Apricot Delight

I am a big romantic, and therefore a real sucker for weddings. What better excuse to dress up and sip champagne than to watch two people share their joy with all their loved ones. When I saw these wedding photos I knew I had to share them with you. Such beautiful, soft colours, and exquisite styling by Cynthia Martin of Cynthia Martin Events.

I love the centerpiece with the antique crate laden with apricots in contrast to the crystal glasses

Lovely use of flowers in different glass vases - that peony in the front is divine!

Beautifully printed menus and a single rose on each plate

Yum, I'm feeling quite thirsty looking at the perfectly matched champagne cocktails

The beautiful bride - the colours suit her so well

pictures sourced from here via here

DIY Hooks and Handles

I love this idea of using toy animal heads as hooks for hanging jewellery or small items on.

This one is all made and available from here

Or have a go at making your own, for instructions click here

And here's another great use of toy animals - a fun desk make-over using blue zebra print paper on top and toy dinosaurs as handles. The pencil holder on the wall is also a neat idea. Are you feeling inspired yet?

To read more about this makeover click here

Jessie's Bedroom Makeover

I particularly love the black & white with the bright colours

I posted this image recently and commented on how it had inspired me to make-over my eldest daughter's room. She is nearly nine years old and I'd love to give her a really 'cool' room where she can hang out with her friends, listen to music and read about her fav celeb, Selena Gomez. If anyone has any recommendations on where I could find great bedding and rugs (I really like the graphic, geometric look in the room above), please let me know.

This room also has the feel I'm going for - young and fun, but a little more grown up

Jess is an animal lover and this poster would be perfect for her wall

Cute striped rug in sorbet colours from Kidzspace

I also love the contrast of the vivid colours against the black in this rug

PBTeen (Pottery Barn) now ships to NZ and has a neat range of bedding and furniture for teens and tweens

The Amazing Race Australia

Today's posting is a little bit different... Over the last 6 weeks or so, my girls and I have become big fans of 'The Amazing Race Australia'. I've watched the American series before, but, maybe because we're all from 'down under', the Aussies were really fun to watch. So many laughs with the Big W Ladies, Mos & Mo, the Cowboys (Matt cracked me up!). But funnily enough all our favs made it through to the final, which aired last night here in NZ.

My youngest at 6 years, Luca, loved the surfie boys, Tyler & Nathan, who were very strong throughout the race and ended up winning.

Jessie, my 8 year old, was all Girl Power and backed Sam & Renae, who did really well as an all women team. They finished second.

And Luca's twin sister, Mia, and I were cheering for Luke & Jeff who came third. I thought their story was great - father and son, the dad, Jeff, had left when Luke was 15 yrs, and they had a bit of a fractured relationship. Not that that was great, but it was awesome to see the bond and trust grow between them over the course of the race.

What a cool thing to be able to do - race around the world, see so many amazing places, push yourself to new limits, all with your best mate/boyfriend/brother/sister... I was surprised that my twins were interested in the show, but they loved watching the challenges, and seeing all the different countries. Are any of you Reality TV fans, and if so, what's your favourite!

Every Room in the House

The Beautiful Soup is a fabulous blog showcasing amazing spaces and places in the home. I have chosen a favourite room in each of the categories. Have a look for yourself, it's a great place for inspiration.

This cute bedroom has a real Scandinavian flavour. Love the cushions, the artwork, the bedside lamps,
and I really want to know where the ladder leads.

Cool hallway with mirror collection. I might borrow that idea to have a simple shelf in the hall.
Fab sliding door leading into lovely relaxed lounge.

Again, Scandinavian feel - love the art and patterns against the white.

So many of my favs - booth-style seating, typography, my love of deer, industrial light...

I want to live here - awesome floor, lovely big table, mis-matched chairs, Smeg fridge, massive windows, splashes of colour against white!

There were so many gorgeous bathrooms, but I really love this outdoor shower - perfect for after the beach.

The basins - oh la la!

Gorgeous! This has inspired me to redecorate my daughter's room.

Would definitely like to sit out here and sip gin & tonic!

Cool work space. The rug is yum, and leads your eye through to the quirky yellow fire place.

Adelaide Hills Home

I am so impressed and inspired by this beautiful home in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. The owners started with a rabbit warren, with too many doors leading into lots of pokey rooms, but after a long slog they transformed it, and I think you will agree that they have done a fantastic job. I love the library with it's glorious window seat, also the kitchen, the bathrooms, the stunning entranceway... Click here for more photos, including before shots.