Sunday, May 30, 2010

A Little Less Coversation, A Little More.... Overseas Trip Planning

I do hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!
My weekend has consisted of a whole lot of planning. Overseas trip planning that is. I'm so excited as it's been a year and a half since my last trip and I'm such a little travel bug. Needless to say I've been hanging out for some overseas inspiration.

Can you guess where I'm going?










All images above are from this beautiful blog



The above 2 images are from Wedding Chicks

 Image from here


No, I'm not getting married again, just thought these last 2 were cute!
Above 2 images from this delightful blog

I'm off in just over a month - can't wait!
~ Clare x
 

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Girls Antiquing Trip.... Kind of....

This past weekend was all about the ladies. 
Dann has recently moved down the coast, about an hour and a half's drive from Sydney. She's still in the middle of renovating her new home, but boy has it come a loooong way. Lucky for Dann, her husband is a builder. I could never undergo such a huge project! Once they have completed a bit more work, I will be sure to post her photos. Trust me, you'll be shocked at the transformation!

Anyway, I digress. Linda & I with another girlfriend of ours drove down to check out Dann's new home & also to have ourselves a girls day of antiquing. We had a beautiful day, but alas, no antiques were purchased. This was due to the fact that we visited what we would call "serious antique shops" where we were too scared to touch anything because it was all so expensive. They were all so beautiful though & very inspiring. 

So we had a fabulous day full of beautiful things, stunning Australian countryside, took lots of photos & of course had plenty of decadent food & coffee!

Here are some of my photos...



The above to shots were taken in Bowral.
(wish there wasn't a stupid parking sign in front of the beautiful patisserie)




The above 3 were taken in Berrima.
I love the rusty coloured autumn tree in the second photo.



I could easily live in this sandstone house with the picket fence & the roses... sigh...



The above photos were all taken in Berrima.

Even if I didn't come home with any antiques, I certainly didn't come home empty handed. I bought some lovely vintage linen style napkins....



And a delightful French Shopping Tote...

(All displayed on my favourite Villa Maison crown cushions)

I also came home with some little ramekins for baking & some crafty items. Definitely a fun ladies day out!

~ Clare x

All images taken by me, please ask permission for use.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

A Tennessee Williams Weekend...

Last weekend I decided to watch the movie versions of a few of my favourite Tennessee Williams plays. I'm a sucker for old classic films anyway, but there's something about Williams' plays that are so character driven and that's what I love, interesting characters. Characters that are intriguing & you can't help but want to know why they're like this, or what would bring them to do that or act like that...

So I curled up on the lounge with the cat & watched  these 3 classics...

Image of Katharine Hepburn from here

St Louis, 1937. Aspiring poet, Tom, narrates the story. Tom tells his recollection of working in a shoe warehouse to support his overbearing Mother, Amanda, and his introvert Sister, Laura, after their Father long ago abandoned them.  
I love this play and the introverted character of Laura who lives in a world of glass figurines & old records.

"She lives in a world of her own — a world of — little glass ornaments."
Tom about Laura, The Glass Menagerie


Image of Elizabeth Taylor from here

Catherine Holly seemingly goes insane after her cousin, Sebastian, mysteriously dies on a European trip that they take together. Sebastian's mother, Violet, trying to hide the truth about her son's homosexuality & death, has Catherine committed to an insane asylum & employs a doctor to perform a lobotomy on her to stop her apparent incoherent utterances about Sebastian & the reasons for his death.
Both the play & the film attracted controversy for the themes dealt with. Definitely a mesmerizing film.

"Truth is the one thing I've never resisted."
Catherine Holly, Suddenly, Last Summer

Image of Elizabeth Taylor & Paul Newman from here

'Brick, an alcoholic ex-football player, drinks his days away and resists the affections of his wife, Maggie. His reunion with his father, Big Daddy, who is dying of cancer, jogs a host of memories and revelations for both father and son.' IMDb
This film is hot, hot, hot!

"You can be young without money, but you can't be old without it."
Maggie, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Another of my favourites is A Streetcar Named Desire, which I was lucky enough to see last year at Sydney Theatre Company starring the phenomenal Cate Blanchett. She left me speechless. She was superb!

"Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers." 
Blanche DuBois, A Streetcar Named Desire

So that took up some of my weekend last weekend, along with reading a bit of Shakespeare, dinner with lovely friends and I managed to squeeze in a voice-over job which was a bit of fun!

~ Clare x


Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The Regal Twelve ~ Alexia Sinclair

Today I want to introduce you to a very amazing Australian artist by the name of Alexia Sinclair.
I came across Alexia's work quite by accident really. I was playing Queen Elizabeth I in a play & was looking online for different photos of her, mostly to see what colours she wore as I was having a dress made specifically for me. I came across this artwork by Alexia & was amazed by its beauty & its majestic quality...
Image Copyright Alexia Sinclair 2009
Image from here

This image captured everything I could possibly imagine about Elizabeth I after studying her for my role. I then found Alexia's website & realised that this was one of a series of twelve called The Regal Twelve. I was then excited to find that she has also included a piece on Marie Antoinette...

Image Copyright Alexia Sinclair 2009
Image from here

I love Marie Antoinette and this artwork is just superb.
Alexia is a fine art photographer & digital artist. Wouldn't you agree that her works are truly amazing?
Not long after finding her website, I was off to a Christmas luncheon at Cafe Sydney, which is above Customs House. Whilst waiting for my friends in the foyer of Customs House, I looked around me only realise Alexia's Regal Twelve were on display! Let me just say, these 12 beauties are even more sublime up close.

Here is another beauty, Isabella of Spain...
Image Copyright Alexia Sinclair 2009
Image from here

Check out Alexia's website to see the rest of The Regal Twelve:
Boudica ~ The Celtic Queen
Agrippina ~ The Poisoness
Alexandra Romanov ~ The Last Czarina of Russia
Elizabeth Bathory ~ The Countess of Blood
Catherine the Great ~ The Enlightened Empress
Christina of Sweden ~ The Androgynous Queen
Cleopatra ~ The Seductress
Eleanor of Aquitaine ~ The Eagle
Elizabeth I ~ The Virgin Queen
Isabella of Spain ~ The Catholic
Marie Antoinette ~ The Extravagant Queen
Olympias ~ The Sorceress

There are many more amazing works to feast your eyes on as well.
Queen Elizabeth will always be my favourite though.
Enjoy!

~ Clare x


Alice in Wonderland Theming...

Or should that be Alice in Wonderland Dreaming?
I've always been a dreamer. I remember always being scolded for not paying attention as a child. The truth was, my head was always in the clouds. I'm still like that, my friends just laugh about it. 

I've been thinking that my birthday party next year might be an Alice in Wonderland Afternoon Tea Party... It's not till February, but it's a special birthday, so I should probably start thinking about it.

Here is some inspiration...


Image from The Wedding Chicks



Image from The Wedding Chicks

Image from Pascal Palun's atelier via Living Inside




Above 6 images from Style Me Pretty 
And now I'm late for a very important date.... with my bed!
Good night.

~ Clare x