A truly beautiful Minxy mix of charm, inspiration, practical advice, and pretty projects to simplify and beautify your life and home. - Jane Brocket, The Gentle Art of Domesticity
Frocks on tour
A reading at Gleebooks
I’ve just returned from Queensland after a jam-packed few days’ worth of events to promote the new book in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. What a high it’s been, meeting so many interesting women and chatting about the significance clothes hold in both our lives and memories.
Most moving was one woman’s story about the dress she was wearing, and its relationship to her parents’ immigration from Poland in the 1960s. Memory is such a strange, unbidden thing – I hope the events got people thinking about lost loves, and first dates, and the important times in their lives in relation to what they were wearing, because that’s why I wrote it.
Above is a picture taken by my friend, Michael at the In Conversation event with Jacinta Tynan last week (I realise the room looks empty – people are seated in front of shelves and standing at back during my reading, promise) and here’s some from the glorious Victoria Room High Tea Party (I loved Sunday). Check out the rest on Facebook.
The lovely Jess of Coco Repose shared her top tips for vintage shopping and, judging by the amount of frocks sold and delicacies devoured, I think quite a few women went home happy and sated. Most of all, it was just wonderful getting such a variety of women together to celebrate the ever-relevant love of fashion.
Reading at The Victoria Room
Favourite vintage frocks on display
Jess of Coco Repose and her gorgeous pop-up boutique
With guests at the Avid Reader event, Brisbane
Word for the day: audacious
The Bodega/Porteno crew
I visited the new Argentinian restaurant, Porteno in Sydney’s Surry Hills last night. Not for naught have the team behind renowned Spanish tapas bar, Bodega made a name for themselves: this is insanely good food in a Grand old Hacienda-style environment. And quite apart from the food, the decor is spot on – from reclaimed pressed tin ceilings to framed fifties adverts and the handmade wood & hide screen upon entry. Even the ladies room’s lovely, with its antique ceramic basin and ornate mirror. El Caballo Blanco came to mind; I half-expected a Palomino to strut by dining room arches while resisting the urge to lick my plate clean.
Click here for a proper foodie review by Terry Durack.
Handmade hide & wood screen at Porteno
New from Ginny & Jude
Quite Contrary Boater with individual corsage detail
Stunning – that’s the only word for the new, vintage-inspired and handmade Summer collection from Ginny & Jude designer, Rabia Lockwood. Love love love (that’s three ‘loves’… can you tell how much I love it? Maybe I should add a fourth…)
Croquet by the Lake headpiece
Sweetheart of the Meadow straw hat
Say it Isn't So headband
Olive's Playing Tennis cap
Rabia will be at the next Finders Keepers in December, along with various other favourite designers such as Made by White… don’t miss out.
The Quilted Crow
New premises for The Quilted Crow
This beautiful Hobart haberdashery, specialising in hand-dyed felt and quilting materials, has just moved to new premises – a gorgeous old sandstone church in New Town. See here for an earlier post on the delights of The Quilted Crow.
Craftiness… close to godliness? It is now.
The Quilted Crow
At the old church
Cnr Cross St & Main Road (New Town Rd)
New Town, Tasmania
03 6228 3319
Polli for Facebook members
'China Blue' woven Art Deco-inspired earrings from Polli
After repeated emails asking for an RSS feed function on the site, I’ve decided to sign up to Facebook, as you can see from the link to the right.
The lovely people at Polli have offered the above giveaway to Crafty Minx readers, so if you like or share the page on Facebook, you’ll have a chance to win a pair of these gorgeous earrings. The winner will be chosen at random by the end of next week.
Foodie goodness
Homemade birthday granola
My friend Katrina – who knows how much I appreciate a thoughtful, handmade gift – slaved over a hot oven to make her own version of delicious, toasted granola as a pressie for my last birthday. Filled with Persian figs, almonds and macadamia nuts from the Orange Grove markets, along with a whole heap of other honey-roasted goodness, it was such a treat. And see how she packaged it? All I can say is YUM… and what a fab idea for xmas, don’t you think?
Plus here’s another great foodie idea – cute kids’ sandwiches. Bunny-tastic! I picked it up yesterday at Revolver, my new favourite cafe in Sydney’s Annandale. Co-owner Chieko makes them fresh herself every morning with a Japanese sandwich press, which I Googled to find here. I gotta get me one of these. “Kids love ‘em!” said Chieko’s partner. He’s right: Olive devoured hers in two seconds flat. The filling? Very Aussie Vegemite & cheese.
Bunny sandwich... too good to eat?
Calico & Co., Inside Out & new from Polli
Samantha Harris sports Polli Limited Edition
Graphic designer and prolific blogger Amanda Fuller is the woman behind inspired blog, Calico & Co. Check out her xmas 2010 links, handmade gift lists and ideas… very handy if you’re panicking at the sight of all those decorations in the shops already. And click here to read her interview with me recently – thanks Amanda!
Inside Out’s special Christmas issue is also giving me a mini-meltdown with all its ideas for chrissy chic. See the latest issue, which also features an interview with favourite handmade jewellery & homewares designers, design duo Tess & Maja from Polli.
Woven butterfly wing earrings from Polli
Want, want: leather & stainless steel leaves necklace from Polli
Sugar high
I visited the Tea Parlour recently, a decadent little nook in Sydney’s Redfern. The size of granny’s sitting room, everything about this place is superb – from the silver teapots and petit fours to the stuffed peacock atop the counter and swift, elegant service. Our lovely waitress reminded me of a modern Sean Young in her backless midnight blue velvet dress and slick chestnut ponytail… definitely a spot to while away the afternoon with some girlfriends.
MillaMia at Magnolia Square
Nina dress by MillaMia
There’s much sewing going on in my house, in my house… but one day, I will knit. And when I do, the chic, Swedish simplicity of MillaMia‘s patterns will be top of my To Do list. I bought a few of these books for knitting-mad friends earlier in the year. Check out their website for new additions – cushions, stockings and children’s clothing patterns – or pop along to visit them at Magnolia Square this weekend.
Elk cushion
Stripy toes
'Helena' cardigan & scarf
