Saturday, January 21

House of Harlow 1960

Hi everyone,

My House of Harlow jewellery has finally arrived! I was way too excited in the anticipation of the package to arrive.....checking the mailbox eagerly every day. So sad, I know! But what do you expect from a girl with a serious jewellery addiction? Please don't tell me I'm the only one.

I hope you could gain a little 'sneak-peek' of the jewellery I received from one of my previous blog posts entitled 'Vintage Finds #2' :) . As I ordered the jewellery online from Ozsale on a whim when I saw that they were available one day, I wasn't sure as to correct sizing for myself. Luckily they do ALL fit and I cannot wait to wear them out! I was to give one away as a present in a few months....but I am scared that I may fall in love with it, and instead, welcoming it into into my ever-increasing jewellery family. Which reminds me, I should do a jewellery blog post about my favourite pieces and perhaps jewellery display techniques that I've found useful. Would this be of any interest? Let me know :) Anyways, enough ramblings from me, let's get to the good stuff! Here we go...................

As many of you may know the House of Harlow 1960 jewellery collection is created by Nicole Ritchie.


A native Californian, Nicole was born and raised in Los Angeles and has always had a fascination with creating her own look. Having always been surrounded by entertainers, costumes, and designers Nicole developed an appreciation for fashion at an early age, stating “Fashion gives you the ability to express yourself, your mood; it’s a creative outlet in many ways.” Which is one of the primary reasons the House of Harlow 1960 collections were born. 

House of Harlow 1960 was launched in 2009, and the collection is available globally at high-end department and specialty stores. I personally find the Bohemian Chic representation within the collection is suitable for everyone to wear, and to whatever degree they feel comfortable. After initially purchasing 4 items from the collection I am already making note of other creations for further purchase. Do you have any favourites from the House of Harlow 1960 range? If you haven't already had a gander at the range, have a look here : House of Harlow

 Here are the pieces I purchased as presented online:

Here are the House of Harlow 1960 pieces once I received them:


I am just in love with these little gems! What are your favourite jewellery pieces in your collection? Or better yet, what jewellery is on your 'dream-purchase-list'? :)

x.k.

Sunday, January 15

My DREAM House - Shabby Chic Eclectic

My cosy master-bedroom

Hey everyone,

On my usual blogger readings I started discovering some beautiful pictures that inspired me to create a kind of picture montage of my DREAM house that I hope to one day have to enjoy. Once I began searching for pictures I found it so hard to narrow down my choices :( So here is a quite abundant blog post of pictures that inspire me to create spaces I love. Hope you enjoy it! What does your DREAM HOUSE look like?




 
As I am sure you can see I adore Shabby chic styling. Especially how distressed vintage furniture is teamed with soft romantic fabrics. It is a comfortable & inviting style with a strong influence of cottage style. Shabby chic styled furniture is vintage & antique with either the origional aged paint or it can be painted white or in a soft pastel colour, then it is distressed by sanding. Recylcling old furniture is an important aspect of the Shabby Chic style. Soft feminine fabrics in cottons & linens inspired greatly by old French linens complete & soften the look in the home. 

Influences in the modern shabby chic look come from 18th century Swedish painted decoration, and the French Chateau inspirations. The style has become incredibly popular thanks to American designer Rachel Ashwell founder of Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture. Her designs combine the beauty of English elegance with comfort & the appreciation of time worn objects that make a home feel like a home. My idea of heaven.....so cosy, safe & clean feeling.

Guest bedroom
Front sitting room that catches the morning sun

A snuggley little nook under the stairs - perfect for reading

Retro shabby chic kitchen

Stunning pastel greens and turquoise throughout the house 
Bathroom with giant tub for soaking away troubles





Backyard getaway. Perfect for guests or a place to enjoy the gardens through the daytime
Oh I just look at these pictures and dream dream dream...........
Let me know what inspires you in interior design :)
x.k.

Thursday, January 12

Vintage Finds #2

Hey everyone!

I'm very excited about today's blog post as I have some new vintage finds to share with you :) As 'treasure-hunting' is an ever increasing obsession shared by my mother and myself - we set off on a little adventure today. The treasure hunting adventure aka thrift shopping led us to a Salvos store in my local community. After treasure hunting for some years now we have found some amazing finds and to be honest with you most of my x2 bedrooms (at my parents home and my rental in the city) are mostly furnished with vintage finds that I have found in my travels. I love items that have a shabby-chic feel to them. I adore the worn, chipped and distressed look of cracked paints on shabby-chic furniture. Ornate frames, quirky porcelain, patterned throws, random cushions, doilies, old weathered and well read books are my idea of heaven. Anything 'old-world' that has a history and can tell a story tickles my fancy.

So here are a few of the vintage finds from recent adventures thrifting with my mum.

Firstly, a little something for my friend Matt at Milkseeds

MY VINTAGE SUITCASES!!!!!!! :) Which I am in LOVE with! After seeing some amazing vintage cases and suitcases my friend Matt had recently aquired I kept my-eye-out for some in thrift shops and what do you know? I found these two darlings.......I'm hoping to use them to store extra blankets and throws :)

Vintage Suitcases - the lock on the bags is stamped with 'CHENEY - ENGLAND'.





 Feel free to check out my photographer friend Matt's blog (link up above) to check out his gorgeous collection of vintage suitcases under the blogpost 'Vintage Freebies' :)

Continuing with my other treasure hunting finds........

LEFT: a hand painted water colour of an Italian courtyard. RIGHT: Print of what reminds me of a 'Southern Belle' in a gorgeous aqua frame.  
The most beautifully illustrated book I have seen. An Edwardian ladies interpretation of the flora & fauna surrounding her country estate. The book accounts a year in her life accompanied by intricate drawings, poetry & sayings. LOVE THIS!

A box of 4 vinyl records in a beautifully illustrated box including classics from screen and stage :)

Vintage books circa 60's from my favourite authors Verne, Dickins, & Dumas. Can't go wrong at 99c each.
Children's Books - love the illustrations inside :) takes me back to feeling like a kid again.
A wind-up ornate ticking clock- Made in West Germany & a Villeroy Boch sugar bowl with spoon. P.S sneek peak of my House of Harlow jewellery on the LEFT that arrived yesterday. Will post a blog soon ;)

the design on this sugar bowl is so delicate.

Please let me know what you think? Is there an avid 'treasure-hunter' inside of you???

X.k.

Monday, January 9

NOTD #2 Nail of the Day - Words in motion

Hey everyone,

Decided to to something a little bit different for this weeks nail of the day! I got some inspiration from a picture I saw in a recent Marie Claire magazine. It's a lot less complicated than it looks. Give it a go and see what happens, I think it's a cute little accent to your nails for something different.

You will need:
  • x1 scissors
  • x10 strips of newspaper containing whatever words you want transferred onto your nails.
  • x1 shot of Tequila or any other alcoholic spirit ie vodka. Something that is clear in colour.
  • x1 shot glass (filled with the Tequila before mentioned).
  • x1 Base Coat and Top Coat nail polish. I used Essie in 'All in one coat'
  • x1 Neutral nail polish. I used Essie in the colour in Bare Naked.


 Method:

It's pretty straight forward so I will keep it simple.
  1. Use scissors to cut small sections of printed words from a newspaper. I used the careers section of the daily paper to hopefully instill some good luck for myself as I am job hunting at the moment :) Set these sections of paper aside for now.
  2. After applying  the Essie Base Coat and waiting to dry then apply an Essie Neutral Nail Polish, let dry. 
  3. When dry, pour a small amount of alcoholic spirit (Tequila) into a shot glass.
  4.  Dip finger tips in the shot glass and then place a strip of paper over the wet nail and HOLD for 15 seconds in place.
  5. Gently peel back the piece of newspaper after this time and discard.
  6. Repeat the process on each nail - and then you are done!
'Words in Motion' (with flash) 

'Words in Motion' (without flash)


I am hoping to explore a few different variations of this little D.I.Y nail project in the future. Maybe with a favourite saying, poem or verse with meaning. What do you think? Have you tried this one before and have any tips or ideas? Let me know!

Much Love,

x.k.

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