The Baby Shower was Beautiful...

I wrapped my present in navy and white spot paper and a pink and white stripe grosgrain ribbon to match the table setting.

The shower was beautiful. We had lots of fun and everyone loved the table setting. Kell was just so overwhelmed with it all. She looked so beautiful. You know the pregnant mum glow well she has it in full form. She was wearing the most beautiful pink dress which matched the table perfectly!! I know that she was so grateful and she gave me the most beautiful gift to thank me. I loved doing this for her, she is a very special friend. Lots of girly chatting was had by all - hopefully a day Kell will remember always. I have listed above some photos I took just before everyone arrived.

The Flowers for Tomorrow are Done...

I've just finished arranging the flowers for the baby shower tomorrow. Lots of pink and white. Tonight I am cooking and tomorrow morning will be spent arranging the table and making sure that everything is in place. I thought I would take the opportunity to show you all a few pics above of some areas of my home where I will be hosting the afternoon tea tomorrow. I'll be back tomorrow with the final photos of the setting.

A Blue, White & Pink Baby Shower

This Saturday I am hosting a special Baby Shower afternoon tea for my friend, Kellie. I was inspired this week by Stylecourt's post on Mary McDonald hence the blue, white and pink colour scheme I have selected. I am using a mixture of my Pink Limoges teaset and some of my mothers old Blue & White teaset with old teaspoons, bits of vintage crystal, a mixture of pink and blue and white napkins, a fine pink damask tablecloth and lots of blue and white Ginger jars filled with pink flowers. I will post some more pictures once I have it all laid out and ready to go on Saturday. I hope Kell likes it.

A Serene Bedroom

The above photograph, as featured in US House and Garden, October 2006 is a Guest Bedroom designed by Michael Rosenberg & Associates for "Show & Tell"- The 4th Annual House & Garden Hampton Designer Show house. The wallpaper used in the room is from Twenty2 - a Design duo based in Brooklyn, New York. I just loved the sense of serenity this room exudes. I could slumber for hours in those crisp white sheets.

Preview of What's to Come at Black & Spiro

I know this picture is very poor quality, crooked and smaller than a pea however, this is the only picture available of the brand new fabric collection by Manuel Canovas which won't be released in Australia until March. This fabric is what I am using as the feature fabric in the new display at Black & Spiro which will be in store by late April. Stay tuned as I will be posting about the development of this display over the next 3 months so that you all have an inside view of how I put together a scheme and how I make my selections and then how I implement those selections into a room or shop display. I will be encouraging your interaction with this display and I will be posting pictures of my inspiration board and all the bits and pieces I consider to be options for the display. I will be asking your feedback all the way through. This will be very exciting and it will give you all a chance to be involved with the development of a scheme and the next big display at Black & Spiro. I pose you all the question - How do you feel about being involved in the development of this scheme?

I can't wait to hear from you.

Anna

The Winners Are...

Congratulations Kiminottawa and Midcenturyjo for your correct answers to our new Blog Competion. The Blythe doll above is being used to depict me in the banner of our new site which we have just launched this afternoon. Please click here and you will be directed to Casapinka - A House in Translation - a new blog by Pink Mohair and me, Anna Spiro. I hope you all like it.

Please email me Kiminottawa and Midcenturyjo so that I can contact you both regarding your prizes. Thank you everyone for your participation in this competition. Please visit regularly as there will be lots more competitions in the future for you all to enter.

I'll be resuming with normal Absolutely Beautiful posts tomorrow. Thanks everyone for your support. You are all so wonderful.

Anna

A New Project A New Blog & A Competition

Hi Everyone,

Well I have some huge news for you all - I am setting up another Blog with a fellow Blogger Pink Mohair. Pink is located in the USA and she has a house which she is currently renovating. Our new Blog, which will be launched this week, will be focusing on Pink's renovation and my involvement as her Interior Decorator. Now, some of you may be thinking so what. Well, the big thing with this project is that we have never met before and our only communication will be via email, telephone and postage. The project will take 1 year to complete and we will be posting new entries on our new Blog about the renovation 3-4 times per week and we will be asking our readers to interact as well. I will of course be continuing with Absolutely Beautiful Things and Pink will also continue with her Blog Pink Mohair as well.

We have this week announced on Pink's Blog a competition relating to the new name of our Blog. We are now announcing another competition which is:

I have listed above 9 Pink pictures. The 1st person and the 3rd person to correctly guess which picture is going to be used some way in the layout of our new Blog site will receive one of my unique custom made remnant fabric cushions which I featured on my blog this week. The lucky winners will be able to select 1 each from 10 different cushions available.

Please leave your answers in my comments section on this post. The winner will be announced on Absolutely Beautiful Things this Tuesday Night 16th January at 8.00pm Australian Eastern Standard Time.

Good luck everyone. I hope you will all love Pink's and my new Blog. To all my readers who don't usually leave comments please try and participate in this competition as I would be so thrilled to see you interact. All you have to do is click on the word comments at the end of this post and it will lead you through all the way. You don't have to be a Blogger or a member to leave me a comment.

I can't wait to hear from you all.

Anna

All pictures above courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/

Some of the cushions above which will be offered to the winners. There are lots of other colour and fabric combo's to select from as well.

Find of the Week

This is my find for this week - a pair of 19th Century French Chaise from French and Country. I would slip cover them in either white duck or a beautiful big bold floral or even a gorgeous stripe. I wish I wasn't on a spending ban!!!

More Wonderful White Pictures

These pictures are dreamy!! Middle image is Michael Smith which I found via Stylecourt's post on "Coming Soon in Elle Decor". I love the collection of mismatched mirrors in the stairwell in the top photo. I emailed this picture to Pink Mohair as a suggestion for her stairwell this week. Bottom photo is the verandah of an old Hawaiian Plantation house at Lanikai beach which is available for rent.

These Wonderful White images follow on from my previous post "Wonderful White" dated Thursday 14th December, 2006.

A Little Bit More on Ilse Crawford

A couple of days ago I posted about designer Ilse Crawford. I thought I might just add that Ilse has designed a range of fabrics for Christopher Farr Cloth as I have pictured above.

Hawaiian Quilts - A Design Legacy

After being in Hawaii over the holidays I thought I would show you some of the beautiful quilts they produce. Everytime I go to Hawaii I love to look at the quilts and cushions they make. I have only ever bought 6 cushions which I purchased when I was there last August. I find that I can never choose as they are all so beautiful. Maybe next trip I will get some more. I have listed below an excerpt from "Hawaiian Quilting Poakalani & Co. " by Cissy Serrao.

"In 1820 the Royal wives of two reigning chiefs were invited aboard the brig Thaddeus for what is known today in the history books as the first quilting circle ever held in the Hawaiian Islands. This quilting circle was just the start of an art that would continue for the next 175 years and beyond and this quilting circle would play an integral part in the record keeping of the history of the Hawaiian people.

The Hawaiian women would also design their quilts based on their beautiful floral surroundings, their old gods, their legends and their sovereign nation. Their quilt designs encompassed their beautiful flowers such as the Mokihana, the Liko Lehua, the Ulei berries to their travels from Tahiti, to the flag quilts which symbolized their self identity in a rapidly changing world. They named their quilts in memory of their love ones who had passed on to the spiritual world and even their grandchildren who has yet to been born. They also designed their quilts after major events in the islands. Every quilt they made had its purpose. No quilt was made to just pass the time. It was believed that some quilt designs even came to the designer and quilter in their dreams.

Today the legacy of Hawaiian quilting and designing is still popular in Hawaii. New designs are being made everyday. What makes Hawaiian quilting unique are the designs. The technique of quilting is the same almost all over the world but the style and design of the Hawaiian quilts is what makes Hawaiian quilts Hawaiian. "

You can purchase Hawaiian quilts and cushion covers on line at www.shoppoakalani.com

Megan Park - An Australian Designer

Megan Park, an Australian born designer studied fashion design at RMIT in Australia and upon completing her studies worked as a textile designer in Melbourne. Her move to London 12 years ago was a huge step in the enhancement of her successful career. At this time she began designing textiles for a London agency whose clients include the likes of Dries van Noten, Givenchy and Kenzo. In 1997 Park launched her own label which began as a collection of exquisite beaded and embellished evening bags and scarves. Today, her range has expanded into Womens clothing, Children's clothing and a range of beautiful hand beaded, hand embroidered and hand printed cushions and throws. Her inspiration comes from far and abroad; from the street markets in Old Delhi and Hong Kong to the flea markets in Paris; she is always searching for beautiful things to enhance her gorgeous collections. I just received the above exclusive invitation to view Megan's home collection in the mail today. I am thinking it would be wonderful to stock her beautiful cushions at Black & Spiro.

Ilse Crawford - A Design Guru

I thought I would post today about world renowned designer Ilse Crawford. Ilse launched Elle Decor in London in 1989 and then did a stint at Donna Karan as Vice President of Home Products followed by becoming the head of department at the Eindhoven Design Academy in Holland - regarded by many as the best design school in the world - a post she still holds today. During this time Ilse also started her own design studio, Studioilse working for companies such as Waterford Crystal and Swarovski. Ilse dived into the deep end in 2003 when Soho House New York opened in the Meatpacking District - Crawford had never before designed a hotel interior before this - it was an immediate success. The ever multi-tasking Crawford has designed furniture and even written a few books. Her book, Home is Where the Heart is, is an intellectual and emotional study of what we consider home to be. Her first book, Sensual Home is, to many, a bible in the design world. What an inspiration this woman is. I have listed a few photos above of Ilse's work.

Black & Spiro Remnant Fabric Cushions

One of the things we always seem to have an abundance of at Black & Spiro is remnant fabric. Recently I came up with the idea of using these fabrics, most of which are very expensive imported fabrics, in making one off custom patch cushions. So just before we closed for the holidays I asked my workroom to make up a few in some of the fabrics which I pieced together in colour combinations. I have attached 2 photos of these initial prototypes. I am thrilled to bits with them. I have sent some more down to the workroom for manufacture so once I get them back I will post some more photos of them. If anyone is interested in purchasing them just email me. Remember no two are the same, each one is a one off piece. The next batch are all black and white colour combinations. Hope you all like them as much as I do.