Displaying posts from December, 2010

OK time to fess up. I stalk. I stalk homes for sale, I stalk designers, I stalk interiors photographers. Oh boy do I stalk interiors photographers. Something sexy about a hot home snapped just right by a guy or a gal with a camera to die for. It’s hard to top the last post by Kim but, oh my, the homes that Patric Johansson has photographed. To die for. Just like Patric’s photos themselves. (Previous evidence of stalking here.) So much more on the website. The man is in demand and I know why!

I saw a couple photos of a home on Emma’s blog the other day and I swear I thought I was going to have a stroke. It’s so perfectly eclectic and funky and random that I had to post it here so I can refer to it at least once a day for the next 10 years. (It belongs to interior designer Marie Olsson Nylander, her husband and 3 children and was featured in Residence magazine).

I’m drowning in Christmas must-does and must-goes. I’m drowning in unpacking and house zhushing. I’m drowning in real life work and day to day drudgery. I’m cranky and rude and rushed and tired. I’m just overwhelmed and my standards and expectations are way too high. Why does this time of year do this to me? I don’t need to be perfect. I don’t need to go everywhere, see everyone, clean behind the fridge before the family comes round. I need to step back, take a deep breath and evaluate what is important. Like life itself. This year the Australian Red Cross Blood Service has launched a new campaign… the perfect gift for Christmas. Give something that will really make a difference this Christmas  by donating blood and giving the gift of life.

The hard facts here in Australia:

• Every donation can save three lives.
• Every donation is valuable because 1 in 3 Australians will need blood, yet only 1 in 30 donates.
• The need for blood is constant and all blood components have a limited shelf life, which is why donations are needed every day. Blood and blood treatments are delivered to hospitals around Australia 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – even on Christmas Day.
• Australia needs over 26,000 blood donations every week to save lives and to meet the need of patients.
• Donations made in December could help patients recover to be home for Christmas or the New Year.

If you live in the Land of Aus maybe you can help ARCBS save lives this Christmas. Go here for more information.

I’ve said this plenty of times on the blog – I LOATHE WINTER. It’s only December 17th and I don’t know how I’m going to make it through the rest of the season. I wear flannel PJ’s to bed, which is made up with polar fleece sheets. I could use a little vacay from this nonsense, and since I likely have to wait until February to make it south, I thought a virtual trip to a villa in Pattaya, Thailand would do for now. Chakraphan wrote us an email with some photos of this heavenly villa he designed. It’s part of a grouping of 7 private villas called Villataya, each one containing 2-3 bedrooms, with 205 – 250 sq m of space and a private pool! It’s beautiful, and I’m about to close my eyes and attempt to teleport myself there…

I’ve got a little before & after for you all this morning. It’s from Sandra, whose dining room and den we’ve blogged in the past. She had an antique Victorian chair redone and wanted to share it with us. I absolutely love the fabric she selected – so fun! Thanks Sandra!