May 27, 2012

bake off.


a little sweetness to start off your week. an easy as pie recipe and a mounded cup full of indulgence. getting a good workout chopping up the chewy caramels meant i was in need of a reward. it's all about balance ladies and gentlemen. therefore a cup of white chocolate chips was equally balanced with another cup of pecans and then another full of chewy caramel shards. utter brownie perfection. why not see for yourself?



butterscotch, white chocolate and pecan brownie


2.5 cups of plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of butter, softened
1 1/4 cups of packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup toffee/butterscotch bits (werther's chewy caramels, chopped)
2/3 cups of white chocolate bits
1 cup chopped pecans


1. beat butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy
2. beat in eggs and gradually add sifted flour
3. add chocolate, caramels and pecans and stir well
4. spoon into a lamington size tin and bake in an oven for 35 minutes at 180deg
5. leave to cool and cut into slices
6. best served warm (put in the microwave for 30secs) with icecream or a big mug of tea






weekending.


a bit of brownie baking, vintage sheet collecting, opshopping bargains, sleepover fun and breakfasting at a favourite cafe definately makes for a wonderful weekend. the rain clouds passed late friday night and brisbane woke to a super crisp saturday morning. the remedy? bake. tomorrow i'll post the recipe for perhaps one of the most delicious brownie recipes i've ever attempted. some unsettling news that my nan isn't at her best meant a girly evening and a home cooked meal by two of my lovelies was much needed. snuggled under a crocheted blanket cuddling a bowl of latte during breakfast at apples this morning was the perfect lead up to an afternoon of curbside collecting. i've never laughed so hard whilst being sandwiched in the back seat between a giant lampshade, 2 large crates, a retro office chair and a ladder that will soon become the bearer of my favourite fabrics. it was my first official curbside adventure and it has me hooked. i plan on getting stuck into painting the crate and ladder next weekend after a bunnings visit for some paint of the turquoise/peach variety. i'm off to write some love letters and put the kettle on, again. fortunately, i have some brownie leftovers so my tea won't be too lonely on this cold queensland evening. have a great week lovely folk. back tomorrow with that promised recipe.




getting my bake on.


some lovely florals from a lovely lady.


plates at the oppy weren't priced higher than a dollar, i sniffed these babies out immediately.


a turquoise sleeve caught my eye amongst the racks of clothes. perfection was uncovered.


more bargains of the johnson, japanese and german variety.


the cutest little corduroy number.


some brown florals thrown into the mix.


big mug'o'latte this morning.


sunny sunday behaviour fossicking in the local salvage yard.


the best kind.


a curbside find.



May 25, 2012

life.


life is pretty sweet at the moment. nothing monumental or uber exciting to report but things are going a-ok, and that's fine with me. i'm spending much needed time with my favourite ladies and talking life plans, love and where we can get our next sweet fix. you know, the important stuff. it's only a little over 3 weeks before i jet off to europe so all thoughts are directed towards paris, loved ones and how i'll accessorize my beret. i have a few things to check off my 'to do' list before i go but i've kinda left the easier stuff to the end so there shouldn't be any minor meltdowns anytime soon. this weekend proves to be equally as relaxed and nourishing with some baking, dinnering, breakfasting, picking up of floral vintage sheets and leaving as much room in my suitcase for o/s treats as possible. i'm super excited about some plans post travel too which i'd love to share with you soon. have a beautiful friday, whatever the weather (it's miserable here but all the better for justifying mugs upon mugs of milky tea) and i'll pop back over the weekend to check in with your happenings. happy friday!



j-love abounds at the pattern palace this week.

a vanilla treat from my favourite cupcakery in brisbane.

saturday plans.

last night's behaviour.

and some beautiful chevron love at the train station this week.



May 20, 2012

treasure.


a budget was set and promptly kept to. surprised? i still am. it's time to share some of the treasures that the coast unearthed for me yesterday. one or two of them will be gifts, perhaps a couple for sale and then the rest, the johnson, are mine to love. i was reminded just how happy these pre-loved goodies make me whilst neck deep in floral fabrics and up to my eyeballs in retro crockery. thank you to the grandmas whose life long collections are now treasured by a very grateful, freckle faced, rainbow cake baking young lady (me, if you were wondering.) sharing the love over at sophie's too. get on it gorgeous people.



pretty pansies.

there was squealing involved.

high pitched screaming ensued when discovering this gorgeous johnson family.

my new florals.

more mismatched j-love.

a set of quaint english metal placemats. perfect.

just when you thought the j-love had ended....

the quirkiest johnson piece i've discovered. cheese and wine night anyone?

westminster love.

pretty turquoise pyrex, enough said.

another apron for the collection? hell yeah!

a beautiful bessemer platter.

a villeroy & boch beauty. i literally bowed to this one.

this still makes me smile. the perfect little tea and cake platter. 50c? you bet.



so GC.


i'd been looking forward to this weekend alllllll week long and maaaaaaan did it not disappoint. i packed the car with some of kate's goodies that she'd left here pre-travels and used the task of taking it down to the storage unit as an excuse to pay a visit to some of my favourite coastal oppies. it was the most beautiful clear skied morning so i picked up my youngest sister/partner in crime and we hit the road to the sounds of some old skool rnb. first stop was one of my old haunts that my bestie and i used to visit inbetween uni classes and sometimes instead of. it's a giant warehouse of pre-loved goodness so you're always bound to leave with a treasure or twelve. within approximately 3.5 minutes i had johnson, retro plastics and a villeroy and boch stunner in my basket. a whopping total of $5 was handed over and off we went to opshop numero deux. now this oppy holds a precious place in my heart as again, it was a local favourite of mine and my bestie's and also the daily stop off after work when i used to zoom around the coast in my 1975 volkswagen kombi. that's right, you heard me...opshopping and kombi in the same sentence, dreamy, no? the ladies are always having tea and cake out the back and the men put out front to handle sales are always so charming. i just love going in there for a trip down memory lane so when my ferreting neck deep in the fabric tower resulted in me pulling out a bundle or two of vintage floral linen, it was icing on my oppy cake. it wasn't even midday and i'd found johnson and vintage floral. you'd think i'd be done, but not just yet. staying on the sentimental note, i can never pass up a fossick through the little rspca oppy just around the corner. my beautiful family dog is an rspca gem so i never hesitate to swap dollars for pre-loved goodness in their stores. bessemer, pyrex and a floral apron were on their menu for me. this treasure hunting game soon became hungry business so it was only appropriate that a stop off at my favourite coast cafe was next on the agenda. my trusty partner in crime and i were treated to the most amazing sandwich of all time, delicious coffee and a caramel slice to share. my instagram feed was treated to some of the best eye candy around in the short time we spent there. it was finally time to honour the very reason that instigated the coast trip and so we cruised down to kennards and packed away our family treasures. an oppy i hadn't visited in a little over a year came to mind soon after so we hauled ass to sneak in a short 20 minutes of treasure hunting before closing time. boy am i glad we bothered. i was rewarded with the johnson motherload and could no longer contain my excitement. the shop ladies laughed as amy documented the whole discovery process. i was beside myself. taking the heavy load to the counter was empowering until i proclaimed my surprise at the well priced treats to the slightly dazed saleswoman who responded with, 'well, it's hardly fine china.' it may not be fine china lady but it's priceless in my eyes (and a million others it seems!) i kept this expression of disbelief to myself, of course. nevertheless, it's pre-loved status changed to much-loved in a heartbeat and my following post (full of treats galore) will cement just that. some europe clothes shopping and dinner at my favourite sushi hangout was the perfect end to a glorious day spent on the coast. the gc gets a mixed reception up here in brissie but the amazing oppies, trips down memory lane, perfect lattes with a side of vintage wallpaper and smiley mayo faces on sushi always ensure a piece of my heart stays down there.



all systems and skies were go.

the drawer lining of a marvellous bit of oppy furniture eyeballed at stop one.

THIS occurred at stop two.

stop, ummm, i've lost count...resulted in this behaviour.

perfect decor in my idea of cafe heaven.

the perfect lunch.

my cutie pie sister.

latte face, do not disturb.

sushi finishes an ace day.




May 18, 2012

the ombre effect.


an obsession has been born. ladies and gentleman, i introduce to you my latest love. don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t superseded mr gosling or my undying love for johnson or staffordshire potteries, but god dang it’s pretty. after baking the rainbow cake last weekend, i’m hooked. my mini bff’s birthday is fast approaching so a pink princess theme has (of course) been established for the cake. as i peruse the interweb for ideas i couldn’t help but show you some of the incredible creations i’ve stumbled across. of course, good photography plays a big part in these cakes looking uber gorgeous so i am super excited about my sister returning in early august for some collaboration work to begin. in the meantime, these pics below will most definately satisfy your appetite.









May 17, 2012

inspiration.


here am i this week wanting to get shit done and it's already thursday! i decided i needed to get my butt and art making behaviour into gear so a trip to spotlight was in order. push me down and call me stupid but spotlight is not one of my favourite places on earth. it's usually too warm, too busy or way too messy for my liking so in order to maintain my crafty mojo i decided to try a different location. within minutes of walking into the biggest store, ummmm ever, i was utterly overwhelmed and uber excited about starting my new project. satin ribbons, eclectic buttons and mod patterned quilting fabrics had me bowled over with excitement. i had to continuously remind myself that my dollars were for parisian market finds and not the newest retro floral range standing before me. it was hard, trust me. instead i snapped some photos for all to enjoy. as i ran my fingers along the rows of pretty fabrics i wondered just how long it would be until i had a fabric line of my very own. an hour infront of the dmc cottons and my project was finally coming to fruition. an armful of aida and i was on my way, a rather pleasurable spotlight visit behind me.