Singing To My Heart...

The image below 'had me at hello', can you guess why?

Image from Anthology Blog via Heima Store

Those of you who know me well will remember my penchant for red, my love of owls, my adoration of quotes around the home, and my fascination with pattern and colour in general.

How then, could my heart not skip a beat when I saw this great photo over on the Anthology Blog via the Heima Store.

LOVE the desk with the red and pink drawers, the owl lamps are divine of course, and the art works based on quotes are gorgeous.

And, using books as part of a room's decoration (stacking them, using their spines to entice the eye etc) is always part of my design mojo!

I'll have the whole thing transported to my place thanks!

Linda. xox

Love These Porcelain 'HOME' Candle Votives

Not On The High Street

From one of my favourite online stores, these votives embody the whole 'spirit of home' for me.  They just seem as if they'd create a  calm, glowing, nurturing, warm, soft, harmonious sort of vibe.

I have the word 'home' spelled out in large scrapbooking letters above a doorway (the first one you see as you enter my home through the front door), and it's such a simple way to remind myself of why I love where I live so much....

... it's not just my house.... it's my home.

Do you have the word 'home' spelled out anywhere at your place?

Linda. xox

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Looking At Some Gorgeous Cushions In A Friend's Home...

The other day I was absolutely drooling over a couple of cushions on the ByNord website. I must have deliberated for around half an hour before deciding to not buy them at the moment. I already have stacks upon stacks of cushions (need to clear some out), and I have other priorities at the moment so far as things for my home go.

But, boy oh boy, did those cushions look good! They have two of my favourite animals on them, and the photography is breath-taking.

Then, today, I skipped over to my friend Sacha's glorious blog and to my surprise (huge intake of breath when I saw them).... she has the EXACT cushions I was not so eloquently drooling over earlier.

WOW - love them!

Not to mention the rest of Sacha's beautiful and serene home. Her rooms are full of the most wonderful light and you can feel the calmness and serenity flowing from the images. A beautiful home to cocoon yourself in.... to sit by the fireside and read a good book.

Pop over to Sacha's blog for some more gorgeous photos of her home.

Linda. xox

--> Don't forget to read the comments... this is where some of the most interesting discussions and fab information is to be found!! The ones for this post have some great 'bookish' moments and some good talk about colour therapy!

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A Fantastic Mr. Fox Friday!!

Rather than my normal Fearless Fantasy Friday, I thought I'd feature this gorgeous child's coat today!

It's from the shop Little Goodall on Etsy... and what a brilliant shop it is. Just the most darling and charming outfits that look fabulously well made and sturdy. Gorgeous animals and characters!

Fox fur coat from Little Goodall on Etsy. Image by Bellini Pics.

Here's the description that goes with it:

It's a child in fox clothing! Fox coat of eco-felt, made from 100% post consumer plastic bottles. Looks and feels lovely, beautifully made. This Little Goodall original design features foxy "claws", a fox face hood, two slip pockets for warming foxy paws, and a fuzzy yarn fox tail.

Interior of coat is fully lined with a fun cotton print (print is subject to change from one in last picture due to limited supply, but will remain graphic, brown, and gender neutral), closes down the front with three vintage buttons. Sleeves lined with brown poly lining fabric to slip easily on and off over clothing.

What a glorious thing - I wish I'd had something like this to frolic around in as a kid.... I would have loved it!

As you know I love all sorts of woodsy creatures, and one of my favourite passages from any book ever was about a fox, in the middle of a pine wood, in a book called The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner. (Look it up if your children love to read fantasy in the likes of the Narnian series and Harry Potter etc).

This book was one of the cornerstones of my childhood..... seriously.

It taught me many things.

And, it reminds me of one of my well-loved passages:

Sometimes you read a book so special that you want to carry it around with you for months after you've just finished to stay near it. What's that book for you?  (Markus Zusak).

I still have that book today although it's about 35 years old.

Just looking at this foxy coat takes me back.... oh to be a child again (or else find a grown-up foxy coat to play in!)

Happy Friday everyone. :)

I hope you get to 'play' this weekend!

Visit Little Goodall on Etsy if you're looking for gorgeous coats to stir your own children's playful and imaginative side.

Linda. xox

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Congratulations Jenn!

A MASSIVE congratulations must fly across the water to my friend Jenn over at Live Love Life Now™ who has just opened her very own Etsy Shop!

Go Jenn!

You've done it!

Gorgeous paper art by Jenn

10% of each of Jenn's sales goes to support a lovely animal sanctuary (where she found her own two precious cats Sami and Wylie), and I just know she's going to be a great success.

Congratulations Jenn..... may your dream grow and blossom.

Linda. xox

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Dang It - So Unfair!!

At 8.00 this morning (USA time), Target launched the Missoni brand in all its stores.

I LOVE MISSONI with a passion.

The colours.

The patterns.

The style and design.

Heaven for me.

I want to BE Missoni (well, if I couldn't be me)!

But, and this is a HUGE but, not in Australia. Oh no, there's no Missoni for Target stores in Australia as yet.

Here's a slide show from over at Houzz with some of the Missoni wares on offer in USA Target stores (well, mostly sold out now already from what I gather).

Missoni for Target Collection Debuts to a Shopping Frenzy

Houzz- Kitchen Remodel, Bathroom Remodel and More»

Browse Window Treatments on Houzz- For Example:

Cellular Shades · Curtain Poles · Curtains · Roller Blinds · Roman Blinds · Venetian Blinds · Vertical Blinds · Window Blinds ·

Those vases and bowls with ALL my very favourite colours in them are on my hit list.

I live in hope.

Linda. xox

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Monday Mojo - Look What I Ordered On The Weekend! I'm About To Satisfy A Long Held Craving (a little bit)...

I'm looking forward to this week.... a lot.... in fact, crazily!

By the end of the week, or maybe early next week, I'm going to be the proud owner of this canvas print I ordered on the weekend!

Both images from Simply Canvas

I got into a bit of a 're-arranging the furniture frenzy' on the weekend. You know, one of those 'in the zone', intense and deeply satisfying time warps where things get a good shake up, clean out, shuffle, and inspirational up-date!

I cleaned out old crockery and some furniture, bought a hot new rug, some new chairs, a new lamp, various little bits and pieces for the walls (I love putting great cards on my walls), and some new mugs (of all things).

Quite a 'blow out' for me!

And then, I truly fell in love with this tree canvas print when I found the website Simply Canvas on Sunday.

It's called 'In The Depths Of The Forest', and it basically epitomises one of my childhood fantasies... finding the perfect forest to get lost and cocooned in.

Forests (in my dreams), make me feel safe, nurtured and cloaked in mystical goodness. You can find out a bit about why I think that's so here.

But, what it means for me as a grown up, is that my really nutty and heartfelt attraction to trees leads to me including them in my home in any way I can (as long as it looks good - lol).

I can't wait for it to arrive! I now have the perfect blank spot on the wall for it above my antique inlaid writing desk.

I'm SOOOOOO excited.... and I bet my 'mojo' will be good this week!

Happy Monday everyone, and as always on a Monday, may your mojo be with you for the rest of the week!

Linda. xox

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Fearless Fantasy Friday - Watercolour Wallpaper...

I've been finding some wonderful pics of wallpaper to add to my Pinterest collection, and this is my new favourite!

It comes from Black Crow Studios (watch out for the loud music if you click on the link), and features a design based on watercolour paints.

From Head Over Heels via Black Crow Studios

Isn't it glorious?

It would certainly turn heads in any house I think.

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you all have a super weekend.

Now, go forth and decorate!

Linda. xox

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Etsy Dreaming ~ Theater Clouds ~ Surprising and Ethereal Art...

 I first came across one of Elly MacKay's dreamy prints on the front page of Etsy a little while ago.

It had an ethereal, whimsical, soft quality to it that immediately drew my eye and got me clicking through to her shop, which is called 'Theater Clouds'.

Once there, I wasn't disappointed.

Her prints are a pure delight.... with a sort of hazy, wistful, fairy-tale quality that I loved.

Here are some of my favourites....

Elly has a bachelor of Fine Art, and makes these images by inking yupo paper and cutting it into layers that she sets up in a miniature theater.

She then plays with the lights and filters to create atmosphere, and then photographs the scenes.

I ask you - how cool is that?!

You can see the process here....

Elly also has a truly lovely blog with many more gorgeous images and a portfolio slideshow that's a real treat to watch.

This image is on my Etsy wishlist.

It's entitled 'The Name Her Heart Sang', and it just calls to me.

You can visit Elly's beautiful Etsy shop here.

Linda. xox

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Etsy Dreaming ~ Zipper 8 Lighting ~ Atmosphere And Mood...

Lighting is one of the most essential areas to address when it comes to making a home feel right. One of my earliest posts opined about the remarkable effect lighting can have on our homes and the people within them.

There's all different sorts of lighting, but I love lighting that brings soft, glowing, moody atmosphere to a room.

I love cocooning myself in soothing, flattering, mellow light.

It makes me feel good! (And look better too - haha.)

These lights from Zipper 8 Lighting on Etsy are both atmospheric and unusual. The artist (they seem like 'art' to me) makes them from maps, book pages, drinking straws, old recycled plastic bags... an amazing feat.

Her name is Allison Patrick, and she's a recent graduate from Architecture School in New York City.

How glam does that sound!

Images from Zipper 8 Lighting on Etsy

They look so beautiful in their lit up state.

So eye-catching and sculptural.

I also like the earthy feel that comes from them. They just seem to give off good grounding vibes (especially the lights made from the pages of a book and map pieces - you know how I love books and maps)!

I think it's always special to be able to buy something that's gorgeous, and has been made from 'found' materials rather than 'manufactured' in a sterile environment.

I love them. What do you think?

You can find Zipper 8 Lighting here.

Linda. xox

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Etsy Dreaming ~ A Cute Tapir From Olula

O.K.

Seriously.

How cute is this!!

I would never have picked myself as a lover of tapirs, but it looks like I am!  This stuffed one is so bright and gorgeous!

And they come in different colours. :)

I think I want a yellow, a red, and a blue one..... oh heck, the grey one is divine too.

They're from Olula on Etsy. Owner Cristina is based in Spain, and loves to make things out of felt and cotton.

All images from Olula on Etsy

She describes these lovable softies as follows:

What do you know about this amazing animal? It looks like a mixture of a rhinoceros and a horse because it belongs to both families. They live in the rain forests and are pretty primitives. But they are very sympathetic, aren´t they? This cute Tapir is hand sewed and made of stuffed high quality colored felt.

I love it when I find something new that spontaneously tickles my fancy. Unexpected surprises are the best ones!

You can visit Cristina's gorgeous Olula Etsy shop here.

Linda. xox

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Globes With A Special Touch... Different and Delightful

You all know how much I love a good globe! Anything map related is fantastic in my book, and a lovely globe really gets me excited!

I couldn't resist buying myself a little globe last weekend when I was out looking at mirrors. I didn't find any mirrors that interested me, but my little globe was very satisfying. It was almost twice the price of the bigger globe you can see above (which I bought at a flea market very cheaply), but at $24.95 I was still happy to add it to my little collection. Thanks Freedom!

If you know me well you also know I have a 'thing' for butterflies.... so imagine my delight when I found the work of Wendy Gold which involves taking old globes and decorating them to turn them into something extraordinary.

Here's one of her butterfly globes...

Here's a globe with a family tree on it. And, yep..... I LOVE trees too, so this one's a stunner in my book as well!

There's also globes based on some well known and very well loved children's books like 'Where The Wild Things Are' and 'Oh, The Places You'll Go'.

All images (exept the one at very top which is mine) from Wendy Gold

I'd love to have a whole collection of these on display.

And, as I love globes, butterflies, trees, and books; these ones would be just grand.

What do you think?

Check out Wendy's ImagineNations website to see her full range of globes.

Linda. xox

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Is It A Real Bear?...

Nope..... it's a bean bag!

Big Sleeping Grizzly from Etsy

How cute is this!

The first time I saw it, I did a double take.

Linda. xox

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These Amazing Prints 'Had Me At Hello'.... Great For The Office Or Kids' Rooms!

Whilst browsing Two Ellie the other day, I came across her post about these sensational prints!

I swear, if I keep finding such amazing stuff on Etsy I'm going to have to give myself a good talking to because there's so many talented people out there whose work I want to buy! My home would be crammed to the brim if I caved in to every impulse, but boy do I think these prints from Berkley Illustration are a standout.

Unusual.

Humorous yet dignified.

Infused with personality.

Eye-catching and a conversation piece!

I can just imagine the lion, the cheetah, the elephant, and many of the others gracing the office wall of an executive or CEO! What a great way to inject some tongue in cheek humour into the otherwise terribly high octane and stressed out world of top office dwellers!

Let's get rid of the stuffiness office dwelling can create and inject some wonderful yet dignified mischief. :)

If I walked into my accountant's office and saw one of these on the wall I think I'd immediately feel comfortable and more at home rather than on edge and jittery about whether or not I've got my columns added up correctly!

They'd be great for kids' rooms as well. Such character in each drawing...... and kids adore animals with personality.

I myself have a soft spot for owls (as you know by now), racoons, foxes, deer, and too many other animals to mention.....

...... and I can just see a whole row of these (lets say 7) down a hallway all very simply, yet elegantly framed.

Wow, what an impression that would make! And, what a conversation starter!

Or, how about a group of them as a welcoming committee in the front entrance - all very seriously yet cheekily looking on as your visitors open the door and set foot inside!

You can see all these and more at Berkley Illustration's amazing Etsy shop.

Ask yourself: 'Do the pictures in my home add something to the atmosphere? Do they strike a chord with me and resonate in some way?'

Which leads to: 'Are they in the best position for myself and others to feel their effect?'

Because: Pictures shouldn't be bought only as an investment, because they're by someone famous, or they're trendy at the moment. They should bring something to the vibe and atmosphere of your home, an added touch that would otherwise be absent. Your home isn't a gallery, it's a place to celebrate the things that bring you joy!!

Linda. xox

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