Glamour Drops by Blue Fruit :: a quest for the glamorous details in life ::

Friday Fun :: Can we turn back Time?

2012-02-24T09:05:00.000+11:00

If you could turn back the clock, would you? I wouldn't! Life just gets better & better with every single day, bringing (hopefully) a little more wisdom with it. (This is the infamous Clock Tower stunt, from the 1923 film Safety Last, with the actor Harold Lloyd.) :: image via ::

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Elements :: Wrought & Cast Iron Lace

2012-02-23T10:18:00.001+11:00

The twirls & swirls of iron lace, in their filigree patterns throwing charming patterns of shadow, can instantly change a building from serious to romantic. Reaching a zenith of popularity in the late 19th century, iron lace was mostly used on balustrades, column capitals, gates & fences to impart ornamentation & display wealth. On balustrades, where the lacy openness...

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Baking :: Rose Petal Cheesecake...

2012-02-22T12:29:00.000+11:00

Having an abundance of fresh roses in the garden made me wonder what the sweet petals would taste like in a cheesecake. So last night, I experimented. And this is the result. Smooth from cream cheese, slightly tangy from ricotta. Scented with vanilla & rose, scattered with fresh rose petals, it's the most heavenly~luscious cheesecake I have ever made. And...

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A chic little cottage by the water...

2012-02-21T08:00:00.000+11:00

If you have ever dreamed of having sparkling turquoise water at the bottom of your garden, where water nymphs & fairies might frolic in the moonlight, then this little cottage in Sydney's fabulous Palm Beach may just tickle your imagination. It's the quintessential laid black glamour of coastal chic: oiled timber floorboards, white walls, black &...

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A Door of Blue...

2012-02-20T15:23:00.000+11:00

Pale blues take on an illuminance, almost a glow, which makes them particularly welcoming & inviting for front doors. A patina effect works especially well in this colour, highlighting the contrast between pale blue & a darker substrate. (The effect above is achieved through copper paint with a patina solution applied.) And adding a little dark, dark blue (like...

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Alfresco dining, sounds good. With a chandelier? Sounds fabulous!

2012-02-18T22:00:00.000+11:00

Tucked daintily next to a swimming pool, this alfresco dining area is redolent with grape vines, a chandelier & a stone fireplace. But my favourite bit? That would be the glass roof. For star gazing. Over dinner. Or late, late suppers. If it gets a bit chilly we can retire inside for a moment... But with an outdoor area this appealing, I think I may be...

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Glamorous Cocktails :: the beginnings...

2012-02-17T14:53:00.000+11:00

Have always and forever been known to serve cocktails to guests as soon as they arrive for our dinner parties. A cocktail always suggests something to celebrate, and sometimes, there doesn't need to be any more excuse than celebrating life itself. Especially on Fridays. Or Saturdays. Or...well, you know... The notion of a cocktail was first recorded in print in the Morning...

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Friday Fun :: When life gives you lemons...

2012-02-17T08:53:00.000+11:00

Nuff said! artwork: blue fruit. quote: sometimes attributed to Dale Carnegie, but this is disputed. (Must have been penned by that busy Anon person then.)

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Cooking :: Potato, Aubergine & Haloumi Moussaka...

2012-02-16T12:08:00.000+11:00

Do you like the fabulous squeaky texture of that saltily delicious Greek cheese, haloumi? If so, you better read on, because you may just LOVE this simple recipe... Start by pan frying, in a little virgin olive oil, half a dozen potatoes & a couple of peeled eggplants/aubergines, both sliced thinly. (I didn't peel the potatoes ~ but of course it would be...

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Rammed earth, window walls & endless views...

2012-02-15T13:20:00.002+11:00

On a windswept plain of rugged beauty sits a quietly confident house of rammed earth, built to embrace & celebrate the wildness of the stunning landscape. On approach, the house presents a wall of locally made rammed earth. But on the other 3 elevations, window walls allow the eye & imagination to wander to the far horizon... and beyond. Cunana is a property at...

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And for the last word on Love...it's Dr Seuss...

2012-02-14T08:50:00.001+11:00

Honestly, the man was a genius. I mean, who else but Dr Seuss could weave such direct wisdom into a children's book? And make it funny! This fabulous quote was perfectly illustrated by Emma James for the freshly blooming Antiquarian Post. What? You haven't seen it yet? Quick! Get over here and check it out. Delicious. Illustration. Antiquarian Post.

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Fabulous Front Entrances :: Greenery at the Front Door

2012-02-13T11:10:00.000+11:00

As Monday is the first day of the week, I thought it may be fun to introduce a new weekly series focussing on front entrances, which also represent a beginning, or a threshold through which we pass from exterior to interior. (They also happen to be one of my favourite elements of the building design process, because the front door is such a poignant symbol.) Starting...

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Stop the Press! A Frank Lloyd Wright home for sale???

2012-02-12T10:00:00.001+11:00

For any architecture nut, architectural history nut, or simply anybody who likes their houses a little unusual, owning a Frank Lloyd Wright house would be beyond a common everyday wish. So I'm thinking a quick talk to immigration may be in order, because the Millard House in Pasadena, California, is up for sale. Experimenting with patterned concrete...

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Something Luxe : Glam Looks from Babushka Ballerina

2012-02-11T06:00:00.000+11:00

If there is a demand for luxe looks, and I think if you are reading this you would probably agree there is, then it seems that new Brisbane boutique Babushka Ballerina (how glorious is that name??) has a definite handle on luxe glamour. So, in true Glamour Drops pursuit of all that is glamorous, take a few moments to revel in the luxeness of feminine prettiness from their...

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New + Old, Black + White: a house which is both

2012-02-10T11:56:00.000+11:00

With black + new out the back, and white + old out the front, this home at Albert Park plays with contrasts. So of course we would be needing a little blast of colour, in the middle, to tie it all together. Which the rug does in a happily colourful fashion. And they have one of those groovy suspended fireplaces... The house's extension & remodel was designed by O'Conner +...

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Friday Fun :: Time is an Illusion...

2012-02-10T10:38:00.002+11:00

images: purchased from istockphoto

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Progress on the House on the Hill project...

2012-02-08T07:00:00.000+11:00

In the midst of so many exciting projects at the moment, but thought you may like to see how the House on the Hill build is progressing. The external materials are absolutely beautiful, and will give the home a mellow softness. One of the owners grew up on a rural property in NSW with a traditional homestead, so the essence of "Australian...

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BHG Live ticket giveaway...

2012-02-08T06:00:00.000+11:00

If you are going to be in Melbourne this month, and would like to go to BHG Live, I have 10 double passes to give away. This is the inaugural event, to be held in the fabulous Royal Exhibition Building in the Carlton Gardens, a voluptuous Victorian treasure. It will be a cornucopia of ideas - with all the tv presenters on hand for live demonstrations of cooking, gardening &...

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Funky Trunks! Glam swimwear for men who like to swim.

2012-02-07T14:10:00.000+11:00

Often think it's a bit unfair on the handsome half of the species, because there are so many gorgeous swimwear designs available for women, but for men, well, sometimes the choice is left wanting in terms of glamorous swimwear. (And no, those boardies & briefs, while practical, are just not glamorous!) But help is at hand, because Funky Trunks...

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Wrought Iron Lace & Carrara Marble...

2012-02-06T08:53:00.000+11:00

With the romance of wrought iron lace on the balcony and exquisite finials on the facade, this 1870s terrace has a gentle charm about it. Alfresco dining terraces are always appealing, especially when there is a little rustic brick involved. The white French doors lead onto a balcony, which would be a heavenly spot for breakfast brioche & lattes. Ornate ceilings...

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Would you care for a little Sparkling, perhaps?

2012-02-04T11:09:00.000+11:00

There's something magically enchanting about the weekend and its possibilities for sparkling adventures. While every single day is a chance to celebrate the fabulous, it's on the weekend, when there is a little more time to linger, that there always seems to be a little more sparkle around. Perhaps it's a glass of bubbles on Saturday afternoon, before the theatre at...

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Friday Fun :: The Easy way to Move House...

2012-02-03T07:29:00.000+11:00

The dry and delicious arty wit of Pacot Pomet. Image: Pacot Pomet

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Dreaming of your own Beach Box this summer?

2012-02-02T10:42:00.000+11:00

Living by the bay, as we do, often makes me dream of the notion of having my very own beach box. Right on the sand. Just like this. This one, which has just come on the market, is at Ranelagh Beach, Mt Eliza, and looks rather splendid in his coat of blue & yellow paint. The local Ranelagh beach is a favourite walking spot of ours, because the...

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Colour of the Month: Amethyst: February's Birthstone

2012-02-01T12:01:00.000+11:00

Way back yonder in 1870, the eponymous jewelry store Tiffany & Co produced a pamphlet extolling the virtues of birthstones. Each month was represented by a poem, of unknown origin, but simply referred to as the "Gregorian Birthstone Poems." As today is February 1st, I thought it may be fun to have a look at February's birthstone, which is, of course, the...

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Blue & Green should always be seen!

2012-01-31T06:53:00.000+11:00

Currently working on 3 interior design projects with wallpaper in them, and while each house is quite astonishingly different, there is no shortage of styles of this fabulous product. One of the projects has a blue and green colour scheme, so I have been hunting for suitable papers. These stunning wallpapers are by Publisher Textiles, and are hand made in Australia. They have an...

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