All posts by Gem Camille : BLACKBIRD

HOME COMFORTS // HALE HOME

Welcome to a new series called Home Comforts!
It will be a chance for you to rubber neck at some well-formed homes, and who doesn’t want to do that?
To head us off we have a dear friend of mine. Heather Hale.  Heather and I spent our adolescent summers climbing rocks and chasing boys.  We headed separate ways for a while reconnecting older and wiser, and as kindred as ever.  Some people you are just made to be friends with.  Sitting in a sunny little street in Auckland you will find the Hale home.  Husband Michael at work on his bike, their daughter Heidi Pearl by Heather’s side who is undoubtedly rearranging something,  hanging new wallpaper or banging a hole in a wall.  That was always something we had in common.  The bug for incessant change.

Heather is a style master.  A guru in all that is lux and lavish.  She has an eye for mixing old and new and brings femininity into her home in such a constant and sophisticated way.  It is warm, and it is inviting, and you are never without a glass of rose in-hand.
It is my kind of place.

Until next time.BlackbirdBLOG signature

Although her home may be the one on show today, Heather’s personal style is up for grabs. She is a bangin’ and sought after personal fashion stylist. You can contact her here

MAKE IT // cotton knitted dishcloth

Let’s face it, for the most part, dishcloths are pretty darn ugly and seem to die after a few washes.  I mean I know it is ‘just’ a dishcloth, but it is something we use multiple times a day, that gets used and abused and that generally hangs over your tap in the kitchen for all to see. So why can’t it be a bit pretty, cheap, even more effective and sustainable? These guys cost about $1.25 a pop, plus a little time and last through countless washes. Boxes ticked? Yes? And they are fairly easy too.

If you can knit a line, you can make them.

YOU WILL NEED //
One ball of cotton twine – I found mine at the local emporium, $2.50 for two

One pair of needles – Mine were 3.5mm, the smaller the needles the closer the weave

Scissors

STEPS //
Cast on four stitches
Knit one row
Increase by a stitch each row until you have 40
Knit one row
Decrease your stitches each row until you have one.
Cast off

There you have it. I will no longer waste time staring at the ugliness that was my dishcloth.

Go forth and knit your way to a prettier cleaning experience.

Until next time.BlackbirdBLOG signature

LEAN CLOSET // LEAN HOME

A few months back I stumbled upon what has fast become one of my favourite blogs.

  Wide Eyed Legless.

At the time Madelynn was taking part of Cuyana’s Lean Closet Movement. A movement dedicated to smaller and higher quality wardrobes. To culling the noise which areo the extra items, the items you never wear but never get rid of. A movement that frees you from the hour long episode of standing in front of  the wardrobe staring aimlessly, resulting in wearing the same outfit you always do and complaining to your significant other that ” I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR! ”

Needless to say this resonated with me on many levels.
I had that overflowing wardrobe filled with items that I hated, the poor quality, the rush buys and I was finally done with it. So four hours, two trash bags and a trip to the Sallies later I was back staring at my wardrobe. I still had nothing to wear. And so began the challenge. To fill my wardrobe with well made, classic and timeless pieces, from quality fabrics that resonate with my personal style and not the trends of the current season.
And then it crossed my mind, Why just my wardrobe? Why not my home too?
So here we are. It won’t be a quick or easy journey, but the result will be worth it.
My journey to a lean closet and a lean home.

Until next time

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DISCLAIMER :: In no way does this mean I will be throwing away my Harley shirts. They are a quality all of there own.

RENO LIFE // Master Bedroom Progress

We are nearing the end of week three here. Seriously! I do not know where the time has gone! But with the prep work out of the way, this week was painting and floor week. Most of you know by now that I swear by Resene Black White as a base colour. ( Yes, I believe white is a colour. ) It is pure brilliance. A dear friend told me about it once and I have never turned back. So with a rather large bucket of it in hand we took to the Master Bedroom.

I don’t know if the ‘before’ pictures really do it justice. It was HIDEOUS. Because of the move, the ceiling was rippled, and there were gaping holes at top of the architrave’s. The carpet had tinges of green throughout where someone had had a disaster trying to clean. The textured yellow wallpaper was billowing and torn in parts. So getting it to a slightly nice finish was a mission. Paint was scraped, Holes where filled, Wallpaper was torn down, Walls were skimmed, New backing paper was hung and those hideous blue glass light fixtures were taken far away ( thanks for that 1990’s decor )

Finally a lick of paint, re-position of the lights, a built in wardrobe and ripping up of the old carpet ( hello delicious Matai floor boards ) and now we are on to the fun stuff. So watch this space.

Until next time.

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