Kelly Doust introduces readers to her wonderful world of reviving and customising vintage pieces, while bringing a modern and unique twist to wearing vintage clothes – Dita Von Teese
A lazy crafternoon
Retro cushion
I went over to Katrina’s this afternoon for some crafting, tea and a chat, and look what we came up with: her first cushion, whipped up on the machine in no time at all, and my handmade headband for a wee girl, made from fabric yoyos, buttons and a few shiny fripperies. Katrina bought the fabric from the Rozelle markets aeons ago – doesn’t it look great in its new incarnation?
Girly headband
Fantastic Mr Fox
I’ve been to see Fantastic Mr Fox and I have to say I loved it to bits – every single moment of it. George Clooney’s brilliant as Mr Fox but Jason Schwartzman is just genius as his petulant son, Ash. The script and the set design and the animation and its message (being different is ‘kind of fantastic, don’t you think?’) are all superb, and it made me want to go back and read all the Roald Dahl books of my childhood. Wes Anderson, I salute you.
It’s cute and quirky and hilarious as hell – if only all films for children could be this clever.
Rare finds from Duck Egg Blue
I saw this vintage lightbox below for Lanvin’s ‘My Sin’ perfume just before Christmas in Rozelle’s Duck Egg Blue Quintessential, but what with all the other gifts to buy I didn’t purchase it on the spot. And now I’m gutted because it’s s-o-l-d.
Duck Egg Blue’s great for those rare finds you don’t see all over the place, like beautifully crafted shoe lasts and beaten-up old lockers and plush leather armchairs. And the boutique for clothing, jewellery, books and other items such as my favourite Nesti Dante soap and the new stationery range from Poppies for Grace is brilliant also, way down the other end of Darling St in Balmain. Not your ordinary average.
Illustrations by Kevin Tran
Have you seen my pencil?
I first saw Kevin Tran’s work at the Finders Keepers market a while back. His kooky images somehow resonate a lot more than many of the prints I see about. Have you seen my Pencil? above is a favourite – it cracks me up – but Owl and The Last Dinosaur below are fab as well, don’t you think?
Owl
The Last Dinosaur
More recommended reading
Having just handed in book two I’ve finally had some time to catch up on reading all those magazines, piling up over the past few months. This is one of my favourite subscriptions – editor Kate Bezar describes it as a ‘mook’ (half mag, half book). Each quarterly issue contains 5 excellent, in-depth interviews with all sorts of people, and the latest features the best conversation with Pia Jane Bijkerk.
Pia is a stylist, blogger and author of the wonderful Paris: Made by Hand – another gorgeous little book I’m itching to put to use. If you haven’t heard of her up to this point, I predict you’ll now start noticing her name everywhere… I challenge you not to become addicted to her beautiful blog.
Orchids on Your Budget
Live chicly but cheaply
I usually find books like this amusing enough. I’ll read a few pages or chapters then pop them on the shelf, never to be opened again. But I started Orchids on Your Budget after receiving it as a gift from my friend Cassy, and couldn’t put it down until I’d read the entire thing.
First published in 1937 by ex-Vogue staffer Marjorie Hillis (author of Live Alone and Like It – love it) this is a little gem and funny to boot – it had me laughing aloud. With a few exceptions (in the chapter Please Dress, Marjorie advocates an awful lot of staple wardrobe items in what she calls toast brown… hmm) it couldn’t be more relevant.
Case in point:
‘It’s not difficult to have fun out of economising (up to a point), both because of the sense of achievement it gives you and because everyone else is doing it, too… A slight financial pressure sharpens the wits, though it needn’t sharpen the disposition. But it takes an interesting person to have an attractive ménage on a shoe-string and to run it with gaiety and charm… Maybe you would rather play polo than pingpong, but if you’ve got an old pingpong set and no ponies, you’ll get a lot more fun out of life from being a pingpong champion than from taking a dispirited whack with a polo mallet every now and then.’
Well said, Marjorie. Tally ho.
Post-work entertaining
Lazy lady's chicken casserole
I love having people over for dinner, and with Olive so small we tend to do a lot more of it these days. Even if I’m rushed for time, I like to set the table and have at least a few minutes to chill and relax. My top tips for achieving such zen-like calm before guests arrive on a busy weeknight:
1. Make a chicken casserole: this is my own concoction, comprised of brown onion, garlic, half a bottle of white wine, 2 x chicken thighs for each guest, mushrooms, carrots, bay leaves, oregano and a mixture of chicken and vegetable stock. Brown the onions, chicken and mushrooms, then slosh in the wine, stock and the rest of the ingredients. Cover and simmer on a low heat for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally, after which time the chicken’s so tender, you won’t even need a knife. Serve with mash and steamed green beans – the only things to prepare during the entire time you’re entertaining. Voilà.
Silk flowers... why not?
2. Lay a pretty table: the fact you neglected to vacuum, hid the unmade bed behind a closed door and the garden’s a bit weedy will be forgotten with the perceived effort of a well-laid table. A tried and trusted diversionary tactic.
3. Buy-in dessert: it could be icecream, macaroons, tarts or even a nice block of chocolate. Why stress yourself out preparing another course in such a short space of time? (unless, of course, you’ve the foresight to get going on it the night before – in which case, you’re more disciplined than I am).
4. Ask for help: whenever friends ask, ‘what can I bring?’ I used to say ‘just yourselves’. Now, I ask for something little like flowers from their garden, which saves a trip to the florist or market.
After years of hosting dinner parties to varying degrees of success it’s finally sunk in; our friends are coming to spend time with us and, providing we don’t poison them, couldn’t give a fig about much else. Running around like a headless chook only makes everyone edgy and causes them to wonder why they came.
Look at these gorgeous hydrangeas Ella & Keith brought over on Friday night, stored in the crackle-glazed vase from Koskela Mark & Olivier gave us for Christmas. They sit atop the new runner I just made for the living room, a still-living reminder of an evening well spent.
Ah, home.
More Castle & Things
A while back I mentioned I was off to the Orson & Blake exhibition to buy one of Rachel Castle’s cool, colourful pieces. Well, this is what I bought and gave to James for Christmas. And he gave me the Castle & Things yellow polka dotted sheet set I’ve been pining for – here they are:
And yesterday I handed in the final pages for my next book, The Crafty Kid, which I have to say is a great relief. Now I just have to sit tight and wait (not easy for impatient minxes, to be sure)!
Paper art
Greeting card from Paper2
I’m a wee bit obsessed with paper play at the moment. I might be suffering withdrawals after all those collage cards I made over christmas, and then some (in advance for 2010 birthdays). I had a grand old time playing with scissors, paper, stickers and this fab Japanese masking tape Rebecca & I ordered a while back.
Check out this card I picked up from Paper2 in Surry Hills, with Parisian skyskape on the front and pop-up Eiffel Tower inside.
Rob Ryan's 'We had everything'
And one of Rob Ryan’s poetic paper cutouts above. Such intricate beauty. Next time I’m in London I’m making a beeline to his store, Ryantown.
I’m simply in awe of his talent – look at this dress he made for Vogue:
Ryantown
Victoria Mason jewellery
'Take a seat' necklace by Victoria Mason
Happy new year! I think I’m going to love you, 2010.
This is my new favourite necklace, purchased from Reclaim in Summer Hill. Check out Victoria’s site for more gorgeous creations. J’adore the pencil shaving. Cute, huh?
Plus, a crafty heart pendant for you below:
I love you this much