Designalogue

Aw, poor Designalogue Blog. You are so neglected by your maker. 3 months since my last post. Oops.

I wouldn’t say you have been forgotten about you dear blog…just kinda pushed you to the back of my mind while I got on with other things.  But blog guilt has  finally got to me, and so here I am giving you a bit of the attention that you desire. (Take what you can get!)

So to news of late…

I recently flew up to  Darwin for a few days to work on a project. For those not familiar with Australia’s geography, Darwin is the city up the top & in the middle of Australia where its hot, really hot all the time and they have  a lot of  big bitey things in the water. (of which I saw none – kinda sadly!) My only brush with the interesting nature of the area was accidentally peeing on a sweet little green tree frog. I didn’t realise the little guy was there until it was too late…… but saved in time before the flush! Lesson learned – when in the tropics, check where you are sitting! Even where you are sitting is in a bathroom on the second floor – wee critters like climbing pipes it seems!

Sadly and well, very inconveniently my camera died. As it turns out little snappy cameras cant handle being dropped on the floor after about 110 times. Up till that last drop, I swear it was totally fine. Life without a camera on hand to snap away is a bit sad. The camera in my Iphone  just doesnt cut it. So until a new camera comes  my way…will my vague descriptions of things work on a design based blog?

Im thinking not.

So no pictures to share of interesting things in Darwin. But hopefully  I will have got around to getting myself a new camera by my next trip up in a few months time. Maybe  then we can have a slide night?

As this is a design based blog, I cant leave this post without a picture or two – so thought I would share some chairs that I recently had re upholstered for a client:

Before – needing a bit of zhoosh!

Before....

& after….

They are part of a project that is coming along so beautifully & I cant wait to share it… but all in good time!

This week a kitchen project I have been working on for a while was almost nearly finished.  Finished enough to exhale and do a round of back patting and hi-fives, but not quite enough to do the celebratory dance that goes with the end of a project or share the happy snaps.  Still to come is a bit of ‘frosting’!

But I am completely in love with these beautiful bamboo shelves and the Egyptian ball pendants, and in the mood for sharing!  so share I am:

Stay tuned for more on this soon!

I have been a busy girl of late with quite a few installations happening almost all at once! So in the spirit of sharing, and to appease my guilt at not attending to Designalogue Blog much of late, here are some ‘crappy snaps’ I have taken of an apartment I have been working on.  

The scatter cushions sent some serious love chills my way and I have to admit when I picked them up from my brilliant cushion maker, I had to pull myself together, be strong to and stop them from finding a home on my sofa! Such is the trouble with this line of work…

The photos don’t do the fabric justice, The fabric and colours are just stunning and I love love! 

Once I have proper photos that do the art the justice they deserve, I will tell you more about the paintings. But in short they are Google Earth images of the coast line of our home town and surround and are a mix of resin and silver leaf and even have a diamond or two!! 

That is all!

Um, how did it become May already? I swear it was New year just a couple of weeks back and we here in Melbourne town were in a heat wave. Suddenly its May, and we are having a super freeze. I’m beginning to think that Mother Earth has taken up quick step dancing! or just maybe I am just in a time bubble?!

So in the weeks gone by (though it feels like mere hours!) Ive just been doing my ‘thing’. Some of this involved helping the lovlies at Lump Scultpure Studio put a display together for the big annual designery trade  show “Interior Designex‘ to display how beautiful their light boxes can look beautiful Inside as well as out!  This is the result of that: 

CMD for Lump DX2009

CMD for Lump DX2009

As I only had a week & a bit to gather bits & pieces for the stand, I had to use what I could get my hands on quick sticks! This meant most of the display came from my stocks! (read my home!) But with some assistance from Diane Bergeron & Interstudio. 

The other side of the stand was as so: 

Ah then as quick as a flash, but not soon enough, the weekend came!!

Sunday was a perfect day. Blue skies, 19 degrees (that’s about 62F) and just gorgeous! Fella and I jumped in the car and headed up to a friends farm -an hour & a bit out of town for a lovely Sunday lunch. This is my idea of a perfect day!

To get to the farm we travelled past the areas recently hit by the tragic bush fires. (For what this is in reference to click here) I stuck my camera out of the sun roof of the car to take some crappy snaps of what now is. (I think the pics are pretty good considering the car is travelling at 100kms! (that’s about 62 miles per hour!))

This picture shows a vineyard with the burned hills in the back ground. The vineyard was untouched – the vines just look burnt as its now Autumn here. 

These pictures show how devastating the fires were. Apparently, bush fires are usually close to the ground, leaving the tree canopies relatively unscathed. As the bush was so dry – from a hot summer as well as 11 years of drought, as these images show everything went up in flames.

My heart breaks thinking of the animal life that had no chance of escaping. 

The yellow ribbon that someone has placed on this tree is the symbol that acknowledges these fires and raises money for those who suffered.

Although it is Autumn (fall) here. These trees are red from the fire – not the season. All these trees are native to Australia and dont shred their leaves in the seasons. 

Three months on from the fires and the forests are already greening up with new growth. 

And then to the farm we got! So beautiful! and its one of my favorite places in which to be. An hour there makes me feel like I have had a week away.  

 Ahh the serenity! until…

Why is it that boys feel the need to throw stuff? Apparently this tree was just asking to be target practise! (practising for what?!) I will point out – no animal or bird life was in the line of fire. 

And me and him felt the need to do some loved up posing in the sun set! 

And then it was done. and back to the city we went… for another week to go by quick as a flash! 

WOO HOO! FINALLY after a long intermission my new website is UP and on the world wide web once more! 

To have a looksee, click on here!

The gallery section is currently a little sparse -I have a few jobs ready to get photographed, but haven’t had the time to organise all the logistics! -Its hard work people!

I thought I would show you a few pictures of the new digs where the fella and I live and work -as of one week ago!

Starting with my office.

I LOVE my office.  Are you checking out my Juju!!!

Oh, I would formally introduce you to my plastic fish – He is my mascot (just decided!) but he doesn’t have a name, so I will need to think of one toot sweet! Any suggestions?

So now onto some other bits of the new digs.

Our dining table has been given a new bit of love with a new table top.

Made from recycled timber and ‘ebonized’ using a very earth friendly method involving vinegar and steel wool!  I think that is just so cool!

In our lounge room there is a kooky lil nook! On the wall above this nook is a family crest or something like that!! Its has written ‘Peace and Prosperity’.

Rather lovely words to set the tone of the joint I think!

I particularly like the kooky comic like kangaroo holding the crown on top!

I have stuff. Some of this stuff are blue bottles.

Just cause I like them! that’s all.

My green chair hangs out and you can see a glimpse behind of the old radio that I have turned into a light box. One day i will get around to restoring the veneer so its all spanky gorgeous. But until that day comes…

This picture is just because I think the flowers are pretty.  Also they are sitting on another old radio that I am yet to turn into a light box – but will do one day.

Maybe.

So now a bit of imagination is called for. Are you in the mood?

We had ONE little drama on move day. Our bed base didn’t make it up the stairs! The clearance height was the trouble and no matter how hard we try – by hook AND by crook, the lil bugga wont budge.

So rather than buy an expensive new bed base -as we just did last year! A little creative imagination is in order SO, I’ve hatched me a plan to get a new bed.

Phase one has gone through smoothly. I won the bid on eBay for this uga number:

Don’t fret now.

I ain’t no country girl and wont be spending my sweet slumber in this colonial state!!

No, I plan on spending the holiday break painting furniture and will be taking inspiration from this fabulous number:

via Desire to Inspire

Though I probably wont have pictures of people ‘doin it’, purely as I dont have the patience!

I will be sure to post some pictures when I plan is fully hatched!!

So before kicking you out the back door of the new pad, I had best introduce you to some new family members living with us. Now we three, are ONE THOUSAND and THREE!

Our worm farm!

In the past we have always composted. But living in a space with no dirt – we had to look for other means to dispose of our vegie scraps. So worms tis!

Well, thats all from me for now! Happy Holidays people!

Not a very clever title is it! Eh, I’m tired! I’ts bed time!

So I’m back! Did you miss me? Um, did you even know I had gone?!!…

But yes, here I am, fresh from a mammoth house move and man, I have a lot of stuff – A LOT!

Did you know that lamp shades breed?

I kid you not! I seem to have a huge amount of lamp shades in ALL shapes and sizes!!

I will post some pics of the pad soon – complete with my fabulous Juju hat by the way! -Its SO fabulous! Even the fella cant disagree!

But rather than bore you with the dramas and saga’s that seem to go on and on, I thought I would share a quick-see sneak peak of a project that I have been working on. The wallpaper in the bedroom was installed today & I love it!

Still some finer and finishing ‘details’ to come, so as I said – its a sneak peak!

The hallway leading into the boudoir was also wallpapered using an Osbourne & Little number. Its a muddy chocolate with a hot pink pin stripe. Yum!

Sadly my photos don’t show up this so well, so you will just have to take my word for it!

Psst: This is a before shot of the bedroom!

SNAP! I spy with my little eye….

Drake Design Associates - Via Desire to Inspire

Did you catch it?  - Same chair!

Though the chair looks much better in the Drake Design room than in my lounge room! … must be something to do with the photography!!! yeah, that’ll be it!!!!?!!

(Update – have since swapped my chair for a slightly better than the old one -so some comments made MAY be out of context now!!)

OK, so I didn’t out-rightly admit it the last time I posted about it…so I guess I should fess up now before you think I’m weird!!! But…I have a bit of a fish fetish! NOT in a creepy left of centre type way!!! Mine is purely innocent and artful!!! (But who am I to judge!  So if you have found your way here through googling fish fetish, then please, stay. Have a look around -maybe you will like what you see?!!!)

So what I’m into is the fish form used in art! See, innocent isn’t it!!! – Ain’t I!!!!

Maybe its something about the freedom of their form?

Eh. what ever, I just really dig em!

These are the latest of my slowly growing collection! I found them over on etsy and just HAD to have them! Loved what I saw – So I got me some!

More of  Lexy Art at Etsy  here

Oddly, I don’t like owning real fish! They annoy me!!!

I’m totally suffering from Monday-itis today! I just cant quite get my head into work… I HAVE tried!

I even went to two cafes with serious work intentions in mind. One, I was distracted by a crazy dog and a kid who was blowing massive snot bubbles! Two, I even had my folder and an inspiration book -I totally looked the part, but that wasn’t enough to get over the line! My head kept wandering…into nowhere land!

So when I finally returned from my little afternoon sojourn, I was flipping around the Blogosphere, where I found something at “The Claw” that kept my occupied and quite amused for a little while! Its a Japanesse website where you can upload your own photos, and it makes them look ‘ye-oldy’ style!

Here are the results of this afternoon procrastination session! (It could be kinda work related! – they are my work!)

I think I will use the picture of me in my new CMD website that is finally happening very soon!- the picture done normally looks far to serious & up tight!-this version is a bit more chilled -me thinks!

Try with your own pictures here! Now I’m done with the work pics, I reckon I can waste me a bit more time with some friends pics!! (I hope my head is better tomorrow! Ive got so much work to get through!!)