Unearthing Dulux Colour Trends For 2015

Last year I was honoured and thrilled to have won a runner up prize in Dulux's 2015 Colour Trend Flatlay Competition run through Instagram and judged by the fabulous and inspiring Heather Nette King and Bree Leech.

The competition involved creating a flatlay using one or all of the four colour trends Earthworks, Silentshift, Wildland and Modhaus... I submitted an entry for each trend and to my delight my Earthworks flatlay was successful! Today I thought I'd share a few pics I took while creating this visual.

Earthworks, designed by Bonnie and Neil,  is all about celebrating our obsession with indoor greenery, nature, DIY especially in the garden and our desire to know where our food comes from and how it was produced.

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No Bake Puffed Buckwheat Fig & Coconut Slice

I have issues digesting fructose, lactose, artificial sweetners and gluten despite that I tend to ignore my allergies and battle unnecessary IBS. I'm 99% gluten, garlic, cane sugar and onion free and I've decided 2015 is all about eliminating the rest one step at a time.

This simple slice isn't Fodmap friendly, due to the dried figs, and the puffed buckwheat means it's not Paleo either but it is gluten, dairy and cane sugar free so it's a start! 

I added a bit more of this and that while mixing this slice so feel free to do so too using the following ingredients. This portion makes enough to fill a small container 10cm x 20cm (you can cut about 6 slices as shown above and store in an air tight container)

For the slice:

2 cups puffed buckwheat

5-8 dried figs

10 roasted almonds

1 tablespoon pure cocoa powder

2 tablespoon coconut oil

2 tsp tablespoon almond milk

1 pinch salt

(optional 1-2 tsp rice malt syrup instead of figs for a fructose free option)

Place all ingredients in the base/bowl attachment of a stick mixer and blend till chopped and smooth. Taste and add any extra ingredients to suit your taste or to achieve a mix that will press and set into the container nicely without being too dry or too wet. Then press into the base of a small lined tin or container.

For the chocolate top simply place about 2 tbs of coconut oil and 1 tsp of cocoa with 2 tsp of rice malt syrup in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 30 second bursts till melted and runny. Then spread over the top of the pressed slice and freeze for 30 mins. Slice when set and slightly hardened from the freezer. Store in the fridge.

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Enjoy!

My Favourite Buys January 2015

Thought I'd share some of my favourite buys with you today and some instagram pics of the week at the same time. I'm generally not very brand focused when I shop. I like great value and max visual impact whether I'm spending $5 or $500 and I get bored with my interior easily and often hunt for new objects to freshen up my look. At the moment I'm on the hunt for some fabulous plates and serving ware which I'll share in another post... 

This month I'm loving the following -      

Pink salt lamp -
My Himalayan pink salt lamp. This beauty not only looks like a big chunk of Rose Quartz, when heated by the flame of a tea light candle, is also said to reduce allergens, moisture and pollutants in the air. It also looks great as part of a coffee table vignette clustered with greenery and books.

Plywood frame
Born from a botched DIY project these long pieces of timber were nailed together in an attempt to create a frame. $3 a piece at Bunnings, this creation has now become a fabulous display piece in my home for draping foliage and fairy lights.

Wall Decals
I know these wall decals have been around for a while but I honestly I adore them. I'm a renter so they are like the best thing since removable wall hooks! I have gold and copper decals on my kitchen wall currently and they really add a bit of fun and whimsy to the space.

Three favourites in this pic. The gem mirror from West Elm - gosh I love this lil beauty. I think I found the last one in Melbourne and I use it as a trivet on my side table.

Real Living Magazine is the next fave featured here, The colours, the products and the styling - it's all too gorgeous! Definitely a favourite monthly read and source of inspiration.

Saving the best till last is my leopard print Michael Kors Chrono watch. This one is MK-5904 which is an older variation of the MK Bradshaw shape and it works back with so many looks.

xx

Enjoy your weekend!

Hello 2015!!! Better late than never - right?

Hello again!! Happy New Year xx

Thrilled to be back kicking of the year with a small recap of my festive season fun. I can't believe we are right into the swing of the 2015 already but I'm looking forward to it and can feel this year will be fab fun!

I've mentioned this a few times already but my year on Instagram has really changed my focus. I've met so many amazing creatives over the last few months and spent a lot of time flat laying, styling, prop searching and crafting to keep my feed fresh on the page.

Instagram also explains the lack of contact made in this space of late which is crazy because I've never had as much visual material to share!

So here are a few pics from the last few weeks. Today I'm also mixing up a batch of DIY chalk board paint... I know it's been done to death but I adore the look of inky blue/black paint and my fire engine red cabinet really needs a facelift!

An early Christmas present - Typo Lightbox

 

 

My contribution to the annual Gingerbread house bake off! My sister made an Eiffel Tower and my brother a Hobbit's Den

 



 

My thrifted knitted nativity set - crafty Christmas fun!

 

 

Our heritage hydrangeas were if full bloom as I decorated the tree for 2014 and they teamed perfectly!

 

My outdoor Christmas table. We fed 14 family members and designed a fresh Mexican & Asian hawker street food menu. Will share food pics and a fab grilled corn recipe very soon!

 

 

Happy 2015

xx

Meringue Ghosts For Halloween!!

Who doesn't love a bit of whimsy when it comes to Halloween and these cute and simple meringue ghosts will definitely have your guests smiling!

To make the meringue mixture simply follow this technique then place the mix into a piping bag fitted with a round tipped nozzle (I used Wilton's 1A nozzle).

To make the eyes you can use anything you like... raisins, round licorice or black fondant cut into small rounds using the tip of the piping nozzle. Simply melt some white chocolate and use it as "glue" to attach the eyes to the cooled and baked meringues.

 

Happy Halloween!

Simple Halloween Cupcakes

I'm baking 150 cupcakes this Halloween for a 21st Birthday and have been brainstorming visually effective but simple designs for the day. You can't go wrong with a simple frosting swirl finished with a central trinket or piece of candy and after hours of searching Kmart, The Reject Shop and Aldi came up with the goods...

These cupcakes are a great idea for time poor entertainers this Halloween. You can even use store bought cakes if baking is not your thing!

To complete simply mix up a batch of butter cream frosting and add orange or green food colouring, then pipe in a circle using a star tipped nozzle and finished with the candy or trinket in the center (just make sure the trinkets are food safe or attach to a toothpick and place on top).

Enjoy!!

Recipe To Riches Mrs Mills Easy Bake!

After watching Channel 10's season 2 return of Recipe To Riches last night I went straight to Safeway aka Woolworths and bought a packet of Mrs Mills Easy Bake! I loved the show last year and Choc Corn was the only product I tried during the competitive rounds. After last nights show I knew I had to try AJ Mills gorgeous creations because in my book sour cherries and chocolate are a match made in heaven!!!

So let's get down to the review...

This is a frozen cookie dough stored in the freezer aisle. Having read many tips on good biscuit baking I knew resting and freezing dough before baking were two "bakers secrets" worth knowing so the product had a big tick in my book from the get go...  the chocolate cherry cookie combo was another big tick BUT after many years of baking my own cakes I recently baked a store bought cake mix and boy was I shocked by the awful taste - they really are nasty. So I was kind of expecting the same mass produced chemical taste from this bake-at-home product but before I talk about the taste let's look at the packaging, product and how to.

The directions are as simple as pre heat your oven, place on a baking tray and bake for 12 mins! I love the no fuss no mess approach... once these guys cool they are crispy around the edges and soft in the center. The biscuit isn't oozing with chocolate but the ratio is just right and the contrast with the sour cherries is delish. They really don't taste mass produced either, you could definitely pass them off as home made... for my money dried sour cherries for a chewy texture would have been gorgeous but that's being super fussy. Overall Mrs Mills Easy Bake is really delicious and well worth the win!!!

Local Business Crush - Cush & Co And Those Must Have Moroccan Leather Poufs

The lovely people you meet and the community you form through Social Media is really something! I I love stumbling across an amazing online business who know their style, take on the big brands and own their corner of the market. Melbourne's Cush & Co is most definitely a prime example of one of those brands.

Courtesy of Cush & Co

Founded in 2012 with the aim of sourcing fabulous furnishings at great prices the Cush & Co team offer a beautiful range and it's no surprise their hand crafted Moroccan Leather Poufs lead me straight to them while perusing Instagram.

I was thrilled and delighted when the team re-posted one of my pics a few months ago and was over the moon when Clare approached me for an interview featured here on their blog - blushing!!

Courtesy of Cush & Co

Cush & Co Facebook

Cush & Co

Pillows and ottomans are one of the simplest ways to update and enhance your interior without overhauling the lot... I recently added a caramel leather pouf to my living room and it is like a little work of art. Hand stitched with silk threads and just the right amount of boho chic - love it!

Enjoy your weekend

xx

Vintage Chanel Poster - Thrifty Saturdays

It's been a while between thrifty Saturday shopping hauls and this extra special purchase was found online a few weeks ago. I love eBay and have bought many second hand and vintage bits and pieces for my home through the site and as soon as I stumbled across this vintage Chanel poster I had to make it mine! It is very similar to the style and size featured on The Block last year and my husband and I tried building our own frame using wooden moulding and custom cut perspex but it was a total fail so we sent it the be professionally framed.

Today marks the posters homecoming from the framers and at 1.2 x 1.6 metres it is without doubt the largest framed work I own to date - can't wait to see how it looks! I chose a lime washed flat edged wooden frame similar to the image top right (below).

I plan to rest the poster against a wall rather then nailing and hanging in place, that way I can move it around our home as I please!

xx

Cocktail Hour - My Fave Chairish Vintage Bar Finds

When the gorgeous team at Chairish asked if I'd be interested in putting together my fave bar style finds, using their directory, I was super excited! Hollywood regency, Palm Springs chic & mid-century glamour are some of the first things I think of when it comes to designing my ideal drinks room. Here are some of my finds...

I'm totally obsessed with brass and glass vintage furniture at the moment and anything with faux bamboo features or lucite components are my faves. Chairish had a number of amazing bits and pieces that fit the bill and if my budget was endless I would have bought the lot! 

Cherner - oh my!!!

 Lucite Deer wall feature

 Never short of an amazing vintage find this leather elephant is a footstool!!

xx

Lucas Grogan Douglas & Hope Plate and Adriano Zumbo!

It's birthday time in my neck of the woods - 8 in 8 weeks - which is totally crae! One great thing is it gives us a chance to try a few sweet treats along the way and last month I popped down to Adriano Zumbo's salon in South Yarra. I love how real and humble he seems - total dessert genius but you could imagine he's quite a cool and collected character in real life... so I wanted to do his sweets justice by serving them on "le plat du jour" by Lucas Grogan and Douglas & Hope... Anya Brock I totally have my sites set on your budgie plate too!

Image courtesy of Zumbo's site

xx