Missoni Accomplished

I've always loved colour - and maximalism - in both fashion and homewares, so it's no surprise I'm a big Missoni fan. 

I've been slowly building a little collection of towels and scarves over the years, so I almost wet my pants when I heard about their collaboration with Target in the US.

Of course I wasn't the only one - with their pop up store during New York fashion week being cleared out in an hour, the online sale crashing their website, and items appearing on eBay for astronomical prices.

How gorgeous is Margherita Missoni in their TV ad?

Anyway, despite some serious delays and a bit of a PR disaster (their social media team took a beating on twitter), my online order went through, and with the help of Parcel It On my package arrived today! (Target US don't ship to Australia - and Parcel It On are a package forwarding service that I've used before and can highly recommend!)

That's a lots of zig-zags! (ps - it's not all for me)

My verdict - the towels seem like surprisingly good quality - the cosmetic bags not so much. My favourite was a little zig zag knit dress - as soon as I put it on I had to do a little go-go dance - it's so 60's! I won't be wearing it head to toe like in the ad- mm well not outside the house at least.

Made In The Now

Who doesn't love getting a parcel in the mail?

This parcel was extra special. This was my first purchase from Made In The Now - an amazing online tshirt design studio that produces one topical design every day for a limited time of 24 hours. They only print the quantity ordered, and are based right here in Brisbane!

The shirt that I snapped up was inspired by Martha Stewart's recent 70th birthday (can you believe it?).

She is totally my homegirl. Made In The Now uses graphic designers from all over the world - but this particular one was designed by my gorgeous friend Alex Naghavi.

I don't know how they come up with such amazing and diverse graphics with such tight deadlines - if you follow their facebook page you can vote for your chosen news story for each day, and then order the tee in a matter of hours. Even Martha would be impressed.

Found: The Perfect Outdoor Rug

Hooray! I've been hunting for a lovely outdoor rug since the deck was completed without any joy. Everything I've found was either a) hideous or b) ridiculously expensive.

So when My Secret Garden in Teneriffe posted some pics of their new eco rugs on their facebook page - I knew I had to go in and check them out.

As you can see one made its way home with me, and is now living happily on our deck.

A Big Brisbane Weekend Ahead

When it rains it pours! There's a glut of fab shopping events this weekend in Brisbane - first on my list is The Finders Keepers Markets on Saturday and Sunday at the Old Museum

The Cottage Garden Nursery & Gillian's Garden Cafe

Today after the markets we stopped into The Cottage Garden Nursery at East Brisbane. I literally drive past it every weekday on the way to work - but hadn't popped in for a few years.

App Review: Shop Ethical!

I go through phases of downloading heaps of apps on my iPhone - and then not using most of them more than a few times.

One of the stayers has been Shop Ethical - an app that aims to help you make smarter choice at the supermarket.

I didn't really believe that it would be compatible with Aussie supermarkets - or have enough product data to be useful - so I took it for a whirl on my last shopping trip.

Hydrangea Blues

I've got the hydrangea blues.

via Martha Stewart

Look how gorgeous Martha's hydrangeas are. I'm jealous. I desperately wanted hydrangeas for my wedding last year, and even went and bought my own plants - determined to grow my own flowers when florists all over Brisbane were adamant the blooms wouldn't be available.

Neither plant did too well - I mistakenly put them both in full shade. Both are still hanging in there so we'll see what happens this coming summer. In the meantime - look at what I spotted in the Garden Express catalogue in this month's Gardening Australia...

Newtown Old Wares, Sydney

On weekends in other cities - I pretty much do the same things as I do on regular weekends - haunt antique stores. Last weekend in Sydney I visited Newtown Old Wares.

It's one of many antique/vintage/retro shops along King st and was chock full of treasures.

Paddington Antique Centre

On Sunday I visited one of the mainstays of the Brisbane Antique scene - The Paddington Antique Centre. 

It's a cavernous big building on Latrobe tce at Paddington that I believe used to be theatre in its former life. I've always loved its tattered yet vivid blue roof. I hadn't visited for a little while and noticed that there was a lot more vintage clothing than I remembered.

This chesterfield wing chair certainly caught my attention - it would definitely match our vintage couch.. 

I loved these bamboo bangles..

And these lovely glossy figurines..

But my pick for the day was definitely this green, hexagonal lamp - I'd switch out the shade and pop it on our sideboard pronto..

And although I can't be parted from my lovely yellow KitchenAid, I used to use my grandmothers Sunbeam Mixmaster and certainly had a soft spot for this vintage pink number.

Sorry this is such a terrible shot but they're having an event this Friday night - more details here.

The Black & Spiro Sale

So I popped along yesterday to the always highly anticipated annual Black & Spiro sale - and Anna didn't disappoint.

I made the mistake of being 20 minutes late and was met by a shop full of women clutching lamps and cushions, and their partners dutifully waiting outside. (Mr T joined took one look inside at the gaggle of ladies and soft furnishings and quickly joined them.)

There were plenty of bargains to be had - I was actually quite impressed by some of the markdowns - a lot of the larger pieces of art and furniture and even the gorgeous blue Peggy sofa that I'd lusted after here was discounted.

Alas I've got a deck to pay off so there were no pretty purchases for me - and to be honest the line for the register wasn't too appealing either. (Although it must be said everyone was very friendly and patient.)

But any non-purchase remorse was quickly soothed by an almond croissant at Bouquiniste.

The Case of the Stylish iPhone

I received another exciting package in the mail this week - a brand spanking new white iPhone 4 that my  lovely service provider upgraded me to.

And although it's oh so pretty and glossy and white, I wasn't first in line when they were handing out coordination skills so I'm feeling the need to invest in a case to keep my new toy safe and sound.

I've previously opted for the el-cheapo rubberised ones from random shopping centre kiosks - but this time I'm looking to the web for something more stylish.

I'm loving the cute text on this one - and for some reason the diagonal stripes immediately make me think of the gondola posts in Venice.

etsy seller PencilShavingsPaper

I remember the great Kate Spade cases from their stores overseas - and these two are available online.

Kate Spade 

Kate Spade

Am I too old for a good polka dot?

etsy seller PencilShavingsPaper

 Can I ever have too many chevron stripes?

etsy seller PencilShavingsPaper

I also liked this colourful houndstooth case - I think the white background would look better with the white iPhone.

etsy seller PencilShavingsPaper

 I know Mr Tchotchke would be partial to this handcrafted timber case.

etsy seller Signimade

 And I couldn't resist adding this crazy sushi case. Hilarious but a little impractical.

Strapya World

 And here's my new toy - still naked.. for now.

The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

So I made a little purchase last week..

Net-a-Porter lured me in with their offer of free shipping to Australia - and I was amazed at how quickly they arrived! Ordered Tuesday night - they were sitting on my desk on Friday, beautifully gift wrapped.

I gave them a good work out in the garden over the weekend - so far so good - a little rubbing on one ankle but my tootsies were warm and dry!

Kova

Over the weekend I popped into Kova on James st too. It's another favourite homewares store - I still remember the first time I went in on a shopping trip with my godmother.

I love their wall of cushions - but was amazed at the two embroidered floral ones in the centre - they're the same fabrics and embroidery as one that I bought in Mexico last year - and I can tell you I didn't pay $320!

These graphic printed rugs are Tribe Home - the same brand as my zig zag rugs. I wish ours had tassels like these.

Kova always has such pretty wrapping paper. Though I can never justify simply using it to wrap gifts - one day I'll think of a brilliant craft project to use some.

d.i.g

I'm a total sucker for garden design stores - and one of my favorites is d.i.g. on James st.

Ornate garden sculptures aren't usually my thing but I think the catfish on this one make it a little more kitschy. A feature table of potted plants is such a good way to dress up a concrete wall.

And I loved these rustic light fixtures.

How amazing is this glassware stand?  You'd need a fair amount bench space though..

And I can never resist a tufted headboard.

Elephant lamp alert! Are elephants the new birds? This reminded me of this Elephant Accessories Roundup on Apartment Therapy

ZARA Sydney - The Review

I had to go to Sydney for work this week so I took the opportunity to visit the new ZARA store. I've been a huge fan of ZARA from trips to Europe and the US over the years and was really interested to see what they'd deliver in Australia.

The store is pretty large by Australian standards - three levels covering ladies, mens and kidswear, with a fit out to match its other international outlets.

I visited on a Thursday night - and it was crowded! There was a wait for the dressing rooms, and another queue for the registers. It goes without saying that neither were long enough to put me off.

The collection was pretty broad - like the European range there was more workwear and evening wear than casual gear, and a small range of shoes, bags and accessories.

There were some lovely jackets and trenchcoats but most were too heavy for Brisbane winters - for me at least. I felt the same about quite a few of the long sleeved dresses. There were quite a few pretty silk sleeveless blouses though around the $60-$80 mark.

The prices were fairly similar to what I'd found overseas - jeans around $50, dresses $80-$150, jackets $100-$150 (although I did see a leather shearling jacket for $700) and leather shoes and bags between $100-$200.

So what did I buy? I was slightly more conservative than I thought and only bought two pieces (hey I've got a deck to pay for). I picked up this polka dot blouse for $59..

... and these skinny cord pants for $49. I was somewhat hesitant about these but wore them all day today and they were amazingly comfy.

So what was my verdict? It's a great store and offers more choice in the lower/middle price point range, but I really don't think its going to revolutionise the Australian shopping scene like some are predicting. It's been overhyped because it's the first big international arrival in that segment (I don't really rate GAP), but hopefully it'll do well enough to ensure that Topshop and H&M arrivals aren't too far away.

Woolloongabba Antiques Centre

Yesterday I took a trip to one of my favourite Brisbane shopping destinations..

The Woolloongabba Antiques Centre! I loved the coloured macrame plant hangers above - I can totally imagine them hanging over our deck - but somehow I don't think they're too wind-friendly.

I'm in the process of looking for a new 2 seater lounge (the main reason for my visit) and loved the shape of this one - pity its a 3 seater and too large for me. I'm sure it'll find a new home soon though.

My mum used to play the accordian as a child and I've always thought they would look so great in a home. And you know, I could totally use it to entertain guests..

I had a little swoon over this Tretchikoff print - we've got his Miss Wong print in our living room (we lugged it back from an antiques shop in Glasgow) and I'm sure she'd love a friend.

And you know I love a good animal tchotchke.

Dreaming of Anthropologie

My trip to the USA last year re-ignited my love for their store Anthropologie.

They had the most amazing stores with wonderfully merchandised homewares sections.

These are some photos I took in their Soho NYC store - I left Mr Tchotchke waiting outside for me, and I spent so long in there he came to the conclusion that a display must have fell down and trapped me because surely I couldn't have been shopping for all that time!

I loved these lamps - and the green troughs were full of decorative cabinet hardware!

I had to stop myself from filling our suitcases with their amazing printed bed linens

Even though they're yet to open any stores in Australia at least they do international shipping!

Although I don't think they ship sofas :( This is their gorgeous Mathlide Sofa in Butterfly Flurry.

I especially loved this Dynamic Ikat Bedding.

And how gorgeous is this Winking Wisecracker Jar? He'd keep the possums out of our kitchen!

I actually bought these measuring spoons over there - it was a little easier to justify something that wouldn't take up too much room in the suitcase.