peruse .v to find all image credits

vanessa who authors a very cool blog called .v, kindly asked me to send her a list of things that make me happy and today, she has posted them! so, please click here to view my happy list and perhaps it will make you happy too. Don’t forget to say hello to vanessa while you are there, and also be sure to view all the happy lists. And while you are at it, scroll through vanessa’s posts as there is a tonne of inspiration to soak up.

thank you .v!

…this photo above taken by Mrs. French. I’m also deliriously inspired by the following…

…her incredible sense of style as seen here and here.

…her sewing room, before AND after. What an awesome space.

… her village and backyard where I am looking forward to helping with the gardening this spring & summer.

…this music video directed by Mikkel Serup.

…this dinner party in Paris.

…this image by Irene Suchocki. It would be perfect for you know what.

…also this one.

photo montage selection of her beautiful work.

Wow, I think I just completed my first blog favourites for 2009! 3 cheers for me!

hip.

hip.

hooray.

xx

PS ooh ooh I almost forgot to add this song to my deliriously inspired by list… it was the soundtrack to my travels in Sydney last month. Imagine this song up full volume, windows down in the car, warm sea breeze floating through the car as we drive along the beaches. yeah baby. yeah.

A new blog discovery for me, found via Jen at Nectar & Light, is The Unicorn Diaries. I was so tempted to show you a collection of images from her stunning posts but instead I give you just this one above because I insist you must see this for yourself. magic.

Alana has a recipe for yellow cupcakes with chocolate buttercream. She also has a beautiful blog.

Now if you haven’t downloaded Issue 5 of Mankind Magazine yet then you simply must. It is the handmade issue and it is so full of awesome artists and designers that my head is spinning. And let me just say this: if for some reason you ever thought that handmade was “daggy”, then read this issue and your whole mind paradigm will be bathed in a glorious goldeny (handmade) light. So get to it! You can also donate or sponsor the mag, click here for details.

Courtney from under a paper moon filled her blog last week with maps & globes – an awesome collection of posts for those of you (that’s me) who love using maps in home decoration. Some of my favourites of her magnificent map posts are here, here and here.

And I just love this post written by ness.

Happy reading mes amis!

A number of people have been asking me lately “what inspires you?” and I tell them, “blogs!”. I know, shock horror that I admit my creative soul is fed by the creative genius of others, but it’s how the creative world works – we all feed each other. And you all know my mantra by now (beside ‘enhance the everyday’) is: embrace, nurture and acknowledge. So it got me thinking, perhaps its not enough that my favourite blogs are in my blogroll and that I assume you go and visit all of them as often as I do – perhaps its time I show you exactly what inspires me, on a more regular basis. So today I have selected a few of my favourite blogs and am highlighting some of their recent blog posts that have got my creative juices flowing. I just know they will do it for you too…

Starting with Jo from red aprons – not only does she have fabulous taste in stockings and shoes, but she is also a girl who leads an extraordinarily interesting life in Sweden, her new homeland. Having moved there some months back to study, Jo takes us with her on her everyday adventures and shows us what inspires her along the way too. Last week she took us to a tiny island called rörö and I can’t stop day dreaming about this place. Oh, I’m so inspired, just look at that homemade shack above!
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Now this is a new discovery for me – it ironically came just after I recently made the announcement of my dislike for a certain word. Well, I take it all back!! Because I have completely fallen in love with the Brisbane letterpress company called Bespoke Press! Yes, bespoke! You never thought I’d say it, did you? Well, perhaps Bespoke Press is the only time I will say it. They make the most beautiful invitations, stationery and paperie using 100% cotton paper, and they have a love for “deep impressions, graphic design, interior design, and beautiful handmade things new and old.” How could I not fall in love? They have a wonderful website and blog, and recently they went on an incredible journey through Croatia and Italy, giving us plenty of photos to drool over. You simply must go and visit, there is bespoke inspiration galore…

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Then there is Amanda’s photographs. I can never get enough of her work. And this photograph is just so delicate and feminine.
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And my dear Liberty Post! The girl’s got my heart this week – she has surprised us all by posting all about Australia! And I am getting such a kick out of seeing what she comes up with next – I always find it so much fun to see my country through someone else’s eyes, and Liberty has been posting everything from Dame Edna to Akira, from vintage Australian stamps to a splashing of hilarious shots of the Melbourne Cup day. Thank you Liberty Post, you rock!
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Now it’s no secret that I adore the life led by Joslyn from Simply Lovely. With two beautiful daughters Audrey and Millie, Joslyn is always doing the most fun things with them. Recently they painted this cardboard castle and I’m totally inspired… to paint cardboard castles, eat cotton candy, have children, and go to fun fairs on weekends carrying my Japanese parasol. I am also a bit jealous that she gets to wear flip flops and singletops on an Autumn day as we can see above. Oh, also that the sun shines in Autumn for her in Austin, Texas. Phenomenal!
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Nadia’s blog la porte rouge is pure inspiration – front to back, back to front, in between and upside down. Nadia snaps brilliant photographs all over her neighbourhood and home – they are magic to me. The above photos are of some dying gerbera daisies that Nadia couldn’t quite let go. And I just adore them – even flowers die gracefully in her home, like “layered ballerinas” as Nadia so eloquently observed.
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And then there is the fabulous embroidery work of artist Joetta from Little Yellow Bird. Recently she has begun painting on her embroidery, creating the most maginificent textural illustrations. So very beautiful, I can’t wait to see her new works once completed.
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So that’s it for show + tell around the (blog)block for today! Perhaps I should make this a regular weekly treat, what do you think? Maybe not so elaborate, but just an image and a post, like the other bloggers do, what say you? If you like this idea, then you’ve just read the first in the series called…

Tomorrow I will take you on a little wander for show + tell around le petit bateau, and next week I am going to… well, you’ll just have to wait and see. x