Pink

I'm working on several very pink projects at the moment, lots of weddings and 21sts are using pink as their main decorative colour. I thought this was a rather fitting inspiration post for a Friday. Image via Mika78.

Dream Venue

Taking a break from my hiatus (?) (a break from a break?) to mention this gorgeous venue I saw on Elisabeth Anne Designs blog. I'd be such a happy camper if those coloured panels lined my walls everyday.

Coloured Lollies Round-up

At the moment, I'm facing a problem that I'm sure quite a few brides have already faced: I need heaps of lollies, but not just any, lollies in a particular color. I never had this problem when I was an actual bride (and I imagine it wouldn't have been quite as hard as we had a predominately black/white theme) but has anyone recently tried finding any type of confectionery in aqua? It's hard work!

Things would be a little easier if I was in the US, as M&Ms are available in a range of 25 colors that make my heart sing, including SILVER and GOLD! How cool is this?:


Image © My M&Ms

Unfortunately this seems to be limited to the US so my dreams of cute aqua M&Ms might be a bit of a long shot. However, I have found a few good confectionery suppliers who are based in Australia who may be able to help if you're facing a similar dilemma:

Goody Goody Gum Drops has a wide selection of confectionery to choose from. 1KG of a particular colored Jelly Belly will set you back around $AU39.50 plus shipping.

Sugar Fix provides sweets and candy from the US and UK as well as some Australian brands. They have a great 'retro' section if you're looking for something a little bit different.

Tom's Confectionery Warehouse has a great selection as well, particularly in their Jelly Beans section, which has quite a few colours to choose from: blue, pink, black, a cream color, brown, deep red and quite a few different shades of green. The Simpsons range of Jelly Beans had some really great bright colours as well and at just under $AU5 a kilo (plus shipping) they might work out to be a more economical option.

I really do have my heart set on finding some kind of aqua-colored lolly, so I'll keep searching. Another option is to dye something white an aqua colour - if I attempt this, I'll be sure to post the results!

... But I'm Totally Into That Awesome Jacket!

James and I saw the much hyped "He's Just Not That Into You" today and apart from being a fairly decent flick (I'm a fan of "Love Actually" and this film kind of followed the tried-and-true Working Title rom-com formula), it was just really nice to look at. I particularly appreciated the set design (even the dullest of films is bearable if I have some pretty, un-realistically well-decorated apartment interiors to envy) and the fashion, specifically that of the adorable Ginnifer Goodwin, was a total breath of fresh air. We both agreed Gigi stole the show, along with the suave Justin Long. He keeps on getting more and more charismatic roles, perhaps we have a young George Clooney on our hands?



Apart from slapping my forehead in embarrassment (perhaps at some rather familiar behavior I've exhibited over the years?) at her character's attempts at snagging a second date, I enjoyed every scene Ginnifer was in, and she provided me with lots of inspiration regarding fashion and colour.



A few things I will endeavor to find come change of season to winter, thanks to Gigi's fine example:
- Mauve nail polish. Mauve everything, really. It was such a good look.
- Lots of navy blouses and shirts, paired with kelly green - a great combination and one I had not really thought of before.
- A plaid jacket like the (2007) Throne Hunter Plaid coat by Diane von Furstenberg Gigi sports (thanks to Google and Celebrity Fashion Tips, I now know who designed it!). If Gossip Girl hadn't sent me over the edge into Plaid Obsession, the jacket Gigi wears for about half her scenes surely did. Every time she came on screen in that thing, I said "I want that" in my head. Every time.



Seeing awesome jackets and layers makes me yearn for winter and the chance to dress for fun, rather than to simply stay cool in the heat!

Another Day, Another Colour to Fall In Love With

Not much to report - we've had a very busy day which has left little time for blogging - I'm currently browsing "favor box decor" on Martha Stewart and trying to keep my eyes open!

I'm working on four different invitation/decoration sets concurrently, which is fun, but very challenging as each has its own palette, font family and pattern suite, and sometimes I find myself wondering if the powder blue favors I'm holding actually go with anything at all (and why on earth aren't I using powder blue? It's so fresh!)


Images © Martha Stewart.

Things that are inspiring me today:
- Pairing colours together that I haven't tried before and the interesting results this sometimes yields.
- Old type favorites, rediscovered one that fits perfectly with my design and it's like falling in love all over again.
- Finally getting the hang of seamless patterns, and a few nifty tricks in Illustrator that make them look, well, nifty.
- James intuitively knowing when to top up my Coke, and how freaking cool our dog is: Oscar received a clean bill of health from the vets AND took his booster shot with a lot more grace than either of his housemates!

Looking forward to posting the results on the website in a few weeks time.

Forecast 2009: Colors for Your Home from Benjamin Moore

Last year, I found the post on Apartment Therapy about colour predictions very useful to guide me for stationery ideas in 2008. I've just read the 2009 predictions and think this will be equally useful this year! From AT:

"Benjamin Moore has released their 2009 color forecast called "Colors for Your Home". It's a line of 18 trend colors and according to their experts these hues represent "a craving for simplicity in our lives as we search for refuge from the rough and stormy economy". They add "There’s clearly a trend for homes to be simpler, pared down and offering relief from the pressures and anxieties of the outside world"."

Here are my favourites (and my money, as always, is on the blushing red):



1) Dining Room: Black Satin. Image © Benjamin Moore.



2) Bathroom: Blue Nose, Blushing Red & Bronze Tone. Image © Benjamin Moore.



3) Living Room: Gossamer Blue, Black Satin & Brookside Moss. Image © Benjamin Moore.



4) Sitting room: Chantilly Lace, Hazy Skies & White Sand. Image © Benjamin Moore.

More information from the Benjamin Moore site.

The Pencil Calendar

"12 pencils, 365 days, infinite creative possibilities... The new calendar is available to buy from today. Consisting of 12 colour-coded pencils to indicate the seasonal temperature and the days of the year printed along the whole length of the pencil, allowing each day to be sharpened off. The minimal packaging is a traditional pencil box with a slide-out lid, so no further packaging is required for posting. This year our starting point was a 'back to basics' idea where we wanted to create something using the designer's most important tool, the pencil. Available to buy now for £12.00 including postage and packaging."

By Mytton Williams Design Consultancy.

New Issue of Real Living

Today is a happy day, a new issue of "Real Living" to devour.


I am absolutely in love with the plum shades of the cover, specifically the gorgeous headboard. I recently stumbled upon Deb's Blog: Deborah Bibby is the editor of Real Living and regularly updates with sneak-peaks and behind-the-scenes of issues, and a recent entry has some shots from the setup of the cover with all that luscious light beaming through the windows.

Here are some of my favourite spreads (from the lovely Belinda of Renovate + Decorate and Deb's Blog):









Pictures above © Real Living Magazine.

"Real Living" is literally the only magazine I purchase - nothing else continues to inspire me the way that this magazine does, and it seems to be excellent value for money (unlike so many other magazines on the market). I usually read it from cover to cover when I first get it, and then again in a month, or two months, and then every time I need some colour ideas I sit down with my stack of back issues and even if I've read an issue before, something new always manages to pop out and get me feeling extra creative.

I'd love to work for Real Living but I'm not sure what I'd bring to the table, other than utter fan-girl-dom: I think they are over-run with stationery designers as it is. Perhaps if they start a "Real Weddings" column I could submit my CV?!

Real Living March 2009 issue is in stores now.

Colour Trends: Turquoise and Black/Grey

I watch interior design sites with a keen eye for what is in "trend", even though I don't really like to follow trends too closely. I find interior design and fashion to be two of the most inspiring mediums to watch for their use of colour and texture, and most of what strikes me ends up in one of my designs. The big movements at the moment seem to be toward Turquoise and Black, Gray and Purple. As luck would have it, I'm designing two lines using these colours, so I'm very inspired to have spotted the following:

From Apartment Therapy:









Pictures above © Apartment Therapy.

From Style Files/Zara Home/Decor8:




Pictures above © Zara Home and Style Files.

More Turquoise, which works so well with gold, just beautiful:

Pictures above © Domino Magazine.

In a rose pattern:

Pictures above © Sunshine Baby Slings - Fabrics.

Living room interior:

Pictures above © Momoy.

Plates & Accessories:

Pictures above © Macys.