The global solution...

(girlhula @ flickr)

While surfing around Ebay and thinking about my sons room (Thanks Melissa ;) ) and his upcoming birthday, I came across an item that led me to further research and now I can feel a new collection coming on lol.

(girlhula @ flickr)

The vintage repro globe with the aeroplane below was the gift I was looking at to give my son.

A quick story, last year my family and I went on a 7 week trip overseas and during this time we flew on 9 different planes. This was also my children's first time flying and my son became - well - obsessed is really the word for it lol. His hero is now John Travolta (cause he parks his Qantas jet in the driveway of his house lol) and when he grows up he wants to be a commercial jet pilot. I couldn't be more proud and excited for him :) He's even joined up with the local air league squadron and attends his weekly meetings with extreme enthusiasm.

We've also just recently created a new workspace area in his room with a larger desk and I thought this special globe would be treasured by him and look great on his desk.

http://www.airleague.com.au/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

Finding this globe also triggered a memory of a large antique style globe that opened up with a bar inside that my dad had in the corner of his office, at work when I was a kid. I loved this piece and I remember rushing to it and studying the pictures and lines and gently spinning it around. Of course I didn't know my dad's grog stash was hidden inside at the time lol ;)
The sad thing about this story is my dad sold or gave this amazing globe away while I was still young and I WISHED he still had it so I could have laid my claim lol.

I then thought a small globe collection atop my sons freestanding wardrobe would look really great and keep within his whole "world traveller" theme at the moment. Unlike the popular toy of the year if he ever tires of this display I can always move it to another area of the house.

(amyla174 @ flickr)

(craftybird @ flickr)

(Elle decor via Terramia)

(gemstone globes)

(Karenpeacock @ flickr)

I love these vintage globes!

(style at home via Design Smack)

(Murray Hudson)

(Murray Hudson)

A rather eclectic look but I love this lamp!

(Scott Sanders via Terramia)

(Scott Sanders via Terramia)

(Shootfactory via Terramia)

(UK easy living via Anastasia drawings and dreaming)

(university of washington)

(shootfactory via Terramia)

(nineinchnachos11 @ flickr)

I love this idea of a globe chalkboard in a workspace :)

(romanlily @ flickr)

A cute and kitsch collection.


(paris parfait)

I just found this gorgeous pic of antique globes I had to add from over at paris parfait, my new favourite blog discovery :)

Those were some of the amazing globe groupings I found and loved, I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did :)

Think like a stylist...think like Matthew Mead!! (week two of our collaboration)

With the continuing trend toward plunging temperatures, those of us in colder climes are forced indoors to escape the freezing cold. This of course leads to thoughts of decorating, for those of us who share this passion. As we attempt to warm ourselves by the fire, we start noticing the predictability of our rooms, the tired arrangements, and the pillows and blankets that have seen better days. Suddenly, a lightbulb goes off: what if we were to actually add a little spark to our decor...add to our collections (or start new ones), and repurpose that which we already have?

Who better to look to for style inspiration than our good friend (and style guru) Matthew Mead? As promised, Matthew is back with another good kick in our decorating pants (although he's too nice to actually deliver a real kick) to spring us into action and vamp up our spaces.

Here is Matthew's tip of the week and for those of us who like to shop...well, we just have to follow his advice. After all, if Matthew Mead tells you to do it, that should be reason enough!!

He said: Collect something new

"There is no better way for me to rebound from a style slump than to get out and look for something beyond my comfort zone. I am a huge fan of British and Australian magazines and often try to emulate their exceptional sensibility for mixing old with modern. In that effort, I go on a hunt for items with a colorful and shapely pedigree from the 60's. Jenny (my wife) has a penchant for Eva Zeisle pottery and dishes... I always pick up Russell Wright dining sets in great colors (chartreuse is one of my favorites). I like art, Eames inspired chairs and tables and all types of modern hanging light fixtures and graphic objects (my new web site debuting in February will be a real glimpse inside how my style is influenced by this design period.) These scavenger hunts become an inspirational game for me as I search for these objects amongst the myriad of collectibles out there. Its fun to see how many of one thing you can find in a day to create an instant collection and to see how similar items can be priced so differently. So try it for yourself... purchase a few new surprise antiques that bring a breath of fresh air to what you already have and makes your vignettes a bit more unexpected."

Here are some fine examples of how adding to our collections can perk up our home. This is Matthew's weekend bounty...(all photos courtesy Matthew Mead, unless otherwise noted):

"I discovered these new modern elements on my antiquing foray this weekend. The colors and shapes are just the "kick" that my traditional collections need."


"This mini chartreuse vase is perfect for flowers or greens on my desk... look at how the shape and color mix well with an early yellow ware bowl, old porcelain knobs strung on string and a classic gold leaf picture frame... all the items in the mix get a breath of new life."


"The blue translucent bowl provides "pop" and relief for country transferware... I feel like I have a whole new set of dishes!"


"An Eva Zeisle creamer is at home with ironstone mugs made decades and decades earlier."


"I just love bringing in "new" old things to my collections... a great and easy tip for blending... think about coordinating colors for a seamless mix of generational items."...Matthew Mead


She said: Speaking of vignettes...

Enter the stylist...and in this case, I mean you! I have always thought that the stylists have the best jobs in the magazine world. Dreaming up themes for the photo shoot, hunting down the appropriate props and treasures, tweaking and adjusting, guiding the photographer...really who wouldn't want that job? Well, maybe it's not as glamorous as it seems, but there is nothing stopping us from being the creative director of our own home.

As Matthew suggested, have another look at what adorns your walls. Have you had the same tired artwork on your walls? Even if you love what's there, why not try something else for a short time? Artfully arranged plates, collectibles, even your child's framed artwork...you may be surprised at just how easy it is to change style directions even if it is just for a season or two.

Finally, never ignore the style impact of the vignette. Examine all your landing places: do your shelves, tables, dressers, sideboards and countertops simply serve as a holding spot for clutter, half-hearted attempts at accessorizing, or accidental displays? If so, think like a stylist: pretend you are actually thinking of photographing the vignette. Do the items displayed complement each other, are they to scale, or could they be rearranged to have more impact? Peruse your own home for items to try. Simply moving items to another spot can enhance their appeal. Think like a stylist when decorating your seasonal home! Seasonal decorating is not a permanent fix; rather a way to rediscover your treasures, the features of your home, and incorporate elements particular to that season. Embrace the season...and all it has to offer!

Here are some examples of great styling:

photo sources: (above ): Matthew Mead Style; (top right): source unknown

photo source: Pottery Barn

Blue Monday...or Not!!

Years ago, laundry was typically done on Mondays and it was a hugely laborious day. Housewives and daughters gathered up all the dirty clothes, boiled up huge pots of water, used their hand made soap and scrubbed article after article of soiled clothing using rocks - and later, scrub boards and brushes, and wrung them out using a hand ringer. It was painstaking and dreaded work and that is where the term Blue Monday originated.

Fast forward decades later and we still complain about doing laundry despite the many creature comforts afforded us. Today, we are faced with incredible choices with regards to our laundry needs. In fact, even the aesthetics of washers and dryers have become quite important to us! We can choose between top or front-loading, steam wash options, heavy-duty/extra capacity- whatever our fancy. One can purchase steel blue or tangerine coloured machines, steam machines to do our ironing, the list goes on and on...

photo source: Pottery Barn

I, and many others, am fascinated by the laundry implements of yesteryear. I have searched for and found a hand wringer, scrub board, soap cage, and fan-style drying rack to bring vintage charm to my own laundry area. I placed large laundry soaps and clothes pegs in old jars, vinegar and dry bleach in large glass containers with labelled metal tags, and emptied out my modern day laundry soap into an enamel bin that is labelled LAUNDRY. I love this nod to the origins of "wash day", however, I can't help wondering what our great-grandmothers would say if they could see us now. They'd probably shake their heads and scowl at such a silly pre-occupation with a chore they so detested!!!

**the top two photos show my present (left) and former (right) laundry rooms. **

"These are a few of my favorite things..."

We all have belongings we love, or "treasures" as I like to call them. They are the things that when we look at them, they make us happy- no regrets- and it seems as if we will never tire of them. As someone who easily bores, that is a big job for my poor accessories. There are a few items that make me feel that way, though. I'm not guaranteeing that I'll never change a few of them out, but for now, they make me smile and feel as though everything is right with my decorative world for the moment- (I truly am deeper than this, but this is a decorating blog, remember!).

I love lighting!! I really feel it is the jewellry of a home and you cannot scrimp on this!! That said, I am not dictating that you have to spend a fortune on your lighting needs. I have been very lucky and found the vast majority of my lights at local sources... more on this in a later entry. I also love to frequent my local flea market for vintage finds. I love things that have been loved and used by someone from the past. I have purchased old toys, an antique (I use the term loosely) baby sled, milk glass, handmade folk art dolls, my vintage Sunbeam mixer, etc. I don't go as much lately, but those first few outdoor markets reap a ton of fun stuff. I love the challenge of making a silk purse out of a sow's ear and have even found treasures at the Dollar Store like my glass knobs (used as shower curtain rings) altered for use as a way to hang my kitchen window valances.

The above photo shows one of my daughter's baby dresses fastened over a lampshade to dress up her bedside lamp. Safe, because the top is open and looks so pretty lit up. Look at your own objects and see how they can be used in different ways. You will feel more pride of ownership if you make or tweak things yourself into objects of beauty. What are your favorite things...??