Looking Glass

Mother's Day

2013-05-12T23:11:00.001+10:00

Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Happy Mother's Day!

We celebrated at home this year with Mum & my Grandmother. A delicious BBQ lunch cooked by Dad followed by the most scrumptious chocolate fudge cheesecake that Mum baked. She can't even relax on Mother's Day!! I brought giant cupcakes over with Mother's Day chocolate hearts garnishing the top but she still felt the need to make dessert. That's Mums for you ;-) How did you celebrate?

Here's a little instagram shot from our day...

Clare x

Chrissy Amphlett

2013-04-24T22:30:00.000+10:00

Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Chrissy Amphlett had one of the sexiest, gutsiest, wildest, most rockin' voices on this planet. One of the best frontwomen this world has ever seen. Naturally she was recently named one of Australia's top 10 singers of all time. Sadly she lost her battle with breast cancer & MS on April 21st at only 53 years of age.

Below is my favourite Divinyls song. According to her husband, Charley Drayton, Chrissy "expressed hope that her worldwide hit I Touch Myself would remind women to perform annual breast examinations."

Clare x

"That's Where I Will Always Be Waiting"

2013-04-23T00:16:00.000+10:00

image via pinterest

I like to believe that our loved ones who are no longer with us in the physical form visit us in that place between sleep & awake...

Clare x

Interview ~ Catherine from The Spring Blog & Shop

2013-04-16T21:39:00.000+10:00

Meet Catherine from The Spring Blog and now also The Spring Shop. Originally hailing from Toronto, she met the love of her life, who just happened to be Aussie, in Cambridge & after finishing their studies they rolled a dice & decided to move to Brisbane, Queensland together. A crafty, stylish little blogger, Catherine lets us in on her favourite recipes, crafty projects, her personal style & home decor style, health, beauty, gardening & best of all, her favourite things to do, see, & eat in South-East QLD via The Spring Blog. Recently she opened an online store filled with neo-traditional goodies, offering a range of affordable new & vintage home and food styling products. Some of which can often be quite hard to track down in Australia.

Catherine was sweet enough to answer a few questions about herself, her blog & her online store for Looking Glass readers...

When did you start "The Spring" blog and why?

I started The Spring Blog two and a half years ago while waiting in Canada for my Australia immigration papers to be processed. I was so excited about the new life I was about to start (in 1-9 months, the embassy couldn’t be more specific) that I began blogging to catalogue my dreams for this big fresh start. I also began reaching out to Aussie bloggers, and becoming part of that online community right from the start made adapting to life in a country where I knew almost no one so much easier.

What prompted you to open "The Spring" shop?

Two things, really. First, since moving to Australia I’ve found it difficult to find (or find at a reasonable price) the kind of traditional wares I’ve always loved cooking with, entertaining with, and crafting with. I’m talking mason jars, bakers twine, beautiful paper tags, cast iron skillets… So I saw a gap in the market and thought I could bring joy to people like the ones who read my blog if I could fill it.

The second thing is more personal. I want to live a creative, flexible, self-directed life and I just couldn’t think of an existing job out there that would tick all those boxes. I’ve had a deeply felt, totally scary feeling for years now that I’m entrepreneurial at heart – I find building my business and coming up with new marketing ideas just as creative and fulfilling as all the design, photography, writing and craft I do every day. So once I had the what and the why figured out, there was no excuse left NOT to start up The Spring Shop.

What does a typical day for Catherine entail?

It varies, and that’s what I love! I still teach part time, but I get whole days to dedicate to the shop and blog now, which is AMAZING! Shopping for new stock is the most fun part… Then there’re always emails to write, parcels to post, DIY ideas to develop, stock and projects to photograph, descriptions and posts to write, and social media platforms to tend… so what I’m doing changes hour to hour. I do have a regular practice called ‘hustle time’ when I put on my marketing hat and brainstorm ways to reach out and be of service to select brands, publications, and readers who may not even know about The Spring yet.

Any exciting new plans for The Spring blog / shop on the horizon that you can share with us?

I love exploring Australia so I’m super excited that a small resort on the Southern Tip of the Great Barrier Reef has asked us to come up as their guests and write about the fabulous experiences available for tourists in their area. It sounds like the perfect excuse for a mid-winter getaway to me, and I’ll let y’all know more about it as the plan unfolds.

What's your favourite product right now on The Spring Shop?

Obviously I'm deeply digging the whole range… but if I have to pick a favourite it’s the all natural long & elegant beeswax birthday candles we’ve had custom made in the USA. They’re so beautiful and 100% edible; the days of toxic wax drippings on our celebration cakes are over!

What are you reading right now?

The latest issue of Fete magazine… I’ve never been to South Australia, but if it’s anything like what’s inside that magazine, I’m a packing my bags right now!

What are you listening to right now?

Otis Redding. Always Otis Redding.

Finish this sentence: the perfect day of indulgence for me would entail....

A two hour Thai yoga massage, all the fresh pressed green juice I care to drink, and having someone else to clean the juicer (and my house) while I’m in bliss-mode.

Favourite place in the whole wide world?

Easy. Driving down a Simcoe County road with the windows down on a hot August afternoon. There’s just a certain quality to the late summer, the sweet smell of the cornfields, the warm breeze blowing, and the crunch of the gravel under the wheels… it’s home, it’s nostalgic, it’s perfection. You can take the girl out of Ontario…

What advice would you give to any readers thinking of opening their own online shop?

Be very clear about why you want to go into business. Entrepreneurs work twice as hard for half the money… so you gotta be in it for the love.

Do everything yourself. There’s nothing that you can’t figure out using a combination of your own intuition, youtube, and the google. There’s a steep learning curve when you begin to create anything on your own, but you’ll keep costs low and gain a level of mastery over your own business that’s worth every hour of fiddling you put into it.

Thanks for visiting us Catherine! As a Sydney gal, I love taking a peek into the lifestyles of bloggers living in other Aussie cities. I can't wait to get my hands on a few goodies from Catherine's store, namely the pie set & some moonshine mugs!

~ Clare x

The Spring Blog

The Spring Shop

The Language of the Fan

2013-04-07T00:07:00.001+11:00

Did you know that once upon a time it is believed there was a 'language of the fan' and that ladies, particularly in the 18th century, could convey much more than one might realise from across the other side of the room? I find this so fascinating! I have been reading up on it a little as I'm currently involved in a production of Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan, playing the title role. Above is the promotional image that my husband took. Anyway, back to the language... Here are some apparent examples I came across:

Touching right cheek - yes

Touching left cheek - no

Twirling in left hand - we are watched

Twirling in right hand - I love another

Fanning slowly - I am married

Fanning quickly - I am engaged

Open & shut - you are cruel

Open wide - wait for me

Presented shut - do you love me?

With handle to lip - Kiss me

In right hand in front of face - Follow me

Drawing across the cheek - I love you

Placing on left ear - I wish to get rid of you

Twirling in right hand - I love another

Credit: The Covent Garden Minuet Company

Photo Credit: Glenn Chiofalo

I love how dramatic it seems. Can you imagine using this language nowadays?

~ Clare x

"It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious."

~ Lady Windermere's Fan, Oscar Wilde

Oh Shit! It's Monday...

2013-03-26T00:13:00.002+11:00

Image via Pinterest

Happy Monday lovelies!

C x

The Highwayman

2013-03-23T00:34:00.000+11:00

PART ONE

I

THE wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.

II

He'd a French cocked-hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin,
A coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of brown doe-skin;
They fitted with never a wrinkle: his boots were up to the thigh!
And he rode with a jewelled twinkle,
His pistol butts a-twinkle,
His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky.

III

Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard,

And he tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred;

He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there

But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,

Bess, the landlord's daughter,

Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.

And dark in the dark old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked

Where Tim the ostler listened; his face was white and peaked;

His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like mouldy hay,

But he loved the landlord's daughter,

The landlord's red-lipped daughter,

Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say—

'One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize to-night,

But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;

Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,

Then look for me by moonlight,

Watch for me by moonlight,

I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way.'

He rose upright in the stirrups; he scarce could reach her hand,

But she loosened her hair i' the casement! His face burnt like a brand

As the black cascade of perfume came tumbling over his breast;

And he kissed its waves in the moonlight,

(Oh, sweet, black waves in the moonlight!)

Then he tugged at his rein in the moonliglt, and galloped away to the West.

PART TWO

He did not come in the dawning; he did not come at noon;

And out o' the tawny sunset, before the rise o' the moon,

When the road was a gypsy's ribbon, looping the purple moor,

A red-coat troop came marching—

Marching—marching—

King George's men came matching, up to the old inn-door.

They said no word to the landlord, they drank his ale instead,

But they gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her narrow bed;

Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets at their side!

There was death at every window;

And hell at one dark window;

For Bess could see, through her casement, the road that he would ride.

III

They had tied her up to attention, with many a sniggering jest;

They had bound a musket beside her, with the barrel beneath her breast!

'Now, keep good watch!' and they kissed her.

She heard the dead man say—

Look for me by moonlight;

Watch for me by moonlight;

I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way!

She twisted her hands behind her; but all the knots held good!

She writhed her hands till her fingers were wet with sweat or blood!

They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like years,

Till, now, on the stroke of midnight,

Cold, on the stroke of midnight,

The tip of one finger touched it! The trigger at least was hers!

The tip of one finger touched it; she strove no more for the rest!

Up, she stood up to attention, with the barrel beneath her breast,

She would not risk their hearing; she would not strive again;

For the road lay bare in the moonlight;

Blank and bare in the moonlight;

And the blood of her veins in the moonlight throbbed to her love's refrain .

Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The horse-hoofs ringing clear;

Tlot-tlot, tlot-tlot, in the distance? Were they deaf that they did not hear?

Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,

The highwayman came riding,

Riding, riding!

The red-coats looked to their priming! She stood up, straight and still!

VII

Tlot-tlot, in the frosty silence! Tlot-tlot, in the echoing night!

Nearer he came and nearer! Her face was like a light!

Her eyes grew wide for a moment; she drew one last deep breath,

Then her finger moved in the moonlight,

Her musket shattered the moonlight,

Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him—with her death.

VIII

He turned; he spurred to the West; he did not know who stood

Bowed, with her head o'er the musket, drenched with her own red blood!

Not till the dawn he heard it, his face grew grey to hear

How Bess, the landlord's daughter,

The landlord's black-eyed daughter,

Had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there.

Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky,

With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high!

Blood-red were his spurs i' the golden noon; wine-red was his velvet coat,

When they shot him down on the highway,

Down like a dog on the highway,

And he lay in his blood on the highway, with the bunch of lace at his throat.

X

And still of a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees,
When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
When the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
A highwayman comes riding—
Riding—riding—
A highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn-door.

XI

Over the cobbles he clatters and clangs in the dark inn-yard;

He taps with his whip on the shutters, but all is locked and barred;

He whistles a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there

But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,

Bess, the landlord's daughter,

Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.

~ Alfred Noyes

images: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight

I happened across that second image above and it suddenly made me think of The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes. Enjoy...

Clare x

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream...

2013-03-13T16:01:00.002+11:00

credits: one, two, three, four, five, six

As invincible as I like to think I am, I have been proved wrong, left with a lingering virus for the past week and a half. Ugh! Sleep, tea in bed, sleep, movies in bed, sleep, pinterest in bed, sleep, embracing my messy hair, and more sleep. At least all this time in bed has given me plenty of time to dream...

Clare x

Goodbye Summer...

2013-03-03T11:37:00.000+11:00

credits: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine

Well Summer seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye. I do love Autumn though. Looking forward to falling leaves, milder temperatures, nights in with red wine & comforting dinners, layering, and rugging up just a little. What do you love most about Autumn?

Clare x

Valentine's & Birthdays

2013-02-15T09:09:00.000+11:00

image via pinterest

Happy Valentine's! Well, it's already Friday here in Oz, so it was really yesterday. Valentine's Day is my hubby's birthday & mine is the day before so for us it's all about the birthdays and not so much about Valentine's. Thought this pic was super cute though!! What boy doesn't like Transformers?

Do tell, do you celebrate Valentine's? Did you get something special?

~ Clare x

Flamingo Fancy

2013-02-09T18:30:00.000+11:00

Credit: Vogue Living Australia Jan/Feb 2013

I can't help it, I've gone flamingo mad! Naturally when I opened my Vogue Living last month my eyes locked on the above 2 pages. Here are a few more flamingo-fancy images I'm obsessing over...

Credits: one, two, three, four

~ Clare x

Bucket List

2013-02-05T20:39:00.000+11:00

Credits: one, two, three, four, five

Can you guess where I might be headed soon? In July I will cross something off my bucket list. My hubby & I are headed to Chile to visit his family & attend a wedding so we decided whilst over there we would........ yup, you guessed it; trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru. We're also going to fly over the Nazca Lines. I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself. Although I'm freaking out at the same time as it's all booked now & I can't back out so I have no choice but to get fit hahaha!

What's on your bucket list?

Clare x

Betty in Paris

2013-01-31T19:36:00.000+11:00

Betty In Paris from Olive Us on Vimeo.

J'adore! Do watch. I promise you will too...

Clare x

PS: Enter my giveaway with personal-planner.com.au to win your own personalised planner that you create yourself!

Australia Day

2013-01-30T00:54:00.000+11:00

image via Vogue Australia Tumblr

Back to work today after the Australia Day long weekend. A weekend filled with BBQ's with wonderful friends both old and new, too much food, and plenty of laughs.

My thoughts go out to those affected by the floods right now. It's just devastating.

Clare x

PS: Enter the giveaway to win a personal planner that you can design yourself from personal-planner.com.au

Giveaway!! Win a Personal Planner (Closed)

2013-01-25T11:52:00.000+11:00

~ Competition now closed ~

Are you organised for 2013 yet? I have to say I'm not and I'm in serious need of a personal planner. I can't live without one and just assumed I'd get one for Christmas but didn't this year - oops! So before I get myself into trouble by triple booking myself I'm going to make my own here at personal-planner.com.au

How handy is it that you can make your own? Well, the lovely folks behind personal-planner.com.au have kindly offered Looking Glass readers the chance to win a gift card worth $45 to spend on their site!

A little about their planners & how it all works:

Their planners provide you with endless design possibilities. You can change colour, text and design on front/back cover as well as inlay. There are also clever boxes for to-do list, gym session, preschool, idea of the week and weather. Friend’s and family member’s birthdays can also be added to the inlay directly from Facebook. They print and deliver the finished product directly to your doorstep.

How to Enter:

1. Follow Looking Glass through Google Friend Connect as well as;

2. Follow personal-planner.com.au on facebook and;

3. Simply leave a comment on this post

For extra entries you can tweet or reblog the giveaway - just be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry & include your email address.

Guidelines:

Entries open from Thursday 24th Jan 2013 and will be drawn Friday 1st Feb 2013.

Winner will be sent a gift card by email. The gift card allows you to choose a planner in any size (value up to $45).

International entrants are accepted
Prize can not be exchanged for money

Click here to visit their website and facebook page.

Instagram ~ my world of late

2013-01-23T15:26:00.000+11:00

Lots of instagram fun of late...

New Alexandra Redmond necklace from my beautiful sister

Surprise Dahlias

Prosecco Time at the Brown Brothers Hidden Vineyard

Birthday celebrations in Centennial Park with the cutest Pug

Treats from the Flaky Tart Bakery always make my day

A trip to Sydney Flower Markets helps brighten my living room

Sydney harbour cruising with great friends

Fiji is an absolute paradise & when your besties get married there it's even better!

Rodrigo y Gabriela at the Opera House - so, so amazing!

Giant rubber duck in Darling Harbour - thanks to Florentijn Hofman

Weezer at the Entertainment Centre - can't believe I finally got to see them! They haven't been to Oz since 1996!

The Hives at The Metro - always one of my favourite bands to see live. So much stage presence!

Starting my Coralie Bickford-Smith / F Scott Fitzgerald collection (just added Great Gatsby actually)

A day at the races for my bestie's hens (bachelorette)

Let them eat cake!

On holidays from work means afternoon naps with kitty

Sunsets from my parents' backyard

Winding down at Gazebo Wine Garden after performing at Darlinghurst Theatre

Would love you to join me on instagram!!

Back very soon with a fun giveaway...

Clare x

She's a Lady

2013-01-16T19:47:00.001+11:00

image via pinterest

So very excited to be heading back into rehearsal for one of my favourites.
Oscar Wilde.
Lady Windermere's Fan.

C x

13 has always been my lucky number...

2013-01-14T00:26:00.002+11:00

Images: Looking Glass

Happy 2013! Above you can see my little cheese platter I whipped up for New Year's Eve. What did you all get up to? We celebrated with a small, wonderful group of 7. Evening swims in the pool, great food and wine, and plenty of laughs. Twas perfect.

I'm not one for New Year's resolutions. All I know is that this is going to be an exciting year! 13 has always been my lucky number...

Clare x

PS: I'm now on tumblr. Come find me.

Ringin' In 2013

2012-12-28T20:05:00.000+11:00

Credits: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight

I do hope you all had a most wonderful Christmas! We had a huge party on Christmas Eve with my husband's family - as is tradition. The kids tearing open their gifts at midnight. Christmas morning was spent with my immediate family - a delicious long breakfast of pancakes topped with berries and coconut syrup, bacon & eggs, fruit salad and a few glasses of Mumm champagne. Mmmmmm. After a huge late lunch with my extended family we wearily returned home to my parents to curl up on the lounge and all watch "The Holiday" together. Bliss.

Now to gear up for the biggest party of they year (ok, well aside from my birthday!) I have found a little inspiration that sums up a perfect NYE for moi.

I'd love to know what your plans for New Year's are...

~ Clare x

White Christmas

2012-12-23T00:23:00.000+11:00

This year I decided that even though it's summer in Australia, I was having a white Christmas. So hubby & I tracked down a pretty white tree & adorned it in silver & gold. I decorated in other areas with a little silver & blue. Above are a couple of instagram pics of my tree & other decorations. The last pic is a delicious bar of Lindt chocolate I received in the mail this week from the gorgeous girls at Real Weddings Magazine. Twas delicious!

What colours are you decorating with this year?

~ Clare x

Fiji

2012-12-17T22:50:00.002+11:00

All images by Glenn Chiofalo

A few of my favourite snaps from our Fiji getaway. The first shot was taken from our bure - yes, that was our view each day.

Anyone who has been to Fiji will tell you how beautiful the Fijians are, waving with big smiles and a "Bula!" as you pass by. One of the highlights of our trip was visiting a local primary school armed with gifts of art & other school supplies. The children from each grade had devised a special song and dance just for our visit. They were so beautiful.

One thing I'm definitely missing are "The Serenaders" who would play acoustic guitars, ukeleles, & sing for us over lunch, dinner, & long into the night. Why can't I have serenaders everywhere I go here? ;-)

Well, it may be back to the daily grind for me now but I'm already planning my next trip to paradise...

~ Clare x

Love Vintage Show 2012 ~ Featuring Burlesque with Foxtrot India & the Sydney Swing Katz

2012-12-02T16:05:00.000+11:00

All images courtesy of Creative Flair Photography

Well I'm back from Fiji & feeling completely relaxed & refreshed. A week of swimming, indulging in tropical cocktails, dancing & laughing into the wee hours with great friends, boat rides to private islands, eating waaaay too much food & plenty of massages & spa treatments, was just what the doctor ordered. Not to mention the highlight of our week; witnessing our very best friends get married! Photos to come soon. You can see a few of my holiday instagram snaps here. There are a few sneak peek photos of Ben & Katie's 1920s inspired wedding & 'trash the dress shoot' on the Photographer's facebook page here.

In the meantime I'm sharing with you my brother-in-law's shots from our day at Sydney's Love Vintage Show back in September. As you can see above, the highlights of the day were the Sydney Swing Katz, dancing up a storm, and a little lesson on the history of Burlesque with the very vivacious Foxtrot India. She then taught us all a few choice dance moves! The last shot is a sneaky one of moi in my favourite 50s dress & you can see my main purchase of the day; a cream vintage suitcase.

What have you all been up to? I desperately need to catch up on your blogs!

~ Clare x

Bon Voyage

2012-11-21T00:47:00.001+11:00

Image via Life Choice

Wishing you all a lovely week. I'm off to Fiji for my best friend's wedding! I'll be back in a week with plenty of photos from the holiday & the wedding. Bliss!

~ Clare x

Let the Wild Rumpus Start!

2012-11-15T15:09:00.000+11:00

Images: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight

This year has been an amazing one yet the toughest for me yet. As of this week, things are slowly returning to normal. Study is at an end & I have some time off work. I'm dreaming of running in the wild, getting lost in mazes, longing for travel & adventure... Luckily for me I have a trip to Fiji next week for a little rest & relaxation and the wedding of my dearest friends.

“Let the wild rumpus start!”

(Maurice Sendak - Where the Wild Things Are)

~ Clare x

Free Spirit

2012-10-31T13:55:00.000+11:00

Image via Pinterest

I've noticed lately that I seem to have a lot of friends who cannot understand me & the way I live my life. That's fine, we're all different, but lately I've felt so much pressure. Questions after questions. Demanding to know when I will have a baby, when my hubby & I will buy a house and where will it be, etc. Sorry to let you all down but I live in the moment. I'm happy that way. If you can't handle it, then that's your problem, I say. You have fun with your 5 year plan & constantly living in the future. I won't settle for less just because that's what society says you're "meant" to do. I'm not saying I don't want some of these things, but I'm sure as hell not going to stress about it right this second and I don't need my friends telling me how I'm "supposed" to live my life. I've never understood why people make life decisions based on what they think they're meant to do at a certain age with complete disregard for what they actually "want" to do. Such a shame really....

Does anyone else feel this pressure from friends, family, society in general?

~ Clare x