Let's share a bag and some illustrations ~ Vamos partilhar um saco e algumas ilustrações

I have this shopping bag for ages but I can't remember where it came from. I've kept it over the years because I think it is beautiful! I love the illustration - the style reminds me of one of my favourite illustrators, Lucy Truman.

Eu tenho este saco há séculos mas não me lembro de que loja veio. Guardei-o ao longo dos anos porque acho-o lindo! Adoro o desenho - o estilo faz-me lembrar uma das minhas ilustradoras preferidas, a Lucy Truman.

Lucy's illustrations are all about glamour and elegant living with a 1950-60's touch. I first noticed her work on the book The Busy Girl's Guide to Looking Great (I have the portuguese version). Here are some of my favourites of Lucy's work. But be sure to check her website - pure eye candy!

As ilustrações da Lucy mostram um estilo de vida glamoroso e elegante com um toque dos anos 50 e 60. Reparei no seu trabalho pela primeira vez no livro "Guia para mulheres ocupadas - estar fabulosa". Aqui ficam algumas das minhas ilustrações preferidas da Lucy. Não se esqueçam de dar uma vista de olhos ao seu site - é um regalo para a vista!

Etsy favourites - GingerCatPress

Hello again!
I'm breaking one of my rules that states that I can only go online after 9 pm (that's when my kids go to bed) - but don't worry, I break that rule a lot!
Anyway, I thought I could make some posts on my favourite Etsy shops, where I have actually already bought something.
So, to begin with, I'd like to present you gingercatpress, owned by Tara Anderson (she also blogs here).
I ordered her Velcro and the Butterflies and I love it! The cat looks just like by late cat João Tiago (the stripy cat from the blog...).

Olá de novo!

Estou a quebrar uma das minhas regras que diz que só posso ir para a internet depois das 9 da noite (quando os miúdos vão para a cama) - mas não se preocupem, que eu quebro esta regra muitas vezes!

Hoje pensei em dar-vos a conhecer algumas das minhas lojas preferidas da Etsy, lojas onde já comprei coisas.

Então, para começar, apresento-vos a gingercatpress, da Tara Anderson (ela também tem um blog).

Encomendei o Velcro e as borboletas e adoro-o! O gato parece mesmo o meu João Tiago (o gato tigrado, stripy cat, do nome deste blog).

Velcro was even featured in one of my old blog headers!


O Velcro até apareceu num dos antigos headers do blog!

Anyway, if you love cats, stop by gingercatpress - you won't be disappointed!

Se gostam de gatos, façam uma visita à gingercatpress, que não vão ficar desapontados!

Autumn colours :: Cores de Outono

Good morning, dear readers! How are you this morning? I know you are probably thinking that I have gone crazy - writing about autumn colours in the summer (well, late spring, to be correct)??

That's right! Autumn is my favourite season and one of my dearest childhood memories is going to and coming home from school through Campo Grande, Lisbon, on the first days of school in October and to be surrounded by beautiful brown and red falling leaves... and the smell of wet soil after the first rain...

I've been searching Etsy for beautiful art to add to my getting-whiter-and-whiter living room. So, I've just created by first treasury on Etsy, called Autumn Colours, where I gather art prints that remind me of autumn - I'd love to have these all on my walls!

~

Bom dia, queridos leitores! Como estão esta manhã? Já sei que provavelmente devem estar a pensar que eu estou maluca - a escrever sobre o outono no verão (ou no fim da primavera, para ser exacta)??

Isso mesmo! O outono é a minha estação do ano preferida e uma das minhas memórias de infância mais queridas é ir e vir da escola pelo Campo Grande em Lisboa durante os primeiros dias de escola em Outubro e ser rodeada por magníficas folhas castanhas e vermelhas a cair das árvores... e o cheiro da terra molhada depois das primeiras chuvas...

Tenho andado em pesquisas na Etsy à procura de arte para a minha cada-vez-mais-branca sala. Assim, acabei de criar a minha primeira galeria na Etsy, intitulada Cores de Outono e juntando reproduções de arte que me fazem lembrar as cores do outono - adorava ter toda esta arte pendurada nas paredes!

Art at grandma's: the story of flight

Another Ladybird Achievements book - The Story of Flight, by Richard Bowood with illustrations by Robert Ayton, published in 1960.

 An early "bird-man"

 Balloon

 Glider

 A Zeppelin raid over London

A modern airliner (1960's modern...)

Art at grandma's: the story of houses and homes

"The Story of Houses and Homes" is a Ladybird Achievements Book published in 1963, written by Richard Bowood and illustrated by Robert Ayton. It belongs to my grandmother, an English teacher. I've been fascinated by the illustrations ever since I was little.

It's a children's book that tells the story of houses and homes in England, from the rock shelter of primitive man through the modern apartment buildings. The illustrations are truly amazing! Here are some of my favourites.

 Inside a Roman villa

 A medieval manor house

 An Elizabethan mansion

 17th century mansion

Georgian houses 

A Regency house

Victorian gothic house

1930's home

1960's home

Adding colour to my white & beige room

My bedroom has always been my biggest decorating challenge since I moved to my home in 2004. 

You can't imagine how many different curtains and dovet covers and colour schemes I've had in my bedroom in the last years...

2008

Finally, a few months ago, I realized that white and beige was my thing! I love white and it just seems the right colour for a peaceful bedroom. 

2010

But I just needed to add a little bit of colour here and there, so I made new pillows from some old curtains.

2011

The oil paintings are reproductions made by my sister-in-law for her art classes. The originals, Bustier Blanc and Pomelos Roses, are by Pierre Farel.
The red bedspread is for my cats - they love to lay down there in the morning, basking under the sun...

Art at grandma's: handpainted plates

My grandmother's home is filled with beautiful things. Paintings, ceramics, books, old vinyl records.

These handpainted ceramic plates are reproductions from the XVI through XVIII centuries, from Coimbra.