My Bread
After mentioning my love for bread baking last week, I received a couple emails asking which pizza dough recipe I use. The good news is that both the No-Knead bread recipe and our favourite pizza dough recipe come from the same source: Jim Lahey’s My Bread. We have a large stack of bread-baking recipe books, but this one is definitely our favourite. What I really love about the book is how he uses photos to walk you through the recipes, step by step, making it nearly impossible to mess up. And his pizza dough really is the best.
The book is available from Amazon (UK and US).
-Courtney
A quick word on Baker’s Twine
I have a bit of an obsession with baker’s twine. I ordered 4 huge spools of it a few months ago and I am looking around for more. Now I’m no crafty, but even I can think of a million uses. In fact, we seem to be using it in some shape or form at least once a day (yesterday my daughter used it to make some bunting for her dolls house). Great for gift wrapping instead of ribbon, just team with brown butcher paper… It is also beautiful for wrapping baked goods. It adds a nostalgic, rustic look that is simple and classic. Traditional red and white baker’s twine is perfect but I am totally smitten with these delicious, eye-popping colors from The Twinery.
- Sara
The Papered Parlour
I am so, so ‘can’t stop moving’, ‘ants in my pants’ excited. A couple of weeks ago I was reading one of my favourite blogs — do you know it? The blog of author, stylist, photographer, all round uber-chic gal Pia Jane Bijkerk. She wrote about a wonderful sounding place, the Papered Parlour in Clapham. I had to check their website out. The Papered Parlour is a new craft venue in London, which offers classes in classic crafting techniques such as silversmithing, dress-making, photography, screen-printing and quilting as well as offering subsidised studio-space for practising artists. It was set up last year by visual artists Claire and Louise, who met working at Battersea Arts Centre. The space has already received much critical acclaim for not only the skills they teach but the style in which they do it — they have a wonderful looking cafe and most workshops include a proper tea and cake break (you can see why I have been drawn into their ethos!). They hold regular exhibitions and can be hired for parties and events (their ideas for hen-parties are brilliant!).
So why am I so excited? Well I just booked myself onto one of their Summer dress-making workshops — maybe I will finally learn how to make this darling dress for my daughter that I have been cooing over from Oliver + S.
-Mo. x
Rifle Paper Co.
I recently stumbled upon Rifle Paper Co., a boutique stationery brand started by Anna and Nathan Bond, a husband and wife duo based in Florida. They specialize in cards, paper goods, invitations and art prints featuring Anna’s hand-painted, whimsical designs. I fell in love with the ‘Uh Oh’ print (pictured) which I bought for my daughter. I just love that little girl curled up inside the bear reading her book — so sweet. I also love their Animal Alphabet Chart and the Hat Collection print (nice for a boy’s room).
Rifle Paper Co. also makes lovely personalized stationery and birthday invitations — and check out their Father’s Day cards! Cute.
-Courtney
Man Gift
I have been long-suffering when it comes to purchasing “man gifts.” I am always at a loss to come up with something that goes beyond the boring ol’ tie and wallet default, but recently I stumbled upon a genius idea… buy him something that SEEMS like it’s for him but will secretly benefit the whole family!!! Man oriented cooking gear and a good man cookbook.
Now that it is summertime, my husband loves nothing more than scorching meat on a hot fiery bbq and his hero/mentor/favorite person on the planet is Adam Perry Lang. Adam Perry Lang IS the “God of BBQ” and these books ARE the holy grail. I have personally tasted many of the recipes and although they can be labor intensive they are all beyond incredible. Lang recently released a short version of his first book “Serious BBQ” called “BBQ 25″ which offers less time-consuming recipes but if you know someone who loves to grill – get them a copy asap! Also worth nothing is that Lang splits his time between London and NYC which I thought was pretty cool and he is opening a restaurant with Jamie Oliver in London in October 2010.
Then again there is always the beer holster.
-Dina
Smiggle
If you live in Melbourne and you parent a tween girl then you are unlikely to need an introduction to ‘Smiggledom’ — after all, the Smiggle craze is rife down under, even infiltrating our schools. And, judging by the whims of my 8-year-old and her posse of friends, it is not disappearing anytime soon. So what is ‘Smiggle’, this tween sensation, also coveted by high-school and university students? Smiggle is the name of some extremely fashion-forward and innovative stationery — it is synonymous with great design, great value, bright colors and cool graphics; being coordinated and being eco aware.
I must concede that I, a 30 something mother of two, am not entirely immune to the Smiggle craze (I invested in the brilliant Cuattro Maxi Pen — a red pen, blue pen, mechanical pencil and highlighter all in one). I also love checking out their amazing concept stores, a kaleidoscope of bright colors and yummy smells, just beckoning you in. (more…)
Lark in Dayelsford
One place I always recommend (sometimes even insist!) our visitors to Melbourne see is the picturesque town of Dayelsford. Dayelsford is a village in rural Victoria in the heart of the Wombat Forest; so pretty, so quaint, peaceful & dignified, just as a spar town should be, but with the hippest cafes, shops and restaurants you can imagine! There are several things you must do when visiting this adorable town — have your tarot read, take in the local markets, stroll through the forest, visit the mineral spas (the Shire boasts the highest concentration of mineral springs in the country together with an equally large array of therapists) AND stop by Lark to indulge in some retail therapy! (more…)
Junzo Terada’s Magical Menagerie
I have long been a fan of Junzo Terada — I have his Happy Animal Time
I just recently discovered his Magical Menagerie
-Courtney
Fresh Press, cool cards with bold backs
I recently got thank-you-cards printed at Fresh Press. They are of the Later Gator range, and they are very cool! Love the green alligator, and love the funky red/green back, which is very refreshing. All Fresh Press cards have the signature patterned back, which gives the cards that special distinction… I also had address labels printed, and some note-cards and calling cards. All from the same range, all very cool.
Together with my order, Fresh Press sent me a sample pack and these delightful birth announcements were part of it. I think they are just adorable. They’re printed on beautiful linen paper and have that classic yet contemporary look that I love. If you’re expecting a baby and are looking for the cutest birth announcement — you should surely consider these! Personalising your cards is extremely simple at the Fresh Press website, but if you still have questions the people behind Fresh Press are really super kind and attentive!
xxx Esther
MadeIt for unique handmade finds
Packed to the rafters with local designers and craftspeople, MadeIt is a virtual craft market containing a wealth of handmade housewares and goodies. It is my go-to source when I want something unique, affordable and hand-crafted. It is similar to Etsy but supports only local Australian talent.
What I love about the site, apart from the fact that everything is handmade and local, is that it brings you, in one spot, everything you can’t buy at your local shopping mall. It takes the legwork out of shopping for those unique, handmade goodies which I love to buy but can take me forever to look for. And of course there is something gratifying about buying a locally made gift, supporting your local economy. (more…)
The Female Brain — Don’t blame me, blame the hormones…
Sometimes I don’t understand how my husband doesn’t think about the three hundred million things going on around him at all times. He kind of casually walks through life, like it all makes perfect sense, and never really seems to get all that stressed out. I, on the other hand, am a different story — and a drastic one at that. Where he lives in a tunnel of stimuli, I seem to wake up in an open field – bombarded from the minute I open my eyes.
Let’s take, for example, making breakfast for the kids… On the weekends, said husband, will often make breakfast for the kids. For him, making breakfast means exactly, and only, that — scramble up an egg, maybe mix up a batter for pancakes. For me, the mere sight of an egg conjures up an emotional matrix that can overwhelm me. Let me extrapolate even further…
Man:
1) Wakes up, opens eyes, walks to kitchen.
2) Makes breakfast for kids, whistles and walks away
3) Waits impatiently for parade to be thrown in celebration of his efforts (more…)
Mother’s Day cards you want to give… and receive
When I have time, I do enjoy making greeting cards. There’s something really gratifying about it. But, of course, I don’t always have time. So if I ever buy a card I always try to pick one that reflects something of the person I’m choosing for, and it has to be beautiful. Increasingly I also try and buy one that is printed with green principles in mind.
The range from Raven & Lamb is printed in Australia (no carbon-guzzling shipping transportation effects), uses vegetable-based inks and Forest Stewardship Council certified paper stocks.
-Natalie
I Like You
It was my wedding anniversary last week, so after reading about this book several times on other sites (including here and here) I decided to finally buy it for my husband in honour of the day. I Like You
It’s the most perfect gift to give someone you love, whether it’s your husband, mother, daughter, son, etc.
-Courtney
Vikings and things from Sandra Monat
LOVE these melamine plates from Sandra Monat! Never knew that Vikings could actually be CUTE!
Sandra Monat lives in Germany and is a full time artist. She uses fabric, paper and thread for her collage-like creations. Her adorable, pillow-like puppets are one-of-a-kind, but she also produces some of her designs in small editions, like the plates, some correspondence cards and prints. All of them are equally adorable and equally tempting to get your hands on them before they’re sold out…
Cool Dutch online store Zilu has a good collection of Sandra Monat products in stock — including the tents print (that I love).
xxx Esther
My Secret Affair…
Yes, it’s true. I’ve been having a secret affair with a man called Roger. It started shortly after my son was born 3 years ago and my husband doesn’t know about it … yet. I got caught up with this guy when I bought a book called The Happy Lion for my son (A Babyccino favourite as Courtney wrote about here). He illustrated the book written by his wife Louise Fatio. We both (my son and I) immediately fell in love with the story and accompanying pictures and wanted to learn more about this French Lion. So we set about buying some more of the stories in the Happy Lion series. But we could only get ‘The Happy Lion Roars‘ direct from Amazon — all the others seemed out of print and only available through the Amazon Market Place. Over the last couple of years we have gradually bought them up when they have been for sale at a sensible price. We fell so much in love with this Lion that we grew to want more from his creators. (more…)
New Years Resolution 1 of 999,999
This year I am getting organized! And this year, unlike the last few years, I am really serious. I totally triple swear.
While I have never been a “Type A” person and have always led a life of total chaos behind the scenes, I have finally hit a breaking point. My girls are turning four next month and I have yet to put together a single photo album or memory book. I have everything from sonogram pictures to photos of their 3rd birthday party in the same box stashed in my closet. I have amassed piles of all of the cute clothing that they outgrew because I simply can’t let go of the memories. And that is just their stuff — let’s not even begin to talk about mine.
The other day I stumbled upon the book One Year to an Organized Life which seemed heaven sent. I have tried to organize in vain before but it seems that the piles always get bigger and the work is never done. The more I try — the worse it becomes. I always wind up feeling defeated and run out of steam. I did have someone help me with my closet last year but that was just a starting point. In a perfect world I would just love to always put my keys in the same place, have a streamlined file cabinet, and stop constantly looking for my cell phone in my bag… but most importantly, I want to have the memories of my girls growing put in order. (more…)
Love Poems
I have to confess that I don’t usually do anything on Valentine’s Day. Many Australians cynically call it “Hallmark Day” — it’s pretty much seen as a commercial exercise. However, I am a romantic. So I thought I’d share a story about one of the best “gifts” I ever received…
One day I was sitting in a cafe waiting for my boyfriend to arrive. All of a sudden a man sat in the chair opposite and started talking to me. I was a little confused about what was happening. Perhaps he had mistaken me for someone else. Or maybe he was a little mad. But little by little I started to recognise the words he was speaking. They were from one of my favourite poems by American poet Frank O’ Hara. Now this was really weird. And then I realised. My boyfriend had been up to this mini performance. I started looking around for him. Sure enough: at the end of the poem he came into view. Smiling a big gummy grin. And I couldn’t stop laughing. All this, for me?
Yes, love can be grand. And has nothing to do with money – he asked an actor friend to recite the poem to me! I hope this inspires you… or your loved ones.
- Natalie
Salmonella and other reasons why I am afraid to eat anything ever again….
On New Years Eve, during a major snowstorm, one of my daughters became violently ill. The timing, of course, could not have been worse and after a call to the doctor we were put at ease, told to stay in, to push fluids and to ride it out. “There’s a stomach bug going around and it will pass” — we were told. But “stomach bug” I knew this was not. This thing, whatever she had, was far more sinister. A day later and two separate trips to the emergency room we wound up in the hospital for seven days of pure agony. Not only were we quarantined in a room that we were not allowed to leave but my potty-trained daughter was back in diapers –- going to the bathroom up to 30 times a day and screaming every time (sorry tmi). The poor thing was finally diagnosed with Salmonella (it takes 3 days to show up in a blood culture), and even rarer, it had spread to her bloodstream. Where she got it – I still don’t know. Salmonella is one of those things that you can get from food, playing with a turtle, anywhere really – nobody knows. And when a kid gets it, especially if it gets into the blood, it is nothing short of terrifying. (more…)
My Quotable Kids — a safe place for kid’s quotes
I know it, you know it, kids can be hysterical. Sometimes they say things that make us laugh out loud, roll over the floor, wipe away our tears and then frantically reach for a pen and paper (or an Iphone, or computer, or whatever we have handy to make a note), as to not lose the thought and to make sure the quote will be treasured forever and ever and ever.
Well, as for me, I keep losing the strips of paper, and my email drafts and my Iphone are so overloaded with notes (and quotes) that I’d rather never look at it again. And, well, I’m just not so very organized I suppose.
Until I found out about My Quotable Kid — A Parents’ Journal of Unforgettable Quotes. It has very easy-to-use, cute pages where you can fill in the who/where/when and what, as to never forget the quote, and more importantly, to keep them all safely together in one place. I started my book this week and I’m very excited about it.
A great gift for girlfriends with children I think! Available through Amazon (UK
xxx Esther
Screech Owl Designs
My name is Dina, I live in New York and I am a Moomah-holic.
When I was in the other day I finally asked who did the graphics for the place as I love everything on the walls. The owner, who is the mom of two young children in the neighborhood, has clearly thought of every little detail of the environment down to the take-away coffee cups (which are almost too beautiful to toss.) I always go there to buy little note cards and I was so excited to see that the designer of all the amazing stuff in Moomah has a website. Screech Owl Designs has beautiful prints, t-shirts and stationery. I especially love their note cards – I think it would even be nice to frame a few and hang on the wall, and I am planning to get some as birthday invitations this year.
-Dina
