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

Free Range Butchers...good health and encouraging animal welfare...

Butchers are not really a great conversational piece I grant you...however, when it comes to the free range issues, I am encouraged by Cannings Butchers in Burwood Road, Hawthorn...here

I first came across Cannings a few months ago when I saw a big sign in his window announcing free range available...so after I searched the site, I thought now here's a young man who has covered just about everything in regard to good eating.  Sam Canning has an interesting background in butchery...here 

After Sam completed his four year apprenticeship and attained his Certificate III - Retail Meat Processing in 2001 and had a short period of butchering for both leading supermarkets in Melbourne, he chose to pursue professional ambitions abroad.  Whilst living in London, Sam worked for The Ginger Pig, a business that farmed their own pigs, cows and lambs in Yorkshire and sold them through their London shop and Borough Market stall...this is where Sam learned the art of dry-ageing beef.

2009 saw him back in Melbourne and managing Polkinghorne's in Albert Park - another paddock to plate style, boutique butcher.  It was during the time spent with Polkinghorne's that Sam chose to focus all of his experience and after six months of business planning, Sam's first day of trading at Cannings was 18 July 2010...here

After a humble start with only three employees, Cannings went from strength to strength and in two years has a dedicated team of 12 people...here...They were recognised as Melbourne's finest butchers in the Age Good Food Shopping Guide 2011...But more importantly according to Sam, the loyal community of Hawthorn West chose to support free-range, ethically farmed meat.  Sam believes that this brings us to a world where animal welfare is encouraged and intensive farming is not accepted. 

Image - Cannings - Sam is on the far right!

After my first purchase and eating of their products, I immediately decided that they have excellent produce and are now a regular customer.  The free range chicken particularly is delicious, so tasty and very good value...Unlike a lot of butchers, they have very good quality fish...and yes, they are caught in Port Phillip Bay, Lakes Entrance,  Noojee inland farm, Queensland and other areas in Australia...and the banana prawns are huge and so sweet...here

With the coming of Christmas getting closer by the day I think you would be interested in their list of Christmas orders...the choices are varied and reasonably priced...here...Whilst talking to Sam, it seems that the orders are filling very quickly so you would need to get your order in early so as not to be disappointed, you can do all that online...here

One other wonderful experience in Cannings is the knowledge and service and...

 the excellent hints on how to cook the products... I love that...Wendy

Closing down...Zuzana and her gorgeous hats and jewellery...

Back on 6 September you might recall I told you about some of the many spring fashions and one of them was Zuzana Vranovska and her delightful shop in Kings Arcade, Armadale.  It was sad to receive an email from Zuzana telling of her need to close her shop at the end of this month.

Zuzana opened the doors of her small but very special shop four years ago.  Although Zuzana is sad to be leaving, she is going to continue doing what she loves and does best and you will soon be able to find her work online and there will be also other activities which she will keep us all informed about...here

Remember if you have a special order or are in need of repairs please do not hesitate to contact her, she is always very helpful and most willing to please.  

From now until the end of the month, Zuzana has everything on Sale...do try and drop in to see her, she really has some delightful jewellery, quite different and very well priced, and of course her hats are unique.

Zuzana Vranovska will close on 30 November and I wish her well for the next new and exciting phase of her online business...

Zuzana Vranovska, Shop 8 Kings Arcade, Armadale...here

Are diamonds still a girl's best friend?

Diamonds have always been regarded as "a girl's best friend"...however, there seems to have been a resurgence in pearls of late, particularly in France and here in Australia...  I've always been a lover of jewellery...I love the permanence of jewellery, it is not a transient thing that you can wear out, although it can be fashionable and it can also be altered to suit new ideas.  Which do you prefer diamonds or pearls?  Perhaps you are a lover of precious stones...I would really like to hear your comments on this.

There is no doubt there are some very talented Australian jewellers and one of my favourites is the girl from Narrabri in New South Wales...Jan Logan...here

 Images - Black  & White Diamonds & Pearls - Jan Logan 

I first met Jan when she moved her first store from Royal Arcade to Close Street in Double Bay...there she was hands on setting up the window display, hard at it, as I assume she still is.  Jan Logan's story is an interesting one...after raising her three sons, she went to work for the Narrabri Chamber of Commerce and the President of the Chamber of Commerce was the town's main jeweller and she spent a lot of time in his shop, helping with designs and ideas.  Eventually she was offered a 20 per cent partnership and that was her start in the jewellery business.  Jan had great foresight with travelling around in her car with her designs, exhibiting at various towns and having her sights set on having her own business.  Jan eventually moved to Sydney in the 1980's and opened her first store in Royal Arcade in Double Bay in 1987 and from that beginning there has been a huge expansion...here

Image - Diamond Earrings - Jan Logan

In 1996 Jan was joined by her youngest son, Angus, who is now the managing director of Jan Logan...and their success means obviously they make a very good pair.  Jan believes that the feel of what they do is young and directional, but their pieces retain a classic quality that will stand the test of time...here

 Images - Pearls - Jan Logan

Jan Logan has over the last twenty years evolved into an international brand and it seems only fitting that Jan is now designing jewellery for the stars. Many international actresses including Naomi Watts, Jennifer Lopez, Rose Byrne and Joan Chen wear Jan's unique designs. Jan is also a great supporter of Australian fashion design and has contributed to the parades of Australia's finest designers, including Collette Dinnigan and Akira Isogawa...Her vast array of designs are on her website including Jan Logan shop online...here

Images - Diamonds & Semi Precious Stones - Jan Logan

Enjoy shopping or browsing...Wendy

Spring flowers...sunshine and happiness...and a good florist

Don't you just love spring...everyone seems so much happier when the sun shines, although here in Melbourne it has been a little up and down...however, there is nothing better than all the lovely flowers coming into the florists and one of my very favourites is Flowers of Canterbury in Maling Road, Canterbury...here.

This lovely shop was taken over by Cobi Mastenbroek in April 2010...Cobi is a most delightful young lady who is most helpful and has wonderful customer service.  Cobi started working in a florist in Tecoma after school and on weekends before starting a floristry apprenticeship at the age of 18...then going on to work and manage shops around Melbourne until she could save enough money to have her own dream shop...and this is it,  Flowers of Canterbury...here

The shop had been a florist for over 40 years and had fallen into a rather run down state when Cobi saw it...snapped it up..changed it dramatically into a more welcoming eclectic feel by collecting old wooden boxes, typewriters and crystal vases.  As you can see from the images, Cobi has a different slant on how to arrange flowers...I just love these wedding bouquets...the arrangement of flowers are so different, and yet somehow she brings in some rather old fashioned plants, like these lovely lambs' ears in the bouquet below...and the eclectic wedding arrangement...see more here

The whole process of building the store and inviting the locals into the journey has resulted in the beautiful seasonal garden it is today.  Cobi travels out to Monbulk twice a week for purchasing flowers from growers and wholesalers and also has daily deliveries from other growers.  Have a look at this beautiful wrist corsage...so pretty for a young girl going to her first formal perhaps...here

Cobi has some exciting ideas, refreshingly different.  I particularly like her collection of arrangements for occasions, and the one that's coming up very, very soon Christmas...have a look at her wonderful ideas and I would recommend you visit her shop very soon...here

So much excellent detailing in this wedding table

Traditional Christmas colours     A delightful detail on this umbrella

See more beautiful arrangements...here 

Flowers of Canterbury, Maling Road, Canterbury


Images by Flowers of Canterbury

10 Piece Swing Band...Queenscliff Town Hall...This Saturday

Are you at a loss this weekend and don't have anything planned?  Why not have a look at this event...Here's a great way to soak up some good swing music, visit an historic town and help raise money for the local museum.

Image - CD - Red Hot Rhythmakers

Jazz Australia is hosting a Dinner Dance this Saturday night 6 October at the Queenscliff Town Hall with the fabulous 10 piece Michael McQuaid's Red Hot Rhythmakers.  This celebrated ten piece swing band in the style of Glen Miller, Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman perform the tunes that made those bands so famous.  

Image - Red Hot Rhythmakers 

The Rhythmakers is full of great jazz musicians who impressed Graeme Bell to such an extent that he chose them out of the whole of Australia for his Farewell Concert at Scotch College a few years ago.  They are very popular in Melbourne with swing dancers but for this unique Queenscliff Museum event, they will play for a listening audience as well, and happily cater for those who are not interested in tripping the light fantastic any longer!  So you do not need to dance to enjoy this evening of great swing music...here

This is a major fund raiser for the Queenscliff Museum and they do need your support...You don't need a whole table, share one with others who enjoy the same music and want to support the Queenscliff Historic Museum... Tickets are $55 BYO a plate of finger food and a bottle or two; 7pm start, so please do consider this special event and help a very worthy local cause.  Bookings and inquiries to Diana it's not too late to book...here

Just in case you are looking for somewhere to stay...now that you've decided to spend the weekend at Queenscliff...here's a couple of lovely places...The Vue Grand...The Queenscliff Hotel...both very good and there's always the quick cheap deals at the last minute you may be able to take advantage of...

Image - Queenscliff Hotel                                             Image - Vue Grand 

Bookings Saturday 6 October Dinner Dance...Jazz Australia

I hope you can enjoy a night with the Swing Band...Wendy

Spring Racing Hats....have you got yours?

Last weekend saw the official start of the Spring Racing Carnival and apart from the wonderful horse races, the ladies were out in force with their colourful outfits, complete with some terrific hats.  Have you got your outfit totally together?  The hat of course makes the outfit...don't you agree?  Do you have your hat yet or is that a last minute decision?  I hope it's not a last minute decision, but if it is why not have a look at the wonderful Australian made hats from The Essential Hat in High Street, Prahran East... here

Susan Drerup has owned and run The Essential Hat since 1987, that's a lot of experience and a lot of hats. Susan has a very gentle, sympathetic approach with her customers and in conjunction with the lovely ladies who are on her team, provides a relaxed atmosphere to suit individual requirements.  I think all this culminates in a hat to really suit her customers.  It is, of course, about getting the right colour...and the right hat that suits the outfit...but most of all the hat has to suit the wearer of the hat...her colouring...her face shape...and getting it all to come together is not an easy task and this is where I think the team at The Essential Hat come into their own...here

There is an enormous range of ready made hats to choose from, or if you prefer a hat can be made to order.  As you can see from the images here, there are many different shapes and colours.    Have a look at this dear little fascinator below...made to order with lovely beading of a dragon fly...so feminine and very flattering for a young lady... they cater for everyone at The Essential Hat...here

Now is a very busy time for milliners, and if you haven't made your choice yet, I'm sure there is enough time before the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup to contact The Essential Hat or visit them at 610 High Street, Prahran East or online...here

Hats by The Essential Hat

Have lots of fun choosing your hat...Wendy

Fresh food online...Where does the food come from?

Following on from my blog on Australian fashion, many thanks to those lovely people who sent emails to me regarding Australian designers and manufacturers...I am following up on them and will be writing about them in the near future. For now I would like to discuss the fresh food online quandary...many of us are online shoppers for all sorts of products, but are you a fan of online shopping for food?  There seems to be a flurry of online stores popping up brandishing the organic, fresh, fast food and so on.  The question arises, where does the food come from?  Is it Australian?  It is one of those questions where it takes a bit of research to discover the sources of the food we want to purchase.  

There is also the other factor of the supermarket...and for many of us supermarket shopping can be a real pain and oh sooo time consuming. I really don't like supermarket shopping and over nine years ago I started buying my groceries online...I find it fast, efficient and a big cost saving...no more browsing the aisles being trapped by all those temptations for me...I browse online and it's very easy to skip to the next aisle...believe me, just a click of the mouse!

  

However, buying fruit and vegetables, meat and fish is a different ball game I think.  I think most of us like to see the fruit and vegetables etc...feel, smell and perhaps we just like to be the one to pick the fruit and vegetables up, and make the choice ourselves.  I did weaken a while back and I started researching the suppliers out there, which I think is the trick to getting online food shopping right.  I decided I would source the fruit and vegetables online first...that was a hard one for me but after doing my homework I discovered what has now become one of my favourite Australian online sites Aussie Farmers Direct...here

Aussie Farmers Direct is an independently owned, multiple award winning, home delivery food business that sources fresh 100% Australian owned, grown and produced food, and delivers it direct to the doors of more than 130,000 households across six states of Australia.  In 2005, Aussie Farmers Direct was founded on the principle of helping Australian farmers by conveniently delivering their quality food to customers through re-inventing the local ‘milkman’.  With one van and 100 litres of milk, word quickly began to spread of the convenience and service and Aussie Farmers Direct were able to expand and add more products.  They have quickly grown to include more than 170 different products...from fruit and vegetables, to a range of dairy, bakery, deli, meat, chicken, seafood, pasta and fresh gourmet meals...see their website...here

I love the way their deliveries are made overnight and placed into esky bags left out on the doorstep by their customers before 7am, so the food is always fresh.  Fruit and vegetables are delivered in recyclable boxes in the afternoons...it's all so easy isn't it?

Aussie Farmers Direct  operate through a franchise system, and they have more than 200 franchisees servicing metropolitan areas and regional centres in Victoria, New South Wales, ACT, Queensland, South Australia  and Western Australia...plenty of opportunity for those of us who don't want the hassle of the supermarkets to take advantage of Australian produce...that's what we want isn't it?

And by the way, if you think  it is a while until we need to order our Christmas hams...have a look at Aussie Farmers Direct website...yes, there it is, the Australian Christmas ham and pudding ready for order now...

Images - Aussie Farmers Direct

Enjoy your food shopping online...Wendy

Spring Fashion Week & the Melbourne Racing Carnival...

The Melbourne Spring Fashion Festivals have begun in earnest and no more so than the Melbourne Spring Fashion Week events.  Have you got your tickets?  Have you been?  There are only three days left...click here.

                                       

Image - MSFW

The array of colours is just wonderful...feminine dresses, skirts, tops and pants.  But can you believe...the jumpsuit has made a come back...does anybody else remember these?  Of course fashion is a cycle and new trends are not really new are they?  They are just recycled ideas from times gone by with a slightly different slant.  What do you think?

Image - MSFW

Then of course, it's not only the spring fashion festival that's all the go at the moment, but also the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival is almost upon us...the early part has started...soon the main racing calendar of events will commence and those girls who are very keen to put their best foot forward will already be out there looking for their special outfit now and there is an abundance of wonderful Australian designers to choose from and some of them  have their garments made in Australia and that's what we want to find.

Image - Collette Dinnigan

One of my favourites is Collette Dinnigan she has a wide variety of very feminine clothes and some of them are made in Australia so keep a look out for them...she has some lovely laces and silks at the moment...click here

Another of my favourites is Shirley Keon...here.  Shirley has been in the fashion industry for over 25 years designing and manufacturing spring racing outfits, casual and tailored weekend separates and many other beautiful dresses.  She recently had a spring fashion parade at the Sofitel and it was a big hit with a huge variety of lovely garments full of colour and particularly designed for the forthcoming racing season all made in Australia at her showroom in Flinders Lane, Melbourne.

Image - Anna Fiori

Of course it's not just about the dress, pants, jacket, it's also about the shoes...I think this is where Anna Fiori comes into her own.  Anna is located in Block Arcade in Melbourne and all the shoes are made in Australia.  If you don't see the colour you want, they can make the shoes for you in a particular colour...brilliant if you really want to get the exact colour.  Have a look at the website...here  Don't forget if you want comfort and fashion, Bared Footwear has an excellent array of shoes with of course, those wonderful insoles that are sooo comfy for a long day at the races...here

Image - Zuzana Vranovska

Then there are the accessories.  The jewellery and the hat...one such milliner comes to mind...Zuzana Vranovska who not only makes hats, but also some exquisite jewellery which is very reasonably priced...it's a one stop shop and you can get the jewellery and the hat made to compliment each other...  Zuzana Vranovska has a lovely little shop in Kings Arcade in Armadale.  Zuzana has had a fascination with beads since she was a child and the combinations she creates you will not see elsewhere...and her hats are quite unique and can be made to order...but you'll have to get in quickly if you are to have that hat for the races...here

It is quite an exciting time at the moment in Melbourne, with the fashion scene abuzz with what's new and the racing season commencing...so I can't help but keep pounding the pavement looking for goodies to purchase for those special events and will keep you posted on my finds...and if you have any special places who make Australian products please leave a comment or email...would love to hear from you...

Melbourne Spring Fashion Week...here

Collette Dinnigan dresses...here

Shirley Keon dresses...here

Anna Fiori shoes...here
Bared shoes...here

Zuzana Vranovska jewellery and hats...here

Happy shopping...Wendy