ACMI.....Hollywood Costume.....

Direct from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Hollywood Costume explores the central role costume design plays in cinema storytelling. Bringing together the most iconic costumes from a century of film making, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the clothes worn by unforgettable and beloved characters in films from The Wizard of Oz(1939) to Titanic (1997), Ben-Hur (1959) to Casino Royale (2006)....book here

This groundbreaking exhibition unites classics from the Golden Age of cinema, including......

Scarlett O'Hara's green 'curtain' dress designed by Walter Plunkett for 

Gone with the Wind(1939) 

 The 'little black dress' designed by Hubert De Givenchy for Holly Golightly in

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) 

with costumes from the latest Hollywood releases including Consolata Boyle's outfits for 

Meryl Streep in 

The Iron Lady (2011) 

and Lindy Hemming's high-tech Batman suit for Christian Bale in 

The Dark Knight Rises (2012).

Hollywood Costume illuminates the costume designer's creative process from script to screen and reveals the collaborative dialogue that leads to the development of authentic screen characters.

Hollywood Costume is curated by eminent Hollywood costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis with Sir Christopher Frayling and Keith Lodwic...here

ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) is at Federation Square, Melbourne...

There is so much to see at ACMI, many other exhibitions ranging across the history of the moving image to the latest screen based art...however, I love this exhibition and it closes on 18 August....here

Enjoy this wonderful exhibition and the many others at ACMI.....Wendy

Woodend Winter Arts Festival.......

7-10 June 2013

The Queen's Birthday Long weekend brings with it the Woodend Winter Arts Festival which is in its 9th year and promises to be a real treat for those of you who are interested in a most stimulating musical program, literary program and visual arts program....all in beautiful surroundings...here

The opening night features Bach with the B minor Mass (featuring soprano Greta Bradman) and other program concerts of his six Brandenburg Concertos.  Opening night will also feature the Tony Gould Quartet and the traditional opening night fireworks the first free event of the program...here

Images - Woodend Winter Arts Festival

Woodend, with a population of just over 3000 people (on a regular weekend) is an historic, picturesque town at the heart of the Macedon Ranges known for its landmarks Hanging Rock and Mount Macedon...here

The Festival’s classical music program is now broadcast nationally by the ABC Classic FM and internationally by the European Broadcasting Union. The world’s best classical musicians apply to gain selection into the program which has become widely known for the calibre of artists and performances. WWAF receives two applications a week from overseas artists keen to participate.

Images - Woodend Winter Arts Festival

The Festival is a not for profit venture – it is funded entirely by ticket sales and sponsorship and supported by hard working volunteers.  The Program covers classical music, jazz, literary events and visual arts, a program for young people and children and a series of free community events to ensure that it remains accessible to everyone...here

Image - Greyton House

Accommodation in the Macedon Ranges boasts a selection of styles located in rural settings or right in the heart of many of the region's villages.  From cosy cabins to welcoming bed and breakfasts, self-contained cottages to country style resorts, there is something for everyone...visit the accommodation website for more information...here

 Only three weeks away...make your bookings now and enjoy.....Wendy

Mother's Day...Saying 'thank you' in different ways

Saying thank you to your Mum .... 

I particularly love this "bunch of  flowers" from...... The Iced Biscuit, ...

The Bouquet consists of 1 biscuit plaque (wording of your choice), 7 large daisies and 4 medium sized daisies.  Each biscuit is extra thick and set on a colourful paper straw, hand iced in royal icing then individually wrapped in cellophane and tied with a pretty bow...here

Chanel iced biscuits" .... and they taste delicious.....The Iced Biscuit

And your mother never lifted a finger to bake them....wonderful! 
Last day to order Friday 3 May!!

And then of course, there are the beautiful flowers .... I love Panache....and... Flowers of Canterbury....

Image - Flowers of Canterbury

Image - Panache Flowers

With very best wishes to all mothers....they are all very special....Wendy

Duneira Mt Macedon...a place of timeless elegance

Duneira is an 1875 historic Victorian homestead in Mount Macedon. Mt Macedon is less than an hour's drive from Melbourne and there are some exceptional properties to see on the way.  Duneira is a property I am particularly fond of and the phrase, timeless elegance certainly describes Duneria which is well worth the trip...visit their website for all the events, etc...here

Guided House Tour

Tours of the home explain the past and present activities.  The house features an extensive library, artwork collection, Persian rugs, grand pianos and interesting period furniture.  The one-hour tour starts in the lounge room with morning tea...details

The Heritage Garden

The stunning heritage garden is open to the public at various times of the year...2nd and 4th May the next tours... and includes a guided tour of the house...here.. The architecture, size and array of plants are a great tribute to Duneria's colonial past and to the unusual climate at Mt Macedon.

Stuart Stoneman was the seventh owner of  Duneira and his vision was to maintain and preserve Duneira and open it to the public and for it to continue to be a place where people have the opportunity to learn and relax; to enable interested individuals and groups to have access to the property; and in certain instances to enjoy suitable social and other functions... here

As an example of what's on..

A guided house tour on 2nd and 4th May...further details here..

Lectures & courses....'Games composers play'...

'Violin playing & the art of fencing'...Joe Chindamo, piano & Zoe Black, violin...

'Arcadia, baroque chamber ensemble'....

 ...and of course, they cater for private functions, weddings, private tours of the house, garden or art collection...visit the website for all details...here

Enjoy a trip to Mt Macedon and the splendid 'Duneira'...Wendy

Images - Duneria 

Autumn and the need for a good book.....have you read...

Now that we are in autumn and the weather has turned a little chilly, there will be many days ahead when a good book is definitely in need.  With the colder weather, brings mice to some country properties, and as I was recently at a country property, I had the unwanted "pleasure" of seeing evidence of mice around the property.

That brought me to thinking about a wonderful autobiography written by Australia's famous Nancy Wake also known as "the white mouse".   Yes, a rather weird way to be reminded of this excellent book, however, I am glad I thought about it again, because it is well worth a re-read.

For those of you who do not know, Nancy Wake was an Australian, albeit born in New Zealand and arrived in Australia when she was a babe, who left Australia in her twenties and went to live in London and France.  There she met and married a wealthy Frenchman and her life, as she thought, was very full until the outbreak of war and the invasion by Germany into France.

Image - ABC Shop

This is the story of one woman who was a spy during World War II. The autobiography is a candid story about the Americans, the British and of course the French.  Nancy was trained in England to fight in the French Resistance; she became a courier for the French Resistance and later joined the escape network.

Nancy Wake was called "the white mouse" by the Gestapo because of her ability to elude capture.  The Resistance had to be very careful with her missions; her life was in constant danger, with the Gestapo tapping her phone and intercepting her mail.  The death of her husband at the hands of the Nazis is so sad ... he was tortured to death because he would not reveal where his wife was.

Nancy is straight forward in her autobiography and quite humble ... there is humour, as she does seem to have a wicked sense of humour ...  I particularly like the story about drinking tequila, with a deceitful reporter, and she drinking him under the table when she was 60!  It really lifts your spirits in a book where her stories will leave the reader aghast with her courage and the adventures she undertook.

Her duties included allocating arms and equipment that were parachuted in and minding the group's finances. Nancy Wake became instrumental in recruiting more members and making the Maquis groups into a formidable force, roughly 7,500 strong.  She also led attacks on German installations and the local Gestapo headquarters in  Montlucon, France.  Nancy was award many awards for courage including:

                               Companion of the Order of Australia

George Medal

Officier de la Légion d'Honneur

Croix de guerre (France)

Medal of Freedom (United States)

RSA Badge in Gold (New Zealand)

Nancy returned to Australia and lived here for many years before returning to France in her latter years. Nancy died at the age of 98 in 2011 in France.  This autobiography is a little hard to find, however, it's well worth the effort...here

I am sure you will enjoy this courageous woman's story ... Wendy

Padpod....The simpliest solution to a problem..solved by...

It is always a thrill to hear or read about an Australian success story, and this one I heard about last week from an acquaintance who attended a trivia night and one of the prizes was a padpod...  a simple idea that will be a wonderful aid to so many people... here is the story, as taken from their website

"Ellie Jane's grandmother had a problem. She couldn’t easily read on her iPad and keep it at a comfortable angle.  An angle that enabled her to get an optimal view of the screen without being uncomfortable. So 13 year old Ellie did some research and found that there were stands on the market but that they did not do the job well enough.  So she got out her mother’s sewing machine and invented her own... padpod was born.

Her Nana was delighted and now finds her padpod indispensable.  Ellie was soon very busy making padpods because everyone else in the family wanted one too, and then all their friends.  So it was decided to commercialise padpod and manufacture professionally in ...Australia

Ellie's pyramid-shaped bean bag is stable on your lap, when you are lying in bed or when it is placed on a table or desk. Your iPad, Kindle, smartphone or whatever can be placed on it at any angle that is comfortable.  It can be used at work or at home, in bed, in a plane in a car - anywhere!  Ellie's Mum, Jenny, is an occupational therapist, so she helped Ellie refine the design of the padpod to the highest standards of comfort and safety.

The weight of your iPad, or whatever other item you are using, holds it in place on your padpod naturally. There is no need for straps or adhesives. You can use your padpod to hold anything – your iPad, Kindle, smartphone, cookbooks in the kitchen or a novel in bed."  

The Padpod is available on line or at many chemist stores throughout Victoria...the stores are listed on the website....

This is a terrific Australian made product...not expensive either, so another plus....Wendy

 Images - Padpod

L

The Iced Biscuit... For parties, gifts, weddings, or ....

One of the special surprises I have found in writing my blog is that as I like to meet and interview the people I am going to write about, I have met so many, many interesting people...people from all walks of life, with diverse and different passions...one of those people I met recently is the delightful Jacqui Mark, the owner and manufacturer of The Iced Biscuit..here...

Vintage Biscuits for the Traveller

The Iced Biscuit brings you superbly home made, hand decorated biscuits and cakes for all occasions.  I think it is a wonderful idea if you are going to meet a friend, what a lovely way to say "Especially for you" or as a "Thank you" gift and presenting some of these beautifully handcrafted biscuits...

The biscuits are presented in either individually wrapped cellophane bags and tied with a satin ribbon or heat sealed...or packaged in delightful gift boxes and tins...here

Owl Biscuit Pops

These biscuits and cakes not only look terrific, they are delicious as well...beautifully decorated using either Royal or Fondant Icing.  There are so many inventive shapes and ideas...and you can make requests for your own special colours etc...The biscuits come in flavours of...Vanilla...Chocolate Brownie...Lemon Cheesecake...Zesty Orange...yummy!

Below are just a few of the varieties...The Iced Biscuit...For the Girls Party...Babushka cake or Ballet Shoes...

For the new born babe's arrival...Footprints or a Pram...

For the Boys Party...and family favourites...Images are a specialty...

Are you organising a Hen's Party?  Here's an innovative idea....these biscuits certainly work with the theme...and if you wish, biscuits of a bride's dress...fun ideas for gifts...here

Wedding Biscuits - Bridesmaids in Blue & Wedding Shoes 

Easter is next week...get in quickly and order some of these goodies now...soooo cute...I just love the spotted bunnies...here

Although it seems a little while away...Mother's Day is just around the corner...what about this fabulous cake?  Or a lovely "Thank You Mum" tin and heart biscuits...just for Mum...

Images - The Iced Biscuit

Whichever ones you choose, enjoy, they are certainly worth the wait...Wendy

..

B & B's for a quick getaway....where do you go?

Taking a break away from your comfortable abode is always a good thing to do I believe. We love our homes, but having someone else pamper us and not having to worry about all the mundane chores can be sheer luxury...with Easter in mind, perhaps a quick escape would be good for the soul......

Here are a few of my favourites for getting away for a weekend...

Abbys Cottages in Bright, actually the Wandiligong Valley...the views are wonderful...and the Bright Autumn Festival begins on 26 April through to 8 May...oh so beautiful...

Image - Abbys Cottages

Daylesford is reputed to be the spa capital of Victoria and is a favourite with most people I am sure...the springs, the culture, the sheer relaxation is superb...one of the B&B's to try  Pendower House, in the centre of Daylesford...this is a gorgeous 1880's country house in a tranquil setting...

Image - Pendower House

Next is a delightful spot, Point Lonsdale and at Roseneath Villa it is very close to the golf course and the beach, particularly with a few more hot days predicted next week, it would be most inviting...a most beautiful place....

Image - Roseneath Villa 

One of my all time favourites albeit not a B&B, Healesville and the Healesville RACV... what is on offer is just splendid, golf course, pool, spa treatments,  restaurant in house, it's got it all and if the weather is warm... Healesville RACV Country Club is just the place...

Image - Healesville RACV

These are just a few to try...Victoria has so much to offer....enjoy...Wendy

Abbys Cottage, Bright...here

Pendower House, Daylesford...here

Roseneath Villa, Point Lonsdale...here

Healesville RACV, Healesville...here

Villa Alba...AND...A Jazz Event Not to be Missed

As readers of Essentially Australian, you would be aware of my admiration and praise of Jazz Australia...and once again, Diana the founder of Jazz Australia, has another unique event this month which really should not be missed.  This is a real treat...to be held in the beautiful historic building of Villa Alba 44 Walmer Street, Kew.

Image - Villa Alba Museum

The David Gardner Jazz Trio on Sunday 17 March at 4pm will delight with their wonderful music amid this historic property which is in the throes of restoration...visit the site for more details on Villa Alba...

Complete details of the event are listed below...tickets will sell very quickly and I would urge you to give yourself the pleasure of hearing this terrific group play music of Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and classics of the swing era...and enjoy chicken and champagne at interval...all in this historic property...what could be better....

As an added bonus...a guided tour of Villa Alba will take place at 3pm...mention your likely attendance for the tour when booking...take advantage of this...brilliant...

I hope to see you there to enjoy a most pleasurable afternoon of jazz...Wendy