Wonderful weekend past..

Monday night here in Sydney and a fantastic day has passed. Not fantastic in the

sense that something truly sensational happened, but because it was just an 

incredibly beautiful day. We woke up to a spotless blue sky and lovely sunlight,
and having had a brilliant weekend the world felt a wonderful place today!

via Rise & Shine

The air was (is) cold, crisp and fresh - a day I wish I could have spent outside -

preferably doing numerous laps in the park (read on and you'll understand why..)

however this week, like the last two, is insanely busy. I say this with a big smile

on my face, because I am so excited and grateful for all the stimulating projects &

commissions that are coming my way.  I thrive on the energy and love the rush!

via Sma Kee on Flickr as seen via Matisse Color

The weekend just passed was wonderfully relaxed and we had such a great time!

On Saturday we went over to beautiful Woollahra to see a great exhibition by

legendary photographer Nick Brandt at the equally fabulous Shapiro gallery.

 LIONESS JUMPING FROM TREE, MASAI MARA 2008

I have blogged about Nick Brandt before (HERE & HERE) and am a huge fan of his work!

He has a way of capturing the animals in such a serene, intimate and tender manner.

 LIONS HEAD TO HEAD, MASAI MARA 2008

 

As with another of my favourite photographers, Rodney Smith (blogged HERE & HERE),

Nick also uses a regular SLR (i.e. not digital SLR) and does all his post-production by hand!..

 ZEBRA MOTHER AND BABY, NGORONGORO CRATER 2005

The works shown at Shapiro were huge (you know how I love big art and prints!..) giving

the stunning motifs and detail justice.  My favourite (this time) was a huge (over 2 m x 1 m)

print of buffalo shot at Amboseli in 2006 (below). An amazing piece I would absolutely love

to own, and for sure also a great investment piece! Expensive but very very tempting indeed!

BUFFALO GROUP PORTRAIT, AMBOSELI, 2006

Later that afternoon we went over to good friends' to celebrate midsummer Swedish

style. This very wonderful annual event (that exceeds our national day in popularity!) is

celebrated with a buffet of (for us typically) Summery foods like a selection of herring,

dill, new potatoes, salmon, snaps, and usually topped off with a large serving of fresh

strawberries and whipped cream. This feast is usually held outside after having danced

around a maypole at some nearby field, followed by a raft of fun games & tournaments.

via House of Philia

A real 'family celebration' that includes the very young to the very old. Such a great time!

Though it was too cold to embrace the outdoor tradition we raised our glasses with chilled

Aquavit and we sang, ate and had a terribly Swedish and great time until the kids looked

cross-eyed with tiredness and it was time to go home & to bed. Despite not being able

to adorn our Summery selves with hand made wreaths of birch tree twigs, walk silently

& barefoot over seven dew-clad meadows and pick seven different kinds of midsummer

flowers to put underneath our pillows, like the old pagan tradition dictates, we slept well..

via I See the Moon Photography

via Martha Stewart

Sunday was my dear huz's birthday, so the kids and I whisked him off to breakfast at

one of his fave cafes (Bellagio on Bronte Rd). This place not only displays the most

amazing cobalt blue & silver wallpaper (which I will snap an iPhone photo of next
time) and coolest vintage tables, but also serves fantastic coffee. Needless to say the

huz cares more about the latter.. After breakfast we set off for the ocean front, and we
spent a couple of hours enjoying the fantastic weather at a local beach and park.
Aaaaahhh.. I love this time of the year (when it's sunny like this!..) - I can breeeathe!!

 via Cox & Cox and Kim Gray


Having treated Marshall to Nick Brandt's book (gallery sold only) 'On This Earth A
Shadow Falls' (artist's edition) the day before, there were no other presents than a candle
clad home-made chocolate & coconut cake, singing by me and the kids and some divine
drawings and cards by the kids. After cake (and a rest!), we headed out to dinner at a local
Italian restaurant and even managed to top off our meal with a generous serving of gelato.. 

 A real feat after a long and needless to say, very very gluttonous weekend, I tell you! :)

via Lissy Elle (first introduced to me by my dear friend Manvi at Mochatini)

Suffice to say we had no room or energy left for anything else after this, though a couple of
already mentioned laps in the park wouldn't have hurt..  So all in all, a truly blessed weekend
and the perfect way to prepare for Marshall being away for all of this week. In fact he is on

his flight to Singapore as we speak and probably enjoying a great movie and fab service..

source unknown

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend. What did you get up to?

xx Charlotta

Weekend away..

Over a month ago I was lucky enough to be whisked away for a lovely long weekend 

at magical Shoal Bay, located in Port Stephens some three hours North of Sydney. 

 

Relaxing days on and by the beach, including the gorgeous 'One Mile Beach'.

This trip took place back in early May and I had all intention to post some of the pics
and stories from this fab trip a long time ago.. Am very sorry for the delay friends.  xx

Oscar perfecting his hand stands on the beach, friendly pelicans watching us have snacks and the famous yellow/red flag of Australian beaches.

Amongst enormous Sea Eagles, hawks, yellow crested cockatoos, rainbow lorikeets, corellas and many others were these hungry dudes that
kept on swerving in from all around us as we were having a snack on the beach! I love bird and was needless to say in heaven here!

We had four days in this paradise and went there with the focus on spending as much

time as possible in the fresh air and stunning outdoors. One morning we went out on 

a dolphin cruise and were richly rewarded by many beautiful finned friends swimming

next to our boat. I absolutely love dolphins and think there is something so great about 

these amazing creatures. I always feel so infused with positive energy having been close

to them and this time was no different. I could have spent all day watching them really.

 Marshall and Oscar chatting at the stern of the boat, the view from the marine sanctuary near Little Beach, dolphin friends, and our cheesy cruise boat.

Port Stephens (the bay/area) is brimming with the most amazing marine life making it
the perfect place for snorkeling and diving (if you are not afraid of sharks!). As the kids
are too young to take into deeper waters, we spent the afternoon snorkeling at the natural
marine sanctuary near Little Beach and saw so many fantastic animals, including large
turtles, tropical fish and more dolphins swimming past just meters away from us. As you
can imagine we were in heaven and this blissful time flew by very quickly. So amazing!

Oscar checking the territory before heading out, Isabella and I splashing around, Marshall & Oscar getting ready. Seagulls watching nearby.

On my birthday I was celebrated thoroughly by my beloved little trio and was given a 

gorgeous & lovingly prepared warm breakfast, songs in both Swedish and English as

well as some much too expensive presents and some truly sweet handwritten cards. xx

I felt so loved, spoiled and grateful for all the effort, attention and wonderful kindness!

Nothing better than a big kiss from the kids! We held off on the cake until we returned to Sydney. Total bliss.

Oscar is an aspiring gymnast and kept on practicing his hand stands.. He got it in the end!

The fab three that made sure this weekend was perfect. I love them to bits and I can't breathe without them!

After breakfast we spent the rest of the morning just strolling around in the sweet little 

marina of Nelson Bay. For lunch we stopped at a great little place on the water and had

fresh fish that had been caught that morning and was served straight off the barge! Yum!

Nelson Bay marina with all the fishing boats and private yachts. Even the tie poles on the pier are cute (heart shaped). Isabella wading.

Yep, another one. This time watching us have fish for lunch.. He kept on pulling his beak down over his neck.. very odd, but impressive!

In the afternoon we headed over to an amazing place called 'Stockton Beach' which is the

largest moving sand-mass in the Southern hemisphere. The actual beach is 32 km long (!)

and is attached to what seems like a desert with sand dunes as high as 30 meters. Suffice to

say this place is incredible and my photomaniac husband was let loose with his camera and

tripod for a couple of hours whilst the kids and I relaxed and played on the beach. If you
haven't already, please do check out his amazing Flickr stream. He is very very talented!!

The kiddies loved this part of Port Stephens - so much to climb on, run around in and generally just explore and investigate!

The view from the beach as you enter the dunes. So surreal!

The beach is so hard and compact that the council allows 4 wheel drives to cruise along the shoreline. Though the boys did have a swim
here Isabella and I stayed on shore and in hindsight I am happy we did as Marshall showed me THIS real life film when we got back home...

 Isabella deciding the beach and desert needed a tree..

Come Mother's Day we were all so tuned into the relaxed lifestyle and rhythm of Shoal Bay

that we contemplated staying for ever.. but life back in Sydney awaited and it was time to go.

Those are Isabella's little foot prints.. is there anything cuter than little feet...!?!

We'll definitely be back here at our favourite spot before we head off to Europe next year,
and for any of you planning a visit to Australia, this is one of your must-see-places!!
I just know you will love it as much as our little family does!

xx Charlotta

Images: 1 Catherine Ledner, 3 Chris Everard, 23 Churchill Daily Photo, 24 Jean-Mark Palisse, 
44 Thayer Allyson Gowdy , 47 The Bridal Cafe and 48 Troy House via Paper Moon. 
All other images are private and must not be used by anyone without prior written consent.

Right Royal Celebration in more ways than one..

I am sitting here in Sydney watching the live broadcast of the Swedish

Crown Princess Victoria  and her beloved Daniel (now Prince Daniel!)..

It has been such a fantastic event and the glowing couple are so tangibly inlove it has been

impossible to hold the tears back. It feels very good to be Swedish today!

Congratulations to Victoria and Daniel!!!

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More congratulations in order for my give-away winner...

Polly Wreford

Congratulations to no 4 - Donna over at 'A Perfect Gray' !!
(For those who are not familiar with this amazing blog, I urge you to visit!!)

This sweet girl is the winner of a $60 store credit at the fab CSN stores. There are

over 200 stores and thousands of great products for this lucky girl to choose from.

Donna please drop me an email to get the details! xx

Ok my dumplings, I am off to bed before I fall over. New day tomorrow and I &

the kids are off to a fabulous park by the ocean to play and BBQ with good friends.

'Smizing' like a supermodel - via Absolute Unique

Have a fabulous rest of the weekend all!

xx Charlotta

The Shiny Pebble Finale Party.. (and give-away reminder!)

Today my friends I am inviting your all to a fabulous party in

honour of my dear friend Catherine Hopkins of 'The Shiny Pebble'.

Tonight we clebrate 8 weeks of delightful diningroom designs and the contributions

of all of those who took part, who watched & commented. Here are the designers,

yours truly included, as well the lovely and warm Marsha over at the wonderful

'Splendarosa Gems on Glamour' who designed 8 stunning outfits to go with each 

of the designs. Thank you everyone - it has been such a pleasure to meet you all!

Raina Cox (If The Lampshade Fits)

Christina Fluegge (Greige)

Beth Connolly (Chinoiserie Chic)

Amy Forshew (Pemberley Style)

Charlotta Ward (Space for Inspiration)

Leigha Oak (Elle Oh )

Kellie Collis (Ada and Darcy)

Gwen Driscoll (Ragland Hill Social)

So my dears it's party time - pack your bags and head on over to Sweden..

 

My party will take place in the grounds of 'Yxtaholms Castle' - the very place my

parents organised a fabulous wedding ceremony & reception for me and my huz

after we had to cancel our first celebration. (A long story I will tell you another time.. )
Despite being a castle, there is nothing overly formal about this place. It's elegant

in a warm & friendly manner which makes me feel at home every time I go there.  

So please join me at this truly magical place that is set on a pittoresque little island
in the middle of a Waterlily-clad lake, complete with a small boat house that hosts a traditional Swedish sauna. Heavenly to use before you jump into the cooling lake!

I want this event to roll across a couple of days so that we all get plenty of time to hang

out together. The focus will be to finally get to meet you all face to face! I would also love
to meet your families so please bring your kids & partners! After you check in to your
rooms in either the castle wings or in the refurbished stables, please dress casually and
join me on the slopes leading down towards the lake for a summery garden party.

L to R from top - 1. Dog'n'Bird, 2. Lisa Warninger, 3 & 6. Luna & Chloe, 4. Mochatini, 5. unknown, 
7. A Cup of Jo, 8. The Wedding Pantry, 9. Helen Norman Etsy, 10. Utterly Engaged, 11. the Wedding Style Guide
 
We will keep this part of our party light and breezy with bubbly & fresh Summer drinks,
yummy treats for all ages and lots of fun games, and activities to keep everyone happy.

 Also please don't forget to write down a personal messages for any of our guests that
our toast master will share with everyone during dinner. There will be many for sure..

 image via Martha Stewart Weddings

As the sun starts to cast the famous golden glow of Swedish midsummer nights
we break up temporarily to get ready for a fabulous dinner & party inside the castle.

 unknown

I asked my dear friend Marsha to help me pick an outfit for this evening event and in her usual
generous manner she gave me a wardrobe of options to choose from. All equally beautiful.
Thank you Marsha! xx

 1, 3 & 5 Chanel, 4 & 6 Ralph Lauren and 2. Givenchy

As much as I love (!) that first Chanel outfit, I think I will go with no 4. - the white Ralph

Lauren creation (though I would probably have to take off the jacket as of course the
weather will be perfect and warm!). I choose this outfit as Swedish summer is all about
the light and we love dressing in white to celebrate the divine sunlight at mid-summer.
The below red/white vintage Balenciaga gown is also very tempting. Perhaps next time.. 

1. Mark Shaw, 2. Unknown, 3. Luna & Chloe Weddings

The evening will offer a parade of wonderful foods, drinks and music. I happen to love

old school jazz and what better way to enjoy this than through the divine voice of my old

time bestie Eva, who not only is a doctor of music but is a frequent solo artist in Sweden.
I shall formally introduce you to her at a later stage. She is truly special & I love her!

 1 & 2. From Me To You, 3. Unknown

Wake up to another beautiful day and start it off by a walk or morning ride in the lovely
surrounding forests and meadows. The nearby stables have a large family of stunning 
Arabian full bloods for you to choose from, and what better way to start the day right!?! 
(..and of course we all feel like doing this in the early hours after a long party..! :) 

 1. Coco & Cox UK, 2. IS Weddings, 3. Martha Stewart

 Then please join me for a lovely long breakfast before we break up and head for our next
adventure in this wonderful world that we live in. I hope you had fun - I know I did!.

Thank you once more to Catherine for hosting this initiative, to the lovely girls
who designed so splendidly for her dining room, to Marsha for her beautiful
outfits, and to all of you dear friends for coming!

 xx Charlotta


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 GIVE AWAY REMINDER!

Dear US/Canadian friends. 
Please enter my give-away before 
midnight on Saturday (Sydney time)!

 image via Gemma Comas

Click HERE to go to the give-away post, 
or simply scroll down to the next post! 

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