Mix and Match Thursday



Happy Thursday to you all. Bit of a mix and match today. First up, how gorgeous are these picnic blankets from Wallace Cotton. These make the perfect gift for that hard to buy for someone.





Next up, I am such a massive an of the work of Minna Jones of Time of the Aquarius. I have shared her work before however, I thought that leading into summer, it was only fitting that I share some images from her gorgeous summer cabin.

 
 
Lastly, how gorgeous are these sweatshirts by the talented Vanessa from Henry and Co Home. Hand printed and made in New Zealand. Perfect for keeping the little ones cosy throughout the change of season.
 
And upon finishing, a shameless plug to any farming families out there who read Milo and Mitzy. If you get a moment, pop over and check out my clever husbands new site.
 
Amy x

BARRY Coffee and Food



 
Dear Melbourne, why are you so blimmen good at cafes? Your café design rocks. Yet another gosh darn amazing café that is BARRY Coffee and Food. Please fly me over so I can spend the week café hopping.
 
Yours sincerely
 
Amy

Foodie blog contributor - Jemima of Fiddle + Spoon

Jemima Phelps is the designer, web wrangler and blogger behind Fiddle + Spoon, a lifestyle blog dedicated to food, travel, fashion, design, photography (and cats)! Dividing her time between Melbourne and her home state of Tasmania, she loves anything creative she can get her paws on!


Hey beautiful M+Mers! Happy Spring!

I have the most fabulous salad to share with you this week — a perfect daytime, warm weather dish, just the thing for a sunny day. 

A panzanella salad is a traditional Tuscan dish of bread, olive oil and tomatoes, and a popular choice for a Spring/Summer salad. The peaches are the star of this particular recipe, and I have a few ripening in my fruit bowl for this very purpose as we speak!

Recipe by: The Kosher Spoon

Print by George

I am very pleased to bring you a little behind the scenes from one of my favourite photographers Georgina Skinner. Georgina, an English girl living in rural New Zealand is inspired by her travel and lifestyle. Her images from her website Print by George are incredible, I am lucky enough to own one of them. Thank you for your time Georgina.


Tell us about Print by George. How and why did it begin?

I was a bit tired of working for someone else’s company which wasn’t in the slightest bit creative, when all I could think about everyday was shooting my own photography and having the freedom to take up photographic jobs when offered. Stuck in an office in an inspiring city such as London was tough and especially when I knew that I wasn’t going to continue in that job to make it my career.

Print By George began when I was asked if I sold any of my work? I was also very keen to find an aspect of photography that could make me my own boss.


It’s an online print store where I sell and rotate every 6months to a year, a selection of my own prints under a signed limited edition. I want photography to feel accessible to the everyday person. Having just started decorating my own home, the first thing I could think about was putting something up on the wall, but when you look about, it is such an expensive task! Photography is never going to be cheap because of the costs that goes into printing something up, but I want people to want to be able to put a picture on their walls which doesn’t involve them taking out a loan.

Who or what inspires you?

Instagram/Pinterest; my day starts and ends with Instagram or Pinterest! I was always a little anti social media until I realized what a powerful tool it can be and how much inspiration I can gain from it every single day! But I am still a firm believer in that you need to switch off from online time to time. I forgot this rule when I was starting out last year and I was online 24/7 trying to please Australasia in our daytime and Europe over our nighttime…It’s only been in the last couple of months I realize that to live in real time is crucial for resting up those fingers and eyes…


 
What websites/blogs are you currently clicking on?

I have never been a girl to hit the ‘follow’ button on blogs or websites so much, but I find that I am always keeping updated with new posts from certain people I like through their Instagram or FB pages.

At the moment, I am going through my foodie phase. In my spare time (not as much as I would like), when I am not working on my photography, my guilty pleasure is to cook and bake for other people. It separates my work life to home seeing as they are all based in the same location!

 
How would you describe your style, both fashion and interior?

Fashion-wise, I am sticking with the greys, whites, blacks and a touch of leopard print! Interior-wise, I love the whites, linens and greys with hints of faded colours. The two styles are very similar and I like to keep things plain, effortless and clean. I hate mess!

This style comes through with my photography having the light colours feature mostly. There are a lot of predominantly white backgrounds with splashes of colour peeking through in places. It’s what I see when I look into the camera and my space around me.

 
Any future plans that you can let us in on?

My new website is about to launch and that has been my main focus this year. All the redesigning of Print By George is starting to come together as a whole and I adore it. It feels much more sophisticated and cohesive with my style of work.
 
There are a couple of other plans in the pipeline, which I am working on all the time, but keeping them quiet for the time being until I can confirm things further.
Thank you for your time, George. Be sure to pop over and check out Georginas work.

Amy x

Monday mix up (day behind!)

Another gorgeous Spring day to kick off the week. (meant to post this yesterday but got busy in the garden) Makes me want to sit out on the deck drinking wine which is not good for my waist line! A quick Monday mix up (TUESDAY!) to kick off your week beginning with this gorgeous home tour.




 
Next up is this ridiculously awesome table from Vast Interior Furniture and Homewares retailing at $1719. Perfect for entertaining guests in style.
 
 
 
And lastly, I am just head over heels about these shoes from the gorgeous Dapper Mr Bear. Top of my wish list for my wee Patchy for sure.
 
 
 Finally before I go, if you live in Hawkes Bay, I hope to see you all at the Te Awanga Kindy Decorate + Style evening. It will be fantastic evening with Bibby and Brady demonstrating how to style a console and the do's and donts of using pattern and colour as well as retail stores from the likes of Little and Fox, Christall Lowe Design Nourish and many more. Enjoy the sunshine.
 
Amy x

Cathy Pope

I am thrilled to have New Zealand jewellery designer Cathy Pope here today to answer a few questions for us. I am a massive fan of her work and am lucky enough to own one of her gorgeous necklaces, with the dream of owning more one day. Thank you so much for your time Cathy. 


Tell us about Cathy Pope the brand? How and why did it start?
I’ve worked in the tv and film industry as a Costume Designer for the past 16 years and didn’t plan on becoming a jewellery designer. I call my jewellery business a ‘happy accident’. Until two years ago I never wore necklaces because I didn’t suit fine jewellery and found a lot of bolder jewellery looked cheap and mass produced. I’d been given some large faceted gemstones and decided to put one between a chain and then suddenly the penny dropped!  This was the necklace I’d been searching for. Almost immediately people complimented it and soon I started making them for friends. I walked into a shop one day and the shop assistant admired my necklace and they became my first retailer. So it was all a little unplanned and here I am two years later with 23 retailers across NZ. It’s been such an unexpected and exciting experience. My brand ethos reflects this journey and I really want to keep the range boutique, sought after and not mass produced. Cathy Pope Jewellery is for women who don’t follow the crowd and who want to wear quality pieces that are a little different. 

Who or what inspires you?

Travel and beauty are my two biggest inspirations. I prefer style over fashion and simple, classic designs over too much detail. I especially enjoy imperfections and irregularities in design and working with natural crystals that are pieces of the earth. I love the contrasts of faceted gemstones and highly polished perfect chains. Gemstones have metaphysical properties that really interest me and each stone has a story to tell that is passed on to its wearer.  Travel is a great way to collect jewellery and find inspiration and learn about other cultures.

 
hat websites/blogs are you currently clicking on? 

I’m an Instagram addict and follow lots of different people for design inspiration rather than following what’s on trend. I really like the Australian jewellery brand Mania Mania, Mociun and British designer Polly Wales and they way they embrace gemstones and irregularities. For fashion I keep an eye on couture brands like Celine and Valentino and I love what Ari Seth Cohen does with older women on his blog Advanced Style. I’m a little random.

How would you describe your style, both fashion and interior? 

Simple and eclectic modern with a twist of nostalgia. I love colour and textures and my home has a white base with bold pops of oranges, pinks and turquoise in soft furnishings and artwork. Similarly my jewellery design is colourful and bold and like many NZ women I wear a lot of black. I use accessories ie jewellery, shoes and bags as my feature pieces on a classic base. My aim is to create timeless jewellery that withstands fads and trends and is treasured by it’s owner. 

 
Any future plans that you can let us in on?

I’m in India working with my manufacturers at the moment and have some exciting new ranges we are working on. Its still early days for my business but I’ve found my bolder signature look  is where I’m putting my focus. I’m planning on growing the business so I can work in it full-time as I’m still freelancing as a Costume Stylist on tv commercials. The plan is to find new export markets  in 2016.

Thanks so much Cathy.

Amy x

Monday mix up

Happy Monday to you all. A few things on the blog today to kick off your week. First up is the gorgeous home of Interior Designer Vanessa Alexander of Alexander Designs. Farm house meets industrial which is right up my alley indeed.
 
 








 
Knocking walls down and adding skylights has allowed Vanessa to create the perfect space for her family including multiple living areas to ensure her 3 busy boys have the space that they need.



Next up are these wicked prints by Auckland based illustrator Natasha Vermeulen available from Endemic World. The perfect gift for that crafty creative someone in your life. Do check out all of the other radness going on over at Endemic World currently while you are at it.





And lastly, I am going absolutely nuts over Kanukas new collection, Solstice. So many many cool cushions that I want!

Happy start to the week.

Amy x

Lebenslutiger




 
 I love the work of Annette of Lebenslutiger, a recent Instagram discovery. Everything she puts her hand to, turns to magic. I am going to let the pictures do the talking today rather than me. (And because I had a few wines lastnight and typing is hurting my head!)
 
Happy Sunday.
 
Amy x

Blog Contibutor -Jemima of Fiddle + Spoon

Jemima Phelps is the designer, web wrangler and blogger behind Fiddle + Spoon, a lifestyle blog dedicated to food, travel, fashion, design, photography (and cats)! Dividing her time between Melbourne and her home state of Tasmania, she loves anything creative she can get her paws on!


 I'm curled up on the couch as I write this, a cat on my lap and a forkful of delicious blistered beans in my mouth (doesn't that sound attractive?)

While you're picturing me stuffing my face, let me tell you a little about this week's recipe by Heartbeet Kitchen: it's healthy, it's yummy, and it's insanely quick and easy to make. If you can put a tray in an oven, you can make this dish. The lemon and the dill add a great tangyness, and it's perfect for both a side dish or a main course! 

Annabell Kutucu

I have always adored Annabell Kutucu hence the reason I am head over heels for this newly transformed apartment in Vienna...