Designing My Own Engagement Ring...

Firstly, I'm hoping no one notices the gap of just over a year between this post and the last one... 

Secondly, I must divulge the fact that I am currently involved in one of the most exciting and inspiring experiences of my life so far - designing my own engagement ring! 

Yup, after four years, looks like the boyf and I will be making it official... ;) And I must say that - despite the romance and element of surprise that so many girls dream of - I couldn't be happier putting the proverbial cart before the horse and having been given the opportunity to design my ring.

And so, with no further ado, herewith a sneak preview of The Ring...

The Inspiration:

I wanted to stay away from the traditional white diamond and nothing could be more 'me' than a soft-pink stone set in a halo of smaller white diamonds. Initially I thought that Pink Sapphire would be the perfect stone, but upon research I found that very pale pink sapphires are very rare... So in stepped Morganite! My jewellery designed happened to have the perfect pink piece of Morganite in their showroom, and as my eyes clapped onto it, I knew that this stone was THE ONE!

* Text Insert from Here.

How appropriate!

Morganite:

Belongs to the Beryl family of stones (the little sister to her big brothers, Emerald and Aquamarine).

Morganite (Pink Beryl) gemstone meaning

Morganite is the stone of Divine Love. This delicate yet powerful stone opens one to the frequency of the universal heart.

Morganite attracts love and maintains it.

Morganite promotes abundance of the heart and prosperity of love.

It assists in connecting with Divine Love and angelic energies:

• Helps to release unhealthy emotional patterns
• Aids in developing trust
• Brings a sense of joy and inner strength

Healing properties of Morganite

Morganite is used by healers to counter stress and stress-related illness. Asthma, heart problems, impotence, lung difficulties.

* Text Insert from Here. How appropriate!

My little piece of Morganite Heaven ;)

The Instructions...

Here are some pages from the presentation I made for the jeweller....

The Final Sketch:

Just received these on Friday from the jeweller... Have approved them, now we wait for the 3D CAD drawing and from there it goes to the workshop for the goldsmith to handcraft...

So exciting! I cannot wait... Shall post any new developments :)

Xxx
Leighla

Something Pretty for this Grey Tuesday

It's a grey and gloomy day in Cape Town today and these pretty pics of little splashes of colour in otherwise neutral environments are perfect to brighten up this day!

Love the teal footstool - perfect splash of colour in this white room! Pic sourced here.

Love this idea of the wallpaper lining the back of this display cupboard.

So girly, so cute!

Classic, glam and gorgeous

The above pics found here.

Just adore this daybed - again note the books on the table!

Happy day-dreaming!

Some old-world glamour...

A friend of mine recently introduced me to one of his friend's websites - De La Torre Design Studio. They met while skiing in France last year and his work is so beautiful, rich and opulent that I can't help but feature some of my favourites today.

I've fallen in love with this Chelsea townhouse in New York! There's Ralph Lauren brown velvet on the walls, the dressers are vintage Parzinger and I just adore the Verner Panton light. Have a look at some more of Tommi Parzinger's work here. Would love to get my paws on some of those storage pieces, trunks and dressers...

Just love this apartment. The curtains are trimmed with sari material - what a novel idea! Makes me think of the Oriental Plaza in Durban - it used to be such an extraordinary shopping experience! Haven't been there since high school, I wonder if it's still around?  Probably bigger and better than ever:)

The next property that he's had the honour of working on is this historic house on an old estate in Tuxedo, New York.

The feel of this room is so airy, bright and beautiful! What I like most about De La Torre's work is that each piece he has put together feels like it was collected at some stage of a journey. So often when people hire in designers and decorators the soft furnishings end up feeling so 'forced' - you can literally see that they were all bought together over the course of 1 or 2 shopping trips. De La Torre really manages to make every piece feel like it's wrapped in sentiment, nostalgia and history. Am really fond of the vintage trunk in the far corner and the legs of the coffee table.

The cellar in the home has a flagstone floor, a ceiling made from cork and the wooden ladder is an antique picked up in a Parisian market! You can further explore De La Torre's work on his site: De La Torre Design.

While I'm traipsing about in the realm of Old-World grandeur, here's a bit more inspiration...

 

How fabulous are these extra-length curtains? I tried to achieve a similar feel in my bedroom with thick, white drapery, but it just didn't exude the same glamour as this raw-silk-type fabric.

Again these extra-long curtains and the luxurious fabrics and furs in this room are just delicious!

I'm going through a honey-bear-faux-fur-throw phase - I have been every since the very first I laid eyes on them at Cavendish years ago. The time has come that I get one already!!!

Of course we all do love quirky and cute, with loads of personality in every frill and flounce, but there's just so much to be said about traditional glamour, old-money, rich & luxurious colour palettes, Parisian apartments with solid, chunky heirlooms and holiday homes in the Hamptons.... Oh man, a girl can dream! :)

Take a peak at {this is glamorous} for more pics along these lines and so much more inspiration!

*Sigh* There's just so much beauty out there...

Happy seeking!