| Valentines Inspiration |
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After agreeing to swap valentines cards with the wonderful Mermaid from P!NK I realised how close valentines day really is! This means lots of love hearts & the colour pink - which isn’t exactly everyone’s idea of a turn on. Valentines day means different things to different people. Find a way to celebrate (or not celebrate) in your own style. Here are some of my favourite valentines day gift ideas form Etsy. Some are cute & some are dirty. Some are sweet & some are smutty. Spread the love your way! Enjoy!
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1. Penguins! I like the simple & graphic black white & red on this card. It gets the message across without flowery words.
2. Heart shaped pasties. These are pretty awesome. Especially when paired with the ruby red eye patch! Rrrawr!
3. Kissing coupons. No more waiting in line to buy tickets!
4. Love potion pendant. Slung on a sterling silver chain, this is perfect for your chemistry class crush.
5. Framed Felt. Speedwagon! & Narwhals in love! Awesome!
6. Valentines day card. The message inside this card gets straight to the point!
7. Heart plushie. Anatomy & felt, a match made in heaven? Give them your heart. Really!
8. Zombie love letter T-shirt. Awe!
9. Embroidered handkerchief. Handkerchiefs are awesome & so are hedghogs!
10. Buttons. These buttons were made for each other. So were you & I.
11. Framed Print. A lovely gift for your Nintendo lovin’ luvah.
12. Felt candy hearts! Give them to your friends! Give them to strangers on the bus! Give them to that cutie who works at the post office!
13. Badge. “I’d rather be smooching my nerdy boyfriend.” Yes. Yes I would!
This post was written by Bella (contact) on January 28th, 2009 at and was filed under Fun, Inspiration and tagged with the words . It contains .
| Threads From the Web | Monday 19th January 2009 |
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Image by Farruska.
- Amazing photos inspired by events leading up to the French revolution.
- Check out the flow chart for heavy metal band names. I just love that the whole thing is an inverted pentagram! Oh, & that it’s a flow chart! \m/
- Dita Von Teese for Express Style is the ultimate feme fatal: dark, lux & beautiful.
- Jenifer 8. Lee & Cara Buckley of the New York Times explore the darker underside of DIY abortion. The stories these ladies have to tell are heart rending.
- Christmas cards that are perfect for use during a recession. My personal favourite is the “Selling the kids Christmas card.” Yours?
- Yulia Brodskaya creates some drop dead gorgeous paper art. Totally amazing!
- Hold your breath every time you use Google & you just might save the planet!
- I’ve always found the scent of coriander (cilantro) repulsive. Now I know why.
- Dark Roasted Blend explores some alluringly creepy abandoned theme parks. Very Spirited Away.
- How awesome is Blake Lively?!
- Only die-hard culinary explorers will be willing to try a taste of snail caviar. Personally, I’m a bit of a wuss.
- Tina Su uses a circle as the perfect metaphor for the ideal lifestyle & gives a few tips for “designing” the life you want. My circle could be a little smoother, how about yours?
- Smash Magazine predicts the top web design trends for 2009. Will Bella’s Threads follow suit? Stay tuned to find out!
- I am totally considering Eye-fi. “Upload photos automatically from your digital camera to your computer,” no cables or anything. How awesome is that?!
- Amelia Arsenic rocks that big red bow!
- How to make your own snow globe! I always found snow globes fascinating as a child. Who didn’t? Now you can make your own!
- Thursday Bram makes it easy for you - 50 Businesses You Can Start In Your Spare Time!
- Someone finally said it “Vogue is getting a bit stale.” What does this mean for the magazine’s future?
- These final threads are full of awesome video content. This is perhaps the most hilarious condom ad I have ever seen.
- 4th Estate creates the most adorable video for bibliophiles like myself. A world made of books. How absolutely lovely!
- Let my Grandfather read you a bedtime story - he’s really very good at it!
This post was written by Bella (contact) on January 19th, 2009 at and was filed under Fun, Threads from the Web and tagged with the words . It contains .
| Threads from the Web | 2nd December 2008 |
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1. The silver threads of my tasbih, 2. The Rope, 3. Web and drops, 4. strings
- No Impact Man (always a pleasure!) shares a story from the Talmud that prompted me to think about our interconnection & taking responsibility.
- Also via No Impact Man is this New York Times piece by Al Gore which make for some interesting reading.
- This photo set is awesome. ‘Nuff said.
- Would you like to snack on a candied scorpion? Sprinkle some pearl dust onto your ice-cream? How about a champagne-flavoured lollipop embellished with flakes of gold? These & more can be found at Edible. Definitely not for the feint of heart!
- I recently found Tina Su’s blog Think Simple Now & I think its awesome! Her article Dealing with Difficult People is definitely worth a look.
- Sleeveface always manages to give me a bit of chuckle. Described as “one or more persons obscuring or augmenting any part of their body or bodies with record sleeve(s) causing an illusion” you can’t say no, & now they have a book!
- ideeli gives away free stuff!
- Sonja asks; did you unwillingly support the wrong candidate in the American election this year?
- I’ve been rethinking my approach to fitness lately. Anti-gravity yoga looks fun doesn’t it?!
- Also from Elastic Waist is this Holiday Survival Kit! Hilarity abounds!
- I wish I had a home like this!
- If you need some consoling after a break up, why not try the R.I.P scented candle from Greece is for Lovers? It promises instant redemption & pleasant scents to burn away your blues. It is of course, too good to be true, but why not give it go?
This post was written by Bella (contact) on December 2nd, 2008 at and was filed under Fun, Inspiration, Threads from the Web and tagged with the words . It contains .
| Tasty Tequila Temptations |
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Last night my beau & I went to a Herradura Tequila Mixology Master-class held by a local chain of boutique liquor stores. I was terribly excited & a little bit nervous, as I’ve always heard nasty things about drinking tequila. My experiences in the past have been the usual lip, sip & suck kind so I was interested in learning more about tequila, its origin & how to serve it. Plus, we were promised food & drink!
A friendly & experienced bar tender by the name of Shay led the presentation & told us all about Herradura tequila, where it is from & how it is made. He also told us what to look for on the label of the bottle when buying tequila & the differences in taste & quality between brands. We tried three types of tequila, Herradura Anejo, Herradura Reposado & Herradura Silver. My favourite is the Silver! At the end of the night we were given a little bottle of el Jimador tequila to take home with us as well. Awesome! We also tasted a new cocktail, created by Shay. It is a variation of The Bramble, which was created by Dick Brandsell in the eighties. The original bramble is made with Gin, lemon, sugar & double crème de mure garnished with berries. I hope he doesn’t mind me sharing the recipe!
Photo by nerdling
Shay’s Herradura Bramble
- 45ml Herradura Silver Tequila
- 20ml fresh lemon juice
- 20ml simple syrup
- dash of Chambord liqueur
Pour the tequila, lemon juice & sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker half filled with ice. Shake Shake Shake! Serve in a glass filled with ice & top with a dash of Chambord. Enjoy responsibly, & hopefully with friends!
In this cocktail the bitter cherry notes found in the Herradura Silver tequila apparently marry very nicely with the modest addition of Chambord. I think its rather tasty & has sparked my new-found appreciation for tequila.
This post was written by Bella (contact) on November 27th, 2008 at and was filed under Fun, How To, Tasty Foodstuffs and tagged with the words . It contains .
| The Country Sportswoman |
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We have had some amazing weather lately. Luckily, where I am there has been no damage. For several days together it’s just been deliciously overcast; a cool break form the hot sticky spring days of a week ago. I went for a walk in the park & the weather reminded me of Britain & the outdoor sports used to pass the time there. So I whipped up three fantasy outfits on Polyvore that are inspired the sporting British gentry. They’re full of goodies & are complete with the necessities; boots, gloves & hats.
Rambling & Birdwatching
Product Information
Pack a luncheon basket with your favourite sandwiches & slip into some tights to keep warm. Add some matching boots & gloves in lilac, both with cute button detailing & finish with a wide brimmed hat (equally handy for rain & sun). Don’t forget to bring a pair of binoculars; handy for spying the local fauna.
Falconry
Product Information
Don your favourite pair of Christian Louboutin boots over velvet trousers & pair with a beautiful silk & cashmere blouse. Owls have been used as hunting birds too, so wear this topaz owl brooch for good luck. Finish the look with a wide leather belt & a pair of feathered earrings.
Horse Riding
Product Information
For a ride through the fields slip into some tailored, yet loosely comfortable trousers & pair with a tartan vest & blouse. A thick knit riding hat & some gloves will keep the cold out. Strap on a pair of cherry red Doc Martens & don’t forget the lucky ribbon & riding crop!
Extra Credit
- Join the Ramblers’ Association!
- Or the Royal Society for Protection of Birds.
- Check out photos from Dita von Teese & Marilyn Manson’s wedding for stylish falconry outfits.
- Visit this neat online gallery of vintage equestrian fashion.
- & lastly, How to Pack a Picnic Basket!
This post was written by Bella (contact) on November 18th, 2008 at and was filed under Fun, Style and tagged with the words . It contains .
| Headphones: Not boring anymore |
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Tired of the ubiquitous (& tediously discreet) little black headphones that came with your walkman/discman/ipod/portable music device? I know I am, & I don’t even have a walkman/discman/ipod/portable music device. Those white wires may have been cool in 2001, but not any more. They’re everywhere, they’re boring & they never match your outfit. Well my friends, I have the solution. Bling. Bling for your headphones. Bling for your head, really. Inspired by Nubby Twiglet’s brief post featuring lime green headphones, I began to scour the internet for aesthetic advances in the magical world of headphones. I was a woman possessed, a woman on a mission. Oh boy & did I find some good ones, some bad ones & surprisingly, some really ugly ones!
1. First up are some pretty neat retrofitted headphones made by Molly Friedrich. Molly whipped up a brass & leather case cover so that her ipod would match her headphones. Sweet!
2. They have more charm than a pocket watch & are about as useful as a paperweight, because this next set of headphones don’t actually work. Still, with all those pretty brass cogs, at least they look nice, right?
3. The lime green headphones! So lime! So musical!
4. These next headphones were made with sculpting clay & a coat-hanger. Inspired by Ruby Gloom, these headphones feature cute little sculls & a frame made of ‘bones’.
5. In the middle sits Irene McGee & her blindingly fucia marabou trimmed headphones. Comes complete with a set of instructions for DIY….if you’re so inclined.
6. They glow! They pulse to your music! Perfect for twelve year old girls on scooters or pastel obsessed individuals.
7. These headphones are so extravagent, they’re somewhat ridiculous. Expect to pay as much as $80,000 USD for these diamond encrusted earphones.
8. More bling than the last set, but not nearly as expensive. These swarovski decorated headphones will only set you back $2500. Also available in pink…what about blue?
9. This last pair was handmade by the same Molly Friedrich from the first image. Here she shows you how to make your own retrofitted headphones.
I’m particularly liking skullcandy’s G.I. headphones in grey. As far as I know they’re not available in Australia. Pitty. Though my search was for a set of headphones so beautiful they would make me cry, I think I would settle for a pair that pumped me music straight from a tree. How about you?
This post was written by Bella (contact) on November 14th, 2008 at and was filed under Fun, Inspiration, Style and tagged with the words . It contains .
| My 21st Birthday Party |
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Apologies for not writing sooner! A combination of an enthusiastic reading schedule & a need for recovery meant that I haven’t really had time to write. Until now that is! I’m back baby! & things are going to be brighter & better than ever! I thought I would share some photos from my 21st birthday party.
The theme was “Casino Royal” which meant I could enjoy two of my favourite things; cocktails & card games! I managed to hire some professional croupiers & card tables from Love2Party, acquire a substantial amount of liqueurs & whip up some delicious vegetarian finger food. The scene was set & all that was needed now were the guests! Revelry ensued! Here are my favourite photos form the evening;
The two winners of the evening; together they won forty-seven thousand dollars! In play money of course….
Well dressed party goers!
My aunts & two of my cousins
Bow ties ahoy!
“wardrobe catastrophe” indeed!
At the poker table
& the roulette table
& the blackjack table!
Handing out cash….as you do!
Fun with chips
In lieu of a birthday cake I had cupcakes & a tea light - awesome!
My Mum & my Dad
Everybody pout!
& the evening ends!
More photos
- The Flickr photo set
- & more at kennethcraig.com
This post was written by Bella (contact) on October 21st, 2008 at and was filed under Bella, Fun and tagged with the words . It contains .
| Five avant garde bags & the women who own them |
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Valentino Noeud d’Amore Clutch
The owner of the Noeud d’Amore clutch is a marketing assistant which a penchant for Mucha’s art nouveau paintings. She takes this clutch, teamed with red satin kitten heals, to the chic bar down town where she & her friends giggle over old school stories while drinking Chambord & lemonade. Inside she stashes pink-papered cigarettes, kiwi flavoured bubblegum, colouring pencils & a photograph of her pet hamster, George.
Leiber Ganesh Collectors Clutch
The woman who owns the Ganesh clutch is a bit of a nomad. She discovered Ganesha while on the trek across India & now elephants are her favourite animals. She likes to drink iced tea while sunbathing in her front yard on Wednesday mornings when she knows the cute postal boy will come by. The movie Bambi makes her cry every time, though when she thinks no one is watching she will sometimes eat a plate of beef tatake while out at sushi restaurants.
Marc Jacobs Iris Sequined Evening Bag
This woman is married to a lawyer & likes to spend his money on manicures & shoes. After her hair appointment, she meets her friends at a café in the middle of the city where they drink wine, talk about each other & plan shopping expeditions. She bought this Iris sequined evening bag because the frog reminded her of her university days when she wanted to work in environmental conservation. Though she tells everyone that it’s because the sequins match the colour of her Louboutin’s perfectly. One day she thinks she would like to own an art studio. But not right now, as she’s too busy.
Fendi Artist Baguette
This woman bought the Artist Baguette on a whim one Saturday morning because she liked the pens that came with it. She doesn’t regret her decision. When not working at her café, she is always listening to music on her headphones & imagining what it would be like to live underwater. She collects fluffy teddy bears & pet rocks, giving each one a unique name. Once a week, she takes this clutch with her on a shopping trip to the sweet shop across town where she buys big bags of pastel coloured peppermints.
Leiber Humble The Penguin Minaudier
When she was a little girl she watched the penguins while on a trip to the zoo & this Humble The Penguin bag reminds her of those sunny summer days when she wished desperately for the animals to talk back to her. When upset, she recites Desiderata inside her head. She wears this clutch with soft cotton dresses in floral patterns to the ice-cream parlour down the road where she & her girlfriend eat waffles, hold hands under the table & talk about their favourite films. When she grows up she wants to be an actress, or a pastry chef. She can’t decide.
More Fabulous Inspiration
- Gala Darling’s Irregular Choice Shoes I Love & The Imaginary People Who Wear Them
- & Umbrella Lurve!
- & iCiNG Infatuations: Five Fabulous… Nail Polishes
This post was written by Bella (contact) on October 3rd, 2008 at and was filed under Fun, Style and tagged with the words . It contains .
| Invite Inspiration |
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Found: Love Letter
I recently sent out the invitations for my twenty-first birthday party. Designing, making & mailing them was an intensive process. I’d forgotten how difficult it can be. But my mission left me thinking about how average invitations today can be. So I thought I might try my hand at writing about them.
Invitations are wonderful inventions. I used to save every single paper invite ever given to me, but in a fit of spring cleaning binned them all a long time ago. An invitation has purpose, firstly to let the reader know that you’re having a celebration or event of some kind, secondly to remind them of the time, date, place, etiquette & dress of the event & thirdly, to invite them. This last bit is important. When you read an invitation it should inspire you, you should feel invited, excited to attend & somewhat thrilled. An invitation should not give away all the details, but should whet the appetites of your potential guests, ensuring that curiosity drives them to attend. Gone are the days of drab Microsoft Publisher-inspired invites full of tawdry clip art & overzealous fonts. While publisher can be an wonderful tool for those into desktop publishing; please, stay away from the templates! There’s no one-stop formula for creating a really sensational invite, its more of an intuitive thing. But do not despair! Here are some lovely ideas that will get your imagination racing & have you reaching for the craft glue & scissors in no time!
1. Birthday Invitation 2. First Birthday Zoo Themed Invitations 3. Egg Invitation 4. Cupcake invitations 5. Birthday Invitation 6. John twardrous’ birthday invitations
1. Personalise!
Chances are, when you’re the one creating the invite, you’re also the one throwing the party. So let people know that it’s your party! Incorporate a photograph, or your signature, or something you love. There are bound to be certain, specific, things that will prompt your guests to think of you. Do you have flaming red hair for example? Are you a tennis nut? Is your favourite perfume Beautiful? Do you happen to make the best bowl of nachos this side of the hemisphere? If so, let your guests know the invite is from you by incorporating these cues into your invite.
Alternatively, if your throwing a themed party, weave your theme into the invite. This is important for creating that sense of curiosity I mentioned earlier. Get your guests excited by using the invite to suggest your theme & subtlety is nice. You don’t need your invite to list the entire itinerary or what kind of food you’ve prepared. Is your party a tea party? Could you incorporate tea into your invite? Scent (or even stain!) the paper with tea, create the invites with a tea-cup shaped die-cut, send the invite written on a packet of tea (blooming tea would be especially nice!), or send along one of these cute tea infusers. A clip art picture of teapot is just too drab - you & your guests are so much better than that!
2. Individualise!
Making one hundred invites that are all exactly the same & sending them out can be somewhat boring. Take the time to make your potential guests feel wanted! You don’t have to hand write every single one, but you could include a small handwritten note card in the envelope for example. “I hope to see you there!” or “Maybe we’ll get a chance to finally have that talk about kite-making!” Or go a bit further than that. Print copies of your favourite photos of you and your guests (assuming you know them well enough to have amassed photographs of previous fun!) and send your invites written on the back.
3. Accessorise!
Think outside the box when it comes to the construction & decoration of your invites. They needn’t be written on a bit of paper and stuffed into an envelope. Most surfaces can be written upon. Grab a pen (or brush, or printer, or stamp, or sticker) liberate your sense of creativity & go nuts! Write on cutlery, crockery, napkins, clothing, plastic or vinyl. If using paper, you’re not just limited to normal card stock either. Write on newspapers, photos, handmade paper or pages from an old book. I used to write amorous notes on the back of cheap over-sized playing cards and give them to boys at school….OK, just one boy, but you get the point! Next, consider the delivery of the actual message. Occasion, time, date & place. These are the four key things your guests need to know. You could stitch the details onto fabric (computerised sewing machines make stitching out words in thread very easy), write it backwards, upside down, in another language or in shapely text. For a murder mystery party you could write the words onto individual pieces of paper & seal them in a zip-lock bag labelled “evidence.” Make your guests work for the information!
I guess what I’m trying to point out is that into today’s world of text messages & e-mail & general computer based chatter; we rarely take the effort to communicate with the written word in a tactile manner. Invitations are a wonderful opportunity to communicate with people in creative ways. Receiving invites in the mail inspires childlike excitement & curiosity in us & you can capitalise on this. You have all the inspiration & the creativity you need - now go!
This post was written by Bella (contact) on September 16th, 2008 at and was filed under Fun, How To and tagged with the words . It contains .
| 25 fun things to do with someone special |
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While having sex is a fun way for you and your loved one to spend time together (ok, really fun) I often think it’s nice to do other things together without, you know, being all over each other. Here are some wonderful ideas for things to do with someone you’ve loved forever, or just for a while, or even someone you’ve just met!
1. Build a blanket fort.
2. Share a bottle of something delicious.
3. Play cards.
4. Invent exciting new cocktails.
5. Learn a new language.
6. Cook your own giant pizza to share.
7. Listen to Stephen Fry read Harry Potter.
8. Plant a tree.
9. Make origami.
10. Catch a bus to somewhere new.
11. Read your favorite stories to each other out loud.
12. Climb a tree.
13. & build a tree house!
14. Make a kite.
15. Go cloudwatching.
16. Jump on the bed.
17. Visit a playground & use the swings.
18. Take photos.
19. Stretch out in the sun.
20. Have afternoon tea - in your underwear!
21. Go for swim.
22. Eat dessert first.
23. Draw chalk arrows on the footpath for strangers to follow.
24. Make mix tapes.
25. Play tag.
Have fun!
This post was written by Bella (contact) on September 7th, 2008 at and was filed under Fun, Style and tagged with the words . It contains .
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