rob ryan on the other shores!

When I first arrived on the chilly shores of Scotland, one of my first discoveries was the delightfully whimsical Rob Ryan. In a land where tea drinking is considered necessary to actually being alive, excellently decorated mugs are a dime a dozen. But the Rob Ryan couples mug I stumbled across in a wee St Andrew's shop put a huge smile on my face (which made me look like a slightly crazed loon...but what did I care, I'd found a cheery mug!), and now, excellent news! If you're in Australia, the delightful ladies at Lark have started stocking these treats! And how brilliantly excellent is the notebook! Brilliantly excellent.

Pop over to the lovely Lark store and say hello for me...but beware, you may not be able to resist these gorgeous treats!

Believe in People Mug by Rob Ryan from Lark - $19.95
A5 Notebook by Rob Ryan from Lark - $19.95
Please Smell Us vase by Rob Ryan from Lark - $69.95

weekend fun...

Today, I shall take this to heart. I shall make a banana cake. I shall visit the local markets. I shall do some cleaning and perhaps even some reading. If it's sunny (lets not get too excited) I shall take me picnic basket and blanket down to the riverside, with a thermos of hot chocolate (and maybe some freshly made cake) and enjoy the scenery. I shall enjoy all this with my husband, even though he doesn't like banana cake. I shall listen to some delightful music, perhaps do some writing, and then cook a yummy dinner. I shall then perhaps watch a movie with the boy and have some more freshly made cake. Delightful!

I'm still in bed of course. But it sounds like a pretty good day to me xx

image via sweet william

sweet and juicy...

Apparently Blairgowrie is the berry central of Europe! How could I have stumbled into such a super sweet place like this you ask? I have no idea! But as the berries in the supermarket change from Spanish to British, and as the homemade signs start popping up all over the place for homegrown stalls, I feel mighty happy that I get to plan meals FILLED with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and other berries I've never eaten because they remind me of grubs! Don't worry, this won't be our only food. That would be weird. And somewhat monotonous. But if the apple sized strawberries we bought from the jolly seller we found on Monday are anything to go by, it's going to be a sweet Summer. Delicious!

xx

if we had a third wedding...

...we would DEFINATELY be using these! How sweet! Little seed sticks with the loveliest little covers to give to your guests. Oh my goodness, the more I look at the them the more I want to buy a pack just for myself. So beautiful! Available from the delicious Cox & Cox. Have a peek over there and I guarantee you will find many a treat to warm the cockles of your heart! Difficult saying to visualise, but you understand...

I hope you're having a delightful Monday my lovelies, and I hope you are somewhere much less windy than here. Trees and branches...everywhere!

xx

a day off...

Today we went on a teensy, lovely shopping trip to brighten my Sydney wardrobe! Very full of greys, creams, and if we're feeling a little on the wild side, splashes of navy. While working quite well in sunny Australia, I have decided some lightening and brightening is needed! And my latest crush? H&M. Oh my wordy. Is that the place to spend my pocket money or what. Today I thought I'd live on the wild side and give their leggings a whirl (my Cotton On variety are fading quickly), and brighten up my top half with a coral singlet, a pastel lemon singlet, and a light blue jumper. They may be pastels, but they have cheered my wardrobe vista muchly. And their Spring 2011 lookbook has even made me want to try the top knot again. Even if I do look like I have a donut on my head.

'Mere colour, unspoilt by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to a soul in a thousand different ways.' - Oscar Wilde

image via h&m

another birthday wish...

...for the happiest birthday to my dearest Nanna. The best Nanna a girl could have! With all my love xx

image by michelle fiona photography

one of my all time favourite memories...

a hot sydney november night, my birthday, a lovely friend shouting me and my (very) new fiancee tickets to see ingrid michaelson, finding our way into the bright lights of the city, nabbing ourselves a cosy couch in the small venue, and hearing this song. a moment in life i shall treasure forever xx

pic via ingrid michaelson

a story...

i have decided to start writing a diary. in a collection of delightful little notebooks. take down my (super important) thoughts as they occur. although they occur a lot, so perhaps i should make a time. time that shall include peppermint tea and baked goods. this way it can be made into a book, and then one day a blockbuster movie, yes? i may be young, but i'm fairly sure this is how it happens...

lovely little notebook from tea and ceremony at notonthehighstreet

Exciting news my sweets! We are getting window boxes! Now, I know that this may not blow the socks of some of you, and you may indeed be thinking, 'this is not very exciting news'. However! Having been bitten by the gardening bug (geddit?) but having no garden whatsoever, it seemed only right that we pop some plants cheerily in some soil and hang it from our sills! I would love some tasty herbs...mint, rosemary, oregano, and some delightful flowering treats! Alas, in a country that seems to pride itself on said boxes, no one stocks the brackets that do the attaching part, which, believe it or not, are somewhat important and conducive to the window boxes indeed being window boxes.

But do not worry your pretty foreheads, as at this very moment our local garden centre has them on order! And in the meantime, we have stocked up and created ourselves quite the merry gardening kit. A gorgeous cream watering can, some lovely little seed boxes, red handled secateurs, 70 kilos of soil, a delightful little shovel and some Miracle Gro. You may be thinking this kit is overkill for a box or two, and you (and my husband) would be correct. But after enquiring about the dwarf sweet peas and being told they would grow to either 18inches or 15cm...I think it's best to leave nothing to chance.

take thy plastic spade, it is thy pencil;
take thy seeds, thy plants, they are thy colours

William Mason - The English Garden

happy mother's day!

Sometimes it's a little bit rubbish being away from home, 'specially when it's Mother's Day, and your Mother is superb. And so as a special shout out to my Mum, I thought I would write her a poem.

roses are red
violets are blue
some mum's are splendid
especially you

Clever eh?

xxx

image of the two of us by michelle fiona photography

missing Bonds...

...and a few other things. Although it must be said occasions were rare that I would laze about in my underwear.

Cuddles from my nieces, Cotton On and their excellently cheap clothing, cafe's with lovely little nooks for book reading and tea, sour cream, general warmth, peppermint eclipse mints, good home/garden/interior magazines and a few other things in between. On the up side we do get mail on a Saturday AND shampoo is often half price!

Also, in the excitement that is a seasonal change, a wee adventure was had today! Being spoilt by some rainy day pennies from my dear Mum and the lovely boy, and still not being entirely sure which season we're in (I say Winter, they say Summer...), some treats were purchased! The kinds of things that make a girl like yours truly mucho cheered! Things that look good, smell good, taste good and are fun to read. I have a feeling this weekend shall be rather swell.

I do hope you have some sunshine to brighten your weekend and bring some warmth, and I do hope it's filled with lovely things that will cheer you. Start with something that smells good, it does wonders for the soul!

xx

images via Bonds

looking good...

One of the few recipe books that was safely packed in my suitcase to make the trip to sunny* Scotland was that of the super clever Donna Hay. The sweeties special, to be exact. And how I love to bake! I have had the pleasure of meeting Ms Hay a couple times, the first when I met with her for a styling job. She thought I had my mind too set on this 'rubyandjoy' idea to be fully committed to the mag, and being the clever muffin she is, she was right! rubyandjoy was born not too long afterwards and rubyandjoy's flowers became rather influenced by this styling past. I was lucky enough to do a few freelance shoots with her and might I say, in the name of sharing (rather strange saying that one), the Hay office styling cupboard was incredible. Amazing. Really really (really) cool.

But! The main reason for posting here was to share that I have a yummy smelling Donna Hay banana cake cooking merrily away in the oven and I am excited! And I liked the picture of the egg with a wee knitted cap. Not a very good reason to post, I hear you say. I don't have a come back either. Apart from the fact that I really love baking.

Have your cake and eat it too xx

* It really is!

image via Donna Hay

why hello...

Things that I have not filled you in on since my last post as I lay pining away in my sick bed...

- The Lilac trees have come out in full force, and every time we drive past one, I feel the need to say 'Ohh look! Another lilac tree! They're so beautiful!' The boy loves this no end, as I itch again to get a garden of our own to fill with said trees. Rhododenrons too. And peonies and blossom trees, hellebore roses...

- I made my Mum's artichoke dip for the first time, which I not only thought was delicious, but so did the rest of those snacking on it...culinary success!

- Window boxes appear to be an easy accessory to attach to a household window. This is a lie.

- We discovered we do not own a picnic basket nor rug. This has been a minor disaster as the weak sun beams have been successfully pushing their way through to Scotland (perhaps the farthest country from the sun), and apart from piecing together many a tesco shopping bag, we do not have anything to lay on to catch the rays. Like I said, disaster...

- We have changed from 'Sunshiny Days' fabric softener to 'Blue Skies', and as we are still in our 'trialling of new products stage', I feel it is safe to say 'Blue Skies' may indeed be the current favourite.

- I missed the auctions last night (I know, I'm really sick), but made stewed apple. A proven home remedy for those feeling poorly. Delicious!

- AND I have perfected the art of saying 'hash browns' with a Scottish accent. I've had some spare time...

But now I may go and lay my head down...I do believe Friends is on! I hope you're all well! If not, try stewed apple. It really works... xx