(blog)pal joanna, author of one of our favourite blogs called a cup of jo and glamour magazine’s blog smitten, asked me last week if I might like to participate in her new series on smitten called “one thing that makes me smile”. She asked me to write a paragraph or so about something I do or like that makes my life happy.

Would you like to know what I said?

Well, click here to find out!! I’ll give you a clue: It has something to do with this photo above.

Thank you joanna!

xx

PS a new behind the scenes up next!

image from here via here.

With the long weekend coming up, i thought i’d share a quick list of blog favourites with you! First of all don’t forget about the ‘in the spotlight’ section to the right – each week I spotlight 5 blogs that I am currently loving. Right now I’ve spotlighted:

oh joy!
little doodles
stash studios
odette ny
grijs

all of these blogs are based in different parts of the world, and are so unique in their own way. Please spend a little time on each of these blogs and you’ll soon learn why I love them so!

on top of that, i wanted to share the following with you…

dumbo feather’s editor kate wrote a great post about the ‘global financial crisis’. Her words are my sentiment exactly. I haven’t written anything about the crisis here on my blog because 1. i can get rather worked up about such topics and 2. I like the blog to remain “day enhancing”. And I think Kate’s post is totally “day enhancing”! So please read.

photographs by victoria pearson via simply lovely

josyln has been very active in making positive changes in her family life, with thanks to the economic changes going on, have you noticed? along with her spending hiatus, she has a ‘new normal’ which is all about living larger lives. I’m not sure I have the right to be proud of her, but I am! I’m just so thrilled that people are taking the time to assess their lives – it’s what the world needs: a time of reflection. For some reason I started this reflection rather early in my life, so if you are worried about your own outcome of making such changes and aren’t sure if it’s the right thing to do, take me as an example and know that everything will be fine, and life will be large! I couldn’t be happier with all the decisions I made, as daunting as they were at the time because I was the only one ‘doing it’. I’ve raised a number of eyebrows throughout my life, put it that way. but my ethos to enhance the everyday was started long ago, and I wouldn’t have my life any other way.

Oh I have hope in humanity once more!

Read more on josyln’s post here.

from 3191

Speaking of living larger lives, I’m really enjoying 3191 these days. Have you been reading?

That’s all for now. If you don’t have much on this weekend then I hope this will keep your mind active and lift your heart! Also, don’t forget about the other rooms of the (blog)house! Riley (via me) has a message for you here, and ms. food stylist extraordinare Yvette has two delicious recipes for you here. Enjoy! I’ll be back this afternoon with another fun post.

xx

PS Thank you to all who have sent me such beautiful emails about my (blog)house recently – I’m just so glad you are all enjoying it, it makes me very happy. I will try to reply to everyone but if I am not able to, please forgive me!

PPS and how about a song? I thought this one might be appropriate, since I’ve gone and pipeletted-away. again.

did you think it was never going to happen? I thought I would never get to it, but alas here I am with a list of favourite posts, new blog discoveries, and fun reads from around the blogosphere…

First up is an introduction to A Field Journal – a beautiful blog written but university student Livy who is studying art history. She’s a crafty lass, making all sorts of things from sock monkeys named pete, specimen drawings, and beautiful photos of laundry and things (as you see above). She also hosted herself a rather sweet 21st birthday bash, take a look here. I may be one of the last to discover dear Livy’s blog, as she already has a number of loyal readers, but I thought for those of you like me who don’t get enough time to zoom around the blogosphere, perhaps this will be a new discovery for you too. Enjoy!

I found A Field Journal via one of my new favourite regular stops, Nicola’s Concrete and Honey (which you may remember, I mentioned in my last blog favourites). Girl’s got so much talent that I just can’t get enough of- check out one of her latest posts giving us a sneak peak inside her beautiful abode and her mum’s honeymoon slip. stunning.

Another regular stop is maia’s une envie de sel. Which is just so full of life, love, photographs and little tidbits about maia. She writes, she illustrates, and she has an incredibly beautiful daughter. Recently I loved reading about her trip to victoria, australia – read about what she got up to! It sounds like so much fun and I want to know more.

did you know that esti’s drawings are going to be printed on clothing? here is a sneak peek. i really really would like one. also, check out her INCREDIBLE stones – first she collected them at the beach and then look what she drew on them. i’m in love. love. love.

and have you seen kim’s kitchen? it’s gorgeous! she has been working so hard with this renovation with greentea designs, it’s awesome. Check out her before and afters here, an interview over at green tea designs here, and one of my favourite features just outside the kitchen right here. so clever! also kim’s home office is dazzling. congrats kim!!

well that should keep you busy for a while! i think i’ve overstretched myself with making such regular posts of blog favourites and etsy favourites, so from now on I’ll be pulling back a little and just fitting them in when I can. I’ve also totally lost my rhythm with replying to emails in good time, answering questions in comments, fulfilling tags and thanking you for blog awards!! I’m so sorry! Please forgive me. Keeping a balance is so tricky! But I have so many things going on behind the scenes here that I can’t yet reveal on the blog so although it may look like I’m chillin’, it’s quite the opposite. So bare with me during this time if possible. there will be fun things coming to the (blog)house soon and I’m busting my chops to make it happen. until then, I do hope you’ve enjoyed this segment of…

tout de suite!

xx

PS ooh it’s a rainbow here in the (blog)house this week! I’ve gone from vibrant yellow to forest shades of brown, to green houses & wintry scenes, bright blue and now soft pastels… it’s nearly spring afterall! yay!!!

I’ve been out on a treasure hunt this morning. With Emiliana’s Me and Armini album as my soundtrack, I’ve been jiving, skipping and flying through the blogosphere and now I have (blog)baskets filled with (blog)treasures. So then, who’s ready for another round of blog favourites?

the beautiful aesthetic of {this is glamorous}

First up I want to take you over to {this is glamorous} (as seen above) whose posts titled seaglass and endless possibilities have my mouth watering at the sight of such gorgeous colour combinations. soft, simple and elegant.

a montage of photographs taken by nicola at concrete and honey

Then take a wander over to a new blog discovery for me called concrete and honey by Sydney lass Nicola, which I found via The Design Files. Nicola has a beautiful aesthetic and fills her blog with inspirations, splashed with her own incredible photographs as you see above. Her blog is only young, so be sure to give her a nice welcome and leave lots of comments. Welcome to the blogosphere Nicola!

This story about the old guy and his workshop on the blog of Melbourne-based musician Martin Kennedy (aka the “nerdy muso with thick glasses” from All India Radio) really moved me. I have a number of similar observations throughout my own life, and I loved finding that someone notices the same things. Martin’s quick snaps of the place reminded me to take photos of such observations. I won’t say anything more about the post, just take a moment to read it here and lets just make this an ode to the old man, wherever he may now be.

I’ve been ogling Chelsea’s flickr set from one of her recent photo sessions at a beautiful place called luscher farm. She took a plethora of polaroids that I think are fit for a catalogue, check them all out here. But wait, here are a few more, just because…

Well there you have it, I do hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of…

…these prints, which are pretty gorgeous. And as Liberty Post says, they would look great in individual gilded frames. I’d also like them printed on card and pinned to my inspiration board. Thank you Liberty Post, you always find such wonderful treasures!

xx

Next up, the results of one of my latest shoots.