The Bedroom Series - Whites and Grey

Today's post I continue on the fun task of sourcing different bedroom looks for my friend Chelsea!

In bedrooms, whites and greys are calm and restful, but they do not need to be boring! By incorporating different textures and patterns you can bring this neutral pallet to life.


Here is my inspiration room. I love the old bin as a side table, genius!

Here are my inspired pieces

Ikat pillows from Etsy. Similar ones here which are $38.50 for 2 and here for $28 each.
Lovemaki cushion via Etsy, $50
Mercer and Reid Faux Throw from Adairs, currently on sale for $89.95
The famous 'For Like Ever' print, seen all over the internet in pink and red, gets a makeover in grey. Love it! $60 from Super Rural.
Whimsical bunny lamp from Lark Made, $150.
The 2 tier Componiblis, $85 which is one of Chelsea's wish list items for her new room!
Shaggy white rug from Deals Direct 165cm x 115cm, a steal at $59!


All these items teamed up with a plain white bedspread from Ikea (i think it would set you back about $30) would make a beautiful and restful budget room!

The Bedroom Series - Modern Feminine and a little Eclectic

My friend and work colleague Chelsea is moving into a new share house and is looking to create a new and inviting bedroom space for herself. Living in share houses can be difficult if you like to decorate as you cant just go ahead and put your own stamp on shared areas. Also, its a rental, so you cannot paint, wallpaper or even hammer a nail into the wall!

After chatting with Chelsea, she highlighted some key pieces she would like incorporated into the space (and can I highlight, this is on a budget, which makes finding items super fun!!). So I set about finding a range of products and styles that could incorporate one or both of these key pieces!


The Ikea Malm Bed (around $289) and Replica Componibilis (around $85 up)

To incorporate the bed into a modern yet eclectic feminine space, I drew inspiration from this picture of Claudia Stephensons home, via Adore Magazine.

Here are my inspired and budget finds!

From top left:


Cushion covers in black and white trellis from Whitlock and Co ($84 for two)
Chevron Cushion cover from JCarterHandmade  ($25)
Leigh Viner 31 Rue print ($72 for a large size, simply frame in an ikea frame)
Nico Tray Table, currently on sale for only $39 at Freedom and Freedom vase only $29.
Faux Fur Throw by Home Replublic, on sale at Adairs for $89.95 
Freedom Rhodes Lamp base, $99. Just team with a black shade from Ikea or Target
Ikea furry rug 100cm x 100cm $99 
Voluspa Candle $55 from Kleins Perfumery

If my addition skills are correct, all up this room would cost around $600.  Add in the $289 Ikea bed that Chelsea wants to buy, and this room will come in at around $1000 (give or take a little for some cushion inserts, frame etc :))


I am excited to bring you some more inspired and budget bedroom spaces over the coming weeks :)

Weekend Wine Tour

I actually did something fun and exciting and worth blogging about this weekend. I don't think anyone would normally care that I had a Game of Thrones marathon and ate a pasta.  But this weekend gone I went on a wine tour in the Yarra Valley! My friends bought this as a birthday gift which is a fantastic idea, because its fun for them and me and I love wine. A lot.

Picked up on a mini bus with other wine enthusiasts, we headed out to the first stop...Yering Farm. (I battled car sickness the whole way. This is normal)

Here we had the first of many tastings. Its a really cute little cellar door, and probably one of my favourite places aesthetically.  Cute and rustic with a nice warm open fire to escape the freezing day!

Next to the famous Rochford Winery for a spot of lunch. Famous because of their wine, but also their summer concert series featuring artists such as Lionel Richie and Hall and Oates.

Here is my lunch, slow cooked lamb with pappardelle, all included with a glass of wine, yum.

Before we knew it, we had another million tastings and were back on the bus to famous Yering Station. I think this wine was really nice, but as you have tasted about 20 wines by this stage things were starting to all taste the same......


But Yering Station is very similar to Yering Farm with a very rustic and charming feel.

And lastly off to Chandon, which is the Australian arm of French Champagne producer, Moet and Chandon.  This winery was probably the most informative, we learnt all about how they make sparkling wine and I also enjoyed a glass of a sparkling red.

Then it is all over and you are back on the bus and taken home. Only this time there is no car sickness, wine cures that. Also there were a lot of people snoozing.....no idea why.

If you live in Melbourne, or are travelling to Melbourne, I HIGHLY recommend this trip run by the Australian Wine Tour Co. It was only $110, an absolute bargain for a day out. Although I did by several bottles of wine ;).

New fave website - Casa Brazil

I spotted a gorgeous interior on One Kind Design on Monday and sent it straight to my work colleague Lou and tagged it "your dream house".  She sent back an equally amazing space and so began my search for the source of these amazing interior images.  It was Casa Brazil, kinda like a Brazilian version of Apartment Therapy.  Its a little bit addictive, but make sure you have your Google page translator on as it is in Portuguese.  Here are just a few amazing homes I found on their site.

Bags as decoration in this Brazilian beach house

Rustic Bahian beach house

Gorgeous loft in Pittsburg

Apartment in Sao Paulo, Brazil

A small apartment with statement art in Sao Paulo

A stunning Rio apartment

The same apartment, just love those books above the doorway.

A lush velvet sofa in this Bahian apartment. 

Feast your eyes on more and more Interior Porn at Casa Brazil

Jeans + Patterns

Cannot believe it has been over a week since my last post.  Time flies when you are super busy, and my plans to blog last night were thwarted by a dodgy internet connection.

My latest fashion obsession is patterned jeans.  I recently picked up this bargain from Target for only $36, on sale from a measly $49.95!

After discussing my fabulous find with my fashion minded cousin Clare, she pointed me in the direction of this image of Miranda Kerr.......

So needless to say I was a little chuffed with my super inexpensive find!

Some more faves:

From left: Current/Elliot, Genetic Denim, J Brand, Topshop, ASOS, True Religion

Can't afford a pair of tie dye jeans??  Courtney over at Here is Now blog created her own!!! Check out her easy DIY here!

Image from Here is Now

Met Gala Top 5

Met Gala time, which means I stalk the online newspapers for my favourite looks!

Here are my personal top 5!

5. Gisele in Givenchy

4. Nina Dobrev in Donna Karen

3. Emily Blunt in Calvin Klein

2. Ginnifer Goodwin in Monique Lhuillier

1. Emma Roberts in a tangerine dream. Its my fave because it is elegant, young and fresh. 

Honorable mentions!!

Karolina sporting a Rachel Zoe dress and turban. I mean, she wore a turban so that deserves an honorable mention in itself.

Lana Del Rey in gothic-ish cool Jason Altuzarra

And Victoria's Secret model Anja Rubik, for not wearing underwear. Wow. 

If you had $10,000

We held a bit of a strategic planning day at work today, and this of course meant that we held the obligatory team building exercises. I normally cringe at these I wont lie, but today they were quite fun, with a few 'hypothetical' situations. 

One thing I was asked was "what would you buy if I gave you $10,000?".

Rather than being my normal conservative spending self, I decided on completely frivolous items.

Item number one............

An Apple iMac. Cos they look awesome.

 

Especially like this....

Refinery 29

Item number 2....

A Chanel 2.55. Cos, well, duh!!

Source unknown

And lastly, a Cartier Love Bracelet.

Cos the 'arm party' look isn't complete without a Cartier! (kudos to my favourite 'arm party-er', the Man Repeller)

The Man Repeller

If you were given 10k to spend frivolously, what would you buy?!

Statement Necklaces

Statement necklaces are the easiest way to change up an outfit you have worn a million times, or to take an outfit from day to night.

Here are two of my favourite statement necklace looks from two of my favourite fashion bloggers!

Image via Song of Styles Instagram

Thassia

And here are my favourite necklaces available online right now on ANY budget!

Top (l-r) Samantha Wills $240, ASOS $24, ASOS $58

Middle (l-r) Topshop £14, Kate Spade $198US, Dannijo $498 

Bottom (l-r) Forever New $29.99, Diva $24.95 , Forever 21 $6.80 

Fashion Week Style

It's fashion week in Sydney (MBFWA - That's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia), which means some of my favourite fashionistas are already out and about being photographed in fab street style!


Oh Lara that skirt is fierce!

Kate Waterhouse rocks black on black. Love.

Sparkle pants envy on Lara

Lara again, obsessed.

Yes it's Elin Kling. Elin freakin' Kling!!

Christine Centenera rocking an amazing necklace.

Check out Harpers Bazaar and Oh Jamie for the best fashion week pics, backstage images and of course my fave, street style.  If this is only day 2, I am super excited by some of the looks to come! :)

Image credits to Harpers Bazaar, Elin Kling and Lara's Instagram