Los Angeles ~ the City of Angels!

Hello we are in LA and have just been to Alexander's premiere! It was amazing to see him on screen and very emotional. This is his first American film and to see him on the red carpet at the LA film festival almost overwhelmed me! We are so proud of him as we are of all our gorgeous children. We are having a ball and love LA as it is very like Australia especially the weather. We have done Rodeo Drive and all the iconic shopping....it is such an experience! Just stood outside mainly and took photos with the exception of Ralph Lauren (again!) and Tiffany (that blue box gets me every time!) I have photos to post later but just wanted to thank-you all for such beautiful and heartfelt comments..... I appreciate them very much!

Also, just wanted to know two things.... Alexandra from Pink Sketchbook I would love to meet you and catch up whilst we are in LA. We are here until Tuesday and it would be a pleasure to meet you. We were supposed to meet Lisa at Hamptontoes and sadly we couldn't because our trip to New York was cancelled. So if you read this give me a call at the Beverly Wilshire.

Also, am desperate to see some gorgeous LA interior design stores and am at a loss... any suggestions?

Best wishes

Frances

Viva Las Vegas!

Viva Las Vegas! I just had to write that! Well we have just had a whirlwind 4 days in Las Vegas and I have to say it was amazing. We went to the Cirque de Soleil "Tribute to Elvis" show and it was incredible.... such talent and athleticism and sheer beauty of artform and of course, Elvis' music. We saw the Fountains at Bellagio and I was very misty eyed! We watched at 9.00pm and the music was Sarah Brightman's "Time to Say Good-bye". We also did a helicopter ride out to the Grand Canyon and it was breathtaking. We are sad our second son Dominic is not with us as he is in Europe but Alexander and Georgiana are having a ball. Tomorrow night is the film premiere for Alex so we are very excited. Will post more pictures soon and have a beautiful afternoon!

Ralph Lauren in San Francisco!

We have had another fabulous day in San Fran ..... Georgiana and I outside Cartier and then onto Ralph Lauren! The staff at Ralph were so lovely and welcoming and I have left my business cards with the interior designer there. I had to take these gorgeous photos of the interiors for you all and me too!! We also did Macy's and walked up again the most incredibly steep hills I have ever seen with shopping bags. I tell you this city is amazing. We are going out to dinner tonight at a French/Asian fusion restaurant. Sophie had a ball and bought the most gorgeous Lilac Ralph Lauren pillowcases and sheets ... we were like little girls in a lolly shop. Georgiana did amazing back-flips on the bungy tramp at Pier 39 and hasn't stopped talking about it since... will post a photo! Enjoy!

San Francisco!!!!!

"I left my heart in San Francisco!" What an incredibly beautiful city! We are having an amazing time in this stunning city....... had dinner last night in a gorgeous Italian restaurant called "E TUTTO QUA" on Columbus Avenue. Absolutely amazing and the best risotto I have had apart from my own! Lisa at Hamptontoes loves it and added prawns instead of chicken! No seriously, I make a very gluggy risotto not wet and this was perfect. Accompanied by a fabulous rocket, grape and parmesan and balsamic salad .... and all was good with the world! We walked from The Fairmont Hotel through China Town to get there and then had to walk back up those incredible hills!!!!! Walked off the panna cotta! We had the most gorgeous bottle of wine by Francis Ford Coppola .... a chardonnay with the perfect bouquet!

Today we went down to Fisherman's Wharf via the cable car and experienced great views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. Afterwards, we caught a cab to see the famous "Painted Ladies" and how beautiful they were basking in the late afternoon summer sun. I am a great fan of Victorian Gothic architecture and San Francisco has it in abundance. It is a combination of Italiante and Gothic Victorian detail. The delicate detail, the timber facades and bay windows with elegant tracery fretwork is inspiring and leaves me feeling awe inspired!

We are already making our mark ...... The Aussies are in town!!!!

Love this city!

Off to America ..... Stars and Stripes here I come!

We leave tomorrow for America and we are so excited! I have not posted for quite a while as there has been so much happening. We are in Sydney at the moment and went to Alex's film premiere on Sunday night for "Wasted on the Young". It was amazing and such a special moment for all our family. I am so sorry that I won't be able to visit Lisa of Hamptontoes in New York as Alex's American film is premiering at the Los Angeles film festival on 25 June. So we are heading to San Francisco, then Las Vegas for a conference and then back to LA! I will try and post some photos and will keep you up to date! Take care and have a wonderful week!
M.A. the 2nd!

Guest Blog Appearance!!!!

How Special.....how Essential.......how Healing!!

This evening was spent in the gorgeous surrounds.......wrapped in the welcoming warmth......embraced by the beautiful company....... at MA the 2nd's!!
What better way to celebrate our precious friendship......the unity of sisterhood..... the stength of motherhood....and all the other roles we welcome......wife, daughter, sister, than to get together, open a bottle of french bubbles and share something spectacular from our (overworked) ovens!!
And on this little occasion......as our usual balmy & tropical climate is just beginning to enjoy it's first taste of winter......something warm and crusty and French!

And so to soak up the Bubbles we nibbled......tasted.....and then clean dived into this little taste sensation!

Let me introduce you to our...."Fromage Cob du Jour"

Once you have procured yourself a fresh, seasame seeded cob loaf...... cut away the top and tear the inside bread away into succulent, bite-size dippers.

Toss a cup of diced bacon and brown onion into a pan coated with Olive Oil over a moderate flame until the heady sizzling fills the house with the promise of comfort food.
Add to a 250g softened block of Creme Fraiche, a generous cup & a half of Mozzarella, a healthy cup of top-grade Tasty Cheese......and for that real French touch.......a cup and a half of fresh cream!

Toss the cheese menage a tois together with the bacon & onion symphony.....mix.....and spoon into the hollowed Cob!

Wrap loaf in foil and bake in a 180C oven for 45 minutes......remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes........toss bread dippers around baking tray and toast for a further 10 mins!
Place on a sturdy, white platter and stand back and admire!

Gather a gaggle of the most supportive friends....open a bottle of .... well we opted for 'Verve Clicquot' tonight .... and chat .... and sip .... and nibble .... and talk ..... and drink .... and dive in .... and clean out those cobwebs, Sister!!!

It's what life is all about!!

So honoured to share the Love here at Beautiful Interiors......
Thanks MA the 2nd........for another special night of Friendship,
Tonya!!

Come Over for a Glass of Bubbles!

I just thought you might like to come over for a glass of bubbles.... it is Sunday night here in Queensland, Australia and it has been a busy, hectic week with sick children... deadlines, housework, business and you all know the drill because we do it every day. I have been head deep in book-keeping for my husband's surgical practice which I kind of like because I am a control freak and perfectionist but then it goes against my creative, I am an interior designer aesthetic. I am torn and always have been in finding my place in the world and sometimes I really struggle. I trained as a nurse which I am sure you all remember my bed-making post! I loved being a registered nurse in that it made me appreciate life so much and I loved theatre, emergency all of it... it is where Andrew and I met. Now, though I live in a town where although I do have interior design work, it is not constant as it is not a metropolitan area. So I have many caps as we all do ...... so come on over for a glass of champagne as I would really love to meet you all and find friends in faraway places who sometimes think I just want to sit with a friend and chat and sip some French bubbles or some Napa Valley or Western Australian chardonnay and say .... life isn't perfect but we are loving it anyway and we are grateful for what we have! I would so love to meet you all........

Miette!

This divine confection is from Miette in San Francisco! I am drooling!........ Marie Antoinette needs this! This gorgeous image is from my lovely friend http://wwwcastlescrownscottages.blogspot.com/ via http://www.miette.com/ I have had such a busy week with boring and awful tax, accounting, number crunching, sick children and just work full-on and not really feeling like I accomplished anything. This image makes me feel happy and I found it on Anita's blog ... so thank-you! Also, we are going to be in San Francisco in the next couple of weeks so I think I might pop in for some macarons!

Can't get enough of Laduree!

This gorgeous pastry is from Laduree..... always love it! I never get tired of looking at it and I have seen it in the flesh and it is beautiful. And it tastes like heaven! Images from www.laduree.fr

Finally!

Just thought I would do a quick post of the new office/library. It is nearly finished but still have books to put in, artwork to hang and a little painting left. The blue is perfect and I am really happy with it. The original colour I took back to three-quarter strength and I feel it has a real duck egg blue to it. The library with its architectural detailing such as the blocks and fluted sides is great storage and a lovely piece. Once I have put more decorative detail I will show you some more. Have a lovely day.

Stars in My Eyes!

I just wanted to share this with you all. I am a very proud mum as this is a picture of my oldest son Alexander (Alex). This is the picture which is on the Fortissimo Films presentation of "Wasted on the Young" which is premiering at the Sydney Film Festival on the 13th June. The film was directed by Ben C. Lucas and one of the producers is Aiden O'Bryan. Alex plays one of the lead roles as Zack and we are so excited as we are all going. Alex graduated from N.I.D.A. (National Institute of Dramatic Art) in 2008 and was selected for this role which was filmed in Perth last year. We are so proud of him and what he has achieved at just 22 years of age. Since he was 4 fours old and through tough times at school, he has always wanted to be an actor and now his dreams are starting to come true and so richly deserved. Congratulations Alex ...... we love you! Red Carpet here we come! (P.S. I think this photo has a James Dean look to it! Also, don't worry the cigarette was herbal!) Image courtesy of http://www.archive.reasonablespread.com/3932-39632/FORTISSIMO_FILMS.newsletter/FORTISSIMO_presents_WASTED_ON_THE_YOUNG

Beautiful Interior ~ White Elegance

Just a gorgeous picture of a stunning white interior that I found today and I can't remember where I found it. The proportions, light and simplicity really drew my attention after a long hard day. The warmth of the floors anchors the room and the light above balances everything beautifully. Very peaceful and tranquil! I will have photos tomorrow of the ongoing library renovations and hopefully a finished layout board for my new colonial job. Have a lovely night!

Office/Library Renovations

I thought I would show you some before shots of Andrew's office/library renovations which I started as a surprise for him when he was in Perth last week. Great friends of mine who are very talented all pitched in and helped me and we all pulled out the old shelving and cupboards, prepped and got it all ready for the gyprocking and then Wayne and Reilly got to work on the carpentry. We are doing the original colonial architraving and blocks and timber colonial skirtings. The colour palette will be crisp white trims and gorgeous duck egg blue walls. So stay tuned for the update!

Happy Mother's Day Ladies!

I just wanted to wish everyone a very special Mother's Day! We all know how much effort, work and love we put in and sometimes the days seem very long indeed! However, I know each and every one of us would not have it any other way! Some days we feel like we could tear our hair out and just collapse in a heap because sometimes everything just does seem too overwhelming.... and it is on those very days that we pick ourselves up, deal with the myriad of jobs, requests, problems, groceries, bills, cleaning and of course, always dinner that we find a strength to say "I can do this". To look at our children and see the hope, dreams, love and spirit in them is a rare beauty indeed and one I feel very privileged to have.
Have a wonderful day surrounded by your beautiful children who cherish us all! That small hand we held so tightly grows all too quickly!
Best wishes
Frances

Cooloola ~ Photo Shoot

Web Photos

I have had a huge couple of days.... I have been at two photo shoots for my website! It is great fun but doing everything to make it perfect and ready and styled is exhausting! These beautiful photos were taken by John Casey and I will have more to show on a clients's house "Wheatcroft" which we have taken today.
Andrew is away in Perth for the week and I am doing a sneaky renovation on our "library". I use the term loosely as it is not really a library at all but a small side room! I have before and middle and hopefully after photos...we start painting tomorrow afternoon!

Now This is a Kitchen!

How divine is this kitchen! I love white kitchens and my own one is all white with antique white granite benchtops. I have been tossing up the idea of adding a chandelier as we have very high ceilings (3.6m) and it could definitely take it. It is just a matter of putting it up! When I saw this kitchen by Scott Slarsky and Katarina Edlund I thought now there is a kitchen. It is in a Boston brownstone and I think the combination of the historic architectural features blends seamlessly with the contemporary lines of the benches. They have added an antique piece which looks stunning in contrast to the all white. Also, the decorative cornice and ceiling rose is gorgeous! Yes I could definitely cook dinner in here anytime!
image www.elledecor.com

Beautiful Interiors ~ Versailles

King Charlemagne..... Ceiling Panel Detail...... The Battle Gallery.... Hall of Mirrors Detail.....Marie Antoinette's and Louis 16th Bedroom..... Marie Antoinette Portrait...

Welcome to Versailles!

I took these photos when we were in France in 2008. Andrew is a cycling nut and he did the "follow Le Tour" .... very exciting as the Australian, Cadel Evans nearly won it or won stages of it. So Andrew and his group of friends went on a "Boy"s Own Adventure" and literally did 5 days of riding Le Tour ahead of the real tour. So whilst Andrew and his gang were pedalling furiously across rural France I ensconced myself, along with my daughter Georgiana and my neice and two nephews at the Trianon Hotel, Versailles. This gorgeous hotel is smack back on the edge of the truly remarkable, Chateau Versailles. We did 3 days here spending copious amounts of time soaking up every inch of the treasure that is Versailles. At times , when I was wandering through the gardens or gazing at Marie Antoinette's bed I would close my eyes and almost feel I was there. It is a haunting feeling .... and I have always felt that I have a connection with the past but most especially 18th century France and in particular, Marie Antoinette.
I have posted these pictures to introduce you to my Versailles.... the one I fell in love with when as a 20 year old I stood in awe in the Hall of Mirrors stunned at something so beautiful. The reflections of an era in history that changed the world forever. Marie was only 15 when she married Louis and she was a Queen at age 20! So these images I captured ......

The Entry Gates, a chandelier in the Hall of Mirrors, Gilded ceilings, panelled and gilt doors with the royal coat of arms and notice the Sun King motif from Louis the 14th. The Royal Chapel with classical columns.... and gold everywhere!

More to come later..... I have to take Georgie for a swim!
Hugs M.A. the 2nd