VIP Jewellery

Monday night was a special night to treat yo'self.  A blossoming jewellery label, Cleopatra's Bling, hosted a VIP sale for their Melbourne based fans.  The pieces are luxurious at the same time that they are fun, hence the name Cleopatra's Bling - it's so fitting.  You feel like a queen who has a touch of something wild & free to her personality & regal style.  A winning combination for the modern woman, nay?  

We did our best to carry on conversations as we inspected the many & varied beauties strewn carefully across the table.  This was tricky, however, as it was like a bunch of kids in a candy store, oohing & aahhhing over the collection of goodies.  Most of the chatter was jewellery-related & we had a great time identifying the different stones & their meanings.

Pictured above is the hand of Cleopatra's Bling mastermind, Olivia.  And that beauty you spot on my finger is a turquoise number.  I went nuts for these ones.  I'm a bit of a turquoise fan.

And here is Sally trying her hand at a cluster ring number with amethyst as its starring stone.

And don't worry, fellas.  Cleopatra's Bling has not forgotten you!  Some cufflinks for the gentlemen . . .

The designer & her gorgeous mama.

This guy . . . well I couldn't not include him & his amazing artwork!  Working away after hours to complete this magical scene for a thai restaurant we passed on our way home.  I had to take a photo of another artist at work.  Clearly the inspiration was in the air that night ;-)

From Ville to Valley: Part 1

Why hello there!  I've been off the air lately but feel compelled to share my recent venture to the Yarra Valley for some downtime in the quiet of the countryside.

I'll call this little jaunt out of town a belated birthday treat.  One to settle the restless yearnings I get now & then for some R&R in a natural setting, away from the bustle of the city.  I need my fresh oxygen, my green rolling hills, my starry night skies & the gentle chorus of the birds at sunset & sunrise.  

I also fancy some old world furnishings & crackling fires alongside which you can curl up with a book to the soft musical tones of jazz or classical.

This trip was my brainchild but the location was left up to Papa Bear.  I don't mind a bit of rustic living myself but for the guaranteed satisfaction of all, Dad took on the task of organising a place to stay.  And so well did he choose!  I was in heaven as soon as we rolled through the gates of Chateau Yering, just as the late afternoon sun was sinking slowly behind the valley walls.

After inspecting the room, the bathroom & view, we felt an explore of the grounds (en route to the Yering Station wine tasting rooms, ahem!) was in order.

I found, in the oils & dressing section, these wonderful contraptions.  What a neat invention.  The two best dressings combined in one.  Beaut.

Went a bit nutty for nuts & cheesy biscuits.

Finally, some tasting.  I still haven't pinpointed why, but sampling the wares of a winery at the actual place somehow enhances my appreciation of the aromas & taste.  My senses are somehow more acute & things are even more delicious with an expert pouring you a drop of this, a drop of that. 

With a little more colour in my cheeks & a warmth in my tummy, we headed out into the crisp air to take in some more of that country air & natural beauty.

Where the magic happens . . .

This is what wine awards look like . . . naturally.

I was very rapt with this sunset & I spent a long while on the balcony, marvelling at the colours & textures of the sky together with the silhouettes of the trees looming against it.  The chimney smoke from the fires drifted across the property & the birds started up their evening song.

After dinner & some lounging in the sitting room, it was the early bird special for me regarding bed time.  As I am allergic to cats (but love 'em anyway) this was my next best option.  I kept it curled up next to me on the bedside table, sneeze-free.  

Until the mornin', folks.

La Prohibition

A couple nights ago, a group of friends, French & Australian, gathered together to go hunting for some alcoholic beverages around Melbourne's CBD.  Organised by the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce the night was designed as a step back in time to the era of the speakeasy bar.  The members of the tour formed themselves into smaller teams of five or six, each team with a set of clues to set us on the cocktail trail . . .

This particular evening seemed very apropo in setting the mood of the broody times of film noir & forbidden fancies . . . Hence the railway station pic; drizzle, lamp post & all.

My team members were these gorgeous guys & dolls . . .

Windswept & raring to go, we seized our first clue & took on the rainy streets.

This led us to Strange Wolf, a basement bar situated most inconspicuously down a small alleyway.

Hungry & thirsty little wolves ourselves, there was a moment we feared this scrumptious though modest serve of smoked almonds would be all the pack had to devour . . . 

But then there came la charcutérie & order was restored . . . sort of.

With this extra fuel we tackled the next clue.

Yes, we might have managed to get lost in our own city.

But after a little wandering to and fro, we skipped our way over to Manchester Lane for some more prohibition fare.

After some tomfoolery we got down to the business of our next clue, leading us to a delicious concoction of sweet & sour whisky cocktails.

This lemon & ginger number was the perfect remedy to warm the cockles of our hearts once we'd blown into the bar, rosy cheeked from having clambered up hill & down dale in search of  . . . Whisky and Ale!  (Buddum-chsshh)

And as for the final clue.  This lead us to . . .

. . . a bar in blue.

In my French to English translation confusion I spent my time at Murmur bar mispronouncing it as 'Muremure' or in French, 'WallWall'.  I wondered what the story might be behind this unusual name, & now I realise that at that point I may have had enough champagne.

Until next we meet, mes amis, "Santé!"