SodaStream was a favourite of mine when I was a kid, and it's just as popular as ever now. You know it's super cool when Scarlett Johansson is their global brand ambassador!
I was excited when I first saw the colourful SodaStream PLAY machines. Available in black, white, yellow, blue and red, the sleek new design looks amazing and will be a fabulous addition to your kitchen bench - far too good to hide away. I love the glossy yellow against our pink kitchen wall.
I've been having lots of fun trying the different flavours and creating fun drinks for everyone. The kids love my Raspberry Coolers made with Sugar Free Cranberry-Raspberry, a handful of organic raspberries, and a sprig of mint.
My husband's favourite is sparkling water - he's easy to please! We keep a bottle in the fridge - it's a lovely alternative to still tap water. To make it a bit special I add a dash of lime juice and some cucumber, it's so refreshing, and will be a great Summer staple.
If I've got some girlfriends coming over I whip up a bottle of Sugar Free Pink Grapefruit. It's delicious as is, but try adding a splash of gin and a slice of lemon - the girls will love it.
There are so many flavours to try, including the single serve SodaCaps. If you haven't already got a SodaStream machine, why not put one on your Christmas wish list, or pick one up today, before your favourite colour sells out. Try Noel Leemings for a yellow SodaStream Play like mine, you won't regret it. And check out the SodaStream NZ Facebook page for more recipes, special offers, and competitions.
I wanted to tell you about a little DIY project I did recently. I had bought a Cage Side Table from Big Save Furniture but decided I wanted to do something with the top, which was a dark stained and varnished wood. So I popped in to see the guys at Complete Paints in Onekawa, Napier and discussed my options with them. I thought about painting it a bright glossy colour, but when Graeme mentioned metallics I was sold. He told me he could put my chosen metallic into a spray can for easy application, so we looked at all the different colours and I chose a rich copper tone.
If you live in Napier you may not realise that Complete Paints (23 Ford Road, Onekawa) is open to the general public. They deal with a lot of trade customers, but also welcome retail customers, they're super knowledgable, and happy to help those of us who aren't as familiar with which products we need. Graeme explained the process and the products I'd need to complete this project, and Brad was on hand to help me with each step.
I'm so happy with the result, the copper top looks fantastic on the white cage base, and it looks right at home in our living room. If you'd like to do a similar project you can find all the instructions on the Complete Paints project page. And, no matter where you live in New Zealand, you can buy all the products on their website, including the gorgeous copper spray paint. For a limited time you'll get 10% OFF if you purchase the complete project package, so head on over and get busy with your own copper painted project.
As the school holidays and my beautiful kids encroach into my working day, I hope you forgive me for a simple post today. I wanted to show you a few recent images from my Instagram. This is where I post mostly images 'behind the scenes' of my home, life & work.
If you want to get a really good feel for person's style, check out their Instagram account, especially on your computer rather than in the actual app. My love of colour and pattern, and the sea is quite evident. What does your Instagram say about you?
If you're a long-time follower of the blog you may remember my post from a couple of years ago featuring ixxi, an amazing decorative wall system created from a series of small squares snapped together with x's and i's. You can choose a single image, either your own or one from their image bank; or create a montage or a design from individual squares pieced together.
I've been dying to try out the system, so was really excited when I was contacted by ixxi recently and asked if I'd work with them on a collaboration for their blog - ixxi your world. Of course I jumped at the chance, and the next thing was to decide which image to use.
I knew the spot for my ixxi. Our kitchen and dining room are the last spaces in our home to get my attention. I wanted a piece of artwork with some impact for the back wall of the dining room, which you see when you walk in the back door. Our home has a laid-back coastal vibe with lots of colour and pattern - a real mix of Mark and my interests. So I chose a very cool surfing photo by US photographer Stephanie Sherman. Stephanie was kind enough to let me use the image and forwarded the digital file to ixxi for me.
It was an exciting day when the ixxi box arrived all the way from The Netherlands looking very smart.
I thought it might be a two-man job and waited to put it together until the weekend when Mark was home. But when he was more interested in tinkering with his mountain bike I decided to go it alone. I was pleasantly surprised how simple it was, and had a real sense of accomplishment when I stood back to see it hanging on the wall.
At first I was worried that I would tear the corner of the ixxi squares when I pushed the x's in, but the panels are extremely strong and durable. I just put both thumbs on either side of the hole and pushed down gently but firmly. The x's and i's just snapped into place.
When completed I attached the special band provided to the wall and snapped the entire ixxi onto it. I used a tape measure and level to make sure the band was in the right place, and it looked fantastic. Honestly, I was so impressed with how easy the whole process was.
When we got home from our holiday a couple of days ago, I opened the door and my ixxi was the first thing I saw - it made me smile, I love it! Now to rip up the horrid old lino and get a new table and chairs! ;) I can now happily recommend ixxi to all of you, it's such a great product. Pop over to their website to see exactly how it works.
There's always a lot going on in my life behind the scenes of this blog. I'm always on the look out for great products to use in our Bibby + Brady interiors, often trialling them in my own home before I recommend the same products for clients (tough job, I know!). Sometimes I'm lucky enough to be gifted products too, like these cute little concrete and metallic pots by Zebony Design.
Ebony Harvey, founder of Zebony Design, is a busy mum of two. She creates a range of gorgeous pieces including these pots, which can be used as candle holders or little dishes, maybe pop a little succulent or two in. She also makes these fun, colourful necklaces (see below) - mine looks right at home with my other necklaces, I love it. As well as her website, you can also follow Zebony Design on Instagram.
I love great bedding and my latest purchase was a set of delicious linen sheets in soft grey from Jamie Kay. A great combination with my Kip & Co velvet duvet and pillowcases, the sheets are buttery soft. Definitely only linen sheets for me from now on, and they look even better messy!
Over the weekend Mark and I painted a magnetic stripe on the twins' bedroom wall using Resene Magnetic Magic and a top coat of Resene Knock Out. It runs from ceiling to floor down past the top and bottom bunk, giving the girls somewhere to display their favourite photos and cards. The very cool Zorro Dog postcard is from My Deer Art Shop. I bought the Super Dog poster for the girls' room, because it reminds me of our beautiful Sam. Maaike, the lovely founder of My Deer Art Shop, gifted me a set of the postcards too, which I adore.
When I was in Taupo recently I made a point of dropping into The Storehouse cafe in Runanga Street. Owned by locals, Brad Dellar and Sam King, and Brad's wife Melissa, it's a very cool cafe and shop. My coffee and scone were delicious, and the shop is full of great vintage furniture pieces, art, and amazing homeware. A 'must' if you're visiting Taupo.
Before I finish off this post, here's a very quick sneaky peek of my next project. I'm not going to say anything more at this stage, but keep an eye out for the reveal on the blog soon.
Yesterday I featured Dael's new loo on the blog, and today I'm going to show you mine. You may remember our recent bathroom renovation, well the loo is right next door and we used the same floor tiles to link the two rooms. I also wanted to carry on the coastal, beachy vibe - waves in the bathroom, palm trees in the toilet. We've got some great beaches here in Hawke's Bay, Napier is lined with palm trees, and I have a beach-loving family, so it seemed appropriate. Our wallpaper is Coconut Grove in emerald from Wall Candy Wallpaper.
Something (or someone) else we're proud to lay claim to in Hawke's Bay is David Trubridge and his internationally acclaimed lights. I chose his Kina design in white, as I felt the beautiful organic shape worked well in amongst the palm trees. It wouldn't be a room of mine without my signature touch of hot pink!
We added a Mocka floating shelf above the toilet, which fits perfectly on the back wall. It's a great way to add a few of my favourite things.
Speaking of favourite things... I love my collection of Ahoy Trader soaps from Republic Home. They look and smell gorgeous, made with essential oils, the fragrances include coconut, pink grapefruit, pineapple, peach, and basil, lime & mandarin.
Now, exciting news... one of you is going to WIN a set of Ahoy Trader soaps identical to mine. To enter the draw simple join the Republic Home mailing list and email me to let me know you've done so. You'll get an extra entry for 'liking' Republic Home on Facebook, following them on Instagram, and also 'liking' this blog post on my Facebook page (let me know which of these you've done in your email). I will randomly draw a winner next Friday 29th August, the winner will be notified by email and announced on Facebook - good luck.
Competition only open to New Zealanders.
COMPETITION NOW CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER, HAYLEY WILKINSON.
You may remember a post I did earlier this year on the amazingly cool painted paddles from Contact Voyaging Co. Canadian artist, Alex Jowett, paints a range of simple but stunning patterns onto the paddles, which can be used in the traditional 'paddle' sense, or as a piece of art.
I couldn't be more excited to now have my very own Contact Voyaging Co. paddle hanging on our living room wall. It'll come as no surprise to most of you that I chose the Pink Cross, which I think looks pretty darn good with my Armadillo&Co Caravan rug.
You can buy your own paddle on Alex's Etsy site, as well as his awesome lights, cushions, and artwork.
I recently learnt about a great New Zealand company helping brands connect with their audience, while helping charities with their cause. Little Lot realised that people spend a large part of their day looking at their computer and phone screens, so they created a social movement that connects individuals with the brands they love via their desktops and lockscreens. By signing up for Little Lot you also get to give to your favourite cause without costing you a cent.
This is how it works... it's completely free to join Little Lot, and when you sign up you get to choose which sort of brands you'd like to see - music, fashion, design, travel... Each day you'll get a new ad - I love switching my computer on each morning to see who's going to greet me. It was great the first day I saw my own ad.
You also get to choose your favourite cause - I chose Paw Justice, who work with the community to reduce animal abuse and cruelty. Each time you get a new wallpaper that advertiser makes a cash donation to the cause you care about. Your cause gets much needed funding all because you invited the advertiser into your personal space.
We all have a lot to give, so why not help those that only have a little. It's simple really, and quite brilliant, don't you think? Here are a few of my favourite wallpapers, but remember that your wallpapers will relate to things that you love.
And for the advertisers, you get to connect directly with the right individuals in their most personal spaces. A computer desktop is like a digital billboard with a 24 hour impression. And the phone lockscreen is viewed up to 150 times a day. You can find out more here.
Pop over and download the Little Lot wallpaper app today. It's a win, win!
