I very rarely take time out during the working week to “play hooky”….but late last week, a group of friends had organised a visit to the Immigration Museum, followed by lunch at Hare and Grace….and I wildly, rashly figured “oh why not?”…and I was ever so glad I did…because it [.......]

Have you ever had to teach somebody how to tie a tie? When my youngest son recently had to start wearing a tie as part of his school uniform, the family got itself in knots trying to explain how to twist and twirl the impossible little piece of fabric. It [.......]

I promised you some beautiful gardens…spaces full of loveliness and contemplation…from the recent Melbourne International Flower & Garden show…and this glorious Persian Carpet Garden, full of contrasting leaf colours of purple, lime and grey foliage, with a backdrop of espaliered pomegranate and meyer lemon trees, was perhaps one of my [.......]

I adore cooking for special occasions…dinner parties especially…so much fun pouring over cookbooks and selecting menus….but everyday cooking? Nah, not so much. It’s not the cooking that I don’t enjoy…I actually rather love the end of the day preparations, everybody chatting in the kitchen over a glass of wine….chopping, stirring, [.......]

Am forever falling in love with buildings…part of my profession I guess…so I am one of those annoying people who constantly bump into other people, because of the distraction of busily looking up at the details of buildings and forgetting to watch where I am stepping…oops…do you do that too? [.......]

With an emphasis on lines of the vertical and horizontal persuasion, this house in bayside Elwood, by architect Nicholas Wright, also uses touches of bronze to bring in a warm glamour….bronze mirror, bronzed steel…against a backdrop of rich timbers and creamy stones. It’s a sultry combination, but what I love [.......]