Christmas Cha-risma

I've said it before and I'll remind you again, when it comes to Christmas, I am a more is more type of a girl!  Less is more applies only to the weak at this time of year.  SO, you should prepare yourself to be inundated with more and more Christmas cheering and leering on this blog as I become more and more manic in the lead up to December 25.

O Tannenbaum went up in our lounge room last weekend and every night as I bask in her glow I know it wasn't a moment too soon!  Naturally all will be revealed soon but in the meantime I'm compelled to share some new additions since last year.  Compelled.

I brought these back from our 'oliday in New York...

                   ESB construction lunch break                            The Plaza          
        

                         Rockefeller Center                                      Bloomies

...and our w/end in D.C.

              JFK Center for the Performing Arts                          The Capitol

Then from IKEA on the weekend...

 ($9.99 for a set of 8 here)

...last night's haul from our local Westfield...

A world globe from Big W.  I am not a yuletide snob AND I'm a saver ($3.94)!

...these from DJs

                Felt birdy (bought her in red too    B'bush is not feeling the Xmas spirit                

                         Moon face Santa                      The Night Before Christmas book 

    Royal Albert Teapot and Cup & Saucer  ($14.95 each barGAIN!) 

Sweetest little mini snow dome.

...and these from Tarjay

 25% off at the moment, now is the time peeps!

Oh, and while I was getting carried away putting the new ornaments up and taking pics, I was interrupted by the courier who dropped off this leetle dahlink from Peters of K.

I loike it, I loike it a lot.

Nicolex

Fashion Friday

There's nothing like the Duchess of C wearing a new frock to help you out on Fashion Friday! Last night she and Wills hosted a charity dinner for the National Memorial Arboretum Appeal. Kate wore a silver-grey Grecian style gown (speculated to be Alice Temperley) and I'M SURE those are the same choos we saw her in here.  Yep, it's only a glimpse but I can tell.  I'm gifted like that.

Images from here

Images from here

I think she looks fabu-rous!

Nicolex

House Plans

We're getting ready to undertake some ma-jore house renos next year.  I'm a planner by nature and am loving each and every step.  Right now we're drafting rough sketches, meeting with our builder to confirm that what we want to do is in the realm of possibility for our little place and saving like silly things.  Ever the optimist, I am hoping to break soil in April/May but Mister B, ever the realist, informs me it will more likely be August/September next year :(

Undeterred I am forging on with my self-generated schedule and am working on the kitchen plan.  Am thinking we'll most likely put in a galley kitchen as it's most practical for the new space.  I'd like to put a breakfast nook (does it sound more impressive if I call it a banquette?) at one end of the kitchen under a window too.  Naturally I'm gathering up lots of inspiration to help me on our way.

Image from here

Image from here

Image from here

Image from here

Image from here

Image from here                                                                     Image from here

Image from Home Beautiful

Image from here                                                                      Image from here

Image from here

Am very excited as I do love a project to sink my fangs into and am looking forward to sharing all the gory details with you here.

Nicolex

Fashion Friday

When I got my first job and could finally spend my marigolds on whatever I liked, I bought fashion mags like they may not be printed again.  These were the girls on every single cover. They weren't just models, they were supermodels and I was mesmerised.  

Image from here

Five of the originals (Yasmin, Helena, Cindy, Naomi & Eva) are back on the cover of December's Harper's Bazaar UK for a Duran Duran inspired Dolce & Gabbana photo shoot.

Image from here

Images from here

Image from here

Image from here

Image from here

Image from here

Love seeing them all back together, makes me feel young and frivolous again.

Nicolex

Christmas Cutie

When it comes to Christmas trees I’m not the sort of girl who rotates her ornaments and has a different ‘theme’ each year.  No siree!  My theme is CHRISTMAS - all the ornaments, all the time, altogether.  I like it to be brrrrimming.  In fact, I am hoping the tree will one day topple over under the weight of it all (of course I’m hoping that any fragile favourites will fall gently onto a nearby cushion) and I will be forced to invest in an even bigger, more fabulous one.  I have a list of favourite shops whose Christmas ranges I like to check out each year, just in case, they’ve brought out any newbies my tree cannot live without.  One of my must-checks is Mozi and look what I found this year.

 Image from Mozi

A-DOR-ABLE.  I defy anyone to keep picturing their tree without her (and a few of her sisters).  I couldn't.

Nicolex

Absolutely Beautiful Things

This morning when I got the email to say Absolutely Beautiful Things had launched their latest vignette today I was filled with excitement and enthusiasm as I clicked over to have a look. Now I really I don’t want to make powerful enemies (but I think I can be assured that neither Anna nor any of her peeps read FHOTR) but is it OK to say I was devastatingly disappointed?  I really look forward to Anna’s seasonal vignettes which showcase her incredibly unique style brilliantly, not to mention what an original concept she has brought to online shopping!

Make up your own mind over here and I'm sure if you've never seen any of her other vignettes you'll think I've lost my mind!  BUT the last two were A-MAR-ZING and for me this one lacked pizazz and polish.  For me.  Just my opinion.

Nicolex

PS  It's not that I didn't like anything, I IMMEDIATELY tried to purchase the vintage pineapple ice bucket but alas it was already sold out.  So there, I'm not a hater.

Images from Absolutely Beautiful Things

Royal Round-Up

You know I never miss an opportunity to bring you another Duchess of C moment so here she is yesterday rocking out in red (L.K. Bennett, boy has she put this label on the map!) with Princess Mary and Princess Frederik in Copenhagen.

I usually think of 'our' Mary and Fred as being quite tall so it's funny to see them cast as 'shorties'.  Useless piece of information - Wills is 6' 3" and Kate is 5' 10".

Nicolex

5 things you didn't need to know

1. Hugh Grant is going to be a daddy.  Not just a sugar one.  32 year old actress Tinglan Hong recently gave birth to their daughter.

2. Kim Kardashian has filed for divorce 72 days after her wedding.  It wasn't for ratings, it wasn't for ratings.

3.The Hasselhoffs have their own reality show.  The world just officially ended.

4. Jessica Simpson finally tweeted her own pregnancy news after it became clear that the eagerly anticipated magazine bidding war for the announcement, was more like a bidding paper-scissors-rock.

5. I just learned that the Rolling Stone's Ronnie Woods is also a rather talented artist.

Who knew?

Nicolex

Find Of The Day

I saw these acid-etched, stainless steel oil lamp shadow projectors in the November issue of Inside/Out.  Are they not adorable.  They are $48 (+ $22 shipping to Oz) from Adam Frank Incorporated.

The little silhouettes are sweet enough as they are but the real treat is when you light them up at night and a huge shadow is projected on the opposite wall.  I bought the pine here as it will add to the Christmas ohm-bee-arnce in our living room.  

Of course now I'm thinking I should have bought half a dozen of them so I could have a plantation of trees on the wall.  Have I mentioned I only do the more is more type of Christmas?  

Nicolex

Happy Birthday Sister

When I decided to start doing birthday posts over here I didn't stop to think in 2 days time I would have to be writing one for a sister.  Overwhelming.  How do you put in words what a sister means to you?  Please tell, as I really do not know!  Rather than tying myself in impossible knots trying I'll just tell you a few quick things I love about my sister Rachel.

 Rach

Rach is thoughtful.  Mum says she always has been.  Knowing I'm a bit of a 'fraidy cat when Mr. B is away, Rach texts me before she goes to bed to let me know she's sleeping with her phone by her side in case I need to ring in the middle of the night.

Rach doesn't fuss, she just gets in and does it.  Whether it be house stuff, school stuff, church stuff, family stuff, she doesn't waste time talking about it, she just does it.  This daydream believer should be taking notes.

Rach loves her kids to distraction.  She walks her own race and tries her darnedest not to get caught up in the game.  Like most mums, she is in there striving every day to be the best possible one she can.

Rach lets me be a big sister by sometimes running ideas and concerns for her kids by me (despite me not having any of my own).  She trusts my intelligence and my love for her poppets, knowing I too want the very best for them and I love her for recognising that.

Rach has the same dry sense of humour as I do.  I don't know how many times we've rung each other unable to breathe let alone speak for laughter as we've tried to convey a particularly hilarious incident that we each know the other will get immediately.

Rach is generous.  Very.  With her time, with her money, with her home, with her things. All of it.  She has 3 kids, I have a part-time job yet she'll end up being the one making a cake for me to take to a do because some somehow I have personally misplaced 5hrs in the day.

Mum, Rach & I

As I read back what I've written I'm frustrated that words as always have let me down and I can't truly tell you how I feel but Happy Birthday Rach.  How lucky was I when you came along two and a half years later.  Rhetorical question :)

Nicolex