Wallpaper decisions, decisions..

I have another resolution for 2010 that I forgot about - to be more decisive. I'm terrible at making decisions, especially decisions that are expensive or difficult to undo.

I'm back to considering wallpaper. Again, I know. This turquoise wallpaper by Signature Prints is still top on my list of choices.

I love it but I'm thinking it may be too bright for my home. The plan is to place the wallpaper in either the living room (on the wall where the TV is) or the wall directly facing the entrance to our home. I like the idea of placing the wallpaper at the entrance. The entrance, dining and living spaces are all shared which is why I have placed them here together with the wallpaper to get a better feel it.

My new option is Wilderness in white/gold by ferm LIVING.

I must be the last person on the earth to come across ferm LIVING. Actually I have seen their designs before and even posted a room with one of their wallpaper designs but I didn't know of the company. Now I do and I'm happy to find they have an Australian store.

I must try to get my hands on a sample of this design.

By the way if anyone is looking for wallpaper offcuts for small projects, I just noticed that Signature Prints have a sale on now in their online store (click On Sale from the menu). Offcuts are $60 and 71cm wide x 160cm long and they ship internationally. They also have fabric offcuts for the same price.

(Images me, Signature Prints & ferm LIVING)

Why hello there!

Did you have a nice Christmas? Was Santa good to you? We had a lot of fun and food and there was a bit of impromptu Greek dancing too.

The last couple of days following Christmas have been nice too spent doing, well, nothing really. It has given me time to think about the new year. I'm not one to set new year's resolutions because I usually forget them quickly but 2010's resolution is an easy one - I will focus on loving the people around me and doing the things I love to do.

Not that I really need a reminder of this resolution but just in case, I have moved the print above to the entrance of our home. I like the look of it there too.

Do you set new year's resolutions?

Also, a big thank you to those who voted for me at The Homies. I really do appreciate the love.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Have a beautiful day tomorrow and a lovely weekend. I'm signing off until next week. My posts may be very few next week as I take the time to spend it with family and friends. I encourage you to do the same if you can or at least enjoy the weather you are having. Relax, unwind, cook, eat, dance, smile, read - do whatever it is that makes you happy.

Until next week, have fun!

P.S: Oh and I almost forgot to mention, I've been nominated into The Homies, an award run by Apartment Therapy. If you've enjoyed my blog I would love for you to vote for me here. Check out some of the other blogs listed while you are there. There are some great blogs I've only just discovered. And big thanks to Holly for the nomination!

P.P.S: In case anyone is wondering I did paint the door a darker shade. I settled on Dulux Dewpoint (1/2 strength). A tutorial for the pom-pom decoration pictured can be found here.

P.P.P.S: Okay I'll shoosh now I promise. Merry Christmas friends and thank you for all of the support you've shown me over the last year. I wish I could give each and every one of you a huge hug to show you just how much I appreciate it. Thank you.

Pom-pom 'wreath'

I knew that I didn't want a traditional wreath for our brand new blue door so I adapted the Martha Stewart pom-pom tutorial to make a slightly different 'wreath'. It's not really a wreath I know but it is something decorative for our door and a little bit Christmas-y. A few people have asked me to post instructions for the projects I do. Sometimes I feel as though what I create is too simple to warrant step-by-step instructions but I promise I will provide more detailed posts in the New Year if you find them helpful.

Below are the instructions for the pom-pom 'wreath' if you would like to try it yourself.

Materials:
Tissue paper
Ribbon
Scissors
Fishing wire (or floral wire but I didn't have any handy)
Tape
Nail & hammer
A bowl of biscuits to snack on

Instructions:

Steps 1-5 are very similar to Martha Stewart's instructions which can be found here.

1. Separate your tissue paper into 3 x 8 sheet piles. Cut the first pile so that it is 10 x 13 inches, the second 10 x 10 inches and the third 10 x 8 inches. This will make 3 pom-poms of different sizes.

2. Lay the tissue paper so that the 10 inch sides are the left and right sides of the paper when laid out in front of you (hope that makes sense!). Start with the first pom-pom and make 1 inch accordian folds.

3. Wrap fishing wire or floral wire around the middle of the stack of folds and secure. Leave the two lengths of fishing wire. You will need them to secure the ribbon to the pom-poms later.

4. With scissors trim the edges of the tissue into rounded shapes.

5. Separate each layer carefully (they are really easy to tear) towards you. The back of the pom-pom can be left flat or you can make your pom-poms round all the way around if you prefer. I left mine flat so that they look more like flowers and sit flat against the door.

6. Cut a long length of ribbon (about 50 inches or more depending on whether you want long strands hanging on your final wreath or not). Tie the fishing wire that is already secured to the pom-pom around one end of the ribbon leaving enough length (about 8 inches) so that a little bit of ribbon can hang below the pom-pom. Tie the ribbon into a double knot or bow to secure.

7. Tape the the longer length of the ribbon to the top part of the pom-pom so that the pom-pom sits upright when hanging. Don't worry if you can see the ribbon through the paper. You can fluff up your pom-pom afterwards to hide it.

8. Repeat steps 2-7 for the remaining two pom-poms.

9. Arrange the pom-poms on the table so that they are staggered and tie the three ribbons together into a knot.

10. Hammer a small nail into your door and hang or secure the pom-poms to your door in another way if you don't want to make a hole. Optional: Roll a piece of tape and secure each pom-pom to the door if you don't want them to blow in the wind. Tie a bow at the top and enjoy your creation! Don't forget to eat any remaining biscuits.

Do you like this tutorial? I would love to know what you think. Please feel free to leave me a comment below.

P.S: I really hope the measurements are correct. I was enjoying my biscuits way too much and forgot to take a few measurements so please consider them estimates.

P.P.S: This 'wreath' is only suitable if you door is under an awning or cover and won't be affected by wet weather, otherwise rain + paper = a soggy mess.

Pink Christmas Tree

Have you seen Nicole's pink Christmas tree and all the pretty things she has decorated it with? It is making me crave a pink Christmas tree of my own although it suits her home and style perfectly.

I can't believe Christmas is only a few sleeps away. The last few days just flew too fast. I'm glad I've finished my Christmas shopping though. Are you finished too?

Painting the front door

Inspired by the images I posted yesterday I really did start painting the front door. It needed a fresh coat of paint anyway.

I chose Dulux Dewpoint in 1/4 strength. The colour may be too light but it hasn't dried yet so it is hard to tell and I've only painted one coat. If I hate it I can always paint over it right?

The paint won't go to waste. I'm using this colour to paint a toy box for Robert and an old coffee table as well.

Update: The colour has dried a little darker and I think I like it. Time to put the paint brush down for the year and enjoy the new door.

Inspiration: A pale shade of blue

These images make me want to paint our front door, furniture and stairway blue. I already have a few sample paint tins in similar shades of blue. Tempting!

(Images Domino, Morgan Harrison Home, unknown)

Etsy Picks: Pillow crush

I know you don't need another reason to spend right now, what with all the crazy gift buying you may have been doing lately but check these out and have another look in the New Year when your credit card recovers... I know I will be anyway.

Soft greys with a touch of red.

1. The stamped style of this birdcage pillow made by sugarandfig is super cute. It is an original linocut design printed onto a cream cushion.

2. This pillow is inspired by mid-century modern design and it is the straight clean edges and tufting that drew me in. It is made of grey wool blend felt and filled with 100% eco-friendly bamboo fibre. Designed by the red stitch (cute shop name!)

3. I like a touch of red in the home so this trellis pillow by humble collection is perfect for me. It comes in other colours too and is printed onto 100% organic cotton twill.

4. How adorable is this LOVE pillow cover by Nuka? The text looks like stitching and is screen printed by hand onto 100% cotton.

5. Ruffles! Over fifty petals make up the floral cluster in this pillow, each hand cut and hand stitched by Pillow Pallooza. This one would be a splurge.

6. By now you have probably already come across Track and Field Designs owned by Sasha who works from Vancouver. I think I have had Sasha's work on my favourites list since I first joined Etsy as a customer. My favourite is the fawn pillow. It is not currently listed in her store but there are other equally as lovely pillows for sale.

7. I already own this Skinny laMinx herd cushion cover in red and now the grey colour is tempting me. The design is based on a 2000 year old cave drawing and the fabric is 100% cotton with a linen texture to it.

I must resist.

An updated look

Do you like? I hope so.

I have been working on the layout for a little while and wanted this site to tie in with my other sites for a more cohesive look. It is not as bright as the old design and hopefully easier on your eyes. I have also popped some links in the header to various sections of this site for easier navigation and included a home tour with before shots that you may not have seen before.

Enjoy!

(and do let me know if the new layout looks a little broken to you)

Dandi giveaway winners

Thank you for all of your entries and for sharing your Christmas plans. I love that many of you are spending it with family and with lots of food. I think Christmas is one of those occassions where you can eat your body weight in food and not feel guilty. At least you shouldn't feel guilty just this one day. We are spending it with family too. Every year there is LOTS of Greek and Lebanese food and I plan on eating it all. Okay, maybe not all.

And now to announce the winners of the giveaway picked randomly via random.org:

Bobishi
Clarissa
Chantelle
Leesa
Cat

Congratulations! Please contact me at viv [at] ishandchi [dot] com with your address details so that I can send your prize to you (and fingers crossed it reaches you in time for Christmas).

Thanks again for your entries and for your Christmas wishes!