Laneway Learning

I took myself out on a little solo Kate date tonight and treated myself to a Laneway Learning course. Have you heard of them? Brilliant, I tell you!

Lill put me on to them after she and Shuggie signed up for a Bollywood class. They're cheap and cheerful tasters of new skills and hobbies.

I found 'posy up my jar' listed for December and signed myself up - for only $25! That included an hour with an instructor, and a bunch of flowers to play around with ... and take home! You just had to BYO jar. Easy!

The instructor was @tweedtwigs and he was very helpful, I am no longer baffled by what goes where and how to start from scratch. It's just a kind of formula, I can work with that!

One friend laughed that I paid for such a course, but I'm not one of those naturally gifted people who can just pull things together effortlessly (yes, I'm looking at you Tina!). It's another feather in my bridesmaid cap!

Start of something

Hi!

Remember me!? Yep, it's been a long time between drinks but I'm not sorry - I've been busy!

I've been living and loving and learning and having a ball.

What have you all been up to? So much has happened since we last caught up. I don't know where to start . . .

But I know you're going to love these floral necklaces we made for Jourdanne's hen's day last week. I'll post more soon. And give some hot tips on what to do. Burning yourself on the tips of ever finger with the hot glue gun is not recommended.

Are you hot where you are? It's 35 here today. And I'm home sick with an earache. Doc says it might be from flying. Might have to give up on those dreams of being a flight attendant after all. Ha!

Did you watch the Super Bowl? Bruno Mars was incredible! 

Happy Monday!

Hello petal

Most of my friends are turning 3-Oh this year and I'm soon to join the Club in May.

I'm always on the hunt for unique and personal pressies for my friends and family and was so so so excited when the fabulous Pip Boydell agreed to do a commissioned piece for my darling friend Bree's birthday.

I got all the girls from school involved (thanks JB, Gemmal, Kib and Jo) and put in a special order for a peony - Bree's favourite flower and her bridal bloom.

Pip did a phenomenal job. She has so much attention to detail and I love it to bits. It's so beautiful in real life, these pics just don't do it justice (so you can imagine how exquisite is in the flesh!).

Peonies seem to be the flavour of the month with Pip working on another peony recently (third pic down). Aren't they just the most perfect flowers?

Make sure you check out Pip's blog for other examples of her work. I'm saving my pennies for a painting of my own one day.

Thank you Pip, it's a really special gift that I know Bree will love forever x

Lost in Canola

Please indulge me while I have a proud Godmother moment.

Isn't Max just the cutest little thing? Happiest kid on the planet, I tell you!

Mark and Zara look pretty stoked too.

Kelly was behind the lens for these pics . . . doesn't the canola make a gorgeous backdrop? I won't embarrass Mark by revealing his age . . . but will say he was back home for the weekend celebrating his 20 year school reunion.

Whoops. Secret's out.

Make sure you get in the shot next time, Kelly!

PS. Did you find me a farmer while you were out there?

Spring in my step

Spring is in the air, can you feel it?

Went for a walk on the weekend to buy some supplies for winetime and struggled to find a bag suitable to carry my groceries home in.

Settled on my bagladies Adelaide bag (which I love because I can wear it over the shoulder) but it's a bit deep and hard to find your keys and phone at the bottom!

I dream of looking oh so effortlessly chic on my weekend shopping adventures. Like a Parisienne, with a baguette poking out the top of my shopping basket, plus a big bunch of flowers, possibly a bottle of bubbles . . . and even a little puppy if you so desire.

Enter Lady Chatterley's Affair and her totes gorge shopping baskets. AND they're environmentally friendly. Score.

I have ordered the pink one and am desperate for it to arrive so I can take it blossom hunting with me. Found some good solid trees on my weekend walk and it would feel far less criminal in the dark of the night with my scissors at the ready, if I had a pretty pink basket at my side!

Get one for yourself here

Pics here and here

Lavender love

We had the beautiful wedding of Christina and Craig last Friday and everything about it was perfect.

(By the way, I'm on this Friday wedding bandwagon, it was awesome having two days to recover!!)

The deliriously happy couple looked gorgeous and everyone had such a fun night.

The flowers were spectacular - full of lavender and purple blooms. Bliss Events did a wonderful job, really capturing the vintagey, country chic, barnyard vibe (Cat will probably kill me for that poor description which really didn't do her any justice! Just trust me, they were ah-mazing)

And this is me with the bride. Isn't she a vision!?

I tried to channel my inner Elva Fields and convert a new necklace into a masterpiece by adding a brooch. Hmm, not sure I really got there, but am so lucky to have such creative and talented friends - Emma helped with my jewels and hair (and also played chauffeur) while Sally did my makeup. She is a master, that girl. I felt so pretty!

Here's to a happy and healthy long life ahead Christina and Craig x

Hype for hydrangeas

A visit to Granny's is always special, but the big bunch of flowers I always go home with just tops it off.

Her hydrangeas are beyond beautiful at the moment.

I think they're a gorgeous choice for a wedding or long lunch table centrepiece . . . 

Don't you agree?!

Pics from Pinterest

Lunch with heart

We had the most fabulous lunch at Sally's last week with guest of honour Kim honoured in true prep style.

Emma worked her magic to produce the most stunning table setting ever - totally gorgeous and so up my alley. Could it get any more perfect?

Art School Prep. Pink. Navy and white stripe. Ranunculus. Oh and a fabulous spread of food.

Read more about Emma's efforts here.

Doesn't she look fabulous in her Catherine Ogust dress? 

I'd better hold up my end of the bargain and supply the recipes!

This watermelon and feta salad is a favourite of mine. It just smacks of Summer and I make it at every opportunity. Perfect accompaniment for a summer BBQ - it's amazing how it can make even the most basic of sausages all of a sudden seem posh!

 

Over the years, I've played with a few variations on this salad and have come up with one that mixes a few together. Blokes are always wary of the unusual combination of flavours and textures - but they're the first to come back for seconds!

Watermelon Salad

Large quarter of seedless watermelon, removed from skin and diced into large chunks

1 block of feta (I like Danish for its creamy texture, but Greek tends to hold its shape better)

handful of pitted kalamata olives

half red onion, sliced very thinly

2 limes, juiced

handful mint and continental parsley, coarsely chopped

splash of olive oil

sea salt and cracked pepper

1. Put the thinly sliced red onion in a bowl and pour the juice of the two lines over the top. Leave the onion to soak for a good half hour or so (this takes out the harshness of the onion and turns the juice a gorgeous pink)
2. Lay the watermelon on a big flat platter and crumble the feta over the top
3. Scatter the onion over the top, dot with olives and then sprinkle with herbs
4. Pour the lime juice over the top of the salad and drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt and cracked black pepper

The next salad is a great leafy alternative that is lovely and fresh with the splash of lime (obviously flavour of the month in my kitchen!) 

Check back here for the recipe.

Sally and Emma created this delicious baked pasta dish - and they swear it's deceivingly healthy!

I don't have the exact recipe, but it was basically Lattina Fresh spinach ravioli with a homemade tomato sauce featuring onion, carrot and olives with a few dollops of low fat ricotta on top. Baked in the oven for a perfectly cosy lunch.

Dessert was out of this world ah-mazing. Sally outdid herself with cupcakes, chocolate brownies and lemon meringue pie (Emma's no fail recipe).

Derek's crushed raspberry tart was also a winner - such a refreshing and light end to a meal (thanks Donna Hay!)

Sally and Emma are living it up on the Gold Coast this weekend so I'll track down the dessert recipes later, but I have got my hands on the Donna Hay recipe for the crushed raspberry tart that Derek whipped up. I can imagine how totally fabulous it would be using Careme pastry - have you seen how high that stuff can puff?!

Crushed Raspberry Tart
(Recipe from Donna Hay)

375 g block store-bought puff pastry, thawed
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tbsp caster sugar (we used regular granulated)
2 cups raspberries
1 tbsp icing sugar

sour cream filling:
1 cup sour cream (I think it would work better with the really thick type)
1/4 cup single or pouring cream (half and half; we used whipping, mmm)
1/3 cup brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and trim to a 20 cm square.
2. Cut 8 strips measuring 1x20cm from the remaining pastry.
3. Place the pastry square on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Brush with the egg white and place half the strips around the edge to form a border.
4. Brush the borders with the egg white and place the remaining strips on top. Prick the base with a fork.
5. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the pastry with caster sugar.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
7. To make the sour cream filling, whisk the sour cream, cream, and brown sugar in a bowl until smooth.
8. Combine half the raspberries with the icing sugar and crush lightly.
9. Fold in the remaining raspberries. Spoon the sour cream filling over the pastry base and spoon raspberries on top.

And do you know one of the best things about the lunch (besides the great company, the delicious feast, the top tunes and the gorgeous setting)? It was the fact we were paying tribute to Pink Ribbon Day and raising money for breast cancer research.

Lunch with heart. I likey.

In full bloom

I had a lovely afternoon over at Granny and Grandpa's on Sunday - it was such gorgeous weather we pottered around the backyard, them taking turns pointing out their treasures in the garden.

I swear, I could almost survive a whole week just feasting on their home grown goodies!

Grandpa brought me up to speed on his vegetable patch and herb garden - looks like I'll be saving myself some serious coin this Summer instead of constantly forking out for coriander, mint, parsley and rosemary.

And the lemons, don't get me started on the lemons!

Granny then took great pleasure in walking me through her beautiful flowers. She has such gorgeous colour and is known in the neighbourhood for her garden, so beautiful in fact that she helps with the Church flowers every so often.

And this is what I came home with . . .

Wasn't I spoilt!?

The mint and limes were put to good use that night with Jourdanne and I enjoying late afternoon caprioskas on her front lawn - sans vodka (JB started a new job the next day and I didn't want her starting with a hangover!!!!)

Here's one of my floral arranging attempts. Yep, um, I have a lot to learn!

And here was the big centrepiece. Hmm, it's a bit messy in the pic but quite cool in real life. (Please, indulge me!)

Those pink ones grow like weeds in Granny's garden and I had to work so hard to convince her not to pull them all out of her garden - they're such gorgeous colour and sell for a mint in florist shops!

Fresh flowers truly make a house a home. Such a lovely mood lifter . . . as is time with your grandparents. Cherish it while you can x

Signed, sealed, delivered

Never has a pink and orange parcel excited me so much before.

I, like many other bloggers out there, eagerly counted down the weeks then days then hours until the highly anticipated launch of Anna Spiro's Absolutely Beautiful Things.

And after all that waiting, I was able to get in quickly enough to secure a gorgeous vase.

Lucky for me, I was in Brisbane the weekend the online store opened, so was able to take my parcel home with me in my hot little hands.

Gorgeous packaging, tres impressed.

So, I snapped up the vintage Japanese vase from the Winter Vignette.

Gorgeous with camelias cut from my Granny's garden. Loving the pink and navy colour combo.

Can't wait til Spring!

St Ali yum

During my recent visit to Melbourne, we caught up with Bree's sister Kelly, brother-in-law Mark and the divine Miss Zara (her niece) for breakfast at the much talked about St Ali in South Melbourne.

(You'll remember these groovers from the fabulous Little Birdie and Humpty Dumpty parties I've featured)

Lill's friend Tom said it was a must on this side of town (even though he's a loyal North Melbourne resident) and gosh, if the line up of people on the street was anything to go by, he was right!

Table water came out of long neck beer bottles, diners sat on bench seats at communal tables (which I love) and the vibe was brilliant - LOVED the styling of the warehouse feel.

My juice was 'the winter 3' - pear, strawberry and mint - and it was delish.

Kelly ordered the 'childhood memory' - plum and coconut bread with poached plums, coffee mascarpone and cinnamon dukkah.

Mark and Bree had the age old favourite of eggs and bacon (I'd hate to call them boring!)

I tried something different and opted for the 'corny baby' - creamed corn with poached eggs, green chilli relish, pinenuts and witlof salad on sourdough toast. It was so different and unusual and delicious, hit the spot.

Not a good pic, but we also ordered the corn fritters which were not what we expected - deep fried rather than pikelet style. Sounded ah-mazing in 'my mexian cousin'

 

Zara LOVED her babycino

And we had fun with her Qantas colouring in set and toys (PS. Loving my Liza Emanuele scarf on a cold Winter's day! I feel like someone in the circus!)

And how cool were these tulips? So clever and striking. These Melbournians never cease to ah-maze me.

Check out the menu here.

And if you're down that way, make sure you stop by - they don't take bookings, but the wait isn't normally longer than 10 minutes or so.

The girls are back in town

Celebrating a dear friend's wedding this weekend. Can't wait to get the girls together again - will be just like the old times (only with quality bubbles and not $3 Passion Pop!)

Isn't this one of the most gorgeous bouquets ever?

Pic from pinkandgreenowl.tumblr.com

Perfect Sunday

One of my new year's resolutions was the have fresh flowers in the house at least once a fortnight. My Granny has a beautiful garden and I am often spoilt with beautiful bouquets from her - in fact, I still have the bunch of hydrangeas she gave me more than a month ago sitting on my coffee table!

But last Sunday I wanted some more colour and needed to stretch my legs so walked down to the Adelaide Showground Farmers Markets to bag a bargain.

And I did well!

I got four bunches of lilies for Mum for only $10 (she had to split them over two vases, there were so many!) . . .

. . . and one bunch of these gorgeous hot pink flowers for me for only $4.50. What was I thinking? I should've got more at that price!

I've never seen so many people at the markets - it was a gorgeous sunny day and everyone was stocking up on goodies, especially flowers!

After the great start to my Sunday, I dropped off the flowers at Mum and Dad's and tucked in to some lunch and a good coffee with them - loving their Nespresso and how easy it is to make good coffee!

Then I came home and made the most of having the house to myself. I popped on the kettle, tidied the kitchen and watched the second movie in the Stieg Larsson trilogy . . . and did not move from my couch until bed time!

It's so nice to have some downtime on the weekend - I'm so busy trying to fill my diary with coffee dates, dinner parties and drinks after work that I sometimes forget how nice it is to have a blank day!

I could get used to lazy afternoons of mugs of green tea, movies and keeping warm under the mohair rug on the couch. Especially as Winter sets in!

If I'm late to a scheduled catch up witih you in the dreary months ahead, you'll know where to find me!