♥ The Finders Keepers...

Today we drove to Brisbane to The Finders Keepers craft market. It was fantastic, but completely jam packed with people! I had to do the circuit several times to actually see some of the stalls. But when I eventually did push past the crowds to have a good look, I was not disappointed.

It was such a delight to see so many interesting and beautiful craft pieces and each of the stall holders were so welcoming and polite.

I grabbed some great loot, obviously, and here it is...

Magnets and hand printed ribbon from Little Jane St.

Hand stitched brooch from Edward & Lilly

Hand printed fabric from Selvedge House

Limited edition print from Bespoke Letterpress Boutique

It took me ages to decide on which print I was going to buy, they were all so lovely but this one just grabbed me and I couldn't take my eyes off it. It's called 'The Sugar In Your Tea, In My Camomile Dreams' by Kristal Melson.

I already know where it's going to go, when we do eventually get round to doing an extension then this print is going to look great in my new gorgeous kitchen....Ahhh....Dream..... Until then I'll have to prop it up somewhere to admire.

It was only when we got home that I really looked at this print and saw so much more... I'm a huge tea drinker so the tea cups obviously connected with me and the little girl sleeping is Ella to me, but also there is a little black cat peeping out from the covers - so like Olive, not to mention all the birds that Olive likes to chase in the garden and the swan on the saucer is a little reminder of a past life where I seemed to be living Swan Lake over and over and over........(8 years at English National Ballet will do that to a girl!!)

Now I'm off to think of what to do with that gorgeous fabric....

✬ Blog HQ

Taking part in My Place and Yours again from Meet Me At Mikes . The Theme Queen, Ninon , has chosen Blog HQ and I have to admit that my version of this is not at all exciting or interesting......

As already mentioned, about a million times, this is not my home but a rented apartment while out here in Australia. Heading home 4 weeks today!

It is obviously not my home for several reasons;

① The 1980's style furniture,

② The abundance of glass top tables (shudder...),

③ The organised and tidy layout...

Anyway back to Blog HQ. I usually sit with my laptop at the table in the kitchen as it is good viewing position of the baba in the living room area as it is all open plan. Also it is near one of the adapter sockets as my naughty mac is refusing to be cooperative if not plugged in, yeah I know handy for a laptop...!

To my right I can watch the baby and also see a bit of the ocean through the windows leading out onto the balcony. I can also see the kitchen which is directly infront of me. There is a makeshift pinboard (brought home from work by Mr H) which has various interesting cuttings from magazines and 'things to do' lists pinned onto it.

It's behind the bottles of wine (who put them there??) and next to the iron and board, which is waiting there desperate for some attention, which it never gets...

To my left I can look out of the windows to the 'cityview' of Broadbeach stretching out to Surfers Paradise and over to the Isle of Capri. There are alot of high rises around here, holiday apartments mainly I think.

Anyway there you have it! Boring!

I'm heading off out now to the Finders Keepers fair in Brisbane where I hope to find lots of inspiring craftiness!

I'll check out everyones else's headquarters later this eve, can't wait, probably far more exciting than mine!

☠ La Danse Macabre

Halloween is approaching, so spooky strange stories and tingling tales of terror are creeping out of the dark and dusty closet...Or something like that...

Anyway here is one such yarn I heard recently, apparently true...

This tale begins in Strasbourg, in July, 1518. Mysteriously, a woman, Frau Troffea, begins to dance fervently in the street one day and forgets to stop to take a bow, continuing to dance in this crazy fashion for approximately four to six days (what?!). Within a week, even more mysteriously, 34 others had joined in with this crazy foxtrot (or some other 16th century dance) , and within a month, there were around 400 dancers. 

400 people dancing in the street! 

As the dancing plague worsened, concerned nobles sought the advice of local physicians, who ruled out astrological and supernatural causes, instead announcing that the plague was a "natural disease" caused by "hot blood". However, instead of prescribing bleeding, authorities encouraged more dancing, and even constructed a wooden stage (the show must go on...!) The authorities did this because they believed that the dancers would only recover if they danced continually night and day( and lo, was born the *bunhead...no not really). 

To increase the effectiveness of the cure, authorities even paid for musicians to keep the afflicted moving.

It will come as no surprise that most of these people eventually died from either a heart attack, stroke, or just being too pooped to party!

Historical documents, including physician notes, cathedral sermons, local and regional chronicles, and even notes issued by the Strasbourg city council clearly record that the victims danced and that many danced to their death.

Many reasons have been put forward  to the cause of the epidemic, such as mass hysteria, prevalent diseases, ergotism (a mold which grows on rye and induces hallucinations), part of a ritual and heretical sect (they were all a bit bonkers back then) or a form of epilepsy....

However, it is not known why these people danced to their deaths, nor is it clear that they were dancing willfully.

{*affectionate term for a ballet dancer...Honestly!}

Find out more at Wikipedia 

✎ My Creative Space...

My Creative Space is a mish-mash of wayward thread, off-cuts of fabric from past projects and new ideas being created....

I love embroidery threads, the colours always seem so vivid. I'm always drawn to different shades of green and grey...

Tidying up the fabric stash, I only have a very small collection over here with me the rest is away in the UK. I have ALOT of fabric, it's one of the only perks of working in costume - all the leftover fabric! Yum!

Busy stitching apple stalks...

Hearts...

And rosy cheeks...

And far too much gazing out of the window!

For more Creative Spaces from people who are far more productive than me,

go to Kootoyoo

☺ What's Hot & ☹ What's Not!

Is it that time again already..? The weeks really are flying by, (that can definitely go into the Not list).

Anyway I'm not usually this consistant but I love taking part in this meme from Loobylu and especially love seeing others hot/not lists.

Hot

'The Painted Veil' such a beautiful, sad and romantic film. Set in China in the 1920's the imagery is just breathtaking. I love that '20's/'30's look. Naomi Watts looks stunning with her soft pin-curled hair and bisque linen and lace drop-waist dresses and delicate cloche hats. It's just so beautiful and elegant and epitomises a lost era of a civilised time when letters were handwritten, music was played on a gramophone and men wore suits, all the time....

Ok so, there is also the dark backdrop of conflicts and fighting in China, death from cholera, a loveless marriage and virtues lost...... But, Mmmm......Look at that embroidered hem, and those ivory Mary-Jane shoes......

New Fabric collection 'LOVE' from Amy Butler . Ooohh......Ahhhh...... 'LOVE'ly...! So gorgeous and colourful. Inspiring me to get making that quilt I keep dreaming about.  Ahhh... Homemade quilts.....

Tim Tams. It's taken me a while to catch on to the Tim Tam Appreciation Society but now I have, there's no stopping me. I recently discovered the Black Forest and white chocolate varieties...Mmmmm.....They're supposed to be eaten by the packet, right??

3rd Column. Finally working out how to add an extra 3rd column on this blog! Don't know why I was so keen to have one but I was, there you go. It's so confusing though! In fact HTML can just jolly well take itself off to the naughty step of the Not List, go on, off you go......

Not

Shop closing times. Far too early over here for my liking! I'm used to shops that stay open quite late and especially supermarkets, they generally stay open 24 hours! But not here. On saturday we were too late to get into the two big named supermarkets over at the huge shopping mall in Robina (which was also closing), at 5.30pm!!! What's that about??? So not hot!

Channel 7. For spoiling my fun with 'Flash Forward'. First it was on wednesday nights and then they moved it without warning to monday night! So I have missed a few! Also it is always on at least 10 minutes late, so the few times we have recorded it we miss the last 10 minutes as it cuts off!!! Grrrrr!

Not big, not clever and certainly Not Hot!

Jets. Fighter jets (F1-11's apparently) have been flying over, very low and swooping for the SuperGP ( and that's not a super hero doctor but the car race that happens in Surfers Paradise!) and although, yes, it is actually a bit exciting....Do they have to fly so low and close to us? The sound is incredible and scares Ella out of her skin, bless her!

To be fair, I think that it all may have been just a one trick wonder for the weekend, so the jets can (quietly) sonic boom themselves off to the Hot list, as actually, they were pretty awesome!

❄ Winter in Ascog

Birthday celebrations, from a time before Ella. Close friends and family, gathering at Ascog House on the Isle of Bute to don Wellington boots and pop Champagne corks.

Exploring the seventeenth-century lairds house, stone spiral staircases, a secret bedroom in a turret, swinging brass chandeliers, blackened fireplaces and creaking oak floorboards....

A short walk down to the bay on a damp and slightly misty morning. All around us are grey shiny smooth rocks which, with a closer look, are quite clearly a pod of seals, dozing the day away.

Longer treks through muddy frosty fields, catching our breath in the biting cold air. A bull with a long copper fringe watches us, probably wondering why we have ventured out on such a cold day when a cup of hot tea and large slice of cake in front of a warm fire is so much more inviting...

When the evening draws in and the peacocks nesting in the nearby trees have ceased their eerie call, we light up the dark house with an abundance of tea lights.

Dressing for dinner, because it seems an appropriate thing to do in such stately surroundings.

Gathering around the long wooden table and with name tags on our foreheads from a game of celebrity Blind Mans Buff, we tuck into a hearty meal and clink glasses, laughing and chatting into the wee small hours.......

A golden diadem, catching the morning light through the warped glass of the Edwardian sash windows in the turret.

{9ct gold, pearl and crystal 'Willow' tiara by Sarah Hemsley}

Ascog House  Landmark Trust 

✑ Book Clubs are like Buses...

So, I have been looking around for a book club to join for years...Then two turn up at once!

Ok maybe that is slight exaggeration, the first book club I joined, The Mums Book Club was a wee while ago now, Ella was probably about 10 weeks old and other than the baby massage classes I'd started, it was my first jaunt out with her, in the car ( I know- chicken..) and meeting other mums.

It was a revelation! Oh it was so lovely to be out sipping cups of tea, chatting about literary texts, musing over contemporary authors and mopping up sick ( oh, there is just no getting away from that...).

Our first book was 'The Reader' and rather handy for me as I had just seen the film! However I did read the book, avidly, as though the film didn't even exist. It's staggering how a book can sometimes offer so much more depth than it's cinematic counterpart, I guess that's the power of imagination. Although I do love films! Have to, it's sink or swim for a vfx producers wife.... !

Anyway despite my eager start things have rapidly fallen apart and although I do have my sojourn in Australia (the other side of the World..!) as a good excuse I have fallen rather behind with the Mums Book Club.

Surprising then that I should sign up for another one! Hoopla doopla!!?

I've joined in with Pip's Book Club from Meet me at Mikes . Three books have been chosen and out of the three I am going to read "My Life in France" by Julia Child. It seemed an obvious choice after my previous gushings over the Film (Julie and Julia) and then the cook book (Mastering the Art of French Cooking) from which I cooked a three course dinner for two unsuspecting guests only a week ago. It went well, I should add!

Anyway there you have it, we'll see how well it goes. But I figure it is actually a book that I'm keen on reading so what the heck?!

ℤzz Bedside...

This isn't my real bedside, it is borrowed. My real bedside is thousands of miles away, across strange lands and deep oceans and is probably in the dark right now, maybe slightly lit by a street lamp shining through the shutters on the windows....

But this borrowed bedside is home to my things and so it is good.

On this bedside, which is in actual fact a small oval chest of drawers, there is a huge lamp with an ornate metal base, the sort of thing you would find in a hotel.... or a rented apartment.....

This lamp is hardly ever turned on for fear of waking the baba who sleeps in our room and so this bedside is not really used but for collecting dust and dumping bits and bobs on!

The books on the bedside, one which was the choice in my local book club many months ago and is still only half read.... The other a book which was lent to me by a friend and came highly recommended but still hasn't been opened yet. I had such ideas before I came over here of long lazy walks on the beach, and going to bed early with a warm drink and a good read......Clearly I had forgotten I'm still a full time mama!! So the books are still unread and the early nights never happen.

Inevitably there are remnants of the baba... a dummy, a hairbrush and the baby monitor. Obviously there are remnants of me....Accessories discarded while getting ready in the morning, a turquoise beaded necklace, a silver heart (perfume bottle) pendant and a diamond pendant (treasured gift from Mr H which really shouldn't be thrown on the side!) , a beaded brooch and a tin of hair grips and two square scarves , one from Orla Kiely (bought in the sale at Selfridges) and one from Lulu Guinness which is a beautiful Parisian scene print and was a gift.

Also on this bedside is my iphone which is permanently switched off in the hope that I can avoid a huge bill on my arrival home!

More Bedsides here 

☺ What's Hot & ☹ What's Not!

Hot...
A little time spent on a seating plan goes a long way....Sitting two single friends, who had never met before, together at our wedding almost two years ago and now they have just set the date for their own wedding....Altogether now....Awwww! ♥

Definitely, Maybe...A surprisingly lovely film watched the other evening. Starring the delectable Ryan Reynolds (also add to Hot list, not because of his boyish good looks and toned tum but because I seem to love every film I see him in!! Strike that! Put Wolverine into Not list...Oh, RR what were you thinking??!)

Babushka Measuring Cups...Oh so cute, so quirky, so I must have them!!...
Ooohh...This great shop/blog here sells them!

Stamp Collecting.....Not really!...But I'm loving these 60's British Design Classics from the Royal Mail.
I spotted them in Inside Out last month and really loved their idea for framing them! I think several sheets together look almost like wallpaper, the repetitive retro pattern works really well and would look great in a white frame. Ironic really as Royal Mail are striking back in Blighty at the moment...Naughty!... Go to the Not list!



Not
Ironing...Still have a mountain to climb...Bah Humbug! (cut and paste this line for every week...!)

Screaming....Ella has discovered screaming and lets out a blood-curdling piercing scream reminiscent of Hammer house of Horror movies. Not because she is unhappy or distressed, no it's just because she can!!!
Please be quiet...my ears and bleeding......boo hoo......

Keeping in Touch... I seem incapable of keeping in touch with anyone back home. I still can't get used to the time difference and can never time it right to call!
Everytime I get a moment to call I have to stop myself as I suddenly realise it's some ridiculous hour in the night for them!! Sorry Mum......


See more at Loobylu

✿ Choux, Choux...

On Saturday night we had friends around for dinner. This was so lovely and such a rare occasion since having Ella, and, more importantly I had a brand spanking new cookbook ("Mastering...") which was crying out to have buttery finger prints and sauce drippings smeared all over it!!!

The night before I whipped up these choux puffs. Well, actually I'd attempted them the week before but it had been an utter disaster - the mixture too runny, a lack of piping bag meant huge dollops spread all over the baking sheet which meant big doughy puffs, not at all anything like the crispy light puffiness of profiteroles which is what I'd been imagining!

Luckily this time was different and immediately I knew I was on the right track when the mixture was the exact smooth buttery consistancy as described in the book. Hooray! As it was 1am and I'm not that into kitchen disasters in the wee small hours...!!!!

After only 20 minutes in the oven I tentatively opened the door to reveal a tray of golden crispy profiterole puffs! So delighted!!!

It was really hard not to eat them all up straight away.....Mmmmm the smell of freshly baked puffs wafting through the kitchen in the middle of the night was too yum! I'm surprised it didn't wake guzzle guts Ella up!!

Recipe here 

✼ Oh, Coral!

I love coral. I love botanical drawings of coral. This is a little bit of embroidery I've been doing, just because, for fun.
I stitched it onto a piece of linen that used to be a cushion cover.

                       

Prints from here 

I want to find a selection of antique botanical prints of red coral to hang in frames on the wall in the dining room.

I think the red against the 'graphite' walls will look great.

I already have a set of four botanical prints of yellow flowers in the living room.

I just think they look so striking in modern frames.

I love mixing old and new.

I'm inspired by these framed prints from Graham & Green.

⠖On the Shelf...

A shelf is a wonderful thing. An empty shelf is even better because it's an ordinary space waiting to be brought to life with quirky and interesting or perhaps practical or functional objects. It could take a whole afternoon to fill a shelf, selecting the right collection of things, moving them around, maybe even a whole month or years of collecting objects to put on that shelf. Of course, it might not be a shelf at all but could be a mantlepiece or window sill or ledge, or even an upside down plant pot!

Mr H commented, when we first moved in together, that suddenly there were 'things' on the shelves (other than books..), on top of cupboards and on the windowsill. 'Things' had suddenly appeared 'carefully put together but in a seemingly random way' in all dusty corners of this usually neat and organised flat!

He loved it...!!

This was my kitchen shelf, in our old flat. It was a very basic pine shelf from B & Q and I bought a couple, including a peg rack and put them up on the wall like a determined mad woman with a cordless drill! There were holes in the wall everywhere, and it was slightly uneven which I tried to fix by hammering the side that was too high...I'm technical like that!

I wanted to create a rustic, 'Shaker' style shelf and so painted it a very light wash of cream. It was by no means perfect, but I loved it!

On this shelf were a selection of glass bottles including the empty 70 yr old port bottle bought for Mr H's birthday, a bento box, a stainless steel cocktail measure and compass and sugar sifter, flower teacups and saucers, a beloved and much used teapot and milk and sugar bowl, measuring cups and lemon juicer , cookie cutters (flower, star, crescent moon, pig, heart, dragonfly, fish, butterfly), tea cup and jug bought when on tour in Taipei, stainless steel milk and sugar pourer and a butter dish made by a friend.

The shelf is long gone, it didn't survive the removal from the wall when we moved house, in fact I think we may have left it up there afraid of the wall damage we may reveal underneath!!

It would be nice to think this shelf is still on that kitchen wall, cluttered with some other persons beloved ornaments and nik naks. But I doubt it.

I still have all of the lovely items though and am now searching for that perfect shelf to put them all back out on display.

I think I may get someone else to fix it to the wall next time though!!

Go and see some more shelves by following this meme called 'My Place and Yours' from Pip at Meet Me at Mikes .

✪ Hello Ducky...

It seems like Ella's first word is imminent, it's so close I can almost smell it (..or that may be something else...). We are already taking bets on what it will be. The shortlist is "Hello" and "Duck"!

Every morning when she wakes up, Mr H Brings her into bed with us in some vain hope that she may drift off to sleep again or have a little snooze so that we can both have a few extra minutes sleep. This seems like an idyllic situation but what really happens is that we imagine we are having extra sleep when in actual fact we are in a waking dream where we share our bed with a squealing, wriggling monkey who likes to pull hair and kick!

Anyway the other morning while this daily parent bashing was occurring, amidst the squeals and dadada's a sound emerged that was definitely reminiscent of a proper word, and that word sounded like "Hello".....or more accurately, "ell  owe"!

This managed to 'wake' us both up with a start convinced we had heard the possible beginnings of a first word!

Alas, this would then prove to be a one hit wonder as no matter how many times I uttered "Hello" at Ella she would look at me with utter bemusement, bordering on pity.

A day or so later I was delighted and chuffed to little mint balls when, after months of signing to her (ok, maybe not as much as I should have been...) she finally reciprocated, and while having her evening bath, signed the word "Duck".

This is not so a one hit wonder but more a daily flapping of the hands as she continues to sign the word for duck and has even muttered a duck, or "Dok" sounding word!

What joy, we may even end up with a sentence..."Hello Duck" .....oh dear maybe not!!!

☺ What's Hot.....& ☹ What's Not!!!

Love taking part in this link from Loobylu ......
A little late, and short and sweet but here it is.....

Hot...

Having 10 mins to type this while someone naps (in an otherwise non-napping day) although it's now dinnertime...doh!

Eating leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches and pecan pie on the boardwalk in the blustery wind watching the surfers.

'Little Einsteins' on Playhouse Disney.....You've got to admire a preschool programme that can successfully mix cute cartoon capers with the works of M.C Esher and Georges Bizet!!!

'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' by Julia Child....All of the recipes (except maybe the Aspic chapter..) sound sooo lovely and are wonderfully written and seem really easy to follow (perhaps I should wait to comment on that until after this weekend......!!)

Hair grips from Mimco. Love the sparkly swan!          

Only 6 weeks until return to Blighty!

Not...

Finding half chewed baby rice cakes stuck to almost everything....the carpet...the pram lining...my clothes...!

Ironing....! Why does the miserable mountain of ironing get bigger and bigger by the day and why hasn't anybody turned up to do it for me?????!!! Everyday I have aspirations to sort it out and everyday there is something far more interesting to do! Sigh....Perhaps today........

Facebook quizzes and ridiculous applications! Whenever I look on facebook I am bombarded with quizzes about this that and the other....... What kind of carpet are you?....Which 'High School Musical' character are you?......Name the Milkshake?......Not to mention Farmville... Fishworld...Blah blah blah....! Grrrrrr....So annoying!

Going to bed far too late (because there is so much I want to do in Me time!!) and being woken up far too early with a hair pull and a kick in the back (that's the baba not Mr H!!!).

Only 6 weeks until return to Blighty!

♡ I'm loving... Kikki K!

I discovered this shop out here in Aus. It's actually a swedish stationary shop and reminds me a lot of one called Ordning & Reda that used to be just around the corner of Covent Garden.

Anyway, I can't get enough of Kikki K ! It's full of amazing and quirky bits and bobs, like photo albums, scrapbooks, journals, pens, stickers, calenders........all in bright colours or striking black and white.

I went a bit bonkers for the DIY sticker books and now want to decorate everything with these colourful labels and stickers!!!

❖ My Favourite Corner...

As it's a rainy and windy day which has just put a stop to a lovely sit down on the beach I turn to thoughts of my favourite corner....
I followed the link from Pip and it seemed like a fun thing to do.

As I am in a temporary home while out here in Australia I don't really have a favourite spot in this 19th floor apartment (unless you count looking out at the ocean!).
However back at home (far, far away...) my favourite corner would have to be in Princess Ella's room.
This is (apart form the downstairs loo) the smallest room in the house but definitely the loveliest.

The tub chair in the corner sits neatly at the bottom of the cot and below the second window and against the only wall with the gorgeous Osborne & Little wallpaper (not seen in the photo) and is a perfect cosy chair for the night feed and story before bedtime. It's also been handy sitting in there when Ella is restless falling asleep as I can't be seen!!!

The main window has a perfect nosy view up and down the street and also over the rooftops of the bungalows opposite to the landscape behind (not sure what!) and the shelf above the clothes rail is an ideal napping spot for the naughty pusscats who occasionally sneak in without being spotted and attempt to hide amongst the cuddly toys!

Looking at this picture I am reminded of jobs still to do in this room; making a decorative pelmet or bunting on the shelf above the clothes rail, hemming the curtains with a fabric border (as they are too short!) and making some scatter cushions for the chair.

☂ Rain, rain go away....

Sunday had the worst weather the whole time we have been here. It rained all day and felt very wintery! Which is bizarre as it's almost summer here! Reminded me of home. I also thought of times beside the sea and took a look back at old holiday photos...

Although these are all images from overseas I can't help but think of a British beach. I think it must be because it has been raining and blustery. Although I do love being by the ocean in stormy weather - it's so dramatic in a 'Wuthering Heights' sort of a way, although obviously they were on the Yorkshire moors not in Queensland!!

Things that make me think of the British seaside.... (in an idealistic 1950's sort of way..!)

Fish & Chips ⠶Cath Kidston Prints ⠶Penguin Classics ⠶Punch & Judy ⠶Thermos Flasks ⠶

Pink Peppermint Rock ⠶Silk Headscarves ⠶Slot Machines ⠶Transistor Radios ⠶Dodgems ⠶

Bucket & Spade ⠶Cheeky Postcards ⠶Striped Deckchairs ⠶

✺ Donna's Dough

This is Donna Hay's Recipe for pizza dough which

can be found, along with several suggestions for yummy

toppings, in this months 'Donna Hay Magazine'.

I made this on friday night and then put the
rolled out (with no rolling pin had to use
an old wine bottle!) dough bases into the freezer.

It was incredibly easy to make as well as
very soothing and satisfying to kneed the dough!!

                                                                        Recipe here 

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

On saturday I removed one of the bases and, while still frozen, topped it with tomato paste, freshly chopped tomatoes, grated mozzarella, parmesan and chedder cheese, a sprinkling of dried mixed herbs, a drizzle of olive oil and seasoning and popped into the preheated oven at 220º on an oiled heated baking tray. 

About 15 minutes later I removed the cooked pizza from the oven, scattered chopped fresh basil on the top and sliced and devoured the absolutely gorgeous (if I say so myself!) pizza, just as Mr H arrived home from a morning meeting...damn, had to share.....!!

Oh and I also managed to get a copy of 'MtAoFC' at the shopping centre in Robina, so watch this space...

✢ A cross stitch in time....

I've been sewing this embroidered 'tile' from the book 'Linen and Thread' that I bought last week.
It's actually used as a piece on a cushion cover but I will probably frame it and hang in the hallway.
It's been such a long time since I have done cross stitch!

♨ Food Glorious Food...

Today I went to the cinema with Princess Ella and Miss B and her two kids and we spent a wonderful 2 hours watching Julie & Julia.
This was such a remarkable and inspiring film I am still fantasizing about Boeuf Bourguignon and as a general rule I don't eat red meat!
It's about two women Julia Child and Julie Powell and is set 50 years apart. The former writes a best selling cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in Paris in the late fifties as a guide for teaching American housewives how to cook French cuisine. The latter, in 2002, desperate to escape the rut she has found herself in, decides to set herself the challenge of cooking all 524 recipes from the book in 365 days and writes a blog about it.
It was such a joy to watch, made especially so by Princess Ella's impeccable behaviour. Even I was surprised at her relaxed and calm nature and captivation with the film - wonder if it was the continuos mouthwatering display of amazing french food, as she is a bit of a guzzle guts!!

After the film had ended and feeding Ella a slightly anti-climatic pouch friendly lunch ( it was no 'saute de veau marengo'... but she seemed to like it!) I hotfooted it to the bookshop in Pacific Fair and searched the shelves for Julia Childs "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". Alas it was nowhere to be found.

No matter, there is always Amazon! I did manage to pick up two stitching books though!
Meet Me at Mikes and Made in France

Back up the Mountain...

On Sunday we took a drive up Mount Tamborine. This time instead of stopping in Eagle Heights we drove further in and did a bit more exploring...A yummy lunch in an aptly named cafe! So chilly I ordered a hot chocolate and Princess Ella was snugly swaddled in a blanket!!

Strange bird calls from high in the trees...

Breathtaking (and very windswept!) views.