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

Fancy dinner in a glamorous treehouse? You may like this then...

2012-06-01T13:11:00.000+10:00

If a taste for the exotic tantalises your tastebuds, then having dinner in a golden-lit sculptural globe, in the middle of a redwood forest, may just fit the bill. The Redwoods Treehouse has been built entirely out of timber, 10 metres above the ground, and is reached via a tree-top walk, itself rather fun. It's not a restaurant, exactly, because you can't just book a...

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Elements of Glamour :: Stylish Dressing :: Bow Tie

2012-05-31T10:21:00.000+10:00

It hardly needs to be stated on these pages, where glamour is celebrated in all its illustrious forms, that a hand-tied bow tie, worn by a handsome gent, in an impeccably cut black suit, has got to be pretty high up on the list of stylish dressing. What on earth else would James Bond wear when ordering a martini? Would it be the same if he were wearing an open necked checked...

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Grey marble, white concrete, charcoal + timber : new work by Daniel Marshall Architects

2012-05-30T10:12:00.000+10:00

Any house which has a vintage Mercedes SL parked out the front gets my attention. Especially a red one. But let's look a little deeper, to discover what else this bold new work, by Daniel Marshall Architects, has which is striking. This is architecture for people who like their houses to be dramatic and spirited. No place for prettiness here. And yet, what could be...

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Are you in London? Would you mind popping along to the V & A for me?

2012-05-29T20:07:00.000+10:00

Ok, here's the deal. That most glorious shrine to fashion, art & design, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, has just opened an exhibition called, "Ballgowns: British Glamour since 1950." Oh my. How brilliant does that sound? But the thing is, it's in London, obviously, and I'm not. Well not at the moment, obviously. Because if I were, I would be the...

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Only 999 more steps to go :: the 1000 step rainforest walk

2012-05-29T06:00:00.000+10:00

Step, step, step. Stepping through the rainforest, on a track beside a merry creek, Up, up, up. 1000 steps up. 1000 steps back down. This is the Kokoda Track Memorial Walk in the Dandenong Ranges, just outside of Melbourne. And on the weekend, between the autumn raindrops, we discovered this amazing, very beautiful place. Quiet enough for the tiny wrens to skip about, little...

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Beach house with a tennis court & a French Vibe :: would you like to live here?

2012-05-28T14:43:00.000+10:00

If playing the occasional game of lawn tennis, between swims at the beach, or cocktails on the deck, sounds pretty rejuvenating, then ponder how much fun it would be to own this beach house at Portsea. It's a rather nice part of the world, about an hour or so from Melbourne on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula. It was certainly designed with...

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Fabulous Front Doors :: Schiaparelli Pink

2012-05-28T06:00:00.000+10:00

As a complete contrast to the clear timber finish recently talked about, a shock of Schiaparelli pink greets the visitor at this villa. It's the work of sjb architects, and I bet every single time the owners catch sight of their front door, they beam a wide smile. I know I would. Would you? Image :: architects :: sjb prahran house

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A Walk in the Autumn Garden...

2012-05-26T06:00:00.000+10:00

As the last days of May bid us farewell, we say goodbye to the delightful autumn season in Melbourne. And with the crisper nights, with their promise of cosy dinner parties and roaring log fires, come the beautiful Indian Summer days, perfect for spending time lingering in the garden. In any season, this garden just keeps on giving, with different plants shining in the...

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Betting with Chocolate Frogs :: a most unusual prize...

2012-05-25T13:13:00.000+10:00

18 years ago today, I was very, very pregnant. So much so, being 10 days over my due date, that my husband insisted on attending all my client & site meetings. Just in case he needed to rush me to the hospital at any moment. And of course, in the middle of a client meeting, the first pangs of labour began. I signalled to him, he understood. I wrapped up the meeting, walked...

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Fancy a Cup of Tea? With 1 lump of personality or 2?

2012-05-25T06:00:00.000+10:00

If you think your next tea party may be needing a bit of humour added to the menu, perhaps these too-cute personality-filled tea bags could be just the thing. Made in Germany, the little characters range from Mr Mozart to the Queen, with a fair spattering of pollies in between. Lots of fun, from the ever-fabulous Donkey Products. images : tea party, by donkey products

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Elements of Glamour :: Elegant Dressing :: the Glove

2012-05-24T06:00:00.000+10:00

Ah...gloves. So seductive, so mysterious, so elegant. They truly are one of the elements of glamour dressing. And I can not think of a good reason why we don't wear them more often. But with an increasing level of romance creeping back into attire, perhaps as a reaction to the economy, perhaps because we are just tired of austere clothing, there do seem to be more glove...

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Gobbledygook :: A Begging Plea to all Bloggers to stop using Word Verification!

2012-05-23T06:00:00.000+10:00

As usual, Lewis Carroll says it best: the silliness of gobbledygook I mean. Which is exactly what it feels like when I have to decipher the impossible words, as part of the word verification process, when leaving a comment on lots of Blogger blogs. Now I try. I really do. But when a w looks an vn, or a T looks like an F, and then my spell checker corrects it before...

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Glamorous Home which is warm and welcoming :: Catherine Kwong's own apartment

2012-05-22T10:54:00.003+10:00

Not sure what interior design planet I have been living on lately, but the work of Catherine Kwong, a San Francisco based designer, is new to me. This is her own home, shot by the fabulous photographer Bess Friday. The mix of rich timbers, white walls, organic textures, mixed in with a little gold here and there, is always going to fall straight into my "glamorous...

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Fabulous Front Entrance :: patterned timber doors with a clear finish

2012-05-21T09:58:00.000+10:00

One of the most striking types of fabulous front doors, the timber door with a raised pattern, relies on the pleasing composition of the mouldings and the beauty of the timber itself. Allowed to shine through, rather than being painted, the grain and patterning of the timber creates a very welcoming ambience at the front entrance. A glossy painted door can be sensational &...

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Just something glorious :: gowns from J'Aton Couture

2012-05-19T14:16:00.000+10:00

Have spent the morning testing out cameras until my head is about to explode, with so many options, gadgets & jigger-madoodles. Why can't camera shopping be as straight-forward as the simple beauty of these gowns from J'Aton Couture? Intricate, yes. Just like a camera: Layers of things. But these gowns have an overall elegant simplicity, belying the complexity...

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Friday Fun :: a view on men and women from 1903...

2012-05-18T08:02:00.000+10:00

The perception of men, as seen by the new emancipated Edwardian woman. What can one say? image :: the gibson girl

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Gates/ balustrades/ handrails... I can't think about anything else!

2012-05-17T13:22:00.001+10:00

Have you ever noticed that when you buy a new blue dress, suddenly everybody else seems to be wearing one? Or when you need to replace your letterbox, suddenly letterboxes keep catching your attention? Well, I am busily designing the gates & balustrades for the House on the Hill at the moment, and wherever I go, I seem to be almost crashing the car when I spot an interesting...

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Cloud House :: new work by McBride Charles Ryan :: pushing the boundaries

2012-05-15T09:05:00.000+10:00

Form, geometry, colour. They are the signature hallmarks of all McBride Charles Ryan projects. And this new work, Cloud House, an extension to an Edwardian property in Fitzroy North, uses all 3 elements to create a space which is playful, dynamic & lively. Let's see this in context first. The property is in a typical street in one of Melbourne's older inner city...

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A Night at the Opera :: colour, drama, music...

2012-05-14T18:59:00.001+10:00

We took the tweenager to his first opera on Saturday night, and there was as much joy in watching his beaming face as there was in watching this splendid production. It was also the perfect excuse to don a long black sequined gown, black opera gloves & lots of sparkles. Well, one wouldn't want to be underdressed, would one? images 1/2

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Baking :: Espresso & Chocolate Cupcakes...

2012-05-12T06:00:00.000+10:00

As a delectable duet, it doesn't get much better than coffee + chocolate. And when we are talking espresso coffee + deep, dark velvety chocolate, it really does taste like a match made in heaven. These ridiculously easy-to-make indulgences are moist and light, the perfect accompaniment to a cup of espresso. If you can find chocolate covered coffee beans, these would be...

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Dresses made from Flowers, Fruit & Grains? Yep, it's a Floral Fashion Competition.

2012-05-11T10:35:00.000+10:00

One of the most fun parts of the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show is the Floral Fashion competition, whereby students from RMIT, who more usually study how to design garments from, well, you know, weird things like fabric, throw caution to the wind, embrace their imagination, and dress mannequins in luscious swathes of flowers, fruit & any...

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Simplicity & Integrity :: the Victorian Terrace of an architectural duo

2012-05-10T09:29:00.000+10:00

This is the terrace home of Stephen O'Connor and Annick Houle, the life + work duo from O'Connor + Houle Architecture, perhaps best known around this town for their work on the quietly atmospheric Heide Museum of Modern Art. And because their home is on the market, we can take a peek inside. But before we step inside, let's just go back to the front gate. Because in this carefully...

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Just something feminine :: Carl Kapp gowns

2012-05-09T18:01:00.000+10:00

In an ode to the beauty of femininity, this collection of gowns from Carl Kapp, in flowing swirls of luminous sorbet colours, makes me want to immediately throw a Grecian Goddess cocktail party. Truly elegant & truly glamorous. It would be a rather stunning party, don't you think? images :: carl kapp summer 2012

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Delectable Duet :: Blue + Black

2012-05-09T09:51:00.000+10:00

Perhaps it's a reaction to the colour blocking of the last few seasons, (or possibly yesterday's very colourful chocolate-box house) but the enduring classic combination of inky or pale blue with sultry black always appeals to me with its quiet elegance. Never in, nor out, of fashion. Blue & black is truly a timeless delectable duet to me! images :: girls with...

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When is a House like a Box of Chocolates?

2012-05-08T13:38:00.000+10:00

Have I gone nuts? How is a house like a box of chocolates? Well, when the exterior is richly dark, fancy & decadent. Just like chocolate. And when every room inside is different from the others. Just like the colourful fillings of a mixed box of delectable chocolate. This turreted villa for sale in Hawthorn, well, more of a mansion really, if we are going to get picky, has all...

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