inspiration

What is inspiring you this week? Once you start looking through all the creative blogs out there it becomes a bit of an obsession. There are so many imprints of peoples personalities and likes and dislikes that it becomes a bit like going to a party where you don't know anyone and making like, a million new friends. Or rather, a million new people that you envy unhealthily and who's lives you want to steal.

It's just so darn inspirational. Like this week I just couldn't get enough of this ridiculous shabby chic vintage interior that I found on adore-vintage.blogspot.com. It's the ultimate in inspirational spaces. One day, Liza and I hope to move our copy writing and editing business into such a space. Who couldn't be inspired when working in these surrounds?

mila kunis is beautiful

We still haven't seen Black Swan, but we're dying to! If you've seen it, did you enjoy it?

HOW incredibly sexy and gorgeous does Mila Kunis look in this editorial from the LA Times magazine? Interesting article, too.

olive green cat's valentines sale

If you like all things that shine or sparkle then you've probably already discovered The Olive Green Cat. It's a treasure trove of jewellery, with loads of once off rings and special antique finds. You can also take a diamond or precious stone and they'll create something extraordinary with it.

Anyway, what we're getting at is that they're having a Valentine's Day sale. Yey. All Situ diamond jewellery will be 50 percent off. Double yey!

The sale will run from Friday 11 to Monday 14 February. They're situated in Cape Town's Church Street, number 76, so point your other half in that general direction...

the return of the perm, no really

Can it truly be true? The follicles of our hair are shuddering in terror, but since Marc Jacobs gave the perm two thumbs up in his spring/summer 2011 show, we've been spotting it trending all over the globe.

Only grateful for the fact that both of us missed the original craze in the 80s, we can still say that our mothers' experiences with the permanent wave have left an indelible imprint on our memories. I can remember a specific experience when my mum came home sporting her first perm. She cried for three days afterwards and I've never gotten over it.

The perm has been creeping back into some of the edgier New York salons, the sales of home perms have been steadily on the rise in the UK and in Australia, Melbourne salons have reported an increase in requests.

Can thousands of international hipsters be wrong? We're hoping so, just this once.

Marc Jacobs s/s 2011

Pic from fashion.telegraph.co.uk

birdie love

In a fit of creative enthusiasm, which characteristically hit on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I stumbled across this wonderful wall art and mobile, constructed with fabric birds. When I first saw them, I thought they looked far too challenging for my very basic sewing skills, but it turns out that they're pretty darn easy.

I first downloaded the pattern from www.spoolsewing.com and then (because even these four simple instructions were beyond me) I searched around for some pictorial aid. Happily I came across louloushomemade.blogspot.com, which takes you through it step by step. Granted, my first two birds look like the disheveled, one-legged pigeons you see hobbling around the city centre, but I'm convinced that practice makes perfect.

Hopefully, I'll have a magnificent bird mobile to show you in the coming weeks. Perhaps if I get it right I'll turn my hand to making my own clothes. How hard can it be, right?!

red turban, red lips

Yes, it works, and it's exquisite.

via Happenstance

new york city flashback

Remember when I posted about having drinks on the 35th floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel? Well, at the time of posting I had to nick pics off the Internet of the view from 35 floors up, and the only ones I could find were summertime shots. And the pics I took on my phone (silly me, forgot to take my camera along), I could only download when I got back home (blah blah blah I didn't have roaming).

So here they are... quite magical hey?

pre-fall collections

I was reading Miss Moss' blog this evening, and had to share these images with you... some of the pre-fall collections.

Witchy type beanies and long pleated frocks from Cacharel. V mysterious and dreamy at the same time.

Clashing prints, high-waisted skirts, burnt colours and bobby socks at Marni.

Paddington bear coats, neat cardigans, clean denim and gorgeous handbags at Mulberry.

brooklyn flea market

So I'm back home from NYC, and it's so good to feel the sun on my skin again, but I miss that city like I can't believe. I'm definitely going to have to go back soon. It's addictive and I'm in love!

One of the highlights of my holiday was going to the Brooklyn Flea Market one very crisp and cold Sunday. We caught the subway there and walked a few blocks... I remember this one moment when we were walking past the Brooklyn School of Music, a gust of wind blew layers of thick snow off the overhangs, and it was just swirling and blowing around us. Very beautiful.

The Brooklyn Flea is housed in an old bank building, with three floors of vintage heaven.

Once inside, we browsed around and came across a few treasures. I found this bright red Marc Jacobs bag for $100. I really had to think about the purchase because I'm not really into bright bags, even if it is Marc Jacobs. Eventually I settled for a vintage Dooney & Bourke bag for $60. Stoked. Other highlights included a stack of gorgeous glossy brogues, and a stall called Britannia Antiques... 

 

Spotted some vintage Manolo's (they're on the left next to the tartan pumps)

Beautiful glass windows

Bailey loved this hat box, so did I!

hey diddle diddle

We have nursery rhymes on the brain at the moment. What with one of us being the mother of a toddler and the other pregnant. It does, in fact, occasionally lead our minds off fashion, into other terrifying, yet exciting realms. Like baby rooms.

While searching for custom designed wall stickers that could be used in my upcoming baby's nursery I stumbled across Pink 'n Posh Decor. This wonderful, local find has a whole gallery of cute designs for a baby's room, plus they'll also create your own, unique design. Am keeping this blog on file for when the painting is done.