do not disturb...

someone has a new bed...

i saw this fabric at ikea and knew it would make a cosy pillow for this cheeky one...

fitzy is lucky enough to have a little christmas present in the mail, too. thanks to nat over at daily imprint i won this amazing and beautiful lead & collar set... and this festive bow tie!

he is going to look very smart on christmas day, let me tell you.  head on over to best in park and buy up big for the fluffy one in your life!



(please excuse my extended absence from this here blog... my mojo was lost, gone, kaput! you know how that is? but i feel christmas holidays coming... & some lazy days posting lovely things here...)

stripes and stripes

i love summer. i do. but being bombarded with "fall" ideas from the northern hemisphere, it's getting me excited for some layers and knits...

and this. this sweater is so perfect. 

via frolic

{listening} flags

image :: brooke fraser

i live my life to music. constantly. always something playing in my mind.

right now, it's brooke fraser's new album flags. stunningly beautiful songs & melodies.

i've just found her purdy new blog. i was totally wowed by the pictorial essay by her drummer, aaron redfield. lovely photos to lose yourself in...

image :: aaron redfield

lets go there, hey? right now? ok. 

before a neon night's lighting i'm right beside you/the fire in motion/the fire in motion
the desert sun sinking/sleepy and low/but we're just waking/we are waking
river time is a mountain tonight/before tomorrow she flows on/carving valleys in the skin on our faces
i am bright as the sun/you are high as a kite/we are daughters, sons, brothers and sisters tonight/at coachella/coachella
come on now darling, let's shake off these blues/i'll let my hair out, you'll slip off your shoes/i feel like a baby, newborn in the spring/i'm setting down the sadness and I won't remember it
i'm a warm bleeding heart/you're a generous soul/and i love you though i'd never met you before to coachella/coachella
we are standing on the shore/in the smoke, in the starlight/on the edge of a human sea/and the tide is in

"coachella" lyrics by brooke fraser

{reading} on the bedside table...

the romantics - galt niederhoffer
brilliant. brilliant. it's a contempory great gatsby. i had to read this book after seeing the trailer for the feature movie that's on it's way- thanks sarah!

chez moi - agnes desarthe
fiction about france & food... i couldn't resist!

the elegance of the hedgehog - muriel barbery
after my 50 things post, i'm finally getting around to reading this book... in a word? heavy.

notwithstanding - louis de bernieres
mr de bernieres had my heart ever since the war of don emmanuel's nether parts. i've loved every single book since, and this is his latest.

frederica - georgette heyer
my mother and i have read every single book ever written by this very glamorous woman. this, i think is my favourite...
 
planning a baby? - dr sarah brewer
just quietly, between you & i, ok?!


what's on your bedside table??

feeding my magazine addiction...

i am a sucker for pretty pages in magazines... homewares, shopping, cooking, decorating, making... there is nothing better than sitting down with a cuppa and a new, shiny magazine, no?

...which is why i love my zinio app on my iPad (also for iPhone, pc or mac). a year subsribtion for $10ish? without having to leave home? thankyouverymuch!

currently, i'm loving elle decor (usa)... i'm thinking i might need to invest in a dwell subscribtion too! i would love to see some more aussie content come through for purchasing - real living, and delicious, perhaps?

what do you think of my my dream new bathroom... (thanks ralph lauren!). with a view over the central park reservoir in NYC, no less... *sigh*

it's lovely flicking through the pages, and you can store back issues also. i'm addicted! the added bonus is i'm not buying hard-copy magazines that i have to store somewhere, and think of all the trees i'm saving!

this was part of the blog this challenge... head on over and join in the fun.

do you have any must read online magazines, or have a zinio subsription??

spring has sprung

... after a very wet and wild week (or two!), the sun made a spectacular appearance this weekend...

we are a no-dryer household, so i felt a little chained to the washing machine with all the back log of washing... but i do love my trusty hills-hoist. such an aussie classic!

i also had a little fight with the (should be) white grout in the bathroom... a winner hasn't been declared yet, and alas, i don't think i'm a chance for the gold medal!

 

 there was also considerable time spent yelling at this little brood... we are dog-sitting two loveable cocker-spaniels for some friends at the moment! there is a lot of puppy love to go around, but sometimes i think they gang up on us!

tonight we're having a simple dinner of thin spaghetti with a cherry tomato sauce (and plenty of parmegiano!!)... oh bliss!


what domestic delights did you get up to this weekend!

gold star

if i had a gold star, i would give it to carl kleiner (photography) & evelina bratell (styling). this is the most crazy amazing food photography i think i've seen. ever.

it's for the ikea cookbook, and i know it's been everywhere in the blog-o-sphere but i just couldn't resist!

{mood} sunday

this week's mood... take me to paris...

its rainy and miserable outside today... so just give me a minute, and i'll throw on my striped top and grab a bag for my baguette... i feel like a stroll through the streets, wandering past the ateliers... a sneaky nutella crepe as a little treat. yes, definetly a nutella crepe...

 

a spring sky

spring sky, originally uploaded by bec hem.

new shoots on the frangipani tree

a beautiful blue sky with wisps of clouds

today is a good day... my other half comes home after a week long work trip to the other side of the world. it'll be nice to have him home

what's the sky like in your neck of the woods?

this is part of the blog this challenge for this week. why don't you come and join in the fun!

{making} patchwork dreams

i love it when what's old is new again. that's quilting for me, right now. it's (thankfully) not all about the Saw-Tooth star anymore, but rather contemporary design and modern colour choices. it's also very therapeutic!

purl soho is a new york based fabric/pattern store  mecca (online and bricks-and-mortar). they have totally been fuelling my patchwork inspiration. just have a look. A-maz-ing.

and then... well isn't it funny how this book arrived in the post just a week or so later?

last minute patchwork + quilted gifts is by joelle hoverson, and the owner of purl. oh my this book is a beauty. ranging from less-than-2-hours, to more-than-12-hours, there is some kind of patchwork to make for everyone. i've already made a handful of the flannel baby blankets... so easy yet so so beautiful! (and they turn out just like the picture - that never happens!!)

this book (thankfully) also has detailed instructions. so the amatuer quilter in me can fumble through without having to call my mum!

quilting is a pretty special thing, isn't it? i still remember going to a grade one sleepover at school... all the kids had sleeping bags. i had a quilt my mum had made for me. and i still have it.

{cooking} best bircher

best bircher, originally uploaded by bec hem.

bircher muesli... one of the loveliest ways to begin a weekend.... and it's almost the weekend, right?

so i thought i'd post my best bircher recipe. it's very easy! so grab a few quick ingredients, head through the "6 items or less" checkout, and whip this up for a lazy weekend breakfast...

ingredients
[serves 2. Can easily be doubled/tripled/etc.]
1 cup apple juice
1 cup rolled oats
1 apple, grated
1/2 punnet strawberries, chopped
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2/3 cup natural yoghurt
2 tbs honey

 method
combine apple juice & oats in a bowl. cover and allow to soak overnight in the fridge.
just before serving, combine all the ingredients and mix well.

[would also be lovely with other berries, grated pear, banana... the list is endless!]

bon appetit!

fitzwilliam darcy the second

...and puppy makes three! everyone, i'd like you to meet fitzwilliam darcy the second.

we picked him up from the RSPCA (animal welfare centre) yesterday. we thought we'd just "go and look" and there he was. who knows where he came from, or what his past was like. but now he's ours...

he's got a cute little face, and long, athletic legs. he's skinny, but they say that's the stress of being at the shelter. he's still a bit nervous around us, but he loves our backyard.

and his name? we'll call him Fitzy, and I hope he'll grow into the confident and handsome man that he was named after!

(i'm thinking of naming all our dogs after jane austen characters... Captain Wentworth could be next!! my husband thinks i'm crazy. what do you think?!)

images :: my flickr

looking for hope street

hope, originally uploaded by My Own Worst Nightmare.

you never see it coming, do you? (well, i didn't!) someone very close to me is struggling with depression. i'm thankful they're receiving treatment, but it's gonna take time...

its horrible to watch, but you've just gotta try and head them in the right direction... anyone know how to get to Hope Street?

a few favourites...

are you, like me, a compulsive "favourite-er" in your google reader? i highlight that little star every time i see something i like. which is, like, every second post i read.

so much inspiration!
so much lovely stuff!!

so... well here's a little post of this week's blog favourites (so far!)

(image : Sköna Hem) 

in another life i want to come back as a scandinavian local and have this summer house...


coats! i don't care it feels like summer in australia - these are tres chic!

these fabric covered thumb tacks look tricky to make... but the end result? wow!
 
a vintage fabric garage sale in brisbane? HELLO!!

what have you seen (and loved) lately?

{making} rainy days - finished!

the finished project :: rainy days baby quilt

{making} rainy days

this week has been about rainy days and sunny days... and a petite baby quilt. it's just something i made up: i'm loving clouds at the moment! i also love the combination of the yellow and the blue, and i think this will be a perfect little baby present. a little baby being born on the other side of the world. with love from australia!

(my trusty sidekick)

don't be scared of them - those walking feet make life a lot easier!

finished product pictures to come!

all pics - my flickr

{love} SowHope

how cute is this little beanie?

i've just found this little shop on made it... all the beanies are made by the children at an indian orphanage... and the proceeds go right back to them (sowing hope right back at those beautiful children!). love it!

{blog love} irresistable discoveries

run, don't walk, to this fab blog: irresistible discoveries

everyone loves a little bit of cute/craft/fashion/new inspiration - and here you can find it daily. this week, the rooftop garden from re-nest they featured made me gasp. love!!

head over and say hello!

(cut and) paste

paste - some kinda San-Fran-amazingness. Denise Fiedler had all these vintage books, and now makes beautiful pictures from those beautiful pages.

i, having somewhat of an obsession with this dear building, need this print.

found via inside out.

50 things...

50 things i'm dreaming of... seeing/doing/learning/cooking/reading right now.

blog this's 50th challenge is to write a list of 50 things. any things! i did contemplate "50 things i need to cook" but really, i didn't think that'd be great reading!

so i'm breaking my list up. into little groups of 10. have a read.... get to know me a bit better... and make sure you check out the rest of the amazing aussie bloggers out there who are making lists of their own! and, of course, make your own!

...things i'm dreaming of seeing...

...the eiffel tower. just one more time... pleeeeese?

...penguins in the wild. which would mean a trip to tassie... i heart tasmania...

...some films - 500 days of summer, Paris, je t'aime, the september issue

...scotland. those rolling hills. and this house.

...norway. in the summer, preferably.

...my veggie patch growing healthy... and fast!

...australia becoming a nation full of  organ donors.

...a little letter in the mail from ABC Classic FM offering me a job...

...a puppy in my backyard!

...Heaven

 ...things i'm dreaming of doing...

...being a mum. i think that'd be pretty fun...

...becoming australia's next tv chef. (dreaming? perhaps...)

...some more bushwalking. i just need to find the time...

...getting a good hair cut. (i know this is impossible. but a woman can dream, right?!)

...filling my huge dining room table with friends for an elegant dinner party

...making a wall feature out of framed holiday pics

...wearing a beautiful ballgown at least once in my life (*sigh* i watched high society last night!)

...buying a scandinavian summer house. stat.

...sewing everything from this book

...blogging something fantastic!

...things i'm dreaming of cooking...

...macarons. yes, i'm obsessed

...schiacciata con l'uva. michael klausen's recipe please!

...pork belly. and wontons. oh my!

...rhubarb. in any way.

...salt & pepper squid. 

(are you hungry yet?)

...chicken pot pie - kudos the green table

...peanut butter biscuits - kudos city bakery

...chorizo. all ways.

...lemon curd.

...tarte tartin

...things i'm dreaming of learning...

...quilting. i'm thinking like this. and this. move over grandma. contemporary is HERE.

...more chopin. his nocturnes make me swoon. 

...how to be slightly more of a "morning person".

...the secrets to cleaning a shower. mouldy grout? you are my arch nemesis. 

...a little more french. oui?!

...the secrets to interior decorating.

...balance in life.

...the art form of milk frothing & latte art.

...where my favourite book went. lost for 2 years. never forgotten.

...to say no.

...things i'm dreaming of reading...

..."A perfectly kept house is the sign of a misspent life" now that sounds like my kinda book.
...cookbooks... heston. jamie. stephanie. that's happiness!
...persuasion. for the hundredth time.

... more books & magazines on my iPad. i love that thing

...my bible... one inspirational book. it's pretty powerful.

..."the elegance of the hedgehog". it's title jumps out at me...

...Lists :To-dos, Illustrated Inventories, Collected Thoughts, and Other Artists' Enumerations from the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art. this looks awesome.

...my google reader. total inspiration. everyday.

...twitter. it cracks me up. all. the. time. 

...any good novel, really.

thanks for reading!

{cooking} vanilla & chocolate

vanilla & choc, originally uploaded by bec hem.

i wasn't going to cook superfluous things this weekend. i wasn't.

for the love of macarons

bliss in a biscuit... i have a crush on these delicate delicate polka dots...

we found some amazing examples in paris... we bought some special birthday macarons from Arnaud Larher, he was awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France in the macaron category - basically saying he's the best in the business! we ate them sitting under the eiffel tower, making for a birthday i will never forget...

 all images : my flickr

i had to have a go at making them! these are my rasberry macarons with white chocolate ganache. i used this great recipe that gives really important tips on making the perfect macaron... and i just bought this book so the fun can continue!


have you fallen in love with this biscuit yet?

kitsch of the seat variety

typography is pretty awesome. typography you can sit on? yes. please.

"kitsch can make you ritsch but art can break your heart"

these stools by artcanbreakyourheart. seen on swiss miss. image :: stilsucht

what letter would you get?

{harvest time} sqash

 

today's harvest of squash! they are beautiful furry bundles of yellow...

what's coming out of your vegie garden for dinner??

{making} bird mobile

...a recent creation for a friends baby... i think handmade gifts are always nice, don't you?

i found the pattern here via here . If you've got a spare hour, it's tres easy!

let's hear it for new york...

"One hand in the air for the big city/Street lights, big dreams all looking pretty/No place in the world that can compare/Put your lighters in the air, everybody say yeah//In New York/Concrete jungle where dreams are made of/There's nothing you can't do/Now you're in New York/These streets will make you feel brand new/Big lights will inspire you/Lets Hear it for New York//"

Empire State of Mind  - Sewell, Hunte, Carter, Robinson, Keyes, Keys, Shuckburgh

 it was all those things. pretty amazing. but really crap coffee!

more nyc at my flickr

everyone loves a bargain...

what. a. morning.
we decided to hit the black & spiro sale. you know, black & spiro, only the most lovely design & interiors store in brisbane?? goodness there were a lot of people, and even more bargains! a LOT of self control was used this morning, and in the end i came home with an armful of material (lovely material!), some babushka dolls (!!) and this awesome stool...

i think it has found it's home beside my lovely tasmanian oak sideboard, by MOMA New York in a Bag, and my beloved Tram Roll Tea Towel that I won over at Daily Imprint!

what do you think?? you will laugh when i say i paid 2 (yes, TWO) dollars for it!! it's been a productive weekend already!