Hey Freckle face......


Its so refreshing to see magazines showing girls with freckles and its not just because I have freckles (which i do!) but because im sick of seeing everything photoshop-ed to perfection....

im at a point in my life where Im happy with the freckles, laughter lines and ready to face whatever comes my way in the future...

Big Thanks to Kathy for giving me a Blogtoberfest Spirit Award... big Hugs right back to you girl - thanks to you October is going to be a great month with all the Blogtoberfest posts going around bloggy land!!!

*images
Top - Madison mag
Bottom - British Vogue
(click on image for more detail)

This is ...my favourite Kitchen tool

a heavy chopping board
Measuring cups
Rolling pin
Spoon Holder

and my ever growing collection of cookbooks!



im a day late for This is... I didnt get home in time to take some photos in natural light....
we were hanging out at the Lindt cafe at
Cockle Bay wharf...yummy!!

Thanks to Sharon for this week's topic!

Blogtoberfest - Day 4

Spring in your step!

An illustration I did last week for 'A Fashionable Challenge'

Maxi or Mini...i prefer Maxi so I thought Id draw a mini...

(so much for hot days - it was gray and wet ALL day long....off to make some tea)

Loving Fridays....

boy are we feeling the heat down under!! Summer isnt even here yet!!
its great to read how the northern hemisphere blogs are getting ready for cooler weather and we're enjoying blue skies and hanging outdoors...i love it when the season changes, its always a welcomed change!

some lovely arty collage prints from Sarap on Etsy
I bought the top one,
'Beaux Carribean' for my friend Melissa's birthday - she's framed it and hung it in her bathroom....nice!!
All his collages are lovely...Yumsicles (just above) is great!
What's summer without an icy lolly to cool things down...i remember heading to the local corner store/milk bar for an icy treat...sticky fingers and stained red lips afterwards...

Can someone tell me what the Blog follwer application is?
is it different to bloglines or google reader subscriptions? I love my bloglines, saves me so much time!! and I just realised recently i have some subsribers to my blog on google reader too - big wave to you all!!!

Super tired....

Is so hot and humid today!

Ive spent the past two days in town attending taxation workshops - thats enough to fry your brain dry!! I sometimes miss not working in the city centre but when you're commuting on trains with no fresh air, trying to fight your way through crowds of people (all on their way somewhere...???) its not pleasant...imagine doing it everyday, what a bore!

My house looks like a bomb hit it...but im not bothered for house work...its take away Thai dinner tonight and chill out time afterwards! Tommorow I plan to spend the whole day with my eldest boy Peter who is on school holidays - we're going to catch a bus since we dont get a chance to do that too often and go somewhere special together, the housework can wait...it wont complain!

the lovely Kathy is hosting Blogtoberfest - Im going to try (i'll do my best!!) to post something everyday in October...

Thank you ALL SO so much for your nice comments on my cards - it means a lot!!!

*image by Tim Walker

Organisation

I spent most of the weekend organising the spare room - it gets so chaotic with crafty supplies, papers, loose ephemera, books everywhere...a nightmare room!

hope the clearing helps in the creativity department...i had a pile of scrap papers (nothing goes to waste here!) so made a pink themed flatnote collage card set...they're under heavy books right now to flatten even more!

Im finally sending some tags and greeting cards down to Pip's lovely shop, 'Meet Me at Mikes' in Melbourne....so go say hi to Pip and have a look - a big HUG to Pip for supporting handmade goodies!!!

you can also find my papergoodies at Tanya's lovely online shop http://www.lilyandagathe.com/

This is Me....showing Off!!

not much to show off actually so here are some of my latest thrifty finds...Vintage cotton Ric Rac - such pretty colours, just like gelato icecream! the font & packaging of these are cool!!

i also found some vintage floral wallpaper rolls on Ebay...cheap & cheerful!!

i think they'd look great on collages and cards...ive got some ideas swirling around in my head but im in a bit of creative slump lately-not good since I need to start planning for Lollishops

have you heard about it?

its a new online market place that will open towards the end of the year and Ive been accepted to sell on there (yeahhh!!! exciting!!)

You need to apply first as they want to maintain a specific market but if you make things & your style is full of sweetness or whimsy frou frou

then you can apply to sell there too!!

I still want to open an Etsy store too so im getting some things ready for that as well!

so thats me showing off ....a fun theme this week thanks to Katie

and thanks to Sharon for hosting!

Loving Fridays.....

Im off into town for a work course today but im looking forward to hanging out at

Borders bookstore and then enjoying an afternoon coffee afterwards....simple joys in life huh?!!

I shall leave you with some lovely 50's inspiration (from my Flickr favourites)! see you soon!

Top image from Vogue via Eleganceisrefusal

Middle image via Auroraaa

Bottom image from Home Beautiful via Mood Board

a week of Little Golden Books

Pip is hosting a week of Little Golden Books...this is a cute one that I have at home...

illustrated by Corinne Malvern

'Oh, its raining!', cried Peggy

so the girls play with dollies, the boys build blocks and mother in the kitchen (with apron on) makes bread-and-butter-and-brown sugar....What a splendid way to finish up a rainy afternoon!!

so cute!!

a Sunny Disposition!
im in love with this happy sunny home ( featured in last months Madison magazine...) its in the pretty Sydney suburb of RoseBay and they've done such a great job in building on such a narrow block!
the family room is so calm with all the soothing blue shades but its the sweet exterior that appeals to me the most!

the owner said she was inspired by the hit movie
'The Truman Show' ...what fun - a bit of seaside Florida in Sydney...love it!

I know that if I won the lottery tommorow Id grab a DVD copy of
'Something's Got to Give' ,run to a clever architect and say 'build me this home...please!!!'
have you seen the Hampton's home in that film?? Stunning!!
but there are SO many beautiful homes and interiors in movies...

*i loved Sheba's (Cate Blanchett) home in 'Notes on a Scandal'
* the old mansion in 'Atonement'...stunning rooms! (have you seen Dee's Briony doll yet? you must!!)
* the apartments in the ever so sweet film 'You've Got Mail' ...New York apartments always look good in movies dont you think? ...we all loved Carrie's apt in Sex & The City
and even Holly Golightly's apartment in Breakfast at Tiffany's was a fun place to party - the fire escape landing a perfect place to sit and sing Moon River....
so many gorgeous interior sets...

This is what I want to be when I grow up....

as a young girl I dreamt of being a teacher because I loved school so much...and all my teachers had been wonderful!!

i moved onto wanting to be an Air Hostess so i could travel to exotic locations....and to be independant!

but I was also into fashion so thought being a

Fashion Editor and stylist would be such a cool job!

I remember reading Diana Vreeland's biography and was totally absorbed!!

During my uni days I volunteered at a fashion magazine - the fashion shoots were the best, even having silly tasks like sticking masking tape under new (and expensive) shoes so the models dont ruin them was such a buzz to me!! haha...

No regrets...I just wish I had stuck to doing something a little more creative than number crunching...(this girl has my dream job!!)

but Im happy to be able to do part time finance work as well as find time for my creative hobbies and most importantly be there for my family....Peter has the biggest smile when im there to pick him up from school on my days off!

Im always keen to learn too so next month Ive booked in to do a Bookbinding course! cant wait!

thanks to Cindy for this week's theme and to Sharon for hosting!

* images found via Google images

A week of Baking....

it was a day of baking yesterday and Ive got a chicken pot pie in the oven as Im posting this so lets say its been a couple of days of baking....


I made Orange & Almond loaf
from an old issue of Real Living magazine
we've got plenty of oranges at home ... it turned out nice and moist

125grams butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup Self Raising flour
1/2 cup plain flour
3/4 cup almond meal
3 teaspoons orange zest
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Happy Saturday everyone!!

Loving Fridays...

having a great day so far...been busy baking and giving my oven a workout as Pip is hosting a week of 'Vintage Baking'
so stay tuned for some pics and recipes soon!

Im getting totally inspired by colour!
I saw
'The Darjeeling Ltd'
recently and totally loved the quirky story...the beautiful colour in all the scenes was a real inspiration...ive also got the Marie Antoinette
DVD lined up to watch - can you believe I have yet to see it? I think Im the only one.....
Im taking part in a Marie inspired collage book swap so need to get some ideas!?

Images:
Top by Polly Wreford
Middle from Conde Nast
Bottom - Smarties for my morning tea treat (naughty)

Illustration Friday - ISLAND

its been a while since Ive done an Illustration Friday challenge....life gets super busy and the week is usally over before I know it?!

id love a relaxing island getaway right now....

for more Illustration friday entries click HERE

Birdy Num Num....

some birdy love!!

my new Target day dress

with its pretty bird print fabric, which

inspired the birdy tags I made yesterday...tweet tweet...tweet!

the bluebird cross-stitch lavendar pillow that I made ages ago,

i have a few of these hanging in my wardrobe...i always spray my favourite perfume (Summer Hill by Crabtree & Evelyn) to refresh and it makes everything smell so nice!!!

ive also got some birdy necklaces hanging from my mirror in my room ....love wearing these with white Tshirts and its almost Tshirt season people (yeahhh!) ....

dont you just love feathered friends?

This is.... what I would do with a spare 10minutes

a

great theme this week chosen by HoppoBumpo

its always nice to find a spare 10minutes here and there....i wouldnt sit and craft though as I like to know I have a lot of time in front of me....but i would probably do one of these things...

*make a cup of tea

*flick through a magazine

*play with my boys

*put a load of washing on

*check my emails

*plan what to make for dinner

*read some blogs

*have a relaxing shower

*scrub the kitchen bench

*De-clutter the family room

*write a 'To - Do ' list (love my list writing)

My orchids have bloomed - arent they pretty!!

Thanks HoppoBumpo and also to Sharon for hosting whilst Angela is away enjoying herself.....

Loving Fridays...
What a gorgeous sunny day!
I just got home - dropped the boys off to school and Preschool, went in for a haircut ( ...just a trim, nothing drastic)
and I also got my eyebrows shaped - i feel good!

Thought Id show you the beautiful softie I won on Pip's
Softies for Mirabel Ebay auction - shes a Yakka doll made by 'Partridge and Pear'... just beautiful!!
i didnt have time to contribute to the Mirabel softie appeal this year so thought Id bid on one and Im so happy I won!! she sleeps on my bed...

and a plate of creamy pillows just to entice those tastebuds...easy peasy to make!!

*cut 2 sheets of ready made puff pastry into 9 squares each

*bake in hot oven until puffed and golden...gently seperate into two so you have a total of 18 tops and 18 bottoms.

*whilst they are baking

whip together instant vanilla pudding sachet with milk - refrigerate to slighty thicken

*add some thick fresh cream - I added about 1 cup whipped cream, into the vanilla pudding

*once your pillows are cool - add dollops of the cream to the bottoms and sandwich together with the tops

*sprinkle some icing sugar on top! Voila!

Books, books glorious books

every now and then I get into a crazy book buying frenzy...im starting to feel it coming on again!

i much prefer heading into a book shop than any other store...well i do love pharmacies and supermarkets too (but that should be saved for another post...)
bookshops, modern and large or small and pokey always have a calm feel and you can take your time looking without having anyone bother you - perfect!
I also love my local library although its been a while Ive visited ....
If we were to ever renovate a home ( we're thinking about it), I dream of having a huge built in bookcase set up...that would be nice huh?!

So what are you all reading right now (apart from blogs that is....)??

Im currently reading

Eurydici Street - i love reading stories about travel and living in a new city!
Tim Walker's photography books are on my Christmas Wish list (so pricey but its nice to dream) ...his image of the book obsessed lady in this old 'Blumarine'

fashion advertisement is just fantastic!

Images:
Top by Ellen Von Unwerth
Next two from Australian Vogue
Bottom Blumarine image by Tim Walker

vintage fun....

i cant believe I missed Pip's week of Vintage!?
some fun posts from everyone!
here are some lovely vintage illustrations from my stash of vintage books...
i love school girl annuals, i have a few old ones....the inside sleeve of this one is sweet...

another favourite vintage illustrator/author is
Joan Walsh Anglund
her 'little' people are adorable...they have the sweetest faces!
this page is from 'Childhood is a time of Innocence'


It is big stairs and
small footprints.



and this one is
Baking at Christmas time

This is...my favourite band!

Thanks to CurlyPops for this week's topic but just like movies and books, i have a hard time picking favourite music

i have to say ABBA was my first love and I still enjoy their music today...it can get me on the dance floor real fast!
during my teens I was obsessed with
Culture Club, The Style Council , Pet Shop Boys , Simply Red

...80's music is still SO good!! ...i was really into the English music & fashion scene, i loved everything about it and I couldnt wait to finish school so I can visit London...
Happy fathers day to all the dads!!
we took my dad out for brunch today and Andrew got spoilt too!