Are YOU on "the list"?

Short wedding dress image courtesy of UK Cosmopolitan Bride If you aren't, you missed out on the march 'short wedding dress club' email postcard as featured above. I really shouldn't even be showing you this. But if you want to see more - all you need to do is 'join the club' - doesn't cost a thing and is so pretty and fun! To read more and find out how to join go here. And exciting news, the club will now send out an email postcard once a fortnight starting in April. I mean really, why wouldn't you want to wear a short dress on your special day? (just leave me your email at brownbuttonstore@gmail.com to join the club) Speaking of weddings, the Autumn issue of the 'Wedding Style Guide' is out now. Ok, confession time. I'm not engaged, married, or even dating anyone - but I justify the purchase of this fabulous magazine. Why? because it is full of beautiful images, stunning styling and fabulous ideas. You don't need to be getting married to enjoy this magazine. And the best bit? It hails from my home town of Adelaide. Their website is just as good and Emilie and Jane keep a fabulous blog here. x

30. Dirty Gertie, Flirty Thirty, Blind 3 (that's 'bingo' for '30' kids....)

Well, I made it. And back. I didn't turn into a pumpkin at midnight or turn into a pile of ash at the strike of 12. Two days into 30 and things seem, um, pretty normal.... funny that!!.I am so grateful for such incredible family and friends (that includes you bloggy friends!) - that helped me begin a new decade with such love and fun!

To the incredible women that I shared my birthday celebrations with in Melbourne - THANK you for the beautiful gifts, bubbles, dinner, cake ("surprise after dinner dess" Sal...), dancing, hospitality - me a lucky girl.

Ok, back to reality. Catch up with you all soon xx

Coming of Age.

Tonight I leave for Melbourne for four days. Why? Originally it was to escape reality. Sunday I turn thirty. T-H-I-R-T-Y. The big 3-O. 10,950 days (not including leap years) since I was born. Honestly? I was seriously not dealing with this well. Not the number so much, but what it represented. When I thought of 'where I would be' when I was 30 many years ago, this wasn't it. But do you know what? It isn't that bad. And nothing could reiterate that more than spending the next four days with some of the best friends ever. A fabulous etsy print I have says "Be Happy for this moment, this moment is your life". Don't let a minute pass you by without remembering how lucky you are. I have my health (except the occasional head noise....) , my family and friends, I have a roof over my head and a secure job. Only recently I have been reminded how grateful I should be to have reached 30 at all, it should be celebrated not commiserated. So with those positive thoughts packed in my bag with my best dress for Saturday night and my outfit for the themed bbq at Abbey's place on the following day (think 1999 havelock/royal attire Adelaide girls eeks!) I plan to reflect on what has been and what is to come, whatever that may be, in the best light possible this weekend. And if the 30's are the new 20's then bring it on because I am ready. Happy weekend to you all xxx

image from teen vogue

When a house is a home.

How 'warm and cosy' are these images? From the pages of last month's Notebook Magazine..... extracts from Anna Kaushal's book "Family Life Style: Home". The floral artworks.....eating area equipped with twiggy things hanging from the ceiling and polka dot lamp shade...... a 'mini kitchen' area for the budding Jamie Oliver..... knitted bunnies... blue brilliance and chandeliers..... cherry blossom screens.... How could you not be at home?

Please Explain.

What do you say? When you mention to someone you have a 'blog', and they say - "what's a blog?". I'm still not quite sure what to say without people thinking I'm some 'single white female cyber space stalker/geek'. Oh, If they only knew how wonderful this little 'community' is....

image from fffound

Right kind of love

"Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable"

Remember the beginning of this quote written on the wall of Cathy Penton's home? - She was a total darling and emailed me the rest of the quote.... believe it or not, its by Bruce Lee! Thank you Cathy x

Big Top Beauty.

Loving these circus inspired images over at living etc - especially when life feels like a bit of a circus! Have a fabulous week friends x

TGIF.

1. 2.

1. Happy to close such beautiful pink doors on a crazy week. 2. I do. I really do love having you here. Thank you. xx images via fffound

"I hear they are making a comeback".....

images via hostess with the mostess blog image from eddie ross image from Martha Stewart

image from brides.com

Remember the episode? (Season 6, Episode 6 to be exact) - Berger arrives at Carrie's door with a big bunch of carnations after Charlotte had stated earlier in the episode that she would probably have to dump a guy that gave her carnations. I must say, I probably belong on Charlotte's side of the fence when it came to carnations (especially when you consider that the guy who gave Carrie them in SATC dumped her via post it note the next morning?!?!) BUT, on mass, like in the pictures above, Carnations are heaven, pure heaven. See what you can achieve when you 'work together'?...... Now, can someone please have a wedding/party by a pool so we can assemble massive colourful carnation balls to float on the pool - yay!

Sheree's Stunning Stable.... (I can't help but use 'S' - it's so spectacular.....)

Weeks ago I posted on the fabulousness that was Sheree Commerford's clothing range, Woodford & Co, and I promised to post the shoot of her gorgeous home that was featured in Grazia. Weeeellll, here it finally is. And the bestest ever bit, the darling Sheree emailed me to thank me for the post I did on her clothing range, um - how cute is she!!! PS apologies for the lack of quality in the images, I had to scan from the mag x

Stunning Save the Dates......

Squeal! x 3 - 1st of all Gabrielle of A Summer Picnic Wedding left a comment on my blog today which led me to her beautiful blog (oh and I mean delicious peoples!! - see where a comment can lead you, love it.). 2nd squeal - An Aussie blog! Don't get me wrong, love blogs no matter where their origin, but it is extra special to find someone in your own country that blogs so beautifully. 3rd squeal (and probably the loudest....) - her exquisite "save the date" packages for her South Australian wedding in January of next year. I mean, LOOK AT THEM!! And she made them all herself.... get out! She hopes one day to open her own wedding/events business - I think this girl is on the money! Go and visit her new little bloggy and see more details on how she made them. (Apologies (especially to Pip) for all the exclamation marks and capital letters in this post, but.... I'm a little excited!) - Now go forth and enjoy A Summer Picnic Wedding!! xx

Favourite bits of last week....

My kind of wedding inspiration board - over at Snippet and Ink. If you are getting married and haven't visited one of the best wedding blogs around - what the hell are you doing?!? - this could easily be my wedding inspiration board, how good is all that colour! Giggling at the fabulousness that is red.door.read blog. Better still? It's a South Aussie blog. Love it darling. Given my lack lusture love life and the recent cock ups by the boys that have graced the life of my house mate recently, we couldn't help but love this, big time. Oh and her horoscopes? priceless. I'm off to decorate my cement tunnel now... Michelle of Rubie Green and MA Belle fame provided a heads up on a beautiful blog, Shelter. Anyone that loves stripes as much as I do gets my best friend pendant in blog world! What have you loved most in 'bloggy world' the last week? Visiting my old favourites is fabulous, but finding a beautiful blog I didn't know about is the best gift. And the way that normally happens is a comment left on a post. I'd love a point in the right direction of your favourites of late x

Out capturing new ideas and inspirations

I've had a lovely week, how about you? Thank you for your beautiful comments and thoughts. Looking forward to posting again next week, see you then! xx

image by Tim Walker from UK Vogue

Stop. Hammer Time.

Currently busy re grouping and getting the old self confidence back. Have a great week and looking forward to hanging out with you in bloggy world next week xx

image via the fabulous fffound... I could spend my life browsing that web site. seriously...

Bon Weekend Bellas x

Step One: Put on your all time greatest favourite song, the one you can't help but sing out loud to, dance in your living room to, have listed as one of your most played songs on your ipod. Step Two: Hands down by your side. Step Three: Grip the sides of your skirt. Step Four: Lift to hip height. Step Five: Twirl until you think you might be sick. Now that was fun, wasn't it? A lovely weekend to my beautiful friends, all of you xx

Why do I do it to myself??

I really need to unsubscribe to Kate Spade emails if she insists on not sending to Australia from her website (boooo!!! - seriously, its really not that hard - I'm going to ship international with my teeny weeny online store...... why can't the fabulous Kate Spade....maybe I need to start a petition....) or providing anything but crockery and a few photo frames to David Jones to sell at ridiculously over inflated prices (even when our dollar was doing very well against the US dollar). Especially if you are going to post pics of the most awesome dresses that I need as if my life depended on it!

Pretty Picture Books

Books that are pretty as a picture that is...... images from Home Beautiful and Inside Out Magazines

Spectacular Sorted Space

My magazine piles were getting out of control, and after visiting my doctor and realising that their magazine collection belonged in a museum (I'm talking Vogue Living circa 1995 and SA Life's that feature weddings of couples I know that are now having their second child..) I decided it was time to do the cull and send some of mine to the 'magazine home in the sky' (otherwise known as the doctor's waiting room coffee table). But they got to have one last hurrah - a flick through to see if any images were worthy of a post. Trust Inside Out to provide some good stuff. I love 'organisation', 'equilibrium', 'colour coding' and 'symmetry' - hmmmm, I should be an accountant...... How beautiful are these sorted spaces? x

Bust a super hero move today

Go out there and conquer the world, today is as good day as ever - especially if equipped with appropriate attire.... Photo by Cynthia Perez

My Kind of Love.

Now THAT is what I'm talking about. That kind of love. That is what I want. xx

Image from Cathy Penton's Home featured in the March issue of Australian Country Style Magazine. (Incidentally, the article on Cathy's home was styled by Shannon Fricke.)