Kuratau

I'm feeling well and truly rested after another fabulous Girls' Weekend away. In direct contrast to the shopping and nightlife extravaganza of last year, this year we spent a couple of days at our family bach in Kuratau, which is the far side of lake Taupo. It was typical Taupo autumn weather - cool, crisp and very fresh. 


These first photos are of the view from our lunch table at the Lakeland House Restaurant in Waihi Village, just five minutes drive from our place.

Saturday afternoon and evening consisted of chick flicks, bubbles, cheese platters and lots of laughs. So on Sunday morning, after a leisurely sleep-in (such bliss for five mothers of small children!), we donned our trainers and hit the walking tracks. The perfect way to end our weekend!

My beautiful friend, Leigh, & I - 'au natural' with no makeup and our favourite trackies!

Leigh & Lise stride ahead

Perfect water skiing conditions

My favourite Kuratau bach, right on the lakefront - all closed up with nobody home!

Prints & Posters

I'm always on the hunt for cool prints and posters to liven up our walls, particularly (at the moment) my three girls' rooms. My problem is trying to decide which ones, there are so many I like. Here are just a few of my current favs...

Multi-Triangles | Smile

FÜR NEIL

Lion | Toucan

Masked | Le Chat

I also wanted to let you know that I'm off on our 'girl's weekend away' - just me and four of my besties. Not a huge shopping trip like last year in Wellington, we're heading to the bach at Taupo this time, so there will be lots of bubbles on the deck, long walks, maybe a chick flick, and much hilarity! Our children will be in the very capable hands of our husbands - thanks goodness my eldest can help with her little sisters' hair, otherwise they would look like cave kids by Sunday : ) We leave tomorrow, so will catch you all back here next week.

image source

Oh, and if anyone is interested in putting your order in for one of the beautiful Indian quilts that I am getting for the Cush & Nooks store, drop me an email. You can see the different styles and colours on my Facebook page. A gorgeous 100% cotton lightweight bedspread or quilt, they feature a bright and modern floral motif on the front, and plain, off-white cotton on the reverse. Layers of cloth have been sewn together using thousands of small and delicate 'Kantha' stitches. Hand embroidered in West Bengal, these increasingly popular bedspreads or throws provide the artisans with their livelihood.

They measure 150cm x 225cm and will be on sale for NZ$180.00 + $10 shipping. I will be placing the order next week, and then they will take a couple of weeks to come from India.

Coast New Zealand

We've had a beautiful Anzac Day today. For anyone in the Northern hemsiphere who may not know what Anzac Day is... it's a day for Australian's and New Zealander's to remember and honor our fallen soldiers. We have been super fortunate that it's been a stunner of an Autumn day, and we've enjoyed a lot of time outdoors with extended family.

We Kiwis and Aussies are renowned for enjoying our outdoor lifestyles. A fabulous company called Coast New Zealand aims to allow you to live outdoors without sacrificing comfort or style, with their gorgeous range of furniture and accessories. The new Bach Basics collection is an indoor/outdoor bean bag that comes in two popular styles and three contemporary colours.

For a great punch of colour on those lovely Autumn days, try one of Coast's Sunbrella Outdoor Cushions. These are made from marine-grade Sunbrella fabric, guaranteed to be resistant to fading and deterioration, even when left outdoors.

And, as the sun dips down behind the hills, you'll be wanting one of these fire pits exclusive to Coast's concept store, The Outdoor Room. Having one of these on your patio means that you get to spend even more time outdoors, enjoying the warmth and the atmosphere created by the aptly named, Angelina and Brad fire pit (they are both pretty hot!).

Angelina - left | Brad - right

Kilim Rugs

I fell in love with Kilim rugs when I started seeing them starring in several of the beautiful homes I've featured, and I vow to have at least one in our own home by the end of this year. The one below is one of my favourites from Loom in Melbourne.

The word 'kilim' describes a hand-woven rug with a smooth surface and no pile (as opposed to Persian rugs). Famous for their rich colours, warm tones, and beautiful geometric designs, each kilim is unique - even with new production, no two are identical. The Greeks, Romans, Armenians, Kurds, Assyrian and Turkic people have all contributed to kilim history, and now you will find them in many Western homes, looking fabulous and adding a touch of boho.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Jade Jagger's Indian Abode

I've died and gone to heaven!... well, close, It's actually Jade Jagger's gorgeous home in Goa, India. I just adore the sumptuous mix of patterns in the textiles and china; and all the different textures - woven mats over slate tiles, delicate china plates sitting on rustic wood shelves; cottons & silks... heaven!

Love those handles

My favourite!

picture source

A Home to Brighten your Day

Come with me while I take you on a tour of Anki and Casper's home. Based in the Netherlands, and also housing their two sons, Wolf and Mus, Anki wanted their home to be colourful, fun, and a place where they could all be themselves. Five years ago she and Casper completely gutted and remodelled their family home. They started with a white backdrop so that all their colourful pieces would really pop out. "Life is so serious at the moment, we all need a place that brightens our lives", says Anki. As Anki and Casper have grown into their house, they've mixed practical ideas with a style that makes them smile.

Lovely open plan living

A lovely mix of colours in the chairs, and patterns in the tiles and wallpaper

Pops of neon brighten the pretty kitchen

Great looking storage inside this cupboard

A perfect place to display some favourite pieces

This is obviously a child-friendly home!

A fabulous little display, and the different handles add interest to the sideboard

Love this little deer peeping out - quirky touches to make you smile

I adore this yellow side board and the print

A cute little home office tucked away behind a door off the bedroom

Nice colours and prints in the master bedroom

Anki obviously shares my love of yellow

This attic bedroom for the boys is a perfect play room

Every child's dream play house!

Ensuite Idea

I would love an ensuite in our room, and if we are in the same house in a few years when our three girls become teenagers, it will be essential to have our own bathroom. I've thought about how we would make it work in our bedroom, and have always liked the idea of having a wall behind our bed that acts like a headboard, but behind it is the ensuite. This Barcelona bathroom does just that. Interesting how they've left a glass panel, so you can see whoever is in the shower! Not sure if I would do that ;D

picture source