Kitchen Tea - Alice-Style!

I suppose I'm officially at that age: people all around me seem to be getting married, having kids, etc etc etc. *yawn* (not really, I'm secretly very envious!)

A friend of mine is planning a bridal shower/kitchen tea for one of her school friends and I thought it might be a fun little project to help her with, given the amount of free time I currently have (and also fuelled by some bitchiness from a fellow bridesmaid towards her - I'm rather protective of my friends!) 

So I drew up some mood boards with images I found on Pinterest and thought these slides were just too cute not to share on my blog... Who knows, maybe one day I might become an event planner! Or better yet, find an excuse to throw elaborate, OTT parties at least once a month;) 

I just hope my friends will be putting this much effort in for my kitchen tea when the time rolls around... *hint hint M & J* :D

Xxx

Bohemian Garden Delight

In Appreciation of Spring...

I had the pleasure of snapping some pics of a friend-of-a-friend's beautiful garden and courtyard outside her apartment in Tamboerskloof, Cape Town.

It's so quirky...

and rustic...

and bohemian...

This garden is just outside of a ground floor apartment and I am totally crazy about it! I just love the use of metals in the garden and the slightly unkempt look of the plants. Even the rust just works! And what a creative idea putting that window frame against the wall!!

Lovely succulents!

And of course, succulents! From a plant-type that I really didn't like, succulents have totally grown on me this past year. Especially after I realised they're almost indestructible! ;) My kinda plant!

Just love the ivy on the walls!

Just love this shower area. So cute, so private, so lovely!

Inspired, inspired, inspired! Yay! Welcome back Spring! I missed you... :)

Xxx
Belle
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Terrarium Affairium

I'm having a love affair with plants grown in water in glass containers - from terrariums to a simple fern floating lose in a vase of water, as I came across yesterday. There's something so pure and pretty about it, isn't there?

Love the idea of using moss in a small glass container and then adding a tiny, adorable element to bring it to life: like these:

Too cute for words!!!

So terrariums are apparently pretty easy to make and manage? I think I might just try out my own... I have a number of empty glass containers that would be ideal just for this.

Below is a list of good plants to use in a terrariums:

Acorus
African Violets
Creeping Fig
Moss
Maidenhair Spleenwort
Needlepoint Ivy
Oxalis
Peperomia
Prayer Plant
Peacock Moss (Selaginella uncinata)

Reindeer Moss

New Zealand brass buttons

Sphagnum or Spanish moss

Time to get those green fingers creating!

 

 

An Inspired Monday

What an inspiring day I've had! I've basically spent the entire day on exploring this blogging world - seeing what else is out there, getting ideas, being inspired, laughing, hatching plans... It's been quite an adventure! I literally feel like I could work through the night - making furniture, painting walls, re-organising displays, etc etc etc... If only!

Here's a quick look at some of the more inspiring blogs and sites that I've stumbled upon today...

The incredibly pretty world of Eat Drink Chic - Amy Moss offers some beautiful ideas and free templates for gift tags, thank-you's, novelties, styling and decor... this is definitely going to be an indispensable resource for every birthday, holiday and special occasion.

Fantastic online inspiration directory, although for the UK market, House to Home is a must as a look-book, for creative ideas and a great place to get bitten by the decorating bug... The names says it all!

For some unusual and extraordinary ideas for events and weddings, The Sweetest Occasion offers a myriad of novel, fun and unusual material to inspire even the most left-of-centre events - from birthday brunches to kids' parties to weddings with a difference.

One of the most comprehensive and more established sites is Decor8, a wealth of inspiration and an absolutely gorgeous site to trawl through. In the process of launching her new book, Decorate, Ann Kelle is without a doubt someone to keep an eye on in this world of interiors, design and decor.

So yes, I have been quite lazy today - what with spending the day surfing and looking and exploring my new world from the couch. But all in good time... Besides, I'm more inspired now than I've been in a long time!

Xxx