Vive Le France!

I am very excited, I start my one-on-one hourly French lessons this Sunday at Cafe Bouquiniste, in preparation for our upcoming visit to Paree! I'm definitely still a beginner despite 5 years of one-on-one lessons in London when we lived there, and having our gorgeous little house in the Languedoc-Rousillon village of Villerouge-Termenes for 7 years! Not to mention all of those French films I record on SBS ha! Unless you were born in France or a French-speaking region of the world, maybe you're always a beginner? Even then, as with any language, it must still be difficult to pick up on those little nuances, sayings, figures of speech, and connotations that only a local would know, but that's what makes it so much fun over there!

I received the most beautiful pics via email today from my Irish friend Ian, who was our neighbour in Villerouge-Termenes - he truly is a Masterchef (he still makes the BEST cassoulet I have ever tasted!!) and superb host, and the house he is renovating in the village is looking superb (he got married there last year too). Anyway this is a photograph of a corner of one of the rooms in his beautiful house, isn't it just SO French, the simplicity made me just take a deep breath and remember all of those absolutely wonderful memories we shared there in that beautiful little village in France... aaaaaaaaah! Ian is an amazing talented muralist and extremely talented trompe l'oieil artist in London and has worked for the likes of Saudi Princes, Hollywood actors, you name it - you HAVE to check out his incredible work on his website www.ianharper.com (pics courtest of Ian Harper). Bonjour Villerouge-Termenes, I will be back one day!

Molly

Very full on week with hangings (!) and Banx's art exhibition in the City. One of the newspapers featured his very large Banjo Paterson 10 dollar bill. What blew me away with Banx's research was finding out about Mary Reiby (aka Molly) who features on the front of our 20 dollar note. What an amazing inspirational woman she was and I am ashamed to say I had never heard of her let alone realised why she is on the face of our twenty dollar bill! She was sent to the colonies as a convict for having stolen a horse and it was the best thing that ever happened to her! She married well, but when her husband pre-deceased her, she went on to raise seven children and continue his shipping and property interests in Australia, becoming one of our Nation's wealthiest and most successful business women who devoted much of her time in later life to major charities. GO GIRL!

Angelic Weekend!

HOw lucky am I ! I 'partnered' my best girl friend to a "famil" at the Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove on Friday and Saturday - pure luxury and indulgence and a stunning Hotel with second to none customer service (we were treated like royalty!) and elegant understated opulence. And the if that wasn't enough of a treat, my girlfriend then had two tickets to see the opening night of the musical CATS and tix to the after show party to meet the cast! What talented young dancers and entertainers, and we got home after midnight - a rare occurrence these days ha! And then to top off a perfect weekend, I was invited by my sis to an Angel Party, it was an afternoon of fun laughter creativity eccentricity dancing chocolate cake on Royal Doulton chinaware and pure unadulterated feminine pleasure! Ah! Don't we all deserve weekends like this more often! Banx had his own fun left to his own devices which involved Rugny, curry and Boys movies. So everyone was happy. It's all systems go now for the opening of his solo art exhibition in the city on Wednesday.

Kids & Creativity!

Who was that famous person who once said "Never work with kids or animals" ha! Well we did both two days running this week - we dog-sat my niece's GORGEOUS and mischievous black labrador ROCKY and then yesterday, had a Kids Art Day in the backyard - we have never had so much fun in two days! wow kids and animals are so spontaneous and naturally creative! Sir Ken Robinson is one of my fave mentors on kids and creativity (check out his website)and yesterday I have never seen 3 such focussed creative kids In The Zone, aged 7, 9 and 13 - famous artists in the making and masterpieces produced yesterday, but most of all we had fun in the sunshine!

Off the Wall Banx Art Exhibition

We are gearing up for artist Banx's forthcoming contemporary Art Exhibition "Off the Wall" in the Foyer of Central Plaza One, 345 Queen Street, Brisbane city, 22-31 July...all systems go at the mo!

Mad Men, Mad Women and Vintage Fashions

Mad Men, Mad Women and Vintage Fashion
It never takes long once you start to watch an American TV drama series to become hooked… and we have.. on the award-winning Mad Men on SBS Thursday nights. I must admit though I am as fascinated by the props, set design, and most of all the vintage sixties fashions as I am by the storyline and changing social mores of the main characters. Set in Madison Avenue, Manhattan at the fictional chain-smoking sexist advertising agency Sterling Cooper, the show revolves around Don Draper the creative director and everyone that passes in and out of his life.
I adore the dresses the female actors wear throughout the series. I have always loved vintage fashions..(and of course now wish my Mum had kept all of her clothes!). Tonight I am off with a girlfriend who collects antiques to a Vintage Fashion Fair at Davies Park, West End, always fun to fossick amongst the frivolity of the fifties!

Hanging Around

It's been a busy cuppla weeks of non-stop hangings, both Corporate and private individuals adding to their eclectic collections. Meanwhile artist Banx has been interviewed on the radio about his upcoming art exhibition in the City (345 Queen St) 22-31 July, and getting on with all of the illustrations for our client's new children's book, expected to be out by Christmas. It's a beautiful story - so watch this space!!