Beautiful Blues - Inside and Out

In my Moss Vale Shop this week

Hi Everyone,

Here are some images of my shop this week,

It's looking very much like Christmas as well, sorry to those that are not ready for it yet.

I wasn't ready for it either, until some of my customers started asking me if I had any decorations.

So.....off I went, and here they are...

Most have already gone... which is fabulous

Some to other stores for their decorations, perfect.....that's what I like...

Some to the Bong Bong races corporate tents,

and some to Sydney

Please drop in if you're passing through the Southern Highlands,

486 Argyle Street, Moss Vale

and just up the road....

and if you are here tomorrow, you must visit "Whitley" a garden in Sutton Forrest, it's truly magical... and only open once a year.

Wishing you a wonderful week,

xxxxxx Coty

Wishing you a wonderful week

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead and I hope all your plans & wishes come true.

My new on line store is open and a special giveaway

Over the last two years I have had many, many requests & comments from wonderful readers asking me about my photographs and if they're for sale. I am so excited to announce today that I now have a little on line shop selling my prints. I am often also asked if I have a book, well, not yet!! It is something I have been working on and hopefully I will have one soon.

Welcome to my new little shop, I have carefully picked my very favourite prints for the shop which are available in a few different sizes. Cards are also coming soon...
And to celebrate the opening this week
I have a special give away.
I am releasing today a series of four prints called
"Blossoms & Birds"
and I have two sets of these (8" x 12" ) prints to give away.

All you have to do is click on my shop below and find the special name of the image with the squirrel, then just leave a comment below with the name of the squirrel.
Good luck and I do hope you like my new shop,
oh, and I hope to add many more interesting things to the shop each week.
.......and in a weeks time I will pick the two winners from a hat.

Please don't forget to tell a friend about my new shop
and especially about my very special give away this week.
xx Coty

I love green and white

I am still fluffing over my Christmas tree and dining table decorations and I hope to finish today so that I can post it before Christmas comes and goes. I have been making some different style decorations this year and it is taking me a little longer than planned.

I have always loved green and white table settings, white flowers with green, especially set in a garden under the shade of a gorgeous tree. It is particularly hot today and any shade is welcome especially an old willow tree. So just like Susan at Between naps on the Porch, I have a few old Christmas images and some new ones to share today.

Have a happy day, please pop back in a couple of days to see my Christmas decorations in my home. and 'Happy Tablescape Thursday' to everyone x Coty

Pink Hydrangeas & a little wish

This afternoon we will finally be putting up our Christmas tree and replacing my beautiful pink hydrangeas that I have around the house at the moment with Christmas bling. Hmmm maybe I should mix them together. I have a exhausting afternoon ahead, you see, I have hundreds and hundreds of decorations that I have collected over the years and it is such a big job to bring them down from the attic in our roof and unpack each one and we also have a pretty big tree. My 15 year old daughter actually said to me this week, do you really think we should put the tree up this year Mum, it always takes so long and where are we going to put it?....can't we just get a little tree?

I almost agreed with her, but today after waking early, cleaning my silver and clearing my home of unwanted clutter, I have decided to do it, a little late I know, but I know how nice it will look when it's done and after all it is Christmas time. We will just need to live with less house space for the next month. Santa, please, please I really need a bigger house, you see when you're a collector of everything and live in a small cottage with three others life can get rather awkward. Would it be possible........... could you fit a couple of extra rooms and bigger kitchen in your sleigh and maybe a few extra cupboards? You know me I don't usually ask for much. xxx

A little more Clematis and my love for flowers

When I look back over my blog I have realised that most of my posts have revolved around flowers. Even though my background is from Interiors, fashion and entertaining I find that the one connection throughout all my styling and my images over the last 28 years is flowers. Even when I design costumes my ideas come from the shape and colours of flowers.

I just don't know how we would survive in this world without them.

The white Clematis above is in my garden and the flower arrangement I photographed a couple of weeks ago. I found this lovely little old sugar bowl covered in the most wonderful patina and perfect for a vase.

and below, my friend Maria's garden in Burradoo, a garden that comes to life with Clematis everywhere at this time of the year, her tennis court is covered in both white and pink and the archway leading into the court is absolutely glorious.

and one of my favourite blogs to visit in Norway who also loves Clematis is Lisbeth, and her blog

Lisbeth's Little World

click below and visit her beautiful home and garden.

Wishing you all a happy week xx Coty

Clematis, Vogue and Kennerton Green

Lovely little Clematis, if only this flower stayed around a little longer, I do so love clematis and I have finally managed to have it growing across my front veranda at the entrance of my house. This is one of my images above in a garden in the Southern Highlands called Kennerton Green and I have photographed many images for the different owners over the years, I also organised this garden for my friend Fashion Editor Tory Collison at Vogue Australia to come and do a fashion shoot just over a year ago, (as you can see the model sitting on the same garden chair under the clematis).

Above: My clematis in my garden growing against an old shed, and a pic from Vogue Australia

Tory called and asked, Coty does this garden have lots of flowers at the moment? yes, they are everywhere and very beautiful I said, you just have to come and see, trust me you will love it... everything about this garden is divine!

I love what Tory and photographer, Richard Bailey have produced, (featured in Vogue Jan 2008) the little old vintage boat that the model is sitting in belongs to a friend of ours and was delivered to the shoot by Andrew on the top of our car.

Above: More of my pink Clematis and another shot from Vogue by Richard Bailey

All these images above I photographed for Marylyn Abbott's book "Thoughts on Garden Design" and other garden stories, you will, I'm sure recognise the lovely statue with white rose, I did love photographing her and I always adorned her with the most beautiful roses from the garden, the statue now lives someone else as she was sold at the Auction when Marylyn Abbott sold her garden.

and......
for a real treat you must really must visit another beautiful garden in the Southern Highlands, Brabourne Farm, Leigh who I'm sure you all know her beautiful blog well, showed us her amazing garden and a few images of her home on the weekend, you must visit her.

Welcome to all from

Susan's Outdoor Wednesday party from a Southern Day Dreamer blog in the U.S.A