Fan-tassle-tastic!

Ok, forgive the lame post title - I couldn't help myself!  It's true though that I'm loving the whole tassle trend.

It started with the Hermes leather tassle keychain.  Look, I know I'll never pay such an horrendous amount of money for what is afterall a humble key chain but all the same, I can't help loving this for some reason.  It's just so jaunty and the colours it comes in are rather juicy (however, it doesn't come in orange for some reason, at least not on the website, and that I think is a pity).

via hermes.com

So then I came across this slouchy bag on Etsy. (By the way, brightly coloured handbags is another trend I'm keen on, particularly when the bright colours are plum, hot pink or electric blue, but that story is for another day...)

via etsy.com

The latest item on my tassle wishlist is this wallet from DVF.  Yum!

via DVF.com

This is only one of a number of different colour/print combinations available (it also comes as a lap top sleeve).  I'm most drawn to the fresian-esque black and white sploches with buttercup yellow combo, but that's not to say I would turn my nose up at any of the other designs on offer!  Definitely check them out here.

Judging by the number of tassles I saw on my recent travels in the Northern Hemisphere, it looks like this trend will be around a while longer, at least in NZ where fashion lags at least a season behind!

What do you think?  Are tassles your thing?

Back in the (blogging) saddle!

Wow - it's well time I got back into the blogging saddle.  We're back in NZ after our month away and I guess we're gradually getting back to 'normality'.  To be honest, at times it felt more like a tour of duty than a holiday but really, it was wonderful to meet up with so many of those nearest and dearest to us.

Here's a small selection of photos that capture some of our experiences in Hong Kong, Ireland, Copenhagen and San Francisco.

View from Hutong restaurant, 1 Peking Road, Kowloon

Looking at cattle in Co. Mayo, Ireland

LOTS of bikes in Copenhagen

Elephant parade on the streets of Copenhagen

Cycling through Yosemite National Park in California

We stayed in a little gem of a hotel in Kowloon called the Luxe Manor where the design was incredibly cool (and the rates not too excessive!).

The Luxe Manor

One of my favourite design features in our room was this cute bedside lamp:

Isn't it sweet?

Another design discovery for me on this trip was the Copenhagen department store Illums Bollighus.  This shop is four floors full of interior delights, many of which are, as you might expect, Danish designs.  Definitely worth a browse through their website.  I would spend sooo much money here if I lived in Copenhagen...