France ~ Simply Irresistible ~ Join the Party!

FRANCE ..... Firstly, I want to thank the gorgeous Anita for hosting this fantastic party!  France ~ Simply Irresistible!  Secondly, I want to apologize for my late arrival!  I have had huge problems with blogger so have been held up so I am arriving fashionably late! So pass me a glass of champagne and get this party started!!!!!!

For my week of France I am taking each letter each day and creating my idea of my French Paradise!

So today is "F" for Fashion!!!! 

For me France is the capital of the fashion world and is absolutely the grand dame of everything that is beautiful, creative, elegant and whimsical!!!!

I have a love of everything Chanel!  I can't help myself starting right from the one and only Coco Chanel .... her amazing life and how she came to be the head of such an extraordinary dynasty .... her story is so inspirational ..... and her legacy enduring!

The pink quilted chanel bag .... iconic ...

The Marie Antoinette inspired collection that was filmed at Versailles .... gorgeous,  frothy confections the colours of mint green, duck egg blue and shell pink .... heaven!

Karl Lagerfeld's genius is extraordinary ..... French Fashion is Exquisite!

so come for a walk with me through my France this week ...

we will have a wonderful time and don't forget to put on your best coat and maybe bring some bathers as we will be heading south to the riviera of course .....

This bag is a must to bring but could I borrow it perhaps!

so close your eyes .....

and we will escape to ....

MY FRENCH PARADISE

this is just the beginning and I have so much more to show you so we can dream together and live the magic of France!

images ~ pinterest, chanel, dior, perrier jouet

France ~ Simply Irresistible!

The Great Gatsby ~ Glittering

Fabulous Friday everyone and what better way to start the week-end than with a bit of Great Gatsby Glamour!!  Glittering, exciting, entrancing and heady!  I am so excited for the film directed by our very own Baz Lurhman and his talented wife Catherine Martin in charge of costume design. 

Starring Carey Mulligan as Daisy .... it is going to be sumptuous!

Let us raise our glasses to the "Age of Elegance"  ... the heralding of a new era in both fashion and interior design .... welcome in the New Age .... 

The Roaring Twenties heralded a new post war optimism filled with glamour .....

The Art Deco style was born ... The jewellery from the movie was a collaboration with the iconic Tiffany.... look at these breathtaking designs called the Daisy Hand Ornament!

Gatsby Fever is everywhere ... on the catwalk at Ralph Lauren ...

Simply Stunning!

A Royal Nursery!

With the imminent arrival of a royal baby designers are looking toward what Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge will choose for their precious arrival!

The famed London interior designer Guy Goodfellow created what may be a perfect nest for the royal baby!

I love the use of the wall art depicting Victorian horse and carriages promenading along an English facade of elegant townhouses.  The gorgeous little teepee is a quirky twist but the rocking horse cements the traditional Victorian nursery feel  .... this is a very traditional English nursery with all of the classical elements of arches, stepped cornice and  formal drapes with pelmets.

I think the cabinetry is stunning with the neoclassical columns giving a very Georgian elegance .... a sophisticated nursery indeed! 

I also did a little bit of hunting for other gorgeous elegant nurseries and I must say I love these from the blog 

www.actofstyle.com

I have decided I am going to pull out Georgiana's nursery photos as I really loved her nursery and I love designing and decorating them as well .... we are so busy at the moment with G doing all her eisteddfod pieces for speech and drama and dancing ......

I always feel very much at peace in a nursery and I think that is what we should feel as we cherish the new little life that has come into the world!  We were in Brisbane this weekend seeing Dominic in his first drama school performance .... Chekhov "The Three Sisters".  It was fantastic and we were so proud of Dominic.  Andrew has gone to a surgical conference in New Zealand but all the boys, including Alex, will be home this Friday for Mother's Day and Georgie and I can't wait!  Have a wonderful week!

xxxxxx

All White Now!

All White Now ...... how peaceful and beautiful is this!

one of my favourite bathrooms ... great use of space for storage ....

how divine is this bathroom ... perfect with the book ready to read ..... look at the view!

images ~ www.pinterest.com

there is so something so beautiful and elegant about white and silver .....

image ~ www.francesrussellinteriors.com.au

I love the beehive floor tiles in this white bathroom .... 

this is the White Lounge at the gorgeous hotel in Paris, Maison Champs Elysees .... I would so love to see this stunning white interior!

and then we have the gorgeous bedroom to retire too ..... how fantastic is this!

www.lamaisonchampselysees.com 

Have a lovely night!

best wishes

xxxx

Dreaming of Geneva!

I wish everyone a wonderful week-end and if we could all meet in Geneva then this would be place to congregate!!!!

The Four Seasons Hotel situated on Lake Geneva is an absolute gem ... elegance personified!

a warm bath after a weary day of travelling ....

candles of course ....

which room would you prefer .....

I love them both ... best wishes

xxxx

Beautiful Houses and Best Friends!

Happy Sunday everyone .... I would love to show you this magnificent Victorian Pool House created by the talented firm of John Malick & Associates Architects, based in the San Francisco Bay Area .... breathtaking!

The firm is reknowned for their ability to create works of art that specialize in classical design .... they draw from numerous historical styles and this work is very reminicent of late Victorian architecture with its hint at the Gothic revival .... fretwork, towers, collars and so much more ....

Now if I owned this stunning poolhouse I would definitley be serving one of these little cocktails ..... yum ...

I so love this tower ... 

and then you may care for a little "rose petal and prosecco punch" perhaps ......

look at this incredible staircase  ... the ballustrading is very Victorian and the single skin walls showing studs and boards ... love the painted floor ..

just beautiful ... perfect symmetry with the fretwork and showing the pitched roof with exposed beams ....

This post is perfect for all our friends in the Northern Hemisphere who are just starting to enjoy their summer .... get ready to have fun and enjoy this wonderful season!

I am seeing croquet on the lawns later .... 

perhaps with a little "raspberry and basil mule" ... love playing croquet ... we used to play when we lived in England when Alex was a little boy and it was so much fun ... very competitive though!!

those who don't fancy an outdoor sport might be pursuaded to have a game of billiards ... ahhh yes!

internal staircase with a twist!

I have been so busy, like everyone, so yesterday (Saturday) I said to Andrew, who has been doing a lot of call lately, that we should go to the beach and take Georgiana and her friend, Isabella.  We went to the coast just overnight and had a beautiful dinner but before that we walked on the beach as the sun was setting and it was so beautiful and peaceful ... the sound of the waves was so relaxing... I took this picture above of Farnborough beach as I thought it was so pure looking ... no one else in sight ... we walked and walked and splashed and collected shells ...

how cute is this .... best friends ... our autumn is well under way but we are lucky to still have this day ....

so dance on the beach no matter what the season and be in awe of such beauty!!!!  

best wishes always

xxxx

Images ~ www.jmalick.com

www.donnahay.com

www.pinterest

www.palmbeachentertainning.com