follow your bliss

Before serving up dessert today I made my hubby run and get the camera - cos, c'mon, surely this plate of yum is ready for its close-up...

And oh, it was just as delish third time around. Unfortunately there was a little leftover so we'll have to polish it off tonight. I'll soldier on though...

pretty in pink

Today was super-chilly, grey and rainy - so I had to nix the bbq lunch I'd planned. Instead, I cooked up Beef Bourginon, cubes of potatoes cooked in duck fat, baguettes - and caramelised radish. YUM.

I was watching French Food at Home yesterday when this bowl of deliciousness hit the screen and their pretty pink glazed glow dazzled me. Here's what you do:

Trim most of the green top, leaving around 1cm, and a little off the bottom root. Slice into quarters lengthwise and place in a frypan. Just cover with water, pop in the equivalent of two cubes of sugar and a tablespoon of butter and bring to the boil. Simmer for around 10 - 15 minutes, or until the sauce reduces to a pink caramelised glaze and the radishes take on a glossy pink hue. Serve to your gobsmacked guests...

happy valentines day xx

bella rosa

I need to find space in my garden for this little pretty next spring. It's a David Austin rose with the name Skylark - and hello, prettiness! It's sweetly scented, as all his roses are, with a lingering aroma of 'apple pie' - oh-so-sold...

The fleurs are reminiscent of my favourite Duchess de Brabant - just a deeper shade of pink. I do need me one of these, particularly as it grows to a teensy 3 foot high and 2 foot wide - surely there's space.

bbq christening

I'm trying out the new bbq tonight, before we have friends for lunch tomorrow - how exciting! I'm dead keen to try out the rotisserie, which I've never used before - but how hard can it be? I think I'll throw on a few chickens, stuffed with lemons and pancetta, and basted with butter, tarragon and white wine. I'll also do a layered potato dish with thin slices alternated with chicken stock and a crispy cheese crust. And a salad - of course. For a starter I think I'll do some caramelised ribs - we're all close friends, we can deal with that. And dessert is, of course, my chocolate sponge pudding stuffed with raspberry and dark chocolate studded icecream - it always brings on smiles.

The bar fridge is connected in the pavilion, so I'll pop in some champers, juice, beer and water. But it's a bit cold and rainy today, and probably tomorrow too, so no swimming for the kiddies. Typical, the first friends to see our backyard almost complete will see it in the rain... However, the lilly pillies in the planter boxes are adoring every drop of the rain though, and the grass in the courtyard is now almost fluorescent in its richness. So shan't complain.

Next week the garden should be complete and as soon as there's a day of sunshine I'll snap away and share some pics!

bella bella

I did a huge shop at Coles yesterday as all profits raised would be sent to aid bushfire victims. I bought plenty of stuff, and discovered my new favourite thing - sparkling, organic fruit juices. O.M.G.

I bought blood orange, pomegranite and pink grapefruit - but there was also lemon on offer.  

Last night we whipped the vodka from the freezer, poured a shot or two into a glass and topped it with fizzy blood orange juice. A wedge of lime on the side completed the picture. Wow. The perfect cocktail - and the juice was only 99 cents a bottle. They also make a pretty good mocktail as our gal discovered, her glass filled only with juice and decorated with a lime wedge too.

Yes, I'll be heading back to Coles today to buy a case! {I am obsessed with blood orange at the moment - and I think this would be the base for a pretty amazing sorbet}.

bright spark

There's an electrician in my backyard today setting up electricity for my bar fridge and, more importantly, chandelier, in the pavilion. Only one minor task left till the backyard's complete (glass in the pool fencing!)

We'll still have another weekend of painting to give the pavilion three coats of white gloss - and now we'll have to work out how to furnish the - but it's as near to finished as possible. However, the weather, with it's 16 degrees and raining, isn't the best way to show off a summer backyard at its best. But I don't believe I'll ever complain about the rain again. Now I just need to work out how to transport it down south.

Oh, speaking of furnishing the pool pavilion, you know the white daybed I showed you a few weeks ago? Apparently it's only suitable for real, proper indoor use (insert sad face here). They did send us an image of the outdoor daybed and, oh, it was seriously unattractive. Ugly actually if I'm to be frank. Weird driftwood-esque timber, oddly shaped... oh well, we can keep searching. For the moment we've got a wicker lounge setting in white that'll serve the purpose. I've never been a fan of instantly furnishing a room. I prefer to make do till something comes along that I'm completely smitten with. It'll happen.

pie eye

Hey, you know how delish the seven hour leg of lamb is? You know, the one studded with anchovies and garlic? Well I upped the yum factor tonight by baking it into a pie.

I finely diced an onion and a couple of huge cloves of garlic and sauteed them in olive oil till they were soft. The I diced the remaining leg of lamb into decent-sized chunks and threw that in on top of the onion. Because there wasn't enough lamb to fill a pie dish, I then chopped up 250g of bacon and browned it in there as well. After this I poured in half a cup of red wine (a spicy shiraz) and let it soak into the meat, before adding another 1/2 cup. After this I added about one and a half cups of chicken stock (I didn't have any beef - or lamb) and some dried, mixed herbs (no fresh rosemary in my garden at the moment). Adjusting to taste I then slooshed in a good splash of worstershire (sp?) sauce and salt and pepper. To thicken, I added a tablespoon of gravy powder and simmered for 15 minutes.

I then lined a pie dish with puff pastry and stabbed it all over before baking it at 200 degrees for five minutes. Of course, despite my stabbing, it rose dramatically, so I stabbed it again and pushed it down flat with a spoon. The filling went on top of this, and I placed more puff pastry roughly over the top. I brushed the top with beaten egg (plenty of it) and stabbed a few breathing holes in the top.

This went in the oven for around 15 minutes, till it was deliciously golden, and I served it with Paris Mash and peas cooked in chicken stock with a dob of butter.

Oh.

My.

God.

For winter dinner parties I'll be serving individual pies in ramekins - with pastry just on the top for ease. And, for the record, hubby and daughter both ate their peas (obviously everything's better with chicken stock and butter...)

feeling crafty

On my way to buy coffee beans at a far-flung suburb this morning, I wandered past an op-shop. Now, as you know, I believe it's a sin to actually walk past an op-shop, so in I sauntered. First thing I spied was a pale, dusky pink handbag that I coveted last winter, but when I went back to buy it, alas, they were sold out. Today, however, that little beauty was sitting on a shelf - for $4, rather than the $80-odd retail. Hello, did somebody say bargain?

It's a cute little thing, with a pretty pale pink leather flower on one side, but the little button in the middle of the rose has fallen off - which is why I guess the previous owner abandoned it so. However, I'm looking at this as an opportunity to get crafty. I'm going to Spotlight to buy some raspberry felt and I'm going to make a little button to place in the middle. But that's not all. I thought I'd make two more flowers, to take the floral layer count to four, which shall bring the whole look together. 

I'll take some before and after shots so you can marvel at my Martha-esque craft skills (or not, as may be the case...) C'mon, how hard can it be?

little lamb

Gwen sure knows how to design a fab pair of shoes. These L.A.M.B. pretties would be able to wash away any winter blues. With a pencil skirt and bright red lips a gal could sashay into any room with a smile.

cold comfort

Wow, in a week we've gone from 37 degree scorchers, to today's low of 17 degrees and raining. Can't complain about the rain as hopefully it's helping to put out some bushfires and is drenching some pretty dry gardens. It's also brought our carpenter back to finish the pavilion by nailing the slats around three edges - woo. And hoo!

Last night's lamb was utterly divine. Perfection. Best of all, I only used half of it - so do you know what that means? Lamb pie for dinner! I've never baked a savoury pie before, so I'll need to google a recipe. I'm thinking of a pastry base, a rich, red wine sauce and maybe a mashed potato topping - served with mushy peas (which I'll have to give a new name as husband and child both have an aversion to green peas - odd!)

comfort food

It's called that for a reason, which is why I'm slow cooking this Tuesday. A friend's status update on Facebook called me to slowly cook a leg of lamb, which I'm doing.

After studding deep cuts with chunks of fresh garlic and pieces of anchovy, I browed the leg in a pan. Then it's gone into the dutch oven with plenty of onions, more garlic, more anchovies, carrot and french lentils. A tin of diced tomatoes, some chicken stock, white wine, salt and pepper and a bouquet garni complete the combo. I should have simmered it, but didn't - I've just covered it with the lid and popped it in the oven on a low heat (120 degrees). It's going to slowly cook for at least five hours (should have started earlier for a seven hour cooking time, but oh well, we'll see) and then I'm serving it with potatoes and zucchini - possibly cooked together as a gratin, again, we'll see...

Hastily thrown together comfort food still serves a purpose, so long as it's got all the necessary ingredients and is still shown love. After all, sometimes a quick snog is just as good as a long, slow pash... 

thoughtful tuesday

I'm in a strange place at the moment. I'm around 1000 kilometres from my mum, step-dad and brother who live on 6.5 acres of bushland, right near the bushfires in Victoria. Houses have been lost at the end of their street (admittedly a very long street of about 7.5 kilometres, but still, that's too close). I'm trying to concentrate and work but am thinking about their safety, wishing that their "tree-change" were actually a "sea-change" so they could live somewhere safer, without the imminent threat to their lives and their home. I've been doing lots of calling to check their safety, and fielding calls from friends and family who've tried to get through, but found the phone lines busy. Normally an engaged signal is a minor annoyance, but when you know that catastrophic bushfires are nearby it sets the adrenaline pumping in the most horrid way.

At least they're safe. Close friends of theirs, the dearest, sweetest people you could ever meet, are waiting to hear the bad news about their daughter, her partner and other family members who lived in Kinglake - one of the worst affected areas. The death count's still rising and it could take weeks for positive identification. My heart and prayers are with them, and everyone who's experienced loss in these fires.

The worst part is that some fires were deliberately lit, while others were the result of a flaming cigarette being flung from a window. Obviously I have no concept of what goes on in the deranged mind of a pyromaniac - nor do I want to - but who throws a lit cigarette out a window any time, let alone in 46 degree heat? That's not ignorance, that's willful stupidity. They will be found, and they will be charged, but the lives, human and animal, the loss of homes and priceless memories, along with the nightmares so many will continue to experience, cannot be salved with a gaol-term. 

The only positive is lift it's giving the human spirit. Cash donations are pouring in, people are desperate to help, and the town's will be rebuilt with vigour. The Aussie battling spirit is at its best in times of crisis - let's hope it continues even when times are good.

luminaire

Our electrician is coming this week to hang and connect this chandelier in our pavilion. We found it a few years ago in an antique store, and basically designed the pitch of the pavilion roof around it. Here it is trying out life on the outside on our side veranda. I think it'll like looking over the pool - you?

damping down

I wrote a lot about the rain last year, and how I wished it would move where it's needed. Today I'm really hoping that plenty of rain clouds settle over Victoria to quell the bushfires. My thoughts are with those who've lost loved-ones and their homes in this horrific tragedy. 

j'adore

My love for this frock knows no bounds. It may possibly be quelled when I too own a floaty grey frock, but until then I'll have to live it out on-screen. 

Of course the episode featuring this frock was just on - and the phone rang just before I feasted my eyes on it. What couture candy the final series served up. Delish...

belle fleurs

Here's a little dose of pretty to liven up your day. Pink and red are just the happiest colour combo don't you think? And I'm loving on the combo of ranunculus and roses - I might have to plant a few ranunculus bulbs amongst the catmint that carpets my roses - red and pink, to contrast with the red and pink roses naturellement.

Oh, and can't you just imagine a bowl of cafe au lait in that pretty spotty number?

in memorium

I love The Cramps. I also adored the love story of Lux Interior and Poison Ivy. Like Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward I looked to them as an example of a hot, long-lived marriage. And now he is gone.

RIP Lux.

saturated sunshine

Today, to put myself in a better mood I painted my toenails bright yellow. I really should have resisted that urge. I used an el cheapo nailpolish that looks like primary school paint - goopy, opaque and with surprisingly sparse coverage.

If I really needed cheering up these shoes {Pour la Victoire: Tatienne in case you're wondering} would have been a much prettier option. Yes, they would be a tad more expensive than my $2 nailpolish, but far more rewarding - oh, and I'd be helping the economy too. Selfless really.

take me away

Every time I look at this gorgeous image it makes me sigh and smile. 

it don't matter if you're black or white

Help me out here. I like to do laundry properly. I separate darks from lights, handwash anything that tells me to (by hand, in the sink, not on the machine's 'handwash' cycle) and follow instructions to a ridiculous degree.

But when you're sorting lights from darks and you have something that's black and white striped where does it go? Darks? Lights? Why must laundry mess with my head? Luckily, I'm eco-conscious and do all my loads with cold water so I don't need to worry about fading of dark colours, so I tend to throw stripey stuff in with the whites, as I presume that because it's been treated so the black on the actual garment won't bleed with the white on the actual garment all should be well. But c'mon, washing's meant to be a no-brainer - isn't it?

Oh, and yes, that is a pink washing machine. A pink Smeg washing machine. I think I died a little on the inside when I saw it - I thought my hankering for a green Smeg fridge was going to be the end of me - but this? Oh wouldn't washing be bliss...

shoe envy

See this teeny, tiny picture here? Well, squint and use all your visual powers and check out the insy wincy shoes on the model. See them? Aren't they mini-magnificient perfection? This outfit was one of the wonders that Gok whipped up on Gok's Fashion fix the other night. I love what he did with a little bias binding around the lapels at at the waist to embellish that cute little peplum. He also placed cute little bows above the split at the rear of that pencil skirt. Five bows - because odd numbers are better than even stylistically...

However the shoes, which were ever-so-cheap look like the most divine, quilted, bi-coloured, patent Chanel Mary Janes. I want, I need, I must have. I believe they were from either Office or Next - one of those fabulous UK stores that has cheap yet divine stuff. I'm browsing until I find these in a size 37. Yes, they will end up costing $8000 Australian thanks to our cruddy exchange rate versus the pound, but still - cuteness!

* Update: I've found a slightly larger version of the shoes for your viewing pleasure. I have also found them on the Office website for seventy pounds. Now, if you had in-laws going to the UK in a few weeks to visit your sister-in-law who lives just outside London would you buy them, ship them to sis-in-law's and ask in-laws to bring them back to Australia just in time for winter? Would you?

when worlds collide

Why is it that on some days things just conspire against you? You know, nothing goes smoothly, you can't make yourself understood, if something should take one hour it ends up taking four... Welcome to my yesterday. Erk, it was annoying. Nothing went smoothly, or if it did I didn't notice it. But it's gone, it's over, today is another day. Working on the whole Power Of Now thing I'm just going to let yesterday go (well, aside from blogging about it now) and happily get on with today.

Today's going much better thank you. There are blokes finally taking away the temporary fencing that's been sitting around in the side yard, being slowly decorated by an array of weeds. I'm reasonably prepared for the work I have due. The house is looking okay (sink cleaned - bonus) and I have only a few hours work to do on a story that's due tomorrow which is coming together rather beautifully.

Tonight I'm also determined to bbq the ribs that are sitting in my fridge. Last night my daughter had netball grading that started at 4.30 and finished at 7pm. Yes, in the heat. Poor little poppets were red-faced and exhausted while I was berating myself for bring upteen bottles of water for the girls - and none for me. I also forgot to take a chair which meant many hours of standing which I'll only suffer if someone magnificent is on a stage in front of me performing my favourite songs (yes, my daughter was playing her little heart out, so that helped make it bearable, but oh, my ancient back...) Anyway, all that led to the most evil takeout meal of all McDonalds - but it did hit the spot.

Tonight, enormous green salad, ribs and bucketloads of cool water to wash it all down. A nice way to end the day.

breathing space

It's been one of those days so I thought a pretty image might breathe some fresh and more inspired life into my day. These shelves and fleurs from CountryHome are seriously joy-inspiring. Non?

hair scare

Driving along in the car the other day my ears were delighted to hear a favourite tune from a band that holds a special place in my heart - Pavement. These indy rockers were the soundtrack to a particularly lovely stage in my life, hence my continuing adoration. In this song Steve Malkmus's quirky vocals implored "Darling don't you go and cut your hair..." and you know what I did this morning? Ignored him. Yep, how's this for a segueway... We painted the pavilion at the end of the pool on the weekend and I ended up with a substantial amount of white paint in my long, black curly hair. A couple of washes haven't budged it, so this morning, I washed it again, then hacked away with the scissors. Oops.

Obviously the good thing about long, curly hair is that you don't have to be precise when you cut it. It's curly, it's kooky, it'll adapt. However, I'm not sure how well my hair will respond when it's dry after having a couple of inches cut from random sections. Hopefully okay.

Oh, and I still have some paint in my hair, but I'm hoping to pass that off as a statement - or just dye over the top of it...

And yes, next time I paint I will wear a cap - and attempt to not doong my head on the freshly painted beams quite so often.

bagging a bargain

Who doesn't love a bargain? Hearts have to skip a beat when something you want AND need is on sale. I raced into Target the other day to see if I could find any cheapo swimwear and found a fabulous black and white printed number - for $10. I know! I bought my daughter a couple of pairs too (one stashed away for next summer in a larger size) 

I also bought the most divine Cath Kidston Lilac and Lavender washbag set with the cutest little make-up bag, handcream, soap, shower gel and lip salve - for only $9 - that's positively stolen. I think I need to redo my nails, slather my hands in the creme and polish up my pout with the salve. It's already starting to be one of those days, so best try to counter it with some scent-therapy.

you give me goosebumps, heart thumps...

Omygodomygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod... Alexander McQueen, you saucy minx you. I've had to bring my shoe of the week forward two full days because of these lovelies. They've also inspired me to get all crafty a la Gok's Fashion Fix. I am so going out to buy a slew of organza roses to pin to the back of a pair of black heels. I have a divine pair of black satin pumps that would feel very ooh la la with a rose following in my wake.

Oh, pretty.

role reversals

In most ways I'm tres girly. I love pink, feel naked without pretty coloured toe- and finger-nails, I squeal, I giggle... but over the years I've realised that I do some blokey things. For example, I always leap into the driver's seat whenever we head out. I love driving, whereas my hubby has no real opinion on it - so I'm the driver. I also take on the traditionally masculine arena of the bbq - wielding tongs like any good Aussie bloke. Not for any real reason - just because I like cooking. 

However, on the weekend we bought a new barbeque. A real big, boofy, blokey barbie. The hulking great stainless steel machine you see in this post is coming to live at our house this weekend, and I think my husband's in love. I'm pretty sure he has visions of roasting sides of wildebeast on the rotisserie, sizzling large hunks of steak on the racks and allowing butterflied legs of lamb to slowly brown under his ministrations. 

Can't say I blame him.

well read

I was an avid reader from an early age. I devoured books and they always made me smile. I also started my re-reading thing quite young. See, if I like a book I can happily read it again, and again. It may have something to do with my goldfish-like brain, or maybe repetition suits me. Anywhoodle, there are some children's book's that I just la-la-loved. I wished that I'd kept some from my childhood, but they were lost on one of my dad's many moves. 

Thank goodness for op-shops though. Over the years I've rebuilt an extensive Dr Seuss collection for my daughter and she's just as fond of his amazing brain as I am. There were also a few Little Golden Books I adored - and this one here was my absolute favourite of all. I actually screamed the day I found this on a second-hand bookshop's shelves.

Annabella and I both love The Color Kittens. Even though she's nine, if she's had a big day and is too tired to read, I'll get this out and read to her at bedtime and we'll both smile at the tale of Brush and Hush. When the little pink dog dances with a groovy green cat... oh, what wonderful illustrations.

Next stop is to track down my favourite book from when I was about nine. What The Witch Left and is a magical tale that even to this day inspires me. The friendship, the magic and the adventure are a must for every little girl's mind. It was a scholastic book, so it was probably one I begged for from a school book club. But now, it's sadly out of print (despite many fans calling for its reprint) so I'll need a well-loved 2nd hand version. Anyone?

oh please

Much as I love the stuff, one of my pet peeves is chocolate for breakfast. Erk. It's wrong, on so many levels. As I tried to teach my daughter from an early age: chocolate is a sometimes food, it shouldn't be a major part of the food pyramid. That's why I loathe chocolate cereals aimed at kids. I'm not going to instill such negative eating habits in my child - the whole rewarding with food thing can lead to serious issues as you grow up.

So imagine, here I am this morning, racing through Coles when I spied this concoction on the shelves. Now, I'd always thought special K was one of those cereals that when you're trying to lose weight, you turn to. But now? Not so sure. Reading the ingredient list makes your blood boil. The first ingredients are rice and wholegrain wheat - good. Then sugar then, mmmm, 'chocolately chunks' which require a science degree to decode. Obviously a fair amount of the ingredients are some kind of sweetener. Oh, and there's fructose, and corn syrup - you know, the old 'break down the sugars into 20 different combinations so that 'sugar' isn't the first and main ingredient - but would be the majority ingredient if you combined all their unholy sweetness together.

No wonder so many people are confused about food and what they should and shouldn't eat. When a formerly reputable and reliable brand such as Special K deems it okay to eat chocolate at breakfast your average consumer is going to be confused. Not me, no Special K product, even the original which I actually like, is gracing my cereal shelf. Ever.

paint effects

It's friday afternoon and who would have thought I'd be excited at the prospect of spending another weekend painting? Not this little black duck - but oddly, I am. Isn't it so much nicer doing something where you can see an almost immediate result? It's the attitude I'm trying to take with virtually every task - no matter how horrid or annoying. 

Hope you all have a gorgeous weekend.

short and sweet

My daughter went back to school this week, on a Wednesday, which is a nice day to start. Beginning the school year with a three day week is a lovely way to ease into the school year. See, it's easy to come up with a different hairstyle for each day (v important) and something novel for fruit break (variety, spice of life and all) and a new and interesting breakfast (gotta tickle those little tastebuds). I'm also finally getting used to the quietness of the house and getting stuff done.

The housework's falling down though. Now the new school year's started I think a rough plan's going to have to be worked out. We usually clean together on a Saturday, but this weekend will be spent painting AGAIN. Although, in exciting news, it will be painting the pavilion at the end of the pool! Our speedy, speedy carpenter started on Tuesday and on his first day laid the deck. On the second finished the deck and put up the uprights, then yesterday he did the beams and lined the ceiling (making sure there was space for our ginormous chandelier to hang).

So on the weekend, the white paint comes out and we're slapping it on. The tin on the roof goes on today (pale grey, to match the roof of our house) and he's delivering the timber that forms the slats that are going around three sides so we can give them a coat before they put them up. It's all looking so lovely. My hubby also bought a bar fridge to put in there to keep water (and, ahem, champagne) cool. It's hidden away in the wall of built-in cupboards designed to lock away all the pool stuff.

We also had turf laid in the courtyard and it's incredible what a difference it makes - it really cools the whole yard down. After six months or so of dirt in various guises it's so lovely to see a pretty verdant covering. And once the hedging plants are planted in the boxes along the pool's edges it'll be a veritable oasis.

sweet scents

My darling sister-in-law, who lives far-too-far-away from me in London, bought me the most divine Peony candle and homespray from The White Company for Christmas (I know - spoiled!) So as I'm sitting at my desk, waiting on a conference call, and for the turf men to finally arrive (yep, they didn't come yesterday, are meant to come today...) I've spritzed my study with this delicious scent and am already feeling calmer and more inspired.

what's cooking

As much as I'm loving on summer for the weather, I'm in need of a change so I can find some new cooking inspiration. I'm done with salads. I came up with some variations this year, which made me happy, but now, I've had enough. I need to start slow cooking again. I want the comforting scents to waft through my home. I want richness and the mouth-filling sensation that comes from layers of tastes in winter food. 

Summer food's light, delicate and zesty - but I'm over it. I'm really going to have to pull out the big guns to overcome my culinary ennui. Perhaps I can do an asian-style salmon, with a cold broccoli salad - dotted with slivered almonds with a rich parsley and anchovi dressing. Buckwheat noodles might also help. 

Actually, on Martha the other day she made an amazing dish with buckwheat noodles, flank steak (I think that's what it was called - it's the steak cut from the ribs and is incredibly tender - apparently) and snow peas. She sauteed the steak for a few minutes, then removed, rested and then sliced against the grain. The she boiled up the noodles and drained. Then the snowpeas were cooked in the pan with the steak juices all stuck to the bottom. She threw in some miso paste and soy sauce and stirred them around for a minute. All were tossed in a bowl, garnished with peanuts, sliced green onions and coriander. Yum... think I've got my inspiration back...

strap me in

Now these, with a pair of feet to fill them out, are a mighty pretty shoe of the week. Honestly, who couldn't love mary janes cubed? If I were a wee slip of a lass I'd wear them with long socks, but for moi, a thick pair of patterned tights might be more appropriate. They're by Chloe and I like them mighty fine.

french chic

Hef might be testing my boundaries with his twins, and by featuring the likes of Aubrey O'Day in the pages of the US version (yeah, who?) but look at the French version of Playboy. Lily's gone all 60s in this adorable retro shoot. With her Gidet-esque hair and the carousel pony - I'm smitten. 

green spaces

Apparently men are delivering turf to my courtyard today. I say apparently as they were due here an hour ago... but hey, who's impatient? I've learned not to expect anyone until they're actually standing in my yard, surrounded by absolutely everything they'll need to do the job - and let me tell you, that's pretty rare. That said, my carpenter turned up yesterday, with lots of timber and actually constructed most of the deck for our pavilion at the end of the pool! Excitement!! More timber was delivered this morning, and he and his son turned up on-time and got straight into working.

Matt and I finished painting the last of the fences last night - at 8pm. It nearly killed us, but thanks to Sara's suggestions on holding a paint brush loosely and switching positions often, my hands aren't nearly as sore as they were the day before. The fence looks spectacular. I'll head out later on and take some photos of it now it's a pretty painted lady - it looked so nude and unfinished before. I'm thrilled it's all finally starting to take shape and the end is soooooo close I can taste it.

brush strokes

Ouch. I have blisters on my hands and fingers from painting the fence - but boy, it looks fabulous. We painted 30 square metres of fence yesterday, which is darned impressive, and only have 29 square metres to paint today. Easy peasy. Once the fence is painted we can plant the lilly pillies which are very patiently waiting out the side of the house in a little straight line. Ignored, except for the couple of times a day I hose them down.

I realised yesterday - about 20 square metres into the painting, that I hold a paintbrush in a very silly manner - the same way you'd hold a pen, which makes for a lot of interesting blisters. I think it's because I've always done the cutting in, while hubby takes over the broader brush strokes of rollering. Today I'm going to load my fingers with band-aids - then try to hold my brush in the manner of a grizzled old house painter - grasped firmly in my palm. Wish me luck.

aussie, aussie, aussie

It's Australia Day today, a drizzly, grey Australia Day, but after Saturday's scorcher I shan't be complaining. I was looking for a pretty lamington image to accompany this post and found the prettiest, but now defunct, blog. It was tearoselane.blogspot.com and while the posts were sparse, they were so pretty and inspirational. Check out her cake stand filled with treats and see if your mouth doesn't water. 

I'm off to the backyard to continue painting the paling fence - does it get any more Aussie than that?

better late than never

This morning, as I was waving my father and step-mother off from their three day visit I thought I'd just bend down and pull out a few weeds that were poking through the paving in front of the front steps. Then, while I was there, I weeded a few long bits of grass that had straggled into the front bed. That reminded me that yesterday I'd read it was time to summer prune the roses. And oh, did they need it.

The poor things performed valiantly for us this season, but the couple of scorching days we've had, coupled with nighttime rain, and the fact that I've basically ignored them for the past two months meant they were looking straggly, spotty and altogether unwell. So I went all along the front picket fence and pruned them back by a good third. Now they're just sticks again, but I did give them a big meal of chicken manure and a lovely water, so hopefully they'll get inspired to grow and flower again. I've still got the roses up the side to prune - another day perhaps - although they're not looking anywhere near as sickly as the front ones which are exposed to all natures whims and fancies.

Yesterday was a blisteringly hot 39 degrees with unconscionable humidity - so we hired a ute and shoveled four tons of lawn underlay into our courtyard. Not sure if you've ever been introduced to lawn underlay before, but it has a really, really high percentage of chicken manure in it - so it's dead stinky. However, while the whiff factor is high, and we did nearly kill ourselves working in the heat - the area's now ready for the turf men to come and lay some lovely Sir Walter buffalo in the courtyard. Bliss. We also bought 10 lovely lilly pillies to form a three to four metre high hedge behind us, so the pool shall now be surrounded with a delightful patch of green. With the carpenter starting on Tuesday, and apparently knocking over the pool pavilion in a fortnight, we've just got a spot of painting and planting to do before I've got some lovely backyard shots to share with you.

Yay. About to pop a bottle of rosé in the fridge to celebrate.

thinking thrifty

Whenever I read a blog or piece on how to be thrifty I realise how much I just do naturally. Putting myself through uni and living on basically nothing taught me some valuable life lessons, and I'm glad that even when my income's gone up, my spending's still stayed on the frugal side. Of course, I do splurge. A new Chanel nailpolish can do so much for a gal - but I normally only buy one per season. Apart from that - I'm thrift-central.

For a start, if a hem comes down or a button comes off, I sew it back on. Badly, but I'll do it. If a zipper breaks I'd rather pay someone $14 to sew in a new one than buy a new pair of trousers. We do enjoy going out to dinner - but it's rare, and so much more special that way. When I cook it's from fresh ingredients - with the odd sauce from a jar if need be - but my meals come from the ground - not in a box. I always turn the shampoo and conditioner bottles upside down at the end of their life. Then I'll take off the lid, add a few drops of water, shake and get another two washes from them.

We pay our mortgage fortnightly, and pay more than the minimum in order to pay it off quicker. If ever we get an unexpected windfall (pay-rise, tax refund...) that goes straight off the mortgage too. I'll also walk an extra block or two to use my own bank's ATM - I loathe paying the extra $2 you're charged for using another bank's machine - and it can add up too.

I'll also buy big ticket items on sale - or negotiate my butt off for the best possible price and then pay cash to get even more off. My clothes virtually always come from op-shops or sample sales and if I feel the need for a fashion fix I'll buy some cheap beads, a lippy or nail polish in this season's hottest colour.

But I don't do this to feel virtuous - I just do it because it feels right. There's no point in cutting costs and scrimping if it makes you feel deprived and awful - you just need to make cuts in the area where it doesn't matter so you can save enough to spend a little more where it does.

holy sheet

So, I saved up, waited for the sale and bought 1500 thread count white cotton sheets. They're so crisp and look gorgeous on the bed, but, oh, they're loud.

A friend of mine did warn me about this (after I'd bought them!) but I thought he must have just had overly sensitive ears - but no, they're loud.

I think I'm going to have to wash them a few times to soften them up - or learn to sleep like a log. Tossing and turning is annoying enough, without such a noisy soundtrack!

Despite this, once I've fallen asleep I've had some mighty restful nights - and for an occasional insomniac there's nothing sweeter than sleeping through the night.

Ps - not my bedroom in this shot - but spookily similar. I have the same coloured walls and a bay window with a 1920s french cafe table and love heart chairs inset. Instead of a little plate, I have two gorgeous little images of Marie Antoinette I found in an antique store in the most darling of frames on each side of the bay window. I'm thinking I need similar curtains though - how pretty. I also have netting billowing down behind my bed - after all, it's what every princess needs.

simply stunning

Oh. Marion. Dior shoes. That chaise. Her hair. Her face. That frock. The va va voom.

Oh.

a real page turner

Sometimes it's easy to think grandiose and contemplate over-embellishment (or is that just me?)

Whenever we've discussed floor to ceiling bookshelves in the study we've thought mouldings and complexity but this image (from the same house as the kitchen I believe - damn, do the people who live here walk around hugging themselves in delight? I would if this were my home) shows that simple can be stunning.

Imagine...

a touch of green

Next week the carpenter's coming to build the structure at the end of our pool. I'm dreaming on white painted floor boards, white slatted walls, a white roof, my enormous white chandelier - and white furniture. However, to give it a kick, I am loving on this shade of green in these chairs. For cushions perhaps?

PS - how well would you cook if this were your kitchen? I found this on Homes & Gardens.com and think it's achingly pretty.

wave of beautification

Hello my pretties - would you like to come and live on my feet? Wow, I found is quite tough this week finding a shoe I deemed suitable for this spot. I frowned, I 'euwed', I pouted, I frowned,I sighed until I stumbled upon this pair of Prada perfection.

Honestly, some times it seems like the shoe maker's have run out of ideas, particularly when you flick through Caroline Cox's Vintage Shoes book and realised that what we consider avante garde was actually de rigeur in the 1930s. So I was very pleased to see a shoe with all the bits I like, but with a twist - or a wave in this case. Personally, I think it would be hilarious if I were to wear these - the colour and shape of the shoe matching the colour and curls on my head. However, I can only dream. Which I will...

magnificent morsels

Hey, you know how I'm going alcohol-free in February? Do these pink champagne truffles count?

afternoon delights

One of the things I'm most looking forward to, once our back garden is complete, is bringing out our antique french iron furniture. We've got a gorgeous curved bench -similar to this, but in an amazing rusty cream. Plus there's an art deco chair and table set, with the lovehearts naturellement. Picturing them on the green grass in the courtyard makes my heart sing. High tea will taste so much better in such pretty surrounds.

bless

bedtime stories

I was checking out Martha Stewart's site, looking for a little home inspiration when my heart skipped a beat or a thousand. Now, my dream is to have at least one wall in my study lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves {if not all of them...} but oh my, wouldn't this be lovely in the boudoir? As I cannot possibly fall asleep without a chapter or two this has to be a booklover's dream does it not?

things i'm grateful for

Taking time out to count your blessings is quite possibly one of the most productive ways to use your time. 

• Today, I'm grateful that my new life as a freelancer seems to be working out quite well. I'm getting things done, on time and without too much stress. 

• I'm also enjoying spending the last of the school holidays with my gal. Before I know it she'll be headed back for her fifth year of school. 

• I'm grateful for my garden that's still giving to me, despite my not offering much in return. 

• I'm grateful for my body that lets me do pretty much most things that I like to do - and only moans and complains if I try to make it do too much. 

• I'm also grateful for iPhoto - where I can go back and visit the pretty gardens in the Southern Highlands - without the three hour plus drive. We'll be spending this year saving to pay for the backyard - so it's only staycations for us. 

• However, that said, I'm dead grateful for my backyard renovation which is nearly complete and ready to share with you. It's going to look sooooo fabulous, that it'll be worth all the pain.

arctic blast

Another thing I just love about summer is being able to finish off a shower with a frosty cold blast of water. After rinsing off the conditioner there's nothing more refreshing than sealing the cuticles with a final cold rinse. Since doing this I've been able to give one step in my hair care routine the boot. I no longer need to apply shine drops to my hair after the curl cream, cos the cold water scares my hair into shining. And believe me, when you've got curly hair - it takes a lot to make it shine!

daily pretty

Smiling every day is made so much easier with a pretty picture to look at non?

keeping calm, carrying on

It's always far too easy to stress and fuss. Last year I resolved never to answer "How are you?" with "Busy" or "Stressed" because really, aren't we all? As soon as you put the pressure on yourself by admitting that you're stressed, it really only makes sense that you'll compound that stress and feel even worse.

I wrote an article recently on multi-tasking. See, women pride themselves on being able to do it, but really, it just means we're doing a lot of things - not terribly well. So now, I try to do one thing at a time - where it matters. If I'm unloading the dishwasher I can always have a kettle boiling. Then I might wipe down the benches while the tea's drawing - that's a sensible use of time. But reading while you're watching TV, or sorting washing while helping your child with their homework doesn't cut it - it just dilutes the effectiveness of what should be the priority.

There might not be enough time to get everything done in a day - but what about a week? Or a month? How many things on your to-do list are vitally, life-threateningly urgent? 30 - or 3? Refining that to-do list, prioritising and delegating jobs to others can make us so much more productive, happier and satisfied - and chances are, we'll get more done in the end.

baby steps

So far I'm doing pretty well with my "Things I'll do this year" list (psst, it's kinda like a list of new year's resolutions - just with a different name) and my favourite is walking everyday. Since I decided to walk every day for 15 minutes it's made a huge difference. After all, 15 minutes is nothing - anyone can spare 15 minutes. But the best thing is, that most of the time it's longer - once I even walked for 45 minutes because it was just so blissful.

Every night, after I've cleaned up from dinner, I'll lace up my pink trainers (yes, of course!) and head out into the lovely pre-dusk light. Thank goodness for daylight savings, as it doesn't get dark till after 8.30pm at the moment.

I'm also really embracing the whole "Clean Sink" phenomena (not strictly on my list - but should have been). Putting away and wiping down the sink within an hour of washing up (I still refuse to use a tea towel to dry!) has made an enormous difference to the state of my kitchen. Benches are clean and tidy - so is the island - and it's now a pleasure to be in.

How's your new year treating you?

oh happy day

Today is a blissfully balmy 24 degree day and I've just strung a washing line in my courtyard and hung a load of washing to dry in the sun. If only I had these pretty clothes pegs from www.cherrymenlove.com to peg them with my day would be complete. (ps: her site? So pretty. I need the peony print fabric - shame she's in the UK - the Aussie dollar never translates well to pounds...)

Once these clothes are dry it's time to wash my pretty new sheets and lovingly lay them on my bed. I swear sweeter dreams will ensue from 15oo thread count white cotton...

dreaming of daybeds

Last year we holidayed at Byron Bay and stayed at a fantastic house, with a pool, massive covered-deck and a daybed. There were other items of furniture in the house, but when I wasn't in the pool, I was on the daybed. I felt sorry for the next holiday renter as there would be a me-shaped indentation on the cushions that'd be pretty hard to make yourself comfy in.

Well, that daybed made me determined to have a similar item in the pavilion at the end of our pool. But it's hard to find something that's just right. Most daybeds have an asian/balinese theme, which are lovely, but not in the style of our home. We want something simple and white. Like this one we found the other day. It's from a store down by Avoca Beach in Sydney, which is a damned fine excuse for a daytrip and looks like it could fit into our home rather comfortably. Our carpenter's meant to be coming in just over a week's time to build the home for my daybed too, which has me beyond excited. 

Once the pavilion's built and the courtyard is grassed, there's only a few cosmetic things to add to make our backyard complete (trees and stuff). However, can you believe it - it's probably going to be completed in February. Yes, that would be the month we're going alcohol-free. Dammit - how am I to ring in my new backyard with a flute of soda water or a mocktail? This'll test my willpower...

bright spark

Generally I don't mind aging. Wrinkles don't phase me, the grey hairs can be covered... but it's blotches and splotches that drive me crazy. After a few days in the sun, despite the sunscreen, my face now tends to take on a blotchy brown effect - not pretty. Scrubbing won't take it away, but this cheap trick will.

Palmer's products mightn't be glamorous, but boy, do they work. This mask is my secret weapon against any marks - brown spots, pimples that won't fade, redness. All's gone and pristine after 15 minutes of application. What more could a girl possibly ask for?

think sink

I read a good tip about cleaning your kitchen today which was: "always make sure your sink is cleared and polished". Which is a damned fine idea. Because obviously, if your sink's clear - there's no dirty dishes to wash stacked to one side (or in my case, a teetering pile of washed dishes 'airing' to the other). A clean sink forces you to stack and unstack the dishwasher and then inspires you to wipe down the benches while you're there. What a clever idea!

Now mind you, if this were my sink pictured here, it'd always be gleaming and pristine. Oh for a butler's sink...

pink of perfection

Goodness gracious, have you ever seen such prettiness? Peonies are one of my favourite flowers, and I must say that I love how these little beauties are entwined with grapevines.

refried brains

With the temperature reaching over 42 degrees yesterday I realised just how poorly I cope with the heat. Driving for 20 minutes to reach a big tin shed in the middle of nowhere (which was, thankfully, air conditioned) and then back again nearly caused my circuits to overload. My poor little car's air conditioning struggled to cope with the heat, so I tried the old fashioned remedy of rolling down the windows - to be hit with hellfire's breath...

I came home, pouty and cranky, trying to sullenly deal with the heat, but realised that on days such as those, I should just acquiesce, turn the air con on, and loll on the couch with a water iceblock. Instead, I sat in my darkened study and tried to work. Ineffectually.

Today, however, it's a more balmy 24 degrees - much more my style. I've been out, bought a lovely melamine dinner set that's white with a pretty pale blue floral arrangement on it (from Aldi - shhhhh), taken my daughter from one sleepover venue to another, mopped the kitchen floor, sorted the washing into appropriate piles and emailed interview requests for the next story I'm working on. Much better.

I'm also happy that my new cupcake desktop icons have inspired me to new levels of organisation and effectiveness. I've got all my stories in progress organised in folders by magazine and have given them colour labels depending on their due date: red for the closest deadline, orange for the next, yellow and then purple for ones due in a few weeks. Combine this with Google Calendar reminders, my monthly deadlines pinned to my pinboard to my right, and my new calendar hanging on the wall, and I'm thinking of changing my name to Olivia Organisation. 

Ah, I feel better now.

minty fresh

In an effort to be uber-thrifty, I've just been wiping down my benches with a plain cloth dampened with warm water. Generally it's done the job, but something's missing - a pretty scent. 

Now, as you know, ants are driving me insane at the moment - in the kitchen and on my desk - so I googled a solution and came up with mint and cucumber* (mmm, sounds like the perfect ingredients for a cocktail... but I digress...).

I dashed to the crisper and came up with a cucumber*, but alas, I'd used up all the mint - and had none in the garden. Nor did my essential oil stash help, until, I remembered my gorgeous Cinderella Multi-Purpose Spray. It's pretty, it's effective - and it's scented with mint. Perfect. So now I have gleaming benchtops and desktop, lightly scented with mint, studded with cucumber* slices, and hopefully repellent to ants. Fingers crossed, if I'm diligent, this'll pay off.

* Note: I just went out the the kitchen to find about twenty ants feasting on a slice of cucumber. Obviously whoever came up with the whole "ants are repelled by cucumber" theory had different ants, or cucumber, to me - or maybe mine are just super-hungry...

green scene

I'm a bit cranky today. It's blisteringly hot (and I'm still sunburned so I can't swim), I had to spend the morning at a child's party and I'm still having issues with ants on my desk (I've just taken to squishing them now, so my fingers smell of eau de ant - not pretty). 

These shoes are my cranky antidote - do you think they work? Wouldn't they be pretty with a dusky pink floaty frock? They're Lanvin in case you're wondering. 

I nearly opted for another pair of Miu Miu, but then, after seeing the Katie Holmes ads I vetoed that option. I think Katie's aiming for a spot of Posh's Alien Chic (as in the Armani undies ads) but is instead channeling Alien Freak... (See, told you I was cranky)

highly dry

The past two months have been positively filled with fabulous social gatherings. I've had fun at every single one, but, I'm feeling pretty well champagned-out.

That's why a bunch of us have decided to make February a dry month. Yes, not one drop of alcohol will pass our lips for a month (admittedly, sneakily, the shortest month of the year - but let's not quibble).

Just as after gorging on rich food, salads and lighter meals feel like a treat, I'll be happy to have a soda water with a slice of lime in a tall glass after such a period of grape abuse. Obviously if any social events are to be undertaken in February they'll have to be done with our other teetotalling friends - I'm strong, but not strong enough to deal with peer pressure of any kind... Not that my friends would actually pressure me, no, I mean the simple pressure that's released when a champagne cork is eased from the neck of the bottle. That pressure.

Wish me luck, there'll be no more mocking of mocktails from my direction. And yes, the local bottle shops will hurt considering the drinking skills of the group of us that are abstaining. But don't worry, we're sure to help bolster the economy again in March. Probably March 1, 12.01am...

the sound of one hand clapping

Call me crazy, but I am loving on Drew's look for the Golden Globes. From the whacked-out, pouffy starlet's hair, to that sumptuous floaty frock, and the 50s maquillage to match - she's rocking it all. 

Some have said it's an homage to her new film, Gray Gardens and if so, bravo to her. This is gorgeous, eccentric and charming - kind of what I imagine Ms Barrymore's like in real life.

ant music

As a youth I adored Adam and the Ants. The yummy frontman was just one of a long stream of men in make-up that I adored (I'm not sure if it started with Bowie, or Frank N Furter in Rocky Horror - but it was persistent). While I still love Ant Music, I'm not fond of their namesake.

I came home from two days of boating and wakeboarding (yes - ouch!) to find massive trails of ants from one side of my desk to the other. Hundreds, nay thousands, of the little black blighters. Now, I will drink coffee at my desk, and tea, and have been known to sometimes snack on stuff al descko... however, I'd only cleaned it last week so I'm not sure what sumptuous feast they were headed for. The worst part was that they were through my keyboard - which is an impressive feat as I have a newish Mac, and my keyboard's almost flat - with nowhere for an ant to hide - or so I thought. Anyway, I swept most of them up, have sprinkled ant rid all over my desk, and have shaken and cleaned my keyboard so much it's positively glowing.

Next resolution - no food whatsoever, no matter what, at this desk. Those long black lines have put me off nibbling in front of the computer for good. Now the only Ant Music that's running through my head is the Pink Panther theme: "dead ant, dead ant..."