Friday 30 August 2013

FEATURE FRIDAY: BREEDS OF MEN



Continuing the count down to Spring means that we are also heading into Father's Day this weekend. 
It is always nice to have a day dedicated to your dad and mother to let them know how grateful you are for everything that they may do for you and to honor them for being parents. I am not a parent myself, but I guess one day I will be and it will be those special days that make all the harder ones and challenging days worth it. There is the argument that appreciation and love should not be shown just on one particular day but everyday, which I whole heartily agree with, but I guess it is more of a consistent way of the whole nation to ban together and dedicate it to either your dad or your role models. I find it really difficult buying anything for my dad because he really is not your typical Mr. Sporty, Mr. Action, Mr. Adventure kinda guy, he is more the Mr.Cooking, Mr. Arty, Mr. Music, Mr. Eclectic kinda guy which means things like footy tickets, beers, bbq's and an adventure activity is not going to cut it. This year I am finding it particularly difficult to buy my dad something special that he does not already have and does not already love. He just really does not fit the mould and not in a bad way, as everyone has their own personalities and loves, which I would never change in my own Dad because if I did, I properly would not be the creative person I am today. 

I wanted to introduce you to a great website that I think is really breaking the mould in terms of buying products and or gifts for men with their take on "breeds" of men and having a lots of catagories and products that cater to not just one type of guy or Dad in this case. The online shopping stop for men is Navy Crockett. I absolutely love it because it means I can really pin point the type of guy I am looking to shop for and I can find some really different and cool things I probably would not find in a standard store. Tick! I have found something I think my Dad would like. It is not just great for the Dad's but great for the boyfriends too and here are my top five picks below for a fun, creative, fashion loving, coffee drinking, cooking loving Dad. 

If you are looking for the perfect gift, head over to Navy Crockett's website now




Why not gift a great print for your Dad's own Man Cave?

+
Is your Dad a lover of Coffee? 

Bright cool shoes to jazz up any outfit! 

+
Does your Dad like to cook? Why not get him a Diamond Sharpener?
Does he love music and not know how to use technology well? This could be a great
gift for when they are cooking or enjoying a nice working day in their studio's
 = one happy funky Dad




All images sourced directly from the Navy Crockett website and can be found under all their breeds listings. Hope you all have a lovely weekend and enjoy your first day of SPRING!

Looking forward to ringing in the new season with you all.

JDZ x



Thursday 29 August 2013

COLOUR SPLASH & COCKTAILS - COUNT DOWN TO SPRING

Where are my Pina Colada's?! Spring is now two full days away and that means we are still counting down and sharing with you all what we think is going to be huge this spring. Apart from those hexagons that are popping up everywhere, florals are going to be huge this summer as well as bright colours, pastels, new take on tribal with lots of pineapples. Well, pineapples are not very new if you ask me because they were huge last summer too, but I think they are here to stay a little bit longer which is totally fine by me. I feel as though there will be a lot of reinterpretation and reinvention of the these similar prints and textiles. If you have had a chance to take a look in Freedom lately and even Ikea, you would notice that the new 2014 and summer campaigns are all centred around light colours, citrus prints ( freedom have some killer pineapple cushions at the moment!! ) fresh, lively, vibrant and happy. I think everyone has really had enough of winter and ringing in the spirit of summer in an exciting way.

Sparkk one of my favourite OZ made textiles and wall coverings are reinterpreting the pineapple and the vibrant colours with a bit of a tropical and aztec theme happening with some of their latest designs. What a great way to add some series colour and theme to particular spaces to liven them up for spring and summer. I am not lucky enough yet to own my very own Camilla piece and I am not one usually for very bright and loud colour in clothing, however I really can never NOT love Camilla's designs and the vibrance that are her prints. They are and would make you feel very special, flowing and really capture that feeling of summer, when it is so hot, coming from a long day at the beach, or heading out for some cocktails and the air is so still, stars are shinning and you do not need a jacket, even at 1am in the morning. I love that the prints and the style is reinvented and developed time and time again so that they look different but are in keeping with the identity of the brand itself. The aztec and tropical prints are all making me feel like I need to head over to the Caribbean!

I think that this spring and summer you all need to inject some floral into your space as well as lots and lots of colour. Reinvent your furniture if you have to, add a new artwork, create those funky vignettes with lots of colour and contrast, make some ice tea with lots of fruit, have a colourful fruit bowl and most importantly do not be afraid to make a change, spring is coming, shed all the winter blues, make some new goals for the end of the year and make them happen by doing!

Can you tell I am excited for SPRING? I have my very own new goal list and my very own list of things that need to get done by the end of the year so that I can enjoy my summer. What is on your list? Is it to finally paint that spare room? Is it to finally take that step into renovating? Is it just to buy some fresh flowers? Is it to spend more time enjoying the garden or being grateful for all that you have?
Let me know, I would love to hear from you all!

Here are some of the images and Sparkk prints that are inspiring me at the moment as well as being specified in an interior project! Hope they get the tick of approval!




Camilla runway looks for the MBFW 2013 Fashion Week.








You can find all of Camilla's beautiful clothes and even homewares on her website and online shop by clicking here. You can find all of Sparkk's designs on their great website by clicking here and heading under the design tab.


( Images sourced from the Camilla and Sparkk websites )

JDZ x


Wednesday 28 August 2013

FLOWER POWER - COUNT DOWN TO SPRING



If you're like me you cannot wait for winter to be over... I mean winter is not bad and can be a great in creating really warm and inviting interiors but honestly to me, nothing beats summer and soaking up the warm sun and the beach. In anticipation leading up to the first day of spring... which if you know me well, is my birthday and my favorite day of the year. Not only is it my birthday but it is the first day of a new beginning, sheading all the winter blues and heavy layers and moving into beautiful warm sunny days. These type of days are my favorite because to me, nothing really gets better than that, getting a good dose of Vitamin D, soaking in all the colours, the birds chirping makes me so happy... so yep it is a regular fairy tale happening in my head at the moment. 

The new cover of the September issue of Real Living Magazine really inspired me and really made me feel so happy the minute I saw it. I am not usually one for a lot of foral prints and patterns but for some reason the bold colours and images made me smile. When I say I have never been one for floral prints, I mean floral in interiors as is usually associated with "old fashioned" and the 1960s, but it can actually be amazing used in the right interior and with the right brief. What I do love however, is a bunch of fresh flowers and they can really make all the difference in any particular room and the finishing touch. Flowers are an instant way to add colour, warmth and happiness to a room, especially if you need an instant lift and want to feel special. I don't know why, but they just do and they can even be a great way to decorate if you are entertaining or styling a party. 

Here are some of my favorites from my Pinterest











JDZ x

Tuesday 27 August 2013

A MASTERCHEF EXPERIENCE

Are you a fan of Masterchef? I have always watched it from time to time and enjoyed learning lots of cooking tips and seeing all the contestants grow from strength to strength. Seeming as I love to cook, it was only fitting I went and experienced the Masterchef pop up restaurant and bar for myself. Set up very similar to the Masterchef set, the two dining areas are separated by the pop up open kitchen, with two bars either side where you can go and relax with a nice glass of wine and hang over the railing watching all the chefs do their thing, much like the contestants do when their watching others tough it out in pressure tests. It had a really lovely atmosphere with the interiors and the event designed by AZB Creative. To me it had a mix of an industrial meets 1920's deco, with the use of lights as a main feature. It was very interesting investigating how it had all been put together and with everything operating within this massive portable dome, which was extremely impressive and I loved it. Even the bathrooms were the nicest portable toilets I have ever been into... even if they did make as much sound as toilets in a plane.

The menu is inspired by many different challenges from the many series themselves and presented in such a beautiful way just like you would see them on the show. The four course meal was absolutely DELISH to say the least, the chicken and salmon melted in your mouth and it was topped off with some past contestants walking around and saying a quick hello to everyone. I do not usually take a lot of photos of food or even post them, but the Masterchef dining experience is worth every image displayed below and it is always fun sharing a special meal with the ones you love. 

The pop up dining experience is happening until the 1st of September and is a great way to start celebrating the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is situated in First Fleet Park, which is next to Circular Quay station and the MCA in Sydney and tickets are limited! Make sure not to miss out on this amazing culinary experience, but here are some behind the scenes pictures from my lovely day out at the Masterchef pop up restaurant. 



The wine is as big as my head. 

Coolest little amuse bouche I have ever seen and tasted

Chicken that melted in your mouth... literally. 

Evan with delicious oysters and lots of salt. 

Beautiful salmon that also melted in your mouth. 

Delicious chocolate pudding with a cherry surprise. 

The most delicious take on an "after dinner mint" caramel and vegemite bites. Yes, vegemite!

Beautiful fresh tea after a great meal. My idea of bliss! 

Vertical herb garden 

Over looking from the balcony bar 

Check out al the prep for the chocolate puddings

Great entrance and aqua tiles

The first time I have ever seen Trieste showcased on the map of Italy! Well
Done Masterchef creatives, well done! And yes, that is where my family are from. 




Monday 26 August 2013

FUN WITH JEN, STEVE & BOCONCEPT





The weekend that was, was a pretty good one especially because it started off with a very exciting event hosted by the ever so lovely Jen Bishop of Interiors Addict. I am a very big fan of Interiors Addict and of 7 vignettes, which was started by Jen herself combining her love of interiors and her love of Instagram. It has reached amazing heights and so many Insta users and Insta lovers from all walks of life. Jen had this brilliant idea to have a 7 vignette meet up where everyone who joins in via social media can meet together in person and get to known one another. It is such a great way to connect with those who you do follow online as well as meeting new people which turn into great new friends, network and gain new followers. It is a win win on all different levels if you ask me! 

This event was held at the BoConcept Store in Sydney, which is a showroom I love and have visited every time I am in the Crows Nest area. It was a great opportunity to have the store to ourselves, look at all the beautiful furniture, enjoy some good food, get instagraming and create our very own vignettes. 

The other amazing part of the night was getting to meet and learn from Interior Design Editor of Belle magazine, Steve Cordony. Such a great experience and we all picked up some great tips from Steve himself on how to create the perfect vignette, not just for photos of course, but for your home. It is a great way of putting all your lovely and funky collectables together on show in an interesting and interactive way in your home. 


Jen herself introducing the event and talking about her love for 7 vignettes. 


My favourite photo of the night, Steve sorting through all the collectables to create his own vignette.
Have you ever wanted to know the secret to creating such great little vignettes? I thought I would share not only my personal unedited behind the scenes look at the event but also some of the great tips Steve gave us all. 

Steve started by making such great points on using height when creating a scene or vignette in your home and having a good base to work from, wether this is a console or a stack of books. Some of his main tips also included, using different textures, flowers, coral, candles ( always have a candle ) , painting, image, statue, vase .... anything you have that you love and shows your personality. It is then important to gather it all together in a manner that allows it to demonstrate a theme or story. You would not put every single object you could find in the one vignette, you have to be selective according to the story you are trying to create. Steve also made the point of using objects that show personality and that you should always mix it up by change the objects around, using different ones, different colours, textures to continually create new stories. He point out that this way you keep your home interesting and refreshing. 

Some great tips there to help you create your own little vignette in your home or even for the next 7 vignettes that will be starting on, the first day of spring, which is in fact my birthday.  

Below you can get a sneak peek into my unedited images that I took myself from the night. I think it is so refreshing to showcase images that are maybe not entirely professional but give you a great insight into the space and the night. There are some great professional ones too on Jen's blog today. I am actually in a couple of the pictures...woohoo... except I didnt know they were being taken, so I do not seem too happy... but I assure you, I was very happy and having a great time. I think I am going to have to get thinking about changing up my candid face for better candid images! 


Loving this rug and artwork from BoConcept Sydney

Very cool Ping Pong table at BoConcept Sydney

Cute candle stick holders! You cannot go past love! 

Steve in action at BoConcept Sydney.

More of Steve in action at BoConcept. So great to see him creating these vignettes
right in front of us.

Steve's very own Vignette.

Very cool simple candle of Steve's.

More Hexagons at BoConcept Sydney.

Funky Artwork at BoConcept Sydney.

Absolutely love this wall paper image at BoConcept Sydney.


JDZ x

Friday 23 August 2013

FEATURE FRIDAY: INTERVIEW WITH ALISA & LYSANDRA

Alisa & Lysandra winners of The Block 2013.
To connect and keep up to date with the twins
make sure to like their Facebook page. Ps: They
are wearing my favourite jewellery brand Fiel Sol!


It is a very exciting Friday today as not only am I sharing my first blog interview with the lovely Alisa & Lysandra, winners from The Block 2013, but I have 3 separate events on today/tonight and despite my shoulder injury I will be attending.

Even though The Block is over for this year, it does not mean all the excitement is over,  the beautiful designs by these two great dynamic sisters are now more popular than ever. They were a very strong team, such great designers, very entertaining to watch and with  my own application for The Block 2014 submitted, it is such a great opportunity to get some insider perspective on their experience.


1. First of all a big congratulations and great effort! Looking back on the experience that you have just had, if you could give yourself some advice or warning before starting this challenge, would would it be? To align yourselves with reliable and experienced tradesman (which made such a difference as our amazing tradies were able to turn our visions into a reality.) 2. You both developed such great design style and skill. Week to week what inspired you design wise and helped you make certain style choices to create the overall look? I think once we established that we wanted the apartment to have a natural, earthy feel, it became a lot easier for us to make the right styling choices. In every room we designed, we aimed to create a point of interest such as including timber features, using different textured wallpaper like concrete and grass cloth, the inclusion of a herb garden, plus a green wall and rendered wall. It was really important that each room flowed into the other and that all the rooms didn't compete with one another. 3. It would be so tough making such important design and space decisions very quickly, I know first hand the questioning and doubt you can feel once you make a decision or trying to make sure it is the right one. How did you both work on not doubting the design choices you made and finishes you picked? We literally had one night to come up with the design for the entire room. After we had finished judging at Scotty's warehouse and found out what room was being revealed the next week, Lysandra and I would go home that night (after being awake for 48hr + ) and have to come up with a design for whatever room was being revealed next. Our builder Shiran wanted a plan from us the next morning so he could get started that very day in order to have enough time to finish before the next reveal. To be honest I actually think it was a good thing that we had to make quick decisions because it forced us to go with our gut instinct and not second guess ourselves, because there just wasn't time to. 4. It is such a great achievement for you both especially in support of women in construction and design! Do you have an inspirational message for aspiring renovating, kitchen and bathroom queens? Do not be afraid to ask questions if you don't understand. The amount of times Lysandra and I would say to Shiran "But why can't you put that thingy there and then use that thing to hide it" etc..... Even though we didn't understand a lot of the terminology or tools, we asked questions and would not stop until we understood how and why it worked. Don't be rushed into making important decisions and don't settle for the first thing you see. Research and shop around before you make your mind up on a product. Just remember, you don't have to spend a fortune on something to make a room look amazing. Shop smart and save your money for the important key features.
5. The fast paced environment and the competition does get the better of you. How did you both work on keeping your motivation and moral high?
It was extremely hard towards the end. Motivation and morale were at an all time low, but we had to keep reminding ourselves why we were there and that we hadn't come this far and been away from our boys for as long as we had, just to give up. We had an end goal in mind and we never lost sight of that. We were there to win and we played the game to the very last second.

I just want to say a very big THANK YOU to Alisa & Lysandra for taking the time to take part in this interview, it is so very nice of them and really appreciate their time despite their very busy schedules!

Make sure to visit their Facebook page to keep up to date with what the twins are up to and follow their journey.

Have a great Friday everyone,

JDZ x





ANTICIPATING THE 2014 CATALOGUE


I love Ikea and all that it has to offer, especially as I have noticed a complete and utter development in the look of many of their products. They look expensive but do not have to price tag so to speak. 
Word is in the design sphere that with Ikea's new catalogue launch for 2014 introduces a few changes in manufactoring as well as their kitchen design options, rugs and lounge collections. I really cannot wait to get my hands on a copy especially if it is going to have my face on the front cover!! 

Ikea is running a very cool competition at the moment where you and your family could be the cover shot for the new catalogue. Pretty cool and exciting if you ask me! There is also a chance to get a $1000 gift card, which could be a really great chance for anyone in need of some new furniture and accessories to fix up their home or even furnish it if you have just purchased a new property. 

You can find out more about the competition by clicking here! You can also see my own entry below! What do you think? Hopefully I am in with a chance to win and be on the cover... hahahaha!




JDZ x



Wednesday 21 August 2013

JONATHAN ADLER & HIS ACCESSORIES


Have you ever heard of the online furniture and accessories store that is Jonathan Adler? Well if you have, you will know what a great resource it is and if you have not, well then, you have stumbled across something great that every homewares and interior lover should know about. 

Jonathan Adler himself is just that a lover of amazing design and just like a lot of us, is not snobby about where he finds his lovely pieces. He is a big believer in finding the beauty in everything even if it is something that most of us would overlook. He loves particular eras and retro pieces that can add instant interest to your home or space. The online store is a great website to add to your list of resources for amazing decor and accessories. Shipped directly from the US, you can get some really unique pieces that you cannot find her in Australia. He has a whole range of products that range from classic beautiful furniture pieces to really eclectic fun and interesting accessories. At the moment his site is marketing hair-inspiration, with retro pop art style images on your cushions of many famous faces and their hair. A great way to add some funk to your lounge if you ask me. 







Not only is it a great resource for decor but for gifts as well. If you are like me, you love giving really beautiful and meaningful gifts that are often useful. I love finding unique things that no one else has or knows about and being able to provide someone with a special gift, wether it be for a birthday or a house warming. Jonathan Adler has a great gift registry and gift guide for you all to be able to give the perfect gift to someone special. One of my favourite pieces ( which you can see below ) are the personalised items, such as cushions and coasters. The cushions can be purchased in your own initial and can add a real personal touch to a bedroom or lounge. I think that would make a very cool gift to any interior lover! 

Here are a few picks I love directly from his website. 















The Jonathan Adler website also features his own inspiration videos which you can find here, and they give you a great insight into how he loves to design and finds the beauty in anything that is ugly. 

Hope you are all having a great Wednesday! 

JDZ x






 
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