Flat Out + Fashionably Late

So it turns out that the only thing more unreliable than little ol' me...is my little ol' immune system. I've been flat out (quite literally!) for the last few days, so whilst the move over to my shiny new domain is already in the works, the new look is not quite to my liking just yet.

I'll be honest; when I'm sick, I'm cranky, and when I'm cranky, I'm even more of a perfectionist than usual....often to the point of driving all those around me to near insanity (remind me to buy Mr. Unreliable a present this weekend...and some earplugs!)

So whilst my head is still in the medication-induced clouds and I'm still wrangling with the final touches on the new look, I offer you a sincere apology for the delay (I know you're just dying of suspense!) and a little Tim Gutt genius to tired you over.

Soon, my pretties!

Soon!

Pack Up Your Bags, It's Moving Time

That's right girls and boys, this weekend is the official 'Kit Attempts To Move and Upgrade Her Blog All in One Go' weekend, and oh what fun it will be!

The timing isn't especially ideal as my brain is fried from a hectic week at work, but these things just have to be done!

So please bear with me as this little blog makes a big transition, and stay tuned to see the new design popping up some time very, very soon.

But maybe just a little nap first...

[Please click on images for original sources]

Where the Wild Things Are

I love photography. I love wallpaper. I love squirrels.

Therefore, I love Catherine Ledner's series of adorable animal portraits, mysteriously titled Catherine's Animals. Mainly the squirrel portraits, naturally, but the rest of the catalogue is almost as adorable.

From the exotic to the spiky to the delightfully domestic, it's surprisingly uplifting to see animals asserting their personality on film.

There's a strange corner of my brain that automatically names animals (and inanimate objects, but that's a story for another day), and gives them little life stories. This is Percy the Hedgehog and his friend Herbert the Woodchuck. They went to college together and now run their own acclaimed landscape design business.

I'd also like to introduce you to Betty the Donkey and Elena the Deer. These little ladies went to high school together. Elena was prom queen. Betty was not.

George the Bulldog and his sister Sophie the Chicken never quite saw eye to eye. George always suspected that Sophie was adopted, whilst Sophie, ever the beauty queen, simply assumed that George was a little on the unattractive side.

And thus concludes the disturbing insight into the bizarre workings of my brain.

That is all.

Wednesday Wisdom - Waiting, Watching, Wishing

The universe is full of magical things,
patiently waiting
for our wits to grow sharper.

- Eden Phillpotts

Do not go where the path may lead,
go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

One's destination is never a place
but rather a new way of looking at things.

- Henry Miller (1891 - 1980)

[Images by the supremely talented IAmElena, found via Moon Face]

Feeling a Little Sketchy

As much as I love the straight lines and right angles of relentless Modernism, there's a time and a place for sketchy, imperfect interiors, and it appears that the time is now. I mean 'now' loosely of course, as we've been seeing some delightfully squiggly designs for the last few years, particularly from those crazy lighting kids.

Thout launched their Scribble Lamp back in 2007, crafting a sketchy statement piece out of little more than extended electrical cord, a bit of steel and a whole lot of love.

These quirky little neon lights from Covello Reesor also get an honourable mention, and though they appeared on the scene only a little after the Thout designs, they sadly appear to have disappeared in the meantime. Anyone who happened to snap up any of these lights from the Toronto-based designers have a piece of sketchy history in their happy little hands!

Luckily for us, the scribble is currently undergoing a resurgence of sorts! Classic Marimekko designs are being reborn as wallpaper thanks to a collaboration with Italian company Sirpi, and my favourite is undoubtedly the floral/pinwheel sketchy hybrid goodness of Joonas, designed by the iconic Maija Isola.


A close second is Harri Koskinen’s Frekvenssi design - slightly skewed, sketchy straight lines? Be still my beating heart! If they somehow find a way to convert Miaja Louekari's 'Moments' design into wallpaper, my life will be complete...

Well, right after I get this Black on White Rug. Designed by Javier Mariscal for nanimarquina, it's like a Persian rug, but cool. Not that I have anything against Persian rugs* mind you.

There's never been a better time to be completely inept with a ruler - it's my time to shine!

*Okay that's a lie, I have a strange aversion to them and you usually couldn't pay me all the money in the world to let one into my house. It's nothing personal, Mr. Persian Rug. Really, it's not you, it's me.

Happy Monday - Just Add Water

Hope you all had a marvellous weekend! Mine was vastly unproductive, largely because I was lost in the beautiful portfolio of Elena Kalis.

I was drawn in by her Alice in Waterland series, only to find a folio full of stunning ethereal underwater imagery. Floaty dresses, wispy hair, bright splashes of colour amongst strong turquoises and soft mauves.

I couldn't think of any better way to start the week!

Legs Eleven - Fall Fashion Favourites

I love colourful tights. I don't care what time of year it is, how hot it may be, or generally even where I'm going. I love them, and I love wearing them (...though not as pants. Because they're not pants! They're just not, so put on some pants or a skirt, please!)

Anyway, even though it can occasionally be a little inconvenient to be swooning over Winter clothing in the heat of Summer, and vice versa, this is a particularly exciting time of year for those like me who aren't quite ready to let go of Winter even when the temperature is hitting the 30's.

Don't get me wrong, I adore Springtime and I'm quite fond of lazy Summers spent at the beach too, but as far as fashion is concerned, Fall/Winter collections always seem to be my absolute weakness. I suspect the colourful tights may have a little something to do with this.

I could happily purchase every single item from Kate Spade's Fall collection. Quite happily. In fact, if Kate Spade ever wants to get on the Bloggers-as-Models bandwagon, I'm her girl! Alternatively, Kate Spade can also feel free to just send me her whole range. I'd be down with that.

And as a devoted fan of colourful tights and stockings, I love these looks in particular. Bright turqoise tights with hot pink accessories? Doesn't sound particularly appealing in theory, but somehow, Kate Spade manages to make it look good. More than good. Adorable even, and not even mildly reminiscent of the late 90s! (Seriously!)

On a slightly more demure note, I love the bold simplicity of Built by Wendy's Fall line. Unapologetic bursts of red can make an otherwise monochromatic outfit into a showstopper. Even the red patent flats add enough spice to an outfit to turn a few heads.

And last but not least, Cacharel. Dark greys with white polka dots, vibrant reds with patent black T-bars, and gunmetal greys with killer mustard heels. Swoony McSwoon.

Better still for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere, plenty of these looks wouldn't be out of place in our Spring...or even our Summer for that matter.

Might be time to hide the credit cards!

[Cacharel and Built by Wendy via {frolic!}, Kate Spade via Oh Joy!]

I Need a Little...

...some of this...


...or maybe a little bit of this...


...and definitely a lot of this...


...I need a holiday! Who's with me?!


[Images via design is mine and The Art of Jordan]

Wednesday Wisdom - On The Road

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

- Robert Frost (1874 - 1963)
The Road Not Taken

To travel hopefully
is a better thing than to arrive.

- Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894)

Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights;
it is a change that goes on,
deep and permanent,
in the ideas of living.

- Miriam Beard

A man travels the world over
in search of what he needs
and returns home to find it.

- George Moore

Little by little, one travels far.

- J. R. R. Tolkien (1892 - 1973)

He who would travel happily
must travel light.

- Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900 - 1944)

Once you have traveled,
the voyage never ends,
but is played out over and over again
in the quietest chambers,
that the mind can never break off
from the journey.

- Pat Conroy (1945 - )
The Prince of Tides

Happiness is not a station you arrive at,
but a manner of traveling.

- Margaret Lee Runbeck

Though we travel the world over
to find the beautiful,
we must carry it with us or we find it not.

- Emerson

It appears that 'grey nomads' are the new black and caravans are the new Concordes. Slight exaggeration perhaps, but if it's good enough for Ms. Moss...

[ Kate & The Gypsies for V Magazine via Design Scene , DecorMaison Oasis Range via emmas designblogg , Hugh Stewart via coco+kelley ]

Monday, Monday, Wherefore Art Thou Monday?

Not that I'm complaining. It's a well documented fact that Monday and I don't really see eye to eye. One might even go so far as to say that we're sworn enemies. Mortal enemies even. There just isn't enough hyperbole in the whole entire world universe to encapsulate my general disdain for Monday.

I'm fairly sure I got up in the morning, made myself reasonably presentable, then went to work for 8 hours or so...but I don't really remember any of it. I had to check a few timestamps on my work computer to be sure.

My body may have been sitting at my desk, shuffling around papers, staring blankly at emails and generally attempting to make myself look busy, but my mind was definitely enjoying a little vacation. I wonder where it went?

Speaking of a little holiday, I'm over at 2Modern this evening, blogging about organisation of all things (HA! There's a slice o' irony for you!) - pop on over and say hello!

[As always, please click on images for original sources!]