I've been using Murphy and Daughters lush Bon Bon soaps myself for quite some time after receiving one as a gift.  The packaging is so pretty and the soaps themselves are beautifully scented and feel creamy.  So we've added a new body range to our store just so we can stock this great range.  Made in small batches using traditional techniques the Bon Bon Soaps are triple milled, French style, and enriched with shea butter to give them a rich, silky smooth feel and a creamy, moisturizing lather. The soaps are hand wrapped using recycled paper. The beautiful wrapping all happens at Ability Works which aims to empower people with disabilities by employing them with meaningful work. The Bons Bons are produced responsibly and are made from pure palm oil and palm kernel oil which has been sourced sustainably and is certified by the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Approximate Size: 18cm x 5cm Approximate Weight: 100gms The bon bon soaps come in eight amazing scents.

 

Along with the soaps there is the body/hand washes and the lotions, all gently scented. The lotion is available in both milk and rose geranium and contain shea butter for extra moisturising.  Hand and body wash available in  basil, lime and mandarin or green tea.  All are paraben free.

Also part of the range are candles which are available in five scents.  These hand poured candles are made with a pure vegetable soy wax and use a cotton wick. They are fragranced with delicate yet complex fragrances. They are approximately 270 grams and have a 60-70 hour burn time. With great names like Where The Wild Things Are and Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil you know they are going to be fantastic.

If you accidentally bump into someone as they are passing who smells amazing and who's skin is baby bum soft, that will be me.

 

We've just had a new shipment arrive and we are so excited to have such sensational quality macramé hangers for really affordable prices.    Four great colours: green, royal blue, yellow and honey. 

               

 

Three sizes available to suit a variety of container sizes and shapes. 

 

A friend called me and suggested we do the Kara Rosenlund's 'Vingette' Workshop at Small Giants. Now the only issue is that, well, to be honest I'm really kind of a minimalist.  Don't get me wrong, I love the look of these still life works and totally understand their ability to invoke a story, it's just that I don't want to live with them.  However I was super keen on trying a workshop run by Megan Morton's THE SCHOOL.   

 

Firstly this building is ridiculously stunning, even walking through the gardens was really exciting.  I don't know why I expected around 20 or so people but I walk through the front door to a swarm of people.  Huge crowd drinking champagne and eating yummy nibbles. My problem was that my 'lovely' friend I was meeting was running late.  Cue the awkward moment of me standing there madly texting long lost relatives in an attempt to look busy and comfortable whilst everyone else was nattering away.  Thank goodness Megan is amazingly friendly and saved me. 

 

So the class itself was really sweet.  Kara is absolutely lovely and quite funny.  She told lots of little stories along the way and told us about her career highlights.  She went on to explain the principles of vignettes and also what to avoid in a scene and especially in photographic work.  Kara did warn about the issue of then analysing everyday scenes without being able to help yourself and unfortunately she was right.  I do it all day now without meaning to and it is rather annoying. 

 

 

 

 

The magic of this workshop is you get the opportunity to create your own story with Kara's lovely 'stuff'.  Really amazing things to play with, its almost impossible to not make it work.  There were old fencing masks, oversized rubber stamps, old spools of metallic ribbon, vintage baseballs, black nails the length of my forearm, jugs of all shapes and sizes and well, lots of 'stuff'.

      

After the 5 rules were thoroughly explained we were set free to create.  Kara came around and had a look at our work and advised where it could be tweaked.  We were given the traditional croppers so that you could look at how your image sits in the frame.   

 

 

I had a fantastic time scouring the array of goodies and then creating my 'vignette'. My minimal insides were fighting me the whole time as I'm normally all about negative space, and this was the absolute opposite, so my skills were pushed.   And here it its, what do you think? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are currently working on a project that is the renovation of a 1970's house in inner city Melbourne .  The property has incredible proportions which was the initial attraction.  Designed in the early 70's by architect Michael Kaufman it has some very, well....'interesting' textures.  Clearing away some of the features of the 70's which really need to stay there, has brought out a very bright and spacious interior.

 

  

Structurally here the only changes have been the  glass doors.  The actual opening of the doors has remained the same.  The old doors were the same height and length but were made of lot of smaller sectioned doors,  now they have been replaced by large single panelled doors.  

 

Here is the finished room.  Stunning Cole and Sons 'circus' wallpaper makes a huge statement.  Beautiful oak boards,  their grain highlighted with black oil.  A David Bromley artists canvas chair sits in the corner very lonely because I unfortunately cannot find the perfect sideboard.  The endless search continues. 

Soft touch tossB Sphere lights (ceiling) and the most fabulous hexagonal lamp on the floor by Henry Pilcher.