Just a spot of whimsy…

There is no real rhyme or reason for today’s post other than the fact that it is hump day, and well, we all need a bit of loveliness  on a Wednesday!

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London Cans Festival Revisited

After yesterday’s post, I am still on a bit of a colour kick! So I consulted my archives to find some seriously colourful London shots. Given the endless grey days and long winters, finding colour in London is no easy feat, unless you head to the famous graffiti tunnel near Waterloo station. I am not sure what it looks like now (I imagine it has all been needlessly tagged over) but we were fortunate enough to visit it a few days after the grand unveiling of the Cans Festival in 2008 – where famous graffiti artists all over the world were given free reign by the local authority to strut their stuff. 

All images via Wishful Thinking

Monday Snoop – House of the Year

I’m probably a little late to the party but Country Living has published their House of the Year! As you know, I tend to favour neutrals when it comes to interiors but I fell head over heels for this colourful coastal home. The home is question, located in Breezy Point, New York, was actually badly flood damaged – the effects of Hurricane Sandy last year.  Each room has been painted in varying shades of blue, off-set by stark white details. It’s hard to pick a favourite room but I can absolutely picture myself in that hammock in the living room: drink in hand with the sea breeze wafting through the windows.

Designer: Emily Henderson; Construction: Brooklyn-based Deary Construction

Images via Country Living

Waning summer…

My bus to work has been on diversion for the past week – although it takes a little bit longer for me to get to work, I now journey to Piccadilly Circus and then all the way back up the full length of Regent Street. You know what this means? A wealth of window displays to ogle at. Only problem is, I am ogling faux fur, wool hats and long leather boots. London has gone into full winter mode while I am still walking around in dresses and sandals. It’s all very disconcerting (especially since I will not be having another winter this year). I’ve got mixed feelings about having 2 summers, I mean I detest winter but I love the crisp autumn evenings. So instead of wrinkling my nose at the displays, I am embracing them. I have got my eye on a few goodies from Mango but I guess they will have to wait until next year (and yes, Aus has Mango. FTW)!

Images via Mango

The Sailors Club, Sydney

First off, I just wanted to say thanks for your comments about sponsored posts yesterday. I heaved a huge sigh of relief after reading them and have decided to tentatively try my hand at sponsored posts. I am still trying to figure out what direction to take my blog in – in the long term, I hope to make it much more authentic, use more of my own images and generally get/give more out of it. Sponsoring is not necessarily a long-term plan for me but given where I am in my life at the moment, it’s a short-term solution. My content will still remain the same (I will just be blogging an extra day if and when I can) but please bear with me until I find my feet. Thanks to all who visit my little corner of the internet, you guys are the reason I continue blogging!

Now back to business! Since we announced our big move to Aus, we have been inundated with well-wishes and regaled with tales of epic holidays in the Australian sunshine. There have been tales of flesh-eating spiders, pristine beaches and good looking lifeguards but most common of all? The food! I have been sent lists and lists of the best places to eat (in Sydney alone). I had no idea it was such a foodie’s paradise! (Now let’s just hope that employment finds us soon so that we can enjoy all of them). At the very top of my list of places to try is the Sailors Club in Rose Bay. Not only is the actual restaurant beautiful but take a look at that scenery. Apparently the tiramisu is to die for. Can’t wait! 

All images via The Sailors Club

On my mind…

Since I started blogging over 2 years ago, I never really had any serious ambitions for Wishful Thinking. I stumbled across some blogs during my interior design course research and thought “hmmm, I could do that” and voila, Wishful Thinking was born. Of course, I underestimated the amount of work a blog takes, the commitment it requires and the creativity it demands but after all these years, I still love blogging. I spend a lot of time meticulously choosing topics that inspire me and about once a year, I spend a few days bickering with Jordan who graciously helps me redesign it. It’s nothing fancy or mind blowing, just my little corner of the internet that I hope people get some enjoyment out of.

So where am I going with all this? Sponsored posts and advertising, that’s where. It’s something that has cropped up periodically over the years. I don’t advertise and I have never done a sponsored post. Not because I am against them per se, but because it was never my intention for my blog to make any money. Sponsored posts, to my mind, can be hard work, they also sometimes deviate from usual blog content. But as you know, on 23rd August, I will suddenly find myself unemployed (in a global recession) as we embark on a rather costly move to pursue our dreams across the globe. Sponsored posts have suddenly become rather appealing. As fate would have it, the opportunity to write one recently appeared in my inbox and, as much as I want to keep my blog ticking over as is, with a hard journey ahead of me, I can no longer ignore the opportunity to put pennies on the table.

I would love to hear your thoughts on sponsored posts and advertising on blogs in general. Is this something you have considered for your blog? Did you agonise about it as much as me or am I being a big girlpants?