Beautiful artwork by Caitlin McGauley

I first noticed Caitlin McGauley's artwork in one of my favourite online magazines, Lonny. Have you checked it out? It is a must. Caitlin's work is positively beautiful. Her pieces would look perfect in my 'perfectly imperfect' home. The fact that she lives in NYC only furthers my envy of her - talented and she lives in one of the most fabulous city in the world! Here are some prints of her favourite places in NYC ......

For more of Caitlin's masterpieces check out her blog. Lucky for us she also has an online shop - squeak!

My week and bits and bobs.....

It has been a good week for my little family. I am loving working a couple of days a week and the fact that we have been 2 whole weeks without illness is an added bonus - don't want to jinx myself though. Yet despite this, I still feel like I have bitten off more than I can chew. Do you ever feel this way? I have all these plans and ideas in my head, but I don't seem to be able to pull them off. Lets face it, sometimes there is simply not enough hours in the day. Having said that, right now I should be cleaning the house, painting our bedroom or even painting the back fence like I had promised, don't even get me started on the endless filing that I am yet to start, but instead I have decided to blog.
Did I mention that after grocery shopping with the little man this week, somewhere between the shopping centre and home, I misplaced a bag of groceries - of course it was the bag with the milk in it! I once had quite a good memory. I joke to my husband that I knocked off a few brain cells from pushing so hard during labour.
Anyway, I am rambling. It is Friday, the weather is getting cooler here in Brisbane and I am so glad it is the weekend. On that note, how about I share a few of my favourite photos and finds from this week.

My obsession with kitchens continues:

Given my gardening craze, one of my new favourite blogs is Covet Garden Blog. This is a seriously good find and once again, I am so inspired by how many creative people are out there in cyberspace. Here is a cute pic from their sugared flower cupcake post from this week.

For the readers out there who have a veggie patch, any ideas on how to kills pests that constantly chomp at our spinach crop? I have tried the organic approach but fear I may have to resort to hardcore pesticides. I will also plant some marigold this weekend to see if this helps (meant to be good for pests). Further to my veggie patch obsession, I have just finished reading this book.

This book is easy to follow for the aspiring gardener and the photography is fantastic - The Veggie Patch Co.

It has been a while since I have had a spend up. I am thinking that I should request one of these as a mother's day gift! Which one would you choose?

And finally my new favourite skin product - Rosehip oil. Thanks to this brilliant book by Zoe Foster, I have recently started using this skin product religiously. With breastfeeding and what not, my skin was looking dry and dull. This little baby has made all the difference. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

While you are at it, why not buy Zoe's book? It is full of great beauty tips for clueless people like me and would make a great gift for your bestie. Zoe also does weekly (I think!) postings on Mamamia.

All photos from pinterest

Book covers from fishpond

 Have a good weekend....

K x

Anzac Day

ANZAC Day – 25th April – is one of Australia's most important national occasions. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. Tomorrow, let us remember all those brave men and women who have fought for our country, protecting our freedom  - 'lest we forget'.

All the photos for this post were taken by my brother from the ANZAC Day march here in Brisbane during 2011. For more photos go to -  www.tomwhelanphotography.com

Unforgettable dresses

For Christmas, my little brother gave me a beautiful book called 100 Unforgettable Dresses by Hal Rubenstein . Over the last couple of days I have finally had an opportunity to sit down and read it. I am not a girly girl by any stretch of the imagination, but I do appreciate beautiful dresses and often find myself admiring them on celebrities. So, for this post I have put together 4 photos of what I consider 'unforgettable dresses'. This is in recent times, lets say the last decade.

Dress number 1: This was the vintage Christian Dior dress that Reese Witherspoon wore to the 2006 Oscars. I have always loved it because well, it sparkles. Beautiful and understated and yet it definitely says, look at me!

Dress number 2 & 3: I have always loved Michelle Williams sense of style. This was the Givenchy Haute Couture gown that she wore for the Golden Globe Awards in 2006. You will also remember the gorgeous yellow Vera Wang gown that she wore to the Academy Awards that same year. As much as I love yellow, this beautiful plum/purple gown is an absolute show stopper. For me, I just love the layers of tulle and its sense of fun. Of course I had to feature the yellow gown too. The red lipstick and gorgeous jewellery, need I say anymore?

Dress number 4: But this dress will forever be my absolute favourite. SJP wore so many great clothes in SATC, but for me this takes the cake - Versace Couture. Love it. It sparkles, I love the intracy of the bodice and little sleeves and adore her hair in that low bun. I have read that this dress was worth $80,000.

What would be on your list of 'unforgettable dresses'?

All images from Pinterest

I am back .... (again)...

I have missed sitting down and writing this blog.
There just isn't enough hours in the day at the moment. Sickness continues to plague my little family. Any tips on surviving the never ending germs at childcare?
No, not attending childcare is unfortunately not an option. Such are the woes of the modern day family.

Let me provide you with an update on the comings and goings of the past week or so.
The little man's first birthday has come and gone.
Despite the chaos, I did manage to make him a cake - a cake that he took one bite of and promptly threw on the floor.
You have to laugh. Not too bad an effort for my first birthday cake! We had a lovely day celebrating with my family. One year has absolutely flown by. It seems as though our little man has been with us forever!

During the week my husband and his mate Alex, (Alex has a landscaping business here in Brisbane called Envy Landscapes) have been doing some great work on the backyard too.
Really exciting. No photos yet - not until everything is finished. Over the next couple of weekends I am going to paint the back fence a dark purple colour. Should be an interesting project when trying to care for a busy one year old at the same time.

I was tickled pink to see that my freesia bulbs are beginning to grow ....

The veggie patch has been a bit neglected. The silverbeet is getting eaten alive, despite being drenched in organic pest spray. The tomato plants however are going crazy! (apologies for quality of photography)

More photos to come this week. Like last week, I will make promises to write more posts etc.

Lets see if this week I can actually pull it off!

Kate x

Wednesday foodie post

Just in case you haven't noticed, I am making up for lost time people. My head is buzzing with ideas and things to tell you. I am a huge fan of the blog The Design Files. Lucy Feagins is the brains behind this blog and it is constantly fantastic - seriously, look at it now. Now I tell you! This week The Design Files has introduced me to another food blog.
Do you know of a support group for people obsessed with food blogs?
I am quickly developing a problem and fear I maybe in need of an intervention.
Be still my heart.... Adeline and Lumiere

Bedroom dreaming

Have I mentioned that we are in the process of decorating our bedroom? 
Plantation shutters will be installed next month and I am determined to find the perfect shade of grey to paint our walls. I have also been toying with the idea of a wallpapered feature wall? So many possibilities and yet, such a limited budget ;)
Don't even get me started on bedheads! Imagine having the perfectly upholstered bedhead. Having said that, I love the idea of having a photo wall in our bedroom of special family shots too.

I love this mix of blue, grey and yellow. Grey and yellow are definitely one of my favourite colour combinations.

Sigh.... Look at those window shutters.

Love the simple stripe bedlinen.....

The perfect photo wall........

But I seriously love these wallpaper choices. Now just to persuade my husband.....

Bedheads .... Something bright and yellow would be perfect. 

I love Salvation Jane !

All pictures are from pinterest

Late Easter Treats....

Well my plans of doing an Easter post on Monday were ruined by more illness in my family. Needless to say there was no chocolate eaten in our household this Easter.
Ewwww ..... I still cringe at the thought.

Anyways, moving right along. Have I ever told you about my beautiful friend Sarah?
Not only is she clever, kind and incredibly funny but so, so creative.
She sent me these photos over the weekend. I am so sad I could not put them up sooner.
Sarah made these gorgeous Easter Bunny bags for her niece's and nephew's and then filled them with eggs. What a treat! Which one is your favourite? I think I like 'Pirate Bunny' the best.

Hope you all had a relaxing weekend and indulged in lots of chocolatey goodness.

Random thoughts .... and Happy Easter!

Firstly, I apologise for being slack with posts this week. Be assured that next week, I will be back on track.
I am so looking forward to spending sometime at home this Easter long weekend. We simply love being at home, even more so now that we have a baby.
I was fortunate to grow up in a lovely home, not modern or flash, but full of warmth and beautiful things. To this day, I still have friends that remember my parents old house very fondly - it was a Queenslander that had a lot of character. Yes, I confess to having an unhealthy obsession with pinterest and architecturally designed homes that have been decorated and styled by interior designers, but in truth, I am much more interested in spaces and homes that are 'homely' and reflect the people who live in them.
I often joke to my friends that I love our little home because it is 'perfectly imperfect'- it is true!
Over the next few months as I become more familiar with my camera, I intend on posting photos of some vignette's from around our house. Speaking of which, you will be pleased to know that the veggie patch is coming along nicely. I have painted the old laundry tubs raspberry pink! They look great. I have also planted star jasmine in them to grow over the front of our deck.
I haven't forgotten about my regular baking post either. I have a very important baking challenge for next week when I bake my first birthday cake - 'Women's Weekly' style. My little boy is turning one. Oh God, please no baking disasters that day - imagine! Although it could make for a funny post. Don't worry. I will provide photos of the cake irrespective of its presentation.
Anyway, have a relaxing Easter and long weekend.

http://www.raspberricupcakes.com

Will post again early next week. Bear with me, I have some lovely posts planned for the upcoming weeks.

Kate xx

The modern day Dad...

We have had such a rotten weekend with illness. I cannot wait to have a relaxing time over Easter with my boys.

Today for the first time I went to work while my husband stayed at home to care for our sick little man. It was such a hard thing to do. I knew my husband would do a great job, but as a mother, I sometimes find this so terribly hard - to 'let go'.

Both my boys had a restful day, just chilling out at home. I came home to a little smile from baby, a clothes line full of clean clothes drying in the glorious Queensland sun and dinner cooked. Is it any wonder the little man's first word has been 'Dad'. Beautiful Dad's rock!

This photo is of Paul and Stella McCartney

via pinterest