A carnival on my table

The Stanley family of two skipped dressing a tree this year. Instead, I raided the craft cupboard and dressed our dining area nook with anything remotely festive (partly due to laziness, partly due to a bulging craft cupboard in dire need of a clean out). I have two days left of work and then I'm on a jet plane to sunny (hopefully) QLD. I just love this time of year...I hope you all have a fabulous and safe break with lots of mangoes, pudding, and prawns with pink sauce (my grandma makes the best pink sauce - see below for the recipe). Thanks for checking in on my blog this year, and keeping in touch with your comments and emails. I'll see you all on the flip side in 2012! x

P.S. My husband almost learnt the hard way that the red dots are vintage buttons I found ages ago at Salvo's Merrylands, not chocolate lollies. I love how the thought of me throwing jaffas around the house and passing it off as decorating doesn't faze him.

Enid's Seafood (Pink) Sauce

1 x small carton of fresh cream

1 x very generous dollop of tomato sauce

Splash of Tabasco

1 x teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

Juice from quarter of a lemon

Season with salt & pepper

- Whisk until all combined and feast on it with fresh peeled prawns and yummy bread (in your cossie, by a pool).

It's a wrap!

I love the feeling of accomplishment when you tie the last ribbon on your pile of Xmas gift wrapping. Another year done. As we will be away for the big day this year, I got it over and done with earlier than normal (ie.not Christmas Eve). Being a fan of setting a theme, I like to mix it up every year - and decided this year it would be hot pink horses. Not really sure why.

The project:

I purchased craft timber horses and pigs from Spotlight ($4.00 for a pack of 5), spread them out on large sheets of white paper I bought from an art shop and chose the sickliest pink spray paint I could find at Bunnings.

I then let loose with the spray can (outside, on an old bed sheet). The result: Sheets of inexpensive custom made wrapping paper and spray painted animal gift tags. Too easy.

Check out some of my other (slightly less time consuming) efforts here, here, here and here.

Happy wrapping!

Bonnie the Baker

I'm definitely not known for my baking skills (remember the scone)? It's handy that my sister Bonnie likes to often gift us with her baked treats on a Sunday. Last weekend it was a tupperware container of goodness with Ginger & Pistachio Slice. Bonnie kindly offered to share her recipe with you all:

Make the slice:

1 cup pistachios - raw and shelled

125 grams butter

1 packet milk coffee biscuits

1 cup coconut (shredded or dessicated)

50 gram finely chopped/diced ginger

1/2 cup condensed milk

1. Lightly roast the pistachios on a tray in oven for 5-6 mins- at 180C.

2. Coarsely chop pistachios and put half aside for topping.

3. Melt butter.

4. Crush wine biscuits with a rolling pin until fine (rather than a food processor).

5. In a bowl, mix all ingredients except for the reserved pistachios.

6. Press the mixture into a slice tin lined with baking paper.

7. Place in fridge (until icing is ready)

Make the icing:

2 cups icing sugar

80 grams softened butter

2 tablespoons golden syrup

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 tablespoons milk

1. Using an electric beater beat all ingredients together until creamy.

2. Pull slice/base out of fridge and spread the butter icing over the base and sprinkle top with reserved pistachios.

3. Place back in the fridge until slice and icing are firm.

4. Once set (2-3hrs), pull out of tray and slice into neat pieces. Slice is best stored in the fridge.

I definitely recommend making these - or at least, asking your little sister to whip them up.

Plate from Country Road, napkin from Cloth.

- Briar

Billie the Bride

Along with her five other bridesmaids, I helped organise a hens day on Saturday for a special bride, my beautiful little (by 5 weeks) cousin. I mentioned her Noosa wedding and invitation here, and the hens invitation designed by her big sister from Zed & Bee also didn't disappoint. We asked the guests to meet us at Manly Pavilion for high tea, dressed in 1930's garb.

With a request from the bride for no 'novelty straws', I made butterfly pins for the guests (and an extra special one for Billie).

The sun was miraculously shining down for us on the beautiful 1933 built Tea Room, which now houses Manly Pavilion.

Guarantee a laugh at your next hen's day...I made 35 life size masks of the groom for the guests...so he was quite literally, everywhere, all day.

We also asked the guests to bring a vintage teacup for Billie to make up an eclectic tea set for her to cherish forever. It was such a lovely day all round, and I can't wait to share pictures from the wedding with you (counting down the sleeps).

Thank you to everyone who left comments on my last post - I hope you got some great christmas gift ideas. My wish list certainly grew bigger after reading all the suggestions. I wish you could all be winners - however, I asked my husband to pick the winners at random, and...

The winner of Prize #1: Catherine

The winner of Prize #2: Jodi

Congratulations ladies! I'll be in touch for your delivery addresses - make some room for lots of Have You Met Miss Jones goodies.

I hope you a had a lovely weekend too.

- Briar

Christmas Giveaway with Miss Jones

Gift giving (and the wrapping part) is one of my favourite past times...especially at this time of year. Jennifer from Have You Met Miss Jones has come to the gift giving party by supplying me with the mother load of bone china and a beautiful necklace to give away to you - my lovely readers. What do you have to do to be in the running to win one of the two gift packs? I thought we could compile a big gift guide in my comments box - just let me know what's on your wish list this year, and feel free to leave a link too. I will pick two comments at random next Sunday, and a big box of goodies will be on their way to the winners.

Prize #1 is a bumper bone china pack that includes: 6 x Double Wing Ornaments, 6 x Bambi Deer Ornaments, 1 x Feather Bowl Large, 1 x Feather Bowl Small, 4 x Columbus Votives and 4 x Boston Votives. If you win, you can keep every last piece to yourself - or pass on to friends. The gift that keeps on giving!

Prize #2 includes a sterling silver Threadspool necklace from Miss Jones' new collaboration with bespoke fashion jeweller Gareth Hughes. Keeping with the thread spool theme, 4 x Thread Vases are also included in the prize.

Thank you Miss Jones (it's going to be hard to part with all the beautiful things, but after all, Christmas is all about giving back). I hope you all had a lovely weekend - and I really look forward to reading your comments.

-Briar

Took the Ford for a spin

My little blog has introduced me to some pretty fun things, but I never would have guessed it would lead me to driving around in a brand new car for a week. Ford asked me to test drive the new Focus (I know, I was surprised too) and it's going to sound like a blatant and cheesy plug, but I ended up feeling pretty spesh zipping around town in the jazzy little number. I spend too much of my life behind the wheel, and I can't say I missed the bus-like proportions of my petrol guzzling Kluger. The Focus has waaaay more buttons that I'm used to in a car (um...it can park itself - check it out here), and I actually couldn't work out how to tune the radio it was so fancy. I was worried I wouldn't be able to fit as much as I tend to need to load during the working day - but after putting the seats down, I was pleasantly surprised. My other half was also pleased, because for one week - we were a two car family. I've always said 'I'm not a car person', but after loving the Focus for a week - I can honestly say I turned in to a bit of a petrol head...like my husband jokingly said 'totally off-brand for the Sunday Collector'. Oh well. What about you? Are you a car person?