Chowder Bay

 

Pull up a chair / Chowder Bay

 

View through the fence / More chairs lined up

 

Bacino Cafe Chowder Bay

More deck chairs / Sign in Bacino Cafe

Chowder Bay

Google Maps + iPhone has been a lifesaver for finding my way around my new hometown.  And for finding great new spots!  Sitting in Bacino in Mosman and checking the map to see where I was, I noted that Clifton Gardens was just down the hill.  Having been there years ago, I thought to drive down the hill to take a look.

More research revealed that the bay was called Chowder Bay... a spot my friends had spoken highly of.  Entering the park, I clued in as to why.  Relatively secluded, there are spots for picnicking, and an enclosed playground for kids.  (Am informed by my mom friends that this is a very good thing!) 

Clifton Gardens and Chowder Bay are part of Headland Park that stretches from Chowder Bay around to Balmoral Beach.  Indeed, there is a 1.5km / 60 minute walk along the headland between the two bays.  Headland Park is a decommissioned military base, now turned into a park full of interesting history and architecture.  Diving in the bay is available, if that is your thing. It is also home to Ripples dining, and another Bacino cafe... imagine that!  You can relax on the red and white striped deck chairs and enjoy a coffee... or an icy treat.  It is the perfect way to while away a Saturday afternoon.

Headland Park... www.harbourtrust.com.au
Snorkeling and Diving: www.plungediving.com.au

Mosman

Mosman

Saturday markets in Mosman are held on the first Saturday of every month.  I had brunch at Fourth Village Providore.  The back half of the store, the cafe, backs onto the square where the markets are held.  The front half of the store faces the street and is chock-a-block with all sorts of amazing provisions for the kitchen.  As always, my eyes are drawn to the floral display out the front.  Still can't believe I live in a country where tropical flowers are the norm!

To be honest, the coffee at brunch wasn't the best I've had.  What to do when coffee is subpar!?  Make it right.  So a trip down the road revealed Bacino Espresso - corner of Prince Albert and Raglan Streets.   Coffee was much improved... I'm sure the flirty baristas didn't hurt!

Following coffee, I did some further exploring down Military Road ... and found the most gorgeous florist... Matt Bisaro.  A rough-hewn interior filled with gorgeous flowers and funky home accents, including various styles of glass bottles.  Another one of those spaces where you just want to pull up a chair, sit for a while and take it all in.

Fourth Avenue Providore - 5a Vista St, Mosman, NSW

Bacino Espresso - corner of Prince Albert and Raglan Streets, and various locations

Matt Bisaro - 773 Military Road, Mosman, NSW

Woollahra

Donna Hay General Store

Terrace on Queen St

Front verandas on Spicer St

Woollahra


The tree-lined streets of Woollahra have fabulous names such as Jersey Road, Spicer St, Ocean Ave, Queen St. The store fronts are subtle, and driving past, you only clue in to the fact that you are in the middle of a lovely shopping district once you spot a great store front such as Terrace.  Terrace is chock-a-block with gorgeous alfresco items necessary for outdoor living.  Clean, fresh prints in bright beautiful colors are just what you need to taking your interior decorating sense outside!

Along with high end fashion, there are some more reasonable priced stores... Simon Johnson for gourmet ingredients, The Bay Tree for homewares, Victor Churchill butcher  (as one chef called it... the Tiffany's of butcher shops). There's also the classy Jo Malone shop, should you feel like splashing out on some pricey scents!

My all time favorite, however, is the Donna Hay General Store. If they let me drag in a sleeping bag and live there, I would. A general store in the front, a bakery in the back... and just when you think you've seen it all, there's more upstairs.  The last time I was in there, they took my coffee request upon arrival.  Having just had one, I was loathe to say no!  I hope it's on offer next time!  As usual, I drooled over the paper products and bakeware.  But this time, there are new products to oggle... the enamelware line.  I've been a fan of enamelware for a while now, and had even designed a few pieces in my head!  So when I saw Donna Hay had come out with a line, I was excited.  Seeing the items in store only made me want them all!  Not sure which to buy first... the set of bowls?  The roaster?  The mini pie plates?  Perhaps when I move in, I can try them all!

The Upper Crust

Green and yellow shop front / Pie, Lamington and ginger beer lunch

The Upper Crust - 1003 Pittwater Road, Collaroy, NSW


One wall in the shop is covered with signatures of happy customers.  One, from Canada (not mine!) read... "Came from Canada, just for the pies"... to which I could only reply a hearty "Amen"!  These yummy pies have numerous gourmet fillings... Beef Burgundy, Tandoori Lamb, Mexican Curry.  My favorite used to be Chicken, Avocado and Brie.  One time I went to order it, they were out... so I tried the chicken and asparagus.  I do believe I have a new fave!

Grab your pie, drink and dessert... the dessert display is well stocked with lamington's, Neenish tarts and caramel slice... and take a seat at one of the tables out the front, or a bench off to the side.  Or you can always take it to nearby Collaroy, Long Reef or Narrabeen beach.



Alfresco Emporium

Alfresco Emporium exterior

Pretty bouquet from the flower shop

Cafe interior / Cappuccino served in china on a rattan plate

Alfresco Emporium - 1021 Pittwater Road, Collaroy, NSW (Sydney's Northern Beaches)


 

Having had past this store on Pittwater Road a few times, I had assumed it was a large, generic store.  Pretty striped cushions in the window made me reconsider my assumption.  Stopping to explore one day, I didn't know what to do first... gape at the gorgeous flowers in the flower shop, have a coffee in the cafe or peruse the homewares in the large shop?  I took a breath, calmed myself down and took a look around!  The large homewares section has all kinds of fabulous items for making a house a home... from the striped cushions and other patio pleasures, to china and glassware, home scents, a baking/cooking section, a fun corner for children's gifts.  As well, there are cards, wrapping paper and ribbon... making this a one stop shop for a lovely gift.

That is... if you manage to make your way past the flower section.  Pots of tropical plants, succulents and other greenery are on sale, as are made up bouquets of flowers.  If you don't see anything you like, you can also have a bouquet made to order.  Which is what I did... and had a lovely coffee in the cafe while I was waiting.  They also have high-tea Tuesday's... which I will have to keep in mind!

So the next time you are driving down Pittwater Road through Collaroy, don't drive by... stop in and explore.  (Half a block down the road from The Upper Crust.)

Marimekko Cushions

How do you get me out of bed before 7am on a Saturday?  Promise of a sample sale including lot's of Marimekko product.  Arriving at the warehouse (location to remain undisclosed) sale just before 8am, we realized we weren't on the ball enough as there were about fifty women ahead of us.  Fifty prepared women, mind you.  They had large Ikea bags and were stuffing them full of anything they remotely liked, to decide later if they wanted to buy or leave behind.  Yes!  These women were organized.  (So will I be... next year!)  I happened across a set of napkins that someone had tossed back onto the display.  (I'm not proud... I walked around looking for discards!)  The napkins fit perfectly around some cushions that I had found at the sale as well.

Some unpicking and sewing machine work later, the napkins were transformed into a pair of pillows, the green matching the new desk chair perfectly.  Now for some wooden buttons for the finishing touch...

Coffee Break



Mecca Cappuccino

In 1917, following the introduction of the Literacy Act to curtail the flow of immigration into the US, Italian immigration to Australia increased.  Along with this immigration, they brought their tradition of coffees, which were adopted by the Australians. Living in Australia as a young girl, I recall my mom always enjoying a cappuccino when we were out shopping at the mall, or such.  I remember her commenting on the lack of decent coffee in White Rock (BC) when we moved there in the late 70s.  Dad had often thought of opening up a decent coffee store back in the early 1980s.  If only he had of... ah... hindsight!

I was remembering mom enjoying a daily coffee, over my own cappuccino the other day.  Sydney has a wealth of coffee bars and cafes... it is hard to find a bad cup of coffee here.  I have found myself craving that coffee break in the middle of the day... time to sit down and let your world stop while enjoying the thick foam and caramel-y espresso if a yummy cappuccino.  Out and about on errands most days, I wonder where that day's coffee break will find me.

Photo above - afternoon coffee at Mecca... 1 Albert Street, Sydney (various locations)
Single Origin - Surry Hills. Side note: jam-filled Lamingtons are a must, but you have to get there early.
Utopia - 2/7 Macquarie Pl, Sydney
Klink Coffee - 281 Clarence St, Sydney
Europan, Newcastle St, Rose Bay
Zubi Espresso Bar, Newport Beach - Beautiful garden out back where you can sit and relax.

To name a few...

The Boathouse, Palm Beach

Way up north... at the top of the Northern Beaches lies Palm Beach.  The point the beach sits on is sandwiched by the Pacific ocean on the starboard side and Pittwater on the port side.  The Boathouse sits on the Pittwater side.  It's a gorgeous spot for a long lunch on a sunny summer afternoon; a deck out the back with water views or a spot at the tables and chairs scattered in the garden out the front.  Meal service, take away service and flowers for sale are on offer.  Fresh green succulents in white pots dot the interiors and lawns.  Short of moving in, you can take away inspiration for your own garden design.

Riverside Park

A busy morning shopping at the DFO (Direct Factory Outlet) at Homebush required a refuel of nourishment and nature.  Enter Blaxland Riverside Park.  Set on the banks of the Parramatta River; within the park you can lunch at the Armory Cafe right on the water while the kids play in the park (just out of hearing distance) and watch the ferries cruise up and down the river.  Take your bike and cruise along the bike path.  While we were there, we sat and watch a wedding being photographed.  That is the wedding car you see above.

Update

Big changes in the past few months!  I moved my father and I to Sydney, Australia at the beginning of November.  I has been pretty smooth, settling into a new life in our old stomping grounds (we old dual Canadian/Australian passports)... but certainly not without it's stresses... he suffers from late-stage Parkinson's disease.

This morning I was feeling pretty down about things... even though he's in a care home, there is still a lot to deal with.  Without going into it all, there are a lot of serious responsibilities and decisions to make... and the burden gets heavy at times.

I had been invited to a friend's house for a morning of sewing and creating things.  A few conversations in, and I was feeling inspired by talk of knitting, sewing, paper crafts.  I got to work on a very simple, basic sewing project... but it was so therapeutic.  Creation lifts the soul! What's more, I am now in possession of fat, loaner knitting needles for a brand new project.  And a list of knitting/sewing shops around the city!  Black mood lifted.

So in light of all this, I am going to try and keep this blog updated a little more regularly.  Outside of caring for dad, I have done a few, fun things around town and I don't want to forget them!

Arden Wohl

Vogue August 2011

Oh to have a career where "foraging for flowers" is part of your job description! I do like the recipe for making candy thyme to garnish ice cream. Click on the picture to enlarge and read!

LaDuree New York

Vogue August 2011

Discovered this fabulous bakery in Paris... can still recall biting into a raspberry macaron... the thin crip exterior and the perfect raspberry marshmallow-y interior. Worth another flight back! Except now you don't have to travel as far, as LaDuree, is opening it's first NY store on the Upper East Side... 864 Madison Ave. Defintely worth another trip to NY!

Table & Chairs

I keep coming across the wood table/modern chairs combo as an idea for my brother's place... but am beginning to wonder if I secretly like it for myself!

Ann Landers

I've been saving this email on a piece of paper that my mom had originally emailed me back in 2000. It's time to toss it, but not before saving it somewhere!

Dear Ann Landers: Too many people have no idea which questions are appropriate to ask.

It is NEVER appropriate to ask:
How much money do you make?
How much did you pay for that?
Why aren't you married?
Why don't you have any children?
How old are you?
How tall are you?
How much do you weigh?
What religion are you?

Reading this makes me smile, thinking of my mother forwarding this on to me. She knew which questions on the list really got to me!!

Kitchen Scales

Fell in love with this Ethos Dulton Headlight kitchen scales in a kitchen store in Rome, Italy. Sadly, it was too bulky to bring home in my luggage... but I'm still on the hunt for it!

Kate's Style

A comment I read online summed it up best: "Kate is everything a woman should be. A lady, elegant, sweet and fashionable!" Having being a royal watcher since Princess Diana married, I was excited to know that Prince William and Catherine would be visiting Canada shortly after their marriage. I logged in every day of their Royal Tour to see where they had been... and of course what Catherine was wearing! She looked beautiful every single time, and so poised.

The Canada Day look was my favorite... wearing her cream-colored Reiss dress with a maple-leaf themed fascinator by Lock & Co.'s milliner, Sylvia Fletcher, red shoes and a fan clutch.

Calgary Stampede; fave dress down look... pretty blouse paired with jeans and white cowboy hat.

My favorite dress, hands down... Lilac Peridot dress by Roksanda Illinic. It's simple, elegant, yet has unique details.

Another favorite look... lavendar gown by Alexander McQueen. This dress moved beautifully in the breeze, and as she walked. Again, simple and elegant.

More than what she wore, Catherine has a smile that radiates from within. It's not hard to see where her inner happiness comes from... she has a man who loves her and takes care of her. And that's all any princess, or woman, would ask for!

Silver Tray

I've been purging two households of clutter and collections for, oh, about two years now. I wish I had kept track of all the bags and boxes that have been donated to Big Brothers, and the collection bins. It has to be between 40-50.

So I'm quite relieved that a few things missed the mass cull. One of them being this silver tray of my grandma's. Modern style is more of my thing, so the silver tray was actually in the giveaway pile. Then I read about how to rework old silver tea services for modern day living in a House and Home magazine. (Article here.)

I found some time yesterday afternoon to sit down and give it a good going-over with the silver polish. As I worked, I was thinking of the inscription; Mary ~ 1957-1979. My grandma had received the tray when she retired after 21 years of service at Murray's Store in Sicamous. In the 50s, my grandma found herself as the single mother of three teenagers, and she had to go to work to support the family. I had never really given much thought to how hard that must have been for her. Grandma was a strong independent woman, and needed to be as she needed to provide for her family. Yet despite the trials life sent her way, she maintained a gentle spirit. I'm really thankful this tray survived one of my purging fits, and for all that it represents.



Halfway through the cleaning process... what a difference a little polish makes.





The inscription in the middle of the tray... partly worn, so it's hard to get a clear shot: Mary ~ 1957-1979




The silver tray with a modern twist.

Summer Table

Courtesy of Martha Stewart... a very pretty summer picnic table.

Astilbe Flowers

These flowers are quite striking... I'm not sure I've ever seen them before. I love the arrangement in the vintage bottles. I just happen to have a collection of vintage bottles I can use...

Wall Photos

Great idea... enlarging portrait pictures to a large size and framing on the wall for art.