Magical

It was just another day, at about late afternoon and when I looked up and saw this bit of magic in my very own living room.I love how the late afternoon sun lights up the room, making shadows play. It probably is my favourite time of day to sit and simply enjoy my new home.

Have you experienced anything magical lately?

Soma Design

You know the scene where the bride-to-be walks out of the fitting room in a beautiful wedding dress and everyone in the room gasps and she immediately knew that the dress was the one?Well, that never happened to me. In fact, after trying on dress after dress after dress at a couple of bridal shops, I soon realised that I needed a custom dress. Lucky for me, I stumbled upon Yan Pothin's Soma Design, a little bespoke boutique studio that just ticked all the right boxes for me.Everytime I meet Yan at the studio, I can't help but feel like a kid in a candy store. There is lace, tulle, bows, beads, sequins, rhinestones...all the things I love and am naturally drawn to. During my last visit there, I took some photos to share with you. I think you will love his designs too!PS: I am counting down the days before I collect my wedding dress, Yan is still working hard on it at the moment. I'll show you after the wedding...not long to go now!

Could not resist

There are some massive sales going on at the shops at the moment, and I had done really really well to avoid and ignore....But that was before I came across these 2 cardigans that was, to me, just irresistable.Bows and pearls! 2 of my favourite things, and such perfectly incorporated details. I love (and bought).
What have you found irresistible lately?

Kitchen makeover

I have a new kitchen!And did I mention Stu built this new kitchen himself? Apart from the electrical and plumbing work, Stu did everything else (demolition of the old kitchen, tiling, installation, building and painting). For a bit over 3 weeks, everything in the house was covered in a layer of dust and we survived on take-out everyday.

I've never seen Stuart as tired as he was working on the reno and I too, was pretty frustrated at times with the inconvenience of not having a kitchen. But we both had to grin and bear it as we knew it was for the good of the house (and for us) in general. In the end, we have a fabulous kitchen with shiny new appliances to match. Totally worth it.

And what do you know? Barely 2 weeks after the kitchen reno, Stu already has another home project lined up for next year (bathroom!)

Busby - A Review and a Giveaway!

I love my lotions and potions, so when Busby asked if I was interested in reviewing the new Busby Pure Tissue Oil, my natural reaction was "Of course!" Even before I received my bottle, I had a feeling Busby was going to be a winner; I hate putting chemicals on my skin and love that Busby only uses naturally derived oils of avocado, grapeseed and rosehip.

I have since been using the tissue oil for the last 2 weeks and already I'm sold. Its light but moisturising qualities is just what I need for my dehydrated and sensitive skin. It is absorbed easily and quickly and does not leave an oily residue. It also smells delicate and very pleasant, which works a treat for me.

Verdict: LOVE!

And now for the good news, the lovely people at Busby would like to offer 3 of my readers a bottle of the new pure tissue oil to try for themselves. All that I ask of you is to visit their site here and leave me a comment on this post. It's that simple!Giveaway open to Australian residents only (sorry!) and ends on Friday, 4th November. Winners will be notified via email. You might just win...good luck!

*Update: Congrats to Shez, Melissa and Cherie, you are the winners of the giveaway, I will be in touch with you shortly.

My roses are not red

They start off as orange buds.
With time, the orange lightens and turns pink. When in full bloom, the flower opens to reveal soft yellow petals on the inside.

I might be a bit biased here, but I think my roses look amazing and smell really, really wonderful.I'm pretty new to this whole gardening thing, especially when it comes to roses. I'm so pleased that the pruning I did in winter has paid off and the first flowers have started blooming - feels a little bit like winning the lotto to me.
Have a beautiful week ahead, and remember to stop and smell the roses.

Collector

I have been thinking of starting a collection of something for a while now. But the thing with collections, it's something that happens with time. I couldn't just go out and buy a collection (what's the fun in that?). I feel it's the time spent looking or the pleasant surprise of coming across something unexpectedly that makes collecting fun.

So, a year and a half later, I finally came up with a mini collection of glassware and plates to call my own.
Most items were thrifted, while others I got for free. Though it doesn't look like much, what I love most about my collections, is that I can tell you a story behind every item; the how, where, when and why.

That's it for now, when my collection grows bigger, you can have a look again.

Happy weekend!

Forest fantasy

Blame it on my recent glamping experience, but I suddenly have this dreamy, romantic fantasy of wandering in the midst of a lush green forest. By myself. But only during the day though. Night time might be a little bit too creepy.


There is something wonderfully serene about being surrounded by nature. I felt I was alone in this world, which is a scary feeling, but also strangely comforting to me.


I can't remember when it started, but at some point in my life, it sometimes occured to me it might to be nice to be alone. Like, completely alone. Which probably explains why, when I was a teen, I used to sneak out of home late at night and just wander the streets alone.

Do you like to be alone?

Image source: 1, 2, 3, 4

Black forest cake

A dear friend of mine celebrated his birthday on the weekend. Stu and I decided we would make him his favourite cake - black forest as a special treat. It was especially delightful seeing his eyes light up when he saw the cake. It came as a surprise to him, you see. There seems to be this general myth that black forest cake is really difficult to make. It's not.
We made it in stages though, the chocolate cake first, because it had to completely cool before we could assemble it. Then the cherries, the brandy and the whipped cream. I found the layering of the different components to be the trickiest part of the process. But we did ok (yes?).What did you do on the weekend?

When beauty fades

I always feel a bit iffy about throwing dead flowers away; even when they have wilted and their colours have faded and they look quite sad. I feel like I have abused them for their beauty and have so ruthlessly disposed of them once they start to fade. Hmm. Maybe I just think too much.I remember someone telling me to throw out all dead flowers even those that are only just beginning to fade - bad luck, she says. But I find there is a certain beauty to a flower that has wilted.

Thoughts, anyone?

Paint the town red

My girlfriends and I celebrated my hens by painting the town red- bollywood style on the weekend. It was fun. Crazy fun.We did a bollywood dance class and learned a really awesome ass-kicking dance routine. Boy, we totally rocked it, I think we may have to perform on our wedding night. Haa, just maybe.Afterwards, we moved on to this trendy hotspot where the food kept coming and the drinks kept flowing, and did some celebrity spotting. It was all very civilised; no penis straws, no strippers - it was just the way I liked it.
All in all, a mighty awesome day. A day that fond memories are made of.

Though I have to say, I must be getting too old for all this partying because my feet went to sleep in protest to my high heels long before I did and I still tired today.

What did you do on the weekend?