At a recent Bibby + Brady styling evening I met the lovely and talented Florence Charvin of Fotographie by Florence. Originally from France, Florence lives here in Hawke's Bay with her Kiwi husband and three adorable children. She is a fantastic photographer, and when looking through her portfolio I was absolutely charmed by the beautiful vintage feel of a lot of her photos.
Her creative talent spills over into her own home as you can see in these delightful photos.
As well as beautiful portraits, Florence is also available for weddings, fashion, and commercial shoots. She has done a lot of work for Redcurrent, and has most recently worked with Redcurrent owner, Rebecca Kain, on her book Faded Glamour - Nostalgia Revisited. The book was a journey of Rebecca's that took her back in time to the lives of her grandmothers, their homes and their way of living. It was built on a belief that the best things improve with time, developing a patina that comes with human use and love.
Here is just a taste of Florence's photographs that you can find in the book. Don't you think this would make a great gift?! Why not put one aside for a Christmas present.
To see more, and to keep up to date with Florence's work, make sure you visit her blog.
I always have a list of beautiful pieces that I want to add to my home and wardrobe. All of these things below are high on my wish list, and when grouping them together, it's easy to see the common thread. My high school uniform was green & blue, and I wasn't overly fond of it, but these days they happen to be two of my favourite colours...
These Rope Plant Hangers from Paper Plane are adorable, and will be perfect in our bathroom when it's finished. It's a shell of a room at the moment, with everything ripped out, we are starting from scratch. This plant hanger will bring a touch of colour and life to the new space.
I am a massive fan of Bonnie & Neill, I mean look at their gorgeous South Pacific range...
I want everything here!
Nothing like my old school uniform, this navy stripe Break Dress from Moochi is my kind of weekend wear teamed with my Converse sneakers.
I'm going to start this week off with two of my favourite things - a giveaway, and Etsy. Actually, if I add art and loved ones, that makes four favourite things!
Lili Di Prima contacted me recently to let me know about her gorgeous and quirky custom portraits that she sells through her Etsy shop. Lili is a graphic designer living in Palermo, Italy with her son and boyfriend. She has combined her love of vector illustration and vintage family photos to create these beautiful unique portraits.
Whether it's the whole family, one special person, or a beloved pet, simply send her photos of whoever you want featured, and Lili will combine them into a special custom made portrait. You can see more examples of her work here.
Lili has very kindly offered a FREE portrait to one very lucky Cush & Nooks reader, anywhere in the world. Simply email me and tell me who you would choose to have in your portrait and I'll put you in the draw. A winner will be randomly selected at 4pm this Friday October 18th, New Zealand time. The winner will be announced on my Facebook page and I will contact them by email. What a fabulous prize, especially as Christmas approaches - Lili's portraits would make a wonderful gift. Good luck!
PS: after you've had a look at Lili's amazing work, and entered the competition, pop over to in-spire, a fantastic New Zealand site sharing the stories and journeys of designers, stylists, photographers & artists. I was chuffed that they asked me to take part. x
THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO VANESSA BROWN.
