Today we started early with the truck filling loads of stock for a decorating job on the Gold Coast. We have fully renovated this stunning holiday apartment with panoramic ocean views right on the beach. Our client is such lovely person with a great sense of style, she wanted a classic, timeless feel, a place to relax with family and friends. We will have the job totally completed by the end of next week. I'm so happy with the out come but I don't want to show more until we have completed the rest of the job.

 

The boy's room was a very difficult space to work with so we couldn't do bed heads due to the window, the end result I'm really happy with, we still need to add the prints on the wall and a sideboard to finish the room.

Parts of the sofa made it up 35 floors but unfortunately the lounges did not make it, sadly by just a few millimeters they just would not fit in the lift, even though we checked several times we ended up being slightly out, thankfully they are going to be pulled up the high rise building on the outside.....very nerve racking especially for those below!!  but the end result will be worth it!

A sneak peak in the bedroom, the wallpaper is only on one wall and the other walls are blue with white trim, white linen sheers keeping the room fresh and crystal lamps with white silk shades sit on the custom painted white commodes, a sideboard in pressed silver will complete the room. The room is nearly finished and I will post the final look later in the week.

We have teamed the cushions up with lots of white scatters, we had to use carpet as a requirement of high rise unit living, but it actually is a lot lighter than my photo, we used lime washed timber floors in the kitchen.

A close up of our ottomans, this gorgeous embroidered fabric looks more amazing in real life

my camera was playing up and over exposed the photo.

Under the coffee table will be lots of magazines for holiday reading. The curtains will be made of white linen sheers with lots of fullness with the lounges and finishing touches still to be completed. The entry is wall-papered in tones of silver, taupe, greys and white in a beautiful classic pattern the same as the bedroom but a different colour way. A french style cupboard is going to be filled with lots of white and taupe crockery, crystal glasses and decanters, lots of fresh white flowers will complete the room.

One for the boy's

When I started lily-g it was a very girly shop, over time our male customer base has increased hugely and we often find the guys lingering in the store and enjoying reading the books and generally just browsing. Our latest collection of vintage luggage, cigar box trunks, aged leather chairs, silver telescopes, leather bound note books and Italian monogrammed wax stamps has been a welcomed addition to our range. My partner Paul now works full time at lily-g due to our growth and our plan to open more store's, it's his influence that made us think of the boy's in our life too.

Lily the flower girl

I fell upon this beautiful children's website called www.teaprincess.com.au and instantly found the flower girl dress for lily. Initially I wanted more of a tutu style but I just fell in love with this dress and had to order it, simple but very pretty and I love the hair style too. The pink dress I purchased for the day after the wedding isn't it gorgeous!

Little girl heaven

Hard to believe this is wall-paper. My daughter Lex would love this in her bed-room, in fact I would even love it in my office, quirky fun!

New in-store we are loving the new range from lazybones, great for the grown-ups too, available in pink, white, green, black and cream with tufted cushions to match. Canopy nets also available.

Loving patchwork wallpaper for the girls, great for a nursery too!

 This would be lily's favorite colour scheme, I love mixing red with hot pink it makes a gorgeous combination especially for young girls.

Vintage lace wall-paper is an entirely different effect but just as pretty and would make the perfect back drop for any colour scheme. All papers available at lily-g

Garden Ideas

Planning the gardens would have to be the best part about buying a property in the country. Although I have not yet reached that part in my life, you can only imagine the endless ideas running through my head. A chessboard for the kids, the vintage bench seats in the garden and a glass of wine in hand sets the perfect scene...

Fashion New's

I have had several emails in regard to our on-line store so I wanted to give you an update. Our latest collection of fashion will be available for purchase online as of next week, and we will be adding new pieces as they arrive. As for our home-wares we are keeping the online store small initially and working on it over the following weeks.

 

New pieces

New furniture pieces are starting to arrive in store. I'm loving the recycled work bench ideal as a kitchen Island bench, sideboard or even as an out-door piece of furniture.

Our gorgeous new french chairs with studding detail look great in a library, lounge room or even as a bedroom chair. 

Wedding Dress

Both Paul and I feel like we are married, we have children together, share a home and Business together and experience the highs and lows of raising teenagers, we share our dreams and plan for the future. As we plan for our next chapter of our life it includes officially getting married! yep that means plan a wedding, buy a dress etc...

 Last week-end at Byron while we were house hunting we stopped into Victoria's at Ewingsdale a beautiful country estate that the web site does not do justice. Well in a matter of 30 minutes we booked out the entire estate and planned our wedding for the 28th of November 2009. The owner was surprised that we had not even looked at other venues and that we had not even set a date till just at that moment, I guess that's the beauty of being impulsive!

 On our way home we rang family and friends, my head was swimming with idea's on decorating the table, flowers, photographers but also wanting to keep the second time round simple and to be honest I don't want to mortgage the house to pay for a wedding!

 THE DRESS!!!!!.....well this is the bit that I'm not loving at 42 the body needs lots of toning up, a 5 kilo weight loss plan and if I had the time probably a boob lift and lipo would be an added bonus! I started the exercise plan last week, I joined the gym and my friend Claudine is my official personal trainer. By the second day I could barely walk and my thighs which I gave a double work out, five days later are still shaking!! During my time in Melbourne my legs continued to shake and I complained non stop...that night as I was showering in the hotel I noticed on my groin this red lump only to discover I had a huge tick! yep! a tick which is a paralyzing spider that kills animals and probably explained my shaky legs! After lots of laughs and jokes, tick removed all was well, how I got the tick is still a mystery unless I picked it up from the country house hunting a week ago!

 Anyway back to the dress......I was hoping I could just but a dress off the rack but since I'm a 14 and not my well planned size 10 by the wedding I need to get one made. Paul and I were walking the streets of Melbourne only to walk past heaps of wedding dress shops, after lots of hesitation we walked in to one store and Paul spotted a gorgeous vintage lace gown but very clingy and perfect for Barbie. The lady in the store was very insistent that I try a few on, I refused as I told her I need to lose 5 kilo's before I even dare to venture in the change room, with the pressure from the lady and Paul I squeezed into stunning vintage gown, how embarrassing how I got the size 8 dress on me still has me amazed and it looked terrible. Dress number two made me look like a marshmallow or perhaps better described I looked like the wedding cake! to add matters worse the room was filled with 20ish old girls all size 6 wanting me to parade my marshmallow....horror, I should be here dressing my daughter for her wedding, I'm more than comfortable to be mother of the bride. Paul and I both agreed I need simple, elegant no fuss and a gown flattering to my curvy shape, kilos and all. Third gown later Paul ordered a stunning beige satin dress (of course I live in beige why not wear it too!!!) that is very simple and very much my style and we both loved it, now I just need to drop 5 kilo's!!!

Buying trip

Just a quick post before I leave for a buying trip to buy lots of new and exciting furniture and home wares for our store, I will be back on Monday and wish you all a great week xx

Pretty in pink

Our new address books in store now, make's a perfect gift. 

Love the wall panelling and the entire room, mannequin included!

 vintage lace: Sarah Kaye photography

I love this photo of Lily,  just a bundle of pink, fast asleep, what a life!!

I can so see me in the country riding my pink bike in my high heels ha! Ha!

A Vintage moment

In two weeks time, Bangalow (Byron Hinterland) will be having a Vintage Fair which I'm so excited about, in-fact I think we should organize a girls week-end what do you think girls?

I will post all the info later today. Images from Sarah Kaye photographers and stylists.

week-end post

I could not resist posting images from Vicki Archers "My french Life" garden in the south of France. Her birthday party for her daughter would have been amazing and can be viewed via her blog www.frenchessence.blogspot.com. Her garden is Heavenly, the beautiful furniture, the flowers, its a feast for the eye's. I'm especially in love with the iron furniture, the day-beds and the amazing bird cage that I really want to own desperate really!!!! don't get me started on the Chateau!! 

I'm continuing my house hunting in Byron hinterland tomorrow and I'm dreaming of having a garden just like Vicki's I think I could even sacrifice the Chateau just to own just a piece of this beautiful landscape.

Have a lovely weekend xx

Velvet pears

I absolutely adore the book "Velvet Pears by author and gardener Susan Southam. I have read the book from cover to cover and every page was a pleasant surprise. I have always loved beautiful gardens but I was never much of a gardener, I suppose in my busy life I just never slowed down enough to appreciate how soulful and rewarding gardening can be. This beautifully illustrated book is a diary of a passionate gardener with a beautiful story to tell.

A grown up story book you will love.

you can email us at lilyg1@bigpond.com if you would like us to send you a copy xx