Chopping Spree

Sometimes I feel as though I should not be allowed near scissors. Particularly when I'm feeling restless with my hair.

I had vague thoughts of shaving it all off next year for the Greatest Shave, which I thought would be all the more impressive if it was quite long. And, typically, if I feel bound to something I turn and flee in the opposite direction. I couldn't even wait for my hairdresser friend to do it properly, so I hacked it off while my brother T-Bone held a mirror.

The (radically uneven) result:






The bob only lasted a week - it needed a blowdry to look halfway decent, and of course there was the issue of unevenness. I'd been itching to go all gamine and Jean Seberg*, but at the last minute I lost my nerve and went for something a tad longer. It's times like these that I am profusely glad to be living in The Age Of The Internet**, as it makes spying on girls with cute hair so much easier. I picked Argentinian model Milagros Schmoll as my hair idol:




Despite fears that I would resemble a clunky milkmaid next to her exotic, rake-thin boyishness, it didn't turn out too badly. And, might I add, WHY HAVEN"T I CUT MY HAIR THIS SHORT BEFORE?! The ease with which I can wash, dry and artfully manipulate my newly-docile tresses is luxurious.


(Apologies for the poor choice of facebook photo. Oh dear.)

*actually, I may go shorter still - I'm more than a little obsessed with La Seberg.

**to be honest, I can't really think of any occasion where I have been unhappy with The Age Of The Internet.

Sweet holy mother of the thrift gods!

The laws of op-shopping have been confounding me lately. It seems that every time I am in the presence of a fellow thrifter and the conversation steers to our mutually-loved pastime, I bemoan the current lack of decent clothing (heck, I've even done it here!) and then get nostalgic for 'the good old days' where I could snatch up silk smoking jackets and geometric shift dresses for under $5, and where Miller's Fashion Club was a mere lurking presence rather than the evil behemoth we now know it to be.

However, it would appear that my laments have had the opposite effect to that which I would have expected. Instead of being brutally smote for my lack of faith, I am being rewarded with some sweet finds...

In town with my little bro T-Bone last week, we ducked into one of our preferred secondhand haunts so that he could look for shirts. Idly sifting through the dresses while he was in the change room, I realised that there was some potential on that thar rack. Several hurried clothing changes later, I emerged with these four dresses:





(Someone woke up mid-photo-shoot)



I nearly lost my lunch when I realised what a gem that last one is. It looks as though it's been handmade, and someone has done the most beautiful job of it, lining it and all.


And the print, my word, that print! Very Temple of the Sun (have I been making Baboushka watch Tintin so that I can watch it too? Yes. Yes I have). I think I have found my life's mission - to discover the maker of that fabric. If anyone knows how I could do this, I will be eternally grateful and (may even rustle up a present of some kind... if, you know, the thrift gods are feeling benevolent).

Limoges love

When on an op-shop mish these days, I tend not to look at the clothes much. I used to bring home some real gems, most of which I still wear and some that I will never be able to get rid of despite not being able to fit into them any more. (This is, of course, why I had a daughter - to pass them on to her ;-))

The last few times I've sifted through the nasty, synthetic stuff (why is it all from Millers 'Fashion' Club??), I have only come across more of the same. No hidden gems, nothing I could even be paid to wear. Once upon a time this saddened me, but these days my attentions are drawn elsewhere: to the two long, shining shelves of bric-a-brac (laaaaaaaaaaa!). I've recently had to impose a ban whereby I do not bring home any more cute teacups or Johnson Bros plates.

Here is some of my favourite loot - Limoges-looking plates and saucers in pretty gelato hues:





Oh, and tablecloths! This lovely linen one has been awarded official 'good' status - I'm slightly terrified of using it unless it is a special occasion that does not involve beets or red wine..





Just look at that detail! I cannot believe I was able to buy it for all of $3, when someone has clearly put in many hours of work and a lot of effort.

Papier d'amour

Given that my attention span is shorter than that of a goldfish, I need to have many crafty pastimes on the go at any given time. Which means, of course, that they never get finished. But, uh, it's the thought that counts, right?

My current obsession is one I have rekindled - the ancient (?) art of collage. I've been buying books with rad, old-school pictures from the op-shop and tearing out the best pictures for this great, enduring kindergarten love (other kindergarten loves that have endured include colouring-in, spelling bees and juice).



Isn't that picture cool? I am toying with putting it in a frame for Baboushka's bedroom...although the dead moose is perhaps a little macabre for a 6-month-old...






Tearing pages out of books feels so naughty, but good naughty. I wonder if they will still let me be a librarian..?

Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

It's been a while since I posted a recipe, so here is an enduring favourite and winter must-bake:

Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

Ingredients:

* 1 cup self-raising flour
* 2 Tbs cocoa
* 3/4 cup sugar
* pinch salt
* 1 cup milk
* 2 Tbs vegetable oil
* dash of vanilla essence
* chopped walnuts (optional)

For the sauce:

* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 cup cocoa
* 2 cups hot water


Method:

1) Sift flour and cocoa into mixing bowl; add sugar and salt, mix;

2) Make a well and pour in milk, oil and vanilla; add walnuts if using; place pudding mixture into oven-proof baking dish (I mix the ingredients in a large oven-proof bowl, to limit washing up hassles);

3) Mix together sauce ingredients (I mix the dry first and slowly add the water, so the cocoa doesn't clump together); pour onto the back of a spoon over the pudding mix;

4) Bake in a moderate oven (about 180 degrees Celsius?) for 45-55 minutes (a knife inserted should come out relatively clean, but remember there is chocolate sauce at the bottom). Dust with icing sugar for extra la-dee-dah factor.

*n.b. This pudding goes well with good vanilla ice-cream...or even better with pouring cream.

(Image via Google, as my puddings never stick around long enough to be photographed...)

The Buzz

I am not known for my analogies. Or rather, I am known for how very, very bad they are. A few months ago, searching for a unique and inspired way to tell one of my friends how much I missed him, I asked Pat for a decent analogy. His suggestion? "I miss you more than the moon misses Buzz Aldrin". Perfect! I yelled. Not least because my friend and I address each other by lunar-inspired nicknames.

Tonight, amid the 'buzz' (heehee!) surrounding the 40th anniversary of the moon landing (a name I've always considered odd, given it was the moon that was landed on...but, uh, no matter), I was thrilled to see what Buzz himself has been up to:



I have already listened to this three times, and I predict at least two more replays before I go to bed.

Bibs are not just for babies...

I've always adored big, outrageous necklaces (especially ons with with ribbon ties!) and I fell hard for Alber Elbaz's recent enamel and plexiglass confections for Lanvin:





A few months ago, one of my favourite bloggers, The Glamourai, wrote a diy post on making a bib necklace. Naturally, my brain shouted "Sign me up!" for this particular project. And, of course, it's all I can think about now that it's No-Buy July. Gargh!

Come August 1, I'll be in one of three places: either a) sprawled on the bed, sorting through old bits of vintage costume jewellery that I bought for the sheer cheapness but never wear, b) bottom firmly planted to this seat, browsing eBay for yet more cheap paste jewellery, or c) haunting op-shops in search of sparkly candy.

Watch this space ;-)

Obsession du jour: Space Age

A snippet of a conversation with a friend this morning goes something like this:
Me "Yo Mark (referring to Mark's planet-covered hoodie), that's a cool hoodie."
Mark: "Thanks."
Me: "I love planets!"
Mark: "Yep, planets are coming in, man."

I'm not really someone who cares a lot as to whether something is 'in' or not (and I passionately detest the use of 'in' as an adjective), but lately I find I actually have the time to care. I know what is meant when one 'Rodarte-ifies' a knitted jumper. I am excited that my giant knitted scarf was finished in time for Missoni's Fall 2009RTW collection. I could recognise a Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton 'Spicy' shoe from a mile away, and it's driving me mad.

I must remedy this, and I'll do so in the only way I know how: find the nerdiest antitheses of fashion that I can think of. Which isn't easy, given that pretty much everything around these days was in fashion at some point or other. It's as though we have arrived at the end of fashion, and the only thing left to do is to try and re-invent everything in new (or as new as is possible) ways.

And so, my current obsession: the Space Age. Next chance I get I will wear my planet t-shirt (which I nicked from the wardrobe of my ex-husband, which he used to wear as a pubescent, bespectacled youth. How's that for nerdy?). I will listen to my Space Age Lounge CD
and watch The Jetsons And I will take my white golf shoes (I think they are golf shoes?) to my trustworthy cobbler and get them re-coloured in silver.

I agree with Mark. Planets are in (even if only for me).

Fancy Fruit

My current obsession in the land of tea is a blend from the local tea-orium (?) with the delightfully camp name of Red Fancy Fruit. It's made with rooibos and 'summer petals' (sadly, I'm not sure which ones exactly). Red tea is my favourite due to both it's lack of caffeine and it's supposed iron content. And it tastes good (a relief after years of pretending to like green tea).

I'm addicted, and the nice part is that I'm not actually addicted (no caffeine!). I've just discovered that I can purchase 1.1kgs of red tea for about $40 on Natural Health Direct. That sounds like good value to me...and then all I need to do is scavenge some 'summer petals', chuck them in with the tea, and voilà! I've got myself some Red Fancy Fruit.

Obsession du jour: dulce de leche

Ever since reading somewhere that I could make my own dulce de leche (or confiture de lait, a habit picked up in France) by simply boiling a tin of condensed milk, I make it every now and then when I find myself at the mercy of a non-negotiable desire for something sticky and caramelised. That is, I make it if I can leave it to boil for long enough - many an unripe batch of dulce has been prematurely plucked from its saucepan in a fit of impatience...and then finished to the sound of, "well, I wouldn't want it to go to waste..".

When I found a recipe for dulce de leche brownies on David Lebovitz's site, accompanied by this picture:

(courtesy www.davidlebovitz.com)

I thought, "Ooo-ee! Two of my favourite things merged into one deliciously congruent whole! It's time to buy a lamington pan." I made the brownies late last night (my new-favourite time to bake, now that my schedule revolves around my little milkmaid), and, sweet mother of Willy Wonka, they are as fabulous as they look!

Obsession du Jour: AA

Soooooo...I'm a little bit obsessed with American Apparel at the moment. Actually, I've been coveting various items of clothing from their online store for over a year now, but I have only recently taken the plunge and actually purchased some of it (both as a little celebration of having my pre-pregnancy body back...well, mostly, anyway...and also because my taste in clothing seems to have changed now that I'm a mama).

My parcel arrived yesterday, containing:

- a hoodie (a birthday present for my brother Dave - he got back from 2 years in South-East Asia last December and he is not equipped for anything that even slightly resembles winter)

- an organic cotton tee in my favourite colour

- a stripey 50/50 tee

- a pair of trackies (okay, so the change that my taste in clothing has heralded is not a very glamourous one at all)

And the legend is true! These clothes really are as rad as everyone seems to be saying. I tried on the hoodie and it's cosy as all hell, the t-shirt is the best colour and the v-neck is much more flattering on my now-DD chest than crew-necks, and the trackies, wow! Ridiculously comfortable and they completely lack frump-factor.

So now I'm hooked, and another of my brothers, Tom, is too. Whenever he comes over for a cup of tea (which is most days, on his way home from uni), the conversation will invariably turn in an AA direction, and it's quite scary how we know exactly what the other is talking about when me mention a particular style or colour. I'm in the habit of putting myself to sleep by making mental lists of what I want to buy. Yesterday, I made a collage in Word with everything I want to get for Anouk (she already has a white hoody and a little turquoise tank).*

It's getting crazy. I think I need to go to AAA.

* I feel I should clarify - I do spend a bit of time on the computer, but it's almost always when I'm breastfeeding (net-surfing and email-typing are actually easier to do with a baby clamped to my boob than reading a book).

Tiki time

My dad recently told me of how, when I was not yet two months old, he and my mother took me to the movies, hoping to watch as much as possible (and planning to leave when I cried). As it was, I didn’t cry and they got to watch the whole thing. Which is impressive as the movie was Reds, which runs for 194 min.

So when Sunday arrived, chilly and overcast, I was secretly happy. It meant that we could go to Husky Pictures (my favorite cinema!) and test Anouk’s movie-going mettle. And - success! Not a peep. We got to watch to whole of Revolutionary Road, which I thought was great…in particular Kate’s gorgeous wardrobe.

**Attention! Possible spoiler ahead**

I am now convinced that I need a blue gingham shirt, tied at my waist to wear with crisp white shorts and cat’s-eye specs to the beach.
But what I’m really craving is a halterneck frock made from Hawaiian barkcloth, to wear to a retro tiki lounge and drink Mai-Tais and Singapore Slings (there's a scene in the movie where they go dancing at a tiki bar - Kate looks fab but I can't find any pictures). I’ve found a website that sells a huge range of barkcloth, I’m hoping to buy some soon (in addition to the Hawaiian floral styles, I'd kill for some of the rad atomic designs as well).


(pictures courtesy www.barkclothhawaii.com)