This & That

If you've been following me on Instagram then you will have seen these pictures before but if not, I thought I'd post them here on the blog.  Over the past few weeks we've been redecorating Black & Spiro.  If you've dropped into the store you may have noticed our new additions. 

Today our fabulous old Library table arrived.  We' are just waiting on the new handles to be delivered for the drawers....nothing happens on cue or as planned does it!!  They have been held up...what's new!!  In the background you might just be able to see a little snippet of the new cabinetry we've had installed which is now filled to the brim with lots of new bits and pieces and also some very special vintage one-off items as well.

These new hobnail candles in navy, pink, sea foam and cream are definitely a new favourite and let me tell you, they smell amazing!!!!!

And this rug which I am standing on with my leopards is to-die-for. 

Next week we will be shooting the photos for the sample book and advertising of my new wallpaper collection for Porters at the store.  And next Friday we will be re-opening our back rooms which we have completely redecorated with my new wallpaper collection.  If you would like to be one of the first to see the wallpaper insitu then make sure you drop in next Friday.  Our official launch party won't be until early May so you will get to see the papers before they are properly launched!!  You are in for a treat...I promise. 

Also, I have a little announcement to make about the online store.  After much deliberation, I have decided to put the online store on hold for the time being.  I am working on a number of large decorating projects and with running our bricks and mortar store, looking after my clients, launching my wallpaper range for Porters, working on another very exciting thing which I am unfortunately unable to announce at this stage and being a mother and wife, I just can't do it all and as a result something has to go.  Please don't be upset or cranky.  I will bring it back in some way, shape or form but for the moment it is just too much.  I am not wonder woman and I just need to remove something otherwise I will end up a complete mental case!!xx

I will make sure that I continue to post lots of fabulous images of new things at Black & Spiro here on the blog and please if you see anything at all which you would like pricing on then just call us or email us - info@blackandspiro.com.au.  

If you are in Brisbane though, do drop into the store as we have a bit of a new look and lots of fabulous new things to inspire and excite.

xx
Anna

Tablecloths Back in Stock

Just in case you missed out the first time round, I thought I would let you know that we have some of our beautiful embroidered tablecloths back in stock over at the online store.  There is only 3 red and 2 blue left so if you would like one CLICK HERE... UPDATE - ALL THE BLUE CLOTHS ARE NOW SOLD AND THERE IS ONLY 2 RED CLOTHS LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  HURRY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, if you liked our fabulous beach towels I have marked the green and coral coloured towels down to half the original price.  CLICK HERE...

We also have a few more blue and white owl jugs back in stock...CLICK HERE

This Friday will be our last day for guaranteed pre-Christmas shipping within Australia just in case you wanted to do any last minute Christmas shopping!!

http://www.absolutelybeautifulthings.com.au/ xx
Anna

Guest # 3 - Paul Hunt

One of Brisbane's finest couture fashion designers, Paul Hunt was only too happy to be involved in our Summer Vignette photo shoot.  Paul has long been a wonderful customer and supporter of Black & Spiro and we were so thrilled to have him in our Summer Vignette.  He certainly is one stylish lad. 

Here's what Paul had to say about Christmas...

What has been your most memorable Christmas?
There have been so many! One was at home in Glen Innes before I moved to Brisbane. After lunch we all lay on the floor listening to old records of Monty Python- we laughed and laughed.


What is a Christmas tradition in your family?
When we are all together the roast lunch is always a must to our Christmas.

Where are you celebrating Christmas this year?
With my loved one.

What are you giving for Christmas this year?
Who knows???? Haven't had time to think yet.

What do you hope to receive for Christmas this year?
Well a puppy would be nice but I know that's not practical. So maybe a gold fish for starters!!!!

What does Christmas mean to you?
It means being with loved ones. Oh and holidays :-)


Hope you get that gorgeous puppy Paul!!  Happy Holidays and thanks for being part of our Summer Vignette!!
xx
Anna

PS.  If you haven't already visited our online store, here's the address...www.absolutelybeautifulthings.com.au 

Guest # 2 - Joshua Jones

My second guest over in our Summer Vignette is the very chic Joshua Jones.  Josh, as we like to call him, is the General Manager and Buyer for Brisbane's top fashion Emporium, Jean Brown {www.jeanbrown.com.au}. 

He always looks so groovy and stylish and is one of the nicest people you would ever wish to meet.  Oh and did I mention he used to be the State Manager for Ralph Lauren...

Here's what Josh had to say about Christmas;

What has been your most memorable Christmas?
I think childhood memories of Christmas are my favourites! My grandparents had a house in Tasmania when I was a child. Most of the extended family would try and make it down there to have a large joint Christmas. Because we were all catching up after a big year it became a whole celebration rather than just Christmas, and would take up the entire month! My grandmother was quite the cook and with my mum and all her sisters in the kitchen, it was the place to be - especially waiting for a fresh, raspberry-filled sponge cake!

What is a Christmas tradition in your family?
Presents in the morning and then everyone pitches in to get the Lunch ready! Lunch normally goes for a good 4 hours and then a few quiet drinks after clean up. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without some reflective drinks at the end of a long day. Then we normally get family rivalry back on, and bring out the board games!


Where are you celebrating Christmas this year?
I will be starting in Samford this year to see my partner’s parents then off to Maleny to have lunch and a sleep over at my family’s. A country Christmas all round!

What are you giving for Christmas this year?
I like to find individual items, such as antiques and quirky one off pieces. A few bits and bobs from Black and Spiro never go astray! And handmade cards and wrapping paper always set things off and add that personal touch.

What do you hope to receive for Christmas this year?
An orange box is always nice! Honesty, I don’t mind. It is always the thought that counts, and some of my most treasured gifts received are the ones I would never expect.

What does Christmas mean to you?
Christmas is a time when I can really catch up with my family as a whole. It really means laughing, relaxing, watching my nieces and nephews grow up, pretend to be a kid again and eating lots! 

A huge thank you to you Josh for being apart of our Christmas/Summer photo shoot.  You looked so cool on that gorgeous vintage bike!!  Oh and I loved your orange shorts and your YSL tote bag didn't go unnoticed!!xx

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!!
xx
Anna

PS.  Here's the website for our online store http://www.absolutelybeautifulthings.com.au/  just in case you haven't already visited!!

Seaforth Cottage

Jane & Neville {above}

Janes Lilies {above}

Harry on the front steps {above},  He looks like he lives there!!

Me with Max and Charlotte {above}


I have long admired {actually, ever since I was 14 years old} the very pretty cottage which is located diagonally opposite my parent's house.  It is called Seaforth Cottage and was built C.1897.  It has been owned by Jane and Neville for the past 30 or so years and they are some of the most beautiful people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

As a young girl I would often talk about the pretty white cottage across the road.  I even told Brad when we were looking for our first house years ago that if that house ever came on the market then I would really, really love to live there.

I recently plucked up the courage and went over and introduced myself to Jane and Neville.  We sat on their front verandah and I asked them the huge favour of whether I could use their beautiful home for our upcoming Christmas/Summer photo shoot for our online store.  I explained to them that I had always loved their pretty cottage and I would often wish I could go inside to see what it was like and what lovely things they had furnished it with.  There was absolutely no hesitation and they offered their home to me with open arms.

One of the most beautiful things about Jane and Neville is their generous spirit.  Jane is actually a potter and an extremely talented one at that.  She holds classes for a couple of ladies in the street one morning a week in her gorgeous white timber shed at the back of the house.  You might have noticed the pottery animals on the verandah under our Christmas tree over at the online store.  Well, those are Jane's.  She has lined her entire verandah with her pretty and enchanting pottery animals.  I told her I wanted to take them all home with me!  She laughed.

I should also mention that next year Neville turns 100.  I really couldn't believe it when Jane told me. 

We had the most glorious day setting up our Christmas/Summer vignette on their front verandah and front lawn.  Did you notice the beautiful garden in the pictures?  It is amazing to say the least.  When we were there all the November lilies were beginning to flower.  It is just so beautiful and rambling and imperfect.  Just the way I like gardens to be.

I hope you enjoyed hearing a little bit about the beautiful house we used for our online vignettes this season.  I feel that Seaforth cottage was the perfect setting for our photo shoot.  It gave us that beautiful, lived-in, comfortable, old family house feel which is exactly what I wanted this season to reflect...a place where good times are shared and memories are made.


xx
Anna

Above are some of Jane's pieces.  They are so gorgeous!!

Some Favourites

I thought it might be fun to share some of my favourite pieces from our Summer Vignette.  I must say we had so much fun putting together our collection of special things for this season.  There are so many things I absolutely adore.  One of my most favourite things is the beautiful embroidered tablecloths.  When we found them I was so excited about them.  Although we featured the red one for Christmas I really love the blue one.  They are so gorgeous and so beautiful in the flesh.

I also love the calico love heart decorations which Kelly at Black & Spiro hand-made and Harry & I decorated with felt pens.  I really wanted to encourage a hand-made Christmas decoration which you can purchase and then enjoy decorating with personal messages and illustrations with your children.  The other thing I love about them is that you can tie them onto your tree or you can use them to tie around your table napkins.  You could even write each person's name on them as place cards for the Christmas table setting.

Did you see our beautiful blue and white zig zag dinner plates which we have had made in Mexico especially for our online store?  They are another favourite of mine.

I hope I'm not boring you with my favourites.  However, these very special hand-made vases are also another favourite.  Hand-made by members of an art's collective for adults with developmental or intellectual disabilities, the sale of these beautiful blue and white vases supports a community of artists right here in Brisbane which I think is a wonderful thing especially at Christmas.  They make such a great gift and are so reasonably priced for what they are!

What's your favourite thing in our Vignette this season?  I would love to know.

xx

Anna

Happy Friday!

What a week!  It's been madness to say the least.  I thought you might like to see this little snippet of our Christmas/Summer Vignette which will go live over at the online store next Thursday. 

Something very exciting and new for this season is we have people in the vignette including some very well-known Brisbane fashionistas, my children and their friend Charlotte and even I make a little appearance...eeeekk!!   

We also have a beautiful live Christmas tree which is filled to the brim with colourful decorations, some of which we have hand-made ourselves. 

This vignette is definitely my favourite one yet.  I can't wait to launch it next Thursday!!

Hope you have a great weekend. 
xx

Anna

image - elouise van riet-gray

Owl See You Next Week

I haven't posted much this week!  I am sorry!!  I have been playing catch up with my work and trying to stay OFF the Internet.

We seem to have had lots of enquiry about our very special hand-made and hand-painted owl jugs and I thought I would let you all know that they will be making a big appearance in our next online Vignette.  The ones in our next vignette will be much larger than the little ones we had in the Spring Vignette and they will be available in Blue and White and Green and White so if you want one make sure you keep watching the blog for updates about when our next Vignette will go live!  I think they will make an excellent Christmas present.

Hope you have a great weekend and Owl see you next week!!
xx
Anna

Behind The Scenes

I thought it might be fun to share some behind the scenes shots of our Spring Vignette.  It all started with this pile of fabrics, lamps, pictures etc. on my work table at Black & Spiro.  Some might consider this to be just a pile of mess but my schemes usually start off in this manner.  There's nothing like a big pile of ideas, fabrics, colours, snippets of things I like to get the creative juices flowing...

Photo shoot day always starts with lots of coffee for everyone involved.  It's a full day of arranging flowers and placing and moving things around so as to get the perfect shot.  I am usually completely over it by the end of the day.

The photo shoot for our Spring Vignette actually went into the evening.  As you can see above it was getting quite dark by the end of the shoot.

Here's the room from a different angle.  I took this photo the night before Elouise came and photographed the Vignette. I usually get the room set up the day before so that I am all prepared for her when she arrives the next morning to start taking the photos.

Here's a close-up of the coffee table.  I actually preferred it arranged this way but it didn't photograph very well so I had to change things around slightly as you can see when you compare this photo with the actual vignette over at the store.

And here's a little close up of some of the cushions on the sofa.  You might notice that I used the same sofa in the Spring Vignette as the Winter Vignette.  I did this on purpose because I wanted to show how interchangeable our looks are.  It's all just a matter of changing the accessories to achieve a new look!!

Without a doubt, my favourite piece in our Spring Vignette was the vintage flamingo.  I think it was one of the first items to sell and rightly so.  It is so gorgeous!!

I hope you enjoyed seeing a few behind the scenes photos of our Spring Vignette.  We are working on some more very exciting additions to the online store so make sure you keep watching here for updates!!

xx

Anna

Tidbits

Gosh, I really like this kitchen.  I love how it's all just a bit of a mismatch.  Nothing new and perfect about this kitchen which makes it so interesting and unique.

I also like this pretty bedroom which I found over at Decor8 by Lisa Stickley.  Talking about Decor8, I was so excited to see the post Holly did last week about our online store and the concept behind it.  Thank you Holly.  You are always so generous with your support!

Hope everyone had a great weekend.  Mine was lovely. Thank you also to everyone for your support and kind notes about our Spring Vignette. 
xx
Anna

image 1 - via inspire bohemia

Our Spring Vignette Is Now Live



I hope you enjoy our Spring Vignette.  It is now live.  Click HERE to be directed to the store.

xx

Anna

Spring Vignette Live Tomorrow

Just thought you might like to know that our Spring Vignette will be going live tomorrow sometime.  You will notice tomorrow that we have already upgraded our site so that we can have 2 vignette pages for Spring and we've also made the images larger so that you can see the items more clearly.  There's lots of wonderful vintage items so make sure you are quick to click. 

http://www.absolutelybeautifulthings.com.au/

Oh and this bunch of flowers was picked from my garden yesterday.  I really cannot believe that all of these flowers grew in our garden.  They are an obvious sign that Spring is here!!

xx
Anna

Only a Few Days Away...

I am thrilled to advise that our fresh and exciting Spring Vignette over at our online store - http://www.absolutelybeautifulthings.com.au/ will be up in just a few more days. 

Keep checking back for updates...

xx
Anna

image via pretty stuff tumblr

Half Price

Just in case you might be interested I have just put our 4 remaining neon framed embroideries over at the online store on sale.  They are now half the original price which is very exciting!!  Only 4 left though...

CLICK HERE to see...

xx
Anna

PS.  Please note, all of these embroideries are hand-made and will vary slightly in design to the one shown.  If you want to see a selection of what is left prior to purchasing just email us info@blackandspiro.com.au and we would love to send you some images.

Winter Hues

I loved seeing the pics Heather from Habitually Chic shared last week of her new apartment.  I particularly loved these 2 {above and below} as the colours reminded me of our Winter Vignette.

The beautiful photo below has been saved in my inspiration files since it appeared in Trad Home a while back.  Again the colours remind me of the colours I chose for our Winter Vignette.

Talking about our Winter Vignette, I was so excited that Loni mentioned our new store in her latest issue of Adore magazine.  Thank you Loni for your tremendous support!! Oh and what a fantastic issue it is!!  If you haven't already read it then click HERE now...xx





PS.  I had a reader ask me what's hapenning with our Black & Spiro website.  I am working on that too.  It will be the website where we feature our portfolio of design work.  Fingers crossed it will be up again before Christmas.  We are just finishing off getting some of the houses photographed which we have worked on over the last year or so and as other designers would know it is so time consuming getting jobs photographed!!! xx

Thank you!

When you put all your efforts and thoughts and energy into a project which you are so passionate about you can become extremely stressed and nervous and anxious as to whether it will work, whether people will embrace it, whether it will happen the way you had hoped and dreamt it would. 

Yesterday saw the launch of our online store which has been a project I have been dreaming about and working on for a very long time.  Seeing it come to fruition in the last month or so has been an extremely exciting yet anxious time.  It is different and sometimes when things are a little different to the norm people might not understand how it works or what the idea is behind the concept.

To my complete relief and excitement yesterday's launch went extremely well and I was completely overwhelmed by the wonderful and positive response to our concept.  I think the vintage items sold out within the first couple of hours which was amazing.  We also sold out of the geometric throw rugs but we were able to restock those later in the afternoon so there are a few more left if anyone wants one.  The 8 pink cockatoo lampbases have also sold out.  I am considering getting some more in so keep checking back for updates on those if you missed out on one yesterday.  The stock levels are going down rather quickly which is just so incredibly exciting.

Some people have said that they wished there was more.  I will say that 'from little things big things grow'.  This is just the beginning.  As this concept is so new I really was not sure how it would go.  So, it needed to be small to start with.  It is my plan to hopefully present 8-10-12 vignettes a year.  We will have our seasonal vignettes which will be for Winter, Spring, Summer & Autumn but keep watching as we are going to have some others in between the seasons as well.  We are also hopeful to expand the vignettes to maybe 2 or 3 or 4 room scenes/vignettes per season.

So, there certainly is going to be lots more to come and the scope of this concept is endless.  We have lots of ideas and we can't wait to put them into the works. 

The next vignette we present is for Spring and it is all ready to go so keep watching for it's launch which will be sooner rather than later...it's going to be very pretty and colourful!

I would like to thank a few very special people because without them yesterday would not have been possible.  Here goes...

Kell, Liv, Eve, Claire, Michelle, Tony, Michael, Max, Andy, Katie, Krishna, Mum, Dad, Brad {for putting up with my very cranky and anxious moods these last couple of weeks}, Elouise, Nick, Sam & Pete.

You guys are amazing and I really couldn't have done it without your help, guidance, feedback and support.

I would also love to thank those amazing bloggers who have posted about our store launch on their blogs and for spreading the word.  You guys are just the best and so very supportive.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart - Will from Bright Bazaar, Kimberlee from Brown Button, Kate from Polka Dot Pantry, Kell from Little French Nest, Mrs Blandings, Loni from Adore magazine blog, Natasha from Northern Light, Interiors Addict, Of Beauty & Love blog, Briana from HGTV Blog, Stylishirish blog, Australian Gift Guide blog, Gabrielle from Savvy Home Blog, Gild & Grace blog, Ivy & Piper blog. Chic Cottage Charm blog, Six Different Ways blog, Vicki Archer from French Essence. And if I've forgotten anyone please let me know!!

So, today there's lots to do, lots to ship and a house full of furniture to install into a house which was completely inundated by the floods earlier this year. 

There certainly is never a dull moment around here...

Thank you again for making our launch so wonderful!  I was blown away.

xoxo
Anna

P.S. There's lots of pink parcels heading out our door today! 

How It Works...

In preparation for tomorrow's launch I thought I would give you a brief tutorial advising how the store is going to work and what my idea is behind the concept. 

First and foremost I am a Designer and I really wanted that to be reflected in our online store.  I wanted to create something which was different and exciting.  Over the years we have had so many requests from overseas and interstate blog readers wanting to access our things which has really pushed me to open an online store so that everyone can have a piece of what we do. 

One of the most important things I wanted to achieve with our online store was for our customers to have that same wonderful experience of entering our online store, as those who enter our bricks and mortar store.

In an attempt to make this succeed I thought it would be wonderful to present a series of seasonal vignettes which will showcase special things I have either found or had custom made.  Items for sale will be put together in a room scene/vignette and basically each product which is for sale will have a number on it.  You click on the number and then you will be directed to a full description of the item including the price, the size, how many we have available and see some more close-up images of the piece. You can then you can either add it to your cart or continue shopping in the room - it’s as simple as that.

The first vignette which we will be presenting in tomorrow's launch is for Winter 2011.  Our next vignette after Winter will be for Spring and it will go live in around 8 weeks time.

Below, I have posted some images of our site structure using a dummy image.  {This is just to give you an idea how the site will work...this is not the actual vignette}.

First Page {above} - Entry page into the store...

Second Page [above} - An image with some text describing our look for that season...

Third Page {above} - This page is the page you will be able to purchase from.  You will basically be able to click on each product number which will then take you to a page similar to the page below which will give you full details about the product including the price, the size etc.  And from that page below you can either add the item to your cart or continue shopping in the room...



The thing I will say is that we are not going to have a lot of stock of any particular item in an attempt to keep our things very special and exclusive.  So, if you really want something then I suggest you go for it because it may not be there when you click back next time...

And yes, we are shipping our small goods internationally.  It's just the furniture which we won't be shipping internationally at this time.

So, that's it.  I hope you like my concept and I hope that each vignette we present will inspire you.  If you've registered on our holding page over at http://www.absolutelybeautifulthings.com.au/  you will be one of the first to know tomorrow when the site goes live and then after that I will post about it here on the blog.

Thank you to everyone for your continued interest and support...

xo

Anna

Tomorrow...

Tomorrow we will draw open the curtains on Anna Spiro's Absolutely Beautiful Things online concept store.  If you would like to be one of the first to know when we actually go live then make sure you register on our holding page over at http://www.absolutelybeautifulthings.com.au/

We've got lots of lovely things all wrapped and ready to be shipped...

To celebrate our launch tomorrow, the first person to purchase something on our new site will be sent this wonderful vintage book as a gift from me...

The 1oth person to purchase something on our new site will receive this set of 8 vintage linen table napkins as a gift from me...

And the 20th person to purchase something on our new site will receive this very special vintage book as a gift from me which I have read.  It is the most gorgeous story about a man who finds his ideal house and how he restores it's eighteenth-century simplicity and how he decorated and furnished it.  It talks about the things he collects in the house and is just such a lovely read.

Later tonight I will be posting a guide as to how to use our site as it is a little different from other online stores you may have visited in the past.  So make sure you check back for that later on...

In the meantime, if you would like to know a bit more behind the scenes info. head over to Will at Bright Bazaar HERE as he has the full exclusive scoop on our store which launches tomorrow!!