Little things

I've moved!

2011-12-12T10:59:00.002+10:00

Little things has moved. Please come take a look...

Would you like to share a recipe?

2011-11-30T01:44:00.006+10:00

Can you believe it's nearly Christmas! I'll miss my family this year but a little excited to hopefully have a white Christmas. Back in Brisbane Christmas usually involves eating inside in the air conditioning and eating cooler salads mixed in with the traditional roast. Quite the opposite here - warming, comforting foods all the way!

I'm planning on doing a morning noon and night feature and hoping some of you might like to contribute and be part of the little things Christmas. If you have a favourite recipe and don't mind sharing online with others then I'd love for you to email it through. Recipes will be selected to form a morning noon and night series and uploaded a week prior to Christmas. Full recipe credit of course! The categories:

• A breakfast recipe

• A lunch recipe

• An afternoon treat recipe

• A dinner recipe

• A drink recipe

• And my personal favourite, dessert!

So if you have a recipe you would like to share with others, then please email it to me at chantelle@chantellegrady.com

Las Vegas

2011-11-25T23:48:00.006+10:00

Happy Friday everybody. Only 1 month until Christmas - eek! Not long until the stockings and tree can go up. When Reid and I first lived overseas we used one of those fold up washing lines as our tree and strung tinsel over it. This time I'm determined to do something a little more exciting!

I thought I'd post a few pics from our trip to Vegas. As mentioned earlier we did a quad bike tour through the Valley of Fire which was so much fun and quite a contrast in landscape from the glittery lights of the Las Vegas strip.

Enjoy your Friday and I hope those in Aus wake to a nice sunny day x

The first morning of snow

2011-11-24T00:40:00.005+10:00

The last 5 days we have been in Vegas. Glittery lights, huge hotels, girls in tiny skirts, people walking the streets with cocktails in hand. Quite a place unlike any other. I went there expecting it to be over the top, touristy and party party party and that it was. It's a place to spend money, let your hair down and have fun. And I did just that on the first night and paid for it severely the next day! The rest of our trip was quite tame after that. We did a quad bike tour through the Valley of Fire which was so much fun and also saw the Cirque du Soleil show Zumanity. I was amazed with how those dancers can move and how fluid they are. Quite incredible. We stayed in the Mandarin Oriental and it has the be the most luxurious hotel I've ever stayed in. Very classy, stylish and a feel of quality to everything. We lashed out and both got massages in their spa which looked over the Vegas strip. It had a huge heated spa, steam rooms, heated chairs, rain showers - it was amazing and a perfect end to our stay.

On our taxi ride home last night the driver told us it was expected to snow during the night. So this morning I woke up like a child on Christmas day and ran to the window. And there it was, the streets covered in a blanket of snow. I could sit here all day sipping on coffee and staring out the window. Beautiful.

A little relish - Montréal!

2011-11-14T04:15:00.006+10:00

And here it is! I'm very happy to finally be able to share with you the second issue of a little relish - Montréal. I really have fallen in love with this city and as I mention in the magazine, this issue is a personal encounter of my experiences so far and recipes inspired by meals I've enjoyed throughout the city. There are so many more restaurants and cafes yet to be explored and I look forward to doing so in my time here.

I really hope it does Montréal justice and inspires others to visit this amazing city.

And the winner of the Joe Beef and Premiere Moisson books and the spatula and wooden spoon from Les Touilleurs is (drum roll)........ Jen! Congratulations Jen, I hope you enjoy the little package I'm sending your way.

Giveaway has ended!

2011-11-12T23:47:00.002+10:00

The giveaway has now ended so thank you to all those who entered and good luck! I'll be announcing the winner on Monday along with the launch of the new issue.

Friday & last chance to win!

2011-11-11T23:10:00.004+10:00

It's Friday! I'm sure everyone has seen this but I thought it was nice to watch on a Friday morning. Pretty amazing and beautiful.

The 'A little relish' giveaway ends midnight tonight Montréal time so last chance to enter to win the Joe Beef and Première Moisson books and the spatula and wooden spoon from Les Touilleurs. And Monday the magazine will be up for viewing! So stay tuned.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

Cooking up a storm

2011-11-03T08:54:00.004+10:00

It's been a long time between posts I know. I've been madly trying to finish off design jobs for for clients back home and with less than 2 weeks until I launch the Montréal issue of A little relish I've had to get a move on. I've been cooking up a storm the past 2 days with multiple trips to and from the grocery store since we don't have a car here. I don't feel quite as guilty after eating everything that I've been cooking.

Thank you to all those who have entered the Joe Beef cookbook competition. For those who haven't entered it's not too late so see below if you want to go into the draw. All are welcome and I'll be posting it to wherever the winner is located in the world.

A little relish giveaway!

2011-10-18T04:57:00.011+10:00

With the upcoming launch of a little relish issue two due to be released on Monday 14th November 2011, and the recent release of the new Joe Beef cookbook, I thought it might be a bit exciting to do a little giveaway. The lucky winner will receive the new book 'The Art Of Living According To Joe Beef: A Cookbook Of Sorts', the Première Moisson 'Bread' book and a spatula and wooden spoon by my favourite cooking supply store here in Montréal - Les Touilleurs.

For those unfamiliar, Joe Beef is located in Little Burgundy Montréal and has quite a reputation in the food industry. The book was created by Frédéric Morin and David McMillan, both co-owners/chefs of Joe Beef, Liverpool House and McKiernan Luncheonette, and Meredith Erickson, one of Joe Beef's original staff. The book is beautifully photographed by Jennifer May and definitely an interesting and mouth watering read. These guys know Montréal and the food scene like the back of their hand. Whenever possible, the ingredients they use are of the highest quality and the freshest available bought from local or family-owned producers. I've eaten at both Liverpool House and Joe Beef and I have to say, the food is amazing. Both restaurants have their own unique and rustic charm and are really warm and inviting. Here is a little video of Frédéric and David talking about the history of Joe Beef, the area of Little Burgundy and a bit about the book. I love their passion in what they do.

Also in the giveaway is the book 'Bread' by Première Moisson. This bakery I love! The loaves of bread and pastries are a work of art and almost too good to eat. Their book is filled with techniques and delicious recipes and a great one to have on hand for fellow bread lovers.

So, to win! Simply share the love on Facebook, Twitter or your blog and leave a comment below pasting the link of where you have shared this competition with your friends. Using the old school method of a name drawn from a hat, the winner will be announced on the Monday that a little relish issue two is launched. This comp is open to internationally and I will be posting the little package to the winner.

In case you missed the first issue of a little relish you can click here to view it.

Giveaway ends Friday 11th November 2011 at midnight.

Good luck!

The Rooftops 'a hundred different lives'

2011-10-17T11:43:00.003+10:00

I was reminded tonight about this little design piece I did a while ago and realised I didn't post about it. The 'a hundred different lives' album for The Rooftops was a collaboration between stylist and director Nataly Lee, photographer Nat McComas and myself. The Rooftops are an Australian band made up of a very talented group who all play instruments and have a really unique and groovy sound. It's always nice to work with Nataly and Nat and hopefully in the future we can collaborate again.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-10-11T04:02:00.006+10:00

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! We have had perfect (and I hear quite abnormal) warm weather this weekend with blue skies and sunshine. This weekend we drove down to Ottawa to visit good friends Bonnie & Matt and had a really nice time wandering through ByWard Market, exploring the city and sharing a few beers on a balcony while catching up. On the way back we drove the long way home to see the changing foliage colours and pass by a couple lakes. I also carved my first pumpkin (I realise this is a Halloween thing but couldn't resist) and made my first pumpkin pie. All in all quite a good Canadian experience I think!

I hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

A little relish : Montréal

2011-10-03T11:52:00.010+10:00

As mentioned the next issue of 'a little relish' is underway. Living in Montréal so far has definitely been inspiring and I'm looking forward to sharing this issue with you. Being that we are approaching the end of year ever so fast, I endeavour to have this up before the holiday period so it can be enjoyed and hopefully give ideas on recipes to share with friends and family while relaxing over the break.

Morning light

2011-09-30T22:44:00.004+10:00

The last few days I've definitely noticed a change in the time the sun rises. I find I'm sitting in my running outfit longer waiting for some light so I don't have to go running in the dark. I better get used to that though with the Canadian winter approaching! This morning the light was really nice streaming through our window. Speaking of which, the glass could do with a clean :/

I'm on a hunt for some things to feature in a little relish today followed by a cooking class tonight, looking forward to it. I hope everyone is having a nice end to their week.

Real Living Magazine

2011-09-29T22:16:00.003+10:00

This is a little shoot I styled for Real Living Magazine prior to leaving Australia and it has now featured in their current October issue which means I can share! Photographed by Toby Scott we setup an outdoor area with a Spring, relaxed, rustic pizza oven theme with a neutral base and hints of purple and teal. How cool would it be to have your own pizza oven in your backyard!

I have been very quiet on the blog posts as I've thrown myself into learning French the past few weeks. My head hurts to say the least and there is a cloud of French words floating around in my head that I'm struggling to string together. I know it will be a gradual process. I'd love to know any hints by those who have had to learn a language when moving to a new country.

And lastly A little relish issue 2 is underway. I'm enjoying working on the Montreal issue and very much looking forward to sharing it with you.

Photo inspiration

2011-09-20T09:45:00.003+10:00

A few images I love from via shadybitch. Be warned, some NSFW pics on there!

At home in Canada

2011-09-18T11:03:00.008+10:00

We have finally moved into our apartment and unpacked suitcases and boxes. It feels so good to be settled. I'm in love with this apartment. Timber floors, tall bay windows overlooking green (soon to be white) trees, high ceilings with exposed timber beams and it has been styled beautifully. We're renting a furnished apartment and actually only have it for 6 months, but it's really nice to be here and able to live here for a while. The owner has really good style and having explored her kitchen I can tell she loves to cook. Very happy about my little finds so far including 2 Le Creuset Cast Iron pots which means I can hold off a little longer in spending the money on my own.

So here's my little 'at home in Canada' food post - maple & peach bundt cake. The pureed peaches in this make it really moist. Dust it with icing sugar, make a cup of tea or coffee and it makes a nice afternoon treat.

Monk Bodhi Dharma

2011-09-15T05:53:00.007+10:00

How cool does this cafe look! Love the mix of timber, brick walls, green enamel lights and concrete floor. Monk Bodhi Dharma opened last year in Melbourne Australia and it's a specialty coffee and tea house with the aim of serving healing and sustainable food made from scratch. Those lucky ones in Melbourne should check it out.

It's our last day in temporary accommodation today (hurrah!). I'm so looking forward to finally unpacking bags and getting sorted in our new space. That and some home cooked food! Eating out has been great but it's not good on the hips and I'm craving some simple healthy food. I also started French lessons this week. Boy does my head hurt. I will be attending the college every morning for the next month so I'm hoping that it eventually starts to make a little sense, although I hear it can take a couple years of learning and practising.

I have also started planning the next issue of a little relish so looking forward to sharing it with you.

I hope everyone is having a nice week.

{ monk bodhi dharma images by josie withers, found via 16 house }

Joe Beef

2011-09-10T11:53:00.005+10:00

I've read a lot of good things about Joe Beef and finally reserved a table tonight. Having eaten at Liverpool House I was excited to dine here. Like Liverpool house the restaurant is petite in size and very stylish. Quirky elements adorn the walls, a large timber chopping block sits at the front where fresh bread is sliced and shared among the tables and the food is served on old school plates with check tea towels acting as napkins. As with Liverpool House the staff are very friendly and we really enjoyed our meals. If I was to choose a favourite, I'd perhaps lean towards Liverpool House but both tick all the boxes in terms of style, atmosphere and taste.

Chloé

2011-09-03T01:19:00.006+10:00

One of my favourite designer labels to lust over is Chloé. I love every campaign, the models are stunning, the clothes beautiful, the name is pretty and the list goes on. I'm yet to own a piece but hey, a girl can dream. Their winter 2011-2012 campaign is again very alluring.

What brand do you love?

Bocata

2011-08-26T23:51:00.005+10:00

Montréal is definitely filled with good restaurants. Last night we tried to get into Barroco in Old Port but the place was booked out, so we went next door to the sister restaurant Bocata. Bocata is more of a wine bar than Barroco and serves small plates as opposed to larger meals. The interior is so warm and inviting with stone walls and shelves filled with old books, dark timber tables and chairs and windows that open onto Saint-Paul Ouest. Candles light up the tables and the wine list comes in the form of an old book.

The food was so good, my favourites being the duck & arugula salad with pancetta and apple vinaigrette and a mushroom tartine made with local mushrooms with a mustard sauce, served on a bread board. I have been to a few restaurants here now who serve their food on bread boards or slate and I do like it. So simple and rustic. I'm still keen to make it to Barroco so will be sure to book in advance next time.

To those living in Montréal or who have visited, what is your favourite restaurant?

Do you have one of these?

2011-08-26T07:26:00.004+10:00

For ages I have ummed and ahhed about buying a Le Creuset Cast Iron pot. They aren't the cheapest thing in the world but it's one of those things that I imagine would last for years and you would use over and over. So I'm curious...

Who of you owns one of these?

And what is your favourite meal to make in it?

Or for those who like me have one on your wish list...

What colour would you buy?

{ via le creuset }

While out walking...

2011-08-25T07:53:00.006+10:00

I realise now how exhausted the last month has left me with our move over here. I struggle to wake up each morning and find I'm drinking one too many cups of coffee each day to stay awake. I'm sure others who have made a similar move can relate. I think trying to get into a routine is important and hopefully the key to feeling normal again(?).

It looks as though we have found a home in Old Montreal which I'm very excited about. The apartment is furnished and very stylish, warm and in a great location. I also couldn't help but notice some nice cooking utensils in the kitchen so I'm eager to explore behind those cupboard doors. This afternoon I went for a walk through what will be our new neighbourhood and took some pictures. It's a pretty part of town with lots of character and the restaurants dined in so far have been very good. I also hear there is a nice yoga studio with large windows overlooking Saint-Paul Ouest. Could be a good way to kickstart a routine.

I hope everybody is having a nice day.

Fashion inspiration

2011-08-23T02:52:00.004+10:00

Love the above combinations. Especially love the look of the longer skirt combined with a pair of wedges.

{ via the sartorialist }

Settling in

2011-08-21T06:07:00.004+10:00

We arrived in Montreal midnight on Monday and the week has flown by. There are so many things to organise with our move here and we will be living out of suitcases for a few weeks yet until we find the right apartment. The weather has been beautiful and much like our warm Brisbane summer days. Today we walked through China Town and down along the river. The days are so long here and I love that everyone enjoys the sunshine until the sun finally sets. I'm so excited by the food here and exploring the huge selection of restaurants throughout the city. That and the shopping! Living here could be dangerous on the purse and figure. Diary note for this week - must join a gym.

I won't deny that I'm feeling a little homesick. Leaving Dexter behind was a really hard thing to do and I think about our little monster and his happy wriggle bottom all the time. Our last night and morning were so rushed with a few dramas and I'm wishing I got in more cuddles from my little man. I'm also missing my family and friends but look forward to when Brisbane awakes so I can see what they are all up to (thank goodness for facebook and skype). But, I know these feelings are normal and I'm very excited by exploring this beautiful city and building a life here.

Thank you to all the support of our move and nice feedback on the first issue of 'a little relish'. I'm looking forward to working on the next one. I hope everyone is having a nice weekend x

And here it is...

2011-08-11T15:42:00.002+10:00

I'm very excited to announce that the first issue of 'a little relish' is now complete and ready to view! Much love and many hours have been put into this little creation and I really do hope that you enjoy flipping through its pages. As mentioned I had the help of Natalie McComas to get the first issue out before I head off to Montréal so a big thank you to you Nat. It was so nice to collaborate with you and a nice way to end my last few weeks in Brisbane x.

So enjoy! Hopefully it is the start of many more to come.

I will be signing off now for a few days as my computer is shipped tomorrow and I fly to Montréal on Monday (eek!). Bye bye for now.

Update

2011-08-03T21:23:00.004+10:00

Thank you to all the nice comments I have received since announcing our big move. My life is a little crazy at the moment and we are due to move out of our apartment in 2 days so clothes are covering the couch and boxes are packed and stacked against a wall ready to go.

I have also thrown myself into a personal project and happy to say it's nearing completion. A couple years ago now I walked into my workplace and announced I was going to start a magazine. It seemed like a pipe dream but my recent trip overseas documenting my travels really sparked an interest and desire to make it happen. So every spare moment I have had over the last month I have thrown into this little project with the help of good friend and very talented photographer Natalie McComas to assist in its creation. It's called A little relish, a magazine about food, spaces I love and ways to set the scene and create something special for those you care about. I'm looking forward to sharing it with you so stay tuned. Let's hope my computer isn't packed and shipped before I'm able to upload it!

Something pretty sitting amongst our chaos...

2011-07-24T20:26:00.003+10:00

A change of scenery

2011-07-20T19:43:00.004+10:00

Well it's official, we're moving to Montréal! Reid has been relocated for work so our little life here in Brisbane is about to be packed up and shipped overseas. I'm filled with so many mixed emotions and as exciting as it is to live in another country, I will miss my life here. My family, friends, newly purchased home and my little man Dexter (tears). We want so much to take our little monster along but it's a long way for a puppy to travel and getting back into Australia isn't easy for him with having to sit in quarantine for at least a month. A lot for a dog to go through. But he will be going to a happy home and staying with family.

So where do I start!? I have a few shoots coming up as well as many boxes to be filled and all must be complete in 3 weeks. So I think I'll be keeping Red Bull and the coffee shop downstairs in business for a while. Now I face the question and challenge of 'what to take'. I have spent the last couple hours staring into kitchen cupboards, my wardrobe and crockery cabinet and still my boxes remain empty. Not easy. But that's what life is all about. It's a new chapter I'm welcoming and looking forward to.

Eric Wolfinger

2011-07-14T09:37:00.003+10:00

Just had a peek at Eric Wolfinger's folio (photographed the Tartine Bread book). Very nice!

Tartine Bread book

2011-07-14T07:10:00.003+10:00

I think I need to go on a detox for the next month! I have eaten so much cake and chocolate coated strawberries over the last two days. Mum and dad spent all day yesterday slaving over the stove to make a perfect roast dinner and rather interesting (but very delicious) birthday cake. My little bro also surprised me with the Tartine bread book (from the bakery I visited in San Francisco) and I'm in love. This book is amazing - beautiful design, photography and mouth watering food recipes. When I'm brave enough I'll attempt one of them. For now though, I think I'm in need of some fresh fruit and salad.

Alice Gao

2011-07-02T09:13:00.003+10:00

I came across these beautiful photos shot on film by New York City food and lifestyle photographer Alice Gao. With everything being shot on digital these days it's refreshing to see a photographer still using and passionate about film. Alice recently visited San Francisco as well and has some nice posts on her blog Lingered upon of her travels.

Kalle Gustafsson

2011-07-02T08:59:00.003+10:00

More brilliant work by Kalle Gustafsson. Love the treatment on these images for the latest Hackett Essentially British campaign.

Lazy day treat

2011-07-01T20:24:00.005+10:00

As I'm sure everybody knows, it's hard getting back into the swing of things after a holiday. I'm slowly getting there though and had the help of this little chocolate treat - brownies with brown sugar cream and 'Humphry Slocombe frosted almonds' which I picked up while in San Francisco. For those who don't have the luxury of having Humphry Slocombe around the corner I've included a recipe for frosted almonds which I'm sure aren't the same as Humphry's but the best way I know how in doing something similar.

Click on recipe images to enlarge

San Francisco

2011-06-25T12:48:00.017+10:00

Boccalone

Our tour guide Daniel - SOSF

Pizzzeria Delfina

Alcatraz

Blue Bottle Coffee

Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream

Tartine Bakery

Alcatraz

San Francisco - wow talk about some steep hills. Walking up to Nob Hill everyday to get to my hotel eased the guilt of eating so much in Montréal. I only had 2 days here, not nearly enough time considering the amount of things to see and do. San Francisco is like no other city I have ever seen. It has a style of its own. The things I noticed most were the warmth and sunshine (although unusually warm for SF), the constant humming of the streetcar rails and the diversity of the suburbs making up the city.

The best thing I did while there was the SOSF (Streets of San Francisco) bike tour. Our rider Daniel was like an encyclopaedia for the city and filled us in on so many interesting facts and quirks of the city that we would have otherwise walked by or not received from other tour groups. Scared at first about cycling considering an exercise bike was the closest I had come to cycling in the past 5 years, once I got the hang of it I had such an awesome time. Daniel took us along the flatter streets visiting many areas with stops for lunch, chocolate and ice cream, which I might add were unbelievable and I have made sure to link below. For anyone going to San Francisco I totally recommend doing an SOSF tour. It really is a great way to see the city and experience it for what it really is. Daniel's easy going personality also made the tour enjoyable and really relaxed.

After cycling for 5 hours (in jeans!?) I was pretty hot so wore a dress to Alcatraz that night. Bad idea! It was so cold. Word of warning, dress warm if going over to the island. Alcatraz although touristy was fascinating to see. I feel guilty in seeing beauty in something that holds so much sadness or feelings of pain to many people but there is a vacancy and stillness about this place that is somewhat mesmerising. It's so close to the dense and busy city yet so far away and like another world. The view from the island is pretty spectacular.

My time here was very brief but I did try to cram in as much as possible. The tour definitely helped. I also made it to a few places I was eager to visit - Tartine bakery, Pizzeria Delfina and Ferry Building. I also tried Blue Bottle Coffee which I've heard a lot about and also dashed along Haight and Fillmore Street in my last few hours to do some (more) shopping.

Highlights

• SOSF Bike Tours - best way to see the city and a very relaxed and fun day

• Pizzeria Delfina - I tried the margherita pizza which was very good

• Tcho - really good chocolate produced in the factory down at Pier 17

• Ferry Building Marketplace - a great market with stores selling food, coffee, cheese, bread, chocolate among other things. Hotspot for people working around the area

• Boccalone - artisan salumi and really good sandwiches

• Blue Bottle Coffee - really good freshly roasted coffee. Love the logo and packaging as well

• Humphry Slocombe Ice cream - so good!! Really unusual flavours. I tried the Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee, Secret Breakfast (Bourbon & Cornflake) and Brown Sugar. All very good.

• Tartine Bakery - the morning bun was really good

So that's it! Feeling a little sad as I'm writing that it has come to an end but so happy I made it over there and visited all these wonderful places. I also feel a sense of accomplishment to make it around on my own for part of it. You learn a lot about your strengths and weaknesses when doing something like that and I think it's a great thing to do for your confidence. I hope I didn't bore everyone too much with my photos! I know they are always more interesting when they are your own. But hopefully they inspire or give some ideas of things to do to those wanting to visit these places x.

{ thanks to daniel, bryan & danielle for the recommendations }

Montréal

2011-06-24T21:24:00.018+10:00

Le Petit Hôtel

Fairmount Bagel

Schwartz's Deli

Liverpool House

Style Labo

Café Névé (left only)

Olive + Gourmando

Marché Atwater

St Viateur Bagel

Patati Patata

Méchant Boeuf Bar/Brasserie

Where to start with Montreal... this city stole my heart. There are so many things I love about it and it's high up on my list of cities I could easily live in. It has so much character with all the old buildings, not just in Old Montreal but in other parts of the city. The food is incredible and the way it is served is inspiring. There are multiple food markets selling fresh produce and rows upon rows of flowers. Good quality chocolate shops are scattered around the city. There are so many nice fashion and interior boutiques. And there are some really pretty streets to live with terrace houses shaded by big trees. It's also nice to walk around and listen to everyone speaking French, even if I don't know what is being said. I attempted to sample as much food as I could here. I also came home with a heavier suitcase and a much lighter purse. I do hope to visit again.

Highlights

• Le Petit Hôtel - a stylish little hotel we stayed at in Old Montreal

• Fairmount Bagel & St Viateur Bagel - bagels baked fresh every day

• Schwartz's Deli - this little sandwich place had a queue out the door when I arrived. They make a pretty amazing smoked meat sandwich.

• Liverpool House - we loved this restaurant! The menu is written up on blackboards and the meals were amazing (bad pics sorry!). Rustic and unpretentious and the restaurant itself is really stylish with vintage elements all around. The service was great as well.

• Style Labo - this shop is filled with vintage treasures ranging from enamel lightshades to letterpress blocks and furniture pieces among many other things.

• Café Névé - the best coffee I had in Montreal. And the biscuits and muffins are amazing.

• Olive + Gourmando - loved this cafe in Old Montreal, and so does everybody else it seemed! We tried making a third stop on a weekend and the place was totally full. They have a delicious menu as well as a large selection of pastries. I had a late breakfast of toast with sliced cheddar cheese that was presented on a piece of engraved slate. Loved it.

• Marché Atwater & Jean-Talon - there are 4 main markets in Montreal and I made it to these two. Both house really fresh produce and plants.

• Patati Patata - tiny little diner that makes an awesome poutine.

• Mechant Boeuf - we stumbled across this one in Old Montreal and it's a very funky bar/brasserie. I ordered beer can chicken and it came out as a whole chicken standing up on my plate! Also served with a bagel, coleslaw and fries. So much food but wow, best chicken I've ever eaten.

• La Montée De Lait - didn't get pictures here but it's a cute little restaurant with an amazing degustation menu.

• Boutique Unicorn & Général 54 - made a purchase or two from both of these stores. Really nice clothing and accessories.

• Monastiraki - shop/art space selling a huge collection of art prints, antiques and collectables.

• Les Touilleurs - very cool cooking and bakeware store. They also hold cooking classes.

• Les Chocolats Geneviève Grandbois - amazing chocolate!

And I'm sure my list goes on, but these places are what I can remember most.

{ thanks to sly, marie-eve & christelle for the recommendations }

That will have to do for tonight as my jet lagged eyelids are getting very heavy. Tomorrow I will post the last stop of my trip - San Francisco.

Maine & New Hampshire

2011-06-24T15:58:00.009+10:00

The next part of our journey was driving down through Maine and New Hampshire. I have never seen so many trees! It was such a nice drive through the lush forest leading down to our location of Boothbay Harbor. My impression of Boothbay Harbor and surrounding areas was that they are sleepy seaside towns. A place to go to escape and possibly retire. The houses have a style of their own - timber weatherboard, a porch at the front with adriondack chairs or similar, angled roofs, and so many homes had the American flag proudly displayed. We ate a lot of lobster. That and homemade cookies that the hosts of Topside Inn spoiled us with each afternoon. As you walk through the tiny towns many of the shop signs are written with gold paint. Visiting this part of the world was the more relaxing element of our trip.

Highlights

• The Lobster Shack at Two Lights - a tourist and local hotspot by the sea where you can sit and eat a lobster roll or other fresh seafood meals

• The Topside Inn - nice bed & breakfast with friendly hosts who make a really good breakfast and yummy afternoon baked treats

Next up is Montréal, this may take me a while...

Quebec City

2011-06-24T12:47:00.007+10:00

I actually had a few days in Montreal while Reid was still working before going to Quebec City but I'll post those pics a little later as we spent more time there after our road trip.

After Reid finished up working we hired a car and drove north to Quebec City. Quebec City is a cute little city on the top of Cap-Diamant. It is quite a touristy location with plenty of tourist shops and some nice clothing and chocolate stores mixed in. The streets are lined with beautiful old buildings and there are lots of big hills to walk up and down. We stayed in a very cute boutique hotel called Auberge place d'armes and I could happily have spent all my time in the room. It was so cozy - lined with exposed brick walls, a comfy bed with good quality linen, French windows opening to the stone street below and very stylish decor. When it comes to hotels I'm very picky (I wear thongs/sandals in the shower if that gives you an idea of how much) but I felt so comfortable here and there was a feel of quality to everything. It was nice also to hear the sound of a little old lady on the street below singing to people walking by.

Highlights

• Auberge place d'armes

• Chez Temporel (25 Rue Couillard) - stopped here for hot chocolate and croissants

Toronto

2011-06-24T11:54:00.009+10:00

So I ended up taking 893 photos. That's a lot of images to sort through. In an effort to upload them quickly and also eliminate any blogger problems with doing one large post I'm going to break them up over several posts based on the city visited. In each post I'll give a little breakdown of my time there and some highlights of the things I loved. I'll also thank those who gave me some tips on what to do whilst there. So here we go - first stop Toronto, Canada!

Reid (hubby) and I lived in Toronto for 9 months a few years ago. It was my first real trip overseas (other than Malaysia when I was little) and we were introduced to a girl named Bonnie. Bonnie took us under her wing and showed us so many things about Toronto that herself and her twin sister loved. Bonnie has since visited us in Australia and we said we would try to see one another every 5 years. So I made sure to stop at Toronto on my way to Montreal for a visit. I only had 1 1/2 days her before meeting up with Reid in Montreal (over there for his work) but we had a fun day shopping along Queen Street in the sunshine with stops for lunch and chocolate. And then dinner with her husband and sister that night. I then had another half day by myself so visited St Lawrence Market, had a good old Tim Hortons coffee and visited the Distillery (the place Bonnie & her husband married). The Distillery is a district filled with restored Victorian Industrial buildings lined with cafes, shops and galleries. Unfortunately while I was there a lot of the stores were closed but it was nice to walk through the brick-lined streets.

Highlights
• From the Potting Shed - a small store in the distillery with beautifully potted plants and garden items

• St Lawrence Market - a building filled with stores selling fresh bread, meats, fish, cheese, fruit & veges among other things

• Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory - handmade chocolates. I may have sampled a few of these over 2 visits :/

• Love of Mine - a boutique selling very funky jewelry and clothing

{ thanks bonnie for the recommendations }

Next up is Quebec City.

Frankie Clothing

2011-06-23T20:13:00.006+10:00

This is another photography job I did a little while ago that went live while I was away. Frankie Clothing is a very funky line of crews and v-necks for guys started up by fellow designer Marcus Laffranchi. Marc and I studied Graphic Design together a few years ago now and I have always admired his style and think it's very cool and inspiring that he has launched his first collection. I was a little scared and apprehensive when he first asked me to take some photos since I have never been behind the camera taking fashion photographs but I'm happy with how they came out. I'm excited to see Frankie Clothing grows. For those guys interested there is a shop setup on the site with an opening sale of 20% off + free shipping for Australian orders for the month of June.

Nude Food Italian Issue

2011-06-23T14:55:00.003+10:00

I'm back! And trying very hard to keep my eyes open since I flew in at 6:30am this morning and failed to catch any sleep on the plane. I had the most amazing time and ate so much delicious food and spent way too much money but hey, holidays are like that. I'm yet to get to looking at my photos but will share some over the next couple days along with some reviews and stories of my travels.

In the meantime above are some shots I did for the latest issue of Nude Food Magazine - The Italian issue which went on sale while I was away.

Eek!

2011-06-04T23:45:00.003+10:00

Just a quick post as it's nearly midnight and I have to be up early to get sorted for my flight tomorrow. I feel so unorganised. And I seriously am the worlds worst suitcase packer. It took me a few times to get it right and I still feel like I have too much. I have all the suggestions jotted down of places to eat and see so thank you again! I'm really looking forward to it now. I hope everyone has a really nice couple weeks. For now it's au revoir, talk to you soon x.

3 more sleeps

2011-06-02T22:36:00.004+10:00

This week I have been busy finishing off work before I head overseas on Sunday. I'm yet to pack or finalise what I will do in Montréal but hopefully Saturday will allow time to do so. Thank you to those who gave me some pointers on what to see and do in Montréal. It helps so much to hear what others like from the city and good spots to eat and shop, two things I plan on doing a lot of! I'm looking forward to seeing new sights and discovering another part of the world.

The above are a few images I styled and shot this week for a client I do a lot of work for - Maryon's. They recently received a shipment of the new Summer Givenchy bags and I think I'm in love with all of them. The collection is a little bit edgy but still classic and sophisticated. Something tells me my travel bag won't look as stylish as these with my big blue ribbon hanging from the handle!

My attempt at sewing

2011-05-25T21:58:00.010+10:00

I won't deny it, I'm terrible at sewing. I failed sewing in high school and years later I'm still no better. When I have kids I'm sure the poor things will be sent to school with crooked buttons and shoddy hemlines. But we have 2 old chairs that have been sitting in our apartment in desperate need of restoration and getting them done professionally can add up. So, this is my attempt at restoring a chair. There is no 'how to' or detail closeups as they are filled with imperfections, but I think I will feel more comfortable relaxing in them now than before. That's if they don't fall apart.

Numero 74

2011-05-24T09:24:00.003+10:00

This cute online store was sent to me by a friend - Numero 74 sell furniture and vintage items as well as handmade blankets and pillows for kids. Not only are the pieces very cool but I love the colours and styling of their product photographs.

{ via natalie mccomas }

Morning fog over Brisbane

2011-05-23T07:04:00.002+10:00

Morning, noon & night

2011-05-18T09:25:00.009+10:00

As mentioned the weather here is starting to cool down which means the winter clothes are slowly making their way into the wardrobe and the craving for warm cooked meals grows stronger. It also means getting up before 6am to do exercise is proving to be quite difficult. Thank goodness for the winter layers! Hopefully the above satisfies those cool weather cravings.

A mid year holiday

2011-05-16T21:47:00.006+10:00

I'm very excited to say that in June I will jumping on a plane and heading to Montréal with a stopover in San Francisco. Two places I have been eager to visit for a while now. I think I will be like a kid in a candy store with my camera and no doubt I will bore you with photos on my return! I would love to hear of any recommendations of what to see/visit while I'm there. Boutique shops, restaurants/cafes, bakeries, antique stores, pretty must see areas or anything like that.

On my google mission for finding photos of Montréal I came across photographer Benoit Paillé, a photographer based in Montréal, and really love the soft colours and feel of the above photos.

{ via feature shoot }

Autumn has arrived

2011-05-15T20:21:00.006+10:00

I hope everyone had a nice weekend. It was blue skies and crisp cool air here in Brisbane and Autumn finally feels like it has arrived. We enjoyed the afternoon sitting on the riverbank eating cheese and crackers and sipping a glass of wine with friends and our little Dexter. A nice way to end a weekend.

The above are a few photos I really like from liebigpartie.

Succulent terrarium

2011-05-11T21:59:00.009+10:00

I love the look of terrariums and while flipping through Real Living Magazine some time ago I came across this DIY project on how to make a succulent terrarium. So I collected my bits and pieces and today put it all together. The above is the result. They are really easy to do and can look quite effective. If you click on the middle pic it enlarges so you can read the step by step instructions.

Photo inspiration

2011-05-10T21:42:00.003+10:00

I have been sitting here for about an hour scrolling through the image archives on Revolvver. These are some of the black and white photographs that I like.

{ via that kind of woman }

My heart wanders book launch

2011-05-08T00:17:00.007+10:00

Today our little town of Brisbane was graced with the very talented Pia Jane Bijkerk for the launch of her latest book 'My heart wanders'. The event was held at St Francis Theological College and what a perfect location it was. The setting was stunning with old stone buildings surrounded by soft green lawn, the sun was shining and we all enjoyed little cakes and sweets served on vintage crockery. Pia is such an inspiration to so many with her successful blog and beautifully photographed books. I'm looking forward to flipping through the pages and reading of her journey and self discovery.

A perfect Friday night

2011-04-29T22:42:00.004+10:00

I'm in my element tonight - up to date with my work, take away for dinner followed by a chocolate Easter bunny, watching a bit of the royal wedding and tv and now finally I'm able to scroll through a few blogs (long overdue) before enjoying a 3 day weekend. A perfect Friday night.

I came across these images of an interior in Berlin and love the light filling the rooms and use of black and white photographs. I'm thinking our white walls could do with a little decorating of some kind.

{ images found on freunde von freunden via fine ting og sjokolade }

Puppy eyes

2011-04-28T10:34:00.003+10:00

I've been busy working on the next lot of images for nude food magazine this past week as well as being surrounded in designer shoes for a job I'm working on. So I've had to keep this little one away for fear of him chewing expensive shoes while I'm not looking. But how can I resist those eyes. I rewarded him this morning with a new chew toy and already he is tearing it apart. Little monster.

Morning, noon & night

2011-04-16T14:34:00.022+10:00

To add a bit of consistency to the food part of Little things I've decided (attempting!) to start a new section called 'Morning, noon & night'. I will post a selection of recipes which will hopefully give ideas for the 3 main meals of the day.

This week I'm starting off with a few of my favourites -

Morning - toasted muesli with raspberries and greek yoghurt

Noon - grilled ciabatta with pesto, mushroom & goat's cheese

Night - steak au poivre followed by molten chocolate pudding

If you click on the recipe/text images they will open up larger. I hope you enjoy the new section!

Blake & Taylor

2011-04-16T14:18:00.005+10:00

This year I have started doing work for a little shop in Paddington called Blake & Taylor who sell recycled furniture and homewares. On my first visit I fell in love with the store and the way everything was perfectly styled. Inside the store they have a cute little cafe where tea and coffee are served in vintage pots and High Tea presented on vintage China. I took some photos for the store recently as an introduction to their cafe and High Tea. Worth a visit if you're in Brisbane.

Nüde Food Magazine

2011-04-05T21:05:00.007+10:00

As I mentioned in previous posts I've had a busy month. One project I worked on in that time was for Nüde Food Magazine. Nüde Food is produced on the Gold Coast and it caught my eye a while back for its organic and fresh look. After meeting with the friendly team who created the magazine I put together some shots ( a sample shown above) for their Autumn issue which today I was very excited to see in the newsagent. The magazine looks great and the recipes really are delicious (a few spoonfuls may have been sampled here and there). I'm looking forward to doing some more work with them and seeing how the magazine grows.

For those who love Italian food and live around Brisbane, Nüde Food are holding a lunch at Tartufo called The Big Fat Italian Lunch on Sunday 12th June. The hubby and I dined there on Friday night and the food is amazing. Details are on the Nüde Food website.

Chouquette

2011-04-02T20:47:00.004+10:00

It was the perfect day here in Brisbane. Bright blue sky and nice and warm without being too steamy. We started our day with a walk along the river with Dexter followed by a breakfast of croissants from a French bakery in New Farm called Chouquette. It has been on my list to visit for sometime and I'm not sure why we didn't visit sooner. The breads and pastries are beautifully done and they put my little strawberry tart earlier to shame! The pastry is so light and the pistachio brioche whilst unusually shaped was delicious.

Strawberry and passionfruit sable pastry tart

2011-04-02T17:28:00.005+10:00

Finally a little food post! I was in charge of taking dessert along to a dinner with friends this week and I found this recipe in the latest edition of Country Style magazine. I'm yet to perfect pastry but with some practice I will get there.

Strawberry and passionfruit sable pastry tart

Passionfruit mixture

• 1 cup milk

• 1 vanilla bean, split

• 3 egg yolks

• 1/3 cup caster sugar

• 2 tbsp cornflour

• 1/2 cup passionfruit pulp

Strawberries

• 250g punnet strawberries, hulled and sliced

• 1/2 tsp icing sugar

• 1 tbsp vanilla Galliano liqueur

• Double cream or ice-cream to serve

Sable pastry

• 2 egg yolks

• 1/2 cup icing sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cups plain flour

• Pinch of baking powder

• Pinch of salt

• 175g unsalted butter, softened

Passionfruit mixture - Heat milk and vanilla bean over medium heat until it reaches a gentle simmer. Remove from heat and discard vanilla bean. Set aside. With an electric beater, beat egg yolk, caster sugar and cornflour for 3 minutes or until thick and creamy. Gradually add hot milk, whisking gently until combined. Strain passionfruit pulp through a sieve and discard seeds. Stir passionfruit juice into the milk mixture and combine. Pour mixture back into pot and heat over medium heat for 5 minutes or until mixture begins to boil and thicken. Refrigerate until required.

Sable pastry - Using an electric beater, beat the egg yolk, icing sugar and vanilla extract for 2 minutes or until thick and creamy. Gradually add the flour, baking powder and pinch of salt and beat until combined. Add butter and beat until combined. Divide dough into 4 equal portions, flatten into 3cm thick round discs, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 200˚C. Lightly grease four 2cm deep, 10cm tart pans with removable bases. Roll pastry discs between 2 sheets of baking paper and line pans with pastry. Place in freezer for 10 minutes. Transfer pans to a oven tray and line each pastry case with a circle of baking paper and fill with baking weights. Bake for 10 minutes or until pastry is golden. Remove weights and paper and allow to sit in pans for 5 minutes before removing from pans. Cool pastry on a wire wrack.

Strawberries - Combine strawberry, icing sugar and Galliano in a bowl and stand for 30 minutes. Drain strawberries and set aside.

To serve - Spoon passionfruit mixture into pastry shells. Divide strawberries among tarts. Serve with double cream or ice-cream.

~ Serves 4

An exciting week

2011-03-26T21:45:00.011+10:00

And so I've let another week pass without a post. It has been a busy one with its fair share of challenges but it ended on a very happy note. The intercom rang on Friday and downstairs was a new Apple computer being delivered to me. My husband spoilt me big time. I think he noticed my ever increasing frustration of having to wait for my older computer to complete simple tasks. Or the trips I would make to grab a chocolate from the kitchen whilst the computer was chugging along. I'm very excited about it and feel very spoilt. Thank you Reidy :)

To my parents - a big congratulations on your new house being finished this week. A long time coming but you should both be proud of your hard work. Looking forward to our first family dinner.

I'd also like to say that I hope our good friend Bonnie has the most amazing wedding day this weekend. Sending our congratulations from Oz and we hope you enjoy every moment!

And lastly, a little fashion post - love the photographs of the Sessun Spring collection.

{ via all the mountains... }

Rachel Weisz

2011-03-19T09:21:00.002+10:00

When I saw the movie The Lovely Bones I fell in love with Rachel Weisz who plays the mother. She is one very pretty and classy lady. Above is one of the photos taken of her by photographer Greg Williams for UK magazine Esquire.

{ via willow & frank }

Hair inspiration

2011-03-16T14:44:00.004+10:00

I think I've mentioned in the past that I'm not great with styling my hair. On those nothing to do nights I've started looking at YouTube videos for hair tutorials (yes, rather sad) and I'm trying to make more of an effort to do something other than hair down. I really like this 3 twisted buns hair tutorial from A cup of Jo. It looks easy and something even I could perhaps master. Great photos as well!

{ via frolic }

Morrison winter collection

2011-03-16T14:20:00.003+10:00

I love the latest Morrison winter collection. The tailored jackets look very cool and classy. After seeing her bangs I think I might like my hair like that for winter also!

Photo inspiration

2011-03-16T12:44:00.003+10:00

The temperature is cooling slightly now which is a nice change from our humid Brisbane summer. Not as cool as in these photos though. Aren't they dreamy?

{ via a field journal & fine ting og sjokolade }

Late nights and a weekend escape

2011-03-09T09:00:00.007+10:00

Last week was crazy busy with many late nights and my Friday night finishing at 1am. 2 1/2 hours later I was up again to catch a flight to Melbourne for our 1 year wedding/10 years of dating anniversary. I love Melbourne. I could happily move there in a flash.

We pretty much ate our way through the weekend and explored as many boutique shops as we could find. We dined at the very fancy Neil Perry's Rockpool restaurant and I had the most amazing goats cheese stuffed tortellini with burnt butter, prawns and pine nuts. We also had an Italian wood fire pizza on Lygon Street followed by dessert at Brunetti. And for breakfast we stopped at a few tiny cafes hidden in little laneways.

The standout for me was breakfast at Cumulus Inc. The place was jam packed with people waiting for seats so we ended up sitting at the bar. I ordered the Turkish baked eggs, spiced tomato, dukkah and labne served in a small skillet. Loved the skillet! Really yummy food and coffee and the place had a cool vibe.

Melbourne, I hope to see you again soon. For now, back to work.

Banneton Bakery

2011-02-24T15:02:00.006+10:00

I LOVE bakeries. Unfortunately. I'd be a lot slimmer if I loved fruit and vege shops more. A friend told me about this one a while ago and I finally visited their Woolloongabba store. Banneton Bakery on Balaclava Street is a tiny little bakery and coffee shop setup on the side of the road and they have the yummiest selection of breads, pastries and cakes. Their breads are baked in a wood-fired oven and use natural ingredients. Worth a visit if you live in Brisbane.

Hucklebones

2011-02-24T07:54:00.005+10:00

How cute are these girls clothes from London brand Hucklebones! Love the simple styling and photography and the girls are very cute as well.

{ via all the mountains }

Where they create

2011-02-23T21:50:00.002+10:00

I love this photographic project called Where they create by interior based photographer Paul Barbera. While traveling he documents the environments of artists and creatives. It's interesting to see what inspires certain people and what we need around us to motivate and help us feel at home . The Jewels of New York (shown above) feature on there among many other interesting and talented people.

{ via 16 house }

Chocolate brownies

2011-02-23T20:44:00.007+10:00

I'm feeling somewhat guilty posting this while The Biggest Looser is on the TV beside me... but hey, everything in moderation. Today's little food project was the classic chocolate brownie. Really good served warm with a dollop of cream or ice-cream - followed by a glass of water as it's very sweet!

Chocolate brownie

• 200g dark chocolate

•125g unsalted butter

• 30g unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted, plus extra for dusting

• 3 eggs

• 220g raw sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 125g plain flour, sifted

• Thick double cream, or vanilla ice-cream to serve

Preheat oven to 180˚C. Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper. Place chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until the butter and chocolate are melted and smooth. Remove from heat, add cocoa and combine until smooth. Set aside. Beat eggs, vanilla and sugar until just combined. Pour into chocolate mixture, fold in flour and stir until well combined. Pour mixture into prepared cake tin and bake for 30-35 mintues or until set around the edges. The brownie should be moist in the middle. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Remove from tin and cut into squares. Serve warm with cream or ice-cream.

Ribs with BBQ sauce, sage roasted vegetables and apple tartlets

2011-02-21T09:16:00.009+10:00

I thought I'd start Monday off with a food post (been a while I know). Baby back ribs with homemade BBQ sauce, sage roasted vegetables and apple tartlets. I hope everyone has a nice start to the week!

Baby back ribs with BBQ sauce

BBQ sauce

• 1 cup tomato sauce/ketchup

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

• 1 cup brown sugar

• Dash cayenne pepper

• 1 tbsp dry mustard powder

• 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Ribs

• 2 racks baby back ribs

• 5 cloves garlic

• Salt and pepper

BBQ sauce - Combine ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Ribs - Preheat oven to 175˚C. Cut racks into single ribs. Arrange ribs in a roasting pan lined with baking paper - meaty sides up. Add garlic cloves and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake ribs in oven for 1 hour turning over half way through. Turn to meaty part again and brush half the BBQ sauce over the ribs. Cover with foil and reduce oven to 120˚C and bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Serve with roasted vegetables and extra BBQ sauce.

~ Serves 4

Sage roasted vegetables

• 14 baby potatoes, halved
• 3 carrots, peeled, thickly sliced
• 1 bulb garlic, broken into cloves
• Red wine vinegar
• Olive oil
• 50g butter, cubed
• Fresh sage, roughly torn
• 6-8 thin peels of lemon rind

Preheat oven to 190˚C. Rinse potatoes and bring to boil in salted water. Parboil for 6-7 minutes. Drain and spread potatoes in a single layer over a baking tray. Add butter and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and cook in oven for 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from oven and crush slightly with the back of a fork. Add olive oil, sage, garlic, a splash of red wine vinegar and lemon rind. Combine and put back in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until golden. Serve with ribs.

~ Serves 4

Apple tartlets

• 1 sheet pre-rolled puff pastry
• 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into thin semi circles
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp apricot jam
• Squeeze of lemon juice

Preheat oven to 180˚C. Combine caster sugar and ground cinnamon and set aside. Toss apples through lemon juice to stop from discolouring and set aside. Cut 4 rounds in the pastry sheet using a 7" plate. Flip the plate over and gently push into each pastry circle using the base of the plate to form an indent (approx. 4 inches). Lay apple slices in a circle pattern within indent on each circle of pastry and brush edges with egg-wash. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until pastry is golden. Heat apricot jam in a small saucepan over low heat until simmering and brush over pastries. Serve with ice-cream.

~ Makes 4

VDC - Le Vestiaire de clé

2011-02-19T20:35:00.004+10:00

I came across VDC a while back and was drawn to the simplistic cuts to their clothing and the quality fabrics used in their production. They also look really comfortable. And if you're looking for something for the home then they also have a home collection called VDJ home with some really nice linen pieces on there.

Back to the future

2011-02-19T20:05:00.003+10:00

This was forwarded to me the other day and I thought it was a pretty interesting and quite a quirky photo series. Photographer Irena Werning from Buenos Aires has an ongoing project called 'Back to the future' which invites people to reenact their childhood photos. Pretty cool and fun to participate in I would imagine.

Beach wedding

2011-02-19T19:33:00.004+10:00

Jonas Peterson is a very talented wedding photographer who's photographs feature regularly in bridal magazines. And it's no wonder why. He captures the details and emotions of weddings perfectly. I fell in love with this wedding for Sammy and Mandy located in Bali. I love the relaxed feel and intimacy of it and beautiful candlelit table setting. The reception celebrations looked like a bit of fun also! More photos from the wedding can be viewed here.

Settling in

2011-02-19T10:55:00.002+10:00

I have had a very busy and tiring week. Not only has work been fairly busy but this little one has kept me running around after him all week. We have had our moments of frustration that's for sure but he is finally settling in and going the whole night without a peep. I must admit it is nice having the little guy around, especially when he rests his head between my feet while I'm working.

Before and after

2011-02-14T21:30:00.006+10:00

As mentioned last week I picked up an old crockery hutch from an antique dealer. This was my first DIY furniture project so a little nervous but pretty happy with the outcome. I used Porter's Milk Paint which I thoroughly recommend. It comes in a powder form which you mix with water to form a pancake like consistency and then you paint it on. It doesn't have a strong smell like most paints and it is really nice to work with. So after quite a bit of elbow grease sanding it back, undercoating, painting and sealing it with beeswax this is the result.

Introducing Dexter

2011-02-13T20:45:00.003+10:00

I'd like you to meet Dexter - the little addition to our family. We picked him up yesterday and boy was it a tiring day. The poor thing was pretty stressed and kept us busy cleaning up all of yesterday and last night. With minimal sleep all 3 of us were dead to the world on the couch this afternoon. Luckily he has settled today and happily spent a lot of the time chasing after things with his big ears plopping around. Hopefully that means a peaceful night sleep tonight!

Polaroid day

2011-02-08T21:42:00.005+10:00

This looks like a book you could sit with for hours mesmerised by the images. A few polaroid photos by the very talented Amanda from Mocking Bird feature in the book called 'Polaroid day' along with those by a selection of other great photographers. More images from the book can be viewed here.

And on a very happy note today I found a crockery hutch! It took some climbing through cobwebs downstairs of an antique store and will need a bit of love but I think I will be very happy with the outcome. At least I hope so, it's my first DIY attempt!

The neverending search

2011-02-07T14:46:00.003+10:00

Ever since we moved into our new place I have been on the search for the perfect crockery hutch/cupboard. Currently all my food styling bits and pieces and special crockery sit in a large cardboard box on the floor and I'm very eager to give them a home, but boy am I struggling to find the right one. Admittedly I'm pretty picky and very particular with what I'm looking for which doesn't help the situation. Hopefully soon the search will be over. On a positive it's helping me save money by not buying new crockery!

Hello!

2011-02-07T13:59:00.005+10:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, the past week has been a busy one. It's that time of year when work picks up so my head has been buried in my computer. I also sent my folio off to print (finally) on Friday so I'm hoping on bringing in a few more clients over the coming months.

I took a break just now to have a look at Daily Imprint and discovered the fashion brand Scout & Catalogue. Created by Breanna Musgrove the label is influenced by the bohemian beach culture of Mexico. Not only are the pieces really unique but I also love the photography and styling of them.

Orange and vanilla upside down cake

2011-01-27T16:13:00.003+10:00

Today's project was an orange and vanilla upside down cake - a recipe from the Donna Hay Seasons book. This one is quite a sweet cake and you only really need one slice. But two is tempting.

Orange and vanilla upside-down cake

Orange topping
• 1 cup (220g) caster sugar
• 1/2 cup (125ml) water
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
• 2 oranges, very thinly sliced

Cake base

• 4 eggs

• 1 cup (220g) caster sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup (150g) self-raising flour

• 150g butter, melted

• 1 cup (120g) almond meal

Orange topping - Preheat oven to 160˚C. To make topping place sugar, water and vanilla in a 2.5 litre-capacity 20cm non-stick ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves then add the orange slices. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until orange is soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cake base - Place eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk for 8-10 minutes or until the mixture is thick, pale and tripled in volume. Sift the flour over the egg mixture and fold through. Fold through the butter and almond meal. Pour mixture over orange and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Turn out onto a platter to serve.

A touch of vintage

2011-01-26T20:24:00.005+10:00

Another set of interior/still life photos I put together this week.

Happy Australia Day!

2011-01-26T16:55:00.005+10:00

Being Australia day I had the intention of making something a little more exciting than this but it failed miserably! So here we have a very simple favourite party food of many Aussie children - fairy bread. Sometimes the simpler things can make us the happiest. Happy Australia day!

Fairy bread

• Hundreds and thousands

• Sliced white bread

• Butter

Spread butter over however many slices you like and coat with hundreds and thousands. Cut into triangles. Easy and guaranteed to put a smile on those little faces.

Pea and prosciutto vignole

2011-01-18T15:16:00.008+10:00

With all the power outages and eating take away over the past week I've been craving something healthy and green. So today for lunch I made a pea and prosciutto vignole with mint and artichoke. The flavours were really subtle and a welcome change from oily pizza and pies. Really easy to make as well. You can add broad beans but I didn't have them on hand so only used peas.

Pea and prosciutto vignole

• Olive oil

• 2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

• 200ml vegetable stock

• 500g frozen peas (or 250g peas and 250g broad beans)

• 145g artichokes, drained and halved

• Handful of mint

• 4 slices prosciutto

Heat oil in a large pan and cook spring onions for 2 minutes. Add stock and frozen peas. Stir in the artichokes, a few sprigs of mint and season with salt and pepper. Lay slices of prosciutto over the top to form a lid, bring to a simmer and allow to bubble away for 10 minutes. Remove the prosciutto from the top, tear up and stir through. Season to taste and serve with mint sprigs scattered over top and a drizzle of olive oil. Serves 4.

Long road to recovery

2011-01-14T15:43:00.007+10:00

Thank you for all the caring messages left with my last post. It really has been quite a traumatic and surreal experience these past few days. So many have been left homeless in Brisbane and our city now faces a very long road to recovery. We were left without power (some suburbs still without) for a couple days and pretty much trapped in our suburb as every street we turned down was filled with water. Grocery store shelves were emptied with panic buying, it was hard to communicate with our phones draining one by one and nothing could be done until the water began to recede. Our new place luckily was left untouched but friends of ours were not so lucky. They are now staying with us until their home is livable again. Tomorrow we also face a big day of cleaning up a family business that went completely under. Times like this really brings out the good in people with individuals you have never met lending a hand to get your life back together again. Nice to see.

Longing for clear skies

2011-01-11T10:32:00.008+10:00

Our little state of Queensland is slowly disappearing underwater. We have had a very small handful of sunny days in the past month and this week the weather has been extreme. Flash flooding has left many homes underwater and owners have had to evacuate to higher ground. The Brisbane river is due to swell today which is a concern for many with homes and businesses close to its edge. Hopefully this is the worst of it and soon we have clear skies again.

Plum brioche pudding

2011-01-08T13:35:00.006+10:00

I haven't made anything with brioche before and as the market stalls were stocked high with plums this morning I wanted to give this recipe by Jamie Oliver a go. It's not quite as pretty looking as Jamie's but it tasted good.

Plum brioche pudding

• 300g brioche, torn into chunks

• 250ml double cream

• 4 eggs

• 2 tbsp rum

• 4 tbsp caster sugar

• 580g plums, stoned and halved

• 4 tbsp plum jam

• Custard, to serve

Place brioche in a bowl and mix with cream. Leave to soak. Whisk together eggs, sugar and rum and combine with the brioche mixture. Push the plums into the mixture and shape into a ball. Tie tightly in 2-3 layers of muslin securing the top together. Steam in a steamer for an hour. Melt jam with 2 tbsp of water. Remove pudding from steamer and turn onto a plate. Pour jam over pudding and top with custard to serve.

Blog love

2011-01-07T23:22:00.004+10:00

Pretty images by photographer Paul Schmidt found on a very pretty blog called Willow & Frank. I could spend hours scrolling through the pages looking at all the dreamy pictures.

Ricor

2011-01-07T22:46:00.004+10:00

I saved the top right image to my desktop a while ago because I loved her hair and tonight I came across the photographer. Taiwanese photographer Ricor has some really nice work and uses film which is nice to see.

{ via all the mountains }

New year new look

2011-01-07T21:57:00.003+10:00

As you may have noticed I've given Little things a bit of a freshen up. I'm not sure if it's a personal thing or a common thing with creative people but I find I get so bored after a while of what I work on and desperately need a change. So new year new look.

Friday inspiration - love the colours of Maritza Teodoro's latest moodboard.

Time to get going

2011-01-05T19:41:00.005+10:00

Boy am I struggling to get going so far this year! In an effort to stop procrastinating and get on with things today I put together a bit of an interior/still life set of photos. I'm in the process of putting together my portfolio so some new and fresh projects are on the 'to do' list.

Lazy days

2010-12-29T17:51:00.003+10:00

I hope you have all had a nice Christmas. I've had a very lazy few days filled with a little too much chocolate consumption and movie watching. It has been raining non stop for the past week here in Brisbane so a little hard to pull oneself off the couch. But the new year is quickly approaching and I came across these posters which I thought provide a nice bit of motivation stepping into the new year.

{ via lotta agaton }

A special Christmas

2010-12-22T14:29:00.009+10:00

This year it's our first Christmas as a married couple and the first Christmas we are hosting for my family (we're so mature!). So I wanted to do something a little bit special. Inspired by this months issue of Country Style and Toast I got a few decorative ideas and I thought I'd share what I've created. Now all we need is some delicious food and a table filled with family and we're set for a special Christmas.

I hope you all have a very Happy Christmas filled with good company, wholesome food and stockings overflowing with yummy sweets *

Again, apologies for the type looking a bit lo-res. Still haven't quite figured out how to keep it sharp.

Style for the whole family

2010-12-21T21:36:00.004+10:00

Some very stylish looking clothes by Allsaints. Not just for us oldies but the little ones as well.

{ via finally hatachi }

Peter Bagi

2010-12-21T09:09:00.004+10:00

I was chuffed the other morning to receive an email from Canadian Photographer and Designer Peter Bagi praising my site and style. As mentioned in the past it's not the easiest thing in the world to put your work out there and have it judged by others. So to receive feedback (especially when it's nice!) is welcoming. It helps to grow and pushes you to strive harder at what you do.

I had a look at Peter's sites and my goodness he has a beautiful style. We have similar stories in that we have come from design backgrounds and an obsession with food magazines has led to other areas. Peter's site and blog are both worth a look and provide a nice dose of Tuesday inspiration.

Moving in

2010-12-17T21:06:00.003+10:00

We made our move a couple weekends ago into our new space in Teneriffe and it has been tiring to say the least! The day we moved our furniture it poured down with rain and we were pretty worn out by the end of the day. Happy to say though that things are finding a place and it is starting to feel more like home.

Teneriffe is a great area to live in with its big old brick buildings, coffee shops and restaurants lining the street and a path along the Brisbane river which I'm loving running along of a morning. I think I will like it here.

Birthday sweet table inspiration

2010-12-01T15:14:00.004+10:00

This is by far one of the coolest kids party tables I have ever seen! I love everything about it and no doubt little Emerson did as well.

{ thanks bonnie for the link. via the caketress }

An exciting day!

2010-12-01T07:00:00.008+10:00

Today is a very exciting day for a couple reasons. It's the 1st of December which means the Christmas tree and decorations can come out and the year begins to wind down. I love the lead up to Christmas. The excitement of getting together with family and knowing you have a few days away from work to do nothing but veg out and relax. The images above are from the Toast Christmas catalogue and I thought they were good to get us in the festive season mood.

Today is also exciting for us as we pick up the keys to our new apartment. The nerves of going through settlement are diminishing and excitement is quickly taking its place. So tonight it's a picnic on the floor as our minds run wild with ideas of what we could do with the space.

Bloom

2010-11-24T07:34:00.004+10:00

I have been quiet with the posts the past few days as packing and getting ready for our move has kept me rather busy. Our current apartment is small but boy do we know how to fill every nook and cranny with 'things'! What you accumulate over time is pretty amazing. So unfortunately there will be no food posts for a little while as all my cooking bits and pieces are packed away and silly me packed my camera battery charger in one of the boxes and now my camera needs charging. I think I've learnt I'm not the worlds most smartest packer! On an exciting note, yesterday we bought dining chairs. They are rustic, vintage and have an interesting story to them so I can't wait to receive them when we move. I will be sure to share.

The shots above are from Bloom magazine, a magazine focussing on trends in horticulture including flowers, plants, seeds and garden. They are up to issue 19 - 'Farm of the future' and the issues are filled with some really interesting and beautiful photos.

{ via frolic }

Chocolate panforte

2010-11-19T08:07:00.008+10:00

Christmas is just a little over a month away now (eek!). I love getting in the kitchen and baking things for Christmas. One sweet I've never made before is Italian Panforte. Traditionally it's more of a fruit cake but I decided to try Martha Stewarts chocolate version. A piece of this and a cup of coffee and I'd be very happy.

Chocolate panforte

• 3/4 cup hazelnuts

• Soft butter for pan

• 1/2 cup dried cherries

• 2 tbsp brandy

• 1 cup good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped

• 1 cup plus 1/2 tbsp plain flour

• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 2/3 cup honey

• 2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

• 1/2 tsp cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 176˚C. Spread nuts on a baking tray lined with paper. Bake until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and rub in a clean tea towel to remove skins. Set aside. Reduce oven heat to 148˚C. Brush a 9-inch springform pan with soft butter and line with baking paper. Combine cherries, hazelnuts, brandy and dark chocolate in a medium bowl, set aside. Sift 1 cup flour and 1/2 tsp cinnamon in a bowl, set aside. Combine honey and brown sugar in a saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 2 minutes. Combine with the fruit and nut mixture, stirring until combined. Fold in flour and mix to combine. Pour into prepared pan. With a spatula, press the mixture to form a level layer. Combine the remaining 1/2 tbsp flour, 1 tsp cinnamon and cocoa. Sift over unbaked cake. Bake until set, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Gently brush off flour coating before serving.

Restaurant interior inspiration

2010-11-17T07:44:00.005+10:00

I'm surrounded by a wall of boxes at the moment as we're due to move out in 2 weeks. 2 weeks! Very excited and looking forward to a change in scenery. I've been thinking and flipping through magazines a lot looking for ideas for furniture and interior looks. I came across these pictures this morning via Le voyage créatif of a restaurant in Milano called U Barba. The mix of old timber and industrial lights is something I'm definitely leaning towards for our place and being that we will no longer have a balcony a stool like the above could look good by the window. I better start saving my pennies!

Glen Proebstel

2010-11-12T22:12:00.005+10:00

Another wee purchase I made today (seems I make a lot of wee purchases) was the latest issue of Inside Out magazine. Inside there was a Christmas feature called 'made with love' showcasing Bourke Street Bakery recipes. I was instantly drawn to the mood of the photographs and styling and tonight had a look at stylist Glen Proebstel's folio. It's pretty impressive. I think it's fairly obvious to say that I'm drawn to all things rustic and his folio demonstrates just that. Both his interior and food work is impressive and worth a look.

For those interested to know more about Glen and how he got to where he is today there is an interview with him on The Design Files.