Stylish Homes: Sybil Steele

If you haven't grabbed a copy already, run to the newsagent! The March issue of Shop til you Drop features the home of Aussie photographer Sybil Steele and it's just perfect! Sadly, it's quite rare to see homes in Australia with interiors this daring (hello black, red and grey walls), but it works beautifully here. Oh, and that red laquered desk! Be still my heart... PS Check out 2 of Sybil's amazing shoots - Wild Horses and Lilac Sundays.

Don't forget to get Sybil's look with our top seller - a Table Tonic Union Jack cushion!

And don't forget to enter code SHOPSMART at checkout for 25% of your order at tabletonic.com.au until midnight Sunday! 

The March issue of Shop til you Drop magazine is on sale now. Happy Thursday Tonic-ettes!

SALE TIME! 25% off storewide at Table Tonic!

Modern Wisdom

fullhouse

Day in the life: 28.02.2012

The wedding: How do you fancy getting hitched at the Parker Palm Springs? This couple did! "We wanted our wedding to be formal without being stuffy. Whimsical without being kitschy. Glamorous yet understated. And above all else FUN!" Swoony. SO swoony.

Birds of a Feather

The Supermarket (good) news: In an "Australian supermarket first", Coles recently announced that there will be no added MSG or artificial colours in ANY of their 3500 branded products. How great is that?! “In my professional experience the top two additives that my patients have issues with are number 102 (tartrazine), which is a bright yellow colour and number 62 (MSG) which is a flavour enhancer,” says Mum and nutritionist Kate di Prima. “Common symptoms can be hyperactivity and a lack of attention span, exacerbation of ADHD, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, dizziness – the list goes on.” Onya Coles. Below are the Bell family staples - Rice cakes (me), Rock Salt crackers (Mr Tonic), Taco Shells (Jasper's fave) and Raspberry Jelly (Anoushka begs me for it!):

The magazine: The March issue of Country Style magazine invites you to "escape the everyday, take in a breathe of fresh air and revel in the spirit that sustains country life". On sale now!

The (new!) clean beauty buy: Aussie clean beauty brand, Original & Mineral recently launched "Original Queenie", a firm, flexible hold hairspray that provides "styling with an edge". Jose Bryce Smith CEO of Original & Mineral says "The hold, light but firm hold hairspray is definitely fit for a queen and the smell, well that's inspired by Her Majesty herself, nanna chic we like to call it". Ha! I love it! But wait for it - Original Queenie's "clean" formula includes Lilly Pilly (an Australian Native Plant that extends hold by reducing unwanted oil), Quandong (an Australian fruit that adds weightless protection to nourish your hair) and low VOC (Volatile Organic Carbon) so you don’t walk away lightheaded or dried out! Oh, and by the way - All O&M products have kissed harsh chemicals goodbye in favour of quality botanicals and essential oils. They are also free from Sulfates, Parabens, MIT, Phthalates, Triclosan and Propylene Glycol, meaning they are a kind to your body too. And just look how pretty she is:

(above) Shown on a Table Tonic Green Chevron Ikat cushion

Original Queenie is now available at the Atlantis Salon in Paddington and various boutique salons in Australia and the USA (and as of a few weeks ago, at Mana Hair in Avalon as well!). Visit the O&M website for more info.

The gym gear: Okay, now I get it. Now I understand why Lululemon stores are popping up faster than you can say Namaste. Beacause it looks great on (I'm wearing their black, ruffle edged racer back singlet as I type), is super comfy and competitively priced. Oh, and they ask your name when you go into the change room. Stuff like that gets me. I like it. And we haven't even talked about the bags you're given your purchase in yet!!

The salad: Alright, I can't take full credit (Donny Hay can though!) as I saw this one in a magazine. Such a lovely combination of ingredients - Lettuce, kidney beans, fresh corn (I just slice it off the cob and pan fry fry it for 2 minutes), capsicum, kidney beans (I used organic tinned ones), coriander and haloumi. With lime juice and extra virgin olive oil. That reminds me, I must make it again soon...

Cyber "press": Table Tonic says thank you!

I just wanted to say the hugest thanks to a bunch of gorgeous blogs for the following TT shout outs, support and general bloggy warm fuzzies:

1. My First Little Place blog: "Moroccan Pouffes"

2. Chair and Chair blog: "Tribal Crazy"

3. In Spaces Between blog: "Making me Happy" 
4. Who's Your? blog: "Louise Bell"
5. The Wellness Warrior blog: "Foodie Friday with Louise Bell from Table Tonic"

 My First Little Place

In Spaces Between

The Wellness Warrior

"THANK YOU!"

A week in my life: 7 days of Instagram-ing

Just a little something I thought could be fun - The pictures I've taken and uploaded to Instagram over the past week! If you're not following me already, you can by finding me under username tabletonic. Happy weekend (and happy Instagram-ing)!

The 5 Howards Storage World gift card winners are:

An enormous thank you to everyone who entered my Howard's Storage World $100 gift card giveaway - the tips were amazing (this is definitely the most fun I've had doing a giveaway)! If I were you, I'd head over to the Table Tonic Facebook page and my personal Facebook Page and read them all! And the 5 gift card winners are:

1. Jennifer Barker "On the back of my pantry cupboards I place the most important notes from school onto cork board tiles that I stuck on with double sided tape. Means I am never hunting for details for excursions, photo day etc etc. Saves me so much time and frustration!"

2. Mish Downey "Storage tip #1: since I started drinking my daily green juice :) I've created a juice box in my fridge, containing my carrots, celery, spinach and cucumber. Makes it easy to grab the key ingredients from one place when I'm in a hurry in the morning. Storage tip #2: I love sending cards and collect them whenever one catches my eye. I now house them in a mail sorter on my desk. Keeps them top of mind and handy for when I want to scribble a note or thank someone."

3. Fleur Harvey "My motto is that everything should have a place! The school bags were always an issue so we bought some old high school lockers. The kids think they're great. Everyone has a name tag in their chosen font and colour. And my husband has one for his dirty work boots! It sits near our front entrance and we have magnetic hooks on the side for keys to hang. My locker has a stack of 6 paper trays inside labelled with "kids", "bills", etc. Bliss!"

4. Anna McMurray The only thing that keeps my linen cupboard from complete chaos is sticky labels stuck to the end of the shelves. On them I write, "single", "queen" "pillow cases", "towels" etc... even if they are not folded beautifully (as if?) they are at least "organised".

5. Kate Thorpe "My best tip for organising your 2nd draw in the kitchen is tie all your utensils into a few bundles with rubber bands. As you use the utensil, replace it back into the draw on its own. After one month or two, what ever is still in rubber bands is clearly something you don't need or use so send it to charity store!"

CONGRATULATIONS WINNERS (I'll be in touch via Facebook soon) and enormous thanks to everyone who took the time to enter! And although they miss out on a $100 Howard's Storage World gift card, I have to give special mention to a few people who had these stellar tips to share (I'll be trying all of them!):
Margie Rahmann, Kate Parkinson and Paula Norman all had the same idea: "A great storage tip (and one which doesn't cost a cent!) is to overhaul your linen cupboard – store bedlinen sets inside one of their own pillowcases and there will be no more hunting through piles for a match. Instant grab factor! Great for kids to grab a pillow case filled with their sheets out of the cupboard and attempt to change their own beds!"

Martha Stewart

Di Nash "Use your beautiful cups and saucers to store your precious jewellery."
Nicole Wesley I use one of the Howard's Storage World jewellery hangers with clear pockets to store all my phone and camera charges and cords - I just hang it on the back of a cupboard door .. makes it so much easier to find those things when I need them. If I was really organised I'd label the pockets so anyone could find them.
Ilana Sutton Organising storage space in my home is my *thing* and Howards Storage World is like my mother ship! I live in a two bedroom apartment with my husband and (almost) 1yr old and every little bit of concealed spaced needs to be maximized and used in the most efficient way possible or else I would completely lose the plot, as I like things to appear pretty on the outside but very functional behind closed doors. One of my favourite items from Howard's Storage World  is the long skinny plastic basket with the handle, I use these everywhere, in the laundry, fridge, pantry, to keep all the fiddly bits neat and tidy... in my pantry cupboard which is really deep I have all of these at the front (full of bottles and jars of sauces and condiments) so that I can pull them out easily and behind them are all of my baking goods, rice pasta etc... I also have some in the fridge, in one I put all the left over bits from making my lunch salads so that when I need to make the next one i just pull out the whole basket instead of rummaging around trying to find everything again. Whenever I move into a new space I spend a lot of time working out what goes best in what cupboard, I adjust all of the shelf heights again to maximise the storage space (no point having a big open space in your cupboard) if this happens I'll add one of those little under shelf basket thingys and stack cans or things like that in it so there is no waste of space. In my chest of draws I use all my tiffany boxes and lids to compartmentalize all my jewels, so when I open my draw everything is easy to find but also looks pretty. I have under bed storage for all of my freshly pressed bed linen (btw way love the idea of putting matching sets in one of the pillow cases from the set, will definitely be borrowing that idea!)... Everything in my house has a 'home' and I know where absolutely everything is... my husband thinks I am crazy but when he yells from the bedroom "where are my sunglasses" I can yell back, "third draw down on the left hand side, in the tray on the right"... satisfaction!

(below) All that talk of organising even saw me rearranging my tupperware cupboard - on a Sunday morning! And on that note, Happy Weekend Tonic-ettes!

Domino magazine is back! YES REALLY!

Have you heard? Have you heard? Domino magazine recently announced that they would be putting out a special edition (yes, a real, papery-y one!) called "Quick Fixes"! That's a little bit exciting! I'd say they're testing the waters with this one. Fingers crossed it flies off the stands and there is (much) more to follow! How we're supposed to get hold of it here in Australia, I'm not too sure... Quick Fixes hits newsstands April 17. Click here for more.

Byron Bay or Bali? I need your help!

On 30th November 2012, Mr Tonic and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage. I know. TEN. WHOLE. ENTIRE. YEARS. And yes, I'm expecting a telegram from the Queen. I really am. But in all seriousness, I'd actually love your help. We're hoping to go away somewhere nice for a week or two and have narrowed it down to Byron Bay or Bali (it's also Mr Tonic's birthday a few days later). We've both been to Byron and Bali. We were actually meant to have our honeymoon in Bali. Until, 5 weeks before our wedding, the Bali Bombings happened and we did a last-minute switch to the Maldives. Where it rained torrentially for 2 weeks. And no, it wasn't even the wet season. I do quite love the look of the W Hotel at Seminyak...

And The Byron at Byron...

Have any of you stayed anywhere gorgeous lately? It's always so hard planning a getaway without any recommendations, so please leave me a comment and let me know if there is somewhere dreamy I need to know about! And PS It's a decade of marriage and a long time between holidays - we wouldn't say no to somewhere a bit... fancypants. Thanks Tonic-ettes!

A day in the life: 21.02.12

The Book
21st Century Architecture: Designer Houses. This latest addition to IMAGES' 21st Century series brings together more than 50 of the world's most stylish contemporary houses from around the world (including 10 stunning Australian projects). From the Adriatic Coast in Greece, to the rugged mountains of Switzerland; from the suburbs of Japan, to the glittering views from the Hollywood Hills, this diverse selection of modern houses have all been designed by some of the best residential architects working today (with the exception of Mr Tonic, of course!). Looking for inspiration? Like to dream? This one's for you! Click to buy.

The e-Book
Crazy Sexy Juices & Succulent Smoothies by Kris Carr. I just know you're all going to love this one. Kris says: "

Learn everything you need to know about making juices and smoothies from buying the equipment to savoring your first sip—including how to maximize nutrition and adjust flavors to suit your taste buds. You’ll get 60 of the best recipes from the Crazy Sexy Community—hand-picked by me—full of fun options, new twists and delicious goodness. If you’re new to the juicing and blending scene, I’ll teach you how to make this healthy habit stick so you can have more energy, a kickin’ immune system, clearer skin, bright eyes and thighs any pair of skinny jeans would cherish. If you’re an experienced pro (boo-yah!), then you already know the amazing health benefits of juicing and blending. I’ve got you covered with a fantastic variety of recipes (good-bye boring routine)." It's next on my reading list. Click to buy. Oh, and don't forget to bookmark Kris's main website, Crazy Sexy Life.

The Healthy Snack(s)
Whenever I'm out and about for the morning, this is my go-to snack pack - tides me over nicely until a late lunch:
1 x C Coconut Water

1 x banana

1 handful raw (pesticide-free) almonds

1 x Woolworths Select Almond & Cinnamon bar.

The Cause
Along with a few fabulous friends in "Team Halo" (they are very angelic), my good friend (and Mum of two) Nicola is taking part in the 2012 WildEndurance event - a 50km trek through the Blue Mountains in May, to raise funds for The Wilderness Society. The Wilderness Society (TWS) is a national, community-based, environmental advocacy organisation whose purpose is to protect, promote and restore wilderness and natural processes across Australia for the survival and ongoing evolution of life on Earth. SO. Nicola and her team are hoping to raise at least $400 each. You can donate as little or as much as you want and even remain anonymous. And it's super easy - Simply click the green 'SPONSOR ME' button on Nicola's page. PS Donations are tax-deductible. Woohoo! 

The Reminder

I'm currently giving away five $100 gift cards to Howard's Storage World. And yes! There's still time to enter! So head over to the Table Tonic Facebook page and share your best tip for getting organized with me! Is it the way you store your belts? How you keep that Tupperware drawer under control? Or perhaps your secret to a happy laundry? Spill! The best 5 tips will each win a $100 Howard's Storage World gift card - winners will be announced on Friday 24th February right here. ONE LAST THING: You must successfully tag the Howard's Storage World Facebook page to be eligible (you'll need to LIKE them first). To do this, simply copy and paste the following text after your answer: @Howards Storage World AU

The Code
Big thanks to the Sunday Telegraph, who featured tabletonic.com.au as their "Website of the week" yesterday! They're also giving Shopsmart readers (and you!) 25% off their Table Tonic orders until 5th March with code 'shopsmart' at checkout! You read it here first second! CLICK TO SHOP!

PS Don't forget, you can find Table Tonic (me) on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (username tabletonic). Come say Hi!

14 bookmark-worthy sites I discovered last week

all things style

all things style misc (Lisa reminds me a lot of myself - It seems we share frighteningly similar taste!)

style heroine fashion

marant philes fashion

my naked style fashion

oceania island living decor/misc
whos your misc 
moda operandi fashion/shopping

lunchboxes with love food/kids 
crazy sexy juice health/juicing
coconut and quinoa food
kristina felicia fashion
instagram blog photography

haus of hinton decor/fashion

the street muse fashion

New TT goodies! New mags! New press!

We have a couple of beautiful new things at the Table Tonic online store! Exhibit A: This Grecian Blue Mexican Suzani throw/bedspread (click to buy)...

And exhibit B: Moroccan Leather Pouffes in Lime Green! So fresh (click to buy)!

They're a beautiful match for the TT Neon Lime spot Ikat cushion (click to buy), below:

I popped out for groceries yesterday and came home with Shop til you Drop's (oh-so-pretty) March 2012 issue:

Spotted the Table Tonic Union Jack cushion on page 131!

Also new in magland this week, the rest of the March-ies -  Real Living:

PLUS Lucky, House Beautiful, Vogue Living (March/April) and Architectural Digest (with Brooke Shields' NYC townhouse on the cover!)...

Oh, and life would not be complete without Aussie InStyle! Always a winner...

Hold up! Back to Architectural Digest for a second - More specifically, fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg's Manhattan Penthouse(!):

Happy Friday Tonic-ettes! What-cha reading?