It’s Starting to Look A Lot Like Christmas – Southern Hemisphere Style

It’s warm beach weather and the crowds in the shops are getting unsettled. It’s looking a lot like Christmas to me!

Summertime might not seem like Christmas to all those Northern Hemisphere peeps stuck in the icy snow but I think a white Christmas is overrated anyway. Here’s my take on a Southern Hemisphere style Christmas.

1. Sequined Motif Fascinator – Doesn’t matter which side of the globe you are on, holiday time is party time. That means it’s time to sparkle and shine.

2. Vintage German coca-cola ad – I bought this in a market in Strasbourg. I’ve finally found the time to frame it up. The snowman is still a Christmas icon on this side of the globe.

3. Potted herbs of basil, coriander and parsley – I got these wonderful pots of herbs as Christmas present. (Thanks Ang!) Time for some summer cooking fun! I’ll start off with some good pesto making.

Frock-a-delic Friday

I can’t believe how close it is to Christmas! My girls  are hosting our annual Christmas dinner tomorrow. We’ve been carrying on this tradition for many years and it is a fantastic way to catch up with each other. It’s a good excuse to eat, drink and be merry. With Christmas parties comes the age old question of, what do I wear?
1. Golden Tree Earrings – Nothing says glam and festive than gold earrings. These are so simple and adorable.
2. BCBGMAXAZRIA Black and Gold Sequin Dress – Did I tell you I’m like a bird attracted to shiny things?
3. Stuart Weitzman "Jumbo" Evening Slingbacks – Not sure if these bows belong on a present underneath the tree or on someone’s feet. Either way, they scream festivity.
Have a good weekend :-)

Well Rounded – Matzo Balls and Rounded Earrings

It just so happens that the Asian symbol of joy, unity and family is a round round circle. Today’s top things are based around round things! (This reminds me of a children’s TV show called "Play School". They used to have a “Shape of the Day” and “Today’s Number”!) So yes, round things Thursday it is!

1. Matzo balls – I’m not Jewish myself but in celebration of Hanukkah, I made matzo balls for the first time and they floated (which is meant to be a sign of perfection)! Woot, victory to moi!

2. Wire Cluster Ball Dangle Earrings – I updated the pictures today because the old ones were looking a little dark. I think I like this blue and silver combination.

3. Sunflower Rays Earrings – Newly listed today. I love the little sparkling gems in the centre of the flower. What do you think?

Windy Wednesday – A Showcase of all Things Wind –erful!

It was such a windy day today. The flaps of my blinds kept making flip flap noises. No worries though because the weather is glorious and I could just open the blind and enjoy the sunshine ray.

I’m wondering if anyone’s been to craftgawker.com. They have some beautiful things over there… like photos 1 and 2.

1. Pink Checkered Pinwheels – When there’s wind, you need pinwheels to whirl all the luck in.

2. Beautiful peonies – I think they’d sit nicely by my window… if it wasn’t for the wind.

3. The Golden Rings Earrings – my new etsy listing today. They’ve got that cute retro vintage style to them. I’m not sure if I should have used a more “retro style” background to show them off?

Delicious and Adorable Tuesday

I've decided to dedicate today to all things sweet and delicious. I got into a Treasury for the first time today which made my heart smile.

1. Strawberry and vanilla brulee tart courtesy of Bourke Street Bakery - I was doing some errands around town and thought I'd come by this Sydney institution. The tart's a symphony of caramel crispy brulee top and Bouke Street's famous flakey dark pastry. Beneath the creamy custard is a thin layer of strawberry sauce that oozes out as you bite in.

2. Fabric Rosette Necklace - This is adorable and makes me want to wonder through a garden of English roses with it on.

3. Sleeping Elephant Print - This is so sweet! I think it deserves a place in a little baby's bedroom.

Now for a bowl of icecream with strawberries! Strawberries are truly a blessing of summertime :)

The Owl Gives Thanks Card

I get really excited when I've sold something on etsy. Perhaps it's the beginner's adrenaline!

I spent some time yesterday designing and making some little Thank You notes for my gifts and wares.

What do you think?

PS Photo 2 is just a photo of how the tag will be used, together with my latest sold item, the flower brooch / hair tie.

How to Make Handmade Dumpling

I love Chinese dumplings and whenever I have some free time, I like making a batch of them. It's a good feeling knowing what's going into the dumpling.It beats frozen mystery meat any day.

I recently bought this funny little device that promises prefect looking dumplings and faster, more efficient dumpling making.

I am going to try making a batch of pork and bok choy dumplings with my new toy.

Ingredients

Ground (minced) pork

Bok choy, finely chopped

A packet of pre-made dumpling pastry

Seasoning

soy sauce

sesame oil

sugar

minced garlic

1. Mix the pork with chopped pok choy and seasoning

2. Place a sheet of pastry into dumpling maker and place a spoonful of the pork mixture into the centre

3. Close the dumpling maker, hold for a few seconds then take out the dumpling

Hm... does this look like an tasty dumpling?

4. Repeat steps to make a batch of dumplings! I managed to make 29 (just shy of 30!) dumplings using about 300g of pork and a batch of bok choy.

5. Just boil them for about 10 mins in water or broth to cook and serve them.

Enjoy!

Silly Self Portraits

I felt so silly today.

I opened up all the windows of my tiny flat, grabbed my camera and started... posing in front of it. I mean, I love facebook and taking photos but I don't like being the subject of the photos.

I kept on peeking out the window to make sure that none of my neighbours catch me in the act. I am NOT doing something illegal, immoral or obscene but I felt incredibly silly.

Despite all these challenges, I thought my pretty necklaces deserve to get a proper "neck" photo shoot.

I hope the sacrifice was worth it!

Market Saturday and Beach Sunday

Weekends are always too short. The weather's absolutely gorgeous and there's so much happening at this time of the year. I also had a chance to upload some of my first items on my etsy shop! Hooray! Please check them out, they feature some sparkling hair pieces, necklaces and earrings. It's at http://ahhbmall.etsy.com/

Finders Keepers Market Saturday

When I told Mr A. that we are visiting a market call "Finders Keepers" he asked if everything there will be free. I wish! There were so many indie designers with beautiful things, jewellery, dresses and paper craft, gloriously displayed inside Carriageworks. Definitely lots of eye candy.

Although, I'm not sure what's going on but it seems that there's an overwhelming number of designs out there featuring Russian dolls, owls and sparrow motifs. It's bewildering how fashion dictates the trends of indie artists too.

Beached on Sunday

Yay, my first beach day this summer... glorious!

New Start

It's the first day of summer and I hung a spanking new banner on to my etsy page! So there's alot of exciting stuff to look forward to. The etsy page is scarily empty but I'll get on to loading items soon.

Talk about empty, I bought a Christmas tree on the weekend and it's naked pines are staring back at me. I've got to get on to making the ornaments before Christmas comes and goes.

And also on the topic of naked Christmas trees, check these fellas out. They are taking the minimalist idea all the way to the holiday seasons! (picture below from http://possibilitree.com )