From Heels to Eternity

Hello world!

Sorry it's taken me a little while to upload the necessary sequel post.

It's been a mad week, with the onset of a new school term, little Rose's impending Birthday and my ongoing battle with the arctic like temperatures of 'sunny' Canberra.

Continuing with the aesthetical (I'm not sure if that's not a word but stay with me) theme from my last post, this week I want to share my obsession, or lack thereof, with high heel shoes. You see I come from a tribe of high heel wearers.

My mother and sister have always worn high heels and have a collection to rival Imelda Marcos. Well certainly one to make her proud.


A selection of Mother and Sister Rose's favourite heels
Even little Rose rocked her first pair when she was 2 years old. And before you start getting lurid visions of American style baby beauty queens, no I did not let her out of the house, and yes they were the plastic kind from Big W. So given my bloodline you'd expect I'd be cut from the same cloth right? WRONG.

For reasons probably only known to Freudian therapists, I have never understood womens affinity with high heels. Maybe it's the whole woman/child thing (as in I still don't feel 'grown up' enough to wear high heels) but something about the whole exercise screams "woman torture".

I mean really, fancy walking around in a contraption that places your feet at a 90 degree angle and causes ghastly blemishes like bunions and blisters. Well fancy you do it seems.

Anecdotal evidence (meaning a quick whip around the family and the office) indicates I am clearly in the minority. Most women I know, including said mother and sister adore high heels. As my by-line says I am a lover of fashion and can certainly understand the pleasing aesthetic of a high heel. Just don't try to get my foot into one.

In fact, I am so much of an outsider in my family that once I actually lied to my mother about what shoes I was wearing to an engagement party. I walked out of the house seemingly wearing my beautiful cream Molliny pumps (which I've worn a total of three times in the last four years), but as soon as I got in the car, I promptly threw them in the back and changed into (in my view) my far superior and much more comfortable Witchery flats.

So while the rest of the ladies at the party trotted along in their elongated heels and waited for the inevitable pain that comes with combining heels, dancing and drinking, I boogied the night away, a foot shorter than everyone else but happy knowing I'd be 'foot loose and pain free' the next day.
 
So over to you, are you a high heels kinda girl/ or do you infinitely prefer the comfort of flats?

And for you blokes out there (I highly doubt there any blokes reading my posts you never know) do you prefer your ladies in heels or flats or do ya just want us to stop asking whether our bum looks big and get back to playing Angry Birds?

 

I may not covet high heels but scarves are another matter entirely.... 

Couture and Culinary update

Lovely handmade earrings (present from Miss E)

Delicious cupcake from Cherry Seed, Gold Creek Village

Putting the 'heart in my home'

Hello world!

So this is it, my very first entry (figuratively and literally) into the blogosphere!

I hope for those of you kind enough to read this, that my blog provides not only an insight into the inner workings of my brain (which to be honest can be slightly chaotic and mad!) but also a place where you can be inspired, entertained and "informed" (I use inverted commas because I guarantee there will be no fact checking). In return, I hope you join  the conversation and provide me with your words of wisdom (or tips of how to fold a fitted sheet, seriously how are you meant to fold fabric with elasticised/rounded corners?). 

Warning: the following entry contains a disproportionate amount of inverted commas.

So I have been living in my "new" house for almost two years, it's the first piece of real estate I have ever owned(rather the bank owns it in my name until I can pay it off, which by the way things are going should be in the next millenium) and I love it.

It's basically a shoe box in the middle of nowhere with features including, but not limited to, a dirt track masquerading as a backyard, three modest sized bedrooms, a combined lounge/dining/family room/study and a disproportionately large kitchen.

While it may not be a quaint terrace house in Potts Point or a villa in Tuscany, it is mine and it had allowed me to indulge in my love of interior design. Maybe it's a sign of maturity or (madness!) but these days I would much rather hunt through garage sales, antiques dealers or even IKEA than hit the clubs.

Design inspirations

That's not to say I've ever been much of a 'hitting the clubs' kinda gal. Rather, the only hitting I've been doing for the last six years (since the birth of my child) has been on the pillow, searching for that miracle of all miracles...uninterrupted sleep. Oh when will you serenade me again with your sweet sweet sounds of unabashed snoring...

So anyway, before I completely digress, I have slowly been adding decorating touches to my house to make it feel like my 'home'. As they say 'home is where the heart is' right?

When I first got married and started a family it was all about practicality, and for those who know me, practicality and I were never best friends. So we were looking for furniture that was 'washable' and 'durable' and 'stain removable' and well... down right depressing. Don't get me wrong, I tried to make it work by buying big sturdy furniture in dark earthy tones. I thought I could manage being practical/sensible while pleasing my aesthetic loving heart, however it just wasn't...me.

Anyway I've always been a bit of a 'Francophile' and loved the thought of mixing

french provincial furniture with contemporary pieces in creamy soft hues. Fortunately for me, my husband, who has always had a creative eye, decided to join me on my quest for decorating salvation and did not object to clearing out our entire house and starting from scratch.

A snapshot of the current living room

 Lovely hand made tea pot (purchased last weekend)

 Vintage cabinet (displaying above tea pot)

 

Along this journey there have been many ups and plenty of downs (like the time we broke our newly bought sofa while driving out of the store car park- who puts beams low enough to hit furniture on the back of a ute anyway?) but it's been worth every penny . Since my home is a work is progress, any tips on decorating suppliers/retailers/inspiration is most welcome. My friend, Miss E, recommended the following website http://www.etsy.com/. It has a fantastic array of handmade and vintage items.I'm hoping to pick up a few goodies come 'Happy Pay Day'. Until next time...Rose.