Hot Off The Press

Things on the fashion front are a little boring at the moment. Went book-shopping instead.

Slam by Nick Hornby
It is billed his "first teenage novel" but I don't know if it's because it's his first novel about teenagers, or his first novel for teenagers. Whichever, it is a good read (I read it in one go), if you are a fan like me.

Funny thing about him is that people I know have polarising opinions of him - they either really love him or loathe him with a vengeance (and I really can't see why he can stir up so much hate in this camp), with not one person sitting on the fence.


The Gum Thief by Douglas Copeland
Another scribe, like Hornby, whose work I've followed and loved since Book #1. I've always looked forward to reading new books from Copeland over the years because he's a writer that grows with the times - most of his books are not just fiction but also astute social documentaries on various sub-groups of people, life and popular culture from the late 20th century to present day.

If you are buying "The Gum Thief", get the limited edition signed box-set! For it includes "Glove Pond", a second book, a sort of a novel-within-a novel.


Long Way Down by Ewan McGregor & Charlie Boorman
The boyfriend and I really got into their first book and DVD "Long Way Round" - a chronicle of their 20,000-mile motorbike ride through Europe, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, across the Pacific to Alaska, then down through Canada and America.

"Long Way Down" is about their second big ride which took them from the northernmost end of Scotland, through bits of Europe and the Middle East, into Africa and finally Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of South Africa.

Like the first trip, this second one is also in aid of UNICEF. So read and donate.

Dessert Special of The Week

The most fun I've had at work this week was creating this - a dark chocolate and sour cherry ice cream cupcake.

The edible patty case (moulded out of dark Callebaut chocolate) is filled with (yet more Callebaut) dark chocolate ice cream with semi-dried sour cherries folded through (I love how we've got an ice cream machine at work - the possibilities are endless!).

The "icing" is whipped vanilla double cream laced with little Valrhona chocolate pearls (a posh version of chocolate-coated rice crispies) for tiny crunchy surprises.

And raspberries and a thick gooey raspberry caramel complete the look (the red of the caramel is brilliant, almost luminous) and taste (the tartness of the berries cuts through the creaminess, plus it just simply adds a whole new dimension to the chocolate when eaten in the same mouthful).

I think I'm going through a high-camp, Alice-in-Wonderland-tea-party meets Marie-Antoinette-the-movie phase with my dessert-making. Something which the kitchen crew and the wait staff appreciate. And judging from the number that we sold, our customers did too. But our head chef, unfortunately, I think, did not share the same sentiments. I knew (without him having to say a word) that it was a little too "gay" for his classically-trained mind and eye but hey, what's tasty food without a little bit of fun and the whimsical thrown in?

ScaweyStwawbewwies!

The stars of "The Attack of the Mutant Strawberries" if they ever make that movie! Poor little things didn't have enough space to grow properly on the patch and just kind of moulded into each other during the process.

Out of the 120 punnets (around 30kg) that I had to work with this week to make 440 pieces of strawberry and vanilla mascarpone dacquoise for two big dinners, more than half were "deformed". We had fun, though, trying to match their shapes to things/people that we know, like we would with fluffy white clouds on a clear day when we were kids.

Out With The (C)Old and In With The New

Finally packed away my winter wardrobe to make space for the summer things that I know that I'll be buying, or have already bought in anticipation of hot hot summer days...

...Like this Gorman linen playsuit. The possibilities are endless with this cute little number - for days, I've already worn it a few times, each with a different colourful vintage printed scarf (as belt) and shoes to match. For nights, simply add shiny things and higher-heeled shoes.



...This floaty Gorman (yes, I've acquired quite a few pieces from them lately but it's because they have such a fabulous and easy-to-wear collection this season) cross-stitch detail top. It's looking really good in the wardrobe hanging out with the rest of my collection of white cotton summer tops that I've taken out of storage. I really wish it's summer here all year round so I can get more wear out of 'em good ol' white frothy crispy things.

...This Royal Tenenbaum-esque pair of Lacoste Madras checked shorts. Have also taken some of my old checked shorts to the tailor to have them shortened so ever slightly. Looking forward to wearing all of them with crispy white button-down shirts for the back-to-school look, or with a ribbed wife-beater and a gigantic man's watch (preferably in faux gold) for the Asian-gangster-chilling-out-in-his-neighbourhood-coffeeshop look.

The packing took half of a precious day-off but it was well worth it! Now I can consume more knowing I have wardrobe space for the new additions.

A Super Successful Shopping Day

What a glorious day! It's my first Saturday-off in ages and it's thirty-two degrees Celsius in the shade and spring is not even officially here!

What makes it even better is that it's the first Saturday of the month - Surry Hills Market Day! Yay!

It is my favourite flea market in all of Sydney. It helps that it's only a very short walk from where we live (I Y Surry Hills!) and therefore makes carting home the shopping load a breeze. But what really does it for me is the variety of choice goodies for sale - tons of stalls selling truly vintage clothes and accessories, "trendies" hawking their only-worn-once designer threads to make wardrobe space for new threads, young designers debut-ing their collections, sweet old dears selling antique homeware and furniture, collectors getting rid of their records and books...I know it sounds like any other market but I guess the neighbourhood vibe (and pride) play a big part and the fact that it's very rare that I leave with an empty shopping bag.

What I scored today:
- an olive vintage clutch in the softest of leather
- a turquoise rose pendant
- a pair of red "Made In Brazil" leather sandals with wooden wedge heels
- a vintage printed scarf
All in excellent condition!

And there was the Hope Street Markets to go to today as well! I missed the first one and was truly chuffed when I found out that they were setting one up today. Two markets in one day! Woohoo!

The venue was even closer to us but we didn't have a lot to haul home. Don't get me wrong - the merchandise were all amazing, locally-designed and produced by up-and-coming designers. Maybe it was the crowd that put me off - too many people in a small (but beautiful) space, so many that it was hard to get up close to the display table of each stall.

But I did leave with one small thing for my pal Lyd in Singapore (we "personal shop" for each other - me for her Australian labels and thrift store/flea market fix, and she buys me things in Singapore that are not available in Sydney like Topshop or are available but way too expensive like shoes from the Brazillian label Melissa). I told her that I was going to Hope Street and got her to look at the website to see if there was anything she wanted and this robot necklace from Made By White was what she ordered.

Other noteworthy stalls:
- "Delicious Homemade Handbags" by Kara Smith





- Tongue-in-cheek sterling silver bling by Dark Cloud Silver





- Quirky pieces by Fine Cloth









For more pwetty things that are designed and made locally, go to madeit.com.au and modamuse.com. (both sites are similar to etsy.com).

I Am A Thieving Magpie

You know how on certain days, shiny accessory-type things just catch your eyes more than clothes? Well, today was one of those days for me. Got this necklace from ZoeMou at Paris Texas. To replace a brown one that I lost (it fell off one day, actually, somewhere, but I don't exactly know where).



Going along with the shiny pwetty things theme, I popped into Pablo Fanque, a sort of a jewellery-as-art gallery and retail space to view the latest exhibition - Nibbles by Lucy Folk. Very tongue-in-cheek - the hot dog scarf and the pretzel brooch. Worth a big look at. And so are the other artists/jewellery designers represented by the cool cool space.