Monday, March 26, 2012

The Baby Shower

Saturday's baby shower went off without a hitch. The mother to be looked radiant, the father to be was calm and collected. Guests had their fill of champagne (no doubt, those people at Mumm HQ will be scratching their heads this morning wondering about the sudden spike in sales over the weekend).
Thanks to the talented Katie who did the cooking (after flying up from Sydney a few hours beforehand), the table looked fabo.
Lots of pink gifts were opened. The baby should never need wear the same thing twice!

I forgot to take a photo of my frock while I was wearing it, but this is she. It's brown and doesn't photograph very well. Notice the nanna-style hanger? You cannot have enough of these, they are the best for keeping clothes on the hanger and in their proper shape.
Now it's time to get back to my reading. The bedside table is getting ridiculous. I've even broken one of my reading rules - among the stack are several books I've already read. I try not to repeat, but The Bell Jar and The Great Gatsby are too good not to do over. I find them both meditative.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Dahlias, lillies and hyacinths

Last April I was bridesmaid at the wedding of a very old friend, as in, we've been friends for a long time. Almost twelve months to the day the happy couple are expecting a baby girl, and tomorrow we are having a baby shower here.
Obviously, this called for a lot of reorganising and redecorating, whole 'miscellaneous' piles have been swept into drawers, and I've tried to have the house looking its best.
Here's a bit of my work. Starting with my favourite bit, the hyacinths in the bathroom.
Then I added a potted flowering dahlia.

Oriental lillies....I got them from the Rosalie foodstore. Did you know they sell 700 bunches of flowers a week!

Then I had to wash 300 glasses.
After that, I found a few little spots here and there that needed some jazzing up.

In other breaking news, J. Crew now ships to Australia - very important to know.
Did anyone go to the Easton Pearson sale? I did. I'm wearing my new frock for the high tea/baby shower tomorrow.
I've been busier than a one armed juggler lately. Now I'm off to ice some red velvet patty cakes also for the baby shower.
Have a great Friday night and don't forget to vote tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Advanced style

If you think you hit a certain age, turn into dust and disappear, think again. I love the Advanced Style blog. You can read it here or click on the link in my blog list below.
Ari Seth Cohen is a New Yorker and features women of an advanced age who we could all learn something from. Case in point is Beatrix Ost. Isn't she beautiful? Her husband is still spunky too.
This is Lynn Dell. Lynn is 78.  
They're a dignified, beautiful bunch of women who are not desperately clinging to youth and running around in hot pants (I'm talking to you, Madonna). They don't necessarily want to look younger, but rather just the best version of themselves.
This is Mimi Weddell. I think these photos were taken when she was around 90. She's passed on now, but she had a documentary made about her called 'Hats Off'. She was a model and actress in New York from the late 60s, and always 'maintained herself'.
This is artist Victoria Mackenzie Childs.

I shall leave it there. Next time you think you can't be bothered with doing your hair and make-up and popping on a frock, think of Mimi and Lynn and Beatrix.
Have a look at Advanced Style when you get a chance, I think you'll find it very inspiring.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Two fat cats and a puppy in a basket

Remember a couple of posts ago I asked how some individuals can 'own' and profit from the coal, oil and gold that the earth has made over millions of years? How can that be theirs?
Well, it seems Wayne Swan agrees with me. You can read part of his article which appears in Monthly magazine here.  He takes aim at vile fat cats and those that kowtow to them to garner themselves some scraps on the side. It makes for a reassuring read, that this is not all going unnoticed, and that just because something is legal, it's not necessarily right.
Now to banish that bad taste from the mouth, here's a photo of a puppy in a basket.