Desert Style Inspiration | Cacti & Sand Dunes

My aunt just donated some lovely desert roses for our (rather sparse) garden, and so they are now flourishing in our succulent bed, with all the other cacti-related plants! I love desert-inspiration, whether it’s gardens or interiors. I think it’s because my love of the Karoo and the wide open spaces match my love for a country like Namibia – the desert scenery is just something so spectacular and awe-inspiring.

Here are a few ideas on how to incorporate a desert theme decor into your home, party or garden – it’s pretty easy actually and can be achieved with minimal effort. Enjoy!

Desert Vase & Cactus | source The Collection Agency

Velvet Couches & Desert Skulls | source Pinterest

A Cactus from Mexico | source fab.com

Desert Rose in a Can | source Jill Thomas Photography

Tea Party in the Desert | source Ruffledblog.com

Classic Desert Retreat | source Cabbage Rose Blog

Cactus Garden | source Pinterest

Succulents & Cacti – Rad Ideas for Your Own Indoor Gardens

One of the things I’m most excited about when it comes to moving into our new home (NEXT MONTH!) is that we have a garden that is essentially ‘bare bones’. It’s got great grass, a few beds, some plants and one or two trees – but most of all, a lot of opportunity to put our own personal stamp on things.

I’m very into indigenous plants, particularly fynbos and wildflowers, however one thing I also really like is succulents and cacti. Not to go overboard or anything, but an indoor or outdoor garden of succulents is a pretty cool thing – very low maintenance and can look really great. Instead of showing a huge cacti garden though, I’ve decided to show a couple of great ideas that you can do on your own with a sandbox, pot, crate or anything you can line with black plastic and then fill with gravel, stones and soil.

For some cool ideas – check out this post on how to plant a cactus container garden – featuring cute plastic cowboys and Indians – and how to create a desert bowl – really pretty way of arranging your cacti in one dish. If you’ve got some cool ideas to share on gardening or creating cute ‘mini’ gardens, please share! Have a super Monday Good Girls (and boys) x

Cactus in a Cup | source VivaTerra

Pot of Succulents | source Pinterest

Pretty Plants in the Bathroom | source obaz.com

Cowboys & Indians | source Pure Inspiration

Cactus Garden in Blue & Green | source W5Ran

A Cactus Collection | source The Brick House

Handmade Pottery Cactus Garden | source Pinterest

Pretty Patios | Relax & Entertain Outdoors

For many years my family patio was used mostly in Summer – lunches out under the bouganvillea, sleeping on an old mattress in the dappled shade, decorating the overhang with lights for Christmas… since my mom re-did our patio by adding a perspex roof (bringing in the light, but not the rain) and building a braai area – we are now using it ALL year round!

A good patio that is welcoming and attractive, is a space that is great to relax in, entertain in, eat, drink & be merry in, and to think and dream in! Today’s post on The Good Girls Guide is all about Pretty Patios – whether small courtyards, or sprawling kitchen door yards, rooftop gardens or glamorous party spaces.  Decorate with revamped chairs, installations on the walls, pot plants, refurbished benches, vintage pieces or a birdbath. Be inspired!

In An Italian Garden | source Tumblr

Outside the Kitchen Door | source Pinterest

An Entertainers Dream Under Lights | Source Pinterest

A Party on the Deck | source Pinterest

A Gorgeous Pink Celebration – Outdoors! | source here

Courtyard Patio | source attic24.typepad.com

Small Space, Great Place | source Casa e Jardim

Love on the Roof | source Pinterest

Red, Yellow & Gold – Autumn 2012 Inspiration

While (unbelievably) the weather outside is a balmy 32 degrees, it drops again tomorrow and settles to a more ‘Autumn Ready’ 20 degrees, overcast and drizzle. Now while I’m not a huge fan of boring grey weather (hence never having lived in England), I AM a fan of great wardrobe changes, indoor fires, hot chocolate in the evenings, colourful gumboots and changing colours…

Bring on Autumn I say! To celebrate this often ‘forgotten’ season in South Africa – in Cape Town anyway, we seem to slip from Summer into Winter without noticing – I’ve put together a palate of really pretty Autumn images, some nature, some fashion, some decor -it’s all about being inspired to roll into Autumn, falling leaf style 🙂 (snowboarders will know what I mean)…

So have a super weekend and be inspired this Friday…

Cycling into Autumn | source Flickr by Ming Chai

Blue Bird Colours | source Design Seeds

Charcoal & Red | source Urban Outfitters

Falling Leaf | source Design Seeds

Childhood in Fall | source Seasonal-Love Tumblr

Journey Through Autumn | source Design Seeds

Pippi Longstocking | source HGTV.com

Romance in the Mist | source Smashing Magazine

I Love You Cape Town! I’m Showing You Off!

The last few months I’ve been riding my black and yellow Scott bike around some of the most beautiful coastal routes in the world – the Cape Peninsula! It makes me gobsmacked just how gorgeous Cape Town really is…from the closeness of the wilderness to my house, to the colours of the sea and the diversity on the mountain…

It’s also the fragrances, the textural layers, the vibrancy of the people, architecture, streets, food and more…As I prepare to ride my 4th Argus Cycle Tour this weekend (eek!) I’m dedicating this post to Cape Town. To all those who’ve never been, I invite you to visit – you’ll want to return again and again…

“Well, that was the river, this is the sea.” – The Waterboys

The Twelve Apostles – Cape Town | source here.

The Colourful Houses of the Bo Kaap | source here.

Noordehoek Beach at Sunset | source here.

The Houses of Muizenburg | source here.

The Atlantic Seaboard Evening | source here.

Clifton Paradise | source here.

In the Harbour | source here.

The Mountain, the Mountain | source here.

Karoo Decor Inspiration | South African Homes

Recently my husband and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary, spending a weekend out at Sanbona Private Game Reserve in the Western Cape, just off the pretty R62. The feeling I get – I don’t know how many of you can relate – of being in the bush, is one of total unwinding, relaxing and soul-refreshing! Ah, yes, particularly the Karoo!

This amazing interior, a desert landscape where only the hardy survive; farmers tend the dry land, caracals and jackals exist on the periphery, hardened sheep make due with scrub… it is also a place of unmistaken beauty – endless landscapes, BIG blue skies, outcrops that surge out of the earth, sudden farm cottages sprung up like havens…

This post on The Good Girls Guide is dedicated to the inspiration of the Karoo in South African homes – I love the decor, the feel of the country desert experience, the restful effect it has on my soul. Be inspired and come visit!  🙂

Simple Intrigue Stationery | source here.

Private Karoo Suite | source here.

Deep in the Klein Karoo | source here.

Sanbona – Dwyka Tented Camp | source here.

Karoo Wedding Decor | source here.

South African Farm Wedding | source here.

Karoo Dream View | source here.

Classic Klein Karoo Landscape | source here.

Country Fresh | source here.

Incredible Desert Views | source here.

Starry Skies in the Australian Outback | Beautiful!

Check out these amazing 15-hour exposure images by photographer Lincoln Harris in the Australian Outback – utterly magical, unreal and undeniably beautiful!

Posted by the Daily Mail, it details Harris’s photos after having kept the exposure open for up to 15 hours – creating these breathtaking shots of the earth’s movements reflected in the Heavens.

With no purpose other than to share beauty and to inspire you, I’ve reposted these shots – share them too!

Rainy Day Moodboard | Winter Inspiration

There’s something about a rainy day that can either tickle your fancy or put you in the foulest mood imaginable. In order to keep the peace and to promote harmony, I highly recommend taking the former option, and not getting caught up in the ‘weather=my mood’ conundrum…

I found some gorgeous rainy-day inspired images that I smashed together into a moodboard for you all – and it’s all about embracing the rain in one’s life (good or bad), with song, bright colours, clear umbrellas for the full effect, getting wet (joyfully), and of course…letting the sun come out.

So if you’re having a bad wintery weather day, take heart! Let this little moodboard make your day a little brighter, only on The Good Girls Guide…

Inspiration On a Rainy Day | all images from Pinterest.

Gorgeous Green Gardens | For the Greenfingers in You

When I think of gorgeous rooftop gardens, i think immediately of that scene at the end of Just Like Heaven, when Reese Witherspoon walks out onto the most incredible rooftop garden I have ever seen. That changed my perception of how a garden should be, and really opened my eyes to the creativity and possibilities of creating that perfect garden space (even if it’s only 10m by 10m!)

Gardens for me have always been about grass, flowerbeds and a few trees (preferably Oak) dotting the lawn. But having seen such inspiration in Garden and Home and House & Living and those sorts of magazines, as well as various shows on the Home Channel – it’s clear that paving, stonework, indigenous and making the most of spaces can create the MOST amazing gardens ever!

So this Sunday post on The Good Girls Guide (while it’s all cold and windy and horrible outside in Cape Town today) is dedicated to beautiful green, summery gardens. Enjoy 🙂

Beatrix Potter’s Garden | source here.

A Garden Behind the Shed | source here.

Rooftop City Garden | source here.

Whimsical Garden Dreaming | source here.

A Garden Bridge into Secrets | source here.

A Garden Tapestry | source here.

Afternoon Garden Hideaway | source here.

Seaside & Marine Moodboard | Friday Inspiration

Happy Friday gorgeous readers! I am very happy that we’ve reached the end of a very long week – looking forward to sleeping in, doing some excercise, hanging with friends, going for coffee and waiting patiently for my husband to come back from school sports tour (he’s a teacher)…

It’s all good 🙂

So the other day I left the house for work and walked straight into a thick sea fog, the smell of the ocean keenly in the air. Made me think about being at the beach and how Summer is really ‘just around the corner’. SO, I’ve put together some marine/beach/sea/ocean inspiration for your wardrobe, your home, your decor or even your next holiday.

Enjoy this Seaside Marine Moodboard to get you thinking about the next best thing. Have a super weekend!