Green Thumb

I weeded the garden yesterday.  Tomorrow I will tidy the surrounds.  What's not to love about apartment living?

Fact: it's essential to have your tongue firmly planted in your cheek to achieve cookie decoration greatness.  

Meanwhile a few blocks away the grandchildren were in the process of making and decorating cookies.  Who could resist an invitation to join them?  Particularly after our arduous gardening chores.

Yes, we polished off the lot, after we had our delicious barbecued mango chicken and salad, of course. 

Back to the garden.

Think Pink

I had been clinging onto the last piece of this pretty pink floral fabric, like a mother hen clucking over an egg.

I know it's silly, but it's so soft and lovely and I doubt there's any more of it left in the world.

Summer is just around the corner (although with today's chilly temperatures in Sydney, that's hard to believe), so the time is right to party.  

It's size 2 and you can buy it here.

Think pink this Christmas.

Any time in Paris

We've just been to see Midnight in Paris and I could have wept with relief.  Woody Allen is back to his best.  The opening shots of Paris filled us with such wonderful memories that if someone had tapped us on the shoulder with two free air tickets to Paris, you would not have seen us for dust.

It's not simply the elegance and charm of the city,

it's also the downright quirky sights that abound at every turn.

What a way to start the day, with a very healthy and non-fattening petit déjeuner.

We both sighed towards the end of the movie when this shop made a brief appearance, as we had visited it on our last day in Paris. 

Even if you are not a Woody Allen fan, do yourself a favour and sit back an enjoy this thoroughly delightful film.

Jacarandas and nets

I saw my first Jacaranda yesterday and it made my heart sing.  I was on the train with my best friend, on the way to meet up with some old classmates for lunch in the city.  There it was standing near the Harbour Bridge in all its glory.

(I foolishly left my camera at home, so I've had to use a substitute image.)

Normal folk ring in the year on New Year's Eve, but I always breathe a sigh of relief when I see my first jacaranda for the season - a new year lies ahead, full of promises.

We were intrigued when we arrived in the city to discover a huge net strung across the busy thoroughfare in front of the Town Hall.  It looked as though it was waiting for someone to make a giant leap.  It is part of Art & About which is taking place in Sydney this month and obviously it looks much more spectacular at night.

Tsunami by Janet Echelman

What a lovely time to be in Sydney.

The good, the bad, and the ugly

Something good happened yesterday.

A parcel arrived.

Out tumbled these delicious rolls of rick rack braid.

I use it here ...

... and here.  

So that was the good.

This is the bad.  Noooooo ... the overlocker nightmare - re-threading time.  You have to be an overlocker user to understand the pain.  Crying doesn't help.  I know.  I've tried.  The slick sales folk try to convince you that the new overlockers are a breeze to thread. Don't believe them.

And finally the ugly.  The knot.  The solution to the end of reel problem is to take a deep breath, cut the umbilical cord, tie it to the new reel and gingerly pull it through the labyrinth with the blind faith that it will eventually come through unscathed.  With great relief I exhaled and un-gritted my teeth.  It worked, so sometimes ugly can be good, and that's where we started.

What's cooking?

Are you addicted to a TV series?  I have to confess that I am hooked on Master Chef, so when my daughter advised that she had bought tickets for the three of us girls to attend Master Chef Live last Sunday, I was considerably chuffed.

Our decision to arrive before the gates opened turned out to be the correct one, as we were able to wander through the exhibition halls with ease and comfort, taking in all the sights and smells - Christmas had come early for us.

Gary and George welcome the crowds at the entrance

I don't know who among the three generations was more star struck, but I would estimate that that honour was equally shared.  Celebrity chefs were fairly thick on the ground and it was hard to avoid them.

2010 Junior Master Chef winner, Isabella

Peter Gilmore of Quay Restaurant

Vincent Gadan of Patisse

Next on the list was the Mystery Box Theatre, where we joined the very long queue - a little hard for a six year-old, but she was so patient.

The show was a huge success.

Afterwards we wandered once again through the exhibition halls, this time having to battle the ever-increasing crowds.

The colours were stunning

Guess who has just laid her eyes on the biggest pink meringue in the world?

She can't believe it would fit into a mere paper bag

The anticipation of that first bite was all too tantalising

Granddaughter thought that perhaps Mummy could make this cake for her next birthday.  Mummy was non-committal.

Not wanting Mr Fudge to feel left out, I bought some colourful pasta to cook for him.  What a fun day.

Dawn and Dusk

What a delightful evening we had last night, despite the sulking weather.

Gallery Eight

Gallery Eight is part of a growing trend of art spaces proving to be popular around the Sydney art scene.  It was a chilly evening, but inside the atmosphere was warm and inviting.

   Half the crowd spilled out to the back room where there were copious supplies of this.

Sydney's elite art critics were very happy with all they surveyed, buoyed up with bribes of focaccia.

The Artist was justifiably pleased with the evening (please note how LIGHT it is outside - daylight savings is pure bliss).

Here are three of my favourite works.

For an explanation of Dawn and Dusk, please go here.  The exhibition continues until 27 October, so if you are in Sydney, do come and visit.

Busy times

It's the first week of October and already the busy season is beginning.  Tonight we Fudges are off to the big city for the opening of our daughter's exhibition.

The gallery is in the The Rocks district, an historic part of the city and a great tourist attraction.  So if you are venturing to Sydney this month, put this exhibition at the top of your must-see list.

However, if you are in Brisbane tomorrow, do yourself a favour and visit the BrisStyle Mother and Child Market.

I have participated in previous Mother and Child markets and can vouch that it's a day full of fun, activities and stacks of beautiful handmade goodies to tempt you.

With Christmas not far away, both these venues will provide you with plenty of gift opportunities.

The Seamstress II

I like her tenacity.  Unlike her grandmother The Great Procrastinator, the seamstress is keen to finish what she started.

Thread colours needed to be changed and to my amazement one reel was whipped out of the machine and the correct colour threaded without hesitation.  I mentally hugged myself.

To add durability to the windows, earlier in the day I attached some ribbon, which met with approval.

We drew some shapes to decorate the side wall, and in no time it was completed.

Our next project?  A pin cushion.