Double Wrap

Two birthdays in the family...what a great excuse to get wrapping. As always, the necessary craft boxes came out of the cupboard and made a big mess while the gifts were bundled. I was happy to get a chance to use two vintage postcards I purchased recently from Mitchell Road Design Gallery. (More about that little shoppe another day...) Mum was impressed with her 'very comfy' Walnut Melbourne Loafers and the cute clothes from Country Road for my 6 year old niece were a hit. There was pink, after all.

Pie Oh My

The ugg boot weather last weekend was the perfect excuse for a pie.

Not just any pie, a Boathouse Snapper Pie. A few years ago Gourmet Traveller published 'Fare Exchange', a cookbook that generously shared recipes from the best chefs around Australia (genius), including this practically famous dish. There is something so good about eating restaurant food at home. We baked the pies in cute iittala Taika bowls.

I love the kitsch/modern design. You can buy the range from Chee Soon & Fitzgerald or Peter's of Kensington. Eat up.

Seasonal Concepts

It's worth dropping in to this Redfern emporium just to check out the truly unique items for sale. I had a spare 5 minutes in there last week, and It's a space that makes you feel like you're on a film set - where the merchandising has been taken to the next level. Just when you think you can't take anymore in, Florist/Owner Ken Wallis stocks beautiful fresh flowers daily. Items are reasonably priced too. Seasonal Concepts 122 Redfern Street, Redfern

Miss Tooker

Mum has been a primary school teacher since 1971, and a memory came flooding back to her when she spotted this stamp drawer in my lounge room. She informed me that before the trusted MacBook and Laserjet, these stamps were in every Australian teacher's staff room. Miss Tooker would create work sheets for the children with the stamps and then make individual photocopies using the gel transfer technique. That's dedication. Learning the history of the little drawer unit made the $15 spent at Salvo's Ashfield that little bit sweeter. You can also purchase lovely new stamps from Cavallini Papers & Co. Check it out.

Heart Art

Art for your walls can get pricey. When I grow up, I hope to have an impressive collection. In the mean time, I’m a fan of a teeny bit of DIY.We went to Fiji for our honeymoon and I found this heart shaped shell washed up on the beach. I recently mounted and framed it with a vintage map bought from a thrift shop. It’s now hanging near our front door so every time we leave home we are reminded of that special holiday. Handy Supplier: Corban & Blair and good ol’ IKEA make great box frames. What else could you frame? A special champagne cork perhaps? Any more ideas?

The Perfect Set

The TV series I am working on required a traditional middle-eastern restaurant and our location manager secured the classic, any-hours Fatima’s in Surry Hills. Don’t be alarmed, I don’t think this is a stunning interior – I just want to share a décor with you so original that it’s beautiful. Original signage, a faux sandstone wall, to a pinboard that looks older than me - yet for some reason, I couldn’t put the camera down. I did find a piece of classic beauty as I was leaving – the lovely bentwood chair. Next time you visit, take a seat and look around at an interior that made my job redundant for a day. (And make sure you try a delicious ‘golden falafel’.)

Saturday night in

I want to chat about the Kitchenaid Artisan Mixer. Every kitchen needs one. Seriously. We received a shiny cream one for our wedding 3 months ago, and our kitchen has been producing the extraordinary ever since. The dough needle for the mixer helps you make bread and pasta dough perfectly and quickly. These pictures were taken a few weekends ago when the husband made fresh ravioli, using his trusty Marcato Pasta Machine – with a recipe he learnt from Robin Murray, the chef at Centennial Restaurant in the Southern Highlands. Yep, I married a man who makes his own bread and pasta. What a keeper.

I want a Pony

When I spotted the 'Gran's Recipe Flag', I knew it had to come home with me. The wall hanging combines three of my favourite things: textiles, typography and food. It also makes me think of yummy hot scones every time I look at it, which may or may not be a good thing. Check out more gorgeous flags, decals, tea towels and cushions from Sydney company Ponyrider, who 'celebrate the ordinary in the everyday things'. I agree.

Rachel & Rachel

Theming christmas gift wrapping is one of my favourite pastimes - and I delight in creating a personalised package for a birthday. My lovely friend Rachel turned 30 recently, and I set aside some time in the afternoon before her soiree to wrap the 'Heart' felt embroidery by the super talented artist, Rachel Castle.
Can you tell I am a little bit obsessed with rubber stamps at the moment? Ribbons deserve their own blog – and possibly their own cupboard soon. I’m getting quite the collection.
Handy Supplier: E&M Greenfield – there is a bargain bin at the checkout with discontinued braids and ribbons. Just lovely!

Who was Mr Gardner?

He was certainly a man that travelled in style.
This is one of the purchases I am most proud of. It was a Saturday in 2006 when I handed over $15 to St Vincent De Paul in Chatswood, NSW. That afternoon, the travel case was introduced to our eclectic home as a storage chest where it has remained since. I love that vintage items pose this kind of question. When I buy a teapot from the 1960’s, I imagine the lady who previously enjoyed tea from it, when I find an Australiana tea towel with ‘Coffs Harbour 1978’ printed on it, I imagine the young family who hung out at the Big Banana that year.

‘Sunday Collector’ will be like a travel case that I fill with my finds and inspirations. I welcome you to share the journey with me.