A week of Vintage Australiana.....


its a week of 'Vintage Australiana' over at Pips with guest blogger Gemma!
I might have a few things to share this week too!

Lets start with some vintage inspired 'Outback chic'...a cute layout from Australian Marie Claire

and some of my favourite Australian films:
'Careful He Might hear you', well 1983 is not really considered vintage but this film set in Sydney during the depression, always makes me cry...if you havnt seen it, go get it on DVD....its lovely!

and does anyone else remember Smiley (1956) the cute but cheeky country boy who gets up to lots of Mischief...

I also had to mention the TV series
'The Sullivans'...my grandmother who hardly speaks a word of english was addicted to this drama....we loved 'The Sullivans' in our home!!

Easter Baking....
So the past three days have been spent in the kitchen baking for Greek Easter....most greeks tend to fast before Easter and Im sure thats because we proceed to eat non-stop for the following month or so...what can I say - we love our food!!

normally my sister and I would go help my mum and then we'd split everything into 3 bundles so Id bring home a huge bowl of Easter treats but since she's overseas until June we decided to try the traditional recipes ourselves.
So we used google to find recipes, emailing each other with suggestions, calling my mother in law for her recipe ('a recipe?', she said ' i dont have quantities noted down') and aunts offered their advice ....we even rang my mum in Cyprus where she too was busy baking with her own mother....
I made the dough and my sister made the cheese filling and we based it on this recipe but used italian Romano cheese, Halloumi cheese and tasty cheddar ..they turned out really really good, and very tasty! Bravo to us!!

I also made some Tsoureki, braided sweet Easter bread....i got the recipe from here
two small loaves that took me close to 5hours to make!
well worth it my friends - the house smelt divine!!!
Apparently the braids symbolize the Resurrection of Life that comes with springtime... well its almost Winter here in Australia but warm aromatic bread straight from the oven is always good to eat - anytime of the year!!
Here's to a great start of the week!

This is...my favourite book!!
'Milly-Molly-Mandy' stories by
Joyce Lankester Brisley were always and still are,
some of my favourite books!
as a young girl i so wanted to live in their little village and be their friend!

...but I have enjoyed SO many books over the years how can I just choose one? its hard...
'The world according to Garp' by John Iriving is a huge favourite as is 'To Kill a Mockingbird ' by Harper Lee
and 'The Thorn Birds' by
Colleen McCullough will always be a favourite.... and I really loved 'Accordian Crimes' by Annie Proulx!
currently on my bedside table are the following books:
'My sister's keeper' by Jodi Picoult...given to me by my friend Patricia ' You have to read it!' she said!! ....so far so good!
'I know this much is true' by Wally Lamb
i usually have two or three going at one time.....

its a great theme this week!! thanks Dees - I'm sure I'll get some great book recommendations!
to see everyone's favourite book(s) check out Angela's blog!

Our Easter was so lovely...will post some baking pictures and recipes tommorow! Im super tired right now....oh and someone mentioned in my comments that Brigette Bardot is a racist and so I had to google her to see what happened...i wasnt aware of her recent racial slurs
but I must say she's a good walking advertisement of how important sunscreen really is, non?!!!

Week of French: Style Icon - Brigette Bardot

last post for a 'Week of French...'
of course i just had to post images of 60's sex kitten Brigette Bardot. A style icon for many!

Way before Claudia Schiffer got labelled the new 'Bardot', my high school friend Melissa who did some modeling whilst at school was in a fashion layout for Australian HERO magazine - it was exciting for us to see
our friend posing like Brigette, not sure what Surfer boy has got to do with it - do they surf in France?

Thanks Tanya and Pip for hosting a Week of French!

its Greek Easter this weekend, my sister and I have already made our Easter Flaounes (Cheese pies)
so I'll be baking more goodies today and hosting Easter lunch tommorow!! have a fun weekend!!
*Vintage Bardot images from Google images and Hero magazine clippings from my collection*

Week of French: Rene Gruau

Rene was born in Italy to an Italian father and French mother - he moved to Paris at 15 and worked as a fashion illustrator
working for the main fashion houses...later on in his career he moved onto advertising work, creating beautiful posters for the Parisian Cabarets....gorgeous illustrations!

for more French posts check out Pip's blog
* images from Google Images*

The Most Spectacular View of Paris.....!!!!! Promise!

No image today but I have a link you're going to love.....i first saw this on Alicia's blog a couple of years ago when I first started lurking - such a stunning panoramic view of Paris!!!
Click HERE
and then use your arrow to scroll across.....Enjoy! (...oh it has music too so just a warning - dont want to scare you....or does that happen to me only?)

Pleased to say Gracie, Maureen and Cathy
are playing along in my Pay It Forward giveaway!!! Yeahhh!! so will be sending off my parcels soon-ish...and look out for their post so you can join in too!

Week of French: Day Two

With Patisseries and a Boulangerie on every corner in Paris, whats a girl going to do but indulge?

France = Tourists...snow globe anyone?



and
the most iconic French label,
CHANEL...a girl can dream right?
Actually everything on the below fashion page totals $9000....now isnt that just ridiculous!?

* Top image from UK Easy Living mag
middle image from Australian Marie Claire photographed by
Sabine Villiard
and
bottom image from Australian Bazaar*

For more great French posts check out whose playing along at Pip's blog!

Street View -LaTour Eiffel from all posters
Originally uploaded by http://www.flickr.com/people/anastasiac/

A Week of French begins!!!

the gorgeous Tanya is hosting a 'Week of French' over at Pip's blog.

Viva La France!!

im going to try and post some French images too!
This beautiful poster is from
All Posters

Love this image too - tourists in Paris

This is...my latest discovery

Twinings have just launched a brand new tea blend just for us Australians!
its called SIMPLY TEA and I found it at Coles the other day - its meant for the moments you just want a simple cup of tea....they tested 800 blends before settling on this one.
Its nice and fragrant and I had a cuppa with some homemade muffins earlier....

This past week I also discovered via Monica
a great post on how to hem jeans using the original hem! awesome tutorial!

Hey Im doing a 'Pay it Forward' giveaway on the post before this - no takers as yet....hope you're not too shy to participate!! come on - it'll be fun!!

For more great This is... posts check out Angela's blog

Red Week
Originally uploaded by AnastasiaC @ percivalroad

Red + Pay it Forward....

Moline is celebrating a week of RED so thought Id create a Flickr mosaic with some great images...you can click on the link to see details of the photos I found - dont you just love Flickr?

I also found some RED in my home.....vintage books and cut out images, ribbon and yes, we're still eating Easter eggs...actually its Greek Easter this coming week!

The lovely Kyla was doing Pay it Forward on her blog so I grabbed the chance to join in - its a nice way to receive some fun mail and it makes someones day a little happier, non?

so here is me asking if anyone wants to play along - I will send a parcel out to the first 2 interested bloggers,
then you have to do the same on your blog....it can be a parcel for one blogger or more - totally upto you but the point is to keep it going ...
oh and you have 365 days to send something - so no pressure...no rush! it doesnt have to cost much either!
my parcel will be a mix of goodies - vintage & new, edible & handmade...a suprise!
oh and im happy to mail overseas too...

Happy Saturday everyone!!

Friday is here already....

how fast has the week gone - its been an enjoyable one...tiring but fun! Ive limited the cartoon watching but instead we've been reading, cooking and dancing to music & to cute songs like this about a British girl and an american boy.... the other day Neo went to preschool and so Peter and I got to spend the day together...i really enjoy spending one on one time with my boys - i think its great for them and they seem to love having my sole attention, my boys personalities are so different - the little one is expressive, loud, very affectionate but my Peter is much more reserved, he's quiet but curious, a little weary sometimes and often needs encouraging but he's got a great sense of humour and a deep belly laugh....they grow up so fast...

So we headed down to the city catching a train instead of driving which is a treat in itself...so after a cappucino stop we went to the Maritime museum for a great exhibition 'Bateaux Jouets - Toy Boats from Paris (1850-1950)'
such amazing toys, ephemera and vintage photographs of children playing with their sailing boats in Paris' gardens
another good one (well for me)
was Summers Past : Golden Days in the Sun
beautiful vintage photos from Australian beaches
both exhibits were free - who gets anything for free these days?? a nice suprise....
its raining today so we're stuck indoors but here's to a wonderful weekend for all of us!!!

Illustration Friday - FAIL

my 5yr old started soccer this year and he really doesn't seem that interested ....after each match it doesn't matter if they win or lose he gets upset that he failed to kick a goal... we remind him that what really matters is him having fun and being part of a great team....

one of my favourite proverbs is
Fall down seven times, stand up eight

we all feel like failures some time or other but you just got to get up and try again....
For more FAIL illos check out Illustration friday

Day Two....

so today is day two of Term 1 School holidays ( and a week off work for me) and boy, my sons are testing my patience....ive been trying to keep them entertained all day otherwise its just crazy chaos - is it like this at your house or just mine??? fighting over toys, whining, drawing on tables Ughh!! help!! cant they just play quietly wahhhhh!!

I also got my braces tightened today and my teeth are so sore my head feels like its going to explode....so I decided to prepare some Lachmajou for tonights dinner ...i had 3 recipes for this - Rick Stein's
,Tessa Kiros' from 'Falling Cloudberries' and Nigella's from her 'Domestic Goddess' cook book - so I got a bit from each - Peter helped mix the dough whilst Neo had a nap....Zzzz i need one too!

my new Tessa Kiros book Piri Piri Starfish arrived yesterday - its gorgeous and I cant wait to start cooking from it!
Tommorow is another day...

* Two cute vintage tea cups I thrifted last week at Rozelle Markets and my new Tessa Kiros cookbook
* Lachmajou picture from Falling Cloudberries cookbook

This is...my dinner party guest list
a fun theme this week from Tanya at Lily and Agathe!

Nigella Lawson - she just seems warm and really down to earth...chatty too, someone you'd love to be friends with...oh and she'd come over early to help me out in the kitchen...
Helena Christensen - because I've been a huge fan for like ever!! and the girl loves food...and vintage goods so I'm sure we have a lot to talk about!
Johnny & Vanessa
such a cool couple and totally in love and maybe Vanessa can sing for us....and teach us how to say naughty words in French




Irène Némirovsky - i recently read her novel Suite Francaise
and couldn't stop thinking about the characters & what would have happened next if she had the chance to finish her book....of course she'd be curious to what's happened in the world since her death in Auschwitz concentration camp in 1942...sadly still more deaths from war ..sigh!....

Ralph Fiennes - because he is hot and very talented...and I'll forgive him for screwing that Qantas stewardess in the plane's toilet....Im sure he'll share the funny story with us

so whats on the menu you ask?
Greek Meze of course....and lots of ouzo shots and red wine....whenever we have friends over for dinner I end up cooking enough food to feed a small army but thats just the greek way I guess...

For more This is...posts
check out Angela's blog

English Beauty: Stella Tennant

my last post for 'Best of British' week...its been fun! thanks Allison and Pip....

Its no suprise that British label Burberry (est 1856) would choose Stella Tennant as the face of their brand - she has such an aristocratic English look although when she started modeling back in the 90's her strong gothic face and facial piercings were all the rage.
Her grandparents are the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, her grandmother is the youngest of the Mitford girls so although Stella is a blue blooded english girl she looks like a down-to-earth mother of 4, raising her young family along with her chickens and lambs.
*Top image from Italia Vogue
* next two images from USA Vogue 10/05

Illustration Friday - Save

Save the date

3 times a bridesmaid never a bride...what a funny superstition huh?
im actually killing two birds with one stone this week as this is also my illustration for 'A Fashionable challenge' as the theme this week is Wedding....

Best of British Week

The Queen
as seen on stamps, on coins in my purse, craft items and even on artwork

* a much younger Queen - letterpress stamp from PostalHeritage UK

* Queen pendant from Arete on Etsy

Royal Mail stamps from an online stamp club, Kiloware Stamps


and great artwork from Ann Carington - this queen portrait was made entirely of safety pins - as seen in Serena Rees & Joe Corre's (owners of Agent Provocateur) London town house featured in USA Vogue

For more of Allison's Best of British posts check out Pip's blog