The Christmas - New Year Holidays....

It' been a little while between posts - I hope you have been keeping well and inspired! I have missed you ...

Lots has been happening on my side with jobs, family, house renovations & landscaping and I have embarked on more study - certifications in business & management, and diploma in marketing! With that I have been updating my business website & the Verandah Home & Garden Living Solutions facebook page - please visit and like me!

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed your Christmas with your family and friends... and the Summer [in Australia] and the Winter [in the Northern hemisphere- for my sister and her family].

This Christmas was especially fun as our little 2.5year old Isabelle really got the jist of it all including Santa and the idea of the Nutcracker guarding the gifts! Christmas is magic once again with little ones...

 

And you're enjoying a little rest over these holidays and gearing up for a fun new years!

Take care - Enjoy,

 

images via Sarah Verity - Verandah Home & Garden Living SOlutions & homelife.com.

Australian Country Style - photography Prue Ruscoe - styling Shannon Fricke

Behind Design... Awe-Inspired*

Just returned home from the evening seminar, Behind Design, held at ISCD, and feel completely awe-inspired by the talks of  Judith Briggs, Jason Grant, Sarah Estens & Shannon Fricke!



Jason [Grant] mentioned this is one of his fave stories
 in the recent 'Real Living' October 2010 issue.



Lucky Girl - Jason kindly signed my copy of Real Living
magazine October 2010 issue [on sale now].

Before the talks began I was lucky enough to catch up with a number of wonderful people, Julie Blackmore - who is a Dulux Colour Consultant, former ISCD educator, and who is the secretary of the Queensland divison of The Colour Society Australia. I also got to catch up and chat with my lovely [former] ISCD educator Cherie Karlsson, who in her own right is an amazing designer|colour consultant & architect.  I also had a great chinwag with one of the speakers, Judith Briggs - who is an interior designer & colour consultant, as well ad the NSW Division Chairperson for The Colour Society of Australia. I always find it fascinating talking with other professionals, especially those who have achieved so much so well - it's a privilege and a great opportunity to soak it all up. We got to talking about blogging, facebook and twitter - and how fabulous design communities can be & brought together through technology and how it can really raise awareness for groups, make a presence for individuals and how quickly trends can start, follow, and die! After chatting with Judith hopefully there's somewhere I can help The Colour Society Australia [NSW] become more viral with getting active messages to members and potential members through Twitter, FB and Blogs!

Shannon [Fricke] kindly signed my Sept-Oct 2009
issue of Inside Out magazine - Palatial Living blogged about
this cover & editorial styling Shannon did called
'Once more with feeling - Shannon's Way' back in August 2009.



Thanks Shannon!  Shannon signed my recent copy of
Inside Out Magazine Sept-Oct 2010 issue.



Needless to say I loved hearing from all the speakers, of whom I got to meet afterwards - Judith [Briggs] discussed her interior & colour design work in the commercial world taking us through the 'heaven & hell' experiences of working with clients; Jason [Grant] took us through a wonderful lead up & steps to how a stylist gets a [magazine] shoot done & dusted from a art & editorial brief;  Sarah [Estens] from Frost* showed us her amazing 'branded' world of environmental & spatial design with some of the commissions that they have tendered for & worked on - in particular with Fraser's Property Group; and Shannon [Fricke] imparted her personal story - sharing her 'creative leap' about to getting her message of design out there, in publishing, & her books. Thanks to ISCD [Prue, Luke, Nikki, Elodie, Peter, & Jess] for putting on a wonderful evening - the guest speakers just keep getting better!

All facets of this creative map - are awe-inspiring and show you that there are so many ways to make your creative mark in this world of ours... just get to it! Start today! S x

Images via Verandah Home+Garden Living Solutions.

Real Living & Inside Out magazines.

Behind Design...

I'm looking forward to attending a seminar, 'Behind Design', at ISCD [International School of Colour & Design] this week...I think it's so important to consistently & constantly educate yourself through courses, seminars, talks or professional network evenings - there's always something to learn from others, especially those who you admire, or have excelled in something that you hope to too!

Amongst a great line up of designers, I am looking forward to meeting 'the' Mr Jason Grant of Real Living magazine styling fame [and so much more], and I really like his stylish on-trend blog it's a great read -  visit 'mrjasongrant'.



Jason Grant - Freelance Stylist



I am most excited about is the opportunity to meet a designer whose work I have admired for some time - Shannon Fricke. You may be familiar with her work for uber-stylish & on-trend Australian design mag 'Inside-Out'; or her fabulous TV shows on Australian cable channel 'The Lifestyle Channel', or her publishing prowess with several great design, colour & style books out; or a fan of her blog? And yet I have probably only touched the surfaced of her multi-faceted talented design life! I also love that she is an entrepreneur, a wife, a mother & a pet owner - amongst other things. Well here's hoping I get a chance to meet her, and maybe my copy of her book signed! For more of Shannon's work visit her blog & website.

If you're in Sydney this week  & you're interested in design and would like to hear some industry people chat about their work - 'Behind Design' - head to  ISCD (International School Of Colour and Design in Sydney) webiste HERE. The dates are 22nd & 23rd September. The session for Thursday 23rd September is Sold Out. Hurry!

images via real living magazine and the design alphabet blog

I Love This..From Inside Out - 'Santa Please Stop Here!'

[Image 1] 'Santa Please Stop- Here'
[Images 1, 2 & 3] Within the grounds of Shannon's home nestled in the sublime NSW Byron Bay hinterland.

[Image 4] just liek the uber cute puppy dog in Shannon's spread - here's my handsome Cavoodle, Zach - pictured at the RSPCA Million Paws Walk - complete witha 'Verandah Puppy' denim paws & ginham bandana!

[Image 5] Cover image of Inside Out's Christmas Issue Vol. 3. No.1 2009

I received my subscription copy Inside Out's Christmas Issue Vol. 3. No.1 2009 just recently... And to my delight amongst many other fantastic pieces there was another gorgeous spread from Inside Out's Shannon Fricke awaited inside... I love the 'bohemian lost-kids' look - almost Peter Pan-esque - that really seems to sum up what the summer lead up to Christmas is all about for kids! At least this is how I remember playing after school & the hot days of school holidays close to Christmas with cicadas in the background... Shannon and Prue (Roscoe - photography) have really managed to capture the whimsical fun of this special magical time - even down to the super cute puppy dog- who looks so much like my Cavoodle, Zach ! I have included a photo of him from the RSPCA Million Paws Walk last year so you can see what I mean! The location reminded me of Shannon's home in the Byron Bay hinterland - and upon further reading of her blog [from her posting on 4 November] yes it is... the house & grounds looks so wonderful Shannon, well done.

Thank you again 'Inside Out' for a beautiful story! For more info and details on this spread and fabulous Christmas ideas get your copy of Inside Out's Christmas Issue 2009 at your favourite newsagent now. Enjoy. S x

Images from Inside Out's Christmas Issue Vol. 3. No.1 2009

Once More With Feeling... Shannon's way.

I just got my new issue of 'Inside Out' in the post on Monday & came across the lovely Shannon Fricke and her new magazine spread... I have long been an admirer of Shannon's work and hope to one day be able to be involved in as much as she has and does through colour, design & style. Here in this wonderful editorial piece we see Shannon's innate sens of colour through the rooms she has created for her friends.... dashed with her signature peacock blue, chartreuse green, canvased with white and swathed with sublime cool style. I'm sure you'll love these images as much as I do -

Shannon was approached by her good friends Olivia and Adam last year, to help them re-design and decorate their home in the hinterland of Byron Bay. The couple had lost their [decorating style] way a little after the birth of their two sons and wanted Shannon's help - who wouldn't!! Shannon's job was to create a style and a palette that reflected who they are and how they want to live - whilst being her friends who are also creative - a great challenge for us all... for more on the article and details please visit Shannon's blog , and be sure to to grab yourself a copy of 'Inside Out' magazine Issue81 September-October 2009 - out in now.

Images from Inside Out magazine Issue 81 September-October 2009