the dinner party

the dinner party to end. all. dinner. parties.

Yes that's right friends, I'm hosting a dinner party. Thanks to Blog This for the reason.
i thought i might let you in on how preparations are going...

the guest list...

myself & hubby
hostess with the most-ess
Simon & Garfunkel
will that count as 2 guests?
seriously, they are still beautiful musicians 40 years later...
and i'm sure they've got a few stories to tell...
Joni Mitchell
if only so she'll play me an acoustic version of "river"...
and when that's done i'm sure her and S & G can talk about how things "used to be" in the music industry, like all old people do...
Mr (Fitzwilliam) Darcy
look mate, forget elizabeth bennett, i'm doing a bit of matchmaking with the following guest...
best friend ruby
(ok so i've changed her name!)
i'm not usually into matchmaking, but i just know they'd be perfect for eachother!
That, and I want to spend Christmas's at Pemberley!!!
Bill Bryson (author)
You've always gotta have someone to tell a hilarious story about anything...
and he's just the man!

Looking over the guest list i'm almost embarrassed to invite these beautiful people to my humble home, but that's what dinner party's are all about, right? humble and comfortable and sharing a meal together. (And also, i want to have a glass of champagne and not have to drive home!!!)

which brings me to the menu...
Masterchef? eat your heart out.
i have lamb shanks, and i'm not afraid to use them.

entree
caramelised onion tarts with persian feta
served on a bed of rocket
wine : Marlborough sauvignon blanc

mains
slow braised lamb shanks in red wine sauce
served on a bed of herb polenta
with steamed baby winter vegetables
wine: barossa cabernat sauvignon

dessert
Clafoutis
a beautiful french baked custard dessert
served with fresh berries
and thin cream
wine: dessert wine - Muscat
or sweet Champagne

of course, the bottle(s!) of french champagne will be served extra chilled throughout the evening.
I suspect the gentlemen will also retire to the lounge after dessert for a refreshing glass of port (well, that's what they do in the books, don't they? no pipes allowed in my house, though!)

I'm not setting a dress code, but it's an unwritten rule that i'll be wearing black. Not for the sophistication or the slimming nature. no, purely because i will undoubtedly spill something on me. Probably the red wine sauce from the lamb shanks. Even more undoubtable considering i'll have had at least one glass of champers by then.

the entertainment...
here is where my guests come in. Joni Mitchell. Paul Simon. Art Garfunkel. Need i say more?
haven't you heard the phrase: sing for your supper?
but seriously, i'm also hoping Bill Bryson will have us all mesmerised by his stories of travelling the world.
And, of course, Ruby & Mr Darcy will not notice anything but the beating of their hearts as they stare into eachothers eyes and realise they are looking at their soul mate. ok, so i'm just a little bit of a romantic!

And, like all good hostesses, i will have backup.

• Burn the dinner? my mum can save anything. and she's 2 minutes up the road.
  
• Someone turns out to be gluten-intolerant: didn't you know polenta is made from cornmeal?
• Joni lost her voice? I've got Kate Miller-Heidke's personal phone number... i need to hear that song!
  
• Awkward moments of silence: I'll just make some funny joke about the "Sound of Silence" which no doubt will impress Simon & Garfunkel to no end, and will undoubtedly have the table in raptures of laughter (...pun intended!)

It's sure to be a great night! I'll let you know how it goes...

into the week...

Monday! here today... gone tomorrow. (is that too corny? sorry...)

have been checking out a few new blogs (Vonerable and fat mum slim) and was inspired to do a quick check of the weekend that was...

high from the weekend: the simple delights of freshly made bread & pumpkin soup. on a beautiful winters' sunday...

low from the weekend: to have a planned weekend in sydney fall through! was planning to go to a beautiful restaurant, stay in a funky hotel and a head to a concert... but will have to be another time now. you've always gotta have something to look forward to, right??

and on that note,
night night...

the music room

this morning i got a chance to potter in my music room. It's such a wonderful thing to have a little room dedicated to playing my piano, and filling it with things i love. So i thought i might just share some pics...



my piano is an heirloom. passed down from my great-aunt, to my mother, to me. i love that both my mother and i learnt on this piano. It's a bit battered, and bruised. many a frustration have been banged out on the keys, and it's getting a bit honky tonky. But it's mine and i know every one of the 85 keys like the back of my hand. my mother was my teacher, which was a beautiful and frustrating thing at the time! but what a blessing it is now to be able to free your mind with music.
All music rooms should have a chandelier. Mine, a wall decal, adds a bit of glam to my playing... the book "How Green Was my Valley" by Richard Llewellyn was sacrificed to make the book sculpture. i found the how-to in real living. seriously easy, too cute! I just love my beautiful antique frames. gold and worn. they're very striking...






I picked these up for a song at a tiny little antique shop in a country town in tasmania earlier this year. They are too beautiful to put anything in.

my music room is also my library... fiction, non-fiction, cook books, music, magazines. it's lovely to get a cuppa (lady grey all the way...) and sit and read for a bit. my grandfather used to work at "The Canberra" hotel in Toowoomba. i'll always remember the chairs in my grandparents house in toowoomba which came from the hotel. When they moved into a retirement home i had to have them! they were a disgusting 50-year-old brown colour, and so a little love from an upholsterers into black has given them a glamorous make-over. I have 2 and they are a real treasure to me.




i feel relaxed just talking about my reading corner. Add a replica Philippe Starck stool and an amy butler pillow... and a little red tea cup. bliss!


and what am i playing at the moment?
Chopin, Trios Nocturne Op.15 No.3, & Deux Nocturne Op.62 No.2
Bach, J.S. Englische Suiten Gigue from Suite 5 in E BWV 810
Mageau, M. Ragtime - Elite Syncopations (in hommage to Scott Joplin)
Hanon, The Virtuoso-Pianist. (an everlasting love)


"Where words fail, music speaks" -Hans Christian Andersen

a start

Welcome!
a first blog, so full of potential... But where to start? so much to say, yet how to say it?! so i take a leaf from Maria's book. let's start at the very beginning...

the truth? i wouldn't be in this blog-world if it wasn't for some amazing inspiration from some amazing people! why wouldn't you want to be a part of it all? dozi started it all off (with her paper flower tutorial - love it!)- and soon followed ink & spindle, daily imprint & the happy home.

the reason? people being inspired and inspiring. being creative & sharing about creative people they've met. being real, about life and all the adventures that go along with it. oh yes, i wanna be part of that!

so!... what shall i bring to the table? here i feel i will fall far short of those who inspired me in the beginning. but i'm not fazed! it's not my full-time job to make things, or talk about things, or write about things, or design things. but i love doing all these things!

i can sew (thanks mum!)
i can cook (thanks mum!)
i can read.
i can design, i can decorate (or at least try to!).
i can dream.
and i guess, most importantly... i can laugh when i make mistakes and feel a little chuffed when i succeed! that's what it's all about, hey?!

so maybe in this little journey that is my blog, i'll post about all these things.
just things that are happening in my life...
...things i'm making, cooking, sewing, dreaming of, being inspired by...
...things of life.

welcome aboard to a cup of kitsch... i hope it puts a little smile on your face!