Hawke's Bay Boutique Shopping Tours

Dael and I hosted our first Bibby + Brady Boutique Shopping Tour recently, and it was a great success. We had an awesome group of ladies who really enjoyed meeting and spending the day with other like-minded people, as well as all the amazing shopping.

The day started at our tiny studio at 9.30am with coffee and food provided by F.G. Smith and an introduction to our work. We have a few bits and pieces for sale, and we also had a small collection of beautiful Mekka products available.

We then headed down the road to Aroha where owner Melaina Newport talked to us about their work, and let us have a sneak peek behind the scenes where artist and co-owner Rakai Karaitiana was hard at work.

Everyone piled into the mini van and we began our road trip heading up the hill to Homebase Collections. The Culy house is one of Napier's heritage homes and is absolutely beautiful. Billie Culy was there to greet us, as Leanne was away that day, and she was delightful, telling the girls all about the artwork and homewares on offer.

Martin and Megan Poppellwell kicked off Fizzy Friday for us in their cool gallery SPA_CE, with a glass of bubbly (sparkling water for me - the downside of being the driver!). Martin's artwork and pottery is so impressive, and Megan talked to us about all of his work as well collaborations, such as rugs and furniture he's worked on.

We then headed out of Napier and over to David Trubridge's studio. It always makes me smile, this amazing building nestled into the rural/industrial setting. David's business manager, Josh Lynch, gave us a really insightful talk about David's background and how the business grew from something small to an internationally renowned brand.

All this shopping makes a girl hungry, so there were much approval when we took everyone into the private conservatory at Birdwoods Gallery in Havelock North. The room was decorated with green palms, pink flamingo sculptures, and tiered plates filled with tiny sandwiches, savouries, and sweets. There was more bubbly to wash everything down, and the gallery and sweet shop provided more shopping opportunities.

The drive from Birdwoods to So Vintage in Te Awanga is such a lovely, scenic one. French-born owner, Mehdi Sanssar had just returned from France where he filled a container with more amazing vintage and antique pieces. He was able to talk to everyone about the pieces they had in-stock, their background, and what was due to arrive in their new shipment.

The tour ended back at the Bibby + Brady studio where last minute shopping and mingling was done. All in all a super fun day and we can't wait for the next one - check the website for upcoming tour dates. Each of our destinations provided something special, including some great discounts exclusive to our shoppers. Everyone felt very special (which is our aim) and each shopper leaves with a guide to "discovering your interior style" and styling tips, so they can put that into practice at home with all their new purchases. 

Why not get a few of your friends together and book one of our upcoming tours - you're guaranteed to have a blast, and a group booking discount applies.

The Block Villa Wars | Outdoor Room Reveal

Boy oh boy, a lot went down last week on The Block Villa Wars! I'll give you a quick run down... Brooke and Mitch shocked everyone by giving out 0's when judging each other's rooms. After winning three rooms in a row they are by far the wealthiest team, which is why Sarah and Minanne took $1000 off them in a previous challenge (they were forced to take the challenge winnings from another team). "We wanted our $1000 back!", Brooke exclaimed. Needless to say, this didn't go down too well with others.

Sarah and Minanne finally won something in the plank challenge, which saw them take home $8000 worth of outdoor furniture. Cat and Jeremy won a humungous BBQ, and in the most recent challenge - to create their partner's likeness out of vegetables - an hour of labour from another team. Guess who they chose? Yep, Brooke and Mitch :)

Cat and Jeremy: 1st place | 18 points

After winning a bonus point in the vegetable challenge, Cat and Jeremy just pipped Jamie and Hayden by half a point in the room reveal win for their outdoor room. Each team designed their privacy screen and Cat and Jeremy's was my fave. They created several zones and included a custom made fire pit.

Each team also had to finish their guest bedroom from week 1 - remember they've all swapped houses since then. If they finished this room by "tools down" they each receive a bonus $15,000 in their bank account. Cat and Jeremy failed to attach some skirting board and get cushions for their window seat, but host Mark Richardson allowed them 24 hours to get that sorted - lucky! They gave their signature style of soft pastels and a relaxed vibe.

Jamie and Hayden: 2nd place | 17.5 points

The judges scored Jamie and Hayden the highest this week, and if it wasn't for Cat and Jeremy with their bonus point, they would've taken out their first win (we all know they desperately needed that money). Tears were shed as Hayden revealed that his much-loved grandfather had passed away a few weeks before. He apologised for his recent grumpy behaviour and dedicated their winning room (well, almost) to his Granddad.

Their deck was amazing with Martin the builder working tirelessly to create a herringbone deck and feature wall, and featured a privacy screen designed to echo the pattern. It was light and airy, a far cry from their dark rooms inside.

The guest bedroom carried on their black and white theme, but lots of white made it less severe than last week's master bedroom. They were the only team who completely finished this room, so will get their $15,000 straight away.

Brooke and Mitch: 3rd place | 17 points

I think we were all pleased that Brook and Mitch didn't make it four in a row, but they were close with only one point less than the winning team. Their outdoor room was finished to a high standard, and the built-in BBQ area was great.

As much as the hanging garden looks fab, anyone who is a "Block" fan will know they've been done over and over again on each season in Australia and NZ. I want to see some fresh ideas!!! What about the TV? Lots of people will love it, I'm sure, although it's not something I would choose to have in my outdoor room.

The guest bedroom is clean and tidy and works with their exisiting rooms, but needs some serious personality injected. It is a blank canvas for future owners though, so someone can stamp their mark on it. They just needed to put a door handle on to finish their room completely.

Sarah and Minanne: 4th place | 14.5 points

Once again I think the girls were a little harshly judged. I thought their deck, privacy screens and house colour - Dulux Pukaki - were lovely. They did have the smallest BBQ, but it's still functional and practical, maybe just not having the same "wow" factor.

The girls' guest bedroom is simple and serene - another blank canvas - but they are being consistent with the rest of the house. Other than missing a door, their room was also complete.

So what will this coming week bring us on The Block? Something about an engagement ring?... tune in to TV3 find out!

Introducing Sticky Tiki

If you haven't heard of Sticky Tiki before, let me introduce you... they produce a range of gorgeous wall decals and murals. Formed in 2008 by the talented Kim Hands, Sticky Tiki features cute and quirky designs crafted from original paintings. The painterly effect complete with visible brush strokes will bring warmth and character to your home. In 2014 Rose Wells, who has a background in graphic design, bought Sticky Tiki and continues to produce these beautiful, high quality wall graphics produced in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The Sticky Tiki decals are made from fabric and won't rip, wrinkle or damage your walls. They adhere to any smooth surface and can be removed and repositioned countless times. They're also weatherproof which means they can be stuck outside and wiped down if little fingers mark them.

There is a fantastic range that your little ones will love. The kereru with ribbon is specially designed to be customised by writing your child's name on the ribbon.

My personal favourites are the dress up dolls which have a range of outfits that can be removed and swapped as much as your child desires (much cooler than the paper dolls we had as kids).

There's also a range of chalkboard decals. Chalkboard letters that can be bought individually to make up a specific name or word, and you can mix and match them with other decals to create a fun feature.

Plain chalkboard decals come in a range of sizes and shapes and can be used in so many different ways...

Sticky Tiki have also collaborated with other artists to bring you a varied range of decals including the intricate line drawings of Scribblelicious.

Pop over to see the full Sticky Tiki range. With Christmas just around the corner you may want to do away with a real tree this year and opt for this Christmas tree wall decal instead.