lily putts

Showing posts with label My Life. Show all posts

Happy Summer Days

2:41 AM | Labels: Beach Style, Me, My Life, Straddie, Summer

"Time slows at the Summer House. The pile of books you have set aside for Summer reading awaits leisure time in the hammock. The days begin and end in long shadows and quiet anticipation." - Terry John Woods

Our Summer holiday was perfect in every single way. We spent most days here at this beautiful beach swimming and playing in the sand.

We found lots of fabulous shells. Harry's friend B found the big creamy coloured shell in the photo above.

Harry was obsessed with snorkeling in the big rock pools and looking for treasure.

And treasure he found. He stumbled across this fabulous big old shell in one of the rock pools which he and his father snorkeled over the top of at high tide. It now sits proudly on our sideboard at the beach house amongst all the other shells they have found over the years.

Ned our Golden Retriever spent every minute he possible could on the beach and if he wasn't swimming or running he could be found resting in the shade under the umbrella.

You couldn't wipe the smile from his face. I am unsure who was the most depressed today coming home...Ned or Harry or Max or Brad...actually I think I was the most sad about leaving the beach.

Although most of our holiday was spent at Straddie we did manage to spend a few days down at my cousin's beach house at South Golden Beach just north of Byron. Whilst there we visited the Easton Pearson pop-up shop and my cousin reminded me of the pop-up shop I opened about 12 years ago over at Straddie for the Summer. It was called Holiday Things and I had totally forgotten about it until he reminded me of it. Pop-up shops seem to be all the rage these days but 12 years ago nobody had really ever done it before....well around our part of the world anyway!! Did anyone go to Easton Pearson's pop-up store in Byron or Noosa? I absolutely loved the beach umbrella they had and if they were for sale I definitely would have bought one!!

Happy times were had. There were lots of laughs and lots of cuddles and I cherished every single moment I had with them. As Harry said when we drove off the barge this afternoon - "it's now back to the real world mum..."

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Merry Christmas, Thoughts, Thank you's & Wallpaper

1:38 PM | Labels: Anna Spiro for Porters Paints, Black + Spiro, Me, My Life, Porters Paints, Wallpaper

Here we are again at the end of another busy year. As I tidy my desk and prepare for some much anticipated time away from the office, my mind reflects on the year that was.

It has been a year of setbacks, struggle, sickness and sadness for so many people I know and so many people I don’t know and to them I would like to say sorry. Sorry you had to go through so much heartache and sorrow. I hope, as the year crosses over to the next, things will improve for you all. xx

For me, I feel like I have been chasing my tail all year with to do lists the size of Mount Everest. No matter how easy it may look, nothing and I repeat, nothing comes easy.

With lots of hard work, commitment, stress, worry, exhaustion and tears comes achievement and 2011 saw the successful launch of our online store which I am looking forward to growing and developing further in 2012.

The year also brought some exciting jobs my way along with some wonderful new clients as well as old clients who are very supportive and encouraging and for that I am very thankful. I am also very thankful for the wonderful, hard-working and creative people I've had the fortune of working with this year both in-house at B&S and externally. They have all helped me more than you could ever imagine and I am truly grateful for everything they have brought to the table.

Throughout the year I was presented with some extremely exciting, yet humbling offers. One such offer is something I have been secretly working on for the most part of the second half of this year and it is something I have been dying to tell you about.

Do you want to know what it is?

Well, I am thrilled and excited to announce that earlier this year renowned Australian paint and wallpaper company, Porter’s Paints asked me to design a range of wallpaper with them and in the early part of 2012 we will be launching Anna Spiro for Porter’s Paints – a collection of wallpapers which will certainly spell my signature style . This is something I have always dreamt of doing and I would like to extend a huge thank you to Porter's Paints for this wonderful opportunity.

In the photo above and below of my inspiration board, if you look closely, you might be able to identify some of the drawings of the proposed designs. A special little sneak peek for you my loyal readers.

There will be 3 designs to start with and the collection will hopefully grow to 12 designs and maybe, just maybe, some of the designs might eventually be available in fabric too. The colour ways will be fresh and uplifting and perfect for all of you who love colour just as much as I do.

So, there are some big things in the pipeline and lots of hard work ahead in 2012. But for now, it’s off to the beach with my boys to enjoy the simple pleasures of life and just between you and me I can’t wait to spend endless days with them swimming, walking, reading, sleeping, laughing, talking, kissing and cuddling.

Thank you so much for following my blog and my journey. It’s been 5 years now since I started this blog and I can’t believe that you continue to read it. I really can’t.

I hope I can continue to fill your world with colour and inspiration in 2012.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!!

Love,
Anna
xx

PS. I'll be back sometime in January. Not sure when. xx

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Our Tree is Up

2:21 AM | Labels: christmas 2011, christmas tree, clients, My Life

I was a bit late getting our Christmas tree at home up this year. Maybe it was because I had already decorated 2 trees for our store and online store and the thought of decorating another one was exhausting!

We opted for a live Christmas tree this year and instead of my usual 'filled to the brim' with baubles style tree, we went for simple big bows which I made in an array of mis-matched fabrics. I don't think I could have coped with our little Max pulling my baubles, which I have collected over the years, off the tree!! I have even placed some of the gifts, which I have wrapped in fabric, on our fireplace mantel because I am sure that Max would be into them big time if they were on the floor under the tree...too much temptation!!

You might notice a little origami star which I have hung at the top of our tree. Well, this very special decoration was made by Henry. He and his mum, who is a beautiful client of mine, gave it to me on Friday and I was just blown away. I can't believe that he sat down and made this for me. I actually had a tear in my eye when it was given to me. After such a hectic and stressful week it certainly put a big smile on my face...Isn't that what giving is all about...putting a smile on someone else's face and making them feel so special.

Thank you Henry and A...I just love it so much!!

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Ben & Phoebe's Beautiful Wedding

5:18 AM | Labels: Family, My Life, Party, weddings

It was a wedding like no other. It was the most beautiful party for the 2 most beautiful people you could ever wish to meet.

They have been through more than you could ever imagine and this weekend was in their own words - 'the greatest of their lives'.

Everyone embraced colour for what was a divine garden party at Amileka - a seriously gorgeous private home at Federal in Northern NSW. Even Brad got into the swing of things with his navy and white polka dot bow tie.

That's my mother in that gorgeous patterned dress and Jen's hot pink Josh Goot dress was STUNNING!!

The flowers were a hit. This Dahlia measured about 12cm across!!

Phoebe wore Vera Wang...of course!!

We used lots of vintage blue and white vases mixed with old glass bottles, jugs and tea pots which came from family members for the table flower arrangements. No new vases were purchased. Every single flower came from our garden. It was my gift to my cousin and Phoebe.

Phoebe's divine mum, Meg made little bottles of chutney for each guest. The recipe was her father's. There were so many references to the importance of family at this wedding which made the day so deeply meaningful and beautiful.

The morning after the wedding Ben's mum and dad, my Aunty Jane and Uncle Rob, prepared a huge breakfast at Ben & Phoebe's beach house for all of the wedding guests. It was so beautiful. The tables were set with pretty tablecloths from B&S and fresh frangipani and hibiscus. I have no idea how they did it after what was a huge night of partying.

There was no wiping that beautiful smile from Phoebe's face all weekend. She is the happiest girl on this planet.

And as for my Brad, he finished up like this...absolutely tanked!!

Here's to you Ben & Phoebe and the wonderful life you have in front of you!! We love you both SO much...
xx
Anna

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Chanel Brisbane 2011

4:00 PM | Labels: chanel, Fashion, Me, My Life, Party

Last night Brad and I attended the glamorous Chanel party/parade at Old Government House. We were greeted by a man in a white golf buggy who drove us down to the lawned section where a fabulous white painted platform had been installed. There were so many people we knew and it really was such a lovely party. My favourite champange, Perrier Jouet flowed on and on throughout the night. Unfortunately the photos I snapped on my i-phone didn't really turn out very well but you can see that we had a wonderful vantage point. Our seats were front row at the end of the catwalk...AMAZING!!

Oh and here I am just before we left. I wore black of course. My eyes look red and very tired...obviously a sign of absolute exhaustion...it's been a big year! I can't wait for the holidays!

Thanks Chanel for inviting us to your beautiful party. We had a fabulous time and dinner with FF and Mr FF afterwards was fab too!!
xx
Anna

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White Slip Covers Gone

4:38 AM | Labels: Funny Stories, max, my home, My Life, My Thoughts

I'm throwing in the towel. I can't stand it anymore.

I have always, always, always loved white slip covered chairs and sofas. I just love them. I don't ever get tired of them. I can change the look of them by throwing a new cushion on them. They can be placed in any room in the house because they go with everything. They are perfect in every way except for 1 major problem.

White Slip Covered Chairs + 18 Month Old Baby + Big Golden Retriever = DISASTER

On the weekend the filth and grime of my white slip covered armchairs in our lounge room got to the point where I couldn't stand it any longer. I ripped off the covers and threw them into a big tub of cold water with lots of Nappy San. After a day or so of soaking I removed them and lay them out onto some towels on a big table and let them dry.

Tonight I put the covers back onto the chairs whilst they were still damp so that they would fit back on perfectly. I was so relieved to see them on the chairs looking all white, fresh and pristine.

I walked away from the chairs for approximately 3 minutes. I walked back into the lounge room and there it was. Smack bang in the middle of the seat of one of the freshly washed chair covers was a big dirty 18 month old hand print of biscuit smudged right into the fabric. I couldn't believe my eyes.

I ripped the covers off the chairs and I have vowed and declared - THAT'S IT. No more white slip covered furniture.

Tomorrow I am going to work and I am going to select a fabulous patterned fabric to cover the chairs in which will disguise the dirt and grime.

Good-bye pretty, simple, elegant, interchangeable, timeless slip covers. I promise you I'll pull you out again someday when it's safe!!

xx
Anna

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An Inspired Day

11:31 PM | Labels: 2011 inspiration, Inspirations, My Life, My Thoughts

Earlier this week I posted about my thoughts on inspiration and what inspires me. I was thrilled to read that a few bloggers were inspired by my thoughts and words.

I couldn't stop thinking about inspiration this week and not only what inspires me but also about my lack of inspiration at times.

To say that I have been a little bit uninspired lately would be letting you in on a big secret because in my job I need to be inspired all of the time and I need to be coming up with wonderful, exciting things which are different and unique. However, it does, at times become very hard to keep on coming up with the goods so-to-speak. That's when I think I need to step away from my crazy life for a few days and appreciate all the beauty and inspiration around me.

So this morning I declared this a day of finding some inspiration. As I was driving to work I saw this beautiful tree cascading pretty pink flowers over the roof of an old run-down shed. I had never noticed it before and yet I drive passed it every single day.

Then as I was waiting for a truck to arrive with some furniture I was installing into a beautiful old home in New Farm I sat on the front fence and noticed all the Jacaranda trees are starting to flower.

Inspiration really is everywhere. It's just how you interpret it and apply it to your own life which counts. As Daryl Wark said earlier this week in response to my post, find what it is that inspires you and run with it. Don't follow the pack. Trends will come and go. Personal style is eternal.

And on that note, I will retire for this week. I am off to find some more inspiration in my garden.
xx
Anna

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H & M Time

1:55 AM | Labels: Me, my boys, My Life

Having our children 7 years apart has worked perfectly for us. I couldn't have done it any other way. However, the big gap does provide some variety...

1 1/2 year old Max loves his visits to Black & Spiro on a Saturday morning so much so that we have to put him on the pink step ladder because otherwise the entire shop would be redecorated {Max style}. He really gets excited about being at the shop.

8 year old Harry on the other hand immensley dislikes our Saturday morning visits to the shop. He says it's boring which it most probably is for him considering I've been taking him in on a Saturday morning since he was little. Notice how slumped he is in the chair at Black & Spiro. He really loathes going to the shop.

I love the contrasts the age gap provides and no doubt by the time Max is Harry's age he too will be completely over our Saturday morning shop visits.

Talking about the kids, I really, really need to spend some time with them. I have been working really hard lately and I need to take a very short break from the blog to have some fun with them.

I'll be back towards the end of next week...not long!!
xx
Anna

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A Basket of Fresh Garden Flowers

5:58 AM | Labels: Black + Spiro, Flowers, My Life, Shop, Shop Display

Early this morning I headed out into our garden which is currently in full bloom. I spent about 20 minutes in pure heaven collecting this basket of fresh flowers for Black & Spiro. It has been so great having lots of vases of fresh garden flowers in the shop over these past few weeks. As you have probably guessed I am a little bit obsessed with fresh flowers. Maybe if I decide to give up decorating I could just grow and sell pretty bunches of fresh garden flowers...I'd really love that.

Anna

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My Very Own Artist

3:00 AM | Labels: Artwork, Family, my boys, My Life, Vignettes

A very funny and lovely thing happened to me today. As it was a public holiday here, most of our day was spent pottering around the house enjoying some time with our boys. I cooked a chocolate cake with Harry and Roast Chicken this afternoon for dinner. I picked some flowers and herbs out of our garden and I tidied up the house. Brad and I finally sat down in the lounge room tonight after we had fed the boys and bathed them and I looked over my shoulder and spotted Harry on the floor drawing. I went over to see what he was drawing and I was so surprised and excited to see him drawing the vignette on our entry chest of drawers as pictured above. You might think that I am making this up after my post yesterday in which I discussed my mother's entry vignette and Cressida's Campbell's artwork but I am not.

At one point he asked me to pass him down the orange vase so that he could examine it's details up-close. I was even asked to sharpen pencils. Of course I didn't argue as I was so excited to see him drawing the things I had arranged on our entry table.

This is the end result. After looking over it and discussing it, he said he made a mistake with the placement of the pink chair and he said he might add the picture frames which hang on the wall behind the vignette but that's for another night. On the back he has written a special note to me...I think my Mother's Day happened one week early!

PS...Did you notice Harry's fluoro pencils?! They are the BEST pencils as the colour is just so vivid and bright. They can be purchased from Toyworld if anyone is interested.

PPS...I must thank my beautiful friend and client Jules for the Phoebe Stephens yellow roses as pictured above which she delivered to me on Friday afternoon along with the big tub of potent Vitamin C which has done me the world of good...my awful flu has pretty much gone!!xx

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A Perfect Flower Stall

3:42 AM | Labels: Flowers, Me, memories, My Childhood, My Life

When I was a little girl I was as obsessed with flowers as I am these days.

I think I might have been around 8 years old when we lived in an old Queenslander at Wellington Point with a beautiful garden which my mother absolutely loved. I would collaborate with my neighbour Angela who was about a year younger than I was. We would pick flowers {mostly the daisies} out of mum's very large garden and we would set up a flower stall in front of my parent's house and sell the flowers on the roadside.

I would never let my children do that these days but back then it was different. When I spotted these little stalls by Mouta over on Poppy Talk earlier this week memories of these fun times came flooding back. I wish I had one of these back then. I think if I did it might have improved sales!!

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Flowers, Vases, Baskets, Fabric, Plates & Pots

5:42 PM | Labels: baskets, Collections, Fabric, Flowers, markets, Me, My Life, Vignettes

I've had a busy few days fossicking around the garden, the markets and local Antique shops.

In my travels I stumbled across these vintage vases which I couldn't resist. They now sit on our chest of drawers in our entry hallway. The vibrant orange of the larger vase makes me happy every time I see it and I just love the quirky bird clinging to the other vase/jug....it certainly is something you either love or hate.

I fell in-love with these little yellow flowers at the markets but I can't remember the name of them so please do tell if you know.

I also picked up one of these baskets which I have been coveting along with this piece of fabric which I am thinking of making into table napkins for an upcoming event I have planned.

On Saturday I potted up 12 little pots with Succulents for my brother as he was having a lunch at his house over the weekend and needed something wonderful to place down the centre of his dining table. I kept a few for myself to add to my growing collection of pot plants. {Correction to my post last week the little pots sell for approx. $1.20 at Bunnings and the succulents came from there too}.

It seems I wasn't the only one playing with flowers on the weekend. Mum just sent me this picture of the fresh Banksias she collected from the trees on their property at the beach. I am hoping she might deliver some over to me this week.

And finally I added 18 mismatched vintage dinner plates to my blue and white collection. We never have enough plates when we have the family here for lunch or dinner so now we will. NB. Mismatched vintage is so much less expensive than heading out to buy a complete set and so much more interesting I think and the best thing is that I can keep on adding to them as I see them.

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Happy Summer Days

Merry Christmas, Thoughts, Thank you's & Wallpaper

Our Tree is Up

Ben & Phoebe's Beautiful Wedding

Chanel Brisbane 2011

White Slip Covers Gone

An Inspired Day

H & M Time

A Basket of Fresh Garden Flowers

My Very Own Artist

A Perfect Flower Stall

Flowers, Vases, Baskets, Fabric, Plates & Pots

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