28 February, 2011

The Bonds Baby Search 2011 - Voting Polls Are NOW Open!

Vote for ME!



A little while ago I posted about The Bonds Baby Search 2011 and how I had entered our little baby girl Isabelle into the competition. Well today is your day to help make the search a reality... Polls are NOW OPEN for you to cast your very important vote Isabelle's way!
A BIG Thank You to you in advance - your generous vote could lead to some fun times ahead for little miss Isabelle!And yes in these pics Isabelle is modelling 'Bonds - With Love' pink pointelle bodysuit size 0!

Dreaming of...


Today I started a new routine - well an old routine with new nuances! My little girl started daycare whilst I am back more steadily at the 'grinder' aka working, and at the end of today all I can think about is being in the garden at home with Isabelle and our poochies!
I did a bit of garden tidying over the weekend - gave the hedges a haricut and put up some decorative brackets on our garden fence to hang some little outdoor laterns. Over the next couple of weeks we''re replacing a rose garden with a bench style low garden wall which will be much safer for our little one when walking- than th fall into a thorny bush of roses!
I just love this garden I found - it really is quite, enchanting, dreamy & so green!
Hope  your week has started off well too!
Enjoy,
Sarah x


 
images via tumblr, pretty stuff & Design Decor - martha stewart

25 February, 2011

Happy Friday...Whoa Whooo Weekend!


Wow, I can't believe Friday is finally here!
How has your week been? I have missed you all...
This week although in hindsight has gone quite quickly I can tell you it has felt like one of my longest... I was seriously fatigued come late Wednesday night, not sure how I got home really.
Late last week I received an email letting me know that I had 'made it' further into a design competition I had entered. So with that excitement also came an impromptu design brief and me being me wanted to try and pull out as many stops as I could so I came away feeling simply proud of the work I had created and accomplished. How did I do?? Well apparently there were a couple thousand entries for my state [New South Wales] alone and from that I was one of 55 who made it to the 2nd round [group interviews, then proceeded to an individual interview and present your design concept. And with that I am super happy...
Let me say that just in my group alone there were some phenomenal designers, concepts, and personalities! All of whom, by the time I left in the evening, I was lucky enough to have spoken with each one and find out a little more about...so very interesting! And some who might even be reading this post now! [Lovely to have met you!]. 
It was certainly an awesome [life] experience to be a part of... I think the final verdict is  out in several weeks time, by no means am I holding my breath, but certainly grateful for the super 'bucket list' opportunity!
I love this... not a bad little poster to keep you going.
Now to get my home, the washing, the family including poochies, and myself into some normalcy this week - before another onslaught of work begins next week!
Hope you have great weekend - sorry for the very minimal postings this week but will be back with you more often next week!
Hope you have Fun & a Palatial Weekend! Enjoy,



images via tumblr, a little of that

21 February, 2011

This Week...


This week I start my post on Palatial Living with an apology to you upfront. Why? Well I am a tad distracted and my focus is shifted elsewhere at least till Wednesday evening... a deign project opportunity has presented itself late Thursday afternoon last week, that I simply cannot pass up and just have to immerse myself in so that I can give it my all & my very best shot. Oh and it's due this Wednesday afternoon!
So from now til then I will be a little incommunicado on the posting side of Palatial Living...for that I am truly sorry but hope to be back on it by Thursday, at worst by Friday! It's a huge week on a family front too - as today was the first day our little girl, Isabelle, ventured into 'Day Care'-land! Thankfully there weren't any tears on leaving... funnily enough only on picking up this evening!
With this design project I cannot believe how much terrain I covered today sourcing all over Sydney city suburbs I easily covered a hundred or so kilometres in driving - from inner west Lidcombe to Glebe, inner city - Redfern, south Sydney - Rosebery, western - Prospect, lower north shore - Crows Nest, and home. All the suppliers were so helpful & generous with their time & sampling. All in all a successful day...for all!
Thank You for your understanding - I promise to update you later in the week on what's been happening around my 'neck of the woods'! Happy Monday - Hope you have great Palatial Week ahead!
Enjoy,

 
image via design sponge

18 February, 2011

Happy Friday... the Weekend is Here x

I'm in love with all the gorgeous colour & print from
 this recent Hermes advertisement, and
of course just in love with anything Hermes!.

Happy Friday.... And so the weekend begins!
A BIG Thank You for joining me at Palatial Living this week and putting up with my bias towards my little baby girl Isabelle with posting her pics up for the Bonds Baby Search 2011! I will however be asking of you to please please please vote for us when the official polls open on 28 February [Monday week after next]!

Not only one of my favourite Fauves, figurative & modernist
 artist - Henri Matisse, especially his collage and blue series
his words also hark creative simplicity in their truth.
I'd like this to be one of my mantras....it is so true.
I have received an exciting email late yesterday afternoon and need to finish a design brief project for the request by Wednesday afternoon. So you can guess what I will be up to over the weekend...going through my bower bird collection of samples, fabrics, [trying] to draw up some ideas and put them into a cohesive manner! I need a combination of a magi wand with CS5 Illustrator & the massive interactive screen from the movie 'Minority Report' - to just put it all together! Hey not a big ask [we all have crazy invention ideas]...I'll try the traditional path of drawn floor plans, and moods boards with tactile samples.... hopefully the ideas & design will be interpreted well enough from that!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend planned ahead... something Palatially relaxing!
Thanks again & Enjoy,




images via tumblr - modern hepburn & a lady's findings

Palatial House Snoop | A Modern Hampton's Island Living Style Home at Byron Bay.



Somehow my mid-week has passed me by and now it's end-week 'House Snoop'! Oh well... all the better for weekend real estate guide hunting and any open house inspections you might be planning! Well here's a home located in Byron Bay - so unless you're up North, or have a little private plane you might not be visiting it too soon!
It's not in my normal blog postings to put this many images up of a house snoop - but this home really commanded it - not only are they great shots - they enable you to see why I had to post on this home, and almost lets you have a little tour through my little blog! This stunning Palatial home appears to have a style that really appeals to my senses... using a combination of influences such as Hampton's-Beach; Tropical-Bahamas|India Hicks - Island Living; with Modern Mid-Century & Graphic elements.



I love it all, I think the only thing I would change would to add more 'pops' of vibrant bright colour through the home with bold large artworks, accessories & soft furnishings. The figurative landscape artwork located in one of the bedrooms, seems reminiscent of a Brett Whiteley style, is perfectly set on a vivid white wall channelling the water laid vista ahead. This would be one of the [colour] design elements I would continue through out the home. 
So take a look, and see if you would add anything?
Enjoy,






Agent's Blurb - Belle Property
25 Marine Parade, Byron Bay NSW 

Lifestyle - The house is built high on the block, which maximizes views.
It is north-facing, sheltered from most weather by the unique shape of the peninsula and cliffs at Australia's most Easterly point.
Accommodation - Enjoy the rustic beach charm in this 3 story brick and timber home with thatched roof. The house is designed to have a view from every room, and blends effortlessly into its environment, and the beach seems to be an extension of the property.
Features - Incredible views from every room through big windows and relaxed, breezy open plan design. The house has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms on the upper levels, plus additional 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom self contained unit downstairs. Open Plan living room, dining area, and kitchen with breakfast bar, all under a huge Cathedral ceiling. Slate tiles and timber floorboards, ideal for indoor/outdoor beach living. Sliding doors open from the living area to a large outside terrace that surrounds the house, with views that overlook the ocean as if it comes right to the edge of the house.
Forget that the outside world exists; while you watch dolphins, whales and spectacular sunsets.
Expression of Interest - Property ID: 28P0270



 
images & subtext from Domain.com.au & Belle Property.com.au

17 February, 2011

Bunting Away!



Over the past couple of weeks I have been sewing up a little storm... truthfully I have had my sewing machine & cabinet out since Christmas [in the guest room] when I was sewing up the Christmas stockings & Santa sacks and made myself finish all the projects I had 'lined up to do'! So along with making some new curtains for our back sliding door/ windows I also wanted to add a little more 'pizazz' and 'joush' to my little girl, Isabelle's room.
There was something missing colour-wise on the window side.... so I got to thinking how sweet bunting would look over the curtain rail & window. I have a lot of fabric left over from some of my previous 'fashion' roles, these in particular were fabrics I had kept like the pistachio French silk & ribbons from Isabelle's birth gifts that form the centre flag and fabric prints that I had designed for a couple of well known Pyjama companies and thought they would be perfect teamed with a ticking stripe fabric from Ikea and some multi stripe ribbon from Bed Bath n'Table's line 'Morgan & Finch'....
Have a little look!
Enjoy,


 

16 February, 2011

Baby Pink... The Bonds Baby Search 2011


So I'm continuing with Pantone's Colour of the Year with my little pink entry, of my little Miss Isabelle! I just couldn't help it... a few other friends inspired me to enter our daughter, Isabelle,  into the Bonds Baby Search 2011. Naturally I'm bias [what mother isn't!] and in an effort to support our gorgeous Isabelle's affair with the camera [as you can see from this 'extreme' close up!
Please vote for us when the polls open on 28th February [12PM Australian Eastern Standard time] in the Bonds Baby Search 2011 - HERE on THIS LINK. 
Please feel free to copy & paste this link http://babysearch.bonds.com.au/entry/23353/isabelle-v and email it to your friends who aren't following Palatial Living [and who should be!!]!
 
For those of you who aren't familiar with the Bonds brand - it's an iconic Australian brand that began with humble beginnings and is renown for our comfy cotton singlets 'Chesty' Bonds made more famous by legend tennis player Pat Rafter, and undies, and knickers by ambassador Sarah Murdoch, and the famous 'Wondersuit' an easy wash and put on/ pull off baby onsie - that's an iconic must for all new parents! Not to mention a plethora of other great items in outerwear, more underwear, socks, bedlinen, and a stack of great baby wear. I would be bold enough to say that there would be at least 1 piece of Bonds clothing could be found in almost any Australian's chest of drawers! 
As the saying goes - I suppose you gotta be in it to win it! 
A HUGE Palatial Thank You x
 
 
 
A little history on the Bonds brand...
Bonds was established in 1915 by Mr George Allan Bond, an American who came to Australia in the early twentieth century. He started importing women's hosiery and gloves. In 1917 he began manufacturing hosiery in Redfern, Sydney. From 1918 he moved to Camperdown and began also making underwear. In 1932, Bond built Australia’s first cotton spinning mill at Wentworthville in western Sydney. This particular section of Wentworthville was soon re-named Pendle Hill in honour of Mr. Bond's Scottish family origins. For this purpose and facilitating easy access to Bond's Spinning Mills for employees, a railway station was created. In fact a whole new suburb was created.[1]
The company went into liquidation in 1929 and a public company, Bonds Industries Limited, was established. In 1970 the company merged with Coats Paton Pty Ltd. In 1987 the company was taken over by Pacific Dunlop. In 2001 the company was sold to form a separate entity, ‘Pacific Brands Holdings Pty Ltd’. At that time also the spinning mill was closed. In 2004 Pacific Brands Limited was listed as a public company on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) and New Zealand Stock Market (NZX).[1]
In 2006, Bonds manufactures 40% of its goods in Australia at three sites in New South Wales: Cessnock, Unanderra and Wentworthville. The factories produce nearly 17 million garments a year and employ 295 full time staff.[2] The company also has relationships with a number of independent manufacturers in China. 
 

Honeysuckle: Shades of Pink....


It was released just over a month ago - the 2011Pantone Colour of the Year - Honeysuckle 18-2120. I think we have really seen a resurgence for the use of pink, Honeysuckle, and tints & shades thereof for little while now almost creeping up on us.... but unlike the signature colour of renown interior designer Dorothy Draper - Pink and most of it's form for the best part and to maintain it's contemporary sophisticated femininity is best used in a couple of different ways -
1] sparingly in accents and highlights only for a elegant paired back look;
or 2] as the only dominant hue [colour] in the space - key is to not allow it to compete with another hue.
or 3] with lashings of the same high chroma value colour  like sunny yellow, tangerine orange, Kelly green etc - bordered by vivid whites and ebony blacks, or graphic stripes.
Whether it has been an unconscious inspiration from all the images I look at and several designer's work that I follow, or that having a little girl now - has more recently 'allowed' me looking at shades of Pink in a different light in all aspects of the usage for the colour. I find myself using it as a great joining colour - much like great joining words, 'whilst', not feeling colour compromised!
Enjoy,


A Color for All Seasons


Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new color, for a brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a color for every day – with nothing “everyday” about it.
While the 2010 color of the year, PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, served as an escape for many, Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.
“In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities from a powerful bond to its mother color red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum.”
Eiseman continues, “The intensity of this festive reddish pink allures and engages. In fact, this color, not the sweet fragrance of the flower blossoms for which it was named, is what attracts hummingbirds to nectar. Honeysuckle may also bring a wave of nostalgia for its associated delicious scent reminiscent of the carefree days of spring and summer.”
Honeysuckle is guaranteed to produce a healthy glow when worn by both men and women. It’s a striking, eye-catching hue that works well for day and night in women’s apparel, accessories and cosmetics, and in men’s ties, shirts and sportswear. Add a lively flair to interior spaces with Honeysuckle patterned pillows, bedspreads, small appliances and tabletop accessories. Looking for an inexpensive way to perk up your home? Paint a wall in Honeysuckle for a dynamic burst of energy in the family room, kitchen or hallway.

Honeysuckle products are currently available from a variety of manufacturers:
Wedding Apparel - A flattering hue for wedding attendant apparel and accessories, Honeysuckle is now one of the nearly 200 PANTONE WEDDING Colors available from Dessy, a leading manufacturer of bridesmaid, social-occasion and flower-girl dresses. PANTONE WEDDING exclusively from Dessy provides a collection of color tools to make it easy for brides to achieve perfectly color-coordinated weddings – from inspiration to “I do.” See www.dessy.com for more information.
Paint - Honeysuckle is one of 3,000 colors available in Pantone’s line of superior-quality, eco-friendly paint. PANTONE Paints combine the accuracy of PANTONE Colors with the beauty of high-performance Dutch paints. See www.pantonepaints.com for more information.
Visa Card - Whether you’re buying groceries, paying the dry cleaner or shopping for a pair of new pumps, now you can do it in style with a PANTONE Visa® Platinum Rewards Card in Honeysuckle, the 2011 color of the year. See www.pantone.com/visacard for more information.





Fashion - Honeysuckle always works with the standard basics of black, navy, charcoal or light to mid gray. But using complementary bronze greens like Willow PANTONE 16-0632 and/or Tapenade PANTONE 18-0840 adds a new sophistication to the combination that showcases the energy of Honeysuckle. The green tones can be really interesting in accessories for Honeysuckle tights and top. Another great and unique combination is Honeysuckle with a pinkish brown like Apricot Brandy PANTONE 17-1540. Think of a warm cashmere turtleneck in Apricot Brandy with a matching skirt and shoes to blend and flatter the legs. A Honeysuckle cashmere scarf and belt create a luscious combination. And to blend all the colors, try a big and bold patterned bag with every color mentioned above.
Home Interiors - Honeysuckle is upbeat and dynamic when used on large areas like the entry area of a house or an apartment. It is an appetite and conversation stimulant when used on the dining room walls. In the kitchen, it adds a fun touch on the table in placemats and other linens (patterned or solid), colored glassware, candles and small appliances. Honeysuckle is a great color to cover up shabby kitchen cabinets, or, if that’s too much of a color statement for you, try repainting knobs and drawer pulls. But be warned – once you try this arresting shade, it can become addictive.
Packaging -Honeysuckle is an excellent packaging color for products that speak to something active or festive, or are suggestive of sweet tastes and scents. It’s an especially good shade for delicious food or drink packaging. The name Honeysuckle is evocative of these perceptions. The closest match to Honeysuckle PANTONE 18-2120 TPX in the PANTONE PLUS SERIES is 205 U, p. 45 (choose uncoated – coated is much more vibrant). One of the best combinations for Honeysuckle in the PLUS SERIES in the context of deliciousness is a grape shade 2573, p.76. Grape should be used in lesser amounts than Honeysuckle with the smallest component in a rich chocolate shade like 483, p.32




images via elle decor, pantone institute, coastal living, house & home, verandah house blog

14 February, 2011

To My Valentine xxx


To My Darling husband, Matthew...
Through Sun Showers, Storms, Dreary Rainy Days, & all the Bright-Hot ones
You are my warm, loving & friendly Sunshine.
My only Sunshine!



image via John Sands cards - my valentine's card for my husband