instant delights

New site!

2011-07-11T15:11:00.001+10:00

I have a new site .. ! Head on over. Click here.

Stella Mac Love

2010-11-07T19:49:00.003+11:00

In love with these Stella McCartney sneakers :)

Found via BETTY

Tobias Harvey

2010-11-03T09:43:00.003+11:00

Here are some gorgeous Indian inspired shots by photographer Tobias Harvey.

I love the soft, intricate patterns that speak lazily of vintage summers...

... punched with vibrantly coloured details here and there. Delightful! :)

TOBIAS HARVEY

6th arrondissement

2010-11-03T09:38:00.004+11:00

A quirky, striking doorway in the back streets of the 6th arrondissement of Paree. I love it!

Found via Paris Breakfasts

Blabla

2010-10-05T14:55:00.003+11:00

A poodgey-cute backpack @ kid's online shop Blabla :)

I like spoons ;) ;)

2010-10-05T14:15:00.002+11:00

Gorgeous, earthy, vintage, soft palette. :)

(I really like spoons...... )

From HERE

Eclectic inspirations

2010-10-05T14:06:00.002+11:00

An adora-bubble entryway for children...

...and a beautiful, whimsical painting I want to recreate right now!

Pics HERE

It's springtime ..

2010-10-03T21:21:00.002+11:00

These are my moodlet piccies for springtime ..

FFFOUND

Portman Portrait

2010-10-03T21:19:00.000+11:00

Stunning portrait of miss Natalie.

FFFOUND

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-CHERRY BOMB

2010-08-28T22:02:00.004+10:00

I am in love with this brilliant movie.

Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart just give fantastic, authentic performances.

Then there's the costumes, the hair, the make-up ...

... The attitude, the rebellion ...

... The fashion, the era ... the STORY.

"I love rock'n'roll!" Go. See. It. Now.

Anne Frank

2010-08-28T21:42:00.003+10:00

I just watched the 1959 version of The Diary of Anne Frank.

It always puts things into perspective when you think what other people have had to go through.

And I feel ashamed for forgetting all the wonderful things I have in my life. Especially when people who have suffered so much more than us, can still turn around and say:

"I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are really good at heart." - Anne Frank.

Aishwarya Rai is a Goddess

2010-08-09T22:15:00.004+10:00

Possibly the most romantic scene in a movie ever!
:) :)

FROM BRIDE & PREJUDICE

An old chest of drawers ...

2010-08-09T15:03:00.004+10:00

Here is a fine example of a lovely old piece of furniture being restored into a fresh, utterly delightful piece of awesomeness that makes me "I waaaaant now sil vous plait"

Happy Doors

2010-08-09T10:00:00.004+10:00

Wonderful, colourful, happy doors.

Positive, uplifting, Indian doors.

A delightful elephant-embellished door. "Welcome to my house"

Lovely, simple architecture with soft colours and a hint of powerful red.

Old, wizened doors with scribble. But with character.

Lilac and green doors with dirt + chalk. Can you imagine how many times this one has been opened and closed and left open? It yawns of history and experience.

Last, but not least: this delightul colour is my absolute favourite xx

Why do we have such a boring, plain, lifeless doors? The little things make a world of difference ...

Random Vintage Photos

2010-08-05T13:00:00.003+10:00

How random are these strange vintage shots?

They are sooooo weird and I love them!

Hehe!

Three little shoesies

2010-08-04T19:14:00.003+10:00

Cute floral brogues @ the cherry blossom girl

Sexy gladiator flats @ Tokyobanhbao

And funky floral Docs @ the cherry blossom girl

A surreal ism

2010-08-04T19:00:00.002+10:00

Love the colours. Love the angles. Love the surrealism.

Long socks would like a cup of tea

2010-08-04T18:54:00.003+10:00

I heart the feel of this photo - long cosy socks, casually sitting on the kitchen counter enjoying a cup of tea with just a hint of cheekiness. :) And is that a smurfs tee? That's pretty coolness.

Simon says

2010-08-03T16:06:00.002+10:00

Simon Pegg is the coolest actor ever. If you haven't seen Hot Fuzz, you haven't lived to utterly cack yourself.

Lost penguin

2010-08-03T13:18:00.004+10:00

It's a penguin. Standing under a streetlamp. I love it! Poor little lost penguin.

Picture: FFFFOUND

Lavender + Musk

2010-08-03T12:53:00.002+10:00

Is this not the most delightful palette for a wedding? I absolutely love the mismatched-yet-matching bridesmaid dresses!

I heart you, miss Tokyobanhbao

2010-08-02T21:22:00.008+10:00

One blog I follow religiously is Tokyobanhbao.
I'm loving her recent floral ensembles lately!

So cute!

Visit her blog here

PICTURES: Tokyobanhbao

What happened to happy?

2010-08-02T21:03:00.002+10:00

J'adore this photo. It evokes feelings of balmy summer evenings in the holidays that seem to last forever, and never long enough. It speaks of laziness and relaxation but also of passion and enjoyment of a beloved hobby. Perhaps a couple of carefree friends will sip on milkshakes and stop for a swing at the park on the way down to the beach before enjoying the glowing sunset...

Dreams are essential to life, and daydreams are even more joyful xo

Picture: FFFFOUND

I Love Llamas!

2010-04-30T12:05:00.003+10:00

What is it about Llamas that make me collapse into a helpless fit of giggles??!!

From FFFFOUND

Beware the French Film!

2010-04-26T16:15:00.003+10:00

I went to the cinema last night. It was rather quiet ...

We went to see:

A confronting film about the trials faced by pubescent French boys ... Very yucky and icky and no-holds-barred!

Do not take your little sister/young daughter!

An Anzac Beechworth

2010-04-26T14:48:00.011+10:00

I spent Anzac Day in Beechworth this year.

It's a quaint, old little town ...

Full of charming little shops ... Some Frenchy ...

And 'purveyors of fine foods', selling delish local produce ...

My foodie friend and I ate at Wardens again. Let's show you our delicious three-hour Sunday lunch, shall we?

To start ...

Appetisers ... It's like art on a plate ...

... And VERY tasty art, I might add! Here are the mains, including the gnocchi above.

And now, dessert! (The best part!)

YUMMM!!

Then, to walk it off, we went to Nine Mile Music, where I bought a French CD ...

... then into Larder, the fromagerie next door.

Where foodie friend bought this cheese.

They were all out of my favourite pistachio turkish delight :(
Oh well, next time ...

And so ends the day with a cute doggie patiently waiting for his owner outside the painting shop!

Pics by ME!

Found @ FFFFound!

2010-04-06T14:55:00.004+10:00

Latest delightful discoveries from FFFFound!

Don't you just love a random selection of curious images?

Masterpieces from Paris

2010-04-06T14:29:00.007+10:00

I went to see the 'Masterpieces from Paris' exhibition in Canberra.

Van Gogh

These priceless paintings are on loan to the National Gallery of Australia all the way from the Musée d'Orsay in France.

Degas

They were absoultely amazing to behold up close in real life. But don't try to take any photos - the guards will slap you on the wrist, stat.

Monet

I got to see the texture on the surface of the paintings - each and every brushstroke, which is not seen in printed copies of art books.

Pissarro

If you can't get to Paris, get yourself to Canberra!

It was well worth the day trip to Canberra (about 7 or 8 hours driving in total) and the hour-long wait to get inside the exhibition. And putting up with the dismal, rainy weather and getting soaked walking to and from the gallery!

Visit the exhibition's website here.

It's a Llama Llama Duck

2009-12-02T16:26:00.002+11:00

This scribble made me giggle! Adorable.

PIC FOUND VIA FFFFOUND

Pierre Herme's "Sarah"

2009-11-09T10:49:00.002+11:00

"Sarah" by Pierre Herme

Sweet Chestnut Cream Biscuit with Candied Chestnuts, Green Tea & Apple Passion Fruit

Stumbled across this adorable, delicious-looking cake by Pierre Herme this morning. (The website, not the Patisserie unfortunately!)
Yum, yum, YUM!

PIC FROM HERE

Louis Vuitton <3 Sofia Coppola

2009-09-30T21:29:00.002+10:00

Francis Ford Coppola and Sofia Coppola for Louis Vuitton <3
This stunning photograph took my breath away.

PIC FOUND HERE

Wardens @ Beechworth

2009-09-19T17:13:00.005+10:00

Went out for a lovely dinner at Wardens in Beechworth. They recently were awarded a hat in The Age Good Food Guide 2010.
I enjoyed:

ANTIPASTI:
Ham hock terrine
PRIMI:
Mustard crusted quail, grilled cotechino, lentils, spiced white bean puree and candied pears
PASTA:
Raviolo of pecorino romano, cinnamon and orange lamb bolognese, baby parsley
DESSERT:
Pistachio and olive oil torte, rosewater ice-cream, rhubarb agrodolce and candied ginger

I think the dessert was the highlight for me :)
Do visit their website for a drool here.

PICS BY ME.

Random Inspiring Quote

2009-09-08T16:50:00.004+10:00

"If you want to reach a state of bliss, then go beyond your ego and the internal dialogue.
Make a decision to relinquish the need to control, the need to be approved, and the need to judge.
Those are the three things the ego is doing all the time.
It's very important to be aware of them every time they come up".

~ Deepak Chopra

PIC FROM FFFFOUND! QUOTE FOUND VIA TUDO DE OM

Incredible India

2009-09-08T16:37:00.004+10:00

This peacock artwork is by prasadesign for his "Incredible India" advertising campaign.
I was absolutely struck by it's beautiful detail (and I love peacocks, they are so colourful!)

And check out the Tiger! Stunning. I would love both of these posters on my wall!

PICS BY PRASADESIGN

Indian Art by omkali

2009-09-08T16:19:00.009+10:00

Check out these absolutely breathtaking photo-manipulated prints by omkali.

"Varanasi"

"Namaste India"

"Khajuraho"

"Just Dreams"

I love the soft, warm colours. What beautiful representations of India!

PICS FROM HERE FOUND VIA TUDO DE OM

Licorice Allsorts

2009-09-06T21:19:00.004+10:00

Bright and colourful Licorice Allsorts were my inspiration yesterday :)

Love the colourful stripes!

I made them into a Licorice Allsort Slice for my Dada for Father's Day :) Yumm.

PICS BY ME

there's a Spring in my step...

2009-09-04T15:28:00.006+10:00

It's finally Spring-time!
Not the first of September, or the second, but spring was definitely in the air on the third.
The weather turned humid and the air was warm.
The daisies were sprouting in the grass, and the sunshine felt so good on my skin!

Here are some lovely pictures found via Moments of Pleasure of the gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show.
They reminded me of that fuzzy first feeling of Spring-time!

Are you all warm and fuzzy now?

In Disguise: Raccoon Costume

2009-09-03T13:22:00.005+10:00

This print is adorable and cheeky!

It reminds me of that Simpsons episode where Homer sends a raccoon into Lisa's ballet studio to fetch packets of cigarettes and it grabs a wad of cash instead.
Homer disguises the raccoon with a black mask just like this one! Hehe!

FOUND VIA MELISSA LOVES > RACCOON COSTUME PRINT BY HISSS @ ETSY

Lime Green & Leopard Print

2009-09-02T21:51:00.004+10:00

I won these cutie-pies on eBay last night.
They are so delicious I just want to eat them all up!
Can't wait for them to arrive!

Marie + Macarons = Perfect Parisian Pastels!

2009-09-02T13:17:00.023+10:00

Marie Antoinette is possibly my most favourite movie ever.

I fell in love with the colour palette: perfect pastels.

In fact, this movie is pretty much chockers full of eye candy.

Gorgeous costumery and the SWEETS! Champagne and sugar tie this thing all together!

But the macarons. mmmMMMMMMmm! They are my absolute favourite part of it all.

I first stumbled across these delicious bites at ParisBreakfasts. She blogs regularly and faithfully (and slightly obsessedly) about the little delightful darlings.

She paints them, too. Check our her Etsy shop for other lovely watercolours.

Fancy sharing a pot of hot chocolate and some instant delights with me?
According to ParisBreakfasts, as a host, I must offer you the first macaron before choosing mine.
So do take one (but I want the chocolate one hehe!)

PICTURES FROM IMDB & PARISBREAKFASTS

Garden Party

2009-08-31T10:33:00.003+10:00

I bought this adorable dress yesterday.
Isn't it the cutest, most perfect little thing to wear to a garden party?
It's not spring time yet, so for now I will wear it with black tights and cute flats or boots and a cropped jacket.
In the summer, it will probably be teamed with my faithful black havianas and a melting ice-cream cone in my hand ...

FOUND & ACQUIRED HERE

Pocahontas meets Mexico

2009-08-31T10:19:00.004+10:00

... Is what comes to mind with these delectable shoes!
The bright. cheery colours on the toes remind me of an American Indian headress as well as a woven Mexican tapestry. And the diamonds are super cute!
Yum!

[Can't remember where I found this pic... otherwise I would have bought them!]

Trasierra

2009-08-24T14:13:00.018+10:00

At Trasierra, in Spain, the air is warm and tinged with sweet gusts of cool country air.
Come laze by the poolside and listen to the far-off, muffled voices of the rest of your family and friends as they ramble around the estate on various pursuits. Little puffs of clouds float lazily through the sky, and a hum of insects buzzing somewhere almost lulls you to sleep.

After indulging in a mid-morning swim, a richly adorned table awaits you for a sweet, light lunch in the cool shade of the trees. Fresh and local food is on the menu, with tall glasses of homemade lemonade.

After lunch, it's time for a lazy ramble around the estate. Walking barefoot, the warm paved stones feel delicious underfoot. Why not take a break here, take a seat, and enjoy an intimate chat with a lifelong friend? Or bring your sketchbook and lose yourself in drawing.

As you wander down into the estate garden, you encounter Christopher, the estate's chef. He is gathering ingredients for a delicious dinner later on, and shows you which vegetables are ripe and ready for picking. You sample some crunchy beans, and listen to him humming traditional tunes.

Keen for an afternoon kip, you escape to this delightful little corner to lose yourself in your favourite novel, before you drift off to dream of honey bees, summer dresses and kites.

For afternoon tea, your friends and family gather for iced tea and a slice this freshly made Lemon Sponge with Lavender Icing. mmMMm...

When the twilight finally arrives, you all begin to head indoors to freshen up, and change your clothes, and discuss your adventures of the day. You are first into this little sweet dining room, all ready with homemade bread and jams, and a small, crackling fire to chase off the sweet chilly air that comes when darkness finally falls.

VISIT http://www.trasierra.co.uk/

Rajasthan: Bikaner Architecture

2009-08-06T10:06:00.019+10:00

In Bikaner, these fantastic facades look solemnly down at you on the street. It is a dusty, hot, hazy day and it looks like it may storm. The bustling sounds of the city are muffled here.

The locals chat lazily about old stories; the hounds resting, not uncomfortably, in the musty heat.

There is an Indian Princess sitting behind this gloriously intricate window. She is peering out at you, but her face remains hidden. You cannot see her, but you feel a slight sentimental sadness emanating through the surrounding air as you pass by.

The storm is coming closer and closer, but you are almost home. A man on an old bicycle whizzes lazily past. The dusty lanes are almost empty, and eerie, and echo your footsteps. I'm looking forward to some spicy Bikaneri Bhujia and mango chutney, aren't you?

PICTURES FROM ARTNLIGHT

Michoacán Platter @ L'Aviva

2009-08-05T14:18:00.004+10:00

Step nimbly into the mute world of black and white, like the old silent moving pictures.
Then add a good splash of lime and a floral michoacán pattern for good measure.
Where do we find ourselves? Utterly adoring this hand-painted platter by laura aviva @ L'AVIVA
Isn't it just divine?

Welcome to Instant Delights

2009-08-05T12:32:00.000+10:00

Instant Delights is my little world to escape to. It is full of delicious snippets of my numerous Wow! moments.
Will I be whisked away to the sights, smells and sounds of Morocco today?
Or the sweet, windswept plains of an imaginary field full of pink boronias, kangaroo paw or white daisies; a kite or three dipping and diving in the sky?
Come, take my hand, and together we will discover delights galore!

PICTURE FOUND HERE