Mad About Mad Men

I've just finished watching Series 3 of Mad Men. While most other viewers were taking in Betty's latest outfit or Don - well, just Don really, I sometimes wished the characters would move out of the way so I could see the rooms better. Here is my all-time favourite piece of furniture - the orange couch at Sterling Cooper. The aquamarine cushions complement it beautifully. The screen behind it is lovely too:

The Draper residence also has an orange couch. That's one of the few things I like about that house. I think the designer has captured the cloying suburban atmosphere experienced by housewives like Betty very well:

I'm not fond of this room except for the built-in bookshelves:

The kitchen is just way too 'Bewitched' or 'Stepford Wives' for me, with its checked wallpaper. But I love the attention to detail of the tablecloth and dishes:

I don't mind the blue padded bedhead, but not the bedcover and nick-nacks:

I much prefer the apartments of the Campbells and the Harris's, but I couldn't find any images to post.

Images courtesy of AMC Mad Men Official Home Page.

New Things

Well, not really new - pre-loved. The little salt cellar complements the canister set I already had, and they both look suit the 1950s laminex:

I love the shade of buttery yellow of this Johnson Bros Goldendawn cream jug:

This tablecloth in pale pinks and greens with white is the perfect size for the table on the lawn:

It depicts faded tea-pots and tea caddies:

All for the grand total of $5.50.

Lyn Gardener Does it Again

Almost two years ago, I discovered Lyn Gardener and posted about her converted factory in Melbourne. I am probably the only blogger in the world who didn't realise she now has another gorgeous house in Daylesford, Victoria. I happened to buy the December 2009 issue of Living Etc, and there it was in all its sumptuous simplicity. I particularly love the bedroom on the left for the Deborah Bowness wallpaper with the lamp pattern. I have a roll of her wallpaper (the one with the pink dress) languishing under my lounge until I have a wall to put it on. The bedroom on the right's quite lovely as well:

The kitchen deviates from Lyn's usual white shelving. I love the white crockery on the black background:

The living room light fittings are just right for the space:

More Deb Bowness wallpaper in the library - just perfect:

Images courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Perfect Print

I've just spent two long-awaited days in Sydney, taking in the Sales. I went to one of my favourite stores, Ruby Star Traders and found this bag on sale. I just loved the bird print and grabbed it straight away:

In a case of overkill which is typical of me, I then couldn't resist a cushion cover in the same print. If I keep them apart from each other, maybe people won't notice I've overdone it. The cushion might have to stay outside for a while:

Inside Out

I don't know why, but one of my favourite things is furniture that's meant to be inside, being outside. One image that I love in this category is the piano on the beach from the film The Piano. I adore magazine shoots which have upholstered sofas or Louis chairs spread about on the lawn with teapots on trays. I think the juxtaposition of formality and informality seems a bit decadent and bohemian, which is why I love it. I can just imagine the Bloomsbury Set pulling out beds and quilts from their country houses to sleep under the stars. We recently rebuilt the front deck of the boatshed, so had to lift the table and chairs down onto the grass. In a way I wish they could have stayed that way:

I also pulled everything off the back deck to wash it down and loved the look of this wicker lounge on the grass. The normally colourful cushion covers have been removed for washing, so the whole scene has a surreal, stark whiteness, perfect for a beachhouse:

Before and After

Remember the traymobile I bought from the op shop for $20? I tried so hard to leave it unpainted, because I know that some furniture looks better that way. I spent a few weeks looking at its tired, stained surface, in my most unfavourite shade of timber:

Finally, last Saturday, in a fit of New Year fervour, I went to the shed and found my trusty tin of white paint. I'm not sure whether everyone would agree, but I think I brought out its best qualities. Then I found a few things at the Op shop that I think sit quite well on it: ten Chinese spoons with mixed patterns (15 cents each), five glasses etched in pink ($1.50 each), and a white table cloth with an embroidered pagoda:

The spoons proved perfect to serve my Zucchini and Haloumi fritters last night, alongside a gorgeous sixties dish which was a gift:

A good time was had by all:

Images of the Festive Season

My one concession to Christmas decorating in the boatshed - colourful paper lanterns from Chinatown:

Good food and great company:

New Year's Eve on Sydney Harbour - fellow revellers in a neighbouring boat capture the spirit of the evening against the backdrop of the Opera House:

Waiting for the fireworks:

Duck Pancakes

I made one of my favourite dishes the other night - duck pancakes. I found a recipe in which everything is made from scratch:

Feeling very keen and energetic, I mixed up the pancake dough. Then after it rose for an hour, I rolled the pancakes out very thinly (about two dozen of them):

As time went on, I realised there was no way I had the energy to cook the duck. So I found the next best thing - a pre-cooked one:

I had just enough energy reserves to chop some cucumber and shallots, and shred the duck:

Then I topped it off with some Hoisin sauce:

Time taken - quite a bit. Taste - worth every minute:

Recipe from the All Asian Cookbook by Jackie Passmore.

Merry Christmas from the Boatshed

Finally, for those of you who have requested it, here is the article on the boatshed from Australian Country Style from December 2008.

Click on the pages for a larger version. Thank you everyone for stopping by my blog in 2009. I hope you have a great holiday, and see you in 2010.

Beth xx

Images courtesy of Australian Country Style magazine.

How Not to Cater for a Party

Well it finally happened. Last Friday I graduated after 6 years. On Saturday I had a party for 70 of my friends and family who I had made suffer throughout my study. I was highly organised. I had all my colour-coordinated plates in pink and yellow tones that I had collected over the past few years, all lined up and ready:

Then everything went wrong. There was ham and mango salsa that didn't even make it to the table . . .

Nor did the camembert and quince paste on wheatmeal biscuits that I forgot about till everyone had gone home . . .

This is only a quarter of the 8 kilograms of prawns. There were 16 dozen oysters of which barely anything was eaten . . .

There were five of these quiches (thanks, Bob, for trying to style it for me, but the bin and tea towel got into the photo somehow), and six fritattas, which hardly anyone touched . . .

Then there were three of these gigantic pizzas, of which two remained untouched:

That's because I also ordered 100 each of satay chicken sticks, spring rolls, curry puffs and fish cakes, which were quite a hit (Sorry I don't have any pictures of them). Not to mention a gigantic flourless chocolate cake, a citron tart, a triple chocolate cake and a whole lot of Madeleines:

Luckily I have many family members and friends to help eat the leftovers. The moral of this story is: Decide what you want and divide it by four and you'll probably be OK. Then you won't be left with 4 dozen oysters and 4 kilos of prawns hiding at the bottom of your fridge after everyone's gone home.

Amazing New Stuff

Something quite amazing happened today. I walked into an op shop that I haven't been to for a while and found some very cool stuff. In fact I'd given up going because all I kept finding was hideous nineties bric-a-brac that was horrible the first time around. But there was this art deco mirror in the shape of a scallop shell for $15:

And this quilt for $6:

And I fell in love with this quilt for $4 which I'm sure is from the 40s. And the wheely thing - is it called a tray mobile? - I'm sure it's art deco as well. The dilemma for me was that, while I was happy to buy the quilts and the mirror, I drew the line at $40 for the tray-on-wheels. Then I got to the cash register and found out that everything was half price today. You fellow bloggers who frequent thrift shops/op shops/rummage sales etc will understand that I just had to run back through the store and grab the wheelie-tray. I apologetically told the sales lady that, while $40 was unthinkable, $20 was very doable indeed. How sweet is it?:

Here is a closeup of the fabric I fell in love with:

So I walked out of the shop with these four items for the grand total of $32. You gotta love that!

Feathers, Fur or Fins

Take your pick, we've got them all here. Yesterday I photographed these delightful ducks, who we call Daisy and Donald, in front of the boatshed:

As for fins, there are plenty of fish in the basin. And furry friends are everywhere. These curious creatures appear every couple of days. The keen kangaroos (Kevin and Katie?) come to the boatshed door when they're hungry:

As does Kramer, the friendly neighbourhood dog. Just like the crazy character from Seinfeld, this laid-back labrador lands on our doorstep every night before dinner, eager for treats:

With many thanks to Megan, who provided the inspiration for this post.

At the Bottom of Our Street

We've just spent a few days in Sydney and while I was there I got to thinking about the idea of being a tourist in your own town. So I decided to try and see the sights I was so familiar with through the eyes of a tourist. Our boat was moored at the bottom of our street, and looks quite good against the local harbourside parkland :

And against the backdrop of the city skyline:

We've just refurbished the interior so here's a peek. We had the cushions covered in a charcoal- coloured Warwick fabric and I made a curtain and cushions from some striped fabric from No Chintz:

Coming ashore at the jetty, you stumble across Bellevue, a gorgeous Victorian house. You can just make out the boat through the trees:

And here is a view of the Anzac Bridge from the shady front veranda:

Bellevue is owned by the City of Sydney and was restored a couple of years ago, but remains empty. I love the way they maintained the 'rough luxe' look by leaving the internal walls with layers of peeling paint like a palimpsest:

And close by is a secret garden, lovingly maintained by our friend Tass:

Seeing your city as a tourist certainly makes you appreciate your surroundings. I thoroughly recommend it.

Making Madeleines

In two weeks' time I'm graduating and for my graduation party I've promised to make Madeleines. These are the cakes from Proust's novel In Search of Lost Time, which mentally transport him back to his childhood. Because I've written about them in my thesis, I thought it would be a good idea to make some. At one stage I decided to be lazy and try and buy them. But, unbelievably, no one in Sydney sells Madeleines. So, I bought the tins and had a trial run the other day. The recipe I used is from Nigella Lawson's How to Eat:

Here is the mixture in the tins ready to go in the oven:

The finished product. The beautiful shell shapes look so elegant, and tasted good too:

Here is the recipe:

Proust's Madeleine's from 'How to Eat'by Nigella Lawson

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon clear honey
2 eggs
1/2 cup superfine sugar
Pinch salt
3/4 cup Italian 00 or all-purpose flour
Confectioners' sugar for serving
Mix 6 tablespoons of the butter with the honey. Beat the eggs, sugar, and salt in a bowl for about 5 minutes with a mixer until it's as thick as mayonnaise. Sprinkle in the flour; I hold a strainer above the egg and sugar mixture, put the flour in it, and shake. Fold in the flour with a wooden spoon and then add the melted butter and the honey. Mix well, but not too vigorously. Leave to rest in the fridge for 1 hour, then take out and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Brush the remaining butter over the cavities in the madeleine molds and fill them with the cake mixture. Don't worry about filling the cavities; in the heat of the oven, the mixture will spread before it rises.

Bake 5-10 minutes or until lightly golden on top and golden brown around the edges. Mine seem cooked after about 7 minutes, but not all ovens are the same, so be alert from 5 minutes. Turn out and let cool on a rack, then arrange on a plate and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Now to make one hundred of them for my party - shouldn't be too difficult.

201st Post

I had plans for marking my 200th post, but somehow it passed by without me realising. Yesterday I happened to see a copy of the 2010 Australian Country Style Calendar in a newsagent with the boatshed on the December page (my apologies to those who are waiting for me to post the story from the magazine from December 2009 - technology such as scanning is somewhat problematic down here). Seeing the calendar made me reflect on the passing of time:


Over the past year some things have changed here. A beautiful baby has grown from this:


To this:


But it still remains a place for family, friends, nature and beauty:


Thanks very much to my fellow bloggers who found me again after my year-long break from blogging. And to everyone who visits my blog, thanks for your encouragement and generosity.

Our Visit to Rick Stein at Mollymook

Here is the promised post on our visit to Rick Stein's restaurant. The amazing view of the Pacific Ocean from our balcony:

This is our comfortable and well-appointed room:

Here is the reception area of the restaurant. But we weren't there for the decor:

For starters we ordered the Warm Shellfish with Parsley, Chili, Olive Oil, Garlic and Lemon Juice. Simple but gorgeous:

Here is the fish and shellfish soup with Rouille and Parmesan. The idea is to take the croutons on the plate'in the foreground, spread them with the rouille and parmesan, and float them in the soup. It was sensational:

The main courses were: Escalopes of Tasmanian Salmon with a Sorrel Sauce, and Fillet of Blue Eye Trevalla, Slivers of Potato, Mushrooms and Truffle Oil. The combination of fresh local seafood and simple ingredients cooked in the French style was amazing :

The next morning we had a continental breakfast of cereal, fruit, bread and pastries. Of course the delicious banana bread and croissants were made on the premises:

Overall, we had a lovely experience with the best food I've had in Australia. I enjoyed the food more than I have in the top restaurants in Sydney.

Mollymook via Cornwall

I'm so excited! Tonight we're going to dinner at Rick Stein's restaurant. No, not in Padstow, Cornwall, but a newly-opened one in Mollymook, on the south coast of NSW, at Bannisters Point resort. Here is the Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, or 'Padstein' as it's come to be called:


What a beautiful part of the world:


Although Mollymook doesn't look too bad either:




I'll let you know how it goes.

Images courtesy of the restaurants' websites.

Spring cleaning

With summer just around the corner, we've been sprucing things up. There's not much to do on the boatshed, so we've shifted our focus to a nearby house. For the past four years this lounge on the veranda has had its original 60s olive and orange cushions covered by makeshift white covers. It was time for a makeover, so I got my friendly upholsterer to recover the cushions in an oatmeal fabric:

The sandy tone gives it a subtle beachy feel and goes well with white:

We replanted the garden at the front of the veranda with some traditional plants like azaleas which I think are nonetheless compatible with the natives and the Aussie icon, the water tank:

Here is the bigger picture:

I can't wait till they grow and the flowers come out:

Thanks to our gardener friend Tass for selecting just the right plants for the space

Office Chic

I'm very interested in old office furniture, but it's something you never really find in op shops, and the trendy retro stores charge a fortune. I found this in a local second-hand store recently. The slots fit A4 folders perfectly and I can't wait to use this in my office (when it's built of course). I'll feel like I'm working in an old-fashioned post office:

Being a bibliophile and sometime librarian, I've always wanted some filing drawers. I found this little set of two and I love that one of the drawers has an old label on it:

I have no idea what a 'Stud Prefix' is, but it sounds pretty cool so I'm leaving the label attached:

Now to find a reasonably-priced library ladder and apothecary cabinet. Somehow I don't think that will be as easy.

Canister Collection

I couldn't resist the beautiful buttercup yellow and dove grey combination of these canisters I found at the op shop last week. The main reason they caught my eye is that they perfectly complement the 40s laminex on the benchtop:

It's like having my own little baboushka dolls fitting snugly inside each other. I even love the fact that 'Rice' is missing, as are the 'r' and the loop of the 'g' in sugar. These are signs that they've been well-loved and used by their previous owner:

They say that if you've got three or more of something you have a collection. I've got four sets of canisters now. The ones on the left are in the most beautiful colours - aubergine, rust, olive and eau-de-nil. The ones on the right are in classic 70s ochre and orange:

This white sugar canister has three others inside it. The lettering is fading, which is part of the attraction:

All I need now are some more shelves for my growing 'collection'.