SECRETS // LOVE

A few weeks ago I came across the instagram account of Jasmine Dowling & immediately fell in love with her prints (which she does for fun by the way!) Recently she created this print here & it got me thinking about all the dreams I have for the future. Now that I am feeling very settled in my job & all my little DIY projects on the side I am feeling very creatively satisfied. But to get ahead perhaps I need to do more. And that's where this wee blog here comes into play. I get how every other blogger out there states that their blog is a creative outlet from their every day, but for me it is so much more. Design & creativity quite simply put, is my life, a part of who I am. And this is just another portal in where I can express my love for it.

I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I am!

-AXX

CLAM SHELL // DIY

Now when I say 'DIY' I am using the term rather loosely in the fact there wasn't an awful lot for me to do!

Whilst out at our beach house over the long weekend, I came across this large clam shell. It had been kept outside, so had accumulated a large amount of growth & wear. But I could see past that, into the beautiful glossy white clam it had once been. 

The above two images show the clam after it had had a lot of scrubbing & a fair dunkin' in a bucket of bleach. That grime withheld quite steadily, believe me, but we got there in the end!

To return the clam to it's original (or shall we just say revamped?) state I simply spray painted her all white. The ridges and burrows show up really beautifully & are a true testimony to the raw beauty of nature. For awhile there I was determined to spray her all silver. Then black. Then pink. So white was decided. Honestly though, it could be painted any colour to match a room & make a truly breathtaking statement. Sometimes though, natural truly is best (wise words for the day.)

-AXX

THE WEEKENDER // HOLIDAY

Ahhh, it's difficult to get back into the swing of things when you are given a taster of the holiday life isn't it?

Here in New Zealand we had our first long weekend in which some waited with bated breath for, including me, until I realised just how quickly that time had flown- time seems to be whizzing by at an almost alarming rate this year!

I spent those few days of relaxing time with family between our beach home & up north in the wee settlement of Paihia, where we indulged in plenty of wine, good food & much to our joy, lots of sun!

I hope your weekend was just as enjoyable :)

-AXX

HEART SINGING INTERIORS // LOVE

Nothing gets me more amped than rooms painted in head to toe white (including the floors!) with a variety of colourful furniture & special bits & bobs decorating the space. I don't know what it is, but something about these interiors just make my heart sing.

Of course you can't go past a monochrome black & white palette either. Adding hints of colour around the place makes for even more heart racing. What can I say- clean white lines with colourful decorators is in my make up.

(images via Light Locations)

-AXX

WEEKEND WIND UP // DIY

Well the weekend has been & gone- far too quickly for my liking!

It was a weekend of birthday celebrations for me, which undoubtedly calls for good times to be had & good times to be remembered. In between I managed to get through some magazines that had been cast aside once the immediate flick through had toned down the initial excitement & I got out the spray cans to give a few bits & bobs a makeover... More on that later! I hope your weekend was as good as mine- the next one will no doubt be here before you know it.

-AXX

I ADORE YOU // MAGAZINE

If there is one thing that I look forward to every couple of months, it's the release of the new Adore Home Magazine. Each new issue is an absolute feast for the eyes & in between each issue I feel starved until the next- what can I say, I am an absolute sucker for the endless beautiful imagery & direct source of the most fabulous products out there!

This issue, certainly didn't disappoint. As the third birthday celebration, this issue is dedicated to California, which has me dreaming of endless sun, palm trees & admirable design. American design is an incredible influence to me & this issue has me abuzz with ideas.

One home in particular really took my fancy & that is shown in the images below. I just love the contrast of colours, textures & design styles! It is incredibly chic, yet fun at the same time- major envy. Scroll down for more home eye candy.

-AXX

DOT DOT DOT // DIY

For quite some time, I have been wanting to give the spotty DIY wall a go. I found this 10 sheet pack of pink spots for $3.00 & just knew this would do the trick… But it has taken me some time to get there!

We have lovely white walls, so I didnt want to completely cover them up as I love the fresh, open feeling they create. I decided to place them in a random pattern as a patch above my bed. I loved it so much I decided to create a smaller patch below my pin board. 

The white walls really makes the pink pop don't you think?

-AXX

AND HERE I AM, WITH A NEW BLOG IN TOW

After using tumblr on & off for the past four years, I have finally decided to take the leap to this new space- a place for me, my thoughts and everything else I love.

I have recently graduated from Victoria University of Wellington with a Bachelor of Design innovation & have made the move north (to my hometown) to take my first real job as a Marketing & Design Coordinator. 

I like to think of myself as a creative- not limited to or by any type of design code. I adore all types of art & design, but from my current position a newfound love for interiors & styling has arisen. This will be a space where all my loves are freely fused together in a riot of colour & pattern.

So Welcome & Bonjour!