Take Your Bed Outside!

Photo by: Fiona Galbraith

before you head out for the long weekend my friends of the North, check out my post for JB Est 1979 and see more of this beautiful outdoor bed project, HERE. Happy Long Weekend; wish I was there!!!

Face The Foliage X Moda Operandi.

my homegirl Justina Blakeney has been featured on Vogue.com this morning with her #facethefoliage series collaboration with Moda Operandi. she's always doing little things, big things, beautiful things, but this is h u g e! i consider her a mentor in a way and it has been so wonderful to observe her journey and growth and success- hooray! without having to make a conscious effort, she has encouraged me to push my own creativity and grow my brand (I'm sure I'm not the only person who feels this way). she has been so generous towards me, today I am very glad to share her with you!

seasonal floral crowns.

Photography: Fiona Galbraith All crowns made by: Nicole Valentine Don

four seasons have come and gone since I started my floral crown series; I thought it would be fun to look back at some of my favourites. the top 3 images are winter, then 2 for each season thereafter (even though we technically did more). which one is your favourite?  i think mine are still the cherry blossom antlers, but they wouldn't fit in the grid!  

#lineinthestone

i have been having the best time, getting creative with my most favourite souvenirs from the South of France. i still need to share my photos of my time in that part of the world with you, but for now, i thought i would share with you this little project i have been doing on instagram. it combines some of my favourite things; creative thinking with simple found objects from travels that don't cost anything, but are actually priceless. these objects to me, hold an innate wealth because of what they represent and the memories they evoke. on top of that, i love pushing myself to find new shapes for these pretty critters to make- it rocks ;)  i like it so much, i started a hashtag for the series: #lineinthestone. follow along!

holiday in your own backyard!

today is my first day off in two weeks, so i thought i'd take some time to take my time...if you know what i mean. first, i put on an outfit that i didn't have to consider whether it was comfortable or sensible to 'work' in the whole day- i love that. we went out for breakfast and then went for a walk along the coast on this unseasonably warm winter's day in Sydney. it was so fun to explore my own backyard (that's how i refer to the beach, because it technically is!). i really felt like i was on a holiday, seeing the beauty in my surroundings as if for the first time. what a refreshing approach to the day!

Found.

All photos: Nat Geo Found

STOP what you're doing and listen up! National Geographic have a MUST SEE tumblr full of archived images that i only just discovered today. set yourself aside some serious time to take in this magic- wow.wow.wow. 

put a crown on it. 14.

Photography: Fiona Galbraith  Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

this is the final crown in the seasonal floral crown series as winter has gone and come again to the Southern hemisphere. i chose a bird's nest for autumn and have just realised that this is the first crown i have not actually made myself (a little bird did). lack of planning on my part or perhaps i am naturally evolving into a new conceptual crown series? this beauty just happens to be one of my absolute favourites of the year-long series. please let me know in the comments which is yours - i would LOVE to know! thank you all for following along xo

put a crown on it. 13.

Photography: Fiona Galbraith  Crown & Styling: Nicole Valentine Don

it is autumn in the southern hemisphere and i made this maple crown to round out the seasonal floral crown series. photographer Fiona Galbraith spent a very rainy Sydney afternoon with me and helped capture that little bit of magic that you can feel in the crisp fall air.

le french freak out.

ici

bonjour tout le monde! i am going un petit peu crazy trying to plan our trip to Europe next week (eep!). basically, i want an authentic city by city or region by region experience via hotels or airbnb every place i visit- is that too much to ask? i feel that if you go to Paris for instance, you should stay in a place that has a spiral staircase or an old wooden & iron gated lift, gorgeous chevron hardwood floors and a big, old, skeleton key to get in: like this dream Parisian apartment. likewise, if you were to stay by the beach in Sydney, you should get an array of colourful beach towels at your disposal, a hills hoist out the back and maybe a pair of complimentary 'thongs' (flip flops) for your stay. it's a mystery to me that most hotels are still so bland and run of the mill.

i have been desperate to find a lovely lavender filled place of perfection somewhere in Provence and stumbled upon this incredible place: D'une Ile. unfortunately it is in Normandy, so will have to wait for another time, but the owner was helpful enough to put me onto this incredible website, which i am now subscribed to and outright obsessed with. you choose which region in France you wish to stay in and what type of experience you are after, i.e. cuisine, tradition & crafts, wine, etc. i could not be happier; everything is coming up lavender!

for goodness' sakura!

this is now the third year in a row that i have enjoyed cherry blossom (sakura) season in japan via instagram and it is so beautiful, it kind of hurts. this time of year is always bittersweet, because as much as i am in total awe of the spectacular blooms i see vicariously through others' lenses, i wish to be in tokyo so badly. i'm a firm believer in 'if you want something, you should be doing it' (though i know too well, this is often easier said than done)…yet, another end of march has passed and i did not spend it in japan. i vow right now that this time next year (unless there is some unforeseen circumstance, like i am giving birth or something…?!) i WILL be in tokyo for a sakura spring. yes!

all images via here

the making of my dream home: outside.

next, to add some important outdoor features to my pinterest dream home. this place would need plenty of outdoor plants, a rooftop garden depending on where it is, outdoor lounging and dining area for al fresco dinners, a fire pit, definitely an outdoor shower and bath and maybe a pool. ooh, so dreamy.