paparazzi of our own lives

Earlier this week, a teenage girl whose name I no longer remember, got her 15 minutes of fame in mainstream media for admitting that everything she posted on social media to gain likes and followers was not a true reflection of her real life.

Apparently she feels like a fraud, and wants to call bullshit on the online charade.

This is the kind of 'news' that I would like to label -

A   S T O R M   I N   A   T E A C U P

Not because I don't agree with her new desire to empower young girls to live authentically;

Or because I don't applaud her new decision to use her position of power to speak truthfully to her followers;

Or because I, like several others, can't help but question if this was a clever marketing ploy to further her 'brand'.

But because it feels like we've just discovered that magazine editors use photoshop to enhance their images.

Or that reality shows like The Bachelor, Masterchef, (and dare I suggest it) Keeping Up With The Kardashians, employ an entourage of behind-the-scenes producers and editors to manufacture events and carefully manipulate situations to illicit more drama.

*gasp*

Social media posts are edited versions of reality.

That's a fact.

Photos posted by most #fitspiration accounts are no more candid than a carefully planned Lorna Jane photoshoot with strategic product placement and clever styling.

That's why we follow them.

It's why posts with hashtags like #inspiration; #foodporn; and #homedecor are in the millions.

Surely you too have taken countless near-identical shots before choosing 'the one' to post;

Added a valencia filter;

Or artfully cropped the image to showcase the best element?!

You won't find many terrible photos on my Facebook or Instagram accounts; 

And likewise, you won't find any framed and hung on the walls in my house.

Nobody wants to see my bedroom floor covered with the entire contents of my wardrobe because I couldn't find anything to wear to work 3 days in a row..

Or the state of my kitchen mid-baking, with dishes piled in the sink and the remnants of an icing sugar explosion across my bench top.

I publicly display the good stuff - ON and OFF line.

xx

Gone Fishing

I haven't done an interiors post in a while.. 

Probably because I have been distracted with exiting things like Birthdays and Baking.

Perhaps it's also been a lack of inspiration.

I don't even want to think about the amount of time I spend on Pinterest and various other house and design blogs, but sadly it's been a while since I've found any super inspirational homes worth pinning.

Third world problems, right?!

But now I've found it. 

Allow me to unveil three images of Interior Perfection. 

Pink and White Dining

Bedside Vignette

White Living Space

I particularly like the personality of the fish.

Maybe I'll go buy myself a goldfish this weekend? 

Seems like a solid plan.....

Find Maria Barros' other interior genius here.

xx

Images here

Conquering IKEA

It's true. I did it.

I went to IKEA.

I navigated through the warehouse to the right shelf and identified the correct box.

And I took it home...

That's when I secretly started to panic.

My 6 months of employment at the Swedish furniture store may have been a huge advantage when it comes to shopping there, but it certainly didn't teach me any skills in the realm of furniture assembly.

In fact (and I admit this quietly and with shame) - Before the store's Grand Opening back in 2006, staff had to assist by building the display furniture. A task I was quickly removed from due to my obvious talents in other areas (aka embarrassingly slow furniture assembly skills).

And since when did IKEA furniture require a drill and a hammer to build?! Obviously the days of a simple allan key are long gone.

Anyway... 2 boxes; 1,000,000 nuts, bolts and screws; and 5.5 hours later - It was complete!

Hooray!

Yep.. I'm an independent woman.

But please - Don't ask me to help next time you've been shopping at IKEA.

I am done for atleast another 6 years!

One last thing - 

Those candy jars on top are just gorgeous and perfect for storing almost anything.

I'm using them for jewellery, but they've also done time in the kitchen and bathroom.

They're available here - Brown Button Trading

xx

Home Inspiration : Living Spaces

Hoo-to-the-Ray

Miss Morg's and I have found a new place to live in and I am SUPER excited!

My mind has been spinning with decorating ideas and I can't wait to finally get my new furniture out of storage.

I turned to Pinterest to revisit some of my living room inspiration images. There's a definite trend towards white furniture with pink accents. No surprises there.

And luckily, Morg's and I seem to have very similar tastes, so I'm sure we'll be able to create a super cute environment which we both love.

In the meantime, these are some of the ideas floating around in my head - - -

White couch with pretty cushions = Eternal Love.

White Slip Covered Couches; Coloured Cushions

OR

A pink couch with more pink!

Or perhaps we could achieve something a little more sophisticated?

No.... This is probably more my style. Pink armchair, shag pile rug, white coffee table.

Yep - loving the colour popping

And, this piece is very similar to my very own mirrored drawers.
I love the cute vignette, complete with statement lamp.

And here I am loving the glass coffee table with stacked magazines. 

Coincidentally, I happen to have a glass coffee table in storage... 

And finally, what's a share house without a blackboard for quick notes scrawled to your housemate ?

I'm now on the hunt for a small board that we can mount on the wall..

Official move in date is less than 4 weeks away! Totes exciting!

xx

Decorating with Frames

I often post pretty photos of ideas I have for my future home. Wishing.. Hoping..  Dreaming.. about my next house and all the amazing things I would do to make it mine.

Until I buy my very own place, I have one room in our share house to play with, and have had fun creating a gallery wall of IKEA frames.

I've shared my love of frames here and am now very proud to show you all my first attempt which incorporates my wall mirror and is on the wall I look at while I'm sitting in bed.

Black and White Gallery Wall

I've attached the frames to the wall with those awesome velcro 3M strips so the frames and be taken down and the images replaced with ease.

The pictures in the frames are currently a work in progress, as I find cute greeting cards in store or pretty pictures on Pinterest. And of course, there are a couple of photos of Emmy.

What do you think ? Any thoughts on the black and white frame combination ? I was originally apprehensive, with my preference for them all to be white, but most of them came from my old house so I recycled and worked with what I had.. and thankfully, I am loving the result.

xx

Drawn to Paris

I'm generally not a magazine buyer, but waiting in line at the supermarket the other day I was drawn to the cover of the September issue of Madison and flicking through I knew I had to buy it purely for this story on Kerrie Hess and her home in France.

I love the crisp white decor combined with the striking soft furnishings, sparkly chandelier and bold wall art. (Yep - that's a lot of adjectives...)

See for yourself - I think you would agree....

 

Devine.

xx

All images from the September 2011 issue of Madison

A Stripey Addiction

It took a while for me to come around to the idea of stripes.

But now I am a shameless addict.

Those who know me in 'Real Life' know that my wardrobe is a collection of black. So don't be surprised that my new love of stripes is also monotone.

What I love most is how striking a black and white stripe can be. And it works for fashion and home decor. Ah-Mazing!

Here's a little collection of my fave stripey loves care of Pinterest.

xx

Pynn It!

Yes, I'm a little slow off the mark.. so bare with me while I figure out the whole Pinterest thing..

My biggest frustration is that the 'Pin It' button can't be installed on my work computer, so I have to wait/remember to pin things when I get home.

In other news, I have just discovered decorator, stylist, TV show host, Samantha Pynn.

And I'm in love.

Please indulge me while I share some of my favourite rooms with you..

I'm definately noticing a theme in my home decorating style and Samantha Pynn seems to know exactly what I like.

xx

Sweet Dreams

Maybe it's this miserable cold weather, or maybe it's the fact that I barely slept last night and today feel like I am coming down with some kind of winter bug.. Whatever the reason, tonight I am dreaming of cosy beds with white linen, warm rugs and soft inviting cushions.

found here

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Sweet dreams.

xx

Speaking of The White House

What can I say ?

I LOVE a black and white palette.

The decor in my current house includes white tiles, white walls and white window furnishings, with chocolate brown furniture and highlights of red. But these photos are my inspiration for my next home.

I don't even have words. I just love it. Devine.

Images courtesy of House Beautiful October 2009