Polenta Biscuits

These little biscuits originated in Venice. The sultana's are soaked in rum overnight. Excellent with an expresso coffee. Thank you to Nigella Lawson.

All set for a rainy day

As soon as the bed was made this morning Maxi made himself ready for the day. Yes they are hand embroidered pillowslips circa 1979. Even I don't put my head on them.

Inside The Linen Cupboard Door

 These are 2 posters that I bought in Victoria the capital of Mahe in the Seychelles. I had them laminated. Every time I go to the linen cupboard I am reminded of a very interesting holiday.

I made the plum tart

I didn't have small tart tins so a made 1 long tart. See Saturdays blog. It was a success. Served with creme fraiche.

Fish Ash Tray

I bought the little1950's fish ash tray at an antique market. 
It makes a perfect salt holder.

Plum Tart

The plums are so ripe and sweet at the moment I am making this plum tart for dessert for tomorrow's lunch. I have already made the compote it is delicious. I will make up the tart in the morning. This will definately be added to my summer fruit dessert favourites.

Dream sunroom

I love the whole feeling of this room. Plants give a room a great feel especially in our climate.

Garlic Chive Flowers

Our garlic chives are in full flower at the moment. They make a lovely display. Another of my 'free' cut flower projects.

Our Flamingo

I have had a facination with Flamingo's all my life. I am sure it is because they are pink. When I visited Nekker Island I saw a lake full of the most beautiful pink Flamingo's. They feed them fresh salmon to keep the colour. We have had our Flamingo since 1998. He stands next to the travellers palm. When he fist came to us as a gift he was taller than the travellers palm, now it is higher than the house.

Old ash trays

The ashtray on the left belonged to Graham's grandmother. He always like it, so it was given to him after his Grandmother died. The very next weekend I found the one on the right at the Cannon Hill Markets. I just had to have it. They sit in the bookcase now and hold tea light candles.

Rocket & Pear Salad

My rocket is growing so well. I didn't go out in the rain on Saturday. I found a pear and cut it up with rocket from the garden and dressd it with a parmesean dressing - perfect lunch.

Together

It is very rare for our cats to sleep together. They have very different personalities. This was a rare moment and I just had to capture it.

Artichokes

On our first morning in Rome we explored our immediate neighbour hood - the old Jewish Quarter. After coming across the delivery of the fresh vegtables for the day at a small restaurant, we knew exactly where to come back to eat.

Old tiles

We found a couple of these old tiles burried way at back of our shed. I really like them. We have not been able to work out where they were used on our house. I am using them as decorator items in the garden at present. I would love to solve the mystery.

Passionfruit

I spend a lot of money on passionfruit. Red pawpaw with passionfruit and lime juice is better than cake. If these are growing over my fence are they mine? Quite a big vine from next door has crept over my hedge. Nev pulled the fruit out into the sun to ripen for me.

Queen Street

I found this image of Queen Street from th 60's. I love this as I remember when Queen Street looked like this.

Mozart on Sunday Afternoon

On Sunday I went to Brisbane Boys College Great Hall to hear the last of the Summer Concerto's for this season. It was the 45 piece orchestra from St Andrews. A fabulous sound in this room. The top picture is the war Memorial Library, and the second picture is the entrance to the great hall. The great hall also serves as the school chapel and was built in Queen Victoria's reign. During the last piece a big storm came. The last time I was in a church the rain came down as well.

Minature Pineapples

I found these minature pineapples at the Chandler Markets yesterday. I have seen them used as an arrangement in magazines but have not seen them for sale before. $10 for 4 and the pineapple farmer (yes he grew them-he had a pineapple stall) told me that if I change the water every few days they will last for at least a month.

Organ Recital

On our second evening in Florence last year we saw this sign out side of a beautiful church. On the way home from dinner we enjoyed the beautiful music in such a wonderful setting. We never did see the organist. The music started on time and finished on time - so surreal.

Raffles Hotel Singapore

I have always been facinated with Singapore because of historical and adventure stories that I had read about it. Whilst I have had many  stop overs in Changi  Airport, I have only spent 24 hours in the city itself. My first place to see was Raffles Hotel - I loved it. The decor, gardens and even the fabulously dressed concierge gave the whole place a feeling of 1930's glamour. I spent hours in the shops attached to the hotel. I just had to have this poster that summed up everything about the Singapore in my books. I also bought 2 cups that I use every day for chamomile tea. I had nowhere in the house to put this poster. So I had it laminated and stuck to the inside of my pantry door. Now I can see it every day. A friend also gave me the cook book from the Raffles Hotel, when he knew that I was facinated with the hotel. I had seen this in the gift shop but couldn't afford it.

Palm trees and sequins

I found this fabric (along with some other pieces in the same family) in a sale a few years ago. My friend Carol made it into a large cushion cover for me. She sewed gold sequins down the trunks of the palm tress. She knows me so well! I love the way they shine in candle light.

Burgundy candle stick holders

I painted my old cream 'shabby chic' candle sticks a deep glossy burgundy on the week end. They look beautiful at night when I have just candles burning in the sun room. I am trying to do a French/Maroccan theme here for autumn/winter. Hence the palm tree fabric. I hated the 70's brown tiles when I moved into the house. I knew that they were not going anywhere in the forseeable future, so over the years I built the decor around them. Now I love them. I did have a home made coffee table with these exact tiles on the top in the 70's.

Using the palm tree fabric

I just had to use the fabric. I am still not sure what I will make out of it eventually - but it looks so nice here in the sunroom.

Purple Flowers

These flowers really brightened my kitchen and my day.

Stir fry on a Sunday night

It was so good to have a cool weekend. I was able to make a stirfry on Sunday night. I can't cook when the airconditioning is on as it makes the whole house smell.

Aligator handbag

My father purchased this handbag for my Mother in Panama in 1946. My first memory of it was when I was about 10 years old. I can't recall my Mother ever using it. I asked her for it when I was about 16 years old - by then it was in an old dress up box. It had a stuffed baby aligator on the front that had seen better days. the stuffing was falling out of it. I disposed of the baby aligator and when I could afford it, I took it to an old bootmaker to put a new lining in it. I still use it today 55 years later.

First weekend of autumn

It actually feels like autumn may be coming. The breeze is just a little cooler today and the sky is grey. Hurrry up!

Geese

I have had a love hate relationship with geese all my life. The love part is they are so good to eat. Hate is from when I was a child and was constantly chased by a very large gaggle of geese in my neighbourhood. They are far better than watch dogs. My mother loved geese and twice had a pair as pets. I was always very wary of them.

Tenacious plants

I am always amazed at how plants can just grow like this. This is from a building in the city.The seeds or spores just land on the smallest piece of moist earth and take hold. Last weekend I found some madien hair fern growing in the cracks of concrete at home. Maiden hair is so delicate in terms of needing lots of water and just the right amount of filtered light etc., I was trully surprised. It could only have happened because of all of the recent wet weather.

Shoes from the 70's

I bought these shoes in the mid 70's. They cost me a whole weeks wages at that time. I just love them, so cannot part with them. Purple suede with bronze leather rouleau ties that wrap around the ankle. There is absolutely no support. I used to be able to dance and even run in these shoes. Now I can barely get to the end of the hall.

Basil

The basil in my garden is growing so well. Lots of sun and so much rain. I have been giving it away as I can only eat so much pesto. I have now started using it in the house as I would a vase of flowers. It smells delicious.