Melbourne's white night extravaganza...a city transformed...

Melbourne's inaugural all night cultural festival White Night last Saturday was spectacular...the city was transformed...more than 300,000 people attended and it was a wonderful evening/morning from 7pm to 7 am...

The night opened with mirror balls suspended over the Federation Square site as instructors taught members of the public how to zumba...

Flinders Street Station became a theatre and the very popular RockWiz Orkestra transformed the station steps into a grand open air stage.  The clocks above showed the next train times for Sandringham and St Albans, as RockWiz opened with a great version of "Show Me The Way To St Louis"... Flinders Street Station suddenly became a huge outdoor concert venue....

There were so many beautiful buildings with innovative lighting ideas...and there were a series of art exhibitions and concerts.  Venues open all night included ACMI, NGV, the Arts Centre and Hamer Hall.. so many fantastic arts events with most of them free entry...over 300 artists performed in 47 locations

The laneways with lights erupting from the ground in all different colours...with performers on every corner

Did you go to the event?  I would love to hear what you thought about it and what was your favourite, if any....

However, if you missed it, put it in your diary for next year....

This is a must do Australian event...Wendy

Images - The Age, Brisbane Times

Panache Flowers .... flowers like fragrance are hard not to love...

Last week I wrote about candles and diffuser fragrances and yet again, this week I am writing about another fragrance...flowers...which are also hard not to love...

Brothers David and Richard started  Panache Flowers at 749 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn some 20 plus years ago and have become an icon in the area.  They provide a wonderful service and their attitude of attention to detail as their commitment, is for the highest quality designed to meet the customers needs...us.

I have found their online site here to be filled with a great variety of over 124 products for all occasions...not just flowers, but hampers, gifts for a new baby, and of course, all those wonderful Valentine flowers would have been just flying out the door last week...

I have been using Panache Flowers for many years now and can highly recommend them...and like so many small Australian businesses they strive to please...online can make this a little hard...however, I have found David and Richard have a personalised service which extends beyond the online anonymity...

The one thing that I can never fault, is the fact that the flowers, no matter what the style, the flowers are the freshest you will be able to buy....they last such a long time...so worth it...Panache Flowers....

Go ahead...treat yourself..or someone else...just because...Wendy

Images - Panache Flowers & Milieu

Fragrance...Glasshouse Candles

"Fragrance is life enhancing and hard not to love".

Aren't these words so true?  I was speaking with a representative from Glasshouse Candles who was explaining to me the history of this company and afterwards decided to go on to their website and these were the first words I read on their website and it struck me that that is so true...fragrance is hard not to love...if you have a special occasion...perhaps feeling a little down, or just wanting a quick, lovely uplift...or just because... then fragrance has that ability... and the Glasshouse Candles with their wonderful fragrances have that ability... and particularly as they are Made in Australia...here

The company of Glasshouse Fragrances was founded by an American woman who had moved to Sydney in 2006...yes, only six years ago the company started and it started with only candles and what a lovely success story.  All the products are Australian Made...the candles are hand made and the company believes that they capture the beauty and mystery of Australia.  The candles are triple scented with they are apparently designed to release just the right amount of perfume to fill rooms.  The limited edition latest candle is the Kyoto and that is wonderful...I found that in David Jones this week and would highly recommend it...here

Glasshouse diffusers I never tire of...of course I love the usual tuberoses, jasmine and so on...however, recently I have become very fond of the Petra diffuser...it has the base of dried fig, smoky black pepper and creamy Tonka Bean...a beautiful, quite different peppery fragrance...just lovely...try it for something different for your rooms...here

There are also the hand & body creams and the body soap bars which are relatively new to the range...beautifully presented, but synonymous with their destination in mind...I love this idea of naming the product aligned with a destination...just makes it that little bit more special don't you think?  Of course, once again, all Australian Made...here

Enjoy these wonderful fragrances...

remembering they are all Australian Made...Wendy

Images - Glasshouse Fragrances

The Farm Gate...Is it the new Farmers Market?

Over the last few weeks I have been holidaying at one of my favourite places, The Mornington Peninsula and taking advantage of some of the wonderful food delights that are on offer...particularly the summer fruits that are in abundance...strawberries are just delicious at the moment...do you know where to go for them?

Try the strawberries from Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm, 244 Shands Road, Main Ridge...here

Are you a fan of PYO... "pick your own"?  I have not done that, but I'd love to hear from those of you who have...

Image - Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm

I have noticed a new trend with some of the Farmers Markets that are available...have you?  Usually at the Farmers Markets they are just that...food from the farmers, grown organically or not...picked fresh...and sold to the many visitors at the Farmers Markets...however, this year I have noticed there are fewer of the farmers selling their fresh produce and there are many more craft type goods.

Now there is not a problem with that per se... however, where are the farmers selling their produce... other than in the shops of course?  It seems to me that the farmers have started a new trend.."The Farm Gate".  

At a recent Farmers Market on the Mornington Peninsula there was a stallholder who was handing out to everyone who purchased their produce, a list of all the Farmers who operate a "Farm Gate"...included on the list are...the hours of operation...the produce available... and the time of year the produce is available.  I found this to be invaluable and would recommend you get a copy of this Farm Gate list when you are next on the Peninsula...here

Image - Dannic Garlic - here

Mock Orchards & Totally Pure Fruits, 1095 Mornington Flinders Road, Red Hill,  is one of the Farm Gates I would recommend, the produce is certified Demeter bio-dynamic and has been in existence since 1974...a good recommendation...here

Another Farm Gate I have visited is...Del Grosso's Orchard, 101A Stanleys Road, Red Hill South and they  grow apples: Pink Lady, Fuji, Jonagold, Delicious and Granny Smith.  Also delicious cherries, plums, pears and nashi fruit and are open every day during summer...here

There are many, many more of course, and a visit to the extensive Mornington Peninsula website will provide you with all the information you need to purchase some wonderful produce at very good prices...and of course, helping our Australian Farmers...here

Image - MP Gourmet

Enjoy the summer fruits while they last...Wendy

Cardio Tennis Flashmobbers...A Great Success

The Cardio Tennis Flashmobbers were a great success at Federation Square...The two days proved to be well attended and enjoyed by all...Well done to all those people who took part in this activity...such fun and so agiile these dancers...there are lots of photos here

Images - Cardio Tennis Australia

If you wish to see more links go to the Facebook page here

Enjoy the tennis finals...Wendy

The Australian Open AND Cardio Tennis....

The Australian Tennis Open is now underway and as usual Australians are flocking to support their own...it is a great time of year in Melbourne...the sun is shining and looks like it will be for some time and there are sure to be some great matches...here

Image - Tennis Australia

There is so much to see, not just the games, but also the other activities going on around the Open.   One of the things that has interested me is the Cardio Tennis program that is being run in conjunction with the Open...here

Image - Cardio Tennis

Cardio Tennis is a fun, social, group tennis-fitness program for people of all ages and abilities.  It's more about getting a high energy workout than pure tennis technique. Constant movement is the focus as a Tennis Australia qualified coach guides you through a series of fun and heart pumping drills that cater for all abilities and fitness levels...here...there is a Cardio Tennis marquee at The Grand Slam Oval where fans can feel the burn going through a Cardio Burst circuit as a warm up!

Image - Cardio Tennis 

And then there is...The Flashmob Dance...The Cardio Tennis group are running a Flashmob Dance ...this promises to be a lot of fun.  The idea is that as many people as possible watch the video...register to be a part of the Flashmob...and then take part at the locations...the easiest way to find out all the details is to check out the Cardio Tennis Facebook Page for more details and to register and learn the amazing dance or alternatively click here...

Have a look at the video below to get the idea of how to do the dance and be a Flashmobber...

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZAXRyZvK34

YouTube - Videos from this email

.

Hope to see the Flashmobbers there...Wendy

Holidays....where do you go?

I do hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and wish you a healthy, happy and prosperous 2013.  Of course, by now many of you will be enjoying the holiday season with much joy.  There are so many beautiful places to go in Australia...where is your favourite place?  Is it in your state...or perhaps further afield...so many of us these days go out of Australia but for me to stay in Victoria at this time of year is so lovely with so many things to see and do...here

The Mornington Peninsula

Of course the beach beckons so many of us...and I am no exception....for me the Mornington Peninsula is a wonderful place to visit..and there are so many things to do.  This weekend is the much sought after Jeep Portsea Polo...a very social event..here.  

Image- Jeep Portsea Polo

The event is held every year at the Point Nepean Quarantine Station, Point Nepean National Park, Melway Map 156C2...the excellent website has all the information on transport, food, entertainment and, of course...THE MATCH...here

Image - Jeep Portsea Polo

And then there is...

THE RACE...the ladies are invited to race for a chance to win a Jeep motorcar, the key to which is attached to a bottle of champagne!  The trick is to pick up the correct bottle of which there are five at the finish line...good luck ladies...here

Image - Jeep Portsea Polo

This event promises to be a most exciting one...there is lots to see and do and I hope for those of you who will be attending that you enjoy the day immensely...here

Enjoy the weekend...Wendy

Christmas festivities in Australia....

The Christmas tree and all those 'pressies' waiting to be opened

I would like to say a very heartfelt thank you to all of you for your company, emails and comments in this my first year of my blog...you have all been very kind with your loyalty and it is very much appreciated.

                  I wish you all a very happy Christmas 

and a wonderful New Year...good health...happiness...and love...lots of love...Wendy

Christmas homewares...Mud Australia

 Last week I was writing about my "finds" on the Mornington Peninsula and in particular The Country Shop here... now I have another to tell you about...and this one is such a good "find" if you are looking for a Christmas gift that is unique...these are quite special and Australian Made...

Images - Mud Australia here  

Mud Australia is a Sydney based homeware design company founded in 1994 by Shelley Simpson here.  Each piece is  is entirely handmade in the Sydney studio from the best materials available.  The porcelain pieces are unique...precious...not as delicate showpieces...but as hardy, well-loved mainstays that will form a part of your living.  The colour range is superb, as you can see below...here

Images - Mud Australia

And there is the 'milky white' range which is very versatile and interchangeable with numerous pieces.  Their website is user friendly and has a huge of list of stockists...so I believe no matter where you are, you will find a stockist, as I did at Whitespace 22 Russell Street, Balnarring...

Image - 'Milky Whites' - Mud Australia

I hope you enjoy shopping around for Mud Australia products they are well worth the effort...here

More of my favourite sites for you to visit for Christmas gifts...

Jewellery is the signature to an outfit...Jan Logan...here

A special outfit for your Christmas gathering...Keon Couture...here

Beautiful Christmas wreaths...Flowers of Canterbury...here

Good Australian food delivered to your door...Aussie Farmers Direct...here

Christmas gifts...For all the family...Made in Australia

Whilst browsing around Mornington Peninsula last week, I came across a very interesting shop.  Of course, for me,  it's all about Made in Australia and here on the Mornington Peninsula I have been finding some great small businesses who have Made in Australia products...and this week I'll tell you about The Country Shop at 103 Main Street Mornington...here. This shop is a real find and their wonderful shop windows are very popular...just like the Christmas one below...

Image - The Country Shop

I really enjoyed browsing in this shop...located in the centre of Main Street, the elegant store with its bay windows, bras fittings and polished boards, is a real delight.  Sue, the owner is very friendly and is very committed to buying unique, Australian made products when she can, from small businesses and local Peninsula talents and artists.

Images - The Country Shop

I particularly loved the locally made quilts and cushions for the babies.  They were very cute and importantly, very well made...here

Image- The Country Shop

Another item that caught my eye were the Christmas cards...the ones here are the Smile series and are locally made...There are many other cards by artists...they are just lovely and so very good...Sue tells the story of an aging artist who can no longer paint, but has photographed her paintings and made greeting cards with them...such a commendable approach isn't it?..

Image - The Country Shop

Then there is the inventive handmade jewellery locally made of course...The homewares and gifts are many and varied in this lovely shop and also of good value for all the family...I would recommend allocating some time to browse, because there is a lot to see for a delightful shop...here

With Christmas fast approaching, I will be putting up some of my favourites that I have written about during the year which I hope will entice you to buy Made in Australia...I would love to hear from you with your suggestions for good Australian made Christmas gifts...

The Country Shop...here
...and some other gifts...

Wool & Alpaca gifts for overseas friends ...Creswick Wool...here
An excellent read...Perfect Stranger by Kay Schubach...here

Happy Christmas Shopping...Wendy