More Party Photos

Andrew as James Bond (he claims a very loose interpretation!) and Dominic, our second son, as Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl...... has quite a good brooding look happening!

"It's Party Time"

Well here it is .....after nearly 3 hours at the hairdressing salon and a great deal of hairspray and bobbypins and sucking into a bodice that was a little firm! My attempt at a Marie Antoinette costume for a "come as your favourite movie or TV character" birthday party. It was a lot of fun, however, Georgiana who was supposed to go as Marie Therese was too tired and by the time the party arrived her hair was down and we ended up just taking her to some friends rather than come to the party. She was only going to come for an hour or so but it proved too much and she just wanted to watch a movie.
Consequently, I have no photos of her. It was a wonderful night to be with family and friends..... Happy Birthday Brad!
On an interiors note I am working on drapes for this our formal dining and drawing room....have preliminary designs started! Have a lovely Sunday!

"Costume Party 18th Century Style"

I am going to a costume party this week-end and the theme is to go dressed as your favourite movie character....... so yes I am going as Marie Antoinette from the film by Sophia Coppola and Georgiana is going as Marie Therese. It is going to be hysterical and a lot of fun. I have reused and had remade a pink silk taffeta ball skirt that I have had for about 10 years and added some tulle underneath for fullness and "side panniers". I have a little ribbon embroidery shell bustier type top which is fitted through to the waist and I have added pink sleeves and ruffles to it. As I have blonde curly hair I am not going to wear a wig but am going to have it done in this style to the left which is from the movie. I am going to put butterflies and perhaps even a little bird in it! I have a pair of pink Manolo Blahnik slingback high heels which I bought on ebay from New York and they are perfect for the outfit. So stay posted for some very pink pictures!

New Designer's Guild Collection"

This is the new Spring Collection from Designer's Guild.... I love the bedlinen with the pale pink background and the charcoal roses with a hint of yellow...perfect for a Louis 15th or 16th bed! The Pavilion collection looks so fresh with what looks like aqua and charcoal. I have ordered my sample books and can't wait until they arrive .....stay posted for some visual delights!

Designer's Guild Louis sofa

Love this Louis 15th style sofa from Designer's Guild sample book photo. The colours look like chocolate, cocoa and champagne......it is very elegant and serene.

"Cupcakes for Shannon"

My daughter and I made these yesterday ~ we would like to share them with you. Good luck.

"Here's one we prepared earlier"

Well it is not quite the Laduree confection but we gave it a good go! These cupcakes are done with dusted icing sugar and a sugared violet on top. The lilac icing on the other cupcakes ended up a little darker but still quite pretty. I put them with one of my Laduree boxes.

Previous Laduree image from Laduree website.

"Lovely Lilac"

I was just thinking about Paris and the gorgeous Laduree shops.....It is Sunday and Andrew has gone to play golf and Georgiana and I are going to have a girls afternoon. This image of a Laduree confection has inspired us and we are going to attempt lilac icing on cupcakes. Andrew took Georgie to the bike path this morning and I was reading about all the snow in New York. Pictures showed images of the Brooklyn Bridge and Madison Avenue virtually deserted. Stay safe everyone over there!

I will post some pics this afternoon if the baking and decorating in the kitchen prove successful.

Back to Laduree......apparently this French icon began in 1862 with a gentlemen called Louis Laduree. What a beautiful institution he created! When we were in Paris I stuffed as many of the scented candles and macaroons and teasets into my luggage as possible ~ no wonder we had to pay excess baggage! Unfortunately, parts of the teaset broke but it is still beautiful. Have a great day!

Have a beautiful week-end!

Wishing you all a beautiful week-end. Georgiana and I have decided to hug the flowers. Enjoy!

Lime and Cocoa!

Am doing a job for a client and I am going to use this beautiful cocoa print fabric from Designers Guild. Offsetting it with the striking lime green silk and cocoa and lime orsetti trims will be cool and elegant.

"Maddalena"

Designers Guild "Maddalena" ~ I used this fabric for a client's bedroom and she was so happy with the result. I love this fabric with the white and raspberry painterly flowers on the silvery stone background and then with this black ribboning through it is a wonderful contrast. This fabric is a silk and we interlined it with bumpf so it would sit fuller and balloon out a little. The walls are painted in a very dark steel grey which I think is a perfect backdrop for the drapes. We just have to change the bed probably by painting it!

"Cooloola"

These images are for Marie from Sweden ~ I hope you enjoy! This is the front of our home "Cooloola". It dates back to approximately circa 1897 and it is in the vernacular of colonial style. I love that word "vernacular" ~ it sounds so elegant! Colonial style was very prominant in Australian history particularly in Queensland. The symmetry is apparant and the two wings have beautiful Georgian style sash windows to the floor on the original pulley system. These homes were built to allow for perfect ventilation and flow through to alleviate the extreme heat in summer. Just pop around the back if you are hot and have a swim in the lagoon pool. I will just whip together an ice cold cocktail!

Salon Chairs!

I just wanted to share these images ~ my salon chairs have arrived! The buttoning is fantastic and just popped a little DG pale pink cushion on the top. Looks like coconut ice! Gorgeous Geargiana decided she wanted to be in the photo after school. How beautiful is that smile. Enjoy!

This is my Louis chair covered in the Carolyn Quartermaine French script ~ gold on pink Irish linen. I also have this fabric as drapes for my studio. I am looking for another Louis chair and tabouret to upholster in another one of the script fabrics. I have found also a gorgeous double seater Louis sofa at Miguelle Mireilles antiques so am going to try and secure it as well. It actually is an original late 18th century piece which it would be such a privilege to own. Will keep you posted!

Before Renovations

This is my studio before renovations ~ I am very excited about the parrot wallpaper and trimming the chandelier. The marble bench is such a great place to lay things out and get a feel for an interior. I have just told Sophie that we are hanging the wallpaper so that should be interesting!

Love the Marie Antoinette artwork ~ she is definitely going on the wall after the gyprockers and painters finish!

Roof Required?

I have been tossing up whether to put a roof on our back deck. Whilst we love having the openess of the deck at night and it is beautiful bbqing under the starry skies we do have a problem in summer in that the deck faces due west and being in Queensland we fry!
This means the airconditioning in the kitchen is not as efficient due to the heat hitting the glass as we have many glass French doors opening onto the deck. Also, in the middle of the day and up until about 6pm the area is virtually unusable. So, consequently I think the best compromise would be to put a half-deck so that the back of it is covered and the canti-levered section over the pool is open. I think the roof would be in the colonial style with four sides coming to a peak in the centre. The roof would be lined with vj and a very beautiful black wrought iron chandelier hung in the middle. I also think it would be wise to line the sides with the gorgeous plantation shutters so that we could sit out there in any weather and particularly when we get our fabulous summer thunderstorms!

Nina Campbell's Parrots!

I am going to use this gorgeous wallpaper by Nina Campbell called "Perroquet" for two of my walls in my studio. I am currently renovating it and am going to use it in conjunction with Carolyn Quartermaine French script fabric. I have a beautiuf big cararra marble island bench where I work from and see clients and the parrots will be such a delightful and quirky statement. They are so beautiful and the colours look like they have been hand painted.
So perfect for our Queensland climate as I usually have parrots screeching outside my window!
I also have a chandelier in the middle of the room which I am going to edge with Designers Guild trim.
I will keep undated and post photos when it is finally done!

Another one of the cupcakes ~ I think a bit better picture.

Cupcakes!

Georgiana and I made cupcakes yesterday afternoon and had fun decorating them ~ as always. I used the Donna Hay vanilla cream recipe and it is so light perfect for little cakes. Georgie and I wished we could invite Marie Antoinette and Marie Therese for tea or the Duchess of Devonshire and Charlotte, Harriet and Little G! Maybe I might set the table with my Limoges and see what happens! Enjoy!