Keeping it Cosy (and an Instagram change)

I wanted to make the interior of Axel’s teepee a place where he could relax and play quietly (ha! For those of you who know my child I’m sure you are laughing out loud at the ridiculousness of that statement!) but any-who a girl can dream and he has actually managed to do so for maybe 2 minutes max – a work in progress…

I didn’t want to spend heaps of money but wanted to give him the cosy feeling on mass straight away so Kmart and Cotton On Kids were on my hit list at the mall.

The faux sheep skin rug was $35 from Kmart and the cushions from Cotton On Kids were great value for money and tied in well with the Wild Thing-esque theme I’ve got going on in there (monster cushion available but the little triangular  cushion is sold out online). I already had the Wild Thing cushion (from Society 6) so added that in there too.

Axel loves to run head first in there and throw himself down on the cushions so it must be pretty comfortable (I actually know it’s pretty comfortable as have had a wee rest in there myself on occasion!) and I can easily add new cushions and blankets.

Also thought I show you a pic of what we got the cheeky monkey for his first birthday present – this awesome Blacklist Studio print which we got via PaperPlaneStore as they have them already framed. I love it! For the moment it is sitting up on the windowsill but when he changes rooms (maybe / eventually / one day) it’ll go up on the wall as there isn’t quite the right spot for it in his current room.

On a side note I was so useless at logging in and out of my personal account on Instagram to post images on the blog account that I’m going to flag the blog account and just link it to my personal account. Hmmm hope that makes sense! Follow me at @claredoornenbal.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone xx

There Shall Be No Tree…

Well, no real one.

This year I have come to the decision (after much deliberation and angst) that there will be no Christmas tree standing proud and pretty at our home. Hurricane hands Axel will have a field day otherwise, and I’ll spend the whole time a) worrying about the tree collapsing on top of him and b) worrying about my beautiful decorations (especially my glass bauble from Harrods!) being ruined by saliva and small emerging teeth.

So instead of a gorgeous tree I am planning on moving the bar cart (which has also seems to be in the path of Hurricane Hands) and taking down our Lester Hall War Dog print to create room for a washi tape Christmas Tree.

Here is the space I have in mind in our dining area (all our living room walls are wood panelled so would be tricky to do it there) but as we have open plan living the tree will still have pride of place in our home.

 

And here is some inspiration for Washi Tape Christmas trees I found via Pinterest.

It might be the perfect excuse to get the felt ball garland I would love for Axel’s room so I can ‘decorate’ my tree!

Watch this space…

Castle and Things

Continuing on with my Australian content, today I am featuring gorgeous Sydney based bedlinen and art company Castle and Things.

Fluro colours, simple yet bold graphics and using interesting media such as paint and felt, ensures Castle and Things products promote a sense of fun and whimsy. Yet another Australian company with a sunny outlook that makes you smile.

Follow this link to check out all the gorgeous products available.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone x

All images via Castle and Things

Artist Profile: Laura Blythman

Australian designer, illustrator and creative director Laura Blythman is renowned for her colourful, hand-drawn  illustrations and lettering. She is so good that her skills are much sought after and she has worked with large companies such as Cotton On kids, Zoo York, Typo and T2 teas.

I love her quirky characters, bright use of colour, interesting typography and that she often includes glitter in her works! Her prints would add a pop of colour to any home and would look especially good in a child’s room.

Follow this link to check out all her gorgeous prints, cards and posters.

All images courtesy of Laura Blythman

Birds Eye View

Los Angeles based photographer, Gray Malin, travels the globe taking beautifully composed aerial photographs of some of the worlds best beaches (he also takes photos of lots of other amazing landscapes, but the beach series is by far the most recognised). Recently he has turned his photographs into something of empire; his birds-eye view beach images now also grace iPhone cases, surfboards, swimwear, umbrellas, wallpaper and ceramics, but for me a framed, large scale photograph is still the most coveted.

Shooting from doorless helicopters, his A La Plage series has been photographed around the world from the U.S. to Brazil, to Australia. The vibrancy of the colours he captures, along with the sense of pattern and form from the people crowding these popular beaches, make me think that these photographs are a special version of a Where’s Wally picture. I could definitely get lost looking at one of these images if it graced a wall in our home.

Have a fab weekend everyone xx

 

 

All photos Gray Malin

 

Nursery Art

I love sourcing art works for our home and the nursery has been no exception. There are so many amazing prints available via online stores and with Etsy ordering original art from around the world has never been easier.

I have started the beginnings of a gallery wall and am loving the simplicity and practicality of using washi tape to adhere the art works to the wall. It makes it so easy to move them around and play with the layout.

My go-to artist to begin this wall was New Zealander Bayley Collins of Birdinabunnysuit fame. Combining her love of illustration and collage, Bayley creates whimsical images of dressed up animals, hence the title of her business!

I then spent a ridiculous amount of time perusing Etsy and discovered New Zealand store Toodles Noodles. They have a wide variety of items emblazoned with cute images and typography, I particularly liked the flags and thought one would look great hanging on Axel’s wardrobe door.

And so continues my hunt for further art to add to the gallery wall – if anyone knows of any great artists specialising in prints please share!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone x

 

Artist Profile: Jane Denton

New Zealand textile artist Jane Denton’s work makes me smile. Her simple, colourful creations are a breath of fresh air. Working predominantly in wool, her works are a little like cross-stitch on steroids!

Originally a jewellery designer with her pieces sold throughout NZ, Jane made the move to creating textile art works when she wanted to work with her first love: colour. She wanted to make art work for her home as she couldn’t find anything affordable that she really liked.

I have picked out a few of my favourite pieces from her current collection, but be sure to head over to her site via this link to check out all her stunning works.

 

 

 

 

Snazzy

Collected currently has some pretty snazzy artworks on offer – such an easy, affordable way of bringing colour and class to a room.

All pieces available from Collected via this link

Currently Coveting…

Any (or all!) of these amazing artworks…

1. AHOY! CROSS – available at fenton & fenton

Hand-made in Byron Bay, these crosses are all individual, unique and very beautiful.

2. Dusty Skulls by Georgie Malyon available at Endemic World

Ponsonby artist Georgie Malyon has always had a love affair with flowers. She has over 10 years experience working for some of Auckland’s most high end florists which led her to design her own installations using flowers mixed with hand crafted skulls and vintage ceramic birds. Georgie makes the skulls herself from moulds and takes her own photographs.

3. Tropical Horizons by acclaimed fine art photographer and modern painter Peter Arnold, available at Mildred & Co.

Having been awarded with the New York Graphis gold award for his work, Arnold presents beautiful works which would look amazing in any room.

DIY Marquee Letter

I recently posted about how I am loving decor light features, including vintage marquee letters, then lo and behold I stumble across this brilliant DIY tutorial over at grey likes nesting…

Definitely one to try over the summer holidays as apparently it is relatively easy – fingers crossed!