7 Pots and Planter Pouches

1. Large yellow planter pouch
2. Beautiful coloured geometric pot
3. Gold teardrop pot
4. Artificial plant in white geometric pot
5. Small blue planter pouch
6. Triangle patterned pot
7. White and gold circle pot

I am loving these pots and planter pouches from Kmart right now. They are all so cute and affordable, I want them all! I have a few plants that are growing in kind of ugly pots right now, so I'm hoping to pick up some new pots soon. I love having plants indoors, although I don't have much natural light in my bedroom sadly. Lucky there are a few plants that don't mind a dimly lit room!

Nina xo

7 Vignettes May Round Up

I finally got around to completing another 7 Vignettes challenge on Instagram! I really love these monthly challenges so much and I encourage anyone who hasn't participated in them yet to give it a go next round. They really inspire me and push me to be creative. It was a little challenging this month as for a few days we had so much rain that I had the worst lighting to deal with! And then the rain actually caused the Internet to be down around Brisbane for a few days! :O I couldn't transfer images from my camera to my phone, or upload any blog posts! 

The brief for the above picture was "Mother" since Mother's Day is this weekend. My Mum is actually away overseas at the moment, but I took a photo of some of the collections she has on her desk. She loves nature and has this little collection of stones in a jar, and a tiny jar full of dried flower heads and seeds for planting later. The little pine cones have been around for as long as I can remember growing up!

Relaxed

As it's autumn here and getting cooler, I've been drinking so much coffee and tea and craving hearty meals and lots of sweet things. There's nothing better than relaxing with a coffee in the morning before I get started with things.

Symmetrical

These marble horse book ends are another thing that have been in my household for as long as I can remember. 

If you don't follow me on Instagram, you can find me here @littlepinkcactus!

Hope everyone's enjoying May so far!

Nina xo

7 Things I've Learned About Styling So Far

Less than a year ago I got the opportunity to do a little display work in my retail job at the time. It was only because there was a delay with deliveries and there wasn't much to do, and my wonderful manager at the time gave me the task of making some fun product displays, and gave me free reign to do whatever I liked with them. They were some of the most fun shifts I have ever had in any job, and it was a bit of a lightbulb moment for me as it got my brain swirling with vague ideas about some kind of career in styling, design, interiors, or decorating in some capacity. In the fairly short time since then, I've done work experience in the industry, now have a job in a fantastic homewares store with an amazing interior stylist as a boss, and the vague ideas from back then are forming into more focused aspirations to become a stylist. I still have so, so much to learn and still a lot of hard work to do to get to anywhere near where I want to be, but I am loving being able to practice prop styling for this blog and other projects, and helping style furniture and homewares at the store I work at!

The other day I was styling some vignettes for this month's 7 Vignettes project by Interiors Addict. As I was making a huge mess of melted chocolate (I'll get to that) and gathering all sorts of things from around our house and actually talking to myself at one point, I had to have a laugh. Styling photos makes me act a little crazy and really pushes me to get creative. Here are some things I have learned and experienced so far when prop styling for photos...

1. Being absolutely void of any ideas whatsoever for a project and sulking about it and worrying that I'll never have another idea ever again. (I think any creative activity suffers from this one!)

2. Then being almost overwhelmed with inspiration from all sorts of unlikely places and trying to do four projects at once. I'll be inspired by Pinterest, people's blogs, interior magazines, a homewares catalogue, all sorts of things, and suddenly when inspiration strikes it tends to unleash an almighty flood of creative ideas. I've found myself in the middle of doing one thing and I suddenly have to go and grab something else for another idea that's just sprung to mind for a completely different project... and I'll end up doing four different projects at once.

3. Fossicking for objects to use in a vignette or styling project anywhere and everywhere is my new thing. When I have an idea, I start to see all sorts of objects in a brand new light, and I search high and low for items to use in my photos, and sometimes find them in the oddest places.

4. And if I can't find quite what I'm looking for... I'll think outside the box. It has sunk in that when prop styling for a photo shoot all that matters is what's in the frame. The other day for example I really wanted some decadent delicious looking cookies in a photo I was taking. I didn't have any, and I didn't want to waste time going to get some and I didn't have any ingredients to make some. All I found was an old packet of very plain wheat biscuits at the back of the cupboard and a very old block of sea salt chocolate that didn't taste very good (why were they in the cupboard still? I don't know). So I put down my camera, melted the chocolate, drizzled it all over the plain biscuits and voilà! Delicious looking shiny chocolately drizzly biscuits for my photos. Every time I put something together I find myself doing something like this!

5. A large white piece of card has been my must have styling tool. I live in a rental house which has sage/seafoam green walls. A large white piece of card to use as a background has been a fantastic $2 investment, although I really should upgrade to some kind of wood panel or something less prone to bending and marking.

6. Agonizing over the placement of every object of the picture. I'm getting really fussy over my composition of images, that's for sure! I want to have everything in the frame balanced and perfect. It's really helping my photography skills!

7. And then agonizing over which picture is the best one to use. I'll take so many photos of the same thing, most people would think they all look the same. But I'll spend a long, long time agonizing over how this one has the slightly better lighting, however this one has the poster and the tabletop perfectly straight and in line.

I'm sure that a lot of bloggers who take a lot of pictures for their blogs can relate to these as well! What are your photography and styling habits? Do you have props that you always use, or short cuts you like to take? 

Hope everyone is having a brilliant week!

Nina xo

P.S. Yes, these pictures were taken on my new camera! I am definitely still learning the ins and outs of it, but I'm loving it.

Currently

Hello! Wow, I cannot believe the first week of March is already nearly over! How fast is this year going so far?

I wanted to share a couple of current things in my life, or upcoming things I'm excited about!

1. Firstly and most importantly, I got a new camera! I got this gorgeous white Sony a6000 and it is amazing. I am still a total amateur when it comes to photography, so I can't wait to learn all I can on such an awesome camera. I have only had a little play with it and I haven't tapped into its true potential yet, and I'm already in love with it. After doing a tonne of research into cameras and liking this one, I was so excited to see that it came in white, I just had to get it. I was totally happy to spend more money to have the white one. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

2. I was really excited to read that Adore Home Magazine are releasing another print edition! The last one was so beautiful, I love it. This one is called the Paradise Edition, and they are running a Pozible campaign to raise money for printing costs. Head over here to pre-order!

3. I bought a small string of pearls plant a little while ago, and it's growing well! They are such interesting and pretty plants. I just need to find a really nice hanging pot for it. Once it gets settled it'll be pretty hard to move around, so I need the perfect pot! I'm actually considering making one. If you have any DIY hanging pot tutorials to recommend, let me know!

4. This is a bit of a strange one. I just got a pair of Timberland boots! They arrived this morning, and I'm pretty excited. I just wanted a comfy boot for travelling, walking, hiking, that also looked nice to me. When I'm in Japan later this month, I think they'll be great to wear all day walking around and exploring (with their anti-fatigue technology and waterproof exterior... God I sound like an ad!) and then will look fine to wear to a restaurant or out for drinks etc at night (let's face it a lot of hiking shoes are really, really hideous, although I'm sure they are very comfortable and perfect for hiking). My brother has already teased me about them, calling me Kanye - I guess I kind of didn't know there was a stereotype surrounding these boots? Anyway, I'm a fan. And I'm not a rapper in case you were wondering.

I have lots and lots of ideas and projects I can't wait to share with you guys... Hope everyone is enjoying March so far!

Nina xo

Style board: Charcoal and Yellow Office

Industrial/Retro Office by littlepinkcactus featuring patterned Chairish rug.

I was pretty excited when Chairish approached me to do a style board based around one of their rugs! I chose this patterned yellow and grey rug as my focal point, and I wanted to show it off in an office with a fun mix of industrial and retro styles with a splash of colour. I like the geometric patterns off set with literal splashes of watercolour and textured paint strokes. Structured lines meets whimsical splashes. Take a look at all the rugs available on Chairish here!

I am really new to creating mood boards and style boards. In fact this was my first time using Polyvore (or any kind of style board creation web app) and I have to say I had so much fun and am now in love with it. I can't wait to hone my style board skills (and now possible obsession) and learn more and more about styling and interior decorating!

What do you think of my first style board? I always love feedback!

Nina xo

Black, White, Green Styling and Decorating - 7 Vignettes Completed!

I have completed my first ever round of the 7 Vignettes challenge! I had so much fun participating in this, I already can't wait for next month's challenge. These were my photos for the "green" and "black and white" themes.

In case you don't know about the 7 vignettes challenge, it is an Instagram competition in which participants post a photo every day for seven days based on daily themes laid out at the start. This month's themes were all colour based: sparkle, yellow, blue, green, pink, rainbow and black & white. I found it pretty challenging for some of the themes, especially rainbow! The whole challenge really made me think outside the box with styling the photos and it was great to see everyone else's amazing vignettes too. To check them out, search #7vignettes on Instagram! To follow me on Instagram and see all seven of my entries, search @littlepinkcactus ;)

Hope everyone is having a great year so far!

Nina xo

7 Vignettes

I'm participating in Interiors Addict's 7 Vignettes competition for the first time this month! I am very happy to be a part of it! The theme for today was yellow, can you tell? Being involved is really good motivation and it's so great to see all the other inspiring and creative entries. If you want to know more about it, the Interiors Addict article is here, and you can search #7vignettes on Instagram to see all the latest pics!

I've just created an Instagram account for the blog - come and find me @littlepinkcactus :)

Christmas Gift Wrapping, Merry Christmas!

I usually (secretly) love Christmas, but for the last two years it seemed to come around so fast I barely had time to get into the spirit of things! But this year, just in time I found my festiveness and have really enjoyed preparing for Christmas day. Right now I can smell the gingerbread cookies I'm baking, I have last minute Christmas cards and stickers next to me, our Christmas tree and lights look glorious, and I put the last of my presents under the tree this morning. 

I had so much fun wrapping this year. I picked a theme and just really went with it after finding this gorgeous teal, red and white wrapping paper set at Typo. One paper is a teal background with adorable owls wearing hats and scarves, one is a slightly darker/bluer teal with white snowflakes and hedgehogs and deer, and the last is a simple polka dot in matching colours. What a gorgeous combination! I already had some plain bright red wrapping paper, white and red washi tape, teal washi tape, and these cute mini Christmas cards from the supermarket which matched in colour! I also got some various red and white ribbons to finish it off.

I made these bow decorations with off-cuts of the wrapping paper. They are super easy to make - just cut a rectangle to whatever size you'd like, fold in a concertina back and forth to the end, and then secure the middle with tape and fan out both ends to make it look pretty. You can secure them with tape or tie them on with ribbon. I first heard of this idea a long time ago from the wonderful Hello Sandwich, go check out her amazing wrapping ideas.

I can't believe how well these mini Christmas cards matched the wrapping theme! What a happy fluke. 

Blue wrapping with a big red paper bow...

Or with a white ribbon and polar bear gift card...

Or with a matching blue paper bow as well as white satin ribbon!

Contrast this simple paper with a bright red paper bow...

Or decorate with a thick red ribbon...

Or put both together for a big pop of colour!

For a different set of presents, I also re-used this old gift bag, alongside some of last year's wrapping paper, and a piece of a clear Christmas wrapping. I put the clear bow together with some gold and white striped washi tape, which I also used to wrap the present. It definitely jazzed up some pretty ordinary wrapping paper, and I'm always for re-using and up-cyling things where you can!

 I hope everyone who celebrates Christmas has a fantastic day, and happy holiday season to everyone! My favourite things about Christmas are the pretty lights everywhere, and all the gorgeous decorations, the food, and of course giving gifts. I'll be seeing family tomorrow, eating a huge spread of delicious food, and having a swim. Can't wait! I'm so happy to have a few extra days off. I had better go and ice these gingerbread cookies... ;) Merry Christmas!

Nina xo

Kikki K Clutch

I bought this leather clutch from Kikki K a while ago and totally love it and have been meaning to share it here since! I kept seeing it in store and thinking about it, but I eventually just bought it and I'm glad I did. I'm normally a massive bargain hunter, and Kikki K can be a little pricey, but I just love the black with gold polka dots, the two separate pockets, the size, and the hand strap!

The front, with a main zipper and then a front pocket

The back

The inside, with cute fabric and some sewn in pockets.

It doesn't fit a HEAP of stuff in it, but it's definitely big enough for my phone and money and things for going out. It also came in this super nice box which I kept and have been using on my shelves in my bedroom. ^o^ I really love Kikki K, I could really go crazy in there if I didn't restrain myself haha. I'm considering a Kikki K planner for next year, but I'm so picky I'll probably take ages to actually decide on one!

Lots of posts planned, stay tuned! 

Nina xo

Quick Hello!

Hello! I'm still alive! I am sorry it's been a long time between posts again. I have been very busy with things that I can't really show much of on this blog, unfortunately. I have been doing work experience in the interiors industry, along with my regular two jobs, and a new third job which I got in a local homewares and interior decorating store. Yes, that's three jobs and a work experience placement! So I've been pretty busy and feeling a bit exhausted.

Making decisions about where to go in life is difficult. My problem is I have a huge list of things I want to do, or feel like I have to do, and I often get overwhelmed and don't know which direction I really want to go in. I keep reminding myself to live in the moment more instead of worrying so much about the future. Having said that, I do want to work hard towards a better future - I really want to find a job which I love and which also gives me the ability to do all the things I want to do outside of work, like travel and experience new things. I guess that's pretty much all anyone wants, huh?
Do you have a dream job or career goal you're working towards? I'd love to hear about it.

Anyway, this is our bed currently! We got a new bed from Ikea a little while ago. The bed frame is white with four drawers underneath which is fantastically practical. The bedding is from Ikea as well and is reversible - I love having options! The gorgeous little fox cushion is actually from Adairs for kids, but I couldn't resist it. I kept walking past the store and it looked so adorable in the front window, so one day I went in to look at it, and it happened to be on sale! I had to get it.

Here is a quick little photo of some recent things I've gotten.

+ I absolutely love this super cool "Everyday I'm Hustlin" candle by Damselfly. The scent is burnt fig and cassis, which is beautiful and subtle, and I just love the look of it too. I got it from Jack Mitchell!

+ This is the last issue I got of Real Living Magazine - love, love, love this magazine, it's so great for inspiration. Can't wait to grab the latest issue!

+ I picked up this simple black organiser from Kmart really cheaply. I'm in the process of reorganising my desk/office space and coming up with new ideas for how to set it up. I'm sure I'll eventually show you the final result here ;)

+ Simple black pom pom garland from Typo. I love Typo. Who doesn't love Typo? I've used this garland for a few different things so far, I keep moving it around! I really like that pom poms and garlands are so popular right now! On that note, I'm really excited that black is so popular in interior styling right now too, I've always owned so many black things, it's definitely a favourite for me. 

I have lots of ideas for things I want to do with this blog and projects I want to complete! Can't wait! 

Nina xo

School of Real Living Magazine

I'm so glad I picked up a copy of Real Living magazine's School of Real Living book! It's a really beautiful volume, absolutely packed with gorgeous photos of lots of different styles of interior decorating, as well as a little back-to-basics design and styling principles at the beginning, and a tonne of little pieces of decorating advice packed into the 130-odd pages. It's printed on beautiful thick paper that's half matte and half glossy.

I love the patterned pages which begin each new section! So cute.

I made my own washi tape diamond on my new pinboard, you can see it here!

I'd definitely recommend this book if you're obsessed with interior decorating like I am, and if you subscribe to the magazine here you can get this book for free! (I should probably have done that!) ;)

It's the beginning of spring here, and I'm feeling all the positive springtime vibes (even though I love winter too). I'm definitely in the mood for spring cleaning, organising, redecorating, and I'm looking forward to starting a fresh month, and a fresh season! It's a busy month this month for me, with lots of fun things to do, and I'll try to keep up-to-date here. Hope everyone is having an incredible week full of adventure!

Nina xoxo