this week why don't you...

...read this...

My latest blog obsession is Inchmark by a former Martha Stewart Weddings and Kids graphic designer. Everything is beautiful, the ideas are unique and you can tell special thought and love go into everything she creates. If there is such a thing as a blogger crush, Brooke Reynolds is mine at the moment! I'm going to steal this idea (above) to make door plaques for my kids' room.

...download this...

It's fab! It's funny! It's free! The ever-popular Stay Calm and Carry On poster has been spoofed and shrunk into a greeting card. Download it here from Creature Comforts and print onto card. Or you could probably even print out on A4 size card and frame as normal.

...cook this...

Make these yummy blueberry muffins now in time for your 4pm sugar hit. And if you do all that mixing by hand, the exercise will cancel out the bad stuff you consume!

...try this...

This pretty light started out as an odd little froggie lamp from Ikea's children section, can you believe it? Nicole from Making it Lovely shows you here how to glam it up easily. Oh look! Another use for wallpaper. Is there anything it can't do?

...enter this...

Blog in desperate need of someone to wave their magic wand over it? Leave a comment on this post at Oh Brooke and you could be lucky enough to win a blog redesign by the author/clever creative designer. You have until today (Monday, Jan 12) but luckily, we're ahead of the States, so even if you don't read this until Tuesday morning, it'll still be Monday over there! Tricky! Great blog too with all sorts of handy decorating tips and tricks.

have a peaceful christmas

Isn't this adorable? From Brenda Leann's Flickr

Well guys, I'd planned to blog about so much before the break - gift guides, round up of 2008 trends and predictions for next year - but I am only one person with many hats and work, motherhood, chores and life in general seemed to get in the way. So, I'm taking my break now (not really, I'm working up until Dec 29 when the next upload goes live) and will be back early Jan for a new year. Unless of course I get bored or have something to share! I'm determined to find my way around Flickr this holidays, so check me out here - I'll attempt to get that sorted with pics of my place and what I've been up to on my break.

Yay! Blog awards for me!

Before I go... I was awarded two "Love your blog" awards recently - one by Jo Girl and the other from Ish & Chi, so big thanks for those! I'm meant to pass it on to six bloggers I happen to love, but I'm going to do it a little differently. Instead, I thought I'd hand out some virtual Chrissy gifts to my most regular haunts. I've come across a gazillion brilliant blogs this year and check out dozens every week, but there are a handful in my daily rotation - most of which I'm sure you also regularly check out. So here are the women who've inspired me, entertained me, made me laugh, taught me things, become my blogging friends or just kept me in touch with what's happening outside of the design world- and a few things I thought each blogger would like to receive. Of course, it'd be much nicer to receive them for real, but... it's the thought that counts, right?!

Merry Christmas... Holly Becker of Decor8 and Haus Maus
Holly's Decor8 inspired me to blog regularly. She packs it with so many inspiring images, thoughts and information every single day and is so nice and sweet on top of it! Then she went and started up a second blog documenting the decoration of her German apartment and she's put me to shame. In just a few months she's achieved more than I have in five years! But I love her eclectic style and eye from what I've seen in both her homes. It's been fun following her journey, during which I've discovered she has a thing for owls. So here is a lovely Letterpressed owl print from Bespoke Press (whose store has just opened and who has a great blog too, check it out!)

Merry Christmas.... Danielle de Lange of The Style Files

I know I'm going to see something beautiful when I log on to Danielle's blog. She has exquisite taste that I wish would rub off on to me via the internet! She's a stylist, a web store owner, a blogger, a corporate girl and has just added removator to her list of talents - I hope she invites us into her new world of dust and dramas as she makes her gorgeous little farmhouse just outside of Amsterdam a home. I thought she might love this beaded storage box by Attia. White, handmade, glam beads. Perfect! Maybe even something for her to stock in Le Souk!?

Merry Christmas.... Trina McNeilly of La La Lovely Things

I'm a newish reader of Trina's blog but have found myself returning daily. It's warm and friendly and filled with all things pretty. And I love finding out interesting things about people, like that her father is a newspaper man - just like my hubby and me in a previous life (well, I was a newspaperwoman! We met in shorthand class. Everyone say ahhh). Trina represents my all things girlie side - think chandeliers, flowers and pink. I think she'd love this chandelier stationery set from Pink Paris Design.

Merry Christmas... Jennifer Ramos of Made By Girl

I live my bright, bold and colourful side through Jen! I'm not brave enough to do it in my own home so enjoy the oodles of colour she features on her blog and in her work. I now have two of her artworks - the ABC and LOVE poster - and I'm sure there is room for more! I thought I'd found a unique store in Cox & Cox and had copied this cushion into my folder a while back for this very blog post and then Holly goes and blogs about it yesterday and ruins it for me - hmph! Hehe. But here it is anyway, I know how much Jen loves her Union Jacks!

Merry Christmas... Amanda of Swish and Swanky

I found Amanda via my own blog! And she quickly became a regular for me too. Her posts are a mix of personal and inspirational and she had a genius idea these past few weeks to feature a range of different bloggers and how they celebrate Chrissy. I was honoured to be a part and thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's responses. For Amanda I think this adorable little put-it-together-yourself felt birdhouse from Lola et Moi would be perfect - for her or her daughter's room.

Merry Christmas... Danielle of Danimezza
Danielle was my very first commenter and huge supporter of this blog from the beginning. From her incredibly interesting career choices to her love for her hubby to her battle with that horrid "I" word mums-wanting-to-be shudder at the thought of (and of which I can relate) to her dinner party table settings, she writes about everything and anything in her life - a true blogger I'd say! I know she collects turquoise glass and you just can't beat a Dinosaur Designs turquoise vase, so this one is for her!

Merry Christmas... Viv of Ish & Chi

I haven't known Viv all that long either but her nursery decroration sold me - this girl has style! She's just given birth to adorable baby Robbie but still finds time to blog about all things pretty, her eBay and market scores and her painting. Her red and white nursery is adorable and I thought this beautiful so-soft Luna Ninos blanket might make a lovely addition to it!

Merry Christmas... Mia Freedman of Mamamia

Not design related at all (in fact she's rather anti-homewares and renovations!) but my daily read for celebrity snippets and fashion eye candy which saves me from the painful Perez Hilton-type blogs I can't handle any more. Her life musings and family-life stories are always amusing and relatable and of all the blogs I read, she's the only one I've actually met in person (aside from Deb and Nat of course, but current colleagues don't count) - she was my former boss. Seeing as she's been wondering lately if Nicole Kidman's plastic-like face is really due to sunscreen as the actress claims, I thought this Nic doll by Noel Cruz would be the perfect tongue-in-cheek gift for her to spot the differences. One could argue the doll is more lifelike! Ha! (Oh and you must check out the other celebrity dolls he's created. Spooky how much they resemble the actors.)

And finally, Merry Christmas... every single one of you who's visited me here or at mini meez, commented on a post, emailed me personally, helped me, promoted me and inspired me.

It's been a joy being part of such a nice blogging community (unlike some others I've visited at times) and to thank you all, here are some little gifts for you too, beautifully wrapped by Rebecca Thuss. The gifts inside are whatever you wish them to be! So go on, treat yourself to something nice, you so deserve it! And I invite you all to give virtual gifts this year to your current faves - it's rather fun picking invisible gifts (within a realistic budget!) you think they'd like even when you don't know them that well. And if you do do, come back here and tell me so I can peek at what you've come up with.

Until 2009, have a fab, fun, safe and happy silly season.
Belinda x