blues and greens

Blues and greens- from aqua to turquoise to teal, chartreuse to pistachio and mint, I have loved these colours for as long as I can remember and there is nothing better than seeing them combined together. I am always squirreling away images I find involving or combining these colours for reference for future projects, colour scheme and decorating ideas and this little collection of pictures make me exceedingly happy.

Image sources: one, two, three, four, five, six

interior inspiration: colour hit

At the moment I'm being drawn to pops of colour in otherwise fairly neutral, muted, light and airy white rooms. The ones pictured here all have some great elements- be it a yellow sofa, a mint green wall, a bright patterened cushion, a mix of colourful picture frames or a painted blue table. I like the fact that it's a pretty easy look to re-create, armed with a tin of paint you can easily transform a piece of old wooden furniture or brighten up a wall.

I also adore this room below with it's sunny yellow wall, white iron bed frame and vintage floral bed linen and cushions. However it's safe to say I don't fancy my chances of the husband ever agreeing to let me to recreate this ridiculously girly look in our own bedroom!

Images: 21547777@N03 on flickr, kootutmurut on flickr, jasnajanekovic on flickr, and Fryd+Design, both via decor8, redonline.

10 week countdown

So I'm officially in the third trimester of my pregnancy now and there's just 10 weeks to go. Seriously, where has the time gone?! This little lady will be here before we know it and I'm very, very much looking forward to meeting her. Lila has been incredibly patient so far, it's only in the past couple of weeks that she's started tapping on the bump saying "Hurry up and be born tiny baby!" She also likes to lift up my top and give tiny baby a kiss every now and then.

When we first told her she would have a little sister soon I thought she would be asking us every second of every day when she would be arriving, but she has been taking it all in her stride so far. Maybe she has cottoned on to the fact that at the moment she has no other contenders for Mummy and Daddy's attention so she is wisely enjoying it while she can!

Here are some pictures Curt took of Lila bonding with the bump (these were taken last weekend, when I was 29 weeks).

my sister's wedding: beautiful bits & pieces

Here are some gorgeous images of various props that my sister has sourced for her upcoming wedding in June. If you missed my first post about it, click here. To re-cap, her wedding has a vintage, travel theme which has been reflected in the invitations and will also be apparent in lots of small details in the decor. When I was over in Australia over Christmas, I helped her to source the most amazing vintage suitcase from a huge second-hand/ junk shop that we spent a fair amount of time trawling through in search of treasures. I love the garland of fabric flowers she has attached to the handle and the letters representing her and her fiancee's first name initials.

These little love birds will add a touch of sparkle and whimsy.

Here is a shot of her stunning sapphire engagement ring, flanked with diamonds on both sides. It is shown inside a tiny vintage hymn book which she found at an antiques market. They plan to adapt it by cutting out a section of the inside so it can be used as the Ring Bearer vessel in which both their wedding rings will be presented during the ceremony.

I won't share anymore for now as the rest of the visual eye candy will all be revealed on the big day. I will definitely share pictures of the event here afterwards. I am so excited for this wedding! Can't wait to see everything come together. Now I just need to keep everything crossed that my little baby decides to come on time and not exactly a week late or I will miss the whole thing while I'm in hospital giving birth!!

All images by Jo Bostock.

vamoose

My latest and greatest discovery is that of the gorgeous jewellery line called 'The Vamoose' which is designed and handmade in the UK by Kathryn Blackmore. Her pieces are inspired by natural history, vintage finds and an exploration of traditional crafts with modern influences. It's not often that I get this excited by jewellery but I am literally in love with everything she makes. I've already firmly guided Curt in the direction of the website in anticipation of my birthday in June!

There are so many people out there making jewellery which all seems pretty samey and un-original but to me these pieces feel really fresh, modern and different.

The colours of the necklaces pictured above are stunning and I have my heart set on a couple of these bracelets shown below which are made from semi-precious stones, vintage brass, leather cord, coconut and brass (yet to be released in her online store but coming soon)...

These turquoise pieces are awesome and the pom pom necklaces...there are no words! Unfortunately these are sold out but looks like there are some similar ones on the way soon.

Check out the Vamoose blog to see some awesome pictures of where Kathryn sources her inspiration from.

pregnancy essentials

I can't believe that baby will be arriving in just 12 weeks! It certainly goes so much quicker the second time around. When I was pregnant with Lila I had it all pretty much sorted by this point- nursery, clothing, accessories, pram- the whole shebang. The only thing I've bought so far this time is a little pair of pink booties. It makes it a lot easier that we do already have almost everything we need but I do plan to buy a few select bits and pieces for our new little arrival when we arrive back in the UK so she won't be resigned to a life of only hand-me-downs from day one.

For anyone else also expecting a little bundle of joy or planning to at some point in the future, I thought I'd share some of the things that have been helping me through the pregnancy so far.

1. Champneys Pillow Mist Spray- I find that from around 25 weeks into the pregnancy onwards, getting a good nights sleep gets much harder. Partly due to trying to get comfortable and partly due to my mind running on overdrive about all sorts of things. This magic spray contains a blend of mandarin, chamomile and lavender and smells divine. It really seems to help me switch off and after a quick spritz I can drop off in about 2 seconds flat into a really good, deep sleep.

2. Dark Chocolate- Green & Blacks is the best. This is a serious craving for me, I am literally eating truckloads of it every evening at the moment. If I run out, I am not a nice person to be around.

3. Clarins Huile Tonic Treatment Oil- Hands down the best way to prevent stretch marks. A little goes a long way and it smells amazing too.

4. Mothercare Maternity Pillow- This really helps when it comes to finding a comfortable position to sleep in and cuts down the endless tossing and turning when you lie in bed every night. Yes, my husband complains that it takes up way too much space in the bed but does agree it's preferable to being kneed in the back on numerous occasions.

5. Maternity Bra from Elle McPherson Intimates- Most maternity underwear is not what you'd really class as attractive but I was pleasantly surprised by this pretty bra which I snapped up on first sight. The rest of her maternity range is definitely worth a look if you want something a little more pleasing to the eye than the usual offerings.

As I did with pregnancy number one, I've also been taking a pregnancy yoga class every week which is really worthwhile. It's a great way to stretch out the aches and pains and also focus on some breathing techniques and relaxation which help to soothe the mind and body. The premise is that you can use the breathing techniques to help relax during labour. Nice idea in theory but personally, the reality of giving birth was far too intense to give much thought to such things and more about screaming for the strongest drugs available...though maybe that's just me!!

Top image found here.

captivating

These evocative photographs by Ann He stopped me in my tracks. I love everything about them from the colours, the lighting, the settings and the atmosphere. Just beautiful.