Shannon Fricke: January 2011

Saturday, 8 January 2011

Last Night I Smiled...

At the little things that we've seen along the way over the past few weeks... I smiled at the time we've shared as a family, and the time that we've shared with old friends and new friends... Friends who live in far away places but who love and value life in the same way we do... As it turns out, our French friends, 'The Frenchies' as we affectionately refer to these dear old friends of ours, don't mind a bottle of champagne or two - and in France the bottles come extra large - and so I smiled that a couple of nights ago we shared a couple of extra large bottles of champagne, right here in the French Alps where they live... (Needless to say, my smile wasn't so wide the next day) but c'est la vie when you live in France...
What an inspiration it is to be exposed to new things and sometimes to be exposed to old things too... To see the world in all of its wonder and to see aspects of it that you never noticed before. I guess as we grow, what we see changes, we notice the little things that pertain to the stage of life we're in at that moment. And so, voila, here are some little things that have been making me smile...

Sharing A Moment In Time

Finding Out Where You Need To Be

Always Keeping It Fresh

Respecting the Details

Dreaming Big

Wednesday, 5 January 2011

Kick Start Your Decorative Life...

As the old adage goes, there's simply no rest for the wicked, and as I sit here in my knotty pine lined hotel room in a teensy weensy town up in the French Alps, my mind turns to decorating and how our decorating choices really do make a difference to how we feel and move through this life... The colours that we surround ourselves with, the textures we choose, the upholstery, the floor coverings, the bathroom tiles - all of our choices impact on the comfort and ease that we feel in our home... I have to say that I'm not much of a pine girl - not that I'm knocking it - there's something strangely comforting about being cocooned in pine lined walls, all toasty and cozy on the inside as I look out to snow covered mountains beyond the glass doors and windows... The Little Cottage began its life this way - but as hard as I tried I couldn't live with it or work within it all the time - as you know, with me, it's all about white walls and colour in the upholstery...

All of this decorating thought and talk has reminded me that my first How To Decorate workshop is coming up on Friday 11th February - which is not too far away what with the days flying by as they do. I'm very excited to be continuing the How To Decorate series this year - the day is such a lovely way to immerse oneself in all things decorating and proved to be a huge success in 2010. If your interested in kick starting your decorating life in 2011, then a day at The Little Cottage in Bangalow could be just what you need. I still do have some places available on this date. If you'd like to book a place then head to the website or click on this link to be redirected. If you book (or have already booked) then you go into the draw to win this wonderful vintage painted milk glass vase - kindly offered to us by Maureen from La Boheme (which you'll find in the Lazybones Emporium in Station Street, Bangalow - not to missed shopping destination!). You might remember that we profiled Maureen's beautiful home a couple of months ago - under the title Creative Souls... Thanks Maureen for your generous offering... The vase is so beautiful it's going to be difficult to part with it...

I hope to meet you at The Little Cottage in February for a day of decorating fun (and great fare courtesy of Nicky)... Sx

Sunday, 2 January 2011

It's The Little Things...

Why, Happy New Year all!!! 2011 is here - and I can feel in my bones, this one is going to be great... But of course, aren't they all? Every year is a gift, I say, particularly for those of us who are free to choose how we mould our years... How we shape our lives... Where we spend our days.... I feel so grateful to be spending my new year traveling with my family... Seeing the world not only through my eyes but through those of my children... When you travel you realize that it is really is a small world after all and what a gift it is to be free... Traveling reminds us that we are all just people, trying to make our way through the minutes, hours and days that make up our lives... And that it's the little things that mean the most...
And so, this year I vow to live, love and breathe life into the little things because it's these small moments in time that when put together, make up the storybook of our lives... Oh, it's going to be good year I say - and so, welcome 2011 - I can see that you and I are going to be great friends...

The Little Things So Far...