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.

Singin' in the Rain

At the risk of being accused of having a Gene Kelly fetish, I couldn't think of a better title for yesterday's BrisStyle Indie Mother & Child Market.  Someone forgot to turn off the tap over Queensland and we have been inundated with non-stop drenching rain, with flooding to the north of Brisbane.  It didn't auger well for our market, with half the participants having outdoor stalls.

Outside looked decidedly gloomy, but that little touch of pink gave a hint of what was in store for visitors inside. 

Luckily our brilliant market organisers Helen and Bel found that with a little re-arranging there was enough room indoors to accommodate all the stall holders and it made for an extremely happy atmosphere. The hall was festooned with a joyful mixture of BrisStyle and Chicks in Pink balloons, and pink was the colour of the day.

And there were so many babies - where did they all come from?  They were so adorable that I wanted to cuddle them all.

 












My Hot Fudge stand had many pink dresses in keeping with the theme of the day.  Thank goodness I had lots of sales which in turn meant that lots of Hot Fudge Choc Fudge found new homes, leaving precious little for us to indulge in last night.  If I had to look at another piece of fudge I knew I would be ill (a feeling obviously not shared by my spouse the Fudge Buster).

These lovely shoppers travelled all the way from the Gold Coast through torrential rain, after seeing our advertisement in Peekaboo Magazine.

The BrisStyle fairy spread good cheer and free balloons to the gaggle of little children in attendance.

And there were lots of adorable goodies for both children and mothers to indulge in and buy.

  

The lovely Lesley of Oz Wildlife Studio battled the elements bravely until a spot was found inside.
  

There was excellent entertainment for all courtesy of the boy band, WheeleR, who performed many of their own compositions.

The little tot to the right is enthralled with WheeleR



So here's to the mothers, fathers, babies and grandparents who braved the wild elements to do a little shopping.  We love youse all.

We are amused

The pink frenzy has travelled as far south as Sydney.  My daughter spied this usually stern lady throwing her support behind the BrisStyle Indie Mother and Child Market on Saturday.


Photo: Maz Dixon



The Mater Hospital's Chicks in Pink  who will be on site raising awareness for Breast Cancer and of course, there will be the our usual charity raffle, this time in support of Chicks in Pink, with lots of lovely goodies made by the talented members of BrisStyle.

In a last-minute frenzy, today I made a couple of aprons for the oven whisperers among us. 

Fully lined apron

If Pinky Benson was a cross dresser, I think he would love to be caught wearing this little number in his favourite colour.

Hope you can come.

How Sweet it is

It's my fault, I know.  I made the first batch of Hot Fudge Choc Fudge today and offered Mr Fudge a tiny corner to see if it met with his approval.  It did.  He's crying.  I have hidden the fudge in the spare fridge in the garage and in case he breaks the code, I have installed CCTV and have tagged each piece.

If you would like to taste some of your own, this is the place to be next Saturday:

I'll be giving away bags of Hot Fudge Choc Fudge with every sale, while stocks last, one per customer... unless you buy me out and then I'll throw in all the fudge.

There will be the most wonderful array of goodies on sale made by some very creative and lovely BrisStyle members.  Here's a plan of the market layout:

I will be inside the hall, No 12.  I will be the one with tell-tale chocolate stains down my front.

Smoke gets in your eyes

When the week begins with your computer landing in hospital with a nasty virus and your iron billowing toxic smoke all over the sewing room, you know you're in for a bumpy ride.  As I rapidly unplugged the iron and rushed it outdoors, I passed under the smoke detector which always screams unmercifully when our toast turns a lighter shade of pale, and there wasn't a peep out of it.  Obviously it's set for Toast Smoke and not Toxic Smoke from Irons.

It was less than two years old, but somehow the warranty vanished in smoke along with the iron.  It had to be replaced - not for ironing clothes (I have become very fond of the mountain of un-ironed clothing waiting expectantly in the laundry), but for the children's clothing under construction for the BrisStyle Indie Mother and Child Market next weekend.  I remember when appliances were built to last forever - well for three years at least.  The new shiny model is now preening itself on my ironing board, full of steam and promises to outlive its two year warranty, which is carefully stored away, just in case.

As the theme for the BrisStyle market is pink, I've made these little dresses in keeping with the colour scheme.

On Thursday evening four of our grandchildren tumbled in with their parents for an evening of fun, games and food.  The girls were in a pink mood ...

... a colour not loved by their big brother.  Miss J (top right) wore her latest Fairy dress and, Tinkerbell like, dusted the entire house with sparkly microbes.  We can now navigate our way from the family room to our bedroom with the lights out.

If you are fond of fairy dust (and who isn't?), then come along to St Augustine's Church Hall and grounds next Saturday, 9 October, between 9.00am and 2.00pm and meet our very own BrisStyle Fairy. There will be gorgeous goodies for mothers and children, face painting, balloons, food, competitions and music.  And of course, there will be my very own world famous Hot Fudge Choc Fudge given away with every Hot Fudge sale (one bag per customer).  I'll be in the hall, so do stop by and say hello.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, my pigeon friend is still here, still battering himself against my window all day.  Looks as though he has decided to add some puff for protection, or maybe he's holding his breath until the toxic smoke clears.

Here's to Pinky Benson

Way back in 1964 there was a movie called What a Way to Go starring Shirley MacLaine (ask your grandparents - they'll remember it).  It was a black comedy with an all-star cast.  My favourite character in the movie was Pinky Benson played by Gene Kelly.

The plot is too long, so you'll have to take my word that he married Shirley MacLaine, rose from a nobody to a matinee idol, and had a fetish for pink.  He came to an untimely end - trampled to death by a mob of rabid fans.  Very funny.  Well, it was back in 1964.

BrisStyle also has a fetish for pink and early next month the BrisStyle Indie Mother and Child Market hits town in spectacular fashion on Saturday 9 October.  Racecourse Road at Hamilton will become a sea of pinkness, with pink balloons, yarn bombed trees and a myriad of festivities to support the Mater Hospital's "chicks in pink" charity to raise awareness for breast cancer.

Here are a few of the stall holders who will be there to delight you:

I've completed a couple of cute little tunic dresses which will be on sale at the market.  Don't forget that all purchasers of Hot Fudge goodies will receive some of my Hot Fudge Choc Fudge - how could you resist?

So here's to Pinky Benson.  Pity he will miss our market - he would have been in his element.

Food for Thought

It's only two and a half weeks to the BrisStyle Mother and Child Market and once again panic sets in.  So much fabric - so little time. 

Apart from my usual clothing and accessories, I will have my world famous Hot Fudge Choc Fudge all packaged up to give away with every sale.  Grown men have wept, so don't miss out!  If I can raise the sugar levels of every child at the market, then my work will be done.

There will be so much to experience at the market - lots of dancing and singing, fabulous music , face painting, colouring-in contests, sausage sizzle, and much, much more. 

We are supporting the Mater Hospital's charity Chicks in Pink and their team will be on site to help raise awareness for breast cancer.  The whole site will be a sea of pink, with pink balloons, yarn bombed trees and many other surprises.
























Did I mention the pink fairy?

She will be there handing out balloons, waving her magic wand and generally enchanting the little children.  See you at St Augustine's Grounds and Hall, Racecourse, Hamilton between 9.00am and 2.00pm.

Speaking of food, my brother sent me this item by columnist Richard Glover of the Sydney Morning Herald.  The newspaper's foodie bible, The Good Food Guide is just out and here is Richard's contribution. 

The Good Food Guide is out and so is this column’s alternative guide, the So-So Food Guide, a compendium of the places at which most of us eat. Perhaps you have supped at some of the places featured this year.

The Royal Arms Hotel Chicken Kiev: If you want to know the secret of this operation, you need look no further than the chest freezer centrally located in the breezeway between the men’s lavvy and the hotel laundry. In here, you will find all manner of produce, suspended in a frost-induced slumber, awaiting the awakening touch of the hotel’s microwave. A barman shouts heartily through the open door of the kitchen — ‘‘three chicken kievs, please’’ — and, with that, Gina extinguishes her cigarette and springs into action, padding out into the breezeway, deftly swinging open the lid and peering into the stygian gloom. Disaster stalks every professional chef and Gina is no different. There’s always a chance that, in the dark, her hand will settle on a frozen chicken parmigiana or even an ice-encrusted salt and pepper squid. But not this time. Three kievs are located, stripped of their plastic coating, placed into the microwave, and emerge just minutes later, a curlicue of steam rising elegantly from each. Served with a schooner of icy cold ale, the meal is as perfect as can be reasonably expected at the Royal Arms.


The Central Bowling Club All-You-Can-Eat Buffet: Many three-hat restaurants declare themselves fans of sustainability but few pursue that goal with the ardour of the Central Bowling Club. One large piece of bargain steak can be a roast dinner on Monday, the makings for mongolian beef on Tuesday and — in a startling indication of the chef’s transformative skills — the basis for a sichuan chicken by Wednesday. Feel free to leave some of the chicken on your plate: by the time you return tomorrow it will somehow be part of the apricot crumble.


The Work Canteen: The Slow Food movement is all the rage and food certainly couldn’t get any slower than this. With only three people on staff — including Terry, who has never really been the same since the operation — there’s bound to be a deeply restorative wait for food. Luckily, entertainment is provided while you wait, with a lively banter of blame and recrimination as the staff shout abuse at one another, screeching, ‘‘Who’s got the pepper grinder,’’ and yelling, ‘‘I told you we needed more paper bags.’’ At $6.50 a sandwich, the prices may seem steep for a subsidised canteen but not when you factor in the free show.


That Italian Place: Every night is pasta night at That Italian Place. Chef Sam has been headhunted from his previous establishment, a plumbing supply business in Tempe. He recommends the spaghetti bolognese (for those who like regional flavours), and the spaghetti marinara (for those with a strong constitution).

Bon appetit!

Giraffes and Birds

After a couple of days away from the sewing machine, I took a brave, deep breath and cut into some of my delicious new fabric.

I fell in love with these cute giraffes and decided to make a pair or shortalls.  I won't even mention the slight disagreement my index finger had with a sewing machine needle.

They're suitable for a boy or girl ...

... and the leg cuffs can be buttoned up or down.  They will be available for sale in my Etsy shop and at the BrisStyle Mother and Child Market on 9 October.

Today a noisy miner joined the crested pigeon in attacking my window.  At least he had the decency to wait until a civilised hour - the crazy pigeon started at 6.00am.

 

Does this make me a chick magnet?