In The Schedule

Aah, another week has finished up, with christmas lists ticked off, ornaments dangling, menu sorted, gifts wrapped (sort of)... that leaves just the food shopping to do.   This weekend has been quite relaxing, surprisingly, even allowing time this afternoon for a small picnic, and later, a quick bite out for some pizza.

If like me you're ahead of schedule, enjoy some downtime with a little bit of christmas inspiration with some links I found during the 'quiet times' these past few weeks...

+  Red, such a festive colour during christmas time.. and although I'd tone it down with some grey or black, or camel, you might find this editorial featuring Manon Leloup for Vogue Spain in shades of scarlet, fire engine, vermilion and just plain red, enough inspiration for christmas day... via pinterest.

+  Take a look at this cool scandi stylish home with a spot of Christmas cheer via Bo Bedre here.

+  Don't know about you, but I'm always happy to receive a little bauble for Christmas.. something colourful, bold and not usually what I would buy for myself... if you're listening honey!?  Here, Irena Nikolaeva in Vogue Germany with some precious little things for last minute gift ideas.

+  Or perhaps, a gorgeous coffee table book on baubles instead... here'a s list of 6 luscious jewellery books worthy of gift giving via French Vogue.

+  Some lovely table setting ideas from the pages of Home Beautiful here.

+  And lastly, for something to eat from that table... and because someone might want the recipe of my Christmas Boiled Fruit Cake that I posted about earlier in the week... here it is Ada...  this batch makes up to 4x mini cakes (10cm diameter x 5cm high) and 1x square cake (20x20cmx 4cm high))

Ingredients

250g butter

1 cup soft brown sugar

1kg mixed dried fruit (I used, sultanas, currants, raisins, glace cherries and mixed peel)

1/2 cup sweet sherry (I did 'splash' a little more to make it extra moist)

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 1/2 cups self raising flour

1 cup plain flour

1 tsp mixed spice

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup apricot jam

1.  Preheat your oven to 180C/350F.  Line your cake tins with baking paper.

2.  Put butter, sugar, mixed fruit, sherry and 3/4 cup water into a medium/large pan and bring to boil.  

     Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the soda and cool.

3.  Sift the flours and mixed spice into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.

4.  Add pineapple juice to the beaten eggs and add into the fruit mixture and combine.

5.  Pour into the well and mix well.

6.  Pour into your cake tins  - the mixture will rise so I filled to about a 1/5 from the top.

7.  Bake approx 30 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.   

8.  Take out of oven and leave to cool in tins for at least hour.  Meanwhile heat 1/2 cup apricot jam with

     2 tablespoons water until dissolved, and brush this on top of cakes while still warm to give it a 

     lovely glaze.

I have made this recipe as one larger cake in a 22cm round tin, and this makes for a high cake and takes about 1hr to cook.. although I would check it at 50mins or until skewer comes out clean.  

The verdict is, that they are delicious! 

Enjoy your weekend and baking & homemaking and special christmas events in the lead up to Thursday.

In The Schedule

I'm glad the weekend is here, with what looks like the beginning of a spring clean at home, a small project for a friend of mine that she would like to wear next week and dinner out with friends tomorrow night... I'm pushing it if I think I'm going to finish reading that new issue of Porter and the latest Harpers Bazaar US that I just received.

And just as it's been a kind of all over the place week for me, I've got a list of links that are really from all the place and cover all kinds of topics...

+  I enjoyed the dusky pastel tones of this editorial featuring Lily Donaldson and her AWESOME hair in Harpers Bazaar Korea.  Just gorgeous.

+  A mix of vintage, beachy, modern, rustic and urban furniture for this home in Chelsea belonging to designer, hotelier, artist, DJ and creative director Robert McKinley and his fiance.  Wide floorboards, original windows and functioning fireplaces are the canvas to build on.  More images via TMagazine.

+ Did someone say beachy... It will hot up consistently enough to warrant a trip to the beach eventually, and when we do it's no use trying to find the perfect swimsuit at the last minute!  So take a look at new Australian swimwear label FELLA with their 'feminine but edgy' chic separates and one-pieces, these swimmers are sure to get you noticed.  Via Broadsheet here.  

+  Take a history lesson of Gucci's Jackie Tote via Style.com here.  From it's beginnings as a stylish structured hobo to current day versions in soft largish totes.  Yes please!

+  Translated in 11 pages, 126 pages to look at, featuring Charlotte Gainsbourg on first cover and an interview with Catherine Deneuve inside, the Louis Vuitton Bi-Annual magazine has taken shape.  Details via WWD.

+  A rare look inside the Prada Factory as Patrizio Bertelli invites NYMagazine on a tour : Via Style.com and NY Mag.

+  Instigated by Sarah Jessica Parker, the costumes worn in current performances by the  New York City Ballet will take a slightly 'fashion forward' slant .. especially when they are designed by Mary Katrantzou, Carolina Herrera, Thom Browne and Sarah Burton.  More images via Style.com here.

+  And finally... we've covered gorgeous hair, interiors, magazines, iconic bags, factory tours and the ballet... and now for the gents.  A really cool looking new magazine for your guy if he's into Soccer!  'Associated'... soccer with style!  If you please!!  More here via Style.com

Enjoy your diverse weekend...

In The Schedule

A glorious weekend is expected here and I plan on spending some of it outdoors.  I can't believe it's the last week of September already, and with one eye on a christmas shopping list, I'm starting to get a bit anxious as the weeks roll by and we get to the pointy end of the last three months of the year.  Can you believe it?

Oscar Carvallo Gown

Backstage Christopher Josse S/S 2012

+  Speaking of christmas lists, a gorgeous book packed with stunning images of haute couture handiwork would find a perfect spot on my shelf!  'Haute Couture Ateliers' (Vendome), with a foreward by Hubert de Givenchy, takes us through numerous workrooms and painstaking processes employed to create such fantasy and works of art.   Put it on the list!  Via AD.

+  I love a bit of colour around the eyes and my favourite is purple or navy, so this editorial for Dior Magazine caught my attention the other day.  I'm always ready for more makeup thanks, and it's always a nice gift too I say!  Via

+  In the midst of fashion week, I enjoyed this article titled 'Secret Journey of Fashion' via BOM.  Where does an idea for a range start from?  This is only Part 1 and I'm looking forward to Parts 2 & 3 in upcoming posts.

+  Happy Birthday BB for later this weekend.  An interview with Bridget ... via Vogue Hommes International.  

+  A very interesting interview with designer Alessandro Dell'Acqua, who after leaving his namesake label 5 years, started a new label (No.21) and a new job at Rochas.  All at the tender age of 46!  Determination, hard work, tenacity and courage come to mind.   Via WMag.

Enjoy your weekend!

In The Schedule

I'm so looking forward to a quiet (ish) weekend after what feels like going round and round in circles this week!  Do you ever get that feeling?

Give me a latte in the morning, some eggs on toast and magazines or the latest pics from Milan and I'll be happy!

Enjoy...

+  I'm always ready to make changes to my makeup purse and might incorporate some of these looks as shown on Anmarie Botha for Harpers Bazaar UK October issue as subtle updates.  Love the light lip and the dark manicure.

+  A great interview with Bouchra Jarrar the not so new darling of the French fashion circuit.  It really inspires me to read that this talented lady is on the quiet end of the spectrum, studious, calm, and churning out exceptional precision cut pieces that grace the runway.  I can't wait to see what she offers up for this coming Spring 2015 season.  Via Business Of Fashion here.

+ Loved this video via Vogue TV as we follow Anna Wintour in and around the Vogue offices  answering 73 questions.  Tuberose, Colour, Lace, Starbucks, Spring, Downtown and Hugh Jackman seem to be trending after these answers get out.  Via here.

+ I enjoyed reading this interview with Betty Catroux, pal and muse to Yves St Laurent, with her take on style, fashion and living her way, via The Edit.

+  From Diane Kruger, Kate Bosworth, Victoria Beckham and more, find out who those fashionable ladies are inspired style wise themselves.  Via Vogue here.

+ This recipe looks yum and sounds so easy to make... Greek Yoghurt & Nutella Tarts by Elettra Wiedemann.  Via Style.com

+  And finally, some beauty advice from old school Hollywood;  I particularly like Gina Lollabrigida's insight..."A woman at 20 is like ice, at 30 she is warm, at 40 she is hot"!  There you are, it bodes well for all of us!  Via Stylist.

In The Schedule

Looking forward to a sunny weekend ahead... a great time to catch up with friends and maybe do some work in the garden.

As I have only just glanced at a couple of images of the NY runways I think I'll have to catch up on some of those as well!

Here are a few other things I found during this week...

+  Let's start with this gorgeous editorial featuring Karlie Kloss for the October issue of Vogue Netherlands.  

+  I would love to get my hands on this gorgeous Bottega Veneta knot cluch covered in supple soft leather fashioned in dainty butterflies; it just beckons to make an outing with your favourite cocktail frock doesn't it.  Take a look at the cocktail party that Bottega Veneta held in Saint Tropez last month celebrating the classic and the not so 'classicly' finished, Knot Bag here via Vogue.

+  Am wondering why this scent hasn't been marketed before now; a range of fragrances released for fashion week labelled Diana Vreeland; with bold colourful bottles and extravagant large stoppers ' tied together in an iconic Twenties-style bottle manufactured with all the finesse of traditional French craftsmanship'. ... the red bottle would definitely be my pick from the range don't you agree?  Via Vogue.  Available from Colette Paris.

+  And speaking of Diana Vreeland, take a look through these fabulous illustrations of the inimitable Diana Vreeland, and other noted fashionables, by a range of talented artists giving us their take on style.  Via

+  And lastly, be transported to a simple French village (who wouldn't want to be), through the pages of Mimi Thorisson's blog, Manger.  These rustic tartlets above, were just one item on the menu at the local fete that Mimi participated in.  What a beautiful day that must have been... you must read all about it here.

Have a lovely weekend...

In The Schedule

A busy weekend ahead for me; but I'll counter that with some eye candy in the form of these links and reads...

How about you?

Image via Pinterest

+  It's Fathers Day on Sunday so for all the modern gents out there... A style guide on what maketh the Modern Man from British designer Richard James via Mr Porter's The Journal.   I'm sure you already know how to achieve 'modern man' status, but hey, it's good to be kept up to date isn't it?

+ Love the lusciousness of this fairy tale editorial for Vogue Japan by Emma Summerton.  Moody, luxe, elfin, other wordly; and nice looking textiles too!

+ Something to add to the coffee table... The Best of Flair with photography and styling from the most influential magazine of the twentieth century.  Via Amazon.

+  Love the soft makeup featured on Arizone Muse for Porter Magazine's Fall 2014 issue.  That cat eye is just sublime and subtle at the same time don't you think?

+ Would love to have a read of Caroline de Maigret's upcoming book 'How to be Parisian wherever you are'... ooh, insider info!  Via Vogue.

+  And if you've got some spare time this weekend, a few tips on 'How to Host an Afternoon Tea' from Australian cook, David Herbert via Vogue.  Sounds easy enough I say.

+  Ava, Greta, Elizabeth wanted to wear the blouses she modelled; she became the face of Givenchy 'Amarige' fragrance, photographed by Penn, Cartier Bresson & Blumenfedld, before Twiggy hit the big time and became synonymous with London, there was France's Bettina Simone Bodin.  Have a look at these stunning images of the 'supermodel' of the 50's and an upcoming exhibition in Milan.  Just if you happen to be in Italy over the weekend.

+  I love the ethos behind this Sweet's store in Melbourne's Richmond. All natural desserts made from plant based organic ingredients sourced from the Amazon, the Philippines and Mexico it's not just eye candy that has me wondering when I can scoot on over to Church Street!  Via Broadsheet.

Have a lovely weekend...

In The Schedule

The buds are just about to open in our garden... it must be coming up to Spring; and with this recent burst of sunshine during the week just gone, I'm looking forward to a fresh take on the garden and perhaps a fresh take on a cleaned out wardrobe!

Great time for a spring clean...

+  Take some time to view this chic editorial photographed by Will Davidson for Vogue Australia's September issue.  Floaty chiffons, elegant neck ties and dreamy silhouettes while we ponder the transition from winter to the summer sun in the coming months.

Delphine Arnault

+ Who can get the world's most influential designers in one room, on the same table? I mean Karl, Raf, Phoebe, Marc, Nicholas, Humberto and Riccardo are pretty busy right?, but when Delphine Arnault's office calls and months of planning and logistics follow, it's only natural that the designers all employed by the french luxury conglomerate LVMH of which Delphine is positioned as perhaps next in line, make themselves available.  A really interesting read on Delphine's background, her experiences, and her work moving forward through ranks in this influential business via WMagazine here.

+   Who doesn't like a bit of neat and organized?...I would love to set up camp in this office area... well let's not pidgeon hole myself... I'd set up camp in this enitre home too while I'm at it.  A renovated home in Melbourne's Camberwell, designed by Mardi Doherty of Doherty Design, by way of Est magazine.

Tiffany T rings

+  Take a look at the new Tiffany's collection; from the house's first female design director (really!?) Francesca Amfitheatrof.  If the name sounds familiar it's because you might have read it on her own jewellery designs previously or you might have seen her designs for Marni (eyewear), Fendi (jewellery), Asprey (silverware) and Alessi (objects).  Read about her background and her vision for Tiffany here via T Magazine.

+  So intricate, so delicate, so sumptuous.... of course, it's the Dior sneaker; take a look at the making of a Dior sneaker in all its layered complexity, via Garance Dore's website here.  Now that's what you call Hi-Lo!

+  As the weather slowly warms up, I'm going back to Natural Yoghurt and fruit and nuts for brekky and can forgo a tea or coffee in the morning; nothing too fancy I know, but then I saw this image above and knew I had to hunt down the source for another option.  Roast Grapes and Goats Yoghurt via Lily.  Isn't it just enticing?

Have a lovely weekend...

In The Schedule

With the sun shining outside, I'm looking forward to a quiet day running errands, catching up with a friend for a coffee, and re-scheduling the weekend (it seems I have double booked myself!).

Aside from that, it's been a busy last few days (I will be posting about a fabulous Spring Racing event I attended earlier this week so stay tuned) and I'm looking forward to a quiet weekend (well, seeing as the weather on Sunday will be quite questionable, it'll mean finding shelter from the rain).  But hey, you know what they say about Melbourne, '... four seasons in one day!'.

Here are some great links I found for some great reads too...

+ The gorgeous clean lines featured in this editorial in S Moda; just keeping it simple against the lovely canvas of Hilary Rhoda's complexion.

+ A great interview with designer Simone Rocha in Interview Magazine here.

+ An amazing behind the scenes look on the making of Marc Jacobs' new It bag.  What an intricate process.  Via TMagazine.

+  Take a peak inside the studio of Petite Grand jewellery... Via Broadsheet.

"There's a time for a sweater and Levi's and a time for the full-dress jazz"- Ginger Rogers.

+ Is Elegance still around today?  Hmmm, it's debatable.  Another magazine gives us 10 codes of Elegance. 

+  From Vogue Australia, a great bit of advice on how to complement your skincare routine with a complexion clearing diet.. you are what you eat right? I'm getting out the yoghurt and bluberries right away!

+  Okay so I'm a hotcake right?  My delicious Ricotta and Bluberry hotcakes that were snaffled up in record time last week.  (Well they're not really mine, I tore the recipe out of the newspaper years ago!  I think it might be Bill Granger recipe.)

Recipe

180g plain flour

2tsp baking powder

2 pinches cinnamon

2tbsp caster sugar

325ml milk

150g ricotta

2 eggs

2 punnets blueberries (I have used chopped up bits of strawberries too)

melted butter for cooking

Sift dry ingredients into bowl.  Whisk together the milk, ricotta and eggs in a separate bowl until smooth.  Add milk mix to dry ingredients and stir.  Throw in your blueberries.   At this stage, I place the mixture in the fridge for about 20 mins to chill.  Heat a non stick pan over medium heat add a little melted butter and dollop in ladle size scoop of batter.  Cook until edges bubble and then flip (I'm getting good this part!).  Cook for a further minute and then serve straight away with vanilla ice cream and icing sugar or jam.   Oh, so good!