Comfortably Cluttered

This morning I received my digital copy of the latest Canadian House & Home magazine.  I did my usual quick flip through and then happened upon this article with the title - Comfortably Cluttered.  I liked the sound of it.  When I read articles about people who live their lives without clutter and are neat and tidy I feel like I am such a mess but I'm not a mess.  I feel most comfortable when I am surrounded by the things I love.  This afternoon I took a photo of the pile of fabrics and trimming sitting on my desk here at work which I am currently working on   {bottom image above},  That's how it is for me and I don't think I will ever change...I am comfortably cluttered!!

Today

Today I received pretty pink and orange flowers for Valentines Day from my husband which I arranged in a vintage blue and white willow patterned teapot.

Today I obsessed over this fabric and contemplated it for a new project.

Today I cooked Spaghetti for dinner.

Today I did a guest post on my brother's new blog HERE...

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Grow old with me, the best is yet to be.

 {Robert Browning}

For Bebe

Look at these darling little handmade elephants by Fern & Feather.  I'm always on the lookout for beautiful baby gifts.  With two friends having babies soon I think I might just have to order one in but it's so hard to choose which one!  Click HERE to see the current selection available.



Friday Flowers

It was lovely to return home earlier this week and walk in the door to see fresh flowers from my garden arranged in a vase on our entry chest of drawers.  They all know how much I love my flowers.  It's nice the week has ended.  I'm looking forward to a lazy weekend at home with the boys. 

See you next week.

x

Anna

Pink Issue

I picked up the latest House Beautiful just before I left New York earlier this week.  It's such a great issue and full of pink inspiration which was lovely.  It seems pink is the new black although it's always been my favourite colour.  I don't really like it when something I love becomes a trend...it's kind of annoying in a way.

I particularly loved this room which was decorated by Ellen O'Neil.  The divine sofas have been slip covered using vintage faded red and white striped fabric.  It's such a great lived-in looking room.  I could move right in.

Have You Met Peggy?

Peggy is our new family member at Black & Spiro.  I designed her with space and comfort in mind.  We have had increasing requests over the past few years for sofas which are a little more compact for apartments and small space living so I decided to create this sofa which is compact yet extremely comfortable.  Thanks to the Ivy & Piper girls for featuring her in their mag this month. 

PS.  She looks even better when scattered with lots of our mismatched Black & Spiro cushions.

Memories of NYC

These chairs were for sale at one of the flea markets we attended...we spotted John Derian buying at this very same market.

Bits and pieces collected on my bedside table.

 Fresh flowers at The Crosby Street.

I loved this little artwork near the lifts at The Crosby...the fluoro{or neon as the Americans call it} Lucite frame was very cool...you know how much I love fluoro!

The beauty of The Crosby {above and below}.



Just a little sneak peek at some of the lovely textiles we purchased for Black & Spiro {above}.

The Matchbook launch party {this photo {from Coach's photostream} is like Where's Wally...can you spot my head...a hint...black, lower right corner}

I'll stop boring you about NYC after this post, I promise.  If you ever visit New York I highly recommend staying at The Crosby Street Hotel in Soho which is owned and was decorated by Kit Kemp.  I have loved her work for quite some time.  A couple of years ago I stayed at her Haymarket Hotel in London and both hotels are divine.  They tick all the boxes for me.  Nothing is spared.  Every detail is thought through and delivered with perfection.  Also a huge thanks to Georgie for making our stay so wonderful!

After such a whirlwind week it was so comforting to see my 3 boys at the airport when I arrived home...there's no place like home.

New York New York

It has been a fun week and a very busy week.  On Wednesday night we went to the Matchbook magazine launch here in Soho which was hosted by Rita Konig, John Derian and Lela Rose.  It was so great catching up with Katie, Jane, Fallon, Ashlina, Alaina and Michelle Adams. 

On Thursday night we caught up with Patricia van Essche at Balthazar also in Soho and tonight we had drinks with Heather from Habitually Chic here at The Crosby Hotel.  We also ran into Kathryn Ireland in the lobby this afternoon.  It was so lovely to see her again and I told her how much I loved the house she decorated which was featured in the latest World of Interiors magazine.  It is divine.  I actually spent the entire flight over here pouring over the article...truth be told!

Today we visited Elizabeth Bauer at her beautiful store and met her cute dog and chatted with her about decorating and she told us she is opening up a store in the Hamptons over the Summer with her mum which sounds very exciting.  Her store is so beautiful and full to the brim with things I loved.  All of the photos above were taken at her store today.  I have felt such a connection with her work ever since Lonny did a story on her a while ago.

In amongst all of that we have scoured and fossicked and found some amazing things for Black & Spiro.  I can't wait for everything to be delivered in the coming months.  It really has been such an inspiring and invigorating trip.  Now I can't wait to get home to see my boys who are apparently missing me immensely...not to mention how much I am missing them!!

xx
Anna

February

Happy February.  Today I found these beautiful vintage letters at Paula Rubenstein in Soho, New York.  I placed them in the snow on a table in the courtyard at our hotel.  What a contrast to January which we wrote in the sand at the beach and decorated with shells just last month.  For me February is about getting back into the swing of things.  It's also the month we celebrate love.  Here's to a wonderful and productive February!!

Overpacked

I seem to have a rather persistent problem when it comes to packing a suitcase and that is I completely overpack.  Every single time I just can't help myself and the worst thing of all is that my carry-on luggage could be compared to everything 20 people would need for a 2 week holiday.  It is just ridiculous. 

However, after hauling my usual 10 tonnes of so-called 'I can't live without' luggage on a 20 hour flight from Brisbane to New York a few days I ago it was quite humorous to read an article by Amanda Fortini in the New York Times this morning in which she proclaims her obsession with the overpack too. 

I was comforted by the fact that she too has packing anxiety and as her friend kindly puts it - 'It's like you're traveling by ocean liner.  Will you be accompanied by a porter?'  I WISH I could be accompanied by a porter.  Usually my husband is around and has in the past helped me lug large seashells in my carry-on luggage from Hawaii and cushion covers, mirrors and a painting from LA but this time it is just me and my carry-on and let me tell you it is exhausting running for a connecting flight with 3 heavy bags.  I have vowed and declared that on our return flight next week I will only be bringing 1 bag into the cabin with me and the rest will be checked in.  It will be interesting to see how I go.

It is snowing here in New York which is quite amazing as this time last week I was swimming in our pool with Harry and Max in 30 + degrees.

Happy Weekend

Have a fantastic, colourful and happy weekend!

image source unknown

Matchbook

I have been a follower and admirer of Katie Armour's blog, The Neo-Traditionalist for quite sometime.  She is always coming up with the most stylish things.  So when I found out she was starting an online mag with fellow editors Jane Lilly Warren & Fallon Hogerty I was very excited.  Yesterday the girls launched Matchbook which no doubt many of you are already aware of.  I was thrilled to be included as above and I loved the interview on Rita Konig.  I think they have succeeded in creating something a little different and I can't wait to finish reading their launch issue tonight. 

Today

Today I collected together a little group of mismatched, brightly coloured fabrics for some cushions for a client's sofa.  I never tire of putting different fabric combinations together and I always try to make sure each client has a different combination so as to keep their look unique to them.  Lately I have been so inspired by fashion and the combinations of different fabrics fashion designers have been using in one outfit.  I love the way Easton Pearson mixes fabrics and incorporates beading, frilling and special details in their designs.  The top image is actually a collection of Easton Pearson dresses from 2008.  I like the colour combination used in those 4 dresses and would love to create a room scheme using this image as inspiration.

image 1 - jane roarty stylist

Just a few pictures I love to begin the week...

image 1 via haute rummage, image 2 via julia, image 3 via aged & gilded

Perfect

I have been searching for the perfect blue and white tiles for a wall above a bench in our kitchen and I have found them.  Patchwork blue and white tiles....could there be anything more beautiful than this?! And they have used brass taps which I love.  A huge thank you to  my blogging friend Emily for posting about these.

Today I Love

I thought I would collect together a few little items I absolutely love which were sitting on my desk today.  Obviously fluoro pink is currently a favourite hue.  I must say it is hard to get things in fluoro pink so whenever I see anything in the colour I grab it including the fluoro pink envelopes, the fluoro papermate pens I recently found at our local newsagent and a little snippet of boucle fabric with fluoro pink, fluoro green and fluoro yellow threads running through it.  We also just received a new collection of vintage suzani textiles  in the shop today and this one above is my absolute favourite!

Happy Things

I think this is a wonderful idea along with something my mum told me to do last night when the rain started.  She told me to go out and breathe in the smell of the rain as she said it would make me feel happy so I did and it worked!

image - via pink wallpaper

Pretty

These pretty pictures which I spotted in my picture file on my laptop today inspire me.  The colours, the floral wallpaper, the ruffling tulle...

image 1 - michelle holden photographer, image 2 - tumblr source unknown