I'm Loving.....

Here are a few things on my wish list that I'm Loving this week.....

It seems I'm in a bit of a monochrome mood!
1.Gorgeous plates from Domayne
2. This swan vase is very sweet
3. You can never have too many beach towels
4. I'm loving the retro style of this sun visor
5. A cute ring stack from Sportsgirl
6. Eye love this cushion ;)
7. A super stylish bikini top from Witchery
8. I love these wire racks. Organised has never looked so cool!
9. Donna Hay's Flourless carrot cake with cream cheese in on my to do list

What I'm loving lately!

I'm loving this cooler Autumn weather. How good would it be to have this fire pit at home?

I'm loving the idea of mixed cacti gardens.  A variety of pots adds interest and colour and I love how low maintenance they are.

I am loving the thought of creating a new mood board. I want to pop some new ideas on one and hang it over my desk.

I'm loving the Easter holidays and the lack of routine and rushing about.

I love this statement wallpaper in this bathroom. Will I ever be able to commit to a wallpaper? I'm so scared I would get tired of it quickly!

And most of all I am loving the fact that we are heading to Hawaii on Thursday! You can find this print at Blacklist Studios

What are you loving lately?

Things I'm loving......

This week I'm loving...
These Spineless Classics - a book condensed into a print. So clever!!

This outfit!

 Does anyone know where I could find a dress like this?

This quote. So true.

Loving fruit in different shapes. It just seems to taste better!

Loving thinking up party ideas for Noah's first bday coming up in March. Trying to be a bit organised :)

I'm loving easy entertaining. One of my resolutions this year was to entertain & make more time for friends & family. In this first week of January I've had 5 of them! Summer holidays are perfect for lazy catch ups. I am having a rest on Sunday :)

What are you loving this week?

None of these pics are mine, they are from an old file and I don't have the links :(

Living in jeans.

I'm living in jeans at the moment. 

They are my "go to" item in my closet. Easy to get around in with the kids and they go well with my collection of jumpers and scarves. My little uniform as such. 

Do you ever feel like you just get up and put on the same type of outfit again and again? I do until the time that I find a new favourite. 

I'm not back into my old jeans yet so I have been keeping my eye out for a good pair of jeans that I can wear. Something flattering and on trend so I don't feel too mumsy ;)

When I received an email from Jeanswest's pr team telling me about the new Coloured Curve Embracer jeans, I was quite interested as they sounded exactly what I was looking for. I asked for a pair to try and as soon as I popped them on I knew they were perfect for me. You know how with jeans you just know as soon as you put your first leg in? Or is that just me?!

The jeans were a great colour, I chose the Princess Royal Blue as they gave a nod to the coloured denim trend without being too out there. I also thought they would go with everything in my wardrobe. Although I also have my eye on the berry pair as well. I loved the higher waist which held my tummy in. They have a straight leg with lots of stretch so nothing was too clingy.If anything I could have went with a smaller size as they stretched a bit by the end of the day. I think they are quite reasonable in price too, so they are the perfect way to jump onto the coloured denim trend.They are available to buy online or in store.

What are you living in these days? How many pairs of jeans do you think you have in your wardrobe?

Simone xx

**Disclosure - Jeanswest did send me these jeans free of charge but I was under no obligation to write about them. I am only sharing this review with you as I really did love the jeans.**

Sorry there is not a better photo of the whole outfit, I only had Noah with me that day and he hasn't mastered the camera yet ;)
Also excuse my filthy pathway, I am going out to gurney it asap!

Dinner!

I love the idea of these "Greek Nachos". I love the look of them and thought it was a healthier option for a family favourite.

Bittman’s Greek Nachos begin with a bed of oven crisped pitas. 

On top of that he uses a cumin and onion seasoned ground lamb. Drizzled over the top of the pitas and ground meat is a perfectly salty, creamy and tangy sauce of yogurt, feta, lemon juice/zest and fresh mint.


Yummo.


And then.... I saw these!

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars.

The recipe can be found here

Simone xx

image and recipe of Nachos via Not Without Salt
Cheesecake bars via Epicurean Mom

Drink up.

Are you a juice fan? Which would be your favourite flavour?

I get so tempted sometimes to buy a juicer but I have a feeling it would be something I would use every day for a few weeks than lose interest in. I know myself too well!

My pick would be the Energy juice, you can never have too much energy :)

Simone xx

image via Pinterest

What caught my eye this week.....

This week has just flown by don't you think?! 

What caught my eye this week was:

This book cover caught my eye, I would love to have a look at it. I'm always up for new ideas for the boys rooms.

Napoleon's Luminous Lip Veil. So glossy and so many colours.

It's a good one to keep in your bag.

This patterned rug caught my eye at Freedom. Love the colours too.

I HAD to watch Lara Bingle's reality show. I wasn't expecting much but from the first episode she came across quite nice. 

Did you watch?

Nikki from Styling You's instagram pic of her flourless orange cake with a drizzle of chocolate. Yummo. A recipe I want to make. Nikki said she found her recipe on Taste.com.au but used Natvia instead of sugar and chocolate instead of syrup.

Paperbark Camp caught my eye again. I'm not a fan of camping but I could do glamping! Maybe something to think about for a couple of days preferably in the warmer weather in Spring.

I also saw this book on Instagram from myfabulousdesigns. 

Looks very cute!

Emily from The Beetle Shack caught my eye in her winter floral.

 I liked the dress so much I ordered it myself :)

Also this week while Simon was in Bali enjoying the sun and surf (!)he was also scouting a few places for a family holiday. He's thinking here. Doesn't it look dreamy, especially considering the rain we have had in Sydney this week.

Taken on Simon's iphone.

So how has your week been? What caught your eye?

Simone xx

Friday Fashion.

I'm loving both of these styles. They are as opposite as you could get, but I could definitely find room in my wardrobe for them! It must be my Gemini personality coming out ;)

Neutral

Bright

Which one do you prefer?

I also love the image below but I never would have thought to wear a dress in the colder weather. Do you?

Simone xx

all images via my Pinterest board

Something simple.

With all the access to fabulous recipes and images on blogs and Pinterest, I always seem to be looking for the next big thing. Something new to try or taste. But you can forget how fantastic the simple things are.

I think the next birthday cake I make will be something simple like this cake. Sponge, strawberries and cream. Yum. 

Do you stick to your old favourites or like to try something new?

Simone xx

Wife of the Year?

I must be in the running for Wife of the Year as I have just agreed to a last minute surf trip for Simon. 

He is heading off to Bali TONIGHT to take advantage of the great waves happening at the moment. I'm storing up the brownie points as I think of him enjoying the sunshine while I'm running around with the kids this week! 

Would you do this?

Simone xx


pic is Simon in Bali last year

This week.....

So  this week I am.....


Eating .......Casseroles and curries. Rediscovering our slow cooker. Any recipes to share?


Collecting....I seem to keep buying woollen jumpers. I have about 4 and don't really need any more!!


Reading....Thinking about delving into the Fifty Shades of Grey series although not sure if it's my cup of tea.


Wearing.... My ankle boots. Black and perfect for every outfit.


Sipping.... .Mochas. Iced. In Winter. Crazy!


Discovering.... all about floorboards. We are contemplating putting them in our house. So I am researching all the different types.


Listening to....Finn's ipod.His favourite song at the moment and the one that is stuck in my head is "Whistle" by FloRida. 


Visiting..... Play centres. In this weather it is the easiest place to meet for a play date and let the kids blow off steam!


Dreaming of... A hot, beach holiday.


Browsing..... Online shops. I find it a lovely waste of time. My version of window shopping. 


Snuggling.... Into flannelette sheets. A must in Winter!


Watching.... Bethany Ever After, The Real Housewives - OC and Revenge. Tacky but so addictive!

Simone xx


image via bellamumma

What caught my eye this week...

I'm starting a new series of posts which consist of a wrap up of everything that caught my eye during the week. 

Usually I rip out magazine pages, take screen shots and write down things on scraps of paper that get lost. This way I will have everything in one place and can share them with you :)

I was excited to hear that Table Tonic now has a bricks & mortar store in Avalon. I will definitely be popping up there next week.

image via Table Tonic

I also want to book into a class at Megan Morton's "The School" I think it would be fantastic to take some time out to be a bit crafty and make something pretty :)

image via Megan Morton instagram


I love this shelf for knick knacks from Ferm Living below.

I'm in love with this painting by Kristy Gammill. Definitely want something similar but large scale on a canvas. Can any of my arty bloggy friends do this?!

I must try and make it across the bridge to Koskela. Homewares and food is a perfect match don't you think.

Loving this simple mantra seen on Pinterest

I couldn't resist dressing my boys up today for my nieces christening. I love boys in this preppy style and Jasper in his bow tie, Noah in a vest and Finn in a tie was too cute for words!

What has caught your eye this week? I'd love to know!

Simone xx

Colour.

I'm feeling the need for a little update around our house. We built the house 10 years ago and whilst that is still newish, I feel that some things are looking a little tired and could use an update. 

While reading the latest issue of Adore Magazine I came across heaps of inspiration. Our house is very "neutral". Floors, walls, furniture are neutral with the only colour coming from my homewares, cushions and books. 

I'm thinking about taking it up a notch and introducing fabric and colour to the max! Not sure though if it is something I could live with forever. Ahhh the big decisions :)

And of course nobody does colour better than Anna from Black & Spiro. So much inspiration on her blog! 

How about you? Are you living in a house of colour or do you prefer things a little calmer?

Simone xx

first 4 pics from Adore Magazine. Last 2 pics from Absolutelybeautifulthings