Happy Monday everyone. Here's hoping you all had a fantastic weekend. I certainly did, especially on Saturday night when I attended Autumn Salon, a beautiful evening put on by Aroha & Friends and FG Smith Eatery. You may remember I blogged about it here, a girl's night out to celebrate the change of season and to enjoy food, fashion, and music.
The scene was set when the invitations arrived in the mail with Tracey Tawhiao's amazing handprinted artwork.
On the night, more of Tracey's creations awaited us at Smiths - handprinted goodie bags, and stunning art pieces hung on the walls and from the ceiling.
We were treated to music by Sarah Bell and Brad Gamble(one of the few men allowed), and also Sarah Wigg, and poetry from Tracey Tawhiao. The food by FG Smith, which included five small tasting courses, was absolutely divine. And Sarah Bell swapped her bass guitar for a microphone to talk us through the fashion show she had put together. A brilliant stylist, Sarah had picked outfits for the two gorgeous models from Aroha's new season range, and also a new wearable collaboration by Melaina Newport of Aroha & Friends.
Thoroughly satisfied by the delicious food, and inspired by the fashion show, we were free to wander through Aroha & Friends for some retail therapy, and to see Nikki Gabriel's fabulous and colourful installation.
It was a fantastic night, and so well organised. Because it was so successful it's quite likely there'll be a Winter Salon - fingers crossed! I'll leave you with a few more images by Sarah Bell and Pam Tinning featuring Marie Drew - a fashion story showcasing just some of Aroha & Friend's winter collection. Pop instore or online to see more.
This is the first of another new blog series - Favourite Finds. Once every week or two I'll be bringing you a selection of favourite things I've discovered - maybe a new website I've found, or a movie I've seen, a delicious recipe, or cool product... an eclectic collection. Hopefully there'll be something in there to inspire you to. I've recently taken the Meat Free Monday pledge. The concept to cut meat out of your diet for one day a week is taking the world by storm, and little ole New Zealand is jumping on board. I quite regularly cook vegetarian meals for our family, so it won't be a hard concept for me at all, but I'm most excited to try the yummy recipes you can find on the website. Pop over and read all about why you should take the pledge with me.
Autumn fashion is hitting the shops already and my favourite label, Moochi, has lots of cool new stock to entice me. I have a long list, of course, but at the top are these awesome Lead Pants. Tapered at the ankle and with an elasticised waist they look really smart and super comfy - a brilliant combination!
I've just discovered the TV programme Offspring. I know what you're saying... "Where've you been?! Offspring has been around for ages!". Yes, I know we're about to start season 4 here in NZ, but before a few days ago I'd never watched an episode. Thanks to the wonder of TVNZ On Demand, I was able to watch the last three episodes of season 3 back-to-back on my iPad in bed. Now I can't wait for the new season to start so I can see more of the craziness and of course, Patrick - sigh!
I'm always happy to add another interior book to my collection, and I love the look of Creative Family Home. It addresses both the practical and decorative issues involved in creating a stylish home for your family, whether you've got one tiny baby, or a tribe of teenagers.
And last, but certainly not least, my favourite new find... get ready to have your heart wrenched! I follow an incredible instagram account called mommasgonecity. Owned by Jessica Shyba, her blog by the same name was initially started as a way to keep in touch with family when they moved from California to Manhattan. Jessica moved back to Santa Cruz, California with her husband, three adorable children, and their latest addition, a rescue puppy called Theo.
A very special bond has formed between Theo and Jessica's youngest child, Beau - there is nothing quite like the love between a boy and his dog. Read Jessica's full story here about how the pair became such close buddies, and how nap time is no longer Jessica's most productive time of day! She spends most of it watching this remarkable love story with her heart bursting. As a massive dog lover, this just makes me want to cry with joy! I'm a bit of a sook when it comes to animals, if you are too make sure you follow Theo and Beau's journey, as well as the rest of the family, on instagram.
It's a very exciting Friday, I have a lot to tell you. Let's start with a fantastic giveaway. I recently introduced you to Little & Loved, a company that centres around sustainable living, and looking after our little ones. They have an amazing new product in-store, and anyone with young children will want to know about them. These Organic Cotton Lunch Bags mean no more plastic wrap on the kids' lunch. Instead pop it straight into the 100% certified organic cotton bag, with a chemical free water-resistant lining.
They have a snap closure which is perfect for little hands to open and close, and they're easy for Mum to clean. Simply wipe and rinse the inside, and throw in the washing machine every now and then. They come in a range of cute designs.
How about the Organic Cotton Snack Packs?! They're made from the same awesome organic cotton as the lunch bag, and you get two snack packs in a set.
Little & Loved have kindly offered to give one of my readers their choice of either an organic cotton lunch bag, or a set of two snack packs. All you have to do to enter is 'like' Little & Loved on Facebook, and email me to let me know you've done so. Make sure you pop over to their website to see the full range, and also tell me in your email which of the products and designs you like best.
Entry is open to New Zealanders and Australians, and the competition closes next Friday 8th November at 3pm NZ time. I will contact the winner by email, and announce them on my Facebook page. (please note, the prize will be based on available stock at the time). PS: how cute are these Needle&I Custom Initial Santa Sacks?!
Right, now on to Inadesignerhome, the fabulous Australian owned furniture and homewares website. They are one savvy, switched on company who recognise how important bloggers are in the world of online shopping. And to celebrate the growing online relationship between online retail and blogs, they are dedicating the month of November to bloggers - "30 Days of Bloggers".
And finally... Mitsubishi Electric NZ have been running a competition called "Show Us Your Style", which I blogged about here. To enter you had to send photos of your favourite room/s in your home, and the winner receives a gorgeous Designer Series heat pump in their choice of glossy black, white or silver. Mitsubishi whittled close to 100 entries down to 17, and asked me to choose the final five...
It was really hard, as there were some great entries. But I felt the ones I chose all showed a good sense of style, with a nice use of texture and contrast. Also a good use of space and proportion. Head over to the Mitsubishi Facebook page to vote for your favourite. You are the judges, the most votes wins the Designer Series heat pump installed in their home, and the four runners up each receive $1,000 worth of Dulux paint. Have a fab weekend y'all!
