Crazy About Kantha

Earlier this morning I posted a beautiful image to my Facebook page of a lovely tranquil bedroom all in white apart from a single Kantha cushion. As you well know, I'm crazy about colour and pattern, so it's easy to see why I love Kantha so much. I have a bunch of gorgeous quilts in the Cush & Nooks online store which have all been lovingly handmade in India. That Facebook image reminded of the incredible chair I'd seen recently when flicking through an old copy of Home Beautiful, covered in a multi coloured fruit print Kantha.

It got me thinking... I could take that little ottoman of mine down to my upholsterer and get it recovered using one of my quilts - brilliant! Not just ideal for bedspreads and throws, but the Kantha quilts can be used in so many ways...

Vintage Kantha armchair from EcoChic

Adorable child's chair covered in a bright Kantha from Sotomoto

I love these Kantha covered trunks from Sotomoto

A perfect shot of colour and pattern in these stools

Handmade ottoman beanbags, quilts, cushions - yum!

And even turned into art for the wall - Kantha Wall Plates

Beds for the Bach

We are lucky enough to have a beautiful family lake house (or bach, as we call it here in New Zealand). When it was just Mum, Dad, my two sisters, and brother, we could all easily fit in. But now that we all have kids of our own, it's more of a struggle. Tents are pitched outside, mattresses on the floor... it's not ideal, so we've decided to add some bunk beds. These bunks from Wooden-Beds would be perfect with the additional storage underneath.

Another great option is this guest bed. With spring loaded legs that pop up easily, it can be used as another single bed, or pushed together for a double bed. I love how it rolls away on it's castor wheels when not being used.

This bed has my nine year old daughter's name all over it! She has the tiniest room in the house. She's been asking if she can have a sofa in her room, but you can barely fit her single bed in, so this is a brilliant solution. And how cool is that red chair that pulls out so you can use it as a spare bed, or just a chaise for reading a book, or listening to music!

And I just had to show you this bed, it's so clever! Storage is a necessity for all of us, and by easily pulling the bed up, you can store spare bedding underneath, freeing up the linen cupboard for all those towels you need at a lake house.

For all these great beds and more, check out www.wooden-beds.com.

Clare Vivier

TGIF! It's a beautiful Spring day here in Napier. After dropping the kids at school, Sam and I went for a massive run, which always puts us both in a good mood - such a good way to start the day. Then I settled down at my computer with a cuppa, and checked out some of my fav blogs (life is good!). Thanks to Abbey over at Gild & Grace, I was reminded that the latest Rue and Lonny online mags are out (see my side panel, below right).

I always love a good success story, particularly if it involves creative women. So I was quickly absorbed into the article in Rue about Clare Vivier. Ideas and businesses are often formed when there is a gap in the market. Clare's stunning bags and accessories were born from her desire to have a simple tote bag to carry her laptop and clutch. When she couldn't find anything simple and stylish enough, she made her own. This quickly grew into an eponymous handbag line, reflecting her chic simplicity. With a French husband, Clare spends a lot of time in both France, and her home in Los Angeles, and her collection is a blend of classic French glamour and minimalist LA cool.

Two of my favourite bags are the Neon Striped Carryall and the yellow Canvas Weekender.

And you don't have to carry a bag around with the letters CV on it either, you can get your bag monogrammed with your own initials.

Lizzie Garrett's monogrammed clutch via her blog Tomboy Style

Make sure you also check out Clare's blog and tumblr sites. Here you can see lots of candid shots of people in the streets with Clare Vivier bags, interviews with lovely peeps to see what they carry in their CV bag, and news and photos from Clare and her team. Having the blog enables Clare to connect with her customers in a really personal way. "I have a lot of readers of my blog who feel like they know me," comments Clare, "they know the company, and the people I work with because I blog about them. We get a lot of positive feedback from customers for that".

So not only gorgeous products, but you feel like you know and trust the woman behind it all!

Lauren with her blue pebble posted this pic on her blog Perpetually Chic

And ditto for Mary on her blog Happily Grey