I don’t recall writing about an app before. Or a video game. Despite having a professional app-making/video-game designing/developing/graphic designer/user experience specialist (#slashiemuch) husband, it’s never really been on my blog radar as something I’d like to enthusiastically share with my readers. That is, until Monument Valley came along, and swiftly became my four-year-old son’s favourite game.
The brainchild of independent studio ustwogames, Monument Valley is a zen-like adventure game, featuring exquisite graphic design and fantastical architecture. Inspired by the impossible-geometry-style art of M.C. Escher, Japanese prints, and minimalist 3D design, each level reveals a stunning new landscape for the game’s protagonist, Princess Ida, to explore.
My husband has been a long-time fan of ustwogames, and keenly followed the development of Monument Valley. He downloaded the game as soon as it became available, and it wasn’t long before our son took notice, enjoying watching my husband play.
Soon, he was playing the game himself, quietly manipulating the puzzles and exclaiming with joy as a beautiful new piece of architecture is revealed. There was also much excitement in our household when ustwogames released several new levels of the game last year.
What makes Monument Valley different from the other iPad games my four-year-old plays is that it wasn’t specifically made for kids. However, its contemplative slow pace and meditative quality makes it ideal for children, and I love that he’s learning to think and solve puzzles in 3D, while developing an appreciation for the beautiful illustrations and carefully considered graphic design.
I wasn’t altogether surprised to learn that the graphic design in Monument Valley was created with the idea that each screen could be printed and framed. Look at it – just beautiful!
My four-year-old is hardly alone in his Monument Valley fandom. Indeed, it’s featured as a plot point in the new season of House of Cards (no spoilers, please, but I’m delighted to think that Frank Underwood is a Monument Valley fan), and the game has garnered a swag of awards since its launch, most notably winning Apple’s Design Award and iPad Game of the Year for 2014. And last night in the UK, it won Best British Game and Best Mobile Game at the BAFTA Games Awards.
There is also a Tumblr devoted to Monument Valley fan art, and the game has spawned a printable fan art Totem, as well as a beautifully crafted wooden Totem (available on Etsy).
Have you noticed how bold and brave children’s bed linen has become? It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was quietly despairing over the limited range of design-led bed linen available for kids. I remember ordering my son’s cot linen around four years ago from an online shop in the States, because fun unisex prints for babies and kids seemed to be in short supply.
But now it seems that Australians are leading the way, with designers such as Melbourne-based Goosebumps releasing cool and creative bed linen just for kids. Online store Indie Art & Design are championing Goosebumps’ beaut new season collection with 10 per cent off all new designs.
Indie Art & Design is the digital baby of graphic design duo Carolyn & Martin (who are now also mum and dad to adorable Liam and Camille). Since 2006, they have showcased the work of Australian independent artists and designers on their blog, and they also stock a large variety of beautiful and unique products on their online store.
Goosebumps Roar reversible quilt cover, now $143.10, from Indie Art & Design.
We really love Indie’s selection of clever and thoughtful kids’ products, including the fantastic new season collection of Goosebumps children’s bed linen. They also stock Goosebumps’ new fitted cot sheets for babies in the Dot print, a vibrant and modern take on the leopard print.
To celebrate our launch, the awesome guys at Indie Art & Design are giving away a Goosebumps single quilt cover and matching pillowcase in the winner’s choice of design, valued at $197.
Goosebumps grey paw leopard print reversible quilt cover, now $143.09, from indie Art & Design.
It’s simple and easy to enter, just follow these three simple steps:
1. You must be on the We Are Scout mailing list to be eligible. Not on the list? Enter your email address below and click Sign Up.
2. Head over to Indie Art & Design and sign up to their newsletter on the homepage.
3. Simply leave a comment below, telling us in 25 words which new Goosebumps quilt cover set your child would love the most.
This giveaway closes at midnight AEST on Tuesday 17 March, 2015. The winner will be contacted by email and announced on the We Are Scout Facebook page on Wednesday 18 March, 2015.
Can you believe Philosophy’s iconic Hope in Jar is almost 10 years old?
I can’t. The instantly recognisable monochrome moisturiser revolutionised the beauty market with its streamlined design, playful title and inspiring words. Its incredibly light souffle-like texture and moisturising effects attracted a legion of fans.
Now it’s back, and apparently better than ever. Philosophy are releasing Renewed Hope in a Jar, the evolution of Hope in a Jar, along with a ‘Renewed’ cleanser and eye cream.
I’m looking forward to putting the Renewed Hope range to the test, but so far I’m impressed by its power-packed ingredients. It ticks every box you’d want in a Very Good Moisturiser and boasts clinically-tested skin-improving results, thanks to the blend of AHAs (which exfoliates and renews skin cells to improve texture) and hyaluronate acid (an excellent humectant with skin-plumping properties).
Rounding out the new range is Renewed Hope in a Jar Eye, a whipped illuminating eye cream which works to brighten dark circles and improve the look of fine lines. There’s also a night cream, Hope in a Jar Night Intense Retexturizing Moisturizer, which includes glycolic acid to assist your skin’s natural over-night renewal process. It’s an absolute winner and doesn’t have that heaviness often associated with traditional night creams.
Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Moisturizer, $55; Renewed Hope in a Jar Eye, $55; and Renewed Hope Cleanser, $35; are available from April 2015 at select David Jones stores, Mecca Maxima, meccacosmetica.com.au, skincarestore.com.au and adorebeauty.com.au.
WIN! Philosophy Renewed Hope Range
To celebrate our launch of We Are Scout, the super-lovely folk from Philosophy are giving away a set of four products from the Philosophy Renewed Hope range, valued at $205. It includes Renewed Hope in a Jar, Renewed Hope in a Jar cleanser, Renewed Hope in Jar for Eyes and Hope in a Jar Night.
It’s simple and easy to enter, just follow these two simple steps:
1. You must be on the We Are Scout mailing list to be eligible. Not on the list? Enter your email address below and click Sign Up.
2. Simply leave a comment below, telling us in 25 words the philosophy you live by.
This giveaway closes at midnight AEST on Thursday 12 March, 2015. The winner will be contacted by email and announced on the We Are Scout Facebook page on Friday 13 March, 2015 (eek). This giveaway is only open to Australian resident.
Lisa and I are long-time fans of UK-based website Howkapow. Have you stumbled cross it before? Co-directors Rog and Cat How have expertly curated an inspirational line-up of design-led homewares and gifts, featuring many talented British designers and artists.
We really love Howkapow’s fresh selection of super-affordable art prints, especially this exclusive Peonies print by British illustrator and print-maker, Clare Owen.
Featuring a bouquet of salmon-pink coloured flowers, with gold-coloured leaves and deep-blue and mint-grey twigs and seed casings, each print comes signed by the artist.
Cat says,
“There is a Japanese sensibility to this Peonies print which I really love. When we saw this illustration in Clare’s portfolio, we knew we just needed to have her make it into a print for us. We’re so happy with the results!“
Clare is currently studying for an MA in Printmaking at The University of West England (UWE) in Bristol and took this piece on as a personal project.
She has expertly printed the artwork with archival inks on 315gsm Matt Fine Art Paper, so there is a real weight to each print.
WIN! Peonies Print by Clare Owen
To celebrate our launch of We Are Scout, the cool kids at Howkapow are very kindly giving away a gorgeous Peonies print by Clare Owen, valued at £25.
It’s simple and easy to enter, just follow these two simple steps:
1. You must be on the We Are Scout mailing list to be eligible. Not on the list? Enter your email address below and click Sign Up.
2. Simply leave a comment below, telling us in 25 words or less where you would hang your new Peonies print from Howkapow.
This giveaway closes at midnight AEST on Wednesday 11 March, 2015. The winner will be contacted by email and announced on our Facebook page on Thursday 11 March, 2015. This giveaway is open to all readers, worldwide. Go!
The first time I actually came cheek-to-cheek with Tarte was in the bathroom of my London-based beauty editor friend back in 2007. Actually, let’s call her International Beauty Editor, to borrow the parlance of Real Housewife of Melbourne Jackie-My-Husband-is-an-International-Rock-Star-Gillies, because that’s exactly what Ms B is.
Ms B has worked as a beauty editor for around 15 years, most of that time as an editor in New York and London, on one of the world’s most acclaimed beauty magazines. She’s passionate and extremely knowledgeable about the science of skincare and make-up, and when it comes to her own personal grooming, Ms B doesn’t muck around.
I’d heard about Tarte Cheek Stain before, back in my own days of magazine editing, as it had achieved a cult-like status since it first launched 15 years ago. But the brand wasn’t available in Australia back then, so I didn’t actually have any first-hand experience until I laid eyes on it in Ms B’s Notting Hill flat.
That’s when she told me that Tarte Cheek Stain really is the shiz. It’s her daily go-to blush. And it works.
Back then, I had my own blush favourites, always preferring a light gel or cream formulation to get a nice hit of colour – and most importantly, natural glow – on the apples of my cheeks.
Fast forward eight years and I haven’t looked back, or departed from my Tarte Cheek Stain daily routine. And I reckon my 41-year-old cheeks are all the better for it. The lightweight formulation allows my natural skin texture and tone to shine through, and unlike powder-based blush, it has a sheer, natural gleam that flatters and bounces light off my face.
Tarte Cheek Stains, from left to right: Flush (Sheer Berry), Blissful (Warm Peach) and Tipsy (Sheer Coral).
When applying the cheek stain, smile broadly and pop it smack-bang in the middle of the apples of your cheeks. It’s the bit that pops out the most! Right there. Blend outwards and upwards slightly (don’t take it anywhere near your nose!), but try to keep it mostly on the apple part of your cheek.
You really can’t go too wrong with Tarte Cheek Stain, as it’s ridiculously easy to use. Just don’t try to use it to contour under your cheek bones. Contouring products are entirely different to cheek stains, and you’re better off with a matte powder-based product, which I might talk about at a later stage (if you’re interested!). For a fully made-up, contoured look, you can use a cheek stain as well as contouring blush, but remember that these two products have completely different purposes.
I’m cheered that Tarte is formulated without parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, triclosan, and synthetic fragrances. And Cate Blanchett is also a long-time fan, stating in several interviews that Tarte Cheek Stain is her daily favourite:
“I’ve been using this blush. It’s Tarte and it’s a stick. A friend of mine who is a film makeup artist was using it on me when I wasn’t meant to look like I was wearing makeup. We put it on lips, too. Everywhere.”
These days, I switch between three different shades: Blissful (a warm peach) and Cate Blanchett’s favourite; Tipsy (a sheer coral) and Flush (a sheer berry).
Our obsession with Scandi-inspired design continues today with this incredibly stylish and endlessly practical prize pack from Kikki K’s new collection, Life is Sweet.
Kikki K’s Life is Sweet collection is full of delicious stationery and accessories to help you celebrate life’s small happy moments. Kikki K founder Kristina Karlsson says that the range “revolves around a garden scene, and all the little creatures, shapes and colours which inhabit it.
“Hand-drawn illustrations are set off by a wintery colour palette of dark cherry, mint and navy, which are some of my favourites for the season. They really tap into the current fashion trends in Sweden and are a beautiful way to inject some brightness into the winter’s traditional darker colour scheme.
“I also love the sophisticated touches of copper foil and the honeycomb patterns, which are a huge homewares trend at the moment – and something I’m obsessed with in my own home! It also feels like a natural direction to me, having grown up seeing this shade everywhere in Sweden, from interiors to fashion.”
Copper foil details, Scandinavian design, form and function. Getting organised. Taking the time to appreciate the small things in life. Sounds like life is indeed, rather sweet.
WIN! Kikki K Prize Pack
To celebrate our launch week of We Are Scout, the cool crew over at Kikki K are giving away a brilliant prize pack from their new season Life is Sweet collection, valued at $200. Win everything you see in the photo above!
It’s simple and easy to enter, just follow these two simple steps:
1. You must be on the We Are Scout mailing list to be eligible. Not on the list? Enter your email address below and click Sign Up.
2. Simply leave a comment below, telling us in 25 words or less what you would write for your first entry in the Kikki K Thankful Journal.
This giveaway closes at midnight AEST on Wednesday 11 March, 2015. The winner will be contacted by email and announced on our Facebook page on Thursday 12 March, 2015. This giveaway is only open to Australian residents (Not in Australia? Keep an eye out for giveaways open to global readers this week, like the gorgeous M.Hulot leather bag giveaway and the Peony print giveaway from Howkapow.)
Photography and styling by Lisa Tilse for We Are Scout.
This post was originally published on We Are Scout.
It’s not everyday you encounter a range of aromatherapy products that makes you stop and take a second look.
Cue The Aromatherapy Company and their rather genius Therapy Kitchen and Therapy Laundry ranges, which I only recently discovered. The New Zealand-based company has developed a range of natural home fragrance products specifically for kitchen and laundry use.
The Therapy Kitchen range was created to combat stinky kitchen smells, courtesy of a combination of essential oils including lemongrass, lime and bergamot.
The stylish apothecary-style design, meanwhile, makes them the kind of kitchen cleaning products you want to keep on display. The range includes a natural chef’s candle, chef’s travel candle, hand wash, hand lotion, room spray, diffusion set and chef’s gift set.
The Therapy Laundry range, meanwhile, includes a stack of products you never knew you had to have, such as the Therapy Laundry Linen Mist Spray. Made with a 100 per cent blend of lemon balm and lavender, it not only eliminates musty smells, but it can act as a natural repellent to moths in your linen cupboard.
The Aromatherapy Company is available in David Jones (Australia) stores nationally, and via their website.
WIN! Aromatherapy Co Therapy Kitchen & Therapy Laundry Prize Pack
To celebrate our launch of We Are Scout, the amazing folk at Aromatherapy Company are giving away a brilliant prize pack of Therapy Kitchen and Therapy Laundry products, valued at $200.
It’s simple and easy to enter, just follow these two simple steps:
1. You must be on the We Are Scout mailing list to be eligible. Not on the list? Enter your email address below and click Sign Up.
2. Simply leave a comment below, telling us in 25 words or less why your kitchen and laundry would benefit from an intervention courtesy of the Aromatherapy Company’s Therapy Kitchen and Therapy Laundry range.
This giveaway closes at midnight AEST on Tuesday 10 March, 2015. The winner will be contacted by email and announced on our Facebook page on Wednesday 11 March, 2015. This giveaway is only open to Australian residents (Not in Australia? Keep an eye out for giveaways open to global readers this week, like the gorgeous M.Hulot leather bag giveaway and the Peony print giveaway from Howkapow.)
Photography and styling by Lisa Tilse for We Are Scout.
This post was originally published on We Are Scout.
Here at We Are Scout, we’re rather fond of home-grown talent, especially when it comes to covetable homewares that fully embraces print, colour and texture. So naturally, we’re totally digging the latest spring/summer collection from Melbourne-based brand Arro Home.
Launching last year, the relatively new brand offers a fresh mix of prints with a distinctly Australian style. Think Ken Done meets Jenny Kee, via post-modern Memphis, and you’re starting to get in the ballpark of Arro’s unique aesthetic. But the look is totally now and you can easily tone it up or down to add a pop of personality to your home, and the pieces are ideal for everyday living.
Arro Home spring/summer collection of homewares.
The latest spring/summer collection features an array of new prints, worked with crisp and clean whites, fresh pastels, bright colours and bold monochromes.
Take a closer look at the dynamic line-up of Arro Home’s new prints…
With its origins in experimentation with torn paper, the Paper Play print has a tangible, organic feel. It’s soft and pretty but with a strong, graphic appeal.
Arro Home’s take on the classic polka dot print is fun and organic, reminiscent of fallen confetti, with the unexpected addition of textural embroidery.
It’s simple and easy to enter, just follow these two simple steps:
1. You must be on the We Are Scout mailing list to be eligible. Not on the list? Enter your email address below and click Sign Up.
2. Simply leave a comment below, telling us in 25 words or less why your bed would benefit from a dash of Arro prints.
This giveaway closes at midnight AEST on Tuesday 10 March, 2015. The winner will be contacted by email and announced on our Facebook page on Wednesday 11 March, 2015. This giveaway is only open to Australian residents (Not in Australia? Keep an eye out for giveaways open to global readers this week, like the gorgeous M.Hulot leather bag giveaway and the Peony print giveaway from Howkapow.)
Over the past few years, I’ve kept a keen eye on London designer Anna Kreeger, and her leather accessories label, M.Hulot.
The evolution and success of M.Hulot is one of the design stories I loved to tell on Wee Birdy, and will continue to tell on We Are Scout.
M.Hulot features all the hallmarks of an independent brand’s success story, with London-based design, UK craftsmanship, and an aesthetic that works as an antidote to our mass-market throw-away culture and heavily-branded ‘It’ bags.
Anna has just launched the latest M.Hulot collection for Spring/Summer 2015 – and it’s a design triumph.
These are the kind of high-quality, beautifully-crafted leather bags I want to wear every single day. The collection of clutches, cross-body bags, totes and rucksacks are utterly on-trend (but not trendy), with a restrained colour palette (that’s playful but eternally classic) – and there’s not a brand name or logo in sight.
With its roots in classic leather craftsmanship and minimalism in design, the M.Hulot SS15 collection draws on inspirations as diverse as the Yemeni fisherman of South Shields and the St Ives studio of Barbara Hepworth.
Key pieces include the Gia mini bag, a compact cross-body style available in four gorgeous colours (we love the Rosa), as well as the Longhi Tote and Malt Rucksack, which introduce canvas with leather-trimmed pieces into the mix.
If you’re in the market for a new bag, look sharp and head over to M.Hulot now for an amazing 20% discount on all full-price stock! This offer is exclusive to We Are Scout readers. Just enter the discount code wearescout20 at the checkout.
To celebrate our launch of We Are Scout, M.Hulot are very kindly giving away one Gia bag, valued at £170, in the winner’s choice of colour.
It’s simple and easy to enter, just follow these two simple steps:
1. You must be on the We Are Scout mailing list to be eligible. Not on the list? Enter your email address below and click Sign Up.
2. Simply leave a comment below, telling us in 25 words or less what you would wear with the M.Hulot Gia bag.
This giveaway closes at midnight AEST on Monday 9 March, 2015. The winner will be contacted by email and announced on our Facebook page on Tuesday 10 March, 2015. This giveaway is open to all readers, worldwide. Go!
Metro floor lamp in copper colour, grid pendant in copper colour, Zedd decorative chair in copper colour, Aperture vessel in blue, Abode Deco house in natural, Verre vessel in blush, Abode Deco house in marble, Impressions herbal tea mug set of four in cross grid, Above cushion in multi pastel, Beyond cushion in multi, Marcus cushion in iced lemon, Milena basket in copper, Milena bowls set of four in cross gird, Impressions mini bowl set of four in cows grid, Cross Deco statue in natural, Tesselate vessels in grey, Triptic vessels in pink, Stockhom nest of three tables in oak. On the wall: Taubmans paint in Hedonist.
Giveaway now closed.
Freedom is one of our favourite go-to stores in Australia, with consistently beautiful furniture and on-trend homewares at reasonable prices. We’ve had a sneak-peek at the new Autumn/Winter 2015 collection at Freedom’s head office, and we’re delighted to report that it’s a beauty.
Flute side table in yellow, Poppy three seat sofa in polonia grey, Adele ottoman in Austria natural, Beyond cushion in multi, Imprint vessel in iced lemon, Hause deco statue in blue, Contour vessel in blue, Skylar floor rug in multi. On the wall: Taubmans in Castaway Isle.
They’ve nailed a lot of new season trends this winter, with some covetable homewares pieces in copper, marble and timber. In fact, it’s the combination of these mixed materials that gives the new collection a sense of sophistication and depth, which is a real winner for a store that’s not a high-end boutique.
The images featured in this post are from Freedom’s new autumn/winter lookbook, which was beautifully styled by Australian stylist Vanessa Colyer Tay. The results speak for themselves: a stunning new collection that reflects real Australian living and style.
Sadie canvas in blue, Seascape canvas in multi-pastel, Motel canvas, Addison floor rug in teal, Sunburst deco bowl in mint, Brandon dining chairs in white and oak, and Canterbury dining table in oak.
Freedom’s new collection is divided into three ‘stories’: Bowery (think industrial New York loft); New Nordic (featured in this post: pastels with rose gold accents and Scandi-style blonde timber); and Native Terrain (natural materials, timber with teal and mustard accent colours). They’re all incredibly stylish themes that can be easily mixed and matched to create your own signature style and home.
Folded sofa, Stockholm bookcase in white/oak, Stockholm console in white/oak, Brandon dining chair in white/oak, Stockholm coffee table in white/oak, Summer Holiday print.
We were drawn to many of the pieces in both the New Nordic and Natural Terrain collections, which would work beautifully in any Scandi-Australian style home. Our top picks? Keep an eye out for the superb Dahlia sofa, Duo marble and timber cheese boards, the eye-catching Claro vessel in green, the stunning Stiletto side table, the range of copper-coloured homewares, the Gilt knitted range of throws and cushions in gold, and the amazing pebble-like Basique ottomans.
WIN! A $500 Freedom Gift Card – NOW CLOSED
Thanks to the legendary folk at Freedom, we’ve got a $500 Freedom gift card to give away this week. That’s a whole lot of Freedom goodness for your home.
It’s simple and easy to enter, just follow these two simple steps:
1. You must be on the We Are Scout mailing list to be eligible. Not on the list? Enter your email address below and click Sign Up.
2. Simply leave a comment below, telling us in 25 words or less how you would work one (or more) of the new Freedom themes for autumn/winter (New Nordic; Bowery; Natural Terrain) in to your home.
This giveaway closes at midnight AEST on Monday 9 March, 2015. The winner will be contacted by email and announced on our Facebook page on Tuesday 10 March, 2015. This giveaway is only open to Australian residents (Not in Australia? Keep an eye out for giveaways open to global readers this week, like the gorgeous M.Hulot leather bag giveaway and the Peony print giveaway from Howkapow.)
As some of you already know from my social media channels, I’m retiring Wee Birdy to the big bird nest in the sky, and launching a brand new blog, in collaboration with the amazing Lisa Tilse (aka The Red Thread).
We Are Scout launches on Monday, 2nd of March, but you can sign up for all the news now.
I’m really excited about this new phase in my life, and a brand new start with a brilliant new creative partner.
I started Wee Birdy way back in 2007, just months after my husband and I had relocated from Sydney to London. Wee Birdy chronicled all of my new London discoveries, focusing on independent shops and amazing new designers.
Fast forward to 2015, and we’re back home in Sydney. I’ve moved house five times, bought our first (second-hand) car, bought our first flat, had a baby, got a job, sold our first flat, bought a home in Sydney’s bushburbia, got made redundant, tried to keep blogging on my own, struggled with health stuff and grappled with the reality of the changing employment landscape for journalists and editors.
It’s been an amazing journey (erk, apologies for the reality TV show parlance but it’s the only word for it) and I’ve had some incredible opportunities and made some beautiful new friendships. And I’ve had you.
So, without sounding like a sentimental old sap, thank YOU so much sticking with me – including my long absences when I went off to have a baby and settle into motherhood and its various challenges.
So, what does this mean for Wee Birdy?
Well, from Monday 2 March, the Wee Birdy URL (www.weebirdy.com) will automatically redirect to We Are Scout (www.we-are-scout.com). You’ll still have access to all of my old posts here, and you’ll still get the same Wee Birdy content that I’ve always done – only better.
If you’ve liked reading my blog, I reckon you’re gonna love We Are Scout. I’ll still be blogging about the same stuff, but with renewed vigour and a brand new partner. I’ll be able to blog more regularly, and bring you more of what you want to know.
I’ll be out and about seeking the best new things in design, craft, interiors, fashion and beauty. There will be more shop reviews. There will be more city guides. There will be more ‘My Secret Londons’, ‘My Secret Sydneys’ and a whole lot more Secret City guides.
Lisa will be creating her legendary and extraordinarily cool craft and DIY tutorials, as well as bringing you design news, trends and updates, and some of the best creative spaces and interiors around.
Ready to take the great leap forward with me? Hold my hand and let’s go!
Happy Christmas Eve, everyone! Tonight it’s time to kick back, with a Suitably Fancy Drink in hand, and enjoy your Christmas entertainment of choice (in our house, it’s watching Carols by Candlelight. Naff but awesomely true. Bring it on, Marina Prior’s Frock-n-Hair).
I’m delighted to have on hand two new Christmas cocktail recipes for said Suitably Fancy Drinks that are absolute crackers: a warming mulled pomegranate wine for my Northern Hemisphere readers; and a summery cherry mojito for my fellow Southern Hemisphere readers sporting rather fetching sweat mustaches (or is that only me)?
These two recipes come from Dan Jones‘ brilliant new book, The Mixer’s Manual: The Cocktail Bible for Serious Drinkers, which you may remember was featured as one of the top presents in my Christmas Gift Guides this year.
Summer: Cherry Mojito
Use really ripe, super-tender cherries for this one, they add a sweet flavour and bloody texture to proceedings and like all good Mojitos the flavours increase the more slowly you drink.
1. Ingredients
4–5 ripe fresh cherries, pitted
sprig of mint
1 teaspoon unrefined sugar
50 ml (2 oz) white rum
25 ml (1 oz) lime juice, freshly squeezed
sparkling water, to top
2. Equipment
Highball
Muddler
3. Method
Muddle the cherries, mint and sugar in a highball, with a little crushed ice, add the rum and lime juice, add more crushed ice and top with sparkling water.
Winter: Mulled Pomegranate Wine
Switching out orange juice for pomegranate is a smart move – it’s the perfect basis for this rich mulled wine and the spiced rum and dash of Cointreau add the smell of pure festiveness, minus the turkey burps.
1. Ingredients
100 ml (4 oz) spiced rum
25 ml (1 oz) Cointreau
1.14 litres (38½ oz) pomegranate juice
1 bottle (750ml/25 oz) of red wine
2–3 whole cloves
dash of Ginger Syrup (see page 34)
3 cinnamon sticks
1 blood orange, sliced
fresh pomegranate seeds, to garnish
2. Equipment
Heatproof glass or cup
Wooden spoon
Large saucepan
3. Method
Add the ingredients (except the pomegranate seeds) to a large saucepan and heat gently for about 15 minutes, to allow the flavours to infuse. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. Serve in a heatproof glass or cup, adding the pomegranate seeds to garnish.
This new cocktail bible is a wee ripper and a modern kitchen must-have, packed with 150 cocktail recipes covering all the classics, as well as some more modern concoctions, like the Brooklyn Dropout, Holy Water and Roach Motel. Written in Dan Jones’ inimitable wit, the book includes loads of practical tips and how-tos, accompanied by deliciously retro-inspired illustrations.
I’m also rather sweet on this new book as the author, Dan Jones, is also my former boss and mentor at Time Out London. Yay for Dan! You can read all about his favourite London shops, restaurants and cafes in his My Secret London for Wee Birdy.
WIN THE MIXER’S MANUAL!
The good folks at Hardie Grant want to give two Wee Birdy readers a copy of The Mixer’s Manual, valued at $19.95 each. To be in the running, all you need to do is leave a comment below (along with your email addressed, which won’t be published), telling me about your favourite classic cocktail.
Entries will be judged on creativity. Entries close Wednesday 31 December at 5pm AEST. Winners will be announced and contacted by email on January 1, 2015. Competition open to all readers.
Recipes and images extracted from The Mixer’s Manual by Dan Jones, published by Hardie Grant Books, RRP $19.95 available online and in stores nationally.
It doesn’t usually look like this. Styled by Diane Birol from Freedom ID. Photography by Lucas Boyd. Production by Rebecca Lowrey Boyd/Wee Birdy.
Why hello again, welcome back to my bedroom. Ahem.
As I explained (and revealed) in my previous post, I have a rather capricious approach to dealing with what is essentially a practical chore. The thing is, I’m immersed in the world of “stuff that likes rather nice”, so it’s impossible to ignore that inner Martha Stewart. (I once heard Martha talk about how to iron a shirt, and it was veritable work of art.) Basically, if I’m going to be arsed to make the bed, then it’s gotta look gosh-darned magazine-quality perfect.
But here’s the thing: every time I actually make the bed, it always looks a little… sad. The pillows are sagging, the duvet appears strangely lumpy, and the “casually thrown” blanket looks totally contrived, and frankly, idiotic. Can you relate?
The other thing is that my mid-century modern sensibility has meant I’ve been loathe to accessorise with too many cushions. I hate too much clutter, preferring clean lines and minimalist styling. So I’ve never had more than two throw cushions, neatly propped up in front of the pillows. I didn’t think you could still get a clean look with any more than two cushions.
Layers and textures. Photography by Lucas Boyd for Wee Birdy.
Now, I’m aware that there is a certain amount of artifice when it comes to professional styling for magazines and advertising shoots. I’ve heard super-stylist Megan Morton describe her technique for taping the underside edges of Oxford pillowcases, so that they sit up at a jaunty angle and don’t sag.
But at the same time, there are definitely some “rules” and steps to making your bed properly – in real life – and these I discovered during the shoot last month for my bedroom makeover.
The person responsible for making my bedroom look so amazing is Diane Birol, an interior decorator at Freedom’s Castle Hill store in Sydney. She goes into the homes of countless people, and advises them on what furniture and homewares to buy, and exactly how to style them. Here she is in the process of transforming my bedroom.
I watched as she made and unmade my bed for various looks for the shoot, and she could easily deliver the same polished look over and again – with her eyes shut. At the end of the shoot, I deconstructed every step to discover exactly what she did. So here it is: how to make your bed like a stylist, step-by-step:
Step 1: Pull up and fold back the top sheet
Iron the top sheet. (Look, please don’t do this. It’s something stylists do for shoots and you’d be crackers to do it in Real Life. And by the end of the day, the sheet was crumpled again. But if you were having an open house or staging your home for real estate photos, by all means, whip out the iron. You’ll get that crisp showroom/hotel room look.)
Pull up the top sheet to about 25cm past the top of the mattress, then fold it back so the fold is about 40cm from the top of the mattress. Pull it tightly on both sides to create a straight line, and tuck in the sheets under the mattress.
Step 2: Fold back the quilt
Visually divide the quilt/duvet/comforter into quarters. Fold back one quarter and smooth. Now fold it back again. Smooth and neaten the edges so it sits nicely about one quarter from the end of the bed. Check that the folds hang neatly and evenly on both sides of the bed. This also works with thirds.
Step 3: Add European cushions
Our bed doesn’t have a bedhead, as the bedroom was designed so that the short wall behind the bed acts as a bedhead, framed by the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. I’ve never used European cushions before, and they were a revelation.
Note that we used the same tone but two different prints for the cushion covers, to create interest and avoid a look that was too matchy-matchy.
The genius thing about using European cushions is that they frame the bed and create a kind of visual of bedhead that you can be easily change with different colours, prints and textures. Love them. Bought them.
So if you’ve got an ensemble or a bed frame without a bedhead, try using European cushions. They’re keepers.
Step 4: Add standard pillows
Now Diane added two plain white standard pillows, propping them up so they sit vertically and centred in front of the European cushions.
Make sure the envelope ends of the pillowcases face outwards on both sides, so you have the ‘clean’ edge of the pillows meeting in the centre. Don’t jam them together in the centre of the bed – leave a slight space.
Step 5: Add a layer of throw cushions
Now we add another layer to the bed arrangement. Diane chose these teal linen 50x50cm cushions, and sat them upright and centred in front of the standard pillows.
Then, she performed that tricky stylist move to create a casual, ‘lived-in’ look: the karate chop.
I’ve demonstrated the karate chop in the pic below: just give the top middle of each cushion a firm blow to create a lived-in dent. For realsies.
Step 6: Add a layer of lumbar cushions
For that final layer of texture, pattern, and colour, Diane stacked a horizontal lumber cushion in front of each throw cushion.
Note how Diane has carefully constructed a beautifully layered look of different cushions and pillows in different sizes, colours, textures and patterns. The key to layering is using one theme to pull all the elements together: in this case, it’s colour, using white and teal.
Step 7: Add a throw blanket
The final element to a properly styled bed is a throw blanket, which helps to visually break up the vast visual expanse of a duvet or quilt.
The ‘casually draped’ look is de rigeur right now, and it’s actually harder to pull off than it looks. When I try to do, it looks like my throw blanket is trying to make a runner, sliding into a puddle on the floor.
Diane, however, grabbed the corner of the blanket and held it on the diagonal, and then draped it across the bottom end of the bed on an angle. Note that the point of the blanket starts higher than the tasselled ends, which hang over the bottom edge of the bed.
Diane then created very slight accordion folds in the blanket, by picking up various points in the blanket and re-laying them.
And that’s it: a professionally-styled bed, straight out of a 5-star hotel.
It’s all about layering and draping. Photo by Rebecca Lowrey Boyd/Wee Birdy.
Tell me: how many cushions is too many? And do you have any handy bed-making tips you’d like to share?
