Life's better at the beach!

Image Bayview Cottage

Image Brian Vanden Brink

Image Materialicious

Image Butik Sophie

Image Butik Sophie

Image Robe Lifestyle


Image Materialicious


Image Coastal Living


Image Butik Sophie

Image HGTV


Image Coastal Living


Image Butik Sophie

Image Butik Sophie

After such a cold, grey & miserable weekend, this morning I dream of a beach house. Nothing big & flashy, just something basic & cosy. Somewhere in the sun to retreat, to read & relax - where I can stay in my trackie all day, where its OK to eat a bowl of muesli for dinner if I want & with no mobile phone coverage!

My cottage would be furnished sparsely, with simple things that have a past. Beautifully functional, but not precious. Objects that come from different places, but meld as one. Decorating at its easiest, but also at its best.

La Villa des Orangers

All images Hotel Villa des Orangers except last Image Commons

Last weekend I suggested that in the middle of a demolition/renovating weekend, a dream teleport to the lovely Villa Gallici in Aix en Provence was in order. It was a great success, with many of my blogging friends wanting to join me!

With another weekend of brick & plaster dust, hammering, drilling, etc. coming up, I feel another teleport destination is definitely in order! So please join me in Morocco, to be more specific, magical Marrakech. La Villa des Orangers is an oasis of beauty in the Medina (the old part of the town) so peaceful & tranquil - a place where time slows to a leisurely pace behind the heavy old wooden doors that lead from the street.

Firstly, a few hours relaxing by the roof-top pool, followed by a refreshing drink in the elegant shaded courtyard. Then a wander through the Marrakech souk to soak up the bustling atmosphere & all the sights & smells of this amazing markeplace. We make our way back to our riad through the winding, narrow passageways, knowing that a couple of hours of pampering in the Spa awaits us before a delicious dinner. With the heady aroma of orange blossom drifting through the air, let this teleport begin!!

Flower Power

Image Wild at Heart

Image Arome

Image Timothy Dunn

Image Olive Branch


Image Floriade

Image Wild at Heart

The Man-of-the-House has always spoilt me with flowers - but of late he has had so much else to do, it's been a while & I miss them. While he shows not the slightest interest in The Laurel Hedge, I'm hoping if I leave the site up on our computer he may be tempted to take a peek - so Darling this post is for you! You know which are my favourite!

Paper Talk

All images Tracy Kendall

I've been a Tracy Kendall fan forever - these vibrant & eclectic pieces are amazing. Her wall coverings (the new description for wallpaper) are designed to be pasted in single strips or blocks rather than applied to whole walls or rooms.

Her new collection features 3D pieces like the incredible silver piece hung over a mirror - truly outstanding! And what about that piece of prose! You just want to trace the outline of the words with your fingertips immediately. Her work is not available in Australia, but I'm sure if a savvy Distributor here negotiated the rights, the demand would be phenomenal. Her pricing is good, around US$80-100 per roll, & I think that's very realistic for such statement pieces.

The Name Game

Image Modern Bride

Image BV Weddings


Image Fairman Studio


Image Modern Bride


Image Modern Bride

Image Dasha Wright

Image Atlanta Homes Magazine

Image Chic Bebe

Image Plum Party

Image CNY Weddings

Image Sugar Charms

In a previous post on Table Settings, I mentioned the 3 client Dinners I am organizing & they are starting to loom very large on my horizon! The invitations are done, table settings almost complete & now I need inspiration for place card holders. As often happens, the who-sits-where dilemma has happened & rather than let chaos reign, I figure it would be wiser to have allocated seating. There are a few 'feisty' personalities amongst the different groups, so discretion with seating is the better part of valour at this time! If our guests want to wander between tables as the night progresses, then thats perfectly fine, but lets start on the right foot - if only to preserve my sanity!

I love the idea from BV Weddings of buying little chalk board pots, filling the pot with herbs or a small plant & writing the guests name & table # on the front. Wouldn't they look spectacular all lined up on an entrance table as guests enter the room!

Fairman Studio's suggestion of filling cute little cardboard boxes with gold chocolate coins & then tying a tag with the guests name & table # to the box with a smart black ribbon is also inspirational. I could use our Corporate logo ribbon for added oomph.

The little pots of herbs with guests names written on planter sticks are gorgeous. Guests then match up the herb in their pot to the seed packet holder on each table to discover where they are seated - just so cute. This gal would definitely be on the Basil table!

But the overall winner for me is the small pear with an elegant name card fixed to it with a simple pin - the less is more principle comes up trumps again!