Ben & Phoebe's Daybed

I recently helped my cousin and his gorgeous fiance {they just got engaged on the weekend} with the cushioning on this lovely daybed which they purchased from Cotswold for their beach house. We selected an array of brightly coloured exterior fabrics for the scatter cushions and a trusty navy and white stripe exterior fabric for the seat cushions and voila this is the result. I just love it and apparently they do too!!

Outdoor and Blue Monday.

 

Today I have one mosaic for both memes.

I have to tell you that we sold our house last Friday  and we will be moving in about three weeks time. So busy times ahead but we are so happy. Also in this country the housing market is slow so we are the lucky ones. If I am slow in visiting I apologize for that. I will do my best.

Mosaic Monday is hosted  by Mary from Dear little red house. For the link go here: http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/

Blue Monday is hosted by Sally from Smiling Sally. For the link go here :http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/

Weekend reflections.

 

Weekend reflections is hosted by James from NewTown Area Photo.

First of all I want to say I am doing a happy dance as we sold our house today. I have not being commenting on everybodies blog quickly enough  for what I want to apologize. Times were hectic now and then. We will be moving out  in a few weeks time so I will not be posting and commenting as much as I want to. I hope that in our new home we will be able to get the computer working soon enough.

This picture I made in a little park near our home.

For more reflection  pictures go here: http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com/

Grocery Store Design of Bristo Farms, a Department Store with Desert Style

A department store is a public place for shopping every thing, gifts, kitchen set and housewares, etc. The design of the store usually designed in a common design such as another shop interior design, I think that Bristo Farms store is different with another shop design, with a Dessert Style, this grocery store is designed with coloring theme like a dessert with warm color. The entrance door is designed such as a Mediterranean home design, but the interior design was different, the floor plans and the colors are beautiful, The first thing you DON'T see when you walk in is the check-out cashiers. In fact, they're nearly hidden off to the right side. It's NOT the typical warehouse look with several long isles of produce stacked on shelves.

It is a beautifully decorated and intricate amalgamation of sections and islands. Each department is it's own microcosm of allure and fascination.

The deli has a freshly baked pizza section where you can buy it by-the-slice or carry out whole, and next to that is a hand-carved meat sandwich bar. And it's all conveniently located next to the cafe, which offers even more choices of prepared foods. The cafe is just to the left of the deli area, but I couldn't get a picture because there were too many people in the way!

Even the cheese section is carefully thought out with presentation in mind. I don't know why, but I've always had a fascination with those big cheese wheels. The interiors are designed specially for each section. Just visit desertsociety to get more information about the Bristo Famrs.

Friday Flowers

This morning, whilst running very late for school drop off, I raced around my new old garden and cut some foliage for an arrangement I was wanting to create for the shop today. Here is the result above. The arrangement sits on a beautiful oval Antique table which actually just sold to one of my lovely clients this afternoon. I am loving big glass vases filled with masses of leaves at the moment. Luckily my garden seems to have the perfect plants for this type of arrangement.

Skywatch Friday.

 

Last week on a sunny windy day I took this picture. It was lovely weather for kiting.

Look at a wonderful Dutch sky.

For more skywatch pictures go here: http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Black & Spiro Today

We installed a new window display at Black & Spiro today. There's lots of pretty colour in the lovely fabric drop we have hung and a beautiful Antique piece of furniture sits in front with a few bits on top including my favourite Staffordshire Dogs. Also a few people have been asking about the fabric on our lovely Antique chairs. It is a Mexican embroidered Otomi. We have this textile in quite a few colourways. It is divine.

Chairs I Covet

If I lived in America I would snap up this pair of fabulous orange painted chairs from Lyn over at Paris Hotel Boutique immediately. For some reason I can see them recovered in something Lilac. DIVINE!

Watery and Outdoor Wednesday.

 

Today I start with Watery Wednesday. Isn''t this a great summer sight.

and for Outdoor Wednesday a new photo from my favorite park.

For more Watery pictures go here: http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

For more outdoor pictures go here: http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/

Fuchsia magellanica, West Cork's adopted alien.

During the summertime it is particularly a pleasure to drive down to the homestead down in West Cork. After spending many hours in the car, travelling on the wide motorways from Dublin, the narrow winding, pothole infested roads of the countryside are a welcome sight. The roads are about half the width they normally are in the winter as all the plant life competes for space. Although the roads are narrower, they do look fantastic as the glow with colour. And none glows with as much dominance as the fantastic Fuchsia.

We have a lot of aliens down in West Cork, they all seem to love the mild moist climate that we have thanks to the North Atlantic drift. Now before you send Mulder and Scully down here, let me clarify, I am of course not talking about the bright green kind that fly around in space craft, I am talking about plants that are not native to this country.

Red Fuchsia hedges with the orange glow another much loved and plentefull alien to Ireland Montbretia 'Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora'

Fuchsia magellanica 'Riccartonii', or more commonly known as the Humming bird fuchsia or lady’s eardrops is an icon of West Cork. Anyone who has visited West Cork in the summer time will have seen this amazing deciduous shrub illuminate the hedge groves all over the countryside. It is so iconic of west cork it image is used by many local companies and organizations.

A native of Chilli, it was identified by Charles Plumier in the seventeenth century. Plumier named it after the German botanist, Leonhart Fuchs (1501-1566)

Fuchsia bark

This deciduous shrub will reach from about 1.5m to 2.5m high, and will favour coastal locations and rocky ground. Its flowers colour the hedgerows from July to October with their rich hues. The flowers (2cm long) are bell-shaped and have four violet petals which are surrounded by four large, pointed red sepals, rather like a ballerina with a crimson skirt, purple petticoat and long, slightly uneven, legs. The grey/green leaves are ovate and toothed and the fruits are black, fleshy berries in autumn. It should be noted that the black, fleshy berries of the Fuchsia are NOT edible. The branches of the fuchsia turn a pale, golden brown with age and its bark gets a lovely papery quality to it.

Fuchs ia magellanica 'Riccartonii'on frouunt of the White variaty, Fuchsia magellanica var. molinae (F. magellanica 'Alba')

If you would like to plant Fuchsia as an informal hedge, plant them 45cm (1.5 ft) apart in the spring. I mild areas like here in West Cork, Fuchsia magellanica can be grown quite easily through propagation, simply by taking cuttings from a mature plant in late autumn when the stalks are bare, and sticking them about 15cm into the ground.

Fuchsia flowers best on new wood so prune hard in spring, leaving just 15cm to 30cm (6in to 12in) of stem, from which new growth will shoot. Plants grown as hedges should be less severely pruned, although a portion of any old that may have been killed by frosted should always be removed.

The Drive up to Hagal Farm

Here in Ireland we all are accustomed to a few dreary summer days, and even though it was one of these kinds of days when I was out taking these photos, the vibrant colours of the Fuchsia still keep the place looking hot and summery.

Throughout the summer, the Fuchsia continues to make new flowers, while the older flowers fall to the ground leavening just the small berry behind. As a result of this, by this time of the year you begin to see these lovely red carpets at the base of the plants.

This Fuchsia is also popular with kids, as the flowers contain a pouch of sweet nectar. As kids we would often have purple and red lips as a result of drinking the nectar. The process you use to do this is, when you pick the flower, pull off the purple petals and stalks, hold the part where the petals were, up to your lips and squeeze the back of the flower to release the nectar.

Fuchsia high up in the hills, with the faint silhouette of O'Donovan castle in the distance.

Mosaic and Blue Monday.

 

Today a summery white mosaic for Outdoor Wednesday hosted by Mary from The little red house.

and for Blue Monday hosted by Sally from Smiling Sally I made a blue one.

For mosaic Monday go here : http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/

for Blue Monday go here : http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/

Weekend reflections.

 

Weekend reflections is hosted by James from NewTown Area photo.

I made these pictures a few weeks ago when sailing on a tourist boat in the city of Alkmaar. The dark photo I made when going under a bridge.

For more reflection photo's go here: http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com/

Skywatch Friday.

Some time ago I made this sunset picture. Good for Skywatch Friday
 
For more lots of skywatch pictures go here

Pink

As Diana Vreeland once said - "I adore pink. It's the navy blue of India."

I am in agreement. It's a staple. I never tire of it. I can't live without it.

image 1 - simon kenny photographer via canadian house & home, image 2 - susannah conway, image 3- black & spiro antique chairs, image 4, 5, 6 via pretty stuff via habitually chic

Colour Photos

I recently showed this image to one of my clients who is wanting to create a wall of family photographs. I told her that I thought it would be lovely to go for colour photos instead of black and white. I think that RL's wall above is so gorgeous and I just love seeing the colour come through in the images instead of the monochromatic look of black and white.

image ralph lauren's home via elle decor

Wearing

This post isn't really anything to do with anything other than to say I am so in-love with gorgeous, big, fabulous, jewelled necklaces with white tee-shirts, blazers and jeans at the moment. I feel like this look is my uniform lately. My only complaint is that I sometimes get headaches from wearing lots of necklaces...do any of you have that same problem??!!

PS. The new Vogue Living just arrived on my desk. I can't wait to open it!!!

image 1 & 2 via pretty stuff via habitually chic

My world Tuesday.

 

Yesterday we went for a walk in the park. A few pictures I  used  for this collage.

For more my world pictures go here: http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

Loving Fluoro

I love bright colour, that's no secret but lately I've been loving fluoro.

fluoro bike via dobbybrain, birds image source unknown