camberwell sunday market

After a creative surge of energy late Saturday night, Sam and I decided our lounge/dining space was in deseperate need of a makeover. Deciding we would definately NOT go to ikea, we trotted off the the Camberwell Sunday Market this morning. Vintage, 2nd hand and handmade heaven!

Products allowed to be sold generally fall into one of two categories:
- second hand goods, or
- hand-crafted goods, specifically made by the stallholder, excluding food

Goods not permitted to be allowed include:
- new goods (for resale), factory seconds or samples - especially clothing

This was definately our type of market. I'm actually suprised we didn't spend more money, but the fact that I got a vintage plate, telephone, pot plant holder, 3 plants and a replacement light fitting (I broke the last one) for only $45 was pretty good value!

Apparently people come to these markets early morning with torches and go through store holder's car boots to get the real bargains.

So if you are into this type of thing, skip ikea and mass produced crap and make a trip to Camberwell on a Sunday.

The market is located in Station Street, Camberwell & visitors are asked for a gold coin donation on entry to assist rotary club.

Our amazing new vintage telephone.

Our new potplants and holder!

Idee fixe(s): peter pan collars
twin peaks
mustard (the colour not the condiment)

land of the rising sun

demitri's feast

Demitri's Feast in Richmond won 2010 cheap eat's best breakfast of the year, so it was a little silly of me to go to this cafe for the first time at lunch!! Don't get me wrong, lunch was fantastic but the breakfast menu was to die for!

Baklava french toast with thick greek yoghurt and orange honey syrup...poached eggs with ouzo and dill cured salmon...scrambled eggs with goat's cheese feta and oregano roasted tomatoes... semolina pancakes with thick greek yoghurt, rose jam, pistachios and orange honey syrup...excuse me, but how do they honestly expect me to choose just one?!

Big big tick for Demitri's Feast, 141 swan street, richmond. May this be a lesson that breakfast shouldn't always equal bacon and eggs.

mortality

at ACCA 8 Oct - 28 Nov for the melbourne international arts festival.

howl's moving castle

I heard quite a few years back about Hayao Miyazaki's howl's moving castle and spirited away but wasn't really interested in anime which was quite silly because I'd never seen any!

So I rented howl's moving castle the other night and what an absolutely beautiful movie. It reminded me of a time when Disney did a really good cartoon back in the 90s! Except it was a bit more dark and interesting like a good fairytale should be.

The story is a bit hard to explain, but Sophie, an average teenage girl, gets turned into a 90 year old woman by the witch of the waste. As she journeys off into the hills she takes refuge in howl's moving castle and the story is about the adventures they have as the curse lifts. The backdrop is one of war and love etc.

Anyway, if you've never seen it before I highly recommend. It's a gorgeous little story with beautiful animations :)

animal orchestra

I'm very suprised that I only found this cafe on the last day of uni ever! Turns out we loved Tsubu bar at uni a bit too much...Music students don't like to walk far for their alcohol :)

Animal Orchestra has an awesome interior, a crazy waiter and magnificant paninis! My friend Joelene tells me they do an amazing brekkie, so I will have to make a trip back soon. The crazy waiter will even take a picture of you, then of himself and tell you it's part of his job description! It's also fully licenced which makes it a uni student's (or anyone's for that matter) heaven.

Big tick for Animal Orchestra - 163 Grattan Street Carlton.

Idee fixe(s): Deep frying parties

Last day of uni

Pride and Prejudice

Pear cider

I'll have my apple tea cake and eat it too

I've never done the foodie blog before, but this apple tea cake is the most amazing thing you'll ever taste.

150g salted butter, chopped
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
1& 1/2 cup self raising flour
185g (3/4 cup) vanilla-flavour yoghurt
1 granny smith, peeled, cored and thinly sliced.
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a deep 20cm round cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Beat 130g of the butter and 3/4 cup of the sugar with electric beaters until light and creamy.

Gradually add the egg, beating well after each addition until combined. Add the vanilla essence. Fold in the flour, then the yoghurt and stir until smooth. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface.

Arrange the apple slices evenly over the mixture in a circular patter starting in the centre. Sprinkle with cinnamon and the remaining sugar. Melt the remaining butter, then drizzle over the top.

Bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake. Leave in the tin for 30 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. If desired, combine a little extra cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the apple.

And that's all there is to it! I've never had it stuff up. And my secret ingredient is salted butter! Makes it taste 10 million times better!

Idee Fixe(s): Beetroot! In juice and cake :)

My fabulous new vintage maxi dress

Mad Men - I want to sit around all day and drink, smoke and wear pretty dresses!

melbourne festival

The Melbourne festival kicked off on Friday night with a bit of aerial theatre!

K@osmos combines rock music, acrobatics and special effects to create quite an interesting show.

While we agreed that the music could have been better in its execution, it did its part in capturing the mood of the aerial choreography. It was quite a visual treat and I would describe the acrobatics as a ball of white well choreographed tentacles!

Another act that appealed to Sam and I was the Carnival of Mysteries!

I have recently finished watching a great HBO show called Carnivale which is sent in the 1930s during the depression and involves a travelling carnival. I highly recommend! HBO do some really interesting shows. The travelling carnival in the show is basically a freak show which leads me to Carnival of Mysteries.

When you go to this show your entry ticket is exchanged for Carnival cash and allows you to taste the carnival's delights. I hope I get a chance to make it along! Go to http://www.melbournefestival.com.au/ for more details :)

"Run away to the Carnival, where circus stars and sideshow queens, poets and daredevils, painters, playwrights, aerialists and food artistes concoct a heady mix of unforgettable entertainment under a handmade starry night".

dreamin' in broome

Idee fixe(s): Sunsets
Warm nights
Mango beer
Seafood

hipstamatic melbourne

auction rooms

One flat white, one flat white...or do I hear 2? Will you give me a cappucino with those 2 flat whites? No? Going, going, gone!

I've now been living in North Melbourne for nearly 3 months but haven't done a single review on one of its cafes! North Melbourne is a lovely suburb. Pretty, close to the city, walking distance to Carlton and Royal Park, but I'd been told it was a bit of a dead spot when it comes to restaurants and watering holes. I nearly believed this too until I stumbled upon Auction Rooms!

Auction Rooms, housed in the old WB Ellis auction house in Errol Street probably has one of the best fit outs in Melbourne. Amazing decor, plenty of atmoshpere and full of character.

The breakfast menu (which is amazing) and the great atmosphere make up for the somewhat lacklustre coffee (always a bit of the luke warm side).

Auction Rooms - 103-107 Errol Street North Melbourne. If you don't get a coffee this place gets a big tick :)

Idee fixe(s): Edith Piaf
Dutch cocoa with chai spices
Weather forecasts that say "Sunny - Max of 18"