Paper Giants

Who watched the two part series 'Paper Giants'? Timothy O and I were glued to our tv Sunday night and eager awaited last nights concluding episode! How compelling! I have so much admiration for Ita Buttrose and her gorgeous lisp. If you missed it do what ever you can to track it down! Gotta dash!

x

Iron it Baby

Ironing isn't the most glamourous way to pass the time, however it is a necessity for looking dapper. With my work I have to do a lot of ironing, so here are a few simple tips for ironing the all important business shirt.

1. Iron the Collar First on both sides. The collar is very important as it frames the face and is the most visible part of a shirt.

2. Next iron the cuffs, unbutton and lay flat. Iron inside and outside.

3. Iron the shirt front. Start with the side that has the buttons and work around the buttons.

5. Iron the back of the shirt

6. Iron the sleeves. The key to ironing sleeves is to ensure the fabric is flat and smooth before you apply the iron.

Presto!

Are you Happy?

Here you go; forget your psychic hotlines, taro readers or mentalists, this clever and honest chart will tell you what you need to do...in 10 seconds flat! On another note, I'm loving these chilly mornings!

x

Wedding Mood

Here is the working mood board for our wedding. I'm a big believer in mood boards as it helps identify themes, colour palettes and details at a glance, plus elements that are clashing.

Have a Terrific Tuesday!

Deep Ocean

Just looking at this colour way reminds me of the calm of the ocean; deep blue seas, white little boats, salty air. Can't wait to use this combination later in the week; think I should get my espadrilles out! Happy Monday!

Fish Fish Come into my Dish

© Kara Rosenlund

Some people are afraid to cook poultry and fish as those two still have a strong resemblance to what they once looked like when they were alive. I, on the other hand am afraid to cook poultry and fish that doesn't resemble a basic chicken or fish shape. Thats why I love cooking whole fish; such an honest meal.

A surprisingly easy mid week dinner is Grilled Trout stuffed with Lemon, Olives and Dill. Seriously, preparation time is about 5 minutes which is just chopping and then all the trout needs is about 6 minutes on each side. You can add a simple tomato salad as a side. Too easy!

Grilled Trout with Olives, Lemon and Dill

Serves 2 generously.

INGREDIENTS

2 x 300 gram whole trout, gutted, scaled and cleaned by your lovely fish monger

olive oil

sea salt and ground pepper

a large bunch of fresh dill, coarsely chopped

handful of store bought sliced green olives

2 lemons, one sliced the other squeezed

1 tablespoon of butter

METHOD

Preheat your grill to its highest setting.

Slash each trout with a knife, about ten times on each side.

Each slash should be around 0.5cm deep.

Rub the trout with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Stuff the cavities with plenty of chopped dill, lemon slices and the sliced olives.

Place the fish side by side on a baking rack over a roasting tray.

Dot the butter over the trout and place it about 15cm from the grill.

Cook for 6 minutes on each side or until crispy and golden. Squeeze lemon juice over the trout.

Rough Linen

This week I discovered Tricia Rose and I don't think anything is going to be the same again!

Among other things, the very talented Tricia produces a line of the most beautiful linen bedding inspired by old fashion french techniques, her grandmothers house in Scotland and the beauty of the found object. Tricia designs and creates her entire range from her own two hands out of her 1936 duck-hunting shack on the San Francisco Bay; duvet covers, sheets, pillow slips, curtains, napkins, tablecloths all in the most delightful and subtle colour palettes.

With care, Tricia's linen bedding should last a hundred years; now when was the last time you heard someone say that!

http://roughlinen.com

x

The Smell of Progress

Mmmm, the smell of glue is the smell of progress. The kitchen is almost done, just a few more tweaks and she will be finished. The custom built counter I designed has come up a treat!

More to come soon!

x

Tall Girl

Thought I would share a new acquisition with you, a Depression era cupboard - it was definitely called the 'Depression Era' for a reason. This tall girl needs a bit of sanding, a new internal fit out and a generous lick of paint, but I think she will come good.

Depression Era furniture really means functional domestic items of furniture made by untrained hands in the 20's and 3o's out of pure necessity.

Consider this the 'before' shot; hope to share the 'after' shot soon!

Hiya Hyacinths

© Kara Rosenlund

One thing I love about autumn is planting bulbs. Come spring your garden or garden pots will be blooming with gorgeous flowers. Over the weekend I decided to plant some hyacinths bulbs in the large pots out the front under the gardenias... super easy; hyacinths have a delicious fragrance which smells a lot like bubble gum and they come in many different colours, purple, pink, blue and white.

Make a series of holes 15cm in depth and 20cm apart and pop your treasures in, cover with dirt and water; come spring you will be laughing.. and smelling like bubble gum!

x

Take me to Calacatta

A couple of people have emailed asking what the surface is I shoot on. It is actually our brand new slab of Calacatta Oro Marble on our kitchen island. A traditional and also an exquisite work surface, this beautiful stone is only available from one quarry in the world, in the town of Carrara, Italy. To care for marble keep harsh chemicals and cleaning agents away, use warm water and a micro fibre cloth. It will reward you for many years. Also watch out for that tipsy friend pouring red wine near by, red wine and marble are not a good match.

'Before and After' kitchen shots to come soon!

xx