All we want for Christmas...

Celebrate Christmas with festive ornaments, beautiful cards, wrapping paper and handcrafted decorations that don't cost the earth.

Christmas Cards - Handmade cards will be cherished by your nearest and dearest for longer than a few weeks. Use red or black recycled paper and cut out a prancing reindeer shape, a Christmas tree shape, a hanging bauble shape and so on - then create a collage by sticking the shapes on to a white backgound. Play with different textured paper too, and layer the cutouts in groups of three.

The Christmas Tree - Hang cherished decorations, along with hand tied raffia bows - strings of beads and dried flowers and pine cones from the garden and soft white feathers - and don't forget the star - try a hand made twig star with raffia.

Wrapping Paper - this year, we're using brown paper with black cord and hand cut swinging tags that have been name stamped. For fun, let the kids go wild with red and green crayons first - or create a stencil cut out and have them colour in the shapes - snowflakes, candy canes and stars are easy. By carefully folding the paper and using raffia, you can wrap your presents without using sticky tape - it's a very natural and earthy look.

Wall Paper

Once used to ‘cover’ design faults, wallpaper today is a work of art – a testimony to the care and intricacy used in its production. Often used as lamp shades or framed as canvas art, wallpaper, like the feature wall, is an accessory for your home.
Used effectively, wallpaper adds a distinctive style and texture to your favourite room – creating two or more dimensions and adding depth and interest.
Being a natural product, the different fibres of the wallpaper bring a range of colour and tones.

There are rules on which wall to pick, and you need to pay attention to the texture and size of patterns as well. Questions to ask yourself: which wall do I want to look at? What else is in the room - will the wallpaper clash with existing furiture? Is there natural light? Is the wall in a high traffic area? Always get samples too - because the colour and texture will look completely different to how it is displayed in a showroom.

Where to find it?
Style Plantation stores nationally stock Baresque wallpapers– These wallpapers are produced from fibres such as sisal, jute, kudzu vine and bamboo they bring exotic texture and colour – giving a feature to your space.

Dinosaur

Style Plantation visited Corporate Culture with friends last night to hear a conversation by Stephen Ormandy, Dinosaur Designer.

Dinosaur Designs has become synonmous with contemporary Australian design, and the prolific collection of jewellery and homewares produced since their first experiments with resin in 1986 are testament to their relevance and longevity.

For more information, pick up a copy of Habitus magazine and visit www.habitusliving.com where the design hunt truly does continue.

White is the new black: Mediterranean design trends

THIS SEASON is reminiscent of the beautiful Greek Islands. Vivid blues and gentle whites.
Get it right with stone, terracotta or limestone floors that feel cool underfoot.
Dulux white on white walls, ceilings and sheer white curtains. White furniture, sofas and chairs will help add to the cool and relaxed summer atmosphere.
Blue is the other colour du jour which truly compliments our Greek theme. Use it as an accent, with cushions, glassware, candle urns or bowls.
Alternatively use blue as a feature, for instance a bold piece of furniture or a feature wall.
Take your inspiration from the hues of the Mediterranean sea, cobalt or royal blue.
For extra decadence be guided by Versace medusa heads and gilded swirls.

Got Milk?

MILK … is there really any difference?

CHOICE magazine asked the question many of us have been asking—are the different types of milk worth the extra money?

What did they discover:

· Generic brands are much the same as the other, fancy milk

· If you love a creamy, fresh from the cow taste, buy organic milk

· Watch out for the ‘low saturated fat’ tag line—this can often mean it contains a range of oils, like canola or fish oil.

· Regardless of choice, all milk is ‘choc a block‘ full of calcium.

Chic Home Offices, and how to create them.

WHETHER YOU HAVE a desk nook, a small corner of your kitchen or a grand, open space, creating a chic home office is simple. All you need is a deliberate style and some solid pieces to reflect it.

Desk or workstation?

Confined for space or placed in the centre of an existing room ensure your desk/workstation have doors that close when it’s not in use. This allows it to become an integrated part of the room.

Enlist the expertise of a bespoke cabinet maker or joiner to ensure it’s streamlined and doesn’t stand out.

For those fortunate enough to have plenty of space the question of what desk will depend on decor of the rest of your space.

Glass desks
Easy to adjust to any height or angle, glass desks add to the lightness of a room and it’s streamlined design creates a sense of the modern in any environment. Pros: room will appear more spacious, it’s very modern, you can make a feature of your floor as the desk allows you to see straight through.

Cons: is high maintenance to keep clean as any marks are instantly noticeable. It can also scratch easily and not the safest choice if you have young children.

A-Frames
Decidedly in-fashion, A frame desks work really well in a space where you want to maximise space. It also gives a contemporary influence to the room. Versatile, you can add a glass, wood, veneer or melamine top. Pros: cost effective, easy to DIY, not limited to materials for top, possibility of adding a top drawer to provide some storage.

Cons: storage is limited, less sturdy and not the most ergonomic design so not the best for people needing to work for long periods at a time.

Solid timber of traditional desks
Think Chinese rose wood, this kind of desk is a definite statement, bringing history and elegance into a space.

Pros: provides lot’s of storage, leather inlay at the top provides added comfort—great for people who do a lot of writing. Classical design can be swayed to antique or classic modern style, depending on what else you have in the space. Brass handles are an added feature can be complemented with a padded chair with studding and contoured at the back for extra lower back support.

Cons: doesn’t provide shelf space, can appear heavy and bulky, adding weight to a space. Restricted to period style decor/theme.

Mouth Watering

Our BBQ taste teaser of the week:

Can you resist:

Starters
Prawn & scallop skewers
With lemon chili marinade

Main
Carpet bag steak :
fresh, raw or natural oysters sandwiched between two halves of a rump steak.; seasoned with black pepper and barbequed to preference.

Whole snapper wrapped in foil and seasoned with ginger, shallots, garlic and white wine; cook on the hotplate.

Mixed mesclun leaf salad with cherry tomatoes and balsamic vingarette.

Dessert
Mango halves brushed sprinkled with brown sugar; served with vanilla ice cream.

Sustainable Gardening.

The warmer months are hear, and now is the time to be thinking green - in your own backyard. We love picking vegetables and herbs to use in the kitchen - fresh lettuce, tomatoes, spinach -
mint, corriander, basil - the list goes on.
--- Fofi By Design

PLANTING a new garden or enjoying another year’s harvest, now is the time to be outdoors.
Discover the satisfaction of growing your own flowers, plants, vegetables and fruit.

Survival gardening is a new trend, according to CHOICE magazine as consumers continued with supermarkets increasing fresh produce costs.

Great gardens need a combination of Good guidance, Time and Common sense. Lot’s of space isn’t necessary. For people in apartments pots and planter boxes work just as well.

For best results work out which vegetables, fruits and flowers grow in each season.

Inspiring gardening websites:

Yates Garden Guidewww.yates.com.au

The Vegetable Patchwww.thevegetablepatch.com.au

Gardening Australiawww.abc.net.au/gardening