We have been looking at buying a home for a while since our return from Australia, and so the hunting continues.  While clicking my way through quite a few pics, I saw this beauty in Devonport on the North Shore in Auckland.  It is sooo me.  The colour, the furniture, the kitchen, all of it.  It’s for sale if you like it and to view more images click here.  The current owner and renovater is an interior designer, so it’s no wonder the place rocks! It’s also been in a couple of home magazines, so enjoy.

UK company Purlfrost has a large selection of window film for many applications; Decorative, Stained, Reflective and even a kids range.  My favourite would have to be their Stained Glass range that can be applied anywhere.  When the sun shines on it, it would show the best colour onto the wall and ground. Great for a yoga room.

You can apply it easily yourself and they have an installation guide online.  Purlfrost will happily ship worldwide, just contact them first and advise what you are intending to order.

These two photos are from a great home renovation in Redondo Beach – see the slideshow here.

The first image caught my eye as the many many tiles make it feel spa like, plus their colour is very calming, they are from Ann Sacks, a US company with a huge selection of ceramic and glass tiles for any area of the home.

I had to show you what a feminine fireplace looks like.  And the glass underneath is so much more chic that a tiled, built-up hearth.  Wittus, a US company has a large range of very hip fireplaces that they can ship to your door.  This one, called the Shaker is made in Germany and designed by Antonio Citterio – of course, something will always catch my eye when it’s near the Woods wallpaper by Cole and Son.  The kicker (always one when a designer is involved; it weighs nearly 140kgs and costs US$4,280 – that’s NZ$6000)!  Those long lovely legs almost makes it worth the price, but then there’s all that wood to put on…

After watching an episode of Grand Designs I fell head over heels for a cooker hood called ‘Star’!  Just look at it – it’s sooo gorgeous and so much nicer looking than those practical rectangle jobs we all have in our home.

The Elica Designer Collection by D R Cookers are to die for…well, to save for more like it!   The Star Chandelier cooker hood is about £1700.00 (NZ$3700 – worth every cent I think).  They do have more traditional, integrated cooker hoods as well, so go take a look at their large collection right here.  You would have to contact the UK company to ask about shipping down-under, but I am sure they would have this service available.  Now for a kitchen of our own that needs a new rangehood…

Woohoo!  Six year old parties rule.  The cake was a hit and here are the pics.  I didn’t double it or anything hard, especially as kids don’t really like all ‘that cake’…..but the icing more!  Master Six wanted to help and asked for marshmallows only.

Seriously, after their party food, no one wanted cake until I cut it and they saw the colours, then every one of them had to have a piece. So, here are the details for my own.  Yes, that’s Miss 15mths giving me a ‘Hi 5′ for her baking attempts too.

Basic Cake:

Oven on 180 celsius, grease round cake tin and pull out containers/cups and teaspoons for colour mixing

2 cups flour

2tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

100g melted butter

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 1/4 cups sugar

1.  Mix butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time.  Add essence

2.  Sift in flour, baking powder and soda

3. Slowly add milk.

Important Note: Master 6 wanted banana as well so I added one mashed banana and added 2Tbsp more flour.  Banana tends to brown/dull a cake though, so if they don’t want it don’t add it – as the colour will be far more vibrant than ours.

4.  Separate into as many bowls as you have colours.  It was about a heaped cup in each bowl

5.  Now add almost 1 teaspoon of gel colour to each one and mix well with a teaspoon.  Our colours were: Light Blue, Red, Yellow, Black, Purple, Green and Orange.

6.  Just tip out each colour into the middle.  Don’t spread it, don’t touch it!

7.  Pour next colour into centre of last colour and repeat until complete.  If you have a favourite colour, make that the last one as this ends up being the largest show of colour in your cake.

8. Place in oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, then check it and cook another few to 10 mins if it’s still making crackling cooking sounds when you put your ear to it. (don’t own skewer – I know I know).

When done it looks rather dull or dark but don’t worry, it will be colourful inside.  Cover with a tea towel until cool.  Now ice how you desire and the kids will go wild!  Considering I am no cook, I was pretty proud of our accomplishment.  Here is the link to the the one that inspired me.

For those folks out there who are lucky enough to own the iPhone 4 – even if there’s a bit of a glitch, here’s the fix for it.  Antenn-aid sells cool looking bandaids that attach to the edge of the phone to stop it dropping your call.  Get them right here at Etsy  - a multi-colored 6pk for only US$4.99 plus shipping, or you can buy a bulk lot and umm, sell them to your mates!  Or get the software update apparently, but that’s not fun looking!

via [Not-Cot]

Next time you are thinking about re-doing the carpet, or just because the kids running up and down the wooden stairs is such a dreadful noise…..then think about a bright colour.  These green carpeted stairs are awesome. This is totally going in my ‘when I get to reno again’ folder.

image [Richard Birch Photography]

I want the word ‘Bliss’ right above my yoga mat….the yellow is such a joyful colour scheme.  Mooza Designs in Sydney Australia use gorgeous japanese and retro paper to paste onto WC (Toilet) signs or make words, names and numbers.  Take a look at their shop, you’ll have trouble choosing your colour scheme from the custom range it’s all so joyous!

Today’s adventure wasn’t mine….I went for a bikeride with the family instead.  But Design Is Mine discovered this great poster, called Origami Love Poster.  It costs US$15 + $5 postage (NZ$27) – take a look over at Amy’s Etsy store Field Trip for more great posters.  I want to actually give this a try at folding as origami is something I really enjoy…until I can’t do it!

Holy toledo!  Mr Bohaute and I are Apple lovers and covet the iPad.  We know it’s cool, we know it would be used alot…but we had no idea you could do this on it.  Artist David Kassan paints a model over about three hours on the iPad.  The movie is 7 minutes long – you don’t have to watch the entire clip, but it’s worth it. Finger Painting for anyone, anytime, anywhere.