Summer Fashions

Last summer I was totally digging orange and was worried that I had arrived late on the boat.  I wore my orange everywhere all weekend because I didnt want it to go out of fashion before my cost per wear ratio had come down! I am so glad it is still on trend and I love the freshness of many of the styles around at the moment.

Check out these options from Seed Femme. So glad they have a little presence in David Jones Queens Plaza now too. Go online HERE to their site.

Here's me sporting a little orange scarfy thing I picked up at 'This goes with that' at Sussan.

And I have been wearing OPI Cajun Shrimp for years... even before FF was blogging!

To read more about Seed Femme Digella's way go HERE

And what do ya know? It goes perfectly with Veuve Champagne!

And the Winners Are!

Behold! My little baby Veuve tin on top of my little baby Donna Hay milk glass cake stand. Why? Because these are some of my favorite things. Inside are all the names written in pink, on pink paper. Nothing too fancy, I'm imprisoned in the office after all. So thank you again to The Cupcake Courier for offering this wonderful prize to draw!

I thought I should have a witness so I asked a long suffering work work friend to come and draw for me. She was very excited.

So, winner of Digella's Domestic Goddess Pack is

CATHERINE! From Diary of a Creative Mum

Winner of Digella's Domestic Goddess Start Kit is

Lousia! From I'm not actually sure?

Lousia, be sure to contact me in the next couple of days to claim your prize.

Could the two very lucky winning ladies please contact keren@thecupcakecourier.com.au to claim your prize!

Thank you to all who entered, for my new followers and readers.  A special "Hello" to Debby from Inspired Design all the way from USA. My blog is more well travelled than me!

Meet Baby Moses #2

Sunday

After a stop at Samie's Girl at Portside, and baking up a storm we packed up the Digella-mobile and headed north. I had packed my little fold up table and chairs so we could be self sufficient. The only thing I forgot (unfortunately, very unfortunately) was to charge the SLR Camera. You will see why soon.....

After surveying all 'official' picnic spots we decided to set up our own little spot with the best vantage point of the whole place!

Baby Moses and the picnic set up

We had some Western Australian oysters with a little dip i threw together of rice wine vinegar, soy, brown sugar, garlic, chili and the whites of the spring onion. Fantastic and perfectly paired with the champagne.

Then...

WHATS THAT!?!

Running down the road was this little doggy, of course I squeal with delight and then....

The puppy (we named Foxy) jumped STRAIGHT onto my lap and kissed me!

Just as we snapped this photo!

Then I fed Foxy some duck curry on a little vintage plate (recipe see Donna Hay)

We were having such a lovely time and Baby Moses approved, but then Foxy heard a call from Mum, turned and looked, jumped off my lap and he was gone!

We ate some beautiful cheese from Black Pearl and finished the champagne.

Just after this moment an Irish or Scottish back packing cyclist rode past and cried

"Beautiful, I commend your choice of position!" and stretched his arm out to convey the amazing view.

We laughed that he could have been the flatmate 'Spike' out of Notting Hill with the accent to match!

Then took in the view as the sun went down it shone its light right down on Brisbane's CBD.

Although this photo doesn't capture the effect, it was truly amazing to see.

(just near the tree the white you can see is the CBD. Click to see it larger)

And to top off the end of a fantastic winter's weekend the drive back down with the backdrop of the city lights was magical!

One word. Perfect.


PS. Check out THIS giveaway and the launch of Sharnel Dollar Designs

The Week that Was Rockhampton

Last Wednesday at 4am I was up and off to Rockhampton.

The day before my good friend Donna and I headed to Sanitarium Kitchen for a light vegetarian lunch. But let me tell you, you will not miss the meat, it is beautiful.

Sorry, I had already started when I snapped the photo

It was nice to get out of the office to take a breath to enjoy my last day in Brisbane for a little while. And boy did I miss Brisbane.

Day one, I visited the power station which is always interesting.

Rockhampton’s Eifel Tower?

Then on the way back to meeting in town I stopped at this little antique store (as I always do when in Rocky)

Don't you just love the 'Vegi-Tarry-In' ?

So inside it is packed full with stuff and reminded me of my grandmothers house circa 1984 before a garage sale.

While looking at these canisters (very cute) as they made me think of my sister and how much she would love them, out of the corner of my eye, way down under a heap of dust I see a fantastic picnic basket.

You cant see it here, but its right in that dark corner

I pulled it out and asked a few questions and before I knew it, it was mine!

I place it carefully in the back of the hire car.

And it dawned on me that I have to get it home, on a plane. Oh well, these things always sort themselves out. And I thought my Spencer and Rutherford would be the envy of all in the airport!

Then two more days in Rocky of work and planning and during a visit to pick up supplies I stumbled across a 15 Litre bottle of Veuve. I had NEVER seen such a thing and was quick to tell everyone I know that I had seen a 15 Litre bottle full of Veuve, in Rockhampton.

That would have been the very last thing I would have suspected on seeing.

15 Litre, followed by a 10 Litre, then 7 litre, then 3 litre

I wish I had a spare thousand dollars and had a way to get it home.... I already had the basket dilemma to sort!

So after a very tiring week, my basket and I were on our way home to Brisbane.

On its way onto the plane.

While my friend Dee and I chatted and laughed all the way back in the plane I talked constantly about my new picnic basket and what I was going to fill it with and what could its name be and where I would take it. Give me a break – it was 3pm and they bar on the plane doesn’t open until 4pm flights (keep that info for further trips all)

While still at the airport sending messages back and forward between friends about my new basket, it was decided that his name would be Moses.

Wow, what a week!

Picnic @ Polo

So one event down and I only just have a breath and then I want to organise another.

I am thinking of a picnic at the polo again this year. And the 'man' doesn't like the idea. "Give yourself a break, you will end up doing everything again"

I just wish that I had more friends with the passion, style, commitment and eye for detail that I have. Alas, not!

So maybe I will, or maybe I wont.

But if it do, I have this idea of having individual little picnic hampers for each person.

Everyone would arrive and some mini savoury muffins, little pikelets and perhaps a little sweet slice would be served along with tea and coffee and some juice for the little ones.

Then once everyone is settled in with blankets and chairs set up and the games commence the corks get popped and the fun really begins!

For those who are yet to experience a day at the polo it is similar to a day at the races except you don’t wear heels, lots of people take children and there is an air of casual sophistication. (well for most of the day) you might do a couple of laps of the field while watching the games and the highlight of the day (for some) is the competition to find the lucky horseshoe on the field while stopping the divots – yes, very pretty woman!

So my idea of food this year would be something along the lines of:

Individual little picnic hampers for each person to grab and tour the field.

~

A small baguette filled with premium small goods, salads and cheese

or maybe a selection of yummy finger sandwiches.

~

200ml Bottle of Veuve for the big people(although these are hard to come by so it may need to be Moet) or little lemonade bottles filled with juice for the little people

with a straw to match for delicate drinking of both.

~

Little snippets of cheeses sourced (probably) from Black Pearl Epicure with some lavosh crisp bread.

~

And a little napkin of course.

Back at the ‘camp’ on return would be a little dessert table with all sorts of treats, some espresso coffee and tea (I have a caterers thermos for these occasions), and of course cupcakes and more champagne.

I love these little lunch boxes which Sharnel has found. SWEET! (I am always stealing her finds - but they are so fantastic and I love them all) I am going to start calling her Shmartha!

From Martha Stewart - For the little ones to have their own little picnic.

I do like the hessian fabric runner.... maybe a little too rustic though.

Very lemon and lime - nice. But a little too elegant for polo.

  

Cliche I know, but I think a very Ralph Lauren / Country Road / Hampton's scheme would work really well.  But what I am NOT going for is a red, white and blue Star spangled banner look! If anyone sees anything like this, please send it my way!

Now THIS is a picnic basket!

If you would like to know how to make a tablecloth into a picnic basket, (one does question why?)

Martha Stewart can show you how HERE

Motorline BMW Cup - 22 August 2010

Mercedes Cup - 19 September 2010

So I guess you just have to decided if you are a BMW or a Mercedes girl!

If you would like to know more about a Brisbane Polo Club's Motorline BMW Cup go HERE, for what to expect at a day at the polo go HERE if you would like to read Martha Stewart's latest article regarding polo go HERE

Homewares & Heartwares

Saturday morning brought the flinging open of the Black+Spiro store to their one day sale. It was madness. I was only able to take one quick shot before braving the crowd inside to see what I could find. I arrived five minutes late at 9:35am as there was a traffic jam down Brunswick street (due to the sale) only to find that most of the good stuff was sold. It was madness. Great bargains for those who lined up from 8:15am I've been told. I must admit, I am not that dedicated. I scored myself some rose jugs which will work in with The Big Fat Croatian First Holy Communion in a few weeks time. And a couple of bits of fabric which I am sure I will turn into something down the track when I learn to sew or bribe someone else to sew something for me!

My Black+Spiro Vintage Jugs

Then I headed south for a mission of mercy. Without going into the North-South Side Debate* and upsetting anyone but this is kinda how it works. South is ok, deep south is dodgy, deep deep south is very dodgy. Yet way south is where Polo is played served up with seafood and Veuve (if you get their alive). I had to go deep deep south and it was scary. One guy was staring and actually pointed at my car. I felt like saying "Yes, its a Volvo. Yes, it has personalised number plates. Yes, I have only one set of piercings. Yes, my kids are wearing shoes" You get the picture. I won't post the photo I snapped down there... lets just say a rats tail is NOT a suitable fashion statement for a 3 year old boy!

On the way back I took a WIDE loop and stopped into Lily G for the first time since the new owner has taken over. I didn't alert to having 'insider knowledge' of the store by telling anyone I have been following the Lily G blog for years as there were lots of people in the store and I was happy to look around and observe. I was very impressed!
Don't you just LOVE these custom made cushions.

Also in stock are beautiful French etched glasses from the movie Coco Avant Chanel. I tried to get a photo of the glasses without looking like I was casing the joint but it blurred. I am purchasing some for sure! Just need to work out how many I can fit into cupboards!

Then I stopped off at my local thrift shop and bought five silver rimmed saucers which are just perfect for little candle plates and tea pot holders (must post photo) they were $1 for all five.

One of my silver saucers

(with a cameo by some fabric I purchased at Black+Spiro Sale)

The afternoon was filled with completing Mother's Day orders for some yummy Mummies and Grandmummies.

Here are some more cupcakes I made and snapped a pic before the delivery. It is so great when clients bring their own Cupcake Couriers to be filled with 36 cakes by me. Get one HERE and yes, I know I harp on about these, but they truly are fantastic.

Mothers Day 2010 will go down as THE WORST of all time. Without going into too much detail the highlight was hearing the lovely Liz sing "My Favourite Things" accapella as the opening to the Mother's Day Service at Church and lowlight was breaking out in hives all over my neck at face which kept me drugged in bed most of the day. You DO NOT need to see a photo of that!

*** The 'North / South Debate is the ongoing argument that living on either side of the river is better than the other. I offer informed opinion to this cause as I spent the first 25 years of my life in the south and the last 7+ years in the north. I would not move south unless something pretty darn special called me there! But that is just me

Friday's Winedown

I was reading a post this morning over at new Lily G about furniture moving and the requirement of wine, Cloudy Bay no less and it got me thinking.
I miss wine!
It's not that I dont drink. I just dont drink as much or as often.
It has inspired me to document my favourite choices as a kind of list for my birthday requirements next week.

In no particular order we have:
 

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc

2009 Limited Supply Vintage is out and I am going to snap myself up a couple of bottles. In years gone by I have been known to spend hours on the phone tracking down cases for Boss' Christmas events.

Astrolabe Sauvignon Blanc

Supplied in constant and often huge supply at Urbane/Euro/The Laneway I have converted many friends to this.

Babich Black Label Sauvignon Blanc

I love New Zealand wines and have been extremely lucky enough to have met most of these winemakers and had the opportunity to understand more about growing, making and selling of wine throughout the world. Most memorable was the history and passion these winemakers have and their fantastic stories.


Mr and Mrs Joe and Judy Babich I will remember my whole life. They are extremely warm, talented and engaging people and I whenever I think of them I smile.

  And because I would not be a true Australian without adding one from my homeland

From Adelaide Hills, straight to my fridge. I may have (over the years) paid the wage and superannuation of at least one employee with my purchases of Shaw and Smith.








And because never a birthday goes by without Veuve!

That ship has sailed?

I got the memo that Orange was in, but I didn’t book my ticket on the boat early enough.

I am alert (but not alarmed) that my current purchases are going to be 'so last season' within a month or two so I wear my orange most of the weekend to ensure my cost per wear ratio stays low enough to justify next seasons coloured purchases.

These have been my most favourite collections in orange this summer from Seed Femme and they are having a sale on most of these items now. Bargain!

And what d' ya know?! All of these items can be teamed with a bottle of Veuve and who would have thought that this lady would be a style and fashion icon!

The Lady herself back in 1777, Ms Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, the Orange fashion queen!

Digella x