you can’t go past the traditional green and red at this time of year, but teaming it up with craftpaper browns, rich chocolate (and a peacock! Although this one came from a postcard, I like this one better) works beautifully and gives the traditional theme some serious style.

the little makeup bag is handmade from vintage French fabric by Ici Et Là in Australia (I bought mine at the Surry Hills store but looking at their website they have spread across the country which is great news) and the gorgeous little handstitched horse on the right is a find in a French brocante (I will be showcasing the village toward the end of this week). I had full intention of sending this creature to my dear friend jboo for her birthday back in april but I fell in love with it and have not parted with it since. Sorry jboo!!

and this little guy i spotted this morning, what a neat christmas gift he would make!! he’s not mine unfortunately, but i am happy with my basket-clad push pedal, promise!

After a little rocky start thanks to my hosting company deciding to do maintenance the moment I launched the blog, I am back on track and ready to roll! But haven’t quite made the effort to roll out of bed yet (love my lap apple) and Alfred seems to have forgotten about my morning cuppa. again.

Thank you to everyone who replied to my email send out yesterday, having a look at the blog and sending me your well wishes, I love you all.

The above image is from an art gallery in Amsterdam that my lovely friend Connie and I stumbled upon the other day. We both couldn’t resist snapping some shots through the white-barred window, it was such a beautiful tiny space, and with this intriguing phrase in giant lettering on the wall it seemed to be written just for us, reflecting our current states of mind. It was as if the sentence formed from the intense conversation about love, loss and life that we had just been engaging in.

I didnt get a chance to find the name of the space or the artist, so if anyone knows please do let me know. In the meantime, I will try to find it again to see if I can learn more about the concept and the artist. Here is a broader shot of the space…

Stunning non?

So what is installed for you this week when you wander through my house? Let me see…

On the kitchen table amongst a tonne of paperwork still to get through is a series of shots from a Summer BBQ story I shot with photographer Chris Chen in Sydney, Australia with some ideas for table setting this summer (if you are lucky enough to be in the Southern Hemisphere!)

In the sound studio, we just released the song ‘les gouttes’ and have it available on the myspace page. I will describe (with visual aid of course!)more about this song as it has quite a story behind it.

A new book has been added to the Library called Recycled Home – I cant wait to get a chance to sit with it, I’ll write my review.

Presents! You have to check out the wrapping, it is so gorgeous!

A mini travel guide full of beautiful images of a very special set of villages in France where I will be spending my Christmas, and a little surprise visit to a rather magnificent property too.

And on this weeks menu there are oysters, there are scallops, there is pan-seared tuna with herbes de provence, and of course there is champagne! I will be writing the menu up in the kitchen shortly.

And all that in between my daily postings and working out how to use bullet points. Thanks for your patience with my little start up issues. Hope you enjoy the first week at my place!

All anxieties come flooding forth as I write you my first introductory post. How exposed I do feel. Yet how utterly exhilarating has been the notion to express and share my finds, thoughts, vision and dreams within my everyday, where it all occurs. And to engage and communicate with other like-minded creative souls across the globe. How wonderful has been the concept to allow my (somewhat)imaginary octopus arms to flail around wildly with my ideas, inspirations, influences and passions.

Taking a glass of vin rouge in hand and walking up the daunting stairs of the blogosphere, I feel ready to introduce myself: Hello fellow bloggers, my name is Pia and I’d like to join your party. Santé!

So what was the catalyst to pull me into the blogging world? I could bullshit and tell you that people were asking me to start an online notebook but honestly, I will tell you that it had nothing to do with anyone else’s requests for my presence in the blogosphere but in fact it has everything to do with these magnificent bloggers who have inspired me to reach this point. Allow me to introduce them to you in order that I discovered them…

My first find was a fellow aussie named victoria from http://lost.net.au/vic/, whose blogging voice caught my attention and has kept me logging in ever since. She has such a unique voice and she finds the most incredible little treasures. Twinged with her aussie sense of humour, many-a-time she has had me laughing out loud (I REFUSE to use the abbreviated version and am boycotting it on my blog) and at the same time leaping out of my chair: my mind flooded with ideas from her latest find and my heart singing with joy. It is in fact the lovely Vic who lead me to the next wonderful couple of gals…

Canadian Kim and Aussie Jo at Desire to Inspire: what a team! Their desire to inspire has certainly been achieved. Jo also sells some stunning artwork at her etsy shop(my faves are her peacocks). I was so taken by their blog that I emailed the pair and asked if they would feature my work on one of their posts. They obliged and did such a lovely post featuring some work from my website. Then came their guest blogging on Grace’s incredible Design*Sponge…

Grace has created something quite special with this blog, her style and website layout are impressive to say the least. I am always referring to her website to have a peek at her design guides and her ‘sneak peeks’.

Then came Josyln at Simply Lovely. I spotted her when she had spotted my work on one of the above mentioned blogs. I had a browse of her posts and was hooked: she has a beautiful blogging voice that is interlaced perfectly with her personal life of bringing up daughters Audrey and Millie in their home in Dallas. The polaroid of the glasses I have featured above is from a post Josyln wrote about photographer Maditi who I will post about soon too.

Next on my blogosphere discovery round came Lisa at Blush whose passion is weddings but she also features interiors and treasures that inspire her. Although I am not a wedding-kinda-gal, I love the mood boards she creates from the images she loves. She has a great sense of colour and discovers some pretty cool products too.

And last but certainly not least in my line up of fab bloggers who got me blogging is Irene at Bloesem. A Dutchie like me (not a typo, I am a blend) she has written about heaps of cool stuff and about her very cool life in KL. She also makes beautiful things (as you can see above!) that should be on everybody’s wish list.

I will have these inspiring people on my blogroll amongst some others that I love, but these girls deserved a special mention and is my way of saying thank you. I will no doubt refer to them in time to come with various postings, and share some of their finds with you, and I hope to be as inspiring to them & you as they have been to me.

To find out a little more about my blog, click on ‘about’ where you will get the gist of the layout and find out a bit about my background. This blog will be as active as I am (hmmm yeah, I don’t actually sleep) and I hope you enjoy what I have installed for you. I have lots to share with you, including my ‘real’ place of residence which I will post about très soon, I think you will get a real kick out of it (dear friends, don’t you give it away!), I’m quite sure it will not be what you expect but hopefully you will find it as delightful and inspiring as I do.

With the launch of this blog being one week left to ‘the big party’, I will be jam-packing this coming week with christmas inspiration from around my neighbourhood (aka the world) and I’ll also be showcasing a very special little hideaway where I will be spending my christmas for the first time.

Thank you for visiting today, please enjoy your time here and feel free to pop in whenever you feel like it, the door is always open…