Lemon Yellow and Lime Zest ~ Ivy Style!

I am off to Sydney next Thursday for Design and Decoration and I am so excited!  I just wanted to share one of my favourite Sydney locations with you ...

This is The Ivy … an incredibly stylish and elegant masterpiece smack bang in the middle of the Sydny CBD!

Ivy has an abundance of restaurants, bars and conference rooms and they are all stunning!

Think that you could be in Florida …. absolutely!  The owners and designers did an incredible job of creating a haven where you can feel like you are on holiday in the middle of the city …..

The top bar is my favourite called the Pool Bar and you can hire the cabanas for private use which is fantastic.

That zest of yellow has me singing!  Look out Sydney here we come!

xxx M.A. the 2nd

In the Pink!

I just love this beautiful confection that I found on pinterest …. and felt like a pink post!

I don't know if you are like me but I adore personalised seals … they are so elegant and finishe a correspondence beautifully.

I am sure you will agree when I say delicate china and Laduree are beautiful and it makes me feel happy to look at them and marvel at the creation … I have hit the ground running this year already with new clients and continuing on with briefs from last year …. it is nice to have a few moments just to look at these images and enjoy how beautiful things always inspire ….

Inspire creativity ….. to achieve … I just have to realise that the above saying is so true … we can do anything just not everything….

so whatever your dreams are for this year I hope you achieve your goals and enjoy every single moment ….

these are perfection but we are not and therein lies the beauty …..

so take a glass of champagne and let us toast the future ….

M.A. the 2nd

xxx 

all images pinterest

Apartment No. 1 ~ Ralph Lauren

I always love the interiors of Ralph Lauren and Apartment No. 1 is just stunning!  

Rich, regal colours with touches of black houndstooth and polished lacquered furniture …..

We are in summer here in Australia but I was browsing for a client for RL homewares and just wanted to share this elegance … it has an old Hollywood Regency  feel to it …. 

Top Hat … yes please!

RL interiors are always timeless, sophisticated and elegant … perfect for a Duke and Duchess or anyone for that matter!    Have a lovely Wednesday tomorrow!

xx M.A. the 2nd!

Hello 2014!

Happy New Year everyone!  I am finally catching my breath to do a post about our Christmas and New Year!  I hope everyone had a beautiful festive season!  I had a very busy end to 2013 and had literally no time to sit down and blog.  We are just finishing our holiday after having Christmas at home with all the trimmings ... size 52 turkey this year with the old family recipe for seasoning.  The plum pudding went beautifully and Mum was so happy as this year we had a really good skin on it!  Topped off with cream and custard it was divine.  I took this photo above when we were in Macau at The Venetian Resort as I just thought it was so beautiful and kind of reminded me of Sugar and how also how incredibly gorgeous a pink Cartier watch with diamonds is!

We had time in Hong Kong and Macau and all of the holiday windows were beautiful (but still don't beat New York! ~ best in the world!)

This was the floral arrangement at reception at The Peninsula, Hong Kong.  Stunning!  Hong Kong is very intriguing and I love the colonial history behind it!  We saw  wonderful architecture mixed with Chinese culture and it was gorgeous.  

This was the little Peninsula Bear that was a gift for Georgiana ~  So cute!

Sunset over Victoria Harbour ~  breathtaking....

A little bit of shopping was in order and this Miss Dior shop for children was so beautiful .... the attention to detail was incredible.

A rose at High Tea ....

Our Christmas tree for 2013 ..... I went with a snow encrusted tree and it was such a nice change from the pure green pine ....

I love the way the fairy lights reflect in the sash windows ...... 

champagne for Christmas Day 

Sugar ready to pounce!

A couple more of the Dior store in Hong Kong .... I wish you all a fantastic 2014 and I believe it is going to be a great year!!!!  

lots of love M.A. the 2nd!

Tis the Season!

Firstly, my sincerest apologies for missing in action!  We have had an amazing but incredibly hectic last 2 months and I so want to share with you!  Firstly, Georgie was the lead in her dance school's musical, Annie Jnr.  Oh my goodness ... it was incredible and I know I am a proud Mum but seriously, I was in tears!  I have more pics to show but am in Brisbane at the moment as Dom is taking Georgie to the Taylor Swift concert! 

Georgiana turned 11 on Remembrance Day and I made this cake ..... it looks like a hat confection that the Mad Hatter would wear but Georgie said it tasted yum!

Make a wish!

Sugar in our bed relaxing!  She is our ever constant to turn to when things feel like they are spinning out of control!  One look at her and you just melt!

Last weekend we were in Sydney for a conference for Andrew and I took this picture at Parterre in Woollahra ... stunning!

This beautiful display was in the David Jones window for Christmas!

Christmas is coming!!!!!

I bought some gifts from the Sydney Laduree store ... so beautiful!!!!

How gorgeous is this arrangement in the Trelise Cooper store in Woollahra ... stunning and the mirrored table ....... Perfect!  I am on the countdown to Christmas!  I will be  making the plum pudding in the cloth with my mum on Wednesday and it is exciting but stressful... we do it the in traditional cloth method and boil it for 4 hours over low heat.  It is a receipe of my grandmothers .... plus ginger balls, rum balls and all the fun of a festive season!

Melbourne Cup 2013

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend the 2013 Melbourne Cup in Melbourne in the Emirates and Mumm Champagne tent with Alex.  He had a plus one ticket and he asked me to go which was so lovely!  We had an incredible day and so wonderful to see Gai Waterhouse over the line in first place with Fiorente!

incredible experience and one I will never forget!

Hearing the roar of the crowd as the 2 mile race was run was so exciting!

This is Alex and his gorgeous co-star in Cut Snake, Jess De Gouw .... Alex has hair extensions in as part of his character .... the film is set in the 1970's

The Three Muskateers!

The gorgeous interiors were filled with gold urns full of red roses ....

The entertainment ......

The thrill of my day apart from being with Alex was meeting Allen Leech who plays Tom Branson in Downton Abbey!!!  What a delightful young man and I told him that my girlfriends and I and Andrew are Downton fanatics and that it was such a pleasure to meet him and how we love the series!  What a beautiful, magical day and how blessed I am to have been able to experience it!

xxx M.A. the end