Beautiful Spaces...

 The month of Ramadan has been going well and the weather has been lovely (not all of you will agree with me, but I tend to do better in winter...although waking up on those icy mornings...not fun!).  Recently, my desk got a bit of a  makeover. It was starting to look a bit tired and boring, not to mention cluttered! So it was time to spruce it up a bit.

 For me, having a beautiful space to blog, study and work is imperative. It helps me to be more creative. I simply cannot function in an untidy, cluttered, disorganised  environment. Anyone else feel the same way? So here are my tips for a stylish work space... 

1. Tray- Keep a tray to corral all your little bits and bobs. Beautiful boxes to hide all the essential, but  not so pretty, stuff...

2. A scented candle to create a relaxing work environment.

3. To store my pens and pencils, I used these pretty candle holders. This keeps them neat but easy to reach for.

4. Keep a notepad at your desk so that you can jot down ideas...Oh! And keep another at your bedside for those middle of the night inspirations! In fact, I have several all over the place.

5. Flowers to keep your place fresh and pretty...And joy of joys, our orchid is starting to flower again!(Can you see all those beautiful little buds just waiting to burst open?) Waking up to a new bloom every morning, brings a huge smile to my face. (Will do a post soon on how we got our orchid to flourish after losing all hope of it surviving) 

6. Lastly, keep it pretty and make it your own! No one wants to work at an ugly desk!

Duck Egg Blue and Gold...

Hi lovelies, I hope you're having a fun week! 

 A few weeks ago, I invited a few of my friends over to dinner. I wanted to set a table that was a little bit different, so I chose a colour combination of duck egg blue and gold. I simply adore gold in table settings! Actually, I love gold in any setting! Tables, decor, fashion and of course, jewellery! It adds a glam and luxurious feel to any setting . Juxtaposed with duck egg blue, it makes for an interesting combination. I complimented the blue dinnerware with gold chargers. Coloured stem glasses added interest and a mirrored tray filled with candles and objet served as a centrepiece. 

  It turned out to be absolutely dreamy...

Hope you all had a wonderful Women's day weekend! Is it Wednesday already? I can't believe how quickly this week has gone by! I have been meaning to do a post since Monday, but I just haven't got round to it. I guess, I have a good excuse this time! I had an assignment to submit this morning...

We've had such gorgeous weather since the weekend...Has spring finally arrived? I hope so! 

Did any of you go to Decorex this weekend? I was there on Sunday...Enjoyed it very much...or at least most of it! 

                               Went crazy for the marble! I adore marble but Calacatta gold wins hands down is my all time                                                                                                                          favourite...                                                       

The 100% Design hall had some pretty  impressive stuff.

100percentdesign.co.za

Loved Egg Designs...Kelly Wearstler would have loved this! And that Lacroix fabric!

eggdesigns.co.za

The Pantry was the busiest hall but I managed to make my way through it and picked up some yummy goodies!

How delicious are these ice cream flavours? Pity, they're in Durban...

Era Ice Cream

These chocolates were swoon-worthy...

mckinleychocolates.co.za

Loved these perfume bottles...So pretty...

anitasinteriors.co.za

This stall had some delicious smelling candles...

eleon.co.za

Always love Granny Goose...I wanted to get a new duvet, but this stall was so busy so decided to visit their store instead...besides it would have been a nuisance to lug a duvet around!

grannygoose.com

Blu Line Kitchens...Just wow!

blu-line.co.za

I'm a sucker for anything gold!

scarlinbrands.com

skultuna.com

I also saw some pretty impressive artwork, alas, I wasn't allowed to take any pics...

Overall, I would have liked to see more designers and decorators. Had a lovely time, nonetheless. What did you think?
Excuse the ghastly pic quality. My phone died so I had to use an old phone...Lucky for me that I had it with me!!! Is it just me, or does everyone carry an extra phone? Haha!

xoxo

Family Dinner Tonight...

 Black and gold is a favourite of mine. It is entirely glamorous and so opulent. I used these colours for a tablescape and the use of gold makes for a rich, yet chic look.
I wanted to create something unique and modern, so I set the table directly on a reclaimed wood table. For the centrepieces, I used a variety of candle holders in different heights.
 For the place settings, I stuck to black and gold by using black dinnerware with a gold side plate. I also used black glasses which had some gold filigree detailing. Coloured glasseware always adds something special to a table! Anyway, I'll let the pictures do the talking...

These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things...

We all have something that brings us happiness and for me, that something is books. Along with shoes, books are definitely my favourite things! 

Books are full of multitudes of inspiration. Read them of course, learn from them, decorate with them...Oh, the joy of a book! Is it possible to have too many of them? I don't think I can ever get enough...

Anyway, decorating with books is so easy and stylish...A stack of pretty books, never fails to start a conversation! It's great to use them to brighten up empty spaces, like your coffee table or an open shelf. In these photos, I have styled a few of my favourite books with some other decorative elements. So enjoy the pictures and let me know what you think!

Hue by Kelly Wearstler is filled with inspirational pictures while Colin Cowie Chic is just so... well, chic, I can't help but love them!
Beautiful boxes and some objet add interest when displaying books.
www.kellywearstler.com/
www.colincowie.com/

At Home with Madame Chic is sure to teach you how to lead a stylish life!
Beautiful flowers and a lovely scented candle complements the book so well (a great idea for your bedside table).
dailyconnoisseur.blogspot.com/

Zumbo...Such a whimsical book! You can't help but fall in love with it! What do you think about my pop-art poodle? Isn't it quirky?
adrianozumbo.com/

Jamie Olivers book...my go-to books for everyday cooking...don't know what I did without them...

How gorgeous are these?! They actually deserve a post of their own.  Covered in suede and wrapped in pretty purple and pink tissue paper, they are beautifully boxed and are perfect on a coffee table.
laduree.com

My girly indulgences...perfume, pearls and pretty books...

When I'm feeling sad,

I simply remember my favourite things

And then I don't feel so bad!

What are you favourite things? Do you have a special something that makes you happy?

Kitchen Inspiration

I love my kitchen. I honestly do. I am inspired to cook or bake when I am anywhere... but in the kitchen. When looking at cookbooks, I can’t wait to try all the gorgeous recipes but as soon as I enter the kitchen…inspiration gone…  Am I the only one?

Today I managed to get something delectable on the table and I actually enjoyed making it!

Raspberry tarts served with a dollop of cream.

Recipe adapted from Patisserie Made Simple by Edd Kimber.

Definitely intend to (eat)…bake my way through this one.

Who says eating in the kitchen has to be blah?