Clothing and Natural Fibres plus Decorating Trends

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natural fibres and clothing

According to the calendar, the Southern Hemisphere has entered Autumn. With persistent high temperatures it is hard to get really interested in the pages and pages of winter clothing appearing everywhere now. A walk through the shopping centre shows clothing brands are preparing for cooler weather. A closer look reveals many of these pieces are made from manmade fibres which will not break down once they’re in landfill. Similarly, most donated clothing is not recycled and not suitable for reuse, so it becomes landfill or is sent overseas where it eventually becomes landfill also.

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According to Choice (here), Australia’s leading consumer advocacy group, each Australian buys 27kg of new clothes every year and disposes of 23kg of clothing at the same time. Australians generated 780,000 tonnes of textile waste of which only 7% was recycled, the rest became landfill.

The best outcome is to buy less, buy lasting quality and maintain existing clothes. Look for natural fibres. Channel Yves Saint Laurent who said ‘Fashion fades, style is eternal.’ He wanted his clients to discover their own style and stick with it.

Finding clothing made entirely from natural fibres is difficult and often more expensive. You’ll have to consider the cost against the number of times you’ll wear it. Learn how to launder the fabrics to keep the colour and shape. A quick search online shows many suggestions, plus a lot of  information about mending.

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Before you baulk at the cost, consider the longevity of the fabric. For instance, linen has been found dating back 34 000 years in a cave in the Caucasus. Linen is made from flax which takes 100 days to transform from seed to harvesting. It requires less water than cotton, is smooth and lint free, has anti-bacterial properties and is thermo-regulating. The best linens come from France, Belgium and The Netherlands. China and Canada grow flax, but true aficionados only seek out linen from Flanders. The quality is reflected in the price. Linen is popular and easy to find at the moment. Buy the best quality you can and enjoy it forever. Think of French bedlinen, highly sort after in French markets; some sheets are over a hundred years old.

Other sustainable fibres are wool including cashmere, angora, pashmina and mohair, cotton, silk, hemp and  jute and the most recent addition, bamboo. Bamboo fabric is created by crushing and submerging the cut bamboo in a solution of sodium hydroxide which dissolves the cellulose. Next carbon disulfide (a highly flammable carcinogen) is added to create a fibre which is then bleached white. The production of the bamboo fabric is probably more chemically intensive than other fabrics. Despite the advertising, bamboo is not a green fabric.

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So buy wisely, maintain your clothes and limit how many pieces you need. There are many online guides to building a capsule wardrobe, based on about 10 main pieces. Easy enough as you’ll probably already have a few base pieces like jeans, trousers or a blazer to build on.

decorating trends

So now you’ve got your wardrobe sorted, lets look at the decorating trends. Unfortunately, I discarded my full length, floral Laura Ashley dresses many years ago. It’s a shame, because looking at the decor trends in Europe I’m pretty sure Laura Ashley-like floral dresses will be the summer fashion here.

I base this on the interior designs in international decorating magazines. In one, it’s all about wallpaper and the wallpaper is Toile de Jouy.  Once an Irish decorating favourite from 1760, Toile de Jouy soon swept through France and then everywhere. It was also a favourite during the Laura Ashley era. So a blast from the late 70’s through to the early 90’s. Some of wallpapers included in this article are traditional Toiles, featuring scenic vignettes, such as sprigs of flowers, horses, styles, herds of cows under trees, they’re all there. Some are more modern. Pictorial story telling in one colour on a white or cream background is everywhere. The articles suggests wallpapering one wall, or within painted panels or above the dado in bathrooms or sitting rooms. Exactly as I did in one of our houses, in 1991. Even the same colours.

So, when I turned to the page to the next article,’Heaven Above’ I was almost prepared for the next new thing. It’s wallpapering your ceiling. Not necessarily matching the wallpaper on the walls, although that is recommended but maybe a smaller pattern or even a bigger pattern in similar colours to blend with the wallpaper on the walls. These images remind me of hotels we stayed in the  UK during the 80’s and 90’s, sloping wallpapered ceilings and Toile wallpaper, Toile curtains and bed skirts and even a matching Toile skirt on a kidney shaped dressing table. All those swags and ruffles.

All of which did actually prepare me for the next article called ‘Border Control’, suggesting we need definition in our decorating schemes. To do this we need clever borders created with wallpaper, paint, tiles or fabric trim. Another decorating hint in the same magazine was to brighten things up by tacking a pleated fabric skirt to your chairs.  I’m experiencing deja vu. Worse still, I remember the dust in all the ruffled pelmets, curtains, Roman blinds and frilled cushions. Never again.

Trends referred to are based on articles and photographs from THE ENGLISH HOME, April 2024, Issue 230, UK Edition.

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Blue Zones and Fashion Trends

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blue zones

The Blue Zone Myth.

Science of Blue Zones, by Dr. Sarah Crawford - Anchor Wellness

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Blue Zone regions are areas where people are claimed to live to a very old age. They have been studied and written about for years. What they eat, how active they are, whether they belong to a religious group and how well they connect within their community have all been documented. A lot of the data is based on government documents.

According to recent analysis, these pockets of extreme longevity seem to occur in areas with greater poverty, higher illiteracy, higher crime rates, and worse population health than the norm. They are found in Sardinia, Okinawa, the Greek island of Ikaria, Loma Linda in California, and Nicoya, a poor province of Costa Rica. The longevity of the “Supercentenarians” is attributed to the consumption of a variety of certain tubers, wholegrains, and fermented foods. A whole “Superfoods and Lifestyle” and publishing industry has grown up around these claims with much capital and employment invested in it.

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A well researched investigation conducted by Oxford University’s Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science tells a different story. Working with the Greek Labour Ministry they found that most of the country’s 9,000 centenarians were actually dead. A similar investigation conducted in Japan discovered that 238,000 people listed as aged 100 or more were unaccounted for. Some had died in the Second World War! The centenarians of Okinawa allegedly living on seaweed and the purple sweet potato, a superfood rich in anthocyanins and phenols, were found to have consumed less sweet potatoes than the rest of the country, less fruit and seafood, and more processed food. Japan has kept nutritional data as far back as the 1970s. It shows that Okinawa had the worst obesity problem even then. What all these regions have in common is dependency on pensions/social  security. It’s worth keeping your family member on the books!

Based on an article by Dr Saul Newman The Oxford University Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science

The release of these findings coincides with a extensive British campaign to promote a plant based diet. This is also being pushed by the EU to try to influence climate change. The British model encourages children to eat from the ‘rainbow’ of foods. They’re told to eat 30 plant based foods a week. Four spices equal one plant based food, otherwise it’s fruit and vegetables, plus flour and oatmeal and other plant products and legumes. So, no eggs, meat, fish or chicken. Only plant based oils are acceptable. No butter. Only plant based milks and yoghurts and other non-diary products are allowed. Are plant based milks actually milks?

The UN is also pushing for a shift to a plant based diet, claiming this will reduce the ecological footprint of food production. Interestingly, the UN includes eggs in their list of acceptable foods. Don’t they come from birds?

One of the two major supermarket chains in Australia is also promoting a similar program of eating from the rainbow. Children can collect a chart from the supermarket to record how many plant based foods they eat in a seven day period. They write them in a colour coded column. The chart also features a box where an agreed award is listed if they meet their goal for the week. I’m assuming it’s not a visit to McDonalds.

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The whole issue of Blue Zones obviously needs more research. Some of the concepts attributed to the very old in these regions make nutritional sense, except the research suggests the younger generation eat differently, anyway. So, back to the Mediterranean Diet, which is a great way to eat with easily sourced foods.

clothes, decorating and fashion

When I read about the impact fashion posts on Instagram have, I do wonder about the age of the viewer to actually care or be influenced. Apparently millions of followers on Instagram and Tiktok do care and follow their idols’ examples of clothing and accessories closely, often checking several times a day.

When I think of fashion icons I think of Coco Chanel, who believed in restraint and advised women to take off one thing as they went out the door and the amazing Iris Apfel, who recently died, aged 102. Ms Apfel had no time for beige or the less is more dictate, she preferred a kaleidoscopic approach to dressing. This meant second hand pieces with couture,  layers of clanking priceless jewels on her wrists and around her neck mixed with thrift shops pieces and always huge, colourful owl-like glasses. Joyful and expressive. So, I think we should suit ourselves, buy what we really like and keep it for as long as possible. Disposable clothing equals landfill.

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International taste in interiors has taken an about turn in the last 18 months judging by the magazines I read. Gone is white everything. Now the focus is on patterns and colours, open bookshelves displaying your treasures and lots of texture. Adding inherited pieces or second hand finds is essential and there’s colour everywhere. This looks nice and cosy in a European climate, but those intense colours and metres of curtains and ruffles might bring you out in hives on a hot summer’s day here. We are still having 30ºC (86ºF) days in Perth. Just remember, you can’t actually get personal taste wrong!

 

 

 

 

 

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Treats and Home Maintenance

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treats

It was our son’s birthday on Friday and he’d flown in Thursday night to spend a long weekend with us. We spent Friday in Bunbury, where my Mother lives. Although we managed to squeeze in lunch at our favourite Italian restaurant, the rest of the day was spent on Mother Business. She has moved into care and is slowly settling. It was never her plan to leave her house and garden but she has become frail. She’ll be 93 this year.

Knowing we’d be home on Saturday we arranged birthday treats  to be delivered. Delicious bags and boxes arrived quite early. The box contained six authentic croissants, the long paper bag contained a baguette and the wonderfully presented cylinder was packed with macarons. Luckily, he  shared, so a special start to the day. We settled to the weekend papers, online news and treats. Later (much later) we went out for sushi.

What’s in the box?

Macarons!

Our son lives in Kalgoorlie and he misses some favourite food places so his visits usually feature trips to our favourite yum cha restaurant, but not this time as it is Chinese New Year and the yum cha restaurant will be packed! Sushi is popular from two different places, and Vietnamese cuisine, too, except our favourite cafe is closed for renovations. When he lived in Adelaide he shared a unit and worked with boys from India, so curries feature, too. He also makes good curries.

home maintenance

During the two years of Covid lockdowns, closed borders and limited social contact, we  took over cleaning the house as the cleaner was prevented from visiting. It took two of us almost all day once a week to do the whole house. This was because we tidied things away, did repairs, put things in better places and sorted things that could be discarded. Coffee breaks featured, too.

Now we are doing the cleaning ourselves again.  We’ve removed the fabric cover from a sofa and all the cushions, plus two antimacassars and washed them. It looks so fresh and crisp again. We also got two leather cushions on another sofa refilled and I have used leather dye to repair worn areas on one of the arms. As soon as I have the time I will treat both leather sofas with saddle dressing.

I sanded and repainted all the chips in the door frames (so many!) and removed four pictures from a wall so had to repair the plaster, sand, plaster again, sand again and then paint. I like less on the wall, highlighting a Margaret Preston print already hanging there. Also treated a metal door frame outside which was rusted. Annoying as I’ve treated it twice before but this time I sanded, treated, primed twice then painted. Everything dried quickly in the 40ºC heat but the primer required 16 hours drying and curing time before the next coat. Finished off with white paint. Finger crossed. Later I repaired a few chips in the floor tiles using a two part resin mix. A friend then told me she scrubbed all the grout throughout her house with a toothbrush and then she sealed it. I know when to stop!

There’s some tricky bits to clean, such as the corners where skirting boards meet, the shutter frames and an intricate sculpture. Found an effective and easy to use solution! A long handled artists’ paint brush with firm bristles. Works so well on picture and mirror frames, too.

The advantage of doing these jobs ourselves is we have made decisions about decluttering, repairing and rearranging. I have also repaired paintwork and brick paving outside but there’s so much more to do. Too hot to garden but some other jobs can be tackled in the evening. We have a ‘handyman’ list and hope we’ve found the person to do those jobs. I think this frenzy of activity indicates how often we were in Bunbury, staying with my Mother and things became quite neglected. Now we need to catch up.

Free Gloves Cleaning photo and picture

Meanwhile, I’m back reading all those posts online about keeping your house clean in 30 minutes a day, how to develop a routine for the immaculate house and even studying the spreadsheets of the immensely organised. Doesn’t seem to work for us.

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Christmas Countdown and Prawn Stock

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christmas countdown

The cakes are cooked, the cards are sent, most of the gift shopping and wrapping is done but despite my determination to be super organised this year, I still have a TO DO list. We’ll be having two Christmas Dinners, the first when our son arrives late Christmas Day and the second when we go and spend a day with my Mother. Tidied up the fridge and freezer to accommodate the Christmas food and drinks.

The whole TO DO list thing is a bit controversial. Some people feel writing down  their tasks to be done is really efficient. They tick off the jobs as they are completed and focus on the next one. Other people say they don’t remember to look at the lists, struggle to make lists to cover everything that needs to be done or the length of the lists makes them anxious. I lived by lists when I was working, running the house, walking the dog, establishing the garden, doing the shopping and cooking and trying to maintain friendships. Then life relaxed a bit and so did the list. Lots of things slipped by so I went back to making lists, especially for shopping. Works for me.

In the middle of the Christmas preparations and fuss, I discovered one of the downsides of having very good eyesight again. I noticed most of the door frames have chips in them! I pondered on this for a while and finally realised, looking at the height of the chips, most of them are probably from mopping and vacuuming.

It’s a very hot day and I knew I’d need to do two coats to restore the frames. I started by sanding them back, then wiping the dust off and working out which paint ( I have lots of tins of white paint) matched the best. The best match turned out to be a spray paint, so I used a piece of cardboard to protect the walls and got spraying. Two coats did a good job. Then I washed and wiped all the doors. I noticed a chip in the plaster near the front door but that will be a job for after Christmas!

A sheet of cardboard to protect the walls, a can of spray paint and some sand paper, too, and the job was done. Really pleased with the outcome.

prawn risotto

We get wonderful prawns from along the coast of Western Australia. Many people associate prawns with summer eating and particularly at Christmas time. I had a pile of them to peel to make a stock for a Prawn Risotto. My traditional way of peeling prawns seemed to be taking so long! I usually cut the body from the head, slit down the underside and peel off the shells with the legs, then a small cut along the back to remove the digestive tract. This method was taking so long!

Wondered how restaurants dealt with shelling prawns. They’d need a faster system than mine. So I looked up Gordon Ramsay’s method but it almost what I was already doing and after looking at a few more  entries, finally accepted I’d be shelling prawns for quite a while, get on with it. Then all the shells went into a pot to make stock with water, tomato paste, sweated onions and garlic. ( Someone told me later that many restaurants buy prawns which have already been mechanically peeled.)

Asked my husband to help but that wasn’t a success. He doesn’t really eat prawns or crabs. When we talked about it he said he never ate them as a child. I grew up at the head of an estuary and ate a lot of crabs as a child and still eat then whenever possible. Some years ago, when I returned from Milan with a broken wrist, we were at a crab party and he was preparing crabs and handing them to me. I’d eaten quite a few and suddenly realised he wasn’t eating any. ( Lucky me)

 

Made the prawn risotto. Forgot to photograph it. I’m not a big fan of rice  (which was awkward living in China for a few years and visiting frequently for many years) but the packet of Arborio Risotto Rice was in a gift pack and I don’t like wasting food.

Back to Christmas preparations, about to check Spotify for some old fashioned carols to add a bit singing and dancing to the kitchen routine as there’s many jobs on the TO DO list!

          WISHING YOU A MERRY

        CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY

                     NEW  YEAR!

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Cherries and Other Christmas Things

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TECHNOLOGY and ME

I have no idea what kept going wrong with last week’s blog, nor why it published itself (obviously not, but I’m accepting no responsibility). I eventually just gave up! Pondered giving up entirely, but decided to try once more. Fingers crossed this week’s blog is a success.

CHERRIES

The countdown to Christmas no longer features Advent Calendars in our house, although I’ve seen some very lush adult calendars online. Instead, it starts with cherries. As soon as I know cherries are available, I want some! Just before my first eye surgery I bought an art and craft materials Advent Calendar and every so often open a window and enjoy using the paint, clay, pencils and pens and other little treats. So not a countdown to Christmas calendar, more a move towards being able to do the things I used to do before my eyesight deteriorated.

This bowl of cherries didn’t last long!

The fountain in the portico is decorated.

So is the front door. Since added more baubles to jazz the laurel  up a bit!

This dear little Christmas cake, a gift, arrived in a clear bauble and was delicious!

RUMBALLS

For years I’ve used the same recipe to make rumballs. They can be made a week before Christmas and are very popular. Our son was here on the weekend and wanted me to wait until he was back before I made this year’s rumballs ‘ because you don’t add enough rum.’ Well, some of the consumers of our rumballs then have drive home, so I think I’ll be sticking to the usual amount of rum in this year’s  mix!

Every year at Christmas time I cook multiple trays of shortbread biscuits and give them as gifts. No fancy homemade boxes this year but I have decorated each gift with a heart and added a bauble, too.

Shortbread biscuits in cellophane bags with air dried hearts and baubles decorated  using paper napkins/serviettes. (here)

TOMATOES

These tomatoes all germinated from two tiny cherry tomatoes from my Mother’s plant. I squeezed the seeds from the tomatoes onto a paper towel, spread them out and let them dry. Cut the towel into six squares and planted each square in a small pot.  I planted them about six weeks ago. About  50 plants germinated.

I planted them out at different times to have a good supply of tomatoes throughout summer.

I have given away about fifteen plants as we’ll have enough for the two of us and these are delicious little tomatoes.

This lot are in a raised bed, sharing with the chive forest.

The last lot to be planted out. I’ll transfer them to bigger pots in a week or so.

MENDING

These light woven baskets with a drawstring lining are ideal for so many jobs. I have several.

When the handle stitching came undone I repaired it using linen thread and a big blunt needle.

I share all this with you because it is SO exciting to be able to thread the needle myself! I have also threaded and used the sewing machine. So exciting, so satisfying. Up there with being able to drive again and read easily.

SQUEEZING LEMONS

My husband, the preferred citrus squeezer in this household, saw Jamie Oliver using one of these citrus squeezers on a cooking program and wanted one. Two days later we saw one in an Italian food shop and we bought it.

He is very pleased with it.

BEFORE, the old way.

NOW, the new way!

I hope all your plans for the holiday season are going well.

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It’s December!

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And just like that, it’s the first of December and I’m not really ready!

Luckily, I began soaking the fruit for the two Christmas cakes we make each year ages ago, so when the opportunity arose to mix and cook the cakes, I was ready. Ably assisted by my husband, both cakes were in the oven and the kitchen was cleaned within two hours. Smells very good.

Every so often I’m tempted by a Christmas Cake recipe described as ‘fabulous’,’ quick’, ‘ready in no time’ and we’re always disappointed. The recipe I use came from my Aunt via my Mother and the photocopy is stained and showing signs of being folded year after year. It is still the best cake! The list of ingredients is long and converted from Imperial to metric measurements. I assemble everything on the kitchen bench before I begin, streamlining the actual mixing time. Who doesn’t enjoy the distinct aromas of  cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, a splash of almond essence and vanilla? And the mixed dried fruit has been soaking in port for about two months and smells pretty good, too.

So, I line the tins with brown paper, then parchment paper, holding the layers in place with pegs! It works. I remove them before the cake tins are really full. Once the cakes are cooked, which takes about four hours, they’re left to cool in the tins in the oven. Some days later, my husband begins dosing them with the port drained from the mixed fruit and kept in a jar. Using a skewer, he pokes the cakes then drizzles them with the port. These are rich and beautifully moist cakes by the time we start eating them!

Ready for the oven. I simply decorate the top of the cakes with cherries and almonds. I am the only one who likes the traditional layer of marzipan and icing, so I don’t bother anymore.

CRAFT

My other Christmas occupation has always been craft. Inspired by a lovely gift from a friend, I have made air dried hearts. My dear friend gave us the blue and white porcelain heart when our adored dog Louis left us suddenly on the 9th of March.

I rolled the air dry clay on a bread board and used a cookie cutter to cut the heart shapes. Previously, I’d made holes in ornaments I intend to hang using a straw. No plastic straws in this house anymore! Resorted to the sharp end of a temperature probe. Not perfect.

Left the hearts to dry for a few days, turning them regularly. I think I should have made them thicker as these needed flattening as they curled a little on the edges.

The process is similar to covering the baubles. ( here) Using the same 3 ply patterned paper napkins/serviettes, I separated the layers. I glued the blue and white patterned paper onto the now dry hearts. I used a UHU glue stick. ( I use a lot of this glue on all sorts of projects, so I look for the multiple packs on sale before school goes back. Buying three at a time can be very economical!)

Needed small, very sharp scissors to trim the paper in line with the edges. Then I realised it was far easier to trim the overhanging paper, leaving enough to glue onto the sides. Quicker, easier. Then I poked the hole through the paper napkin layer and added a ribbon to hang the hearts or tie them to gifts. I’ll be making more of these!

This flurry of activity has been prompted not only by Christmas approaching but also because I had my second eye surgery last week. I had very poor eyesight, now I am really pleased by my restored vision. It is life changing. I will start driving again this week, I can read easily without holding the text right up to my eye, watching the television is amazing and I can see faces.

The first surgery was perfect, the second not so easy. By the time I was discharged from hospital my eye was really uncomfortable. Eventually needed pain relief, at which point we discovered we had an almost empty packet of Panadol. Had no impact at all. Another search revealed some codeine. Slight reduction of pain but the codeine did let me sleep for a few hours. It was an extremely long, painful night. Saw the surgeon early the next morning and he told me the cornea had been injured. Anaesthetic eye drops helped but I was also sent off to get better pain relief. We’ll be  prepared in future for treating any sort of pain with a supply of effective pain relief.

Eight days later, my right eye is still extremely bloodshot, with occasional pain, but remarkable vision, too. I wander around, looking at the house, at the garden, just taking everything in. Really photophobic, so only going  outside without sunglasses in the evening, but it’s early days. I feel very lucky.

 

 

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Kitchen Devices and Blue and White Baubles

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kitchen devices

I needed to use up some mince in the fridge. I looked up Nagi’s  Recipe Tin Eats site to see how she makes rissoles as a change from the usual way I make them. Her recipe included grated zucchini, grated carrot and grated onion. Bit off putting as I typically hand grate using either an old fashioned box grater or a grater resting over a bowl. and it takes ages. Our son, who is a keen cook and was staying with us, said, ‘Use the grating device on the processor.’

The processor is older than him and regularly makes superb shortbread dough, mixes great pastry, purees and other things requiring the normal mixing blade. He rummaged around in the appliance cupboard and  found a grating disk, the frame it sat on, the lid with a chute and a thing to poke the vegetables down the chute.  Within seconds I had a mound of finely grated carrot, zucchini and onion.

One kilo of mince and a mound of grated vegetables made a lot of rissoles. I used an icecream scoop to scoop out the mixture from the bowl to make the round shape.

Still had more zucchini so once I’d mixed the rissoles I put the whole thing  together again and grated the zucchini to make a zucchini slice. It’s fair to say this grating plate is my new interest. We will be eating lots of things with grated vegetables and cheese. The zucchini slice, a blast from the past, will also make three dinners with added vegetables.

The rissoles were cooked on the barbecue. The best part? Two more dinners of rissoles now labeled and in the freezer.

CHRISTMAS BAUBLES

English, Japanese, Korean, German and Chinese blue and white plates on a bathroom wall.

Are you a fan of blue and white Chinoiserie decorated china? I’ve always loved the various blue and white patterns and have some of my Grandmother’s very old pieces, some from my Mother and a lot I have bought for myself. When we lived in China I bought pieces made in Japan and Korea and a lot made in China. Some pieces were bought from shops, some from roadside stalls and a few pieces came from antique markets.

Many of these blue and white pieces are now around our home. Earlier this year I bought some plain white Christmas baubles intending to decorate them with blue and white patterned paper, in this case, deconstructed three ply paper napkins. We don’t put up a massive amount of Christmas decorations anymore, so I decided on a simple theme, featuring blue and white pieces.

I carefully peeled the printed sheet from the two other layers of these paper napkins. I’ve seen both three ply and two for sale locally. I cut small images from the decorated sheet and glued them to the bauble until the entire surface was covered in blue and white paper. I’ve seen other people posting about decorating Christmas baubles and they simply cut or tear the printed sheet into small pieces and glue them on. Each way seems to work well.

I think blue and white baubles will feature a lot this Christmas.

When the entire surface of the bauble was covered I hung it to dry and began another one. I bought the baubles well after Christmas and was limited to plain ones and a few with a textured surface. I was going to leave the textured ones but decided to try gluing the paper on, anyway, and it worked perfectly.

When they were dry I sealed them with a craft sealant. When I make more I will spray a glossy enamel finish on them as the first batch look a bit dull. And I will make more because it was fun and they look very pretty.

So. if you’re inspired to try this, you need some white Christmas baubles, paper napkins with colours and images you like, scissors and a glue stick or Mod  Podge and sealing spray if you’re not finishing off with Mod Podge. (I used some of the removed white paper layers to rest the drying baubles and to wipe my hands. Later I used the leftovers to clean up.)

To decorate a bauble remove the hanging attachment (the silver or gold coloured clip at the top). I couldn’t remove them from the baubles I used so I just made sure the paper sat cleanly around the base. Most commonly, people use Mod Podge to glue then seal the papers. I just used a glue stick and it worked really well. (My Mod Podge is very old and has gone thick and attempts to dilute it weren’t successful)

I cut out images from the patterned paper. It isn’t necessary but I like the  clean cut edge. You can tear the paper, too. I just glued the images onto the bauble until the entire surface was covered. I washed my gluing hand when it got sticky and kept going. Left the baubles to dry. So satisfying. When they were all dry I sealed them with craft sealer but will spray them later with gloss enamel.

Can’t stop making baubles! Off to hunt down more plain white baubles to decorate. The collection has doubled and I’ve seen more white baubles in the shops now that Christmas decorations are for sale.

Please let me know if you try this project. I’d love to see your finished product!

 

 

 

 

 

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Eating, Reading and Stealth Wealth

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EATING

Made a Spanish Tortilla to share at a neighbourhood  breakfast. It takes quite a while to ‘construct’ but tastes very good, hot or cold and has no meat or dairy products so good if you don’t know your guests’ dietary regimes. A Spanish Tortilla is not related to a Mexican tortilla; they are flour based flatbreads intended to hold meat or vegetables.

A kilo (2.2lbs) of thinly sliced potatoes, two onions, six eggs, some salt and olive oil becomes a delicious tortilla, wonderful hot or cold.

The Spanish Tortilla, also known as Tortilla de Patatas or Tortilla de Papas is a mix of potatoes, onions, salt and eggs, cooked in olive oil. It is most like an omelette or a quiche filling without the pastry.

Still eating salads and enjoying local prawns (shrimp). Actually, the weather is finally cooling down. Now the rain has come. This usually means soups or stews and casseroles bubbling away in the slow cooker. I only buy seasonal fruit and vegetables so that dictates the soup flavours I make.

READING

Have you read any of  Elizabeth Strout’s books? Probably the best known are the Olive Kitteridge stories, Olive Kitteridge and Olive Again. Then I read My Name Is Lucy Barton, Oh William and I’ve just finished Lucy By The Sea. The characters in many of the books slightly overlap which adds depth to these stories.

As usual, a library book. The EXPRESS stickers means it is a popular book so you can only borrow it for a week.

Lucy By The Sea is a Covid story which makes it very different from the other books I mentioned. Lucy, now widowed, is persuaded by her  ex-husband William to leave New York and isolate in a house on the coast of Maine with him.  Lucy is still feeling fragile and a bit lost after the death of her next husband. She takes a long time to settle in Maine, in isolation.

This story reminded me of how protected we were from the horrors of Covid. She writes about freezer trucks in the streets storing the deceased, mass graves and friends dying . But the story is also about her relationship with her beloved daughters, who are also experiencing all sorts of problems living in isolation. Their daughters are shocked by her reconciling with her ex-husband, their father,  as they’d be shaken and hurt by his infidelity and had helped her through the trauma.

This is a thoughtful book about childhood experiences,  the power of education, marriage and families and unpredictable circumstances changing everything. Another great book from Elizabeth Strout.

STEALTH WEALTH

Apparently gathering momentum for some time but I have only just become aware of this world wide movement. Stealth Wealth, also known as Quiet Luxury, is about being discreetly wealthy, so no flashy cars, no clothes with logos or distinctive, bright patterns. Some define the movement as protecting yourself from scams when all your information is on line and easy to hack. It is also a reaction to constant consumerism.

It’s all about pared back investment pieces you’ll wear forever and no logos! I  see it as a way to buy fewer things by choosing good quality purchases and taking care of them.

There’s lots of reasons stated for following this lifestyle. The main aim is to function below the radar, to not draw attention to yourself. This is to do with your security. Living below your means so you don’t attract burglars and scammers. I’d like to think you’d also consume less, too.

Tailor taking measurement of coat royalty free stock photos

Image Dreamstime.

There’s suggestions about jewellery, clothing, housing, entertaining and even hairstyles. Comfortable, classic furniture features which makes sense if you’re keeping it for years. Other articles talk about the reduction in stress as you’re not competing. Living below your means apparently is very relaxing.

The other thing about quality clothing in classic styles is less landfill. Australians are amongst the highest consumers of fast fashion, most of which becomes landfill after being worn a few times. Clothing made from wool, cotton, linen and other natural fibres last and last and will eventually disintegrate. No plastic microbeads are released into the water system with each wash, either.

Another interesting sign of Stealth Wealth is buying designer handbags without evident branding. These are made from the best quality materials and designed to last. Carefully chosen, they will last years. I know because 25 years ago my husband gave me a handbag which I still use most days of the week. The only branding is stamped into the leather and only on one side and on the padlock. The zip still works, there’s no scuffing,  the stitching is even and strong and the lining is perfect. I rub R. M. Williams Leather Dressing into it about once a year and it looks great. Per use it has been extraordinarily economical.

The article I read about keeping your cars for years and buying mid-range new cars mentioned how the aristocracy in the UK get around in old Land Rovers. I immediately thought of Vera, the main character in a UK detective series of the same name, who has recently upgraded her inherited Land Rover to a newer model, but probably wouldn’t like to be thought of as a trend setter! Neither would my husband whose very comfortable and reliable car  was made in 2007. He has no intention of trading it for something newer.

So the message seems to be buy less but buy long lasting quality items and live below your means. Easy, relaxing and sustainable!

 

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Cut Flowers and International Women’s Day

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cut flowers

Do you always have cut flowers in the house? My mother and both Grandmothers, all three keen gardeners, always had fresh flowers in the house. My mother still does and so do I, so I’m always interested in ways to keep them fresh.

Probably the most important thing is getting flowers into clean, cool water as soon as possible after cutting. Before you put them in the vase, trim the end of each stem. Make sure your vase is clean as the bacteria in a dirty vase will hasten the decay of the flowers. Strip the leaves from the stem so none are submerged in the  the water.

Little sachets of preservative work well. (I buy boxes of them from EBay but am trying to find a way of buying a jar full of the preservative or a big paper sack.)  Apparently, half a teaspoon of citric acid per litre of water works well, too. I will try this soon. Don’t add sugar, it feeds bacteria. Ethylene, a gas produced by ripening fruit, will affect your flowers, too. Keep them apart. Try to keep vases of flowers out of direct sunlight and change the water regularly. Roses last longer than many other flowers.

If you’re buying flowers, ask where they’ve come from as many flowers for sale in Australia are flown here from overseas. They have probably been dipped in glyphosate or been fumigated.  The Australian climate means not enough flowers to can be produced here to meet the market demand. If you’re picking them yourself, go out early in the  morning or late afternoon and place them in a bucket of water until you’re ready to arrange them. I often put them in the sink as there’s plenty of work space.*

Traditionally, stems were cut at angle (still a good idea) then singed on a hot stove. This is not necessary to prolong the longevity of  your blooms.

I use vases I have inherited, been gifted or, in the case of very long stemmed roses, a vase I found at an op shop (thrift store) It is just the right size! Another favourite is an old, lidless, Willow Pattern teapot. I remember my Grandmother using a metal hedgehog type of fitting, a ‘frog’ to support stems in arrangements but I resort to scrunched up chicken wire, a crisscrossed pattern of rubber bands or sometimes sticky tape arranged to make a grid.

* I was motivated to write about cut flowers after reading Helen Young’s column “GARDENS Cut Above’ in the Weekend Australian magazine, March 4-5th, 2023

international women’s day

In the 70’s as young women in an all girls school we were encouraged to believe we could do anything and go anywhere. Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch had been widely read and we though change was in the air! We did have more options when we left school as we were well educated and exposed to an array of possibilities rather than just nursing, teaching or secretarial work. (Male teachers were paid more than females at this time.) Sadly it seems the barriers preventing women worldwide from participating in all levels of society and employment are still in place in every country.

It was very sobering to read the goals and data behind International Women’s Day. The three obstacles preventing women worldwide from participating fully  in the  economy, as defined by the World Bank are:

1. Nearly one in three women globally have experienced violence, with intimate violence impacting women in every country.

2. During the last three decades the gap in opportunities between male and female participants in the economy has not narrowed.

3. More than one in five women around the world have been child brides, limiting their life long participation in paid work.

Women are still frequently paid less than men for the same work, are passed over for promotion and retire with significantly less superannuation in Australia. When will it ever change?

Girl painted by Mary Cassatt on postage stamp

Adobe  Series of USA stamps featuring Mary Cassatt’s images

Woman with a Fan (1878-1879) by Mary Cassatt.

Women With A Fan   Rawpexel

To commemorate International Women’s Day we went to the cinema to see Mary Cassatt:Painting The Modern Woman. American by birth, Cassatt (1844-1926) decided at a young age she was going to be a painter. Unable to join the more important schools of art in America which didn’t accept females student she headed to Paris. Well traveled as a young girl she identified the opportunities to develop as an artist in Europe. She studied at a minor school of art in Paris before joining the Impressionists.

Mother’s Kiss illustration by Mary Cassatt (1844-1926). Original from Library of Congress. Digitally enhanced by…

 Mother’s Kiss

 

Her style of painting was also influenced by her European travels. Financially secure and very determined, she was initially trained in the style of the classics but soon joined the radical group, the Impressionists. She was particularly friendly with Edgar Degas who was also fascinated by women going about their daily business. Cassatt’s artworks, including pastels, prints and paintings, featured light colours and loose brushwork. She painted women involved in everyday occupations. She wanted to present the woman’s perspective.

Free Bath Bathing photo and picture

The Child’s Bath

Leaving France at the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian  war she returned to America. She is best known for her paintings and prints of the social and private lives of women. She never married or seemed to have any romantic attachments but is famous for her paintings of women and children. Her style of painting continued to evolve for the rest of her life.

There was a funny account in our local paper, written by a woman, describing how she was left to ‘mind’ the office while all the men went out to celebrate International Women’s Day. They didn’t return to work that day.

I’m not laughing.

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Why My Dog Has A Bank Account and Other Matters

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the dog’s bank account

When our previous, wonderful dog became older, his health began to deteriorate. That meant frequent visits to the vet. And we all know that means lots of bills. When we got Louis, our lovely Groodle, we investigated many pet insurance companies. We compared the cost of our vet bills with the insurance costs, especially as a pet gets older and did our sums.

It made more sense to open a term deposit account specifically to cover any health care costs for the dog than to buy an insurance policy. At the time the interest rate was pretty good, then it was pretty bad and now it is improving again. The point is, at nine years of age, Louis has savings in a term deposit to cover probable costs for healthcare.

why i drink coffee at home

I love coffee, but I drink it black so I really taste it. Many coffee shops, cafes and restaurants make acceptable coffee if you add milk and maybe sugar, but black coffee leaves nowhere to hide. I rarely buy coffee when I’m out because it can vary from just drinkable to stewed, brewed, weak and when did they last clean that machine? I know how I dispose of stuff, but have no idea how commercial providers recycle their packaging and grounds. So, I drink coffee at home and drink herbal tea when I’m out, so long as it is made in a pot and not from a bag (many brands have plastic in them)

sorting christmas wrap and ribbons

It seems the thing now to reuse wrap and ribbons from Christmas time. Good. Just make sure you get wrapping paper with no plastic in it. Try scrunching the edge of the paper; if it says scrunched, it’s paper, if it springs back it has plastic in it. Don’t buy plastic or foil wrapping ! Similarly with ribbon; avoid all ribbons except fabric, woven ribbon which can be sprayed with water, ironed and reused, and reused probably for ever. Years ago I bought a roll of grosgrain ribbon on line and I’m still using the same roll, probably because I collect the ribbons when the gifts are all opened and iron them, ready for next year.

eating

Christmas week

So many families have traditions about the food they eat on special occasions. So, birthday cakes, matzoh ball soup, ham and turkey, pumpkin pie, hot cross buns and plum pudding and many other recipes feature for some families at different times . Christmas time as a child and now, means bowls of sweets around the house. It’s a Christmas thing and we enjoy it! Then a week after Christmas we’re back to most of our coloured food being fruit and vegetables, not confectionery.

crafts

A magazine I was reading had a list of pre-Christmas  markets being held locally and those tantalizing words ‘ handcrafted textiles, original artwoks, fine art prints and ceramics’ really caught my attention. The very words suggest beautifully designed and produced pieces, each individual and special. I love looking around craft and art markets, but it’s the usual dilemma which stops me buying, those harsh words in my head, ‘but do you need it?’ Mostly, no, I don’t, but sometimes I buy because I really want it and usually those things remain while other things are sorted and deemed unnecessary.

Free stock photo of adult, apron, arts and crafts Stock Photo

Image Pexels

I like handmade arts and crafts, the individuality, the uniqueness and the fact each piece is hand designed and hand made. These pieces employ materials available in the local area which adds to their individuality and appeal. I enjoy looking at old artifacts in museums and books showing everyday utensils made by hand and used by several generations. At the moment I’m thinking about printing and am about to do a lino  printing course. I actually have the lino and the necessary tools, but a class adds the input and ideas of others but most importantly, access to a printing press!

Free Photo of Woman Writing on Tablet Computer While Using Laptop Stock Photo

Image Pexels

Post pandemic articles often refer to the explosion of interest in hobbies. Confined at home but with access to tutorials and kits online, it was easy to explore or rekindle a craft. Kits to try every craft imaginable are easy to access. The internet is awash with painting and drawing tutorials. Lots of inspiration, too, encouraging people to make items that can be used in their own homes. The interest in making items for your own decor was so great after the television series ‘Escape to the Chateau’ hit our screens, that Angel, one of the couple restoring the chateau, created a line of her designs for sale and she and her husband Dick have a spinoff program about recycling furniture and making your own decorations. Her workroom looks very enticing!

Free Photo of Fireworks Display Stock Photo

Wishing you a HAPPY NEW YEAR, full of good health, good people                                                                      and good fun!

 

 

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