corporate, trophy, or fish...

My burgeoning vintage trophy collection, above

I keep thinking of that hilarious line in Kath and Kim, when Kim is assessing her options as wife. She says something along the lines of "well, you have three choices as a wife - corporate, trophy or fish".

Hope I don't qualify for the third option, and the first option would be a lost cause due to a dire lack of enthusiasm re entertaining prowess.  However, with the addition of a few new trophies to my collection, I reckon I am a shoe-in for the second option.  If that's the sort of trophy wife you're into...

I am quite obsessed with old trophies at the moment.  There is something so poignant about them.  Won with such pride, then discarded along the line, probably by a relative!  I think it is almost my duty to buy then all up and give then a loving home - right?
Hx

still trawling the archives...

Whilst trawling through the archives yesterday I came across another job I styled last year, and thought I'd give it an airing here on the blog.  It was a brand strategy and identity campaign for Australia's leading blind manufacturer, Contract Blinds, to establish their retail presence as Viewscape Blinds.  When I heard it was a blind job, immediately I pictured big windows with views over a dodgy marina and a few pieces of furniture as window dressing - how wrong could I be? We were talking art blinds!

 For me, that meant:

*about 2 kms' of fishing wire
*more Blu-tack than you could ever imagine
*wearing a lot of attractive white surgical booties and gloves
* a shitload of tape
*five stressful but ultimately very satisfying days spent deep in the cyc at Decent Exposure Studios:

Agency: Tank
Concept and art direction by Chris Evans at Tank
Photography by Mike Baker
Photographer's assistant: Stewart Dunn
Styling: me
Client: Viewscape Blinds / Contract Blinds

Promise I'll be back to blogging the pretty stuff tomorrow!

Hx

the Melbourne job...

I usually post about the work I do for the newspapers and home mags, but today I thought I would show a few of the images from a wonderful job I worked on in March this year.  The client is a huge international company who wanted us to create some images of Melbourne that would reflect our town's love of food, sport and tradition, it's culture, triumphs and architecture.  It was a huge shoot, but soooo much fun to work on - DREAM clients,  a great team headed by the fantastic Melbourne photographer Mike Baker, and very ably assisted by Stewart Dunn.  I produced as well as styled the shots, a selection of which are shown here.

sah grown up...

Thanks to all of my friends who have emailed, texted or called to say how much they love my new blog header, and to comment about how very grown up and profesh it is after my d.i.y efforts over the past 18 months.  I LOVE it too, as well as my new matching business cards (see above).  I can claim no credit, only bask in the reflected glory of the wonderfully talented Shannon Lamden of Auntycookie fame.  From the loosest, and quite possibly the lamest brief, she came up with my dream design.  If you by some crazy reason have not checked out Shannon's work or hilarious blog, please do so immediately. I think she would despise being called a super mum, but let me tell you, the way that girl churns out the best quality work, whilst rearing a fair brood, would put most of us to shame.  Thanks Shannon.

Hx

bring it...

Gorgeous Melbourne home - Gordon and Susan Tait's stylish Edwardian

Some people really know how to nail the mix of great design and homeliness.

Take the gorgeous home of Gordon and Susan Tait, owners of Tait Outdoor (in Fitzroy, Melbourne and Redfern in Sydney).  I love the Non Random pendant by Moooi - it's such a great focal point for the room.  There is a whole lot of pedigree in their furnishings and accessories, but not a trace of that stagey 'showroom' feel. Loved it!

This page appeared in the Sunday Age & Sun Herald, Sunday Life magazine yesterday.  Photograph by Mike Baker, interview and styling by me.  Copyright owned by Fairfax Ltd

hx

Slatternly secrets...

The loveliest tea towels in Melbourne

The studio set-up

On the page today

I think I have mentioned before that I am not the most diligent housekeeper.  Actually, slatternly is probably the most apt description.  So no wonder my husband smiled wryly at me when I mentioned that my next two Savvy Shopper pages would feature kitchen cleanliness themes.  Yes, I am a slob. Tidy? Yes.  Clean? Non.  It all looks OK on the surface....but scratch that surface and well...

I actually don't mind doing the dishes.  I prefer it to stacking and un-stacking the dishwasher.  But that's a moot point anyway because apparently I am so crap at stacking that I am actively discouraged from doing it.  And if I do attempt it, later on I can hear faint tutting noises coming from the kitchen as Jem re-stacks.

Well, here is the first of my series of kitchen cleanliness pages.  I think tea towels look much lovelier on a wall than wrapped around a soapy plate, don't you agree?  If you love one of these tea towels but don't live in Melbourne and can't get your hands on a copy of The Sunday Age, email me or leave a comment and I'll let you know where to go.

hx

This page appeared in the Sunday Age M Magazine today.  Photo by Mike Baker, writing and styling by me.  Copyright owned by Fairfax,

Gorgeous Melbourne home - Nic MacIsaac of Magnolia Square

Nic MacIsaac's GFR

as it appeared in Sunday Life today.

Yes, gorgeous.  From the front gate to the back fence, Nic MacIsaac's home is truly scrumptious. The extremely lovely and talented founder of the Magnolia Square markets sure knows how to make a beautiful home. It is traditionally elegant at the front (that's the Good Front Room, shown above), and more clean lined and contemporary at the back.  This is the Sunday Life 'my space' page that appeared this morning in the Sunday Age in Victoria and The Sun Herald in NSW - the one with the exquisite Rose Byrne on the cover.

Interview and styling by me, photos by Mike Baker, copyright owned by Fairfax Ltd.

at home today...

I was trying to alleviate a vile headache with a lie-down in bed this morning, but this gorgeous shadow on my bedroom wall got me up and searching for my camera.  Funny, because I think the headache is a sugar hangover - did I really need to eat a whole packet of musk sticks yesterday?  Anyway, looking at this sweet confection of loveliness has made be feel a little better.  Today, it seems pink must be my ailment as well as my cure.

sorted!

$10 of loveliness from Vinnies
click on image to enlarge it

The Glenferrie Road Vinnies came through for me again last week when I found this lovely old key hanger.  It was quite dry and stained and pock-marked, so natch I gave it the once over with some paint (Porter's Barbie Pink, left over from a shoot).  It is now on the veranda, and it's the perfect place for me to hang my winter outdoor essentials - dog lead, scarf and warm hat.

Hx