Get ready for Christmas

Is the thought of the Christmas invasion getting you in a fluster? Family, friends we love them all but it can get a little overwhelming preparing for the big day. I was lucky enough to ask Freedom’s Homewares Buyer, Vanessa Rothery for some timely advice.

we were lucky enough to sit down with Freedom’s Homewares Buyer, Vanessa Rothery (best job in the world or what?!) who shares some trade secrets with us, and lets us in on her must-have items in the new collection! - See more at: http://www.showandtellonline.com.au/home-love/behind-the-scenes-of-freedoms-new-summer-collection/12549/#sthash.OpdAN09C.dpuf

It's only a few weeks until Christmas. What are your top tips for getting my home guest ready?

Get busy and get decluttering! Pack away all those things that don't need to be out - whether it's the tower of ironing, the pile of bills, or even just the few random bits and pieces around the house - decluttering can open up spaces and give the illusion of organisation. Try some new cushions to freshen up the living room - and even the spare bed. I like to rotate my cushions around the home, and add a couple of new ones to add some colour or pattern to a space. This adds a freshness to a space and can bring in some on-trend colours on a budget. Fresh flowers are also an easy way to bring life into your home. I'm a fan of flowers all in the same colour, en masse. I love styling them all on the table in small votives/vases. That way they can stay on the table during the meal. Holly Hipwell of The Flower Drum did a great event for us recently, each guest had a bunch of ranunculus on their place setting. It was a nice way to set the table - and guests took home their posy at the end of the lunch. Such a simple idea - that can be done on a budget, and is memorable.

It's my first Christmas, well the first time I'm having all the family over for Christmas Day. I'm excited and a bit frightened. I don't have enough chairs. Don't even get me started on plates, glasses. What if someone wants to stay? Help. What can I do to make sure things run smoothly?

Mix and match your dinnerware to avoid having to invest in a whole new set. Just buy a couple of new key pieces like servingware. Our Host range - oak timber boards look amazing - and Scandi-chic for laden with seafood, cheeses or even ham or turkey. I love handmade place cards - or try the flower setting idea using a luggage tag to write the guest's name - or I really love the look of our Quintessential decorations acting as a napkin ring. Each guest could take their decoration home as a memento! If seating is limited, we're fans of getting a couple of extra stools - like the Tapas, that can be pulled up around the table - and when not in use look perfect as a bedside table. Or our Jupiter chairs come in a fun colourful range, and are stackable - it's a budget-friendly way to bring in some extra seating when you're entertaining. If someone else wants to stay - and space is at a premium the Sleepover ottoman is great. By day it's an ottoman, by night you can just flip it out - et voila, a comfortable bed that will make your guest feel perfectly at home.

I'm time poor and a little strapped for cash after all the gift buying and grocery shopping. What are the little touches I can do around the home to make things special for my guests?

Fresh flowers are a must, even if they're just a cheap bunch from the fruit and veg shop. Even pots of herbs look good on the table - plus they're practical! If you have some nice greenery in the garden - such as oak leaf or camellia, that looks beautiful too. Candles make dinner tables feel really special and intimate, but I'm also a fan of our string lights trailed down the middle of the table. It looks so pretty, a modern-take on the fairy light. And always, always put a fresh handtowel in the bathroom.

I'm in a flap. I've left it all too late. There's only a day or two left. If I only had time to do one thing to make me look like the Queen of Christmas hosting what would it be?

Pop on the Christmas carols, put the champagne in a bucket of ice, set the table with your favourite pieces, add some flowers and paste a smile on your face. At the end of the day everyone's there to see you - not to judge your home, so have a great day and don't stress! Oh and pour yourself a glass of bubbles too. Happy Christmas!

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Freedom.

Are you ready for ... gulp ... Christmas?

Brace yourselves. I have some shocking news. It is only 4 weeks until Christmas. Yes. Truly shocking. If you are anything like I am you have done nothing. Zip. Zilch. Zero. But never fear, Freedom is here - the perfect gifting and decorating hub with fresh new inspiration to be help you be the ultimate host this summer ... and alleviate the stress of gift giving.

“Australians love to entertain in Summer – and the holiday season is no exception. This year Freedom has really focused on those months of long lunches with family and friends gathered around the table to celebrate the season. We’ve made it easier than ever to decorate your table and make it really stand out,” says Vanessa Rothery, Homewares Buyer – Freedom.

I love Freedom's bright summery take on Christmas entertaining this year. Sunny yellows and coastal blues, whites and natural woods with just a hint of silver and sparkling glass. A relaxed but stylish take on the Aussie Christmas and pieces that you can use over and over long after the the Christmas table is cleared. My favs? Anything from the Entertain range but especially the table runner in indigo and the custard jug, oh and the cake stand for the pud. Custard and plum pudding yummo! I'll take the Wish champagne flutes and the Host chip & dip set. Got to have a chip & dip, it's summer remember. You can see more of the Freedom Christmas tabletop and decoration range here. Lots of fabulous ideas!

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Freedom.

The AIM pendant

A while back FLOS offered me a light fixture to try, I absolutely could not say no. FLOS is one of the coolest lighting companies there is. I have to admit I had not heard of the light before and now I'm kicking myself for not having known about it sooner. Designed and created in Italy, AIM is a uniquely minimalist suspended light designed by brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. In their own words, AIM is a "new type of lamp that is naturally positioned in space – like a plant – with long cables providing maximum freedom to adjust the direction and height of the light source." Similar to hanging vines, the long, free wires allow for "infinite adjustability" while providing a sense of the natural, as the wires seem to "develop and grow like branches or climbing plants". AIM also uses warm LED, meaning that it is a very low energy consumption lamp. 

When the light finally arrived I was SO excited to get it installed. Knowing I was getting 1 fixture, the only place I thought I could put it was in my bedroom as it's the only room besides my dining room and dressing room with an overhead fixture (stupid old house with bad wiring!). But when I unwrapped the light I realized it was larger than I had expected, and even more gorgeous in person. I went with black, and it's a matte finish! *sigh* (It also comes in white and polished aluminum). My husband, who is thankfully quite the handyman, suggested we put it in the corner of our living room, and he would wire a plug to the end of it so we could plug it in to the wall but mount it to the ceiling so it looked like it was wired up there. GENIUS! We both LOVE the AIM. It looks incredible in the living room. I can imagine a few of these grouped together over a dining table, or over a large desk. A few hanging in a staircase would be cool too. 

This post is in partnership with FLOS USA but all opinions are my own.

Updating your home for Summer

The days are getting warmer and the holiday season is just about to hot up. It's almost summer in Australia and New Zealand! Is your home looking washed out after winter? Does it need a little zhush before family and friends get together? Have no idea where to start? Luckily I had the chance to ask Korryn Bentley, homewares buyer at Freedom to help with a few timely ideas.

What are your quick and easy tips for breathing fresh life into your home for summer?

I’m a fan of overhauling my winter block out curtains with fresh white sheer curtains. It’s inexpensive, quick and easy and will make a striking impact to your room.

I’m also getting my green thumb on and doing a freshen up in the garden and repotting my planters with new colourful petunia’s. That burst of colour is the perfect ‘WELCOME HOME’ – and even if you’re just potting up some succulents, your pots can add the pop of colour – perfect for Summer.

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Get organized!

THIS POST IS SPONSORED

Being organized, especially in a small space, is SO important. I know all too well, living in a space that's under 1000 sq ft with NO closets. NONE. Not having a spot for everything makes me crazy. Having 2 jobs keeps me really busy and when I get home, I need things organized and out of sight to maintain my sanity. One of my organization projects was my dressing room. It was done on the cheap as a temporary project and worked out really well but I cannot wait to have a proper dressing room with SPACE and a spot for everything. California Closets are a company I have grown to love over the years and will be scoping out their closet design solutions as they carry everything you could need in styles ranging from traditional to modern. To have shelving for all of my footwear from boots to pumps, long and short hanging space, drawers for storing undergarments (right now I use storage boxes - really not ideal) and jewelry and belts ....oh the possibilities!!!

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