Guest Post: Laura from Ricevere con Stile

Today I bring you the first guest-post Looking Glass has ever had. I asked Laura from Ricevere con Stile if she would kindly share her inspiration with us today because I adore her blog but also because we have formed a wonderful blogging friendship over the past few months. Laura and I have so much in common and in fact, we often find ourselves blogging about the very same things.  It's wonderful how blogging can bring together people from opposite sides of the world when we would never have known about each other before. So without further ado here is Laura....

~ Clare x

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Hi everybody, my name’s Laura and I’m so glad and flattered to be Clare’s guest today…

The very first time I read this blog, I immediately felt a sort of “sync”….Everything seemed to be so familiar to me. Months later, I actually can say that I was right… Clare is one of my favourite bloggers: she’s stylish, funny,  creative and we often have so similar inspirations!!

So…today I propose you some beautiful and whimsy tables and details….I know that Clare’s planning her party! I hope to be helpful, sharing these delicious images, darling!!

Wanna wonderland b-day???

I’d like it to be sweet…

…colourful…

…with a vintage touch…

..and an “English charme”!!!

 

Maybe it could be an “en-plen-air” dreamy table…

                  

…or a simple and romantic consolle..

…but the very important things to take care of are details!!! A flower in the right place…

…a sweet message for our guests…

…a lovely way to set basic things…

 So, Clare, hope you find a great inspiration and thanks for giving me the chance to be here!!!

Have a lot of fun!!!!!

 Images via : Wedding Whims, You are my fave parties, My life-My loves

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Thank you again lovely Laura for so graciously visiting Looking Glass today. It has been an absolute pleasure having you here!

~ Clare x

2011 : The Year of Catch Up's

I'm not one for making silly new years resolutions that I know i'll never keep. I'm very much a "live in the moment" sort of person. I actually get excited about the fact that so much can happen in a year & I have no idea what this year will hold for me.

Saying that, I do generally have a little something in the back of my mind about how I'd would kind of like things to go... This year I thought I would try to be a little more relaxed & have a little more home time as I'm always running here & there like a busy little bee, always rushing & generally "late for a very important date."

As it turns out, my year has started in the exact opposite fashion and as usual, I haven't stopped. I believe that this year is going to be all about reunions and catch ups for me. See? There is just no point in trying to figure out what your year will hold.

After a very fun New Years celebration at my place, it was straight back to work for me, followed by a 10 day trip to Queensland. The following weekend saw me celebrating a very dear friend's "flirty thirty" birthday at The Gazebo Wine Garden and then the enagement party of one of my best friends. All the while I've been crazily searching for props, decorations, vintage tea cups and the like for my upcoming birthday party.

This weekend I have two 30th birthday's to attend and my Grandma's 90th birthday!! No rest for the wicked :-)  I'll have my party shoes on.

 What are you up to this weekend lovelies? I'm curious...

~ Clare x

All images from Max Wanger for Ban.do found via Rock n Roll Bride & Oh Joy!

Marie Antoinette Meets Alice in Wonderland...?

Did you know that the Palace of Versailles is going to be turned into a luxury hotel? Well part of it anyway. I was reading it here and was dreaming of Marie Antoinette and extravagent 18th Century gowns with fabulous bouffant style hair when I came across these images on A White Carousel... 

They are perfect inspiration for my upcoming Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea Party!

I love the cake as a hat!

All images from Vogue Girl Korea March ‘07 fashion editorial found via A White Carousel

Happy Australia Day for yesterday to all you Aussie's out there! I unfortunately had to work, but we had a Sausage Sizzle to celebrate.

~ Clare x

Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat...

 

How I wonder what you're at!

 

Up above the world you fly

 

Like a tea tray in the sky!

  

All images by me

My flirty 30 is nearing & I'm busily planning a party!

I found the vintage tea cups & saucers in the first photo at Rozelle Markets on the weekend. The beautiful 2 tiered cake stand I purchased from my Auntie's store Bay Living when I stayed with her over Christmas. I came up with the concept & design of the above invites and my very talented hubby executed them for me.

I will post some proper pics of the invites soon. I just got carried away taking pics with the Hipstamatic app on my i-phone. Anyone else obsessed with this app? I love it!

~ Clare x

My Latest Obsession: Romeo & Juliet

Did you know that the earliest version of Romeo & Juliet was actually set in Siena, not Verona? That's right, Shakespeare's tale of these star-crossed lovers was not the original, just the most famous. 

The above novel, "Juliet" by Anne Fortier, has had me absolutely enraptured. I don't think a novel has taken me over completely like this since Jane Eyre. From the moment I began reading Juliet I could barely tear myself away from it. Each chapter left me hanging and I found myself unable to sleep, thinking about what was going to happen next, should I read just one more chapter?

The Story:

"Juliet, an ambitious, utterly engaging historical novel on the scale of The Thirteenth Tale and The Birth of Venus, follows a young woman who discovers that her family’s origins reach all the way back to literature’s greatest star-crossed lovers.

When Julie Jacobs inherits a key to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy, she is told it will lead her to an old family treasure. Soon she is launched on a winding and perilous journey into the history of her ancestor Giulietta, whose legendary love for a young man named Romeo rocked the foundations of medieval Siena. As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families involved in Shakespeare’s unforgettable blood feud, she begins to realize that the notorious curse—“A plague on both your houses!”—is still at work, and that she is the next target. It seems that the only one who can save Julie from her fate is Romeo—but where is he?" (Source)

 The way each chapter travels from Julie Jacobs' story in the present day to Giulietta Tolomei's story set in 1340, was just brilliant. This is just such an amazing idea for a novel! I couldn't help but be completely & utterly consumed by this story to the point that I was torn between getting to the next chapter & not wanting the story to ever end. Sadly I have finished it & am now having to resort to dreaming of my next trip to Siena....

Do you have a novel that has consumed you in this way? Do tell.

~ Clare x

Back to the Swing of Things

Image by Me

 

My sincerest apologies curious readers, for being absent! I took a little trip for a week and a half up to sleepy Bargara (just outside of Bundaberg) in Queensland to visit friends.

As some of you may know, Bundaberg was one of the flood affected areas in Queensland, but we had already planned our trip months ago. Very dear friends of ours moved up there and we were going to see them and we also all had to go to a Wedding on the Gold Coast during our stay. We were going to drive together down to the Gold Coast for the Wedding, stay the night and then head back to Bargara the next day. Unfortunately during our stay in Bargara, Queensland became inundated with the most devastating floods.

Luckily for us where we were staying in Bargara was fine, although due to the floods in surrounding areas we had no way to get to our friends' Wedding and had to miss it :-(

I took the photo above of someone's house that had flooded. It is just so devastating, the amount of people who have lost everything, not to mention those that have lost loved ones. If anyone out there would like to donate, you can by heading to the Queensland Government website here and you can also donate to the Queensland RSPCA here.

I will be back to posting normally now that I'm back in Sydney and back to the daily grind. Can't wait to catch up on all your blogs & see what I've missed out on!

~ Clare x

Rooftop Mojitos & Fireworks

 

All photos by me

Just a few pictures of the Sydney Harbour fireworks on NYE that I took from our rooftop. Not the greatest, but the best I could do after quite a few of these....

Mmmmm Mojitos!

What exciting New Years Eve shenanigans did you all get up to?

~ Clare x

Feliz Año Nuevo

 

I hope everyone had a spectacular Christmas & New Year!

Here are a few photos of my Aunty's stunning tree and table decorations for Christmas. She provided a most decadent Christmas feast for us all and I think you'll agree that her table looks oh-so-special.

Hubby and I had a wonderfully relaxing time staying at my Aunty's for a few days, stuffing ourselves stupid with delicious food and drink. I couldn't help but pop into her stunning homeware store that she owns & fill my car up with tonnes of goodies!!

All images by me

I'll be back very soon with a few photos of my New Years Eve festivities, including some of the Sydney Harbour fireworks. I'm looking forward to catching up on all your blogs & seeing what you all did for Christmas & New Years!

~ Clare x