ish and chi

Enjoying the morning sun

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Tue, 22 May 2012 20:38:05 PDT

There are projects and updates to my home I still want to tackle. Projects such as finding a new rug for the living room, working on the bathroom and hanging wallpaper at the entrance. I am busy saving up my pennies so that I can see these projects through the fruition.
In the meantime, Robbie and I are enjoying the house as it is. I feel rather lucky to wake up to the sun every morning. I know some people might like to keep the blinds drawn if their bedroom has morning sun but it doesn't bother me at all. In fact I really cherish those few seconds between being asleep and being awake where everything is a little hazy but the light is so beautiful. I'm appreciating those moments today.

Make a watercolour garland

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Sun, 20 May 2012 21:25:39 PDT

Robbie loves to paint and draw... on walls. I am thinking of giving him another option... paper! (wish me luck)

This watercolour garland was made by Melanie Blodgett of You Are My Fave and would make for a fun kids project. Only I would have to do the sewing part and the sewing machine and I aren't the best of friends. Time to become BFFs I think!

♥ Photos and project by You Are My Fave

Fashionably Late Friday: Red Riding Hood goes ice skating

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Sun, 20 May 2012 05:36:18 PDT

When I was in high school I used to come to this very ice skating rink. I haven't been back in years and the place looks exactly the way it used to. It is nice to see some things don't change. I only fell down once and took my boyfriend down with me. I'm kind like that.

I have worn both the red coat and polkadot dress in previous Fashion Fridays. The red coat is my winter staple now for years and provided great cushioning for when I fell.

Hope your weekend was fun!

Anna Spiro for Porter's Paints

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:09:41 PDT

"Is that wallpaper?"

"Yes, that's right it is."

"Did you make it, mummy?"

"No I didn't make it."

"Did a designer make it?"

(couldn't hold back a giggle at this point and the way he pronounced designer was too cute)

"Yes, a designer named Anna Spiro made it."

"Will you make my bedroom beautiful with it?"

This is a conversation I had with my 3 year old son this morning when I laid out the above wallpaper samples for the top photo. Porter's Paints were giving away samples of Anna Spiro's new wallpaper collection at Designex. The designs are in her signature style and the colours are very "Anna Spiro" - pink, blue, green, coral combined with beautiful neutrals. Sigh. Such a pretty collection.

One day Robbie I hope I can make your room beautiful with it.

♥ See the entire wallpaper collection at Porter's Paints
♥ Visit Anna's blog and website (coming soon)
♥ Top image: ish and chi and bottom images: Porter's Paints & Anna Spiro

Do you use instagram? Then meet printsgram.

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:33:01 PDT

Chantelle of Fat Mum Slim wrote about Printsgram recently. Chantelle is the instragram queen so it is no wonder she found this cool tool to layout your instagram photos.

I have been looking for a way to easily tile my favourite photos to use as a desktop background and this tool has brought me closer to my end goal. I just need to crop and re-size this image into landscape format using Photoshop and I should be set. You can create various layouts in Printsgram, save them as a PDF file and then take them off to your local print shop for printing. A framed collage might make a nice gift idea or you may even like to print and use as wrapping paper for a gift?

In the meantime, it is nice to see all of my favourite memories in one collection. If you give the tool a try, feel free to link to your Printsgram print in the comments below. After you sign up, simply create your collage and then link to the page. Here's mine: http://printsgram.com/show.php?id=10864. Have fun!

♥ Visit Printsgram and sign up with your instagram account to create your collage
♥ Feel free to share your collage in the comments below by linking to it and mention your instagram name so I can follow you on instagram too if you like. My name is: ishandchi

"How did I become so interested in this?"

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:40:33 PDT

"How did I become so interested in this?" Every day I devote time to something interior/design/decoration-related and at times this question pops into my head. I can't help being hooked. I went for many years being unsure of what I like and now I'm hungry to learn as much as I can about design

Yesterday I listened to two inspirational speakers at Designex and it reaffirmed my love of design. Ilse Crawford and Alice Rawsthorn spoke about Design and Happiness. I tweeted quotes from Ilse Crawford's discussion and left feeling overwhelmed.

I'm heading back again to Designex tomorrow. It's a must see event if you are a design nut and if you have time why not book in to listen to some of the talks?

♥ Image taken at the Axolotl stand at Designex. Axolotl specialise in concrete, metal and glass decorative surfaces.

Fashionably Late Friday: A concert and a party

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Sun, 13 May 2012 17:22:21 PDT

One word for this weekend: PRINCE.

I was spoilt by my man with tickets to see Prince in concert on Friday night which may explain the lack of a Fashion Friday post. The performance was amazing. If you are in Sydney, did you go? What did you think?

My girlfriend also celebrated her 30th birthday over the weekend and I wore this outfit to her party. I wore the same top with these jeans to the concert. The top has become my new favourite thing with the cutest heart shaped cutout at the back. I'll have to show you next time.

How would you describe your weekend, in one word?

♥ Skirt from ASOS
♥ Top from a little store in Newtown, Sydney
♥ Belt that originally came with this skirt but I swapped it out for a Wheels & Dollbaby belt
♥ Photos by David Ryder for ish and chi

Before & After: Home Office Feature

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Sun, 13 May 2012 15:29:11 PDT

The website-you-must-check-daily-for-the-design-obsessed - Apartment Therapy - featured my study makeover the other day. Thanks! If you are a new visitor and would like to see the complete before and after visit this post. The study looks the same these days except there is a keyboard piano on the desk now so Robbie can ROCK IT OUT!

♥ See complete study Before & After

Colourful streets

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Tue, 08 May 2012 05:39:07 PDT

Guess what! I found a website all about colour. HEAVEN. It is called Plenty of Colour and written by Chloé, a designer based in Vancouver who seems to be as obsessed with colour as I am. We are going to be buddies in the future I can see it.

The above collection is derived from images from her blog that I was inspired by. I look at the streets of Sydney and see grey, beige, white and variations of these. The above streets are full of colour. I know that councils can play a part in exterior colour selections but wouldn't it be great to live in a street lined with homes in brightly painted hues?

Small changes to the living room

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Sun, 06 May 2012 16:00:42 PDT

Being at home as much as I have been this last week led me to make a few little changes to my living room. My living room receives lots of daylight as it is surrounded by three large windows so it is a pleasant place to relax and oh, it is nice when you love being at home, isn't it?

The updates I made is to replace the 2 seater leather sofa with a velvet 1960s sofa that I won on eBay. The camera doesn't capture the true dusty pink colour of the sofa though. It is such a pretty colour.

I also replaced the lamp shades with the one from the study and Robbie's bedroom to add a bit of colour to the room. I think I'll keep the room as is for a little while as it is cheering me up being surrounded my colour.

How was your weekend? Is anyone else like me, do you tend to brighten up your environment, or maybe your wardrobe to lift up your mood?

Fashion Friday: Staying at home

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Fri, 04 May 2012 05:07:18 PDT

My look this week has been pretty similar to this. Bed socks and a large cardigan. I am still recovering from a chest infection so have been taking time off from everything including work, studies and events to take time for myself and Robbie and to rest. Something I haven't done in a long while and I think I really needed it!

Get the look: Dylan Cooper Spring / Summer 2012/13

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:39:35 PDT

Unfortunately I am a little unwell at the moment so haven't been able to attend more of fashion week however I did see the Dylan Cooper show, or rather "installation show" on Monday. Dylan Cooper is the winner of Project Runway and rather than his models walking the runway they stood in the centre of The Box at the Overseas Passenger Terminal and people were invited to walk around and view the clothes up close. A smart way to display his first collection and also made it easy to photograph!

As I have done with the other shows this week I have prepared a moodboard of how you might get the Dylan Cooper look in your home based on the one of his key looks. For this moodboard the products are entirely from Urban Outfitters because they currently offer free shipping to Australia!

GET THE LOOK: DYLAN COOPER

For the Dylan Cooper look here I have layered a floral bedding print with a floral rug, a beaded purple chandelier, ruffled curtains and a fun print. I rather like the unexpected combination of these items and this is why I love to draw inspiration from fashion - it leads me to combinations I wouldn't otherwise choose. I encourage you to give it a try one day. Take a look you like and see if you can put together a collection of products from it. You might find it interesting to see where it leads you.

Items sourced from:

1. Waterfall Ruffle Curtain

2. Sketchbook Floral Duvet Cover

3. Baja Beaded Chandelier

4. John Choura Jr. for Society6 Bear Print

5. 3x5 Bauhaus Floral Rug

♥ Visit the Dylan Cooper website

Get the look: Camilla Spring/Summer 2012/13

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:41:46 PDT

Oh Camilla! Always so beautiful and so bright. It felt like summer had hit Sydney again in an explosion of colourful prints. Her spring / summer collection show was amazing and the soundtrack really helped us get into the mood of her show with kookaburra sounds and tribal dance music.

GET THE LOOK: CAMILLA

Tribal prints, rainbow colours, tassels, shells and chunky jewellery were some of the key trends in her show. Below is how you might put together a similar look for your home.

Items sourced from:
1. Artwork by Lara Merrett
2. Cushions by Camilla - yes, she does homewares too!
3. Tassels by Fredericks & Mae - these would look great hanging on a wall
4. Kiri Bar Stools by Eco Chic
5. Rug by Loom Rugs

♥ Visit the Camilla website

Get the look: Lisa Maree Spring/Summer 2012

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:41:56 PDT

Crocheted swimwear, flowing silks and a beautiful minty turquoise colour is what captured my eye at the Lisa Maree show. There were midriff tops and laser cut leather skirts and overall the collection has a glamorous, poolside, 70s feel. I chose one outfit I was most inspired by and if you scroll down you can see how to "get the look" in your home.

GET THE LOOK: LISA MAREE

To get the Lisa Maree Spring/Summer look for this moodboard I have combined fresh white textured bedlinen with curtains inspired by the pattern of the laser-cut shorts and bright cushions for a cute summer feel for the bedroom.

Items available from:

1. Soraya Curtain available at Anthropologie

2. Catalina Quilt available at Anthropologie

3. Cushions available at Ada & Darcy

♥ Visit the Lisa Maree website

Inspired by fashion

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:34:19 PDT

Friends, I am lucky to be attending a few shows at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia. I visited last year but didn't cover the shows here on ish and chi. I simply couldn't keep up with everything I had on at the time.

This year I am more organised and I plan to share with you photos of the new collections. I find fashion to be inspiring to me when planning interior spaces so I thought we could have some fun and have a look at what Australian designers are creating and also how you "get the look" in your own home. I'll be starting with Lisa Maree. See you back here soon!

♥ Visit MBFWA (short for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia) website to see the full schedule

Painting an old frame in neon paint

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:42:39 PDT

If you are a friend of ish and chi's Facebook page then you may have already seen a little peek at what I worked on over the weekend. This old frame was given a dose of neon yellow - Taubman's Hi-C Yellow. It is super bright and as close to neon as I could find (without that glow-in-the-dark quality). I love the resurgence of neon at the moment and am already eyeing off other items that I can paint in this colour.

I used a sponge to dab on the paint so that the original gold colour of the frame shows through and brushed the sides lightly with a paint brush. Very quick and easy to do and the only trick is to make sure there isn't too much paint on the brush or sponge and to dab on the colour evenly. I built up the colour slowly by sponging lightly all the way around and then sponging another layer and so on.

I still need to finish off the back inside edges of the frame and am thinking of having a mirror cut to size to fit. It would look cute hanging in a bedroom or bathroom don't you think?

♥ 'Like' ish and chi on Facebook

Mixing patterns

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:43:48 PDT

Hello! I wanted to thank you for your kind comments on my post last Friday. I am back earlier than expected because I had a super productive weekend.

I still have lots to do but I will slowly chip away at my "to do" list and most importantly focus on time with Robbie and as well as for myself and the people I love. After all, there are more important things in life than a "to do" list that is craving attention.

How was your weekend? I am enjoying mixing patterns in what I wear lately and this is what I wore on Saturday. Mixing patterns isn't a new trend but one that I find fun and interesting. It also means that I don't have to carefully match that top with those pants (who has the time?) and I can clash patterns and pass it off as a trend - ha! But really I'm just wearing what I love. And that's what fashion should be about shouldn't it?

Finding balance

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:44:17 PDT

It has been another crazy week. Month. Year. I think I am ready to admit I have taken too much on. Oh, before you think I'm about to say that I'm giving up ish and chi. No. I am more committed to ish and chi than ever. This blog has helped me get through many changes in my life and your kind words and support mean the world to me.

I have however been thinking of the next phase in my life and career. Being a single parent and working as a project manager 4 days a week as well as studying part time - it is becoming hard to manage it all. I have also started taking on small design projects which I love to sink my teeth into but I can't commit to any larger projects right now. I would love to be able to one day though.

There are so many cool things happening and lots of ideas that are slowly taking fruition. I only wish I had an unlimited amount of energy to focus on these projects. So I do what I can and hope it is enough for now. That's all you can do, right?

In the meantime I'm watching Robbie grow into a beautiful personality and I suppose I'm lucky that of everything I do this parenting gig seems to be working out well. Have a happy weekend, friends and I'll see you next week. Perhaps sporadically, but I'll definitely be here!

Feathers

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:50:53 PDT

Some people have asked me about the feathers in my last post. It is something I picked up during my trip away. I saw it hanging in Our Corner Store and loved the way it curled so elegantly to the ground from a hook on the wall. Just need to find the perfect spot to hang it in my home.

Colour inspiration: Bronze, blue and white

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:45:44 PDT

I have been immersed in colour lately finding the perfect combination for decorating a new home. The client has asked for help with selecting rugs, cushions and other soft furnishings. I had an idea of which direction to go in and then this morning I was rearranging the above items in my home and here it is! The perfect colour combination of white, grey (already existing in the home), bronze and a deep blue.

The items consist of:

- Feathers from Our Corner Store

- Ginger jar found in an antique store

- Various stone samples

- My new favourite jeans with a blue/white print from Bettina Liano

Visiting antique stores

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:47:48 PDT

It is impossible to drive from Sydney to Byron without visiting an antique store along the way. There were so many to choose from! One of my favourites was located in Woodburn along the main road. I spent hours in there playing dress-ups and trying to convince myself that I need a pillbox hat. Sadly I didn't take any photos to share with you but if you drive through Woodburn you will see it. Do stop in and have a peak.

Another favourite is Heath's Old Wares in Bangalow. Packed to the roof of the big shed are various collectables and industrial antiques. I loved their old wooden crates (top image) and glass lighting covers (bottom image).

What are some cool things you have seen in an antique store?

♥ Visit Heath's Old Wares at 12 Station Street, Bangalow NSW

Lazybones

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 05:44:45 PDT

Many of the stores in Bangalow are old cottage or terrace homes that have now been turned into shops. They have such character and warmth. When visiting the Lazybones shop in the town I felt as though I could move right in as is. There were beautiful old furniture, quilts and clothing so I asked for permission to photograph the store to show you.

A picture speaks a thousand words.

It is lovely to see the way their products are displayed - a dinner set arranged on a wooden trestle table, a bowl of glass door knobs, their beautiful Rosette quilt (which I own and love) displayed on an old wire bed. It really makes a difference in my opinion to the shopping experience to see these kind of styling arrangements and detail in person.

Although I love the convenience of online shopping I will always enjoy walking into a retail store.

♥ Visit Lazybones online or 42 Byron Street, Bangalow NSW

Our Corner Store

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:55:51 PDT

Almost every person I talked with about my trip through the north coast asked me if I will visit Bangalow and now I can see why. This quiet town boasts beautiful boutique stores and cafes and the locals are friendly.

I was quickly drawn to Our Corner Store, a new local store for Bangalow, after spotting the Papillionaire bicycle parked out the front and fell in love with the gorgeous products inside including the Japanese made camping chairs, pot plants, gumboots, baskets, carry bags for every day of the week, clothing and so many more.

Thank you to the girls at Our Corner Store for allowing me to photograph your shop. I sometimes feel nervous asking for permission but you were very welcoming.

Do you see anything that catches your eye in this shop? The old skateboard used to display products is really cute and I love the old terracotta pots.

♥ Visit Our Corner Store on facebook or 1/36 Byron Street, Bangalow NSW Australia

Back from the beach, the sun and the views

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:51:07 PDT

Travelling for over 9 hours up the north coast of New South Wales to Byron Bay made me appreciate the beauty of the Australian landscape once again. We stopped off at a few towns along the way, bought fruit from stalls on the highway, swam, visited local galleries and home ware stores and (one of my favourite moments) danced and listened to drums being played on the beach of Byron Bay after the sun had set for the day.

I would love to tell you about a few of the shops I visited on my journey. If you live too far to visit maybe you will find inspiration in the photos. I have included a couple here just for a little peak.

Okay, I better get back to editing. I'm still in holiday mode and everything takes me twice as long to do, including unpacking. Do you feel that way after coming back from a trip? It's not unusual for my luggage to remain packed for weeks...

Cloth

noreply@blogger.com ( Viv) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:23:00 PDT

I love fabric more than chocolate. It's true! So when these Christopher Farr fabric samples arrived I wanted to gobble them all up.

The colours and designs are beautiful. I am really into yellow an green shades at the moment.

Which is your favourite?

♥ Visit Christopher Farr Cloth for more designs and stockists