Spring in the City

via This is Glamorous

Sydney Jacaranda

Spring in Sydney is the startling violet of jacarandas, the sweet smell of jasmine and peonies, warm sea breezes and those first trips to Bondi despite the freezing cold ocean, twilight racing on Sydney Harbour, pretty dresses and flip flops, tasting the first mangoes of the season, bustling cafes, polo in Centennial Park, the Spring Racing Carnival, troops of cyclists and the impending Christmas holidays. It is all that is good about the city emerging in anticipation of those famous hazy summer days. Spring is a "warm up" and it is magnificent. 

Bondi Beach

Dress by Zimmerman via Fashion By Me

Style Me Pretty via This is Glamorous

Life As We Know It...

All images in this post sourced from Lonny

...has changed. I do not intend to blog exclusively on the subject of becoming a mother but to let it pass without a mention would be strange given the ridiculously large impact that it is having on my life.  It has been nearly 10 weeks since Miss E arrived at 9.25am on 10 September 2011.  It seems like just a moment ago but she is already smiling and cooing at me as though we have known each other for years.  To say that she is a delight would be an understatement but it has not been all smooth sailing...any mother who says so would be lying. One of my dearest girlfriends explained this period where it all slowly starts to get easier as "the fog lifting", what an apt description! 

It is suffice to say that I am in love.  Every moment is precious and passes by too quickly. At the same time, I am insanely curious and impatient to see her grow and change.

In the meantime, the practicalities of motherhood have taken up a lot of my time...hence the lack of blogging. I will post some photos of Miss E's little nursery very soon. This is a room that I spend a lot of time in and so have a vested interest in how it looks and feels. As always, I look to Lonny for inspiration....these are some of my favourites.

A Little Ray of Sunshine....

She has arrived, little Miss E.  Nothing could have prepared me. Am coping....with a lot of help from darling husband and loving family. Will write again soon with more details. XX

The Waiting Game

Desire to Inspire via This is Glamorous

Sitting at home staring at the walls trying not to go mad.....well, not quite but am very much getting towards the end of what's left of my patience waiting for bubba to arrive!!  Have been reduced to testing out every last wive's tale remedy including acupuncture, hot curries for dinner, drinking raspberry leaf tea, lots of walking up hills, squats and yoga, and various others - all to no avail!! This baby, it seems, will arrive when it choses to arrive and not before!

Martha Martha Martha

Perfect nests of perfect white bowls

Nesting heightens your focus on the minutia - the things that didn't seem important two weeks ago (like matching tea towels and rearranging my husband's shoes!) are suddenly critical! I love Martha Stewart - the images in her magazines and on her websites are so often something to aspire to - although sometimes they are so overwhelmingly obsessive in their perfection that they freak me out.  These images to inspire "kitchen organisation" are just a tad over the top....even in my nesting panic I can see that I don't have the time and money to devote to such crazy detail! 

Trays, strainers, tea towels and perfect custom joinery

A place for everything....storage trays painted to match the joinery.

Wow. Cutlery perfectly arranged.

Label makers are perfect for OCD sufferers. This stationery drawer is without fault. 

Who owns this many rolling pins????

This drawer is amazing. Enough said. 

Blockaholics Disappointed

Josh & Jenna's Winning Kitchen (via ninemsn)

My husband and I would certainly qualify as Blockoholics in 2011 - we have not missed an episode thanks to Foxtel IQ and series linking! We were so disappointed, however, with last night's results at auction.  I so loved Josh & Jenna and Katrina & Amie - were were hoping for better outcomes for both of our favourite couples! I hate to say that Polly and Waz didn't deserve to win but, well....I really don't think that they did!  In tribute, here are just a few of my favourite images of the houses that were passed in on Saturday evening (so sad!).

Katrina & Amie's Industrial Open Plan Kitchen/Living/Dining Room

Josh and Jenna's Kitchen

Josh & Jenna's Kitchen

Katrina & Amie's Winning Living Room

Calm Before The Storm

Martha Stewart

I am sorry that it has been so long between posts. I have finished up with work and am enjoying my couple of weeks of maternity leave before bubba is due to arrive.  My days have been filled with last minute admin, pram repairs, cooking up meals for freezing, cleaning out every drawer and cupboard in the house (!!), catching up with girlfriends and organising the nursery (will post later on with some before photos of the nursery).  It really is true what they say about nesting.....it has been a huge change of pace since leaving my desk in the CBD but busy nonetheless!

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart

I have also been trying to take advantage of some quiet down time and catch up on some reading, both blogs and novels!  It really is a waiting game now....my doctor tells me that I'm at least a few weeks away so plenty of time for a few more posts before then....XX

Flying North For Winter

Eden Roc Pool, Slim Aarons

Sydney is very much a 'summer city' - and many Sydney-siders abandon ship during the cooler, wetter months.  It is a complete myth that we don't have a proper winter in Sydney - it gets pretty cold, dark, wet and miserable and most of us dream of flying north for the winter to Europe to bask in the balmy sunlight of Italy or Greece. This week I've Skyped with my sister in London about her recent trip to the Amalfi Coast, emailed with my girlfriend in New York about her plans for this coming week in the Hamptons, and farewelled several friends Europe bound.  Unable to fly at the moment and join those jet-setters, what to do but rug up, stay warm and day dream of the warmer months ahead spent at the Australian beaches that, no matter where you travel to the world over, are without comparison....?

Maintenance

Source: Lonny via pinterest

It is easy when one's belly is getting larger each day to slow down, maybe get a bit lax and lose track of maintenance - both internal and external.  So...this weekend was devoted to a bit of up-keep - body stretched at yoga, hair coloured, legs waxed and nails buffed and polished.  At home, surfaces were dusted, linen and clothes washed and dried and furniture rearranged.  Forced inside for long periods by torrential rain, I've also managed to get a lot of reading done, lists written and plans forged.  I have three weeks of work left and what feels like an impossibly long list of things I need to accomplish before I walk out those doors in Martin Place for the last time. Rather than spend the weekend in the office, all of this 'maintenance' makes me feel more in control for the week ahead.

Distracted by Lonny

As always, the release of a new issue of Lonny heralded an afternoon (...and an evening) of distraction.  I poured over each and every page but my favourite space belonged to Lauren Gold, design director of Nate Berkus Associates (love Nate). Her taste is a lot busier than my own but she so expertly combines her possessions in her Chicago apartment such that none of the spaces seem cluttered. 

Simple Pleasures



Source: 1. travelmuses 2. Peony Melbourne 3. Unknown 4. Classy in the City via This is Glamorous 5. What Katie Ate
6. Neilson Park by Aquabumps



My friend and fellow blogger Canna recently inspired me with her post, Simple Pleasures. It seems we spend so much time worrying about the 'stuff' in our lives that we forget to stop and smell the roses, so to speak. So here are some of the simple things in my life that I'm most grateful for - walks in the park with Nelly, the Wonder Dog, macarons from Laduree (or Adriano Zumbo in Oz), reading ferociously through a new book, cups of coffee quietly at home or shared with friends, Mum's pavlova and swimming in one of Sydney's ocean or harbour beaches (we are so spoiled for choice in this glorious city!).

Have a Cosy Weekend!

Source of image unknown

This weekend I am off to a Hens Party (or "Bachelorette Party" depending on your hemisphere!) for a good friend that I have known since my high school days! I am looking forward to seeing everyone (for that silly, girly banter that no one but your oldest girlfriends understands!) but I wonder whether or not I will struggle to get through the entire day without a drop of alcohol (well, maybe I'll have a drop!). Apart from this, I will be likely at home, snuggling up in my winter woollies. It's supposed to be 6 degrees in Sydney tomorrow morning - that is SUPER FREEZING for Sydney! I hope that whatever you have planned, you have a fabulous weekend!

Small Spaces

We live in the inner city and because our house isn't enormous (it's not too small - about 100sqm in total I think), I often look to smaller, well designed apartments for design and organisational inspiration. This is one such apartment. Featured in House Beautiful, designer David Kaihoi's East Village apartment (shared with his wife and child) is only 64 sqaure FEET! Wow, that's small! I love this space - it's so brave and incredibly clever. In David's own words, the secret to living harmoniously in this space is "ruthless editing - one thing in, one thing out. A place for everything and everything in its place." This is an important lesson for me - I tend to be a bit of a hoarder. Time to clean out the closet! Another lesson that's worth noting is that you can still use big bold pieces (and colours!) in a smaller space. Often, I think, using smaller, bitsy pieces can make a space seem even smaller.

Beautiful bureau that folds away.

Dining room that doubles as living room....clever.

Wall of living room that houses library and entertainment.

 Dual usage - sofa and linen closet.

Imagine having such perfectly styled drawers!

 A place for everything and everything in its place.

 Stop it - this wardrobe is too perfectly arranged for a man to be responsible for it, surely?

What a pretty bedroom and the little fold out bed is so cute!

  Perfect bathroom cabinet - love it.

Australians tend to aspire to owning a 'big block of land', a large house with spare bedrooms and a spacious back garden. A lot of people have started to ask me where we'll move to once we have our baby and perhaps another in a few years, as though suggesting that surely we can't stay in our little terrace cottage once we have a family? I disagree with this sentiment somewhat. In most of the world's largest, most vibrant cities, families live in houses and apartments smaller than ours. These are cities where creativity and talent flourish - New York, London, Paris. I can't help but think that the children of these families have a perfectly good upbringing despite having perhaps to share a bedroom with a sibling. I also think that living in smaller quarters encourages a sense of community because people spend less time in their living rooms watching TV and more time out and about in local shops, cafes, parks and theatres. What do you think? Do you agree that, when it comes to real estate, bigger isn't always better?

Smart Casual

At 32 weeks pregnant, I am starting to dream about life after maternity wear - it's still a while away but I am so sick of elastic waists, swollen feet and not being able to fasten the belt on my winter coat! I'll most likely need an entire new wardrobe (well, a few new things at least!) to convert myself from a suited banker to a smart casual mummy. Trenery (Country Road's more classic sister store) has a great new smart casual look book for summer - here are some of my favourite outfits.