A Garden Of Cushions - I LOVE This!

Wow... you all know how much I LOVE cushions (I am a 'cushionista' after all), so you can imagine how my heart leapt when I saw the gorgeous image below!

I found it on one of my fave blogs Gillyflower, where you can always find beautiful images and thoughtful posts.

I soon as I saw it I thought of it as a garden of cushions.... in all my favourite colours too!

Image from Gillyflower

It's actually jumped into my mind many times today as I've gone about my business. One day, I'm just gonna have to have a room where I can fit in a gorgeous sofa like that one, with a garden of cushions in all my most adored colours, backed by a beautiful gallery wall with all my favourite photos and artwork displayed on it.

The whole thing just makes me HAPPY and strikes a chord inside me. And, that's what we should have inside our homes..... things that make us HAPPY!!

I just want to throw myself on that couch and wallow in all of it!

I hope you all have a happy weekend. :)

Perhaps you'll find something that makes you so happy you just want to jump in and wallow in it! (Far better to wallow in happiness than the miserable sort of wallowing - don't you think?!)

Linda. xox

P.S. I'm going away on school camp this coming week with a bunch of 60 grade 3s, so I'll be playing hooky from the blog for a little while whilst I'm out snorkelling, canoeing, mucking around on the beach, looking for possums at night, and generally making sure all the children have a good time and get home safe and sound!

See you when I get back. :)

******

Monday Mojo - Don't Say You Don't Have Enough Time.....

I'm not sure all those people had families to look after (I don't know how some people manage a family and everything else they do) - but I take Mr. Brown's point!

In regards to my own time management, I've decided to make a bit of a pledge regarding the tele.

No more mindless T.V. watching to fill in time (when I really could be doing something else purposeful) or zone out. If there's a program I specifically want to watch I will watch it, and then get away from the T.V.

Perhaps once a week I'll allow myself some mindless channel surfing.... but, I don't know.... I wonder how I'd go without the T.V. at all for a few weeks?

Imagine what I might get done!

Any of you go without the T.V? I have some friends who don't own one... how about that!

I can't imagine that.

But, just because we adjust to things in our lives and view them as a 'given' because they're such a big part of our society... doesn't mean I HAVE to conform.

It's just a habit that's easy to fall into and I suspect may be a tad hard to reform.

Hmmmmmm.

I wrote an article about this very thing a few years back. I'll have to dig it out of my computer archives for you. :)

Unitl next Monday, I hope time treats you kindly this week, and as usual on a Monday morning, may your mojo be with you!

Linda. xox

******

Fearless Fantasy Friday - You Want Storage? I'll Give You Storage....

Okay, I'm a titch late, and I've missed Friday by about  16 minutes or so, so I guess it's actually 'Fearless Fantasy Friday in the wee hours of Saturday morning'.

But, none-the less, here's a photo that might fit the bill of 'fantasy' for many people.

Who doesn't love a good helping of storage!?

I don't think I've ever seen a kitchen with this much storage before.....

Wow!

Image via Greige Design

The contents of my entire kitchen would fit in the benches below the sink - lol!

And, even though it's a massive kitchen (for me), and I don't cook much.... it sort of gives me the urge to chop up a few vegetables or something radical!

Happy weekend everyone! Hope it's a good one. :)

Linda. xox

******

Come Dine With Me - No. 19 - Simple Is Best, Don't You Think?

Isn't this dining room just pure simplicity itself?

I know it's big and a bit cavernous like the bedrooms in my previous post... but it has SO much more personality even though it's plain.... don't you think?

So soothing and rustically warm.

Image via Sara White

I can imagine very happy, free and exuberant times around a table like this.

I don't drink much... but this looks like a room for lots of lovely wine to me.

Plenty of room to dance too!

I'd still have to add quite a few soft, fabric, artistic and textural touches for it to work as part of a home for me though. Perhaps some nice greenery in pots somewhere too.

But, for those who adore it super simple... the focus on the rough walls and the heroic wood of the floors, chairs, and table top would be a real love affair.

And, as always, as a part of this series.....

Ask yourself: 'Do I savour the ritual of eating with my family/friends whenever I can?'

Which leads to: 'When, or how, can I include this precious time together more?'

Because: There's something so primitively delightful and bonding about the 'breaking of bread' (so to speak) with our loved ones. It's a ritual and a tradition that's been crowded out and lost amongst television, technology, and texting! It's time to 'get together' and connect the old fashioned way again.

Linda. xox

******

Bedroom Beauties.... Or Not?

Our bedrooms are our special places of rest, sanctuary, and hiding away from the ravages our daily life sometimes brings us.

I found this bunch of bedrooms on Home Designing the other day, and thought some of them looked interesting and quite nice.

They all have some aspect in them I love... books, a great rug, gorgeous colour, glowing light, terrific artwork, a quote on the wall (you know how I love quotes everywhere)....

All pics via Home Designing

But, I also know myself well enough to look at them all and admire them from afar.

I can recognise what's good about them, I can see why lots of people would love to be in their spacious, roomy, and light filled surrounds, and at the same time, I can know that none of them are for me.

I like my bedrooms smaller, like a cocoon, and not quite so cavernous. I'm not saying I want to live in a cave, and I'm not saying I like my room to be the size of a matchbox... but I need 'cozy' in my bedroom.

I could almost survive for an extended period of time in the one with the brown wall containing books... nice lamps (although being a 'symmetrical girl' I'd need the lamps to match - but that's just me), great floor, some feel of coziness... but, the bed's too modern for me.

I've learned over time that it's quite normal and ok for me to oooh and aahhh over pictures in magazines that I can tell are beautifully designed and look terrific in almost every way (not talking about these pics here).... and yet just 'know' they wouldn't work for me.

I have to 'feel' it, I have to know I'd connect with it in MY way, not just dig it with my eyes and brain for a  room to be right.

Atmosphere is everything in my book.... and sometimes it's the hardest thing to manufacture.

Linda. xox

P.S. To see more bedrooms similar to these, pop over to Home Designing. I only picked a few!

******

Monday Mojo - Some Words To Inspire You via a New E-Book Just For You

Hello Lovelies!

I've been working on another little project for the last week or so (thank goodness for holidays!), and I've uploaded it onto my Free E-Books and Goodies page.

But, I thought I'd like to share it with you today as I often post a quote on Monday mornings.... so here's a whole bunch of them!

Click on the 'expand' button to get the full view and turn the pages.

Open publication - Free publishing - More inspirational

I'm getting better at doing my own graphics and fiddling around in Picnik, so putting all the quotes together with layouts and backgrounds was fun!

Happy Monday everyone - and as always on a Monday morning..... may your mojo be with you this week!

Linda. xox

******

Fearless Fantasy Friday - No Guts, No Glory!!

I was reading a post over on Coco And Kelly yesterday where Cassandra was talking about getting up the 'guts' to do what she really wanted to do in her bedroom make-over.

I left a comment mentioning the oft used phrase 'no guts, no glory!' because I really think we should follow our  hearts and our 'gut' and go for something if we are truly yearning for it.

If we can pull it off.... glory awaits!

After all.... we can change a paint colour pretty easily.... replace a print, get new curtains (a bit more expensive) etc.

But, all in all, it probably won't be the end of the world if it fails and we have to re-examine what we've done and make some alterations (or even, oh no..... start over!)

I mused about this sort of 'fear factor' a while ago in a post titled 'What Is It You're Craving For Your Home But Haven't Tried Yet? - 3 Questions To Ask Yourself'.

And then, I found this picture whilst visiting a blog that's great for inspiration - The Lennoxx.

If you click on the pic below you'll get the FULL, massive pic with more furniture in it than you can actually see at first glance.

Image from The Lennoxx via Adore Magazine

No guts, no glory indeed!

How fabulous is this pic?

Such big, brave, bold use of pattern on the curtains, the supremely glam choice of furniture and accessories.... the whole thing screams 'going for it' to me, and I think they pulled it off BIG TIME!

What do you think?

What do you really want to do in your home, but haven't had the 'guts' to try yet?

Happy Friday everyone.... I hope you get to do something BIG and BOLD this weekend.

Go for it!

Linda. xox

******

I Just Wanna Be Here......

My absolute love of unusual wooden, textured, accessories/furniture (I'm staring at that table), and old books that feel like they've lived a life of their own means I REALLY want to be in this space.

Image via Greige Design

The big chunky woodwork behind.... the trees (oh how I love trees) in the surroundings.... I could get lost on that porch for unlimited amounts of time.

Peace personified for me.

And, the cushions are pretty darn amazing too.

I found the image on Greige Design.... a lovely new blog to add to my faves list!

Linda. xox

******
♥ Let's talk on Twitter!
♥ Straight from me to YOU - subscribe!
♥ New to Heartfire At Home? Start here.
♥ And if, perchance, you BELIEVE.... join here.

******

A New Blog For You To Check Out... Style Illuminated!

Kate over at Lamps Plus sent me an email about their newly re-named and re-styled blog a few days ago, and when I checked it out I was impressed!

The blog's new name is Style Illuminated, and it has some great articles, different contributors, and lots of great pics and photos about a range of ideas to do with interiors and design.

There was info on different trends, fabric swatches, a post on 'Mad Men' style, interviews with top designers, tips for a great Fall picnic, lists of top accessories, some great Missoni pics (sigh), and even a post on 'The Power Of Plaid'.... and that was all on the front page as I scrolled down!

As it's Fall across the pond in America (Spring over here!), there were also quite a few articles on Fall looks and styles, so I've picked a few pics to share with you. Pop on over to Style Illuminated for lots more pics and great looks!

All the pics above are from an article entitled 'Tablescape Inspiration Ideas For A Fall Dinner Party'.

The gorgeous arrangements above (gawd I LOVE Fall colours - they're everywhere in my home all year 'round - that's my colour palette, right there....) are from an article about flower and fruit arrangements for Fall.

And below, are some more pics from various articles showing how to make a home cozy, how to use candlelight effectively, and one featuring marbled wallpaper in Fall colours!

For lots more inspiration, check out the Style Illuminated blog here.

Linda. xox

P.S. Here's a pic from their newest post (just noticed it today) about budget decorating! This room really has a lived in, eclectic, cozy vibe to me, even though there's lots of white in it.

And another... how gorgeous are the colours in this one?!

Now.... I beseech you all to.....

******

Monday Mojo - Lost For Words (for a change)...

This quote, (discovered today whilst browsing thinkexist.com), has struck me in such a profound way for some reason, that I'm quite speechless as to what to say about it, and I need to think about it quite a bit more.

Instead, I'll just say Happy Monday everyone, and as always at the beginning of the week... may your mojo be with you.

Linda. xox

******