BACK IN BLACK- CROSSING ALL BORDERS

My love affair with all black & white has been fueled even more with this GAP commercial for skinny pants featuring the divine and quirky Audrey Hepburn.  It shows how easily black crosses over from retro to classy to dirty rock'n'roll with out a blink of the eye.

10 THINGS THAT MAKE A BEAUTIFUL HOME

We all love flicking through the glossy pages of magazines and peering into celebrity homes, but to often it is followed with a sigh of 'oh but I could never have that'.
You may not have their home, location or budget and you are constantly aspiring to the home of your dreams, but the essence of creating a home is universal. 
As an Interior Designer I get the opportunity of creating beautiful homes and work with incredible budgets but in the end we are all after the same thing.

1. Shelter - the basics are covered by a roof and walls. Due to poverty, disasters (as we have seen all to often recently with the natural disasters that have hit Far North Queensland, New Zealand and Japan just recently).  Our shelter is a basic necessity and a home provides this.  Size really doesn't matter. Everyone needs a place to call home.

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2. Happiness - if you can walk in your door and have a smile on your face at what you see, then you have a happy home.  Stop wishing and wanting what you don't have, and look at what you DO have and what you can do to make it look and feel better.

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3. Family & friends - A home is a place that is filled with laughter and it has an environment that puts everyone at ease.  A place people want to be.

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4. Food - cafes and restaurants are a wonderful treat but home cooked food feeds the soul.

5. Sanity - Having peace of mind that everything has a place means you aren't scattered all over place. Order creates time for you to do more things instead of wasting your time looking for that lost bill (found one this weekend!), the car keys and falling over all the toys in the house. 
Being organized DOES give you sanity (and sometimes you find cash : another true story!).

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6. Security - displacement is very real and if you have a place you feel you belong to then you know you are wanted and will feel secure about you and how people respond to you.

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7. Nature - our plants are what feed the earth and feed us as people.  There is something about the connection with the earth that brings peace & serenity.  Even if you only have a courtyard, growing herbs in a pot is enough to give you a healthy link with Mother Earth.

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8. Pets - Someone to care for and give back love can add years to your life.  Having a pet means responsibility, but that makes us better people in the long run. For a long time pets have been used for therapy in nursing homes, injured able and brain affected people.  The feeling of having a pet in your life creates a very different love that we have with humans.

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9. Freedom - A home is a place to express who you are and how you want to be without being judged by the world.  You may get judged and laughed at by your immediate family but hey, isn't that what family is for?

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10. Love - after all, love makes the world go round and if you have a home filled with love you really 'have it all'

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What do you think are the elements that make a home? You could agree with one of the above (or even disagree) or you may want to share one of the top things that makes your house I home.  I would love to hear from you.
Shaynna

A TURTLE, A MOPED & AN IGLOO IN SOUTH YARRA

The other day I was trying to get a park in this busy, narrow st in Sth Yarra.  I go there often to do voice overs and usually get a park right out the front of the studio.  But this day I did the circuit at least 3 times and then had to park a 15 minute walk away.
Melbourne is full of lanes and interesting streets and you get so used to them you forget to take notice.  I whizz past this cafe often so it was nice and refreshing to slow down  and take a closer look.  The street is dull, the cafe is opposite a train station and wedged between office and apartments but that hasnt stopped it putting out a little personality.

I love the cycle parking spaces

Turtles creeping up the polls - to reach the strange light maybe?

The place is so casual that no one had any idea why this inflatable  igloo was right next to it.

PS A week later I walked by (without my camera, damn!) and it was a pop up shoe store! Brilliant.  Hope it is there next week when I walk by!

SELLING HOUSES EXTREME-Port Douglas - SHIRTLESS & THANK-YOU!

Well, I started a little frenzy saying my hubby will be in the background tonight - 'shirtless'!!!!  With his permission - here he is.  Now this is a tale to all of you out there to wear sunscreen or you might end up with a runway on your back too.  The funny thing was he took his shirt off, wrapped it around his head to protect him from the sun (that stripe is where the T-Shirt dangled)  but didnt think what it would do to his back!!
If you want to see all the before and after pics of this ep go to the link at The LifeStyle Channel

On another note, I do have to thank a few people up in Port Douglas.  (If you want to know all the suppliers of the show, go to the link earlier) Of course the owners and their family were fantastic and worked so hard the whole time and their daughter organised for us to do a trip with HABADIVE snorkeling tour after the make-over. 
This was so greatly appreciated as every single person, except a certain some-one who was working on his tan (cough cough Andrew Winter ), worked to exhaustion on this makeover.  As most of us were from Sydney and Melbourne we couldn't believe the humidity  and how it depleted you.  We had planned some nice dinner evenings after the make-overs but after sometimes 12hr days, no-one could bare having to socalize.  

Then there is Phil and the team at Century21 in Port Douglas, they were the most accommodating group of people and I have been tweeting with them ever since (@portdouglas21 )
I also have to say a big big thanks to Tom from Oceanic Art Gallery who allowed me to borrow the most amazing and precious aboriginal art to create a truly amazing makeover for this episode.

Port Douglas Beach

The community in Port Douglas we totally behind us the whole time we were there and cannot speak highly of them all.
The tourist industry was already suffering up North from the GFC but with the news of floods and cyclones people think that they should stay away.  Well I can tell you it is just as beautiful now as always and was very lucky to miss most of the brunt of the the cyclone.
So if you are thinking of taking a holiday PLEASE go to Port Douglas and enjoy the beauty that it has!

I would love to hear of your experiences of Far North Queensland  and if you plan to go what you would like to see.  The list of bars, restaurants, day trips is huge so I wont bore yo with them - share here so everyone can see the great places to go.

Thank you everyone!!!

Here are a couple of behind the scene shots as well

Left - Me, Jeremy or 'The Human Ladder' (researcher) & the lovely Di (my assistant)

 

The owners sealed the doors 'before' they moved out the furniture. This is the producer, sound man and the camer man on the other side catching the couch.

The crew taking a welcome break from the heat!

THE WORLDS GREATEST SHAVE

Good things do come out of bad.  Yesterday my nephew shaved his head for The Worlds Greatest Shave in support of his Step Mother who is  going through treatment for breast cancer.  This foundation supports Leukemia Foundation but it is also a symbolic way to help support anybody going through an illness.
As a 13 yr old he knew he couldn't do anything medically to help her but by shaving his head, at least he had a way of showing her he cared by raising money for research and support.

  Even more remarkable, he picked his 14th birthday to mark the occasion.  His Mum and Step Dad went into overdrive to work out how they could help get the most attention and raise as much money as possible in their support.  Their local McDonalds, at Chelsea heights agreed to let them put a Marquee from Nunawading Tri Club in the carpark, put flyers in their take-away bags (printed for free by expo print ) and also offered 20% of sales while we were there.

Having a family business in signage, Scotchline Signs, saw a huge banner placed at the front of McDonalds, we held small signs and walked inside and asked people if they wanted to spray their hair or shave their heads to get in the spirit of things.  Hair colour was the most popular option!

But there were a few brave ones - one of his friends, my husband and two to the young staff (above) even braved the clippers all in the name of cancer support.


The hairdresser Jen from 'All Ways Ahead' donated her time and pitched in with money.
His Dad, a fire man, was called away to a job but was back just in time to do the first shave and then the immediate family took turns in helping shave his head.  This was such a beautiful touch as it showed everyone was there to support him (maybe there was a little joy in that part!)

 Pics above of Dad, Mum, Nanna and the 'Paparazzi' of family friends.

Even with an unusually slow Friday night at McDonalds (due to Friday Night AFL grand final & the beginning of a long weekend) my nephew was still able to raise  $1405.00   all up!!!

If anyone gets disillusioned with the youth of the day, just have a think of this story and know there are kids out there with big hearts!

 His goal was to reach $1,000 so surpassed his goal!!!  If you would like to donate to the foundation here is the link!

HOUSE AND GARDEN LOVED MY DOG!

It's not everyday you get featured in a national magazine at home so I was pretty nervous having a magazine company coming into my home. For one, you can only imagine the houses they see and two, the country seeing where I live!!
Here you see my love for Black and white in the paintings, walls, rug and furniture and my clothes. But who got the most votes on the day? Our gorgeous dog Coco.
Coco sat on the sidelines patiently as they set up and just before the first frame she 'slunk' into the picture!
She completed the picture because she is black and white but what I love is it shows I live in a home!

DECORATING YOUR BEDROOM WITH BUDGET IDEAS

You don't have to go overboard in look and price to get a good looking Bedroom. Have a look at these two simple tips to decorate a bedroom with colour and accessories.  These tips are simple but will really add value to your room.  Would love to hear from you for any budget tips you have come across when decorating your bedroom!.