Happy New Year

I am writing this blog from Nargano Japan. Sitting in a cosy hotel in front of a blazing fire as snow falls outside in bucket loads. It is a virtual Winter Wonderland here and I half expect the characters of Narnia to appear from behind the pine trees it looks so surreal. 
The last couple of weeks rushed by in a blur and due to Xmas Sale, 2nd sons mysterious illness, finalising sale of the house and trying to find a place to live, I haven:t had time to wish everyone a merry Xmas....and now here it is New Years Eve already!!!
What a year for myself and nearly everyone I know. I:m sure if I was into the significance of numbers 2010 would surely be a year that represents change, evolution, creativity and upheaval.
This year I have achieved so much and learnt many lessons good and bad, I have met so many wonderful and talented women who with a generosity of spirit and heart have helped me navigate through the stressful territory of small business and  made me feel welcome in a industry that I love.
I hope that 2011 brings every ones dreams into reality and is a year that will be bigger and better than the last. But I know that as women (not being sexist but it is from the only point of view I know) we have so much pressure from society and most of all from ourselves to be these super beings and I for one feel compelled to run around a million miles an hour just to achieve what I need to in an average day. So now as the year draws to an end I have found myself a little world worn and weary at having to be all and have all.  I feel a slow life movement coming and encourage all the you creative, driven, achieving women out there to join me and be kind to yourselves and sit for a little longer, let the house stay messy for a couple of hours more, talk to your friends for a few more minutes, have that extra coffee and just enjoy the slow moments.
Happy New Year!!!

Christmas Shopping Tonight

Tonight Lily G is hosting it's VIP shopping night. We have been working our not so petite butts off getting the store into an environment of sparkly gorgeousness. I am also showcasing all our new Samantha Wills jewellery, Aliss & Ena jewellery and have transformed my sale room back into a show room for the unveiling tonight of Judy from Verandah House's fabulous range of furniture. I changed the wallpaper a couple of weeks back and it is gorgeous. It is a Thibaut paper and I am such a huge fan of there beautiful product.  So fingers crossed all going well I will be posting lots of photo's in the next coming days of our lovely Christmas soiree. P.S if you live locally and wish to attend contact the store I'm sure we have enough

Champagne xxx  Just mention the blog and we'll add you to the list.

From G. P Baker to Thibaut in a blink of an eye.

My lovely Thibaut

And So This Is Christmas....

The Frenetic pace of the Xmas Season has started officially this week.

Xmas Carols,  Xmas Concerts, Xmas Pageants, Xmas Break-ups and Xmas Parties are all  jettisoning towards us like an overzealous, madly cheerful Staff member at A Club Med Resort. You know the ones that  force you to participate and to be a "JOINER" when all you want to do is rest by the pool and marvel at your cleverness for making it through another year of School drop offs and "logistical life balancing" while still managing to read a few good books, fit in something culturally beneficial to your own personal growth and manage to excercise (hahahahah!! yeah right!)

But the onslaught is here. So many events, so many school functions, so many work commitments and ALL taking place within the insane time frame of a couple of weeks and every invitation, event and function is deemed equally IMPORTANT and therefore equally UNAVOIDABLE!!

It IS tempting at times to stick heads blissfully in the sand and wait for it all to pass, but we don't... because we love Xmas. We don't want to forgo the euphoric feeling of joy, the displays of human kindness, the joy of giving and spending time with loved ones. There are many reasons we love Xmas. But for me it has always and will always be about the TRIFLE!! mmmmm

It's just that it all happens at once, and in such a gleeful manic frenzy that it can be quite a shock to the ol' system. After a year of (comparatively) social restraint suddenly it's on us....BAMM !!!!Full-Frontal Social Interaction!!!  And (if you are) like me and are quite shy normally, this time of year (when catapulted headfirst into festive obligation) can make us end up feeling like a little Deer caught in the proverbial Christmas Headlights. 

We become stunned with over consumption and social interaction and our much abused internal organs rebel after being forced (in the name of merriment) to filter a years quota of alcohol in one binge-fuelled month. We navigate through December a little dazed and confused and inevitably stagger from one festive event to the other not quite sure what the objective for the evening is. Socialising, being charming, witty and (fingers crossed) always nearly appropriate is the goal and above all... hopefully..hopefully.... remembering that Son's Xmas concert is ALWAYS a  DRY event!! Aaaah but under the weight of a burgeoning social calender who can blame Us for getting a little confused. 

So as you go forth into "The Silly Season" (how apt!) I have found some lovely Xmas jobs that The Doyenne of Style and Taste Martha Stewart has on her "To Do" list. My To do list has only 1 item.....

1. Don't go insane!!!

Click here for Martha's must do's Worth a giggle!!!!

http://mymerrychristmas.com/2005/martha.shtml

Sale on Today!!!

Well I am making way for some gorgeous NEW pieces that are due in next week. So today we are having a Massive clearance sale in our Carribean room. Come in and take advantage of Lily-G's Pre-Xmas Sale and save some money before Xmas!!
Linen, Home-Wares, Cushions, Lamps and Furniture Pieces all 10 - 30% off!!
Our New Room will be show cased next week!! Stay tuned.

What does not kill us makes us stronger.

This week started on a rather dire note. So much despair and tragedy happening out there in blog land.
It is hard to know what to say to people you care about in their hour of heartbreak. All anyone can do is show empathy and compassion and feel humbled at the frailty of life and the inconsistencies of the human condition.
We are living in a fast paced world where we are subjected to disaster and gross injustices on a daily basis, but it is always so shocking and horrible when it is happening to people we know and love. I try and take some time to thank the powers that have kept my children happy, my family healthy and my world spinning everyday with little or no hardship. We are all blessed to live in a country so free and devoid of the massive atrocities that others witness in their daily lives. So as we go about our daily lives lets remember that we never know what our neighbours or friends are going through when they close their doors at night, so we should try and be patient and understanding to all the various idiosyncrasies that challenge us in our daily encounters.
Melinda x

PS on a nice note Thank You to Keren from The Brown Trading Company for casting Lily g under the limelight on their new and fabulous blog. We love their Bungalow products and she and her brother Gavin are the loveliest people.

Realestate reality

So I'm sitting here in the wee hours of the morning (well early for this little duck anyway). Looking out at the gorgeous view from my office at home. I live in a little Bay area of Birkdale and from my home you can see Moreton, Green and as my boys call it "Mud Island" The views are spectacular and relaxing and the smell is a mix of the brine from the bay and Jasmine that is all along my back wall. I love it. But we are moving.
This home was never my choice. It is a big, concrete structure with little character features within. But it fit the bill for our Brady bunch family. My partner has 3 teenagers, I have 2 little people and we needed something big and broad and all encompassing to contain the dynamics of a blended family. 
I (as I mentioned) never particularly liked the house, I love character and charm and cornices and gorgeous balustrading (as we all do) but slowly over the last 3 years my monolithic girl has grown on me. The location, the breezes, the Caribbean feel of the palm trees has won me over and like an unappreciated friend I will miss her when she is gone.
We have sold and we have to decide what our next step is going to be. I would love to build but this is not so easy. I have the builders, designers, architects at my disposal, but there are two major obstacles in my way...Time and the availability of suitable land.
So I am a-hunting for that holy grail of real estate...a double block (with views) in Bulimba!!! I can hear you laughing!  But I am stalking the streets and I am quite a determined bunny.

But the present reality is I have approx 2 months to pack, move, rent, run my business, attend plethora of Xmas activities, organise trip to Japan (having a fusion Xmas) have Xmas extravaganza of some sort at Lily G, be present and not neurotic mummy and not scare partner with manic hysteria!!! and all whilst mourning the loss of my big white behemoth home that I have grown to love.

Wish me luck!!!! ANY TIPS on how to keep it all together (other than wine) and what are you signing up for that you know is going to take you to the brink??? Because you know that like Mother Nature; Women abhor a vacuum.
Not for me the sedate life. When it looks like I have too much on my plate I just head right back up to the proverbial buffet and load up!!!

 My lovely palm trees

Xmas at Lily G (First wave)

We spent the weekend xmas-ing the store, and with champagne and some yummy dinner brought to us by my lovely partner Michael we had a very happy and productive night!!
This week starts Lily g Thursday night trading... so that you can avoid those crowds in the bulk shopping arena's. Let husbands know that you have a wish list and then send them down to us. No stress on the sanity and we will even wrap it for him!!

 Our Xmas Nook....We have done the tree in Pink, Gold and silver with the cutest white birds.

 Our First Xmas is all glamour and shine. We will also be doing Jewell colours in the coming weeks.

Our Xmas table is very Festive and has a lovely Home made feel.

 Our Centre pieces are divine. We can do the same ones or similar for your colour scheme.

 Raspberry and White against the lovely taupe background very fresh.

 Let the silly season begin!!!!

Trial and Error and then Revelation

Here I sitting upstairs at Lily G on a gorgeous sunny Weekend trying to master my new little Mac book Pro. I must say I am very impressed so far. Even though I have been in possession of this little lovely for I would say about 5 months now, I have been procrastinating and putting off trying to master it's new technology. I'm not technically sound  by any means and that sometimes puts a big handbrake on the level of blogging and the ease in which I can produce anything (I think) blog worthy.

But Woo Hoo!!!! I think I have found a computer that thinks like me....Simply!!! ha ha

I am on training wheels at the moment but I have hired a lovely man to come and give me remedial lessons once a week. It is progressing at very soft pace and I think he has extraordinary patience considering my inability to retain any sort of information at the end of a long day of consults.

Well I feel like I am learning something new which is apparently helpful in staving off the short term memory loss-itus that I'm convinced I suffer from!!!

I am in the store all weekend with my tireless worker bees installing xmas and re-jigging the store. I feel a sale coming on because Oops!!! I have been shopping for the store again and my store runnith over....

I am doing a lovely little job for the most delightful client. It is always a joy to meet all the wonderful people that come into Lily G daily, but this client has made the whole experience that much more lovely by her positiveness and her warm heart.
So Thank you Cathy and I'm still looking for something to "Butch" up that verandah corner :)

Here is my lovely client Cathy enjoying her new (refurbished) verandah furniture.

Before

Cathy lives in a gorgeous Queenslander in Coorpooroo. The house needed a cohesive

 happy makeover to compliment the stunning gardens that were visible from the French Doors. I chose green and white because that's always so fresh and relaxing. Cathy is a nurse so needed a tranquil sanctuary to come home to and turn off. 

After

Cathy also had some well worn cane furniture from many moons ago which retained its lovely shape but the finish and fabric had to go. It got a new paint job and a lovely fresh fabric and all is well with the world!!

Before our Refurb

After....Gorgeous!!

This corner needed some happiness

Store bits and pics

We have exploded with Spring colours and I have gone a little crazy with it all but after all the rain over the last month I think it is a very welcome change.



Our beautiful tapestry cushions from France and all the gorgeous Botanical soaps and candles.






Oops My little Robin is a little askew!! This beautiful range from The UK stunning!!




More of our new U.K Tableware so pretty and fresh.



Amazingly thriving flowers out the front of Lily g (I'm not very green thumbed) also our lovely Bird cages

Our Tuscan chairs so comfy

What a fabulous toy cupboard



Love the look here




Love my monkeys!!!!



 I have in the past resented the way some Big Corporate Retailers shove Xmas and Easter at us (it seems) earlier and earlier each year. But I am sooo excited because all my gorgeous Danish Xmas Mice and Pixies are in and the first part of our stunning decorations (ordered many many months ago) have arrived and are so pretty and we are as busy as Santa's elves unpacking and Ooohing and Aaahing with all our customers at the loveliness of it all. I love Xmas (as I hope we all do) and I do go Over The Top most years. So lily g may turn into a tad Xmas centric in the up coming weeks. I have posted some photo's of my lovely Xmas pixies and mice and all the hand made Danish decorations as well as some normal photo's of the shop before we cover it with so much tinsel.



Just arrived these gorgeous cubby tents pop over the dining table on those rainy days
like yesterday and maybe tomorrow and does this rain ever stop???





Our stunning Magnolia Wreath so gorgeous this photo does not do it justice big and magnificent
Make any door proud!!!



One of my favourites in the store all hand made Princess & The Pea with a tiny hand knitted pea sooo cute
and story book 





close up of the pixie hanging decorations





love love love our Xmas pig (very traditional)





Xmas Pixies.....Welcome To Xmas at Lily g



Our Gorgeous Big Pixies and Decorations

Slowly coming down to Earth.

Well I had all the best intentions. Go to New York, Blog and post lots of pictures.....Wrong!!! walked and walked all day, had fabulous dinners and fell into bed a very happy girl each night!! Had absolutely not an inch of energy left. It was all I could do to rip open my Oreo Cookies every night and eat them to sustain me through my sleep.

What a fantastic time we had though! I couldn't have planned a better time to go (Fashion Week) and Natalee and I earned every little blister on our swollen and battered tootsies!! My feet have never been soooo sore and I've never smiled sooo much!!

Where to start??? I guess our first night set the bar for the following 10 days. We arrived at my favourite hotel in the world The Greenwich Hotel . This hotel is owned in part by Robert De Niro and he had a vision of creating a hotel that was comfortable, warm and welcoming. He definitely succeeded. The service is so lovely and gracious. The decorating is absolutely inspiring, classic and yet very original in it's approach.

Natalee and I looked like mad tourists taking photo's of every door jam, hinge, carpet square and old book in the Fabulous drawing room. Surely they all thought we were mad when we were taking photo's of the Missoni designed label on the San Pellegrino bottle!?!?!

Having blogged about The Greenwich Hotel before and thought perhaps 2nd time I would be a tad jaded and not so impressed. I was wrong (again) it more than lived up to my memories. Behind a very inconspicuous entry lies a welcoming lobby that instantly makes you feel welcome. Exposed beams, softly worn velvet occasional chairs and beautiful original pieces of art all give you a feeling of stepping into someones home instead of a hotel.

The rooms themselves are full of interesting old books (from Robert Di Nero's own collection) lovely time worn furniture and stunning beds with the kind of linen you just sink into.

All photo's from The Greenwich Hotel website.

The beautifully appointed drawing room. Very cosy here with a glass of wine after a long days walking.....ps you never know who you will bump into.

One of the gorgeous bathrooms.

Love the tufted chair and the lovely bared back floor boards.

We stayed in this gorgeous hotel for 5 nights and it was with very sad hearts that we left. We had made lovely friends with the staff and felt truly at home. I highly recommend just staying at least one very impressive night there.

The area of Tribeca is also (in my opinion)one of the most fascinating places to just sit and people watch. Battery Park is such a lovely, gentle way to say your initial hello to New York City. The Sun bouncing off The Hudson and in the distance the unmistakable silhouette of The Statue of Liberty make for a very memorable and satisfying first impression.

NEW YORK!!!

O.K have been keeping this a bit hush hush because wasn't sure if I could pull it off in such a short amount of time (2 weeks to be precise!!!) But we are soooo excited because Natalee and I are off to My Mecca of Happiness on Friday Yay!!! We are looking for some exciting pieces to bring back to Lily-G and also scouting out our itinerary for our Lily-G New York/Hampton's Tour that we are going to start doing next year. We have put out the feelers and there has been an over whelming response to a shopping & cultural tour of New York.

This is what we are toying around with at the moment...

7 - 14 day tour 4 days spent down town in the lovely hip area of New York with trips to all the vintage shops, one off boutiques, lovely Italian restaurants, Nobu, Soho, Tribeca, Chelsea etc then shopping up town at Barneys, Bergdorf & Goodman, Ralph Lauren, Restoration Hardware etc and of course trips to The Plaza, Broadway, The State Library and lots of other gorgeous places. Then we think up to The Hampton's to all the gorgeous antique shops, home ware shops and some tours of some of the stunning gardens and Houses that we all adore!!! That's it in it's basic form so we are going to be doing a lot of research while we're away so that we can offer the most fantastic girly trip....V. excited

We will be blogging and posting fabulous photos of the trip so keep posted.

Shop Daze

We have been getting so much stunning stock in the store I thought I would share some little pics with you all. I am absolutely in love with all our blue Crockery and all the gorgeous new dinnerware we have received. Love our beautiful tapestry butterfly cosmetic bags imported from France!!

Magnolias always a must have at lily-g next to our hand milled french soy candles and soaps.

Here are the urns and jugs that we have received in a beautiful crackled grey it all looks so elegant along side the french etched wine and champagne glasses.

This is a happy little corner of lily-g with our beautiful pond printed Chinese stool and matching bunnies. Lots of happy Bungalow cushions and my little rabbit shelf is growing, we have had such a great response with the bunnies and all their little furniture!!!

Love all my blue ware at the moment with these fantastic charger plates and these

absolutely stunning hurricanes and it all looks beautiful with the coral and taupe's.

Our new table ware and stunning silverware with all the lovely pieces to accompany it. Once again because it looks so pretty.

This console arrived the other day it actually has two doors and is deep enough to be a perfect TV cabinet hiding all the hideous black boxes.

This is the most lovely little shopping basket has little wheels with a lovely antique handle very beautiful full of hydrangeas and next to our lovely lily-g linen which is to die for and I can't order enough to keep up with the repeat clients. Once you sleep on these stunning sheets you'll never buy anything else!!!