What An Entrance

I stumbled across this hallway and had to share it with you.

What I love about it:

The muted grey walls

White gloss & dove grey panelling

The impossibly high ceilings

The high gloss floors

The crystal chandelier

Above all...the mirrors

The result:

A beautiful, light filled entrance way that sets the tone

for the rest of the house... relaxed feminine sophistication

One word:

Stunning!

Image found here:



Dining Table Cubby House

I love, love, love this idea. What a fabulous little hideaway for the kiddies to play under and hide - why not use an item of furniture that is in every household and turn in into a hideaway place. Brilliant!

I will definitely be getting the sewing machine out and make this for the girls for those rainy winter days when I need to keep them occupied. Watch this space- I'll share with you how I go.

Have a great weekend
x

Image found here

Dreaming of Sleep

With two such little ones, a full nights sleep has been an elusive dream for nearly three years now. Just when one is sleeping well right through the night, the other one starts niggling away...and then vice versa...it goes on and on. I know they will settle down as they grow up - half the problem is their rooms are right next to eachother and they are always waking eachother up.

In the meantime I will look at this beautiful bedroom and escape to a fantasy of sleeping ten hours straight with my two cats snuggled up beside me. Are you lucky enough to be getting your required beauty sleep?

Image found here

A Bit About Me

I thought that only being new to blog land I should introduce myself properly and tell you A Bit About Myself...

Full name Emma Saskia Duckworth, married to Anthony with two daughters Malia, nearly 3 and Lani, nearly 2!

Where do I start ... well I'm lucky enough to have led and interesting and varied life so far that spans the globe.

I have a French Mother and English Father and have a twin brother who now lives in Maine, USA with his family. We lived an expatriate life in the Phillipines, Hong Kong (twice) and India from when my brother and I were two up until twenty years old. This meant we got to travel the world with my parents and visit countries and places that I dream about going to now adays.

On my honeymoon in Bali
To give us stability from when we were 10 years old my brother and I went to boarding school in the Cotswalds (a divinely beautiful part of England). My heart would tear in pieces at saying goodbye to my parents at the beginning of each term but school taught me to be fiercely independant both emotionally and practically.

With my yummy hubby

From there I studied at Uni in Oxford, trained in interior decoration in London then came backpacking to Australia with my best friend for a gap year...and this is where my Australian life began. I fell head over heels in love with Manly, Sydney and luckily enough my very own Aussie, and knew instantly that this sun burnt country would be my home forever.

Malia & Lani

Seven years on, another decoration course, various jobs in kitchen design, interior styling & colour consulting and one move up to the Central Coast later...my Aussie and I are married with two angels for daughters, Malia & Lani and two tabby cats saved from the animal shelter.

Say cheese!!!

Gosh - it's hard to sum up ones life in only a few sentances but there we have me in a nut shell. A little history behind Em.

x

Beautiful Photography

Sometimes when I view images they are so intensely beautiful it hurts. Like music and the written word, imagery can have a profound effect on ones emotions quite suddenly and unexpectedly...they can bring both joy & sadness, longing & serenity and much, much more.

These two photos are achingly beautiful - the softness, elegance, subtlety and fragility in each shot is breathtaking. The lighting, architecture, hairstyles, jewellery & fabrics are without fault. It goes without saying that the sublime dresses speak for themselves.

Really, really stop & look...if you're lucky you may feel what I'm feeling too.

I hope so.

x

Images found here

Strawberry Red & Aqua Blue

Every Monday I thought I would bring to you a post about colour combinations that work. So this is my first one for you.

All these images make me smile - it is such a bright a cheery pairing of two colours- perfect for the beginning of this week.

I love these two colours when the emphasis is on the white background with the red and aqua used in smaller measures. In the image above the red stool, lampshade and bottle are what draws the eye immediately and then the blue of the wallpaper and objects on the shelves jump out.

The wallpaper and tiles look like they are straight out of a Cath Kidstone advert (she's a fabulous English designer famous for her flowery prints...I'll do a post on her sometime soon) Such a pretty toilet! 

Being a white and pastels devotee this combination is too bright for my own interior but I appreciate the magic that happens when these two colours are used together.

What a great idea for the wall behind the cot- scapbook card...simple and cost effective! I adore the cot- I would love this for my little girl Lani - she would look so cute in it.

A bit of quirkiness for the start of the week.

x

Images found here

My Birthday Boy

It's my gorgeous husband, Anthony's birthday today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY my lovely one.

Never a truer word could be said.

He's the most patient, caring, articulate man that I know and deserves a magical day.

Love you!

x

Images found here