my January, hot, wet but not without inspiration..

Well hello and happy (much belated) new year!!

The first month of 2012 has been lovely although, pretty low key for me..

It began with a couple of blissful weeks in the mountains, soaking up the country air and catching up with family and old friends.

Christmas Day Petanque. Thongs are not obligatory in case you're wondering...

Lunch under the plane tree

My stained glass window cake turned quite well I thought..

Dad's very creative cake decorating. Cute!

We played farmers for a week too, as caretakers for my parents property. Initially a daunting task for a couple of city slickers, considering the menagerie of animals entrusted to our care, but we soon got into the swing of things.. In fact Andrew was in his element, setting off across the paddocks early each morning, on the quad bike to feed the animals and collect the eggs. I think access to the bike was definitely a motivating factor.

 Meanwhile I had a lovely time chasing Thom around the property (he's very mobile now) and hanging out in the kitchen baking bread. I rarely had my apron off...

Thom making new friends

Then it was back to the city and the heat..!

It didn't take long before we were heading for the air conditioned refuge of one of my favourite city oasis's and sources of inspiration, GOMA and The Queensland Gallery.

In my opinion, the Gallery/Library precinct at South Bank is really Brisbane's star attraction. There's always something new and interesting happening and with a lot of the exhibitions being free, it's the perfect place to grab coffee or lunch with friends and then while away the afternoon in the cool of the gallery.

It would have to be the most kid friendly gallery I've ever been to as well. Almost every major exhibition has an interactive component created especially for kids. These installations are just as fun for big kids too..

Yayoi Kusama's 'Obliteration Room' before and after..

 Photo's courtesy of GOMA

I've visited there twice in the last couple of weeks.. The first time was to see the contemporary Japanese artist with a penchant for dots, Yayoi Kusama and then I was back to see the much anticipated Matisse, Drawing Life Exhibition.

An absolute highlight is 'The Drawing Room' (and cafe), a interactive space where one could spend hours..

Easels, paper, pencils and high tech tablets are set up in front of vignettes of various beautiful objects, sculpture and even live models, all artfully arranged to bring to out the inner artist. 

photos courtesy of GOMA

Here are a couple of my attempts on the tablet.. You can email your scribbles home or to friends and then continue playing with this sketching program on your own computer. Highly addictive!!

And it's not just me that's got the drawing bug...

Thom's first 'masterpiece'. He's into dots... Very Yayoi Kusama.

And don't you just love washable markers..

Then it rained and rained and rained.., which meant only venturing out for supplies or to keep Thom & I from going stir crazy (The cabin fever was definitely beginning to set in..). 

My friends did drag me out of the house this last (very soggy) Saturday night though and I'm so glad they did! 

Thanks to a tip off on the Fun and VJs blog (which I somehow missed), they whisked me off to the book launch of Australian Modern, a local publication devoted to the best of Australian modernism. You can bye it here. 

The launch was hosted by creative director and publisher Chris Osbourne and his partner Susan at their incredibly fab house (featured on the cover).

It was really terrific night,  catching up with friends I haven't seen in years and making new ones..  I finally met Fun & VJ's gorgeous Anita in person too, looking fab in her paisley mini. A girl of many talents, Anita also did a great job editing Australian Modern. 

Everyone got in the spirit of things too, frocking up in their retro vintage best...

my mate Ange hamming it up in her mod frock...

And today, the last day of January, the sun is finally out and a coastal breeze has blown away the clouds revealing the first blue sky in what seems like ages.. 

The change in weather has me looking forward to February and what it might have in store. I've a feeling it's going to be a tad more up tempo, probably a good thing..

signing off..

I intended to fit in a couple of posts this week, but it's been a little crazy..

We're almost there though. The presents are wrapped and the car is packed (to the gunnels) and I'm checking off my final 'to do' list...
Then we're off for a couple of weeks of fun, sun and lots of yums with all the family, yippee!!

As I'll be far from my computer for a while, I want to wish everyone a truly wonderful Christmas and say a big thanks for all your contributions to my first year of blogging!!

It's been so lovely getting to know my new blogger friends, both near and far and I can't wait to see what inspiring stuff you all come up with next year!

See you in 2012!!
Lots of love El xx

it's beginning to look a lot like...

Only ten sleeps until Santa, I tell Thom. To which he responds with a confused and slightly anxious look, probably thinking of his recent and terrifying run in with the man in red in a city department store... I'm certainly excited though, especially by the prospect of getting away for a while.
And in the meantime it's about making the house feel festive to bring on that holiday feeling...

The tree, a piece of bamboo is on a smaller scale than previous years. It's sits at end of the kitchen bench (up high where a certain someone can look and not touch). The decs are quite pared back too. Tomato red baubles, paper doves & mini led lights from Ikea. A beautiful garland crafted out of recycled storybooks bought at the Reverse Garbage store. Painted ceramic stars and disks from the clay play day and mini disco balls from our decoration box.

A few splashes of red, including some bunting I made from natural and pearlized cardboard off cut from Reverse Garbage and stripy Ikea wrapping paper.

My half attempt at a wreath.. I used a vintage letter 'O' and a few pieces from my ribbon stash.

Now for a few cheesy Christmas tunes. 'Last Christmas' anyone..?

stained glass window cake...

This year I put my hand up to tackle one of the family Christmas cakes, previously the sole responsibility of my Mother and as Sunday was grey and drizzly here, it was perfect for a little festive baking...

We traditionally have two cakes at Christmas.., a lusciously rich fruit cake with lots of brandy and a marzipan/royal icing and the 'Stained Glass Window Cake' laden with nuggets of glace fruit and nuts, which is the one I decided to attempt (the easier of  the two).

Ingredients

3/4 cup of plain flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt.

3/4 cup of caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs   

1 cup of chopped dried figs

1  & 1/2 cups of whole brazil nuts

1 & 1/2 cups of whole walnuts or pecans

1/2 a cup of glacé ginger

1 cup of maraschino cherries

1 cup of dried Turkish apricots

• Preheat the oven to 160 degrees (150 for fan forced).
• Triple sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
• Add the sugar, fruit and nuts and combine.
• Whisk the eggs well and add to the bowl, along with the vanilla.
• Stir all ingredients until really well combined (it's a Christmas tradition in our family to all have a  good stir and make a wish).
• Press firmly into a greased and paper lined bar tin (approx 200 x 125mm) and level out on top.
• Bake on the centre rack for 1 & 3/4 - 2 hours or until firm.
• Allow to cool for half an hour before turning out of pan and then cool completely before removing paper.
• Once cool, wrap cake tightly in foil and cling wrap and then refrigerate.
• Slice very thinly with a sharp knife to serve and enjoy!!

I love this cake because beside from being really yummy (especially if you're  a nut fan like me), when sliced it really does remind you of stained glass. Making this cake turned out to be pretty easy too...

Now it will sit in the fridge (untouched) until Christmas. I will be strong...

Friday five - upcycled wreaths

Two and a bit weeks to go and I'm already in a pretty festive mood. The Christmas shopping is 99 percent done, the tree's up and Thom has had his first encounter with the man in red (which was um memorable). Now for a little sewing (Thom's Christmas stocking and the little bags I haven't tackled yet), lots of baking and adding a few extra festive touches around the place..

A handmade wreaths would be a lovely addition.. These five inspired beauties caught my eye, when I was searching for decoration ideas. Aren't they beautiful?!

Flickr

Linaloo

etsy

Where The Grass Is Greener

Boris Bally

Happy Friday! xx

Summer treats..

One of my fondest memories of this time of year, as a child, would have to be Mum coming back from the markets laden with Summer stone fruit.., mangoes, nectarines, plums, apricots and the most exciting, a whole box of glossy black cherries. Yum!!

I ate them by the kilo with red stained fingers, wore them as earrings and (if we lived in a cooler climate) would be responsible for an orchard of cherry trees in the back yard from all the discarded pips...

Since then, the first bite of a new season cherry and I instantly think of Summer Holidays and Christmas... Thom tasted his very first cherries when we shared this bowl yesterday and is definitely a fan!

I wonder if they will evoke similar memories for him when he's all grown up..?

recommended viewing...

Tonight I intend to be firmly planted on the sofa in front of the telly... The 2010 series of Upstairs Downstairs is here at last!!

Although I never saw the original 70's version (I was a tad too young), I'm a sucker for anything period made by the BBC and adored the similarly themed film Gosford Park and the ITV series Downton Abbey.

Following the intertwining lives of a aristrocratic family (upstairs) and their house staff (below stairs) and set in Belgravia, London in the elegant 30's, Upstairs Downstairs promises to be quite the visual treat!

Just add ice cream and pj's and I think I might have my perfect Sunday night in...