it is the season I headed to spotlight for some supplies and found a perfect styrofoam wreath for $7. 


I chose some red, green and white wool that matches the colours of our Christmas tree decorations. The first loop I tied at the back to stop it form moving around. I marked out where I was to change colours and kept winding, round and round and round.


When changing each colour I just knotted the wool to the last colour it was quite easy. Just took some time. I thought it looked a little bit naked so added some bunting.


You can read how I make bunting here. I also added some olive green leave's brought from Caramelos from etsy. Do you know any great Christmas DIY's? link them in my comments. Now it's time to make one for Mum's house 
(p.s Toby won't let me hang it up till the 1st)

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Outpost

You HAVE to go and see the Outpost Project! It is a must do before December 11 (when it closes) I was absolutely blown away by the amazing works that were on Cockatoo island! 
heres a sneak peek at a few of the works but honestly they do not do it justice.













The size of some of the works blew me away! especially Vexta's (the girl diving/swimming) i walked away feeling so inspired and amazed by the whole thing. The bus was being sprayed while we were there so it started blank and turned out amazing, its very interactive watching works being created. There is an exhibition from a private collection held in the event as well with numerous Banksy works which were great to get up close to! There was also lots of activities for little ones so I think its very kid friendly (minus the swearing above) and the best bit about the day was that I got to spend it with my dear uni friends who are also art teachers and were equally amazed. We headed to the opening of the Picasso exhibition on at the Art gallery of NSW soon after. It was impressive, lots of works through different periods of his life, he was a very versatile artist. Exhausting day but well worth the trip to sydney! DO IT! 
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