today's inspiration / (more) dining tables and bar carts

the rug in the above dining room is an ebay purchase and it is gorgeous, isn't it? found it here

bar carts are on of my favourite things (they are super cool aren't they?) I just adore the cart above
found here

another lovely table (with bar cart in the corner!) love the wall art 

found here

two more adorable carts (above) found here - isn't this orange one great? Love it!

And now...
here are the recipients of the sweetest blog award:

mix and chic;
dolce dreams;
a kiss from the past;
jarrah jungle;
la-la linh;
hattatt;
melli's designs;
fryd+design;
thea and sami;
the white shed;
carla loves photography;
mom's turf

congrats everyone!

and now...
for the 7 random things about myself...

well...I'm an aries which means...
I'm stubborn, bossy...a perfectionist,
I hate clutter (infact you can find me sorting out wardrobes and cupboards in my spare time!)
I love my children &
I love entertaining :)

there you go, this is all from me for now...

have a great night everyone and


take care,


Claudia xo

inspire me monday / dining table love

Found the above image on pinterest and instantly loved it, I think it's so much fun!
Talking about dining tables, ours is in need of attention (and this is what it looked like on the w/end)

we have had it for eight years now and it's served us well, we've had lots of dinner parties, family gatherings, children birthdays and shared lots of delicious food on it, we definitely do not want to get rid of it (it would be a shame I think, it's a great table and very sturdy) hubby has started taking the varnish off it, once the old varnish has gone it will be sanded back ready for the new varnish (Buster supervised the whole operation from the couch as you can see...such a spoilt dog!)

On Sunday morning I made pancakes for the children (both hubby and I were tummy sick and didn't feel like eating) but the cakes looked delicious
my youngest had hers with maple syrup, strawberries and icing sugar (below)

I, on the other end, had this for lunch (below)...(not very appetising I know but incredibly soothing for the stomach!)

Wish you all a great week

Take care,

Claudia xo

on a beautiful winter day

The sky is blue and the air is warm...it's a stunning day in Sydney.
Been to yoga, done my grocery shopping and dinner is almost done
yes...feeling very energetic today...

dinner is going to be chicken, leek and mushroom pie (slowly cooking at the moment in my
favourite pot)

On a different note I wanted to show you a gorgeous present my hubby and I received yesterday (from a lovely friend of ours) two lovely little vases from dinosaur designs - here they are in all their glory in our kitchen, on the counter near the window

they look incredible when touched by natural light :) 

And there's an amazing light today...

the kitchen enjoyed a bit of it 

and so did the middle of the house :)

(impromptu shots, no styling I'm afraid)

now for the best part of my post, here are the 15 blogs I'm passing the "one lovely blog award" on to:

sanctuary ;
the buzz;
blue fruit;
gold and gray;
anya adores;
lovely things;
oh it's just perfect;
my sweet prints;
pretty green tea;
st john's wood;
schue love;
living a goddess life;
finishing touch interiors ;
tales of a tai tai;
always dreaming.

Congrats guys! Some old favourites and some new ones (all wonderful and inspirational)

Oh and stay tuned because my next post will contain the names of the 15 "sweetest blog" recipients.

Bye for now

take care and enjoy the week-end


Claudia xo

a cowhide for me

Today I finally bought a cowhide rug (from I like birds in Paddington)
I've been wanting one for ages and it's sooo exciting to finally get one!!!

here it is.

isn't it gorgeous? the hair is slightly longer and the colours are lovely -
I think one of Louise's pouffes (love this one) would look delicious on it :)
I don't really have a spot for it yet but I will find one.

On a different note I'd like to thank Jerome from Maison de lin and Jess from Avant-garde living
for sending their love (in the shape of awards) this way. I'm so, so flattered! thank you guys!
Now I have to nominate 15 lovely blogs for Jerome and 15 for Jess (but I need a bit more time, there are so many lovely bloggers who deserve the award) the deal is that I also have to reveal some things about myself (I'll do that in my next post :)

Have a lovely afternoon everyone 

take care,

Claudia xo

cafe series / a project

An idea I had a few years ago sat in my drawer for a very long time an then one day, a few months ago, I decided to bring it to life so I sketched it and now...well I've decided to share it
I wanted to create a collection of "work with a view" from (sitting at) famous cafes around the world. Here I'm showing my Rome and Paris sketches, the year: 1969, the look: faded, the colours: pale, muted, soft, like someone's (beautiful) memory.
It's a moment in time being caught forever on paper.

what do you think?



Claudia xo

A colonial homestead in country NSW

here

Built in the 1840's and recently restored this beauty is a fine example of what country NSW has on offer in terms of land and properties, for keen buyers/renovators. It's become a bit of a trend (lately), to own a "weekender" a place to escape to whenever possible and where to relax, slow down, de-stress even entertain family and friends on special occasions...Sounds great, doesn't it?
Personally I would love to own a country property (...one day...) perhaps starting form scratch (?) would be very rewarding (and satisfying for the designer in me?)...a lovely dream...I'll keep working at it :)

How about you? do you dream of owning a weekender? Or are you already living the dream?

Have a wonderful week :)


Claudia xo

Have a lovely week-end

wish you were here

A bit cold still here in Sydney but I'm happy it's Saturday (finally!)
Am a bit sore from yoga but feeling great. Went for a long walk this morning and felt energised afterwards...Bought some fresh flowers...I'm ready to tackle the w-end!

What are your plans? Anything exciting?

Hope you have a great one. Enjoy :)



Claudia xo

Fashion inspiration / Charlotte Casiraghi graces french vogue

Isn't she beautiful? And she looks stunning on the cover of the September issue of french vogue
(check it out here)

And

 now

for

a 

bit

of 

~ modern wisdom ~

he he! was found on pinterest

Have a wonderful day

Claudia xo

Wednesday love / bright

~ In the mood for something bright and happy today ~

(and you?)

etsy

pinterest

coco pearl

houzz.com

mixr.se

prepfection.tumblr.com

take care,

Claudia xo

week recap / bits and pieces from me

Work:Caravaggio pendant lighting: designed by Cecilie Manz 
I've chosen these stunning pendants for two of my clients (and been given the tick of approval...joy!) they look simply stunning and come in different sizes and colours. check them out here

Beauty:Aesop anti-oxidant eye cream and anti-oxidant serum (only discovered this week!) are now a very important part of my daily routine. These products are made with plant based ingredients and non botanical elements and feel great when applied on the skin (plus the young man at the counter was incredibly helpful and gave me lots of tips and samples to take home-just great!) check them out here

Did you know? Seed also offers a lovely selection of clothing for women? (as well as girl, boy and baby) I didn't. I was in DJ's at Bondi J a few days ago and stumbled across the label in the ladies section (!) It was a pleasant surprise (find some lovely accessories and casual inspirational looks here)

Cleaning:Murchison-Hume products are stunning to look at and eco friendly (what more can you ask for?) sounds perfect to me! My favourite is the Heirloom dishwashing liquid (here)

Health and lifestyle:yoga is great for both body and soul. It's been a year since I've injured my back and given up gym, tennis and (yes) my beloved yoga! I'm so thrilled to announce that I've started exercising again (I can even do steep hills now!!) and I'm back at yoga (YES!). I feel great!

google

Well this is me for now!

Wish you all a great rest of the week-end and a healthy + wonderful week ahead :)

Love,

Claudia xo

House tour / Susan and William Brinson

She is an art director and has her own stationery line, he is a commercial photographer and this is their home (filled with gorgeous objects, loads of personality, great colours...a great space!)
I love the quirky details and am totally inspired by it.
Hope you enjoy too :)

read and see more here

Have a fantastic day!

Love,

Claudia xo

on a rainy day

Today's inspiration

Claudio Tajoli's beautiful photographs...

These are so inspirational...beauty found in unexpected places...sheer genius...

See more here 

Red + white

a delightful colour combo...so fresh, so lovely (a favourite of mine)

 here

and This

here 

Finally...

I've baked this delicious chocolate pear pudding this afternoon (Nigella's recipe)...

it's yum! the recipe was found here

Have a fantastic week everyone

Love,

Claudia xo

cafe society

                     the gorgeous "Granola" cafe in Copenhagen above (read more about it here )
             I really love the look of it (I mean tolix chairs and industrial style pendants? LOVE at first
                sight!)


              And for some lovely organic produce...

                        The charming "Daylesford organic" in Munich -above- is a must! (visit it here)
                      It looks divine and the food scrumptious.

                       Here in Sydney I love "The Boathouse" at Palm Beach

                      A beautiful location...

      ...gorgeous decor and beautiful food (yummy breakfast and lunch menus to choose from)

    what more can you ask for? (check it out here)

Have a spectacular day...

(if you are in Sydney you are in for a treat - a gorgeous blue sky and 23 C. Enjoy! )

Love,

Claudia xo