Thin Black Line.

As much as I love white, I love a touch of black even more with it. Enjoy, Heidi

Image vie Nathan Egan.

Image via Jeff Andrews.

Sorry I don't know the origin.

Bella Forte Glass NOW at Dean - Lively Gallery in Edmond

Better late than never (I guess). Tonight we are showing some new styles of work we have done, plus some of the other styles we've done in the past, this time only BIGGER. DEAN-LIVELY ART GALLERY at 16 N. Broadway in Edmond, OK 5 pm - 8 pm.

A Collar for Ned

I just came across these very cool Mascot dog collars and leads. I think I am going to have to order one in for Ned. Only problem will be trying to decide on which colour.....probably Navy.

A Beautiful Vignette

I am in-love with this beautiful vignette in the home of Melbourne based artist John Young which was featured in the July/August 2009 issue of Inside Out Magazine. I think the composition of the simple, natural tones of the objects with the divine, earthy coloured portrait is very beautiful.

What's blue and white and Fabulous?

Image via Breese Architecture.
Image via 52 Flea.

Image via Room Service.
Carla Jean, I have been wanting you to see this, I bet you could sell a few dozen at the Round Top show. Paint them in all colors, it looks very bandana, cowboy chic.

Image via Wisteria.

Image via either Domino or House Beautiful.

Image via Coastal Living.

Image via Domino.

Image via House and Garden.

Loving Ruffled Kitchen Skirts

I love the informality of ruffled kitchen skirts. I'm thinking from a budget conscious point of view this might be a fun option when we renovate our kitchen at our Stradbroke beach cottage. Are they a pain to use and keep clean?? I would love to hear from anyone who has had these before...

image 1 - mary ruffle, image 2 - skona hem

Pretty Yellow Wattle

Whilst I have been out on my morning walks of late I have noticed the wattle trees in flower all over the place. When I went down to the park with Harry yesterday there was one large tree in flower. I picked a few branches and brought them home and then arranged them in an old crystal vase my grandmother gave me a couple of years ago. I just adore the vibrant yellow of the flowers against the grey-green of the leaves.

Saturday Vintage Shopping Trip

A friend asked me to go hunting for vintage pieces with her yesterday {Saturday}. I warned her before we left that sometimes it can be hard to find things and sometimes we can come home with no great finds. Well, didn't I eat my words. We had one of the most successful vintage hunts I have had in a long time. We filled the boot of the car and then filled the back seats with things too. We even have a few pieces which need delivering next week!! Now, that's what I call a successful day...

Friday Flowers

I was very lucky to be given these pretty mottled roses from a friend today. I arranged them in a pretty yellow vase we have at Black & Spiro. I placed them next to our beautiful vintage lamp and shade {note the beautiful embroidery on the shade} on a table in the shop and then a very lucky young lady came into the shop with her mum and her sister and they took the lamp home for her bedroom. I am sad to see this beautiful one-off vintage lamp go but I know it will be loved and cherished by it's next owner...

Happy Weekend. See you next time.

xx

Anna

I found my Dream House in Stirling.

Only if it were on the market and only if my wheat penny collection was all the right ones making me a millionaire. Oh well, it's still a good dream. Maybe one day I can at least get to redecorate it, I'll be happy with that much. Thinking of You, Millie. Love, Heidi

All images of ThronGrove Manor in Stirling, South Australia.

Black & Spiro Today

It's been a while since I posted some pictures of the shop so I thought I would post some today. We have some lovely new pieces in at the moment including some beautiful vintage/antique pieces.

If I had homes like these, I would just die. But then I would need to come back to life to live in them.

You know how I like them, high and exposed. Enjoy, Heidi

Image via Elle Decor.

Image via Point Click home.

Image via Atlanta Homes.

Image via Traditional Home.

Image via Cottage Living.

Image via Architectural Digest.

I'm sorry I do not have the origins of this image.

Image via Australian Vogue Living.

Summer on the Otherside

One of the things I love about this time of year {Winter in Australia} when it comes to my magazine subscriptions is the beautiful Summer homes featured in my favourite American magazines. Even though we are a little lighter on this year without the likes of Domino to give us our hit, this month's issue of Elle Decor looks like it's a cracker!! Loving this house belonging to Scott Currie {Elie Tahari public relations} in Southampton, New York.

The Origins of Taste

I've been talking a little bit about my mother's style in comparison to my own this week and I happened to stumble across this article by Anne E. Collins the Executive Editor over at Point Click Home in which she talks briefly about the origins of taste. I think it's a good read and applicable to my posts here this week. I hope to talk more about this topic in the coming weeks on ABT.

Answer to Larry's Question...

Thanks for the nice words. The individual cups were blown out on another day beforehand. When doing the cups, I would blow out 5-7 cups at once out of the same stuff. Like, if I wanted a transparent sea green cup with light green cane, I would start by picking up a chunk of sea green rod, get a couple of gathers over it, then pick up the light green cane. Then I would blow it out and stretch it out until it was long enough to start making 5- 7 cups out of that one thing. Then I would repeat the process several times for other combinations. Then, when I had the right combinations I would pick the cups I wanted and heat them to about 1050-1100 degrees, pick them up and add them in whatever order I wanted. The exception to that is the first cup, which I do on the spot for the piece I am about to make. Then I start adding the other previously made cups till I get enough. Then I change the axis and blow out the piece. I don't have a lot of other pics right now of the process. Just took those hurriedly with my cell phone while blowing.

Geraniums

My mother has always had lots of large pots of geraniums growing on her verandah. No family dinner or lunch is complete without some sort of flower arrangement on my mothers dining table and geraniums have often filled the void when other options aren't flowering in her garden. I thought I'd post a couple of her little geranium arrangements. You won't believe it when I tell you the last image is actually in her old bedroom at my grandmother's house. The black and white ticking wallpaper which you can see in the background has been on those walls for around 40 years! Mum chose the wallpaper for her room when she was a teenager. Now doesn't that spell timeless....

You're not having a hot flash, you're in Texas.

Image via Flickr.

You Know You Are In Texas If. . .

• 
  
  The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.


• 
  
  The trees are whistling for the dogs.


• 
  
  The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.


• 
  
  Hot water now comes out of both taps.


• 
  
  You can make sun tea instantly.


• 
  
  You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.


• 
  
  The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilly.


• 
  
  You discover that in July it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.


• 
  
  You discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.


• 
  
  You actually burn your hand opening the car door.


• 
  
  You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.


• 
  
  Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"


• 
  
  You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.


• 
  
  The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.


• 
  
  Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.
  
• 
  
  The cows are giving evaporated milk.
  

To my Aussie friends this may apply to you as well. Heidi

Alice Temperley Cushions

I am in-love with the cushions Alice Temperley has designed for The Rug Company. I would love to add the one at the top to my mismatched cushion collection. I've noticed a few fashion designers dipping into the interiors side of things lately...

Image 1 - the rug company, Image 2 - via the city sage

Elegant Tailored Style vs Eclectic Style

Following on from yesterday's post about a more simplistic, tailored, elegant look I thought these images Joni posted last week fitted right in. I know my mother loves reading Joni's blog and has probably already seen these beautiful images and saved them in her 'I love' files. I too saved them in my files as I thought they were divine.

After thinking some more about my discussion with mum yesterday I wonder whether as I grow older I will crave a more pared back classic look. I think I have developed my look of mixing styles because it is unique to me and maybe because it is a younger version of my mother's style. I certainly won't be changing my style anytime soon so don't worry but as I said yesterday I do question my look every now and then and it will be interesting to see it evolve over time. I think that's the great thing about having a blog in that it can be a record of one's personal style and it's evolution over time.

I'd be interested to know what style you love. Do you prefer an eclectic 'uniquely me' look or a more pared back elegant tailored classic look?