put a crown on it. 12.

you can't look past the daisy when thinking of summer floral crowns…and neither could i! to re-invent this sunny day staple, instead of a simple crown, i made it into a hat (well, that's what i'm calling it). i used the most picture perfect, crisp, tall, white daisies you have ever seen from garlands in sydney. my bangs were getting quite long around this time, so i parted them down the middle (which i never ever do) for a very 60's flower child do. the dress and sunnies give it a bit of a 90's spin for a fun little drew barrymore inspired moment, maybe? needless to say, i am very happy with how this headpiece turned out for the floral crown series and i love the blue skies that went with it. do you have a favourite yet?

Photography: Fiona Galbraith Crown & Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

stumbled upon: lyndie dourthe.

sometimes, the internet can be a brilliant waste of time, but occasionally it introduces you to something wonderful that you never knew existed. i stumbled upon the work of french artist Lyndie Dourthe yesterday and discovered a treasure trove of magically surreal objects. i am obsessed with surrealism at the moment and her work has tickled this fancy. what do you think?

ici

paper mag.

i'll admit to sometimes being the person that goes to the shop to flick through all the magazines of interest without buying a single one. oh, and that is definitely my favourite pastime when waiting in line at the grocery store (right?!). i've collected so many mags over the years that sometimes the piles start filling too much space in my small place; i end up holding onto them for way too long, making a few collages in the odd inspiring moment, then recycling the lot. that being said, the humble magazine is having a resurgence in my heart; i've currently got my sights set on these good lookers:
*who can help but be intrigued by kate moss' playboy debut to celebrate her 40th birthday? seriously.

be my valentine.

even though i don't want or 'need' anything (christmas was just the other day for goodness' sake), these three items have hit my love radar; they would make for the perfect valentine's day gifts.

alilamu bag and bedspread made from recycled boat sails, lovely story of here:

clare vivier sweetheart clutch in a variety of colours with different french sayings, je t'aime. bisous x

weekend project.

it was the cutest little man in town's 1st birthday celebration yesterday. i had a wave of inspiration and made him this little hanging leaf. happy birthday Tucky!

little nicki's treasures.

there are two new beautiful items up in the shop! a pair of vintage 1970's Peruvian wall hangings in soft, muted tones. check them out here.

here

put a crown on it. 11.

the sunshiney season is well and truly pouring in down under, so what better time to introduce the next creation in the floral crown series (it has been awhile). i thought i would start with the marigold (french and african varieties by name, but both mexican in origin, who knew?) - a humble flower that seems to fly under the radar. there is nothing quite like the punchiness of their unique orangey, golden hue; the buds shone right through the summer haze, just like i was hoping they would (yay!). *side note: i reallllly wanted to make something with marigolds last november for day of the dead, but you would not believe how difficult they are to come by in Sydney. this crown was actually made up of about 10 different plants, all of which all now potted and thriving in the yard (…except for maybe one, ahem…), but seriously, there is no such thing as a bunch of marigolds in this crazy town. on my search i learned that the Spanish word for marigold is Caléndula and the Aztec word is Cempasúchil or they are simply referred to as Flor de Muertos- Flower of the Dead.

et voilà:

Photography: Fiona Galbraith Crown & Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

WAR IS OVER if you want it.

if you're in Sydney, the Yoko Ono exhibition at the MCA is not to be missed. i loved learning about Yoko (she must be one of the only artists you can refer to by their first name…or at least i do?!) and the fluxus movement in university. this interactive art experience did not disappoint; my mind has been tick, tick, ticking ever since. my favourites were 'Cut Piece' 1965 & 2003 films that were looping simultaneously on two white walls, 'Mend Piece' that encourages visitors to put together broken objects with heartbreakingly beautiful results,  and 'We're all Water'; an endless row of glass bottles full of water, labelled with the names of passed historical figures struck a surprisingly sensitive chord with me.  i also loved the emotive memory wall 'My Mommy is Beautiful', which i happily added to. can you see which one is mine?

*i also bought a cheeky little something in the gift shop…can't wait to share!

mi 'casa' es su 'casa'.

after this item featured in Inside Out magazine, the orders have been coming in for custom made ones. here is one i finished today that is heading off to a wall in beautiful melbourne.

little nicki - shop

pretty picture of the day.

this is my favourite shot from home.

follow me: @little_nicki_

monday blues.

i'm back to work this morning after my beautiful holiday back home. since i've been back (less than a week), i have started back at screen acting classes, made my aussie stage debut for one night only (so fun!), gone to flickerfest - bondi's international short film festival- and most, importantly, i have been doing a lot of culling and organising around the house. once you start with one cupboard, you can't stop! since yesterday, i have however been very sick. totally run down, which was bound to happen with all the travel, lack of sleep and 60 degree difference in temperatures!

so, as much as i am excited for this new work week (and new year)…a little part of me wishes i was still in that pure white snowy wonderland with my family and not a care in the world.

happy days y'all!

walking in a winter wonderland.

my trip home, at a glance: