The sunday session 28 & 29 - the joy of tea-bagging

wow, what a busy couple of weeks.  I've had the absolute joy of having my little sister and her boys visit.  it's been a year since i have been able to be the worlds best aunty and also get to hang out with these guys and get to do some exploring around my new city with them.  And was it great...HELL YEAH!

speaking of exploring, when i moved to melbourne - nearly a year ago - i ran into my friend Beck.  In fact, i have managed to run into Beck at least 4 times in the city on random occasions. it's such a great feeling when that kind of universal collision happens.

she recently invited me to join her and her colleague Ramona at a natural dying workshop as part of their craft companion journey, i jumped at the chance.  check their book out.  it's totally cred.

these ladies are handmade life and have a gorgeous studio at the Queen Victoria Markets on Victoria Street, and even walking past and looking through the windows is enough to inspire even the least crafty person to get a bit excited about doing some simple fun projects.

on their link they have a variety of short workshops that you can do in an afternoon, while enjoying a fabulous afternoon tea, great company and laugh after laugh.  well worth checking it out.

at the session i went to, we were using products that we may have readily available to dye silk fabric and to learn about how you can also dye wool, should you wish to be a little more adventurous. knowing that you can take simple household products, such as turmeric, tea, berries and even onion skin and be so creative was right up my alley.

after learning about many of the techniques available, it was time for us to have a crack.

and we were introduced to the joy of this fantastic DIY.

we then got to prep our own dying project.

i decided to use magnets to bring mine together, but of course, there's soooo many possibilities.

 

my dyeing was done with turmeric - so impressive and yet so easy and voila - i have a gorgeous scarf. the yellow was an unusual choice for me, but i was drawn to the effect of the turmeric.

this is what you also get... hand made deliciousness..

so why have i titled this post the joy of tea-bagging, well, it's not what you think....but i really want to explore the simplicity of using the one thing that most people have in their kitchen to create an amazing natural colour palette. the tea bag. for me it evokes a colour reminiscent of the 20's and 30's glamour.

i love the feeling of this era and would like to put my own twist on it using teabag dyeing on silk and then creating some looks. bring on summer!

so let's step right into full colour and check out what i have been wearing.

on week 28, i was all about the snow queen look.  the white on cream on cream dream.  i was wearing a thrifted white linen skirt, cream jumper from uniqlo, cream vest thingy from lee cooper, brown boots from spurr and my fave cream fur hat that i op shopped sooooo long ago. i can't even explain how much i loved this look and i can't even explain it's simplistic elegance, but the word's simple and elegance probably don't belong int he same sentence if i am involved.  yet it just all worked.

for week 29, i am crushing on the double quilted ensemble.

firstly, it's double quilting.  that's what most people seem to have on their beds at present, but not me, i have taken it to the streets.

i picked up the skirt at uniqlo last week, and teamed it with a uniqlo turtle neck, my quilted vest i got in india way way way back in 2007, my men's shoes from tarocash and those hot pink tights. dang i felt good, with my big fancy hair and my dark sunnies, until the weather changed and then i kinda froze my tits off...we took my nephews ice skating - i didn't dress for this so sat it out, but after sitting for an hour at the outside ice skating rink watching my nephews and my sisters enjoy themselves in the absolute coldest and rainiest afternoon of the year, i eventually used my smarts and decided to fuck off home. where warmth and wine was the winning combination.

 

well, i am hoping i will be back on track with my weekly words, after what has been a few hectic weeks.  i'm off to go in search of silk, so i can make my tea-bagging dream a reality. 

thank you ladies of handmade life, i look forward to sharing this project and joining you for some other sessions. x

the sunday session 21 - just keep stirring

hello  - well it's been another great melbourne week and one where i got to experience a little more of the great melbourne offerings.  i took a trip to the brighton farmers market which happens each month. i really loved this as it gave me a little taste of one of the things i miss in brissy. the davies park outdoor market.

it was where i would get my ritual saturday breakfast - the spinach and cheese pie from the pie guy and have impromptu meetings with people as we crossed paths on our saturday morning forage.  in a couple of weeks my son is coming to visit and he is under strict instructions to fill his hand luggage with some pie treats for his mumma.

on saturday it was probably my first real taste of the chilly weather and of course i decided to hot it up with some gold liquid pants from target and go about trying to cause some panic at the disco.  my plan come summer is to upcycle these pants to shorty shorts.  well maybe not, but maybe..... like really, if kylie minogue can do it, then surely i can!

this wasn't my fave look of the week - and why i don't know - cause it pretty hot, but it was a toss up between the spots on spots craziness and the adidas chopped up T look.  Adidas won out. and why, cause i'm a bit of a tomboy at heart.  when i was little,  i was nicknamed fred.  I kinda like that name and although i am as girly as all fuck, i still have that little tomboy streak.  i like beer, cars, motorbike racing and obviously dressing in a muscle shirt...

this was an outfit that turned heads -  believe it or not - and oozed some sassiness and a confidence undercurrent.

the jeans come from target, the boots are mollini,  the hoops are from fiji. i had a black singlet under the T, cause i decided to give it the chop.  i cut off the sleeves, cut off the chocking neckline, gave it an underarm cut, down the side. so there was a fair bit of side boobage, but too bad. if it's good enough for those 20 something's, then it's good enough for me. i was owning it big time.

so let's get back to food shall we, following my excitement of the farmers market.  I am doing an old recipe share - cause not only is the weather turning chilly, but i am in need of some good quality homemade risotto.  my first risotto encounter was about 20 years ago in new york. it was a joy to watch being cooked and a joy to eat.  it's a really solid meal, but having quality over quantity is a risotto treat. enjoy the beauty of the risotto with a side of something else. let it be the subtle standout in the meal. here's one of my faves - stinging nettle risotto - enjoy.

it doesn't matter how many times i make it, i always want to have it with fresh pesto, a simple rocket salad and panko fried gluten....eeewww i hear you say - well eeeewww back to you.  feel free to come over and enjoy this delicious number anytime. 

I am sure that in melbourne that stinging nettles will be somewhere and I am going to be on the lookout.  But really a great risotto can have so many variations and for a vegetarian like me what comes to mind is roasted beetroot or sage risotto or what about zucchini and lemon, or Jerusalem artichoke  - so many great options.  but today, i'm sticking with the green goddess.

Remember stinging nettles sting, hence the name and you will require some special tools such as a pair of scissors and some thick gardening gloves to prepare the first part. come on, be a devil and live on the stinging nettle edge....

so you will need

stinging nettles. a big bag of them. (available from a market or in some gardens or derelict parks) and if you can't get them, then you are fucked really and there would be no point going on reading. but feel free to adapt and use some other exotic item such as what ive suggested above.  let's go.  get:
a knob of butter
a big splash of olive oil
an onion
a clove of garlic
arborio rice
white wine and lots of it
stock (massel vege is my stock of choice) this way there is no competition between the veg and non veg. a largish saucepan will work for this and you can always top up the stock as you go along if you start to run low. But, keep the stock hot.
salt & pepper
more wine

first up take all the leaves off the nettles using the gloves and scissors. i didn't use the stems at the bottom of the leaves, but did use the softer top bits.

once done, you need to blanch them. you can give them a rinse in a colander if you like but DON'T TAKE THE GLOVES OFF TILL DONE. either put them in a boiling pan of water for about 30 seconds, or submerge them in a dish of boiling water from the kettle. This was the easier way.

drain them and then you need to put them in a wizzer and make a kind of paste adding a bit of water if needed. it doesn't need to be a runny puree though.

heat the stock in a large saucepan till boiling then turn to simmer
while that's happening, dice the onion and peel the garlic
once the stock is boiled or nearly boiling you can kick off with the rest
using a deep style frypan or specialised risotto pan (like the fancy one below),

ladies, one with a wider bottom is bound to work, i relate to the wider bottom, so am okay with this.

add the butter and oil.

once it's melted, add the onion and fry, then add the clove of garlic.
when the onion is a bit soft and browned, add the rice. now there's no measure for this that i use, but you start with a cup or so.
once the rice looks all glistening and covered in oil (after a couple of minutes) add a big splosh of wine - at least a cup full and it will sizzle and fizz then start to evaporate.
give it a bit of a stir, then the fun starts. add a bit of salt and pepper and once the wine has evaporated, it's time to start adding the stock.

NB: this is when the extra wine comes in, cause risotto is just like the ocean - you never turn you back on it and you will probably need a full glass to drink while doing the stirring part

using a soup ladle, start to spoon a ladle full into the risotto

NB2: i know it's all looking complicated, but go with it

keep the risotto on the move as much as possible (ie - stir) the liquid will evaporate and once it has, it's time to add more stock. no brainer really, but keep on doing this

after about 10 minutes, add the nettle mix. (or your other vege of choice)

the vibrant green will mesmerise you.

so quite simply, keep on doing this adding, stirring, waiting and sipping your wine business till the rice is cooked.
it's probably going to take about 20 - 25 mins in total to be ready, but well worth the wait.
once the rice is cooked, but not gluggy - just a bit creamy - it's ready to go. It should not be runny at all
you can always add more butter in at the end if you want.
serve it up and add a bit pf Parmesan and enjoy with whatever salad you fancy.

i myself was a bit over being offered gluggy risotto when i went out anywhere, but it's been a while and i got a hankering for some good old fashioned italian comfort food.

good luck - and happy risottoing.

as like fashion, there is no right or wrongs with what you dish up - but if you are like me and have an adventurous side, then i say go for it, let your recipe for risotto be as exciting as your recipe for life. 

and you are more than welcome to come and join me at my dinner table to get into a risotto frenzy.

the sunday session 17 - butterfly kisses

and before you know it, it is wednesday.....

so i am not going to beat around the bush this week, i got business to do - cake business, but first, all my looks from last week. i just love getting up each day and deciding what to wear - some days are more traumatic then others, but i always leave the house happy, even if it means leaving a trail of maybes behind me as i get to the dressing finish line. oh the passion and the pain.

my favourite outfit this week was casual friday - jeans, boots a black long sleeve T, a beaded belt and the hair ribbon. the hair ribbon was killer and was very much talked about....so i just worked it to the max. it felt fun, and frivolous and took me back to my youth, where i was a big fan of the side pony.

this look was simple, but effective and the ribbon is a great detractor to any other bits you mightn't want attention drawn to.

on sunday i had a wander round the city and came across a group of people who were out with megaphones and placards - they were drawing attention to fashion revolution day and had speakers there who were involved in the Rana Plaza collapse two years ago, where many workers were injured or killed whilst satisfying our love of fast fashion. i guess that's  another reason why i love to create my own clothes, i know where they come from and that makes my soul feel good. something to think about as we get dressed each day.

last week, was the butterfly cake revolution. at work we were talking about all things cakes and the subject turned to butterfly cakes. in the world of cupcake overload the butterfly isn't something that's seen much. but it is so so good.  i reckon though the old grannies in the country shows would be lining them up for a blue ribbon in the competitions, not to mention good old country bakeries (actually they are probably just brumbies now).

So the cakes got a bit of love on instagram and the lovely @style_moi expressed her love of the butterfly cake and asked if i'd share the recipe.  hell yeah, i love to share a recipe when i get the chance and this once deserves to do the rounds.  so, here it is.

Old fashioned butterfly cakes - this makes about 12.

125g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence (add to the milk)
cream - whipped - 1 carton is plenty
strawberry jam
icing sugar

patty pans - i used the small old fashioned ones - they were harder to find, but i did get some and stocked up.

heat the oven to moderate - 180 degrees
put the patty pans into the patty pan tray - a muffin tray also works fine
in a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar
add in the eggs bit by bit and mix through
start to add the flour and milk alternately - some flour, mix, then some milk, mix and so on. i did have to use a little extra milk, but not much
mix to a smooth batter
divide the mixture between the patty pans
pop into the oven and cook for 12 - 15 mins.  I am still getting used to my oven, so it was a little longer - but test with a skewer (if it comes out goop free, you are done)
i didn't worry too much about ensuring they were browned on top, just cooked.

while they are cooking, it's your chance to lick the beaters and do a spot of washing up.

once cooked, remove from oven and let cool on a rack.
i stored mine over night and assembled next day and they were great.

to assemble
have the whipped cream, jam and icing sugar at the ready

take one cake and cut a circle across the top - i didn't cut straight across, but rather dipped it down a little.  the cut off top makes the butterfly. i left about 1/2 cm from the edge of the cake. (roughly)

TOP TIP - i used a teaspoon and gently scooped a little extra of the cake out from the centre - this gave a bit more room to add the jam and cream.

spoon in some jam (there is no rule as to how much) and then top with whipped cream (there is no rule as to how much)

slice the cut off top in half and pop onto the cream to give it the butterfly touch.

do this for all the cakes and then sprinkle liberally with sifted icing sugar.

you are done. these are a great little old fashioned treat and really quick and easy to prepare.  i'd love to see a pic if anyone makes them.

buon appetito fashionistas.

the sunday session 15 - jump

you know what - melbourne weather is confusing me.  in all my years of watching the news and the weather round the country, i came to believe that melbourne was a mostly cold, rainy city.  i have found it far from that.  for me i haven't seen much rain, i know the chill will come, but that will be far out shadowed by all the great things it brings.

so at the minute i am still in short sleeves and taking the "just in case" coat with me each day. just in case.

i had a great - but busy week.  i like to wake everyday with fresh eyes and try not to be held back by anything - sometimes that does require a time of reflecting in order to move forward but with each new day we get another opportunity to fly higher and move forward taking steps to make life better for ourself and those around us. i also took a full make up free day - zero anything, but free faced freedom.

my 2 mantras of being in the now, and practicing gratitude make me feel at peace and somewhat emotionally fearless - and by that i mean that i am comfortable being me, being a bit out there, and embracing the reality that this is my life and i should feel empowered enough to say what i want, do what i want and respect that there will be people who may not get me. i am totally okay with that. but for those who do get me, then they find a warm, caring compassionate woman, who dresses louds, acts like she hasn't moved beyond her youth, but has the wisdom and ability to know what to do and when.

i even saw this horrid bracelet at the oppy on the weekend and bought it for fucks sake. i won't be wearing it E V E R, but i will own the word in an emotional sense.

my favourite outfit this week was the poncho gold jeans combo.

on saturday night, i was being a friend and it got me thinking abut how many people don't have someone to reach out to, someone who will just listen, support, never judge and just be a friend and the kind of friend who says right now, this is what you need.  own it, accept it, embrace it, let it be what it is and move forward. i have been lucky to have that support as well. it makes such a difference.

as i got dressed on sunday in the poncho gold jeans combo, i just couldn't get the Madonna song jump out of my head, the song about empowerment, being okay, being in charge of your own life and how it pans out. it was my soundtrack and a reminder that whatever has happened previously, shouldn't affect who and how i should be today.

months ago, i had the courage to jump into the unknown, i would love to think that others have the courage to be fearless and go fuck it, this is what i want, and i'm gonna give it a crack.

as i confront 50 - the ultimate mid life crisis, i am in love with who i am, and in love with the carefree person i am. although the song was written about something so not me, i just think that whatever is on the other side can only be found by digging deep, feeling fearless and jumping into the unknown.

Are you ready to jump
Get ready to jump
Don't ever look back oh baby
Yes, I'm ready to jump
Just take my hand
get ready to jump

if you can honestly put your hand up and say that your life is amazing, then you have probably started jumping. i for one, never want to be held back by anyone or anything. i want to jump further and higher while i have the chance and i want to encourage anyone to jump for something that will make a difference to your life and those around you. you don't even need gold jeans and a cream poncho to do it, just a little bit of fearless.

the sunday session 10 - smoke free zone

here we are in march and i have to say, melbourne is such a livable city - but y'all knew that.  i was talking to my friend on saturday night and she said that in her home country of Spain, there are festivals all the time and so it seems same goes for Melbourne.  i am in this cosmpolitan city that just eclipses Brisbane in pretty much everything - apart from my much loved coffee. i've been to a few hot spots round the world, so i am not just having a guess, but there is ALWAYS something happening, well at least for the next month or so, till the weather changes and we go into winter lock down.

this week is the melbourne food and wine festival, before, it was chinese new year, latin festival is coming up and i love that i can literally walk out my door and be in southbank where so much activity happens.

Sorry Brisbane, i have loved you for a long time, but i'm a vibrant woman and i need a vibrant city to go with my vibrant clothes, and i feel right at home here in this ever changing landscape.

someone did come up to me in the office last week and asked if they could ask me a personal question.....sure i said, i am a totally open book!

do you ever wear monochrome? i guess my weeks looks answers that question.

so maybe tomorrow, i might wear monochrome, or maybe not. but whatever i decide to wear, it will be because it feels right for me and that's all that matters.  sorry melbourne, i am not getting sucked into ongoing greyscale anytime soon. 

it was a fun week of fashion, with some old and some new looks to adorn me.

i love being able to create my own clothes.  i never was one for wanting what everyone else had, and my quirky style just loves that.  sure i am happy styling up some basics, but generally, i just love to wear what no one else is.  if it inspires, great. but if not, i am happy just going about my business bringing a colorful palette to the monochrome world. 

so i definitely had a fave outfit this week and it was the green sparkly number.  it won hands down because it was:

1. sparkly

2. sparkly 

3. sparkly

it's a piece i made myself from fabric i got in fiji.  i also had enough to create a shorty short kaftan, which i will wear on another occasion and hopefully, before the weather turns.  maybe i'll pull it out for a run to the post office.  they never fail to deliver, so why should i.

i guess the down side of wearing the spunky green and sparkly number was that i went to a bar in melbourne on saturday night and melbourne has this thing about smoking.  so brisbane, you may not be the razzle dazzle of all things festival like, but at least you can go to a club or a restaurant without having to be a passive smoker - cause cigarette smoke tastes so great with a meal or a glass of wine. It amazes me, that people who work in the hospitality industry here are subjected to second hand smoke for hours at a time even to the point of being at the bar where people are smoking in a supposed indoor outdoor area. i guess that's something that's out of my control, but i have made a pact with myself to no longer go anywhere that i have to breathe in someone else's smokey breathe out.

this really is a biggy for me, because as someone who makes conscious choices about my life and hopefully its longevity through exercise and what i eat, i am not prepared to be in situations where i am potentially having my lifespan reduced due to this.....regardless of who i am with or how much fun i am having.  I hate waking up feeling like i have smoked a pack of winnie blues, or having to get my sparkly green dress dry cleaned, from being in an environment that is accepting of this.

yes, i am reformed smoker and no i'm not hatin on smokers, but in a world where the facts are pretty clearly stated about the risk, i really do feel for the people who have to work in the service industry where their health rights are overlooked.

too much - no, my skin, my lungs, my health and my future don't think so!

the sunday session 7 - love love love

melbourne just never stops.  it's amazing.  i live in an apartment in the city on the 18th floor and there's a concierge.  it's a thing here.  there is one particular one who just LOVES to talk.  when i wander out in the morning (if he's working) it's like that moment in pretty woman when julia roberts comes back into the hotel looking like a total lady and the manager (concierge) has this little smile of delight.  in amongst all the black, that makes its way to the ground floor, i am the pop of colour that is unexpected and refreshing. i am the julia roberts of southbank fashion.

anyway back to melbourne - last week was busy - they had a besser block dominoes trail fall across the city, it's chinese new year festivities still, there was valentines day and coming up is white night. oh my god, the city stays up all night, from 7pm to 7am. can you believe that - arts, entertainment, food, fun anything i can possibly imagine may happen.  blows my mind. i hope it all happens before 11, cause i'll probs want to be in bed by then.

anyway back to the concierge......he said that melbourne just wants more and more...if you offer them something, they take it and then they want more! you think of it, people want it and they want more and more.  melbourne is just on board the more and more and more tram and there's no "next stop" in sight. and i for one, am excited about the more and more and more and more. even if it don't go to much, just knowing that the city is pulsing with life is very exciting.  i just want to embrace it all. 

anyway back to me and my looks for the week. i want to give you more. but you will have to wait till next week.

so i'm gonna try and choose one outfit from last week's looks to deconstruct.  it's so hard - the flamingo brooch as a hair accessory, the overalls with the big flower, the leopard mini... on and on it goes, but i am going for the love heart skirt for valentines day, or in my case, palentines day - the day i wished love to all my pals.

i made this love heart skirt cause i just love love hearts and of course i love love....and even though i don't have a valentine, and i'm not really into hallmark moments, i still embrace the love symbols.

what i would love to see though is more women and probably men, falling in love with themselves. it makes me sad to read about the numerous women who get body shamed, or have to put up with continual self doubt and low self esteem.  we aren't meant to be like this.  we should feel the love and confidence to be who we are regardless.  i know that at nearly 50 - 7 months to go - i don't give a fuck about what i wear, or do or sometimes say, i just want to be me, the woman who i love and love to spend time with, cause she is fun, happy, kind and unique.  don't wait till you are nearly 50 to be that person, be that person now.  own, love and embrace who you are.

so i went outside for lunch the other day and it was sunny and not only have i lost my sunnies, but i could have done with a a hat and i was encouraged to make a hat out of my lunch bag.  i did it. i don't care, i am just happy to be me, regardless of what anyone else thinks.  i just want to play by my own rules, and embrace the me who people love.  my advice to you reading now if you feel that you aren't good enough.......go look in the mirror and tell yourself how much you love you.  fall in love with you. i did it and it's a great feeling.  and a love that will be true and never ending.

anyway, tricked ya - i didn't deconstruct the outfit as cute as it was, i just wanted to share the love and hope that you take a step in loving the self, if you don't all ready.  here's to love! self love.

the sunday session 6 - chop chop

WTF - it's the sunday session and i am already at wednesday! first up, here's all my spunky looks from the week and i am out and loud calling them spunky. there's a few pieces from the huudaverti sunset collection which i am loving to wear and share pics of, along with pieces i made myself.

i also ran into Connie - i don't know her, but i stopped her and said how fab she looked and insisted she post with me.

she was all no no no, but i think she's a pro, as no sooner was the camera pointed, she decided to hide her walking stick.  she's a fashion shark.  loved her.

for me personally i was again torn between 2 looks.  my huudaverti shirred skirt (cause it felt amazing and gave me sky high legs) and my jeans and plaid shirt, but i am going to have to debrief on the jeans and plaid number, cause it was one of those outfits that just made me feel amazing. not that i don't feel amazing in huudaverti, but the reality is that i am huudaverti all the time - the woman who wants to stand out in the crowd.

i am someone who just loves to create and am always looking for ways to do things differently - that relates to my work and of course my fashion - call it process improvement. and there was a lot of process improvement in the plaid shirt that's for sure.  i bought the shirt back in 2012 from coles at fairfield in brissy and it featured on my blog post - guess whose mum. that's a blast from the past.....and haven't i come a long way, especially in the hair growth area.

and the shirt is back, better than ever in 2016.

casual friday is the work day of the week when i can wear jeans - i love jeans. and on this particular friday, i didn't feel like wearing just a t-shirt, but wanted something a bit more structured and if you follow my instagram, you will see that i very rarely wear anything with collars and buttons.  it conflicts with my sense of freedom.

as i was getting dressed, i saw the shirt and thought, gee, i would love to wear it, but it's summer and the sleeves are bulky - being men's and all - i decided to just cut the fuckers off.  trick was to cut on the sleeve side, so it left a nice clean finished edge. the shirt went on, the buttons got done up and i felt pretty dang fine.  to move it from masculine to femine, i added the red high heels, some fun earrings and popped my hair up.

so apart from enrolling in the next level of salsa dancing i didn't do much apart from have to deal with a couple of ninkumpoops on dating sites - like this guy...

and this one- class act. hiding behind an online profile is no excuse to degrade any woman and i for one, won't stand for it.  it's totally uncool and i have to wonder how they treat the women in their lives and how they want the women in their lives to be treated by other men.  scary.

let's bring it back to the fashion, it's far less hideous.

sometimes we have stuff in our wardrobe that you may think is no longer fashionable, but why not think outside the norm and find a way to give it a new lease of life.  it's amazing what some safety pins, or some knots, ribbons or even a pair of carefully placed scissors can do to give an outfit a new twist, as i did witth some of these looks.

 

go forth and explore the possibilities. pull it up, pull it down, turn it round, inside out, and let your fashion creativity shine. ciao fashionista sistas!