The Matriarchs

A pretty teacup of my grandmothers which I fill with roses and keep on display.

Some of the jewels left to me.

A snippet of a letter from my grandmother.

This is a difficult post for me to write as it is about my two now deceased grandmothers. I was lucky enough to have them both in my life until my late 20s. They were opposite in every way, my father's mother was loud and bolshy whereas my mother's mother was the opposite; calm, serene and peaceful even after mothering 7 children. They both, along with my mother, have been the main female influences in my life. These days photos and a selection of pretty thing are all that are left to me to remind me of these two incredible women.

Valley of the Dolls

Yesterday I spent an hour in one of the second hand bookshops in the coastal town where I am spending the weekend. After pouring over racks of books I ended up walking away with just one, the ultimate 1960s flash trash novel Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann. I remember reading this novel when I was 14 and being fascinated and thrilled with it. I imagine this time around it will be somewhat less sensational.

Friday Night Drinks

As I write this I am heading down the coast on a night train. I think that a glass of port and a good book are the ideal train travel companions. This cosy train bar looks like a nice place to enjoy and of course a travel appropriate outfit is a must. Happy Friday!

Turning Japanese

I have posted these images from Ports 1961 Spring 2010 campaign not just for the pretty fashion but also for the backdrop of Japan. Japan ranks in my top 3 countries in the world to visit (I think I have written on this topic before!) and I never tire or reading and learning more about the history of the country. On my last trip there I visited all of the destinations in these shots and while there were tourists milling around they still retained a great sense of calm and peacefulness (the destinations, not the tourists).

Clouds of Fire

I like the filtered colour effect of this shot from Vogue Germany April 2010.

Friday Night Drinks

Drinks tonight come courtesy of the acres of vines that make up the back half of our property. A rich buttery chardonnay is a perfect on a warm autumn night like tonight. This first picture was taken at the end of one of the rows of vines. For a while I have been contemplating 'running the vines', each strip is approximately 100 metres long and there are 42 rows so I figure it would make a good nightly run. In the meantime I will visualise myself running the 4.2 ks while I scoff a few glasses of the wine these rows produce. Either of these beautiful dresses would be divine to wear, maybe a bit over the top for hanging around a vineyard and running through the vines. Happy Friday!

The Brown Paper Bag

When I arrived at one of the boutiques today I noticed this brown paper bag sitting on the counter. One of the sales assistants had been scribbling on the paper during the course of the day and this was the end result. When I am bored and scribbling the end result is a biro mess not a drawing that wouldn't be out of place on a hallmark card...I even had a customer try to buy the brown paper bag, of course I couldnt justify selling it.

Feathers

I am planning to do a feather display in one of the boutique windows this week, I love the strength of this image and plan to use it for some much needed inspiration!

Porcelain

My sister has a love of all things blue and white so I imagine she would love these incredible porcelain designs from Chinese artist Li Xiaofeng. He sculpts clothing from porcelain from the song, ming, yuan and qing dynaties. Apparently his designs are quite wearable though I imagine very heavy.

Friday Night Drinks

Some may argue that the dilution of champagne with orange juice is a dreadful waste however I think there are some occasions that require a Mimosa. I always feel that I have drank something good for my health when I have a Mimosa. This pretty orange 1960s dress looks ideal to be wearing and of course sitting on this French balcony or under the Mimosa Tree would be the ideal place to enjoy. On another note we received in store today the Alex Perry couture dress that Megan Gale wore to the 2007 Logie Awards (the Aussie equivalent of the BAFTAs or Emmy's for those of you for overseas!). It is a stunning dress, visit http://www.closetmelbourne.blogspot.com/ to see more. Happy Friday!

Mimosa

Champagne

Orange Juice

Fill a champagne flute half full with champagne and top with icy cold freshly squeezed orange juice. Enjoy!

Shadows

How fabulous is the use of shadows in these images of Lara Stone for Vogue Italia March 2010.

Four Years

Many of the images I use on this site are the work of my son who is 4 years old. He first picked up a camera at 2 years of age and has been happily snapping away since then. All of the shots he takes are with a very old, battered, first generation digital camera which we passed on to him when we purchased a new one. He basically just snaps away at anything he finds interesting. I love the colour and the movement he has captured in this image.

Down Came the Rain

We have had torrential rain, hail and flooding here today however it still persists in being 25 degrees outside. I adore the rain but prefer it is accompanied by some cooler weather! These images are from 1941, photographed by Gjon Mili.

Friday Night Drinks

The prediction is for rain and storms here this weekend which leads me to selecting a glass of red wine for drinks tonight. I think lounging around in one of these beautiful outfits (images courtesy of the lovely Dust Jacket Attic http://www.dustjacketattic.blogspot.com/) would be ideal. There is of course no recipe for this drink, simply pop the cork (or twist the cap) and pour. Happy Friday!