Beautiful

Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts

Summery Daze

I must admit I am in a bit of a Summery daze. After a very hectic couple of weeks all I can think about is going to the beach for a few weeks at Christmas. I can't get it out of my head. I am so desperately longing for the holidays to roll in. Not long now. I thought I'd post a few pictures I have been saving for Summer.

BTW - I will be posting some fun interviews here this week from my Summer Vignette guests.

xx
Anna

images 1,2,3 via milenachka, image 4 matchbook magazine via notestosarah, image 5, 7 - rachel mcginn photography, image 6 via chance via matchbook tumblr, image 8 via cottages and gardens mag, image 9 via pretty stuff tumblr

Seaforth Cottage

Jane & Neville {above}

Janes Lilies {above}

Harry on the front steps {above}, He looks like he lives there!!

Me with Max and Charlotte {above}

I have long admired {actually, ever since I was 14 years old} the very pretty cottage which is located diagonally opposite my parent's house. It is called Seaforth Cottage and was built C.1897. It has been owned by Jane and Neville for the past 30 or so years and they are some of the most beautiful people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

As a young girl I would often talk about the pretty white cottage across the road. I even told Brad when we were looking for our first house years ago that if that house ever came on the market then I would really, really love to live there.

I recently plucked up the courage and went over and introduced myself to Jane and Neville. We sat on their front verandah and I asked them the huge favour of whether I could use their beautiful home for our upcoming Christmas/Summer photo shoot for our online store. I explained to them that I had always loved their pretty cottage and I would often wish I could go inside to see what it was like and what lovely things they had furnished it with. There was absolutely no hesitation and they offered their home to me with open arms.

One of the most beautiful things about Jane and Neville is their generous spirit. Jane is actually a potter and an extremely talented one at that. She holds classes for a couple of ladies in the street one morning a week in her gorgeous white timber shed at the back of the house. You might have noticed the pottery animals on the verandah under our Christmas tree over at the online store. Well, those are Jane's. She has lined her entire verandah with her pretty and enchanting pottery animals. I told her I wanted to take them all home with me! She laughed.

I should also mention that next year Neville turns 100. I really couldn't believe it when Jane told me.

We had the most glorious day setting up our Christmas/Summer vignette on their front verandah and front lawn. Did you notice the beautiful garden in the pictures? It is amazing to say the least. When we were there all the November lilies were beginning to flower. It is just so beautiful and rambling and imperfect. Just the way I like gardens to be.

I hope you enjoyed hearing a little bit about the beautiful house we used for our online vignettes this season. I feel that Seaforth cottage was the perfect setting for our photo shoot. It gave us that beautiful, lived-in, comfortable, old family house feel which is exactly what I wanted this season to reflect...a place where good times are shared and memories are made.

xx
Anna

Above are some of Jane's pieces. They are so gorgeous!!

Summer Is That You?

I am usually more of a Winter girl but I must admit I haven't really enjoyed Winter this year. I have no idea why. I am so excited about this coming Summer. Maybe it's because I've been working really hard or maybe it's because our weather here in Brisbane this past week has been a bit warmer. Whatever it is, I just keep dreaming about long Summer days at the beach.

With all of my thoughts turning towards Summer I couldn't help posting this image today. It's very Summery. It is a room I have loved for such a long time. I love how layered and thrown together it is. It is a great example of blue and white done well, in my opinion...not too fussy and not too contrived.

Actually Jennifer over at Peak of Chic wrote a very interesting post this week about decorating with blue and white. I am in complete agreement with her. As she says 'I feel as though there is blue and white...and then there is blue and white!'

Click HERE if you would like to read the post...

I'm taking a few days off from the blog. Hope to be back mid-next week!
xx
Anna

image via vacation homes book

Summery

This image captured my heart this morning. I know it's Winter but I love Summer and this space above is pure perfection! Of course it is by that very clever person - Sig Bergamin as captured by Elle Decor.

A Pretty Boat House

Look at this pretty Boat House....so lovely and inviting. What a perfect spot for a Summer Holiday.

Image 1 & 2 - Mike Newling

It's Feeling Like Summer

Dana Cowie Artist

Photograph above by Robert Capa, Magnum Photos 1996 Estate of Robert Capa via Style Court

Francois Hallard

Hugh Stewart Photographer

Brooke Gianetti

Cap Ferrat - Anna Spiro

Grace Kelly Image source unknown

Tim Clarke

At the moment nothing excites me more than the thought of Summer. Our weather here in Brisbane this week has been crazy hot. I feel like it's those hot few weeks we experience just before Christmas but it's still Winter. It does scare me a little to think that we are probably in for an extremely hot Summer. All this heat has got me looking at Pool Houses, Outdoor Showers, Beach House images etc. etc. So, here are a few images I'm loving right now. There's probably a few pics we've all seen before but nothing like a few good oldies to come back and inspire us...

Last image via Desire to Inspire

Tropical Style

We went over to our little beach cottage at Stradbroke Island on the weekend. We haven't been over to the house for a couple of months as things have been busy and the house has been heavily rented by holiday guests. I must say the weather was divine and we really did have the most relaxing weekend we have had in quite some time.

It was great to look through a few of my old books and magazines at the house. I was really inspired by these tropical style images I found in a few of my old Vogue Living magazines which I thought I would share with you. I for one am so excited that Summer is just around the corner....well on our side of the world that is!!

Summer on the Otherside

One of the things I love about this time of year {Winter in Australia} when it comes to my magazine subscriptions is the beautiful Summer homes featured in my favourite American magazines. Even though we are a little lighter on this year without the likes of Domino to give us our hit, this month's issue of Elle Decor looks like it's a cracker!! Loving this house belonging to Scott Currie {Elie Tahari public relations} in Southampton, New York.