This little gem of a cafe is the perfect mix of style and substance! Set on the main street of beautiful Bangalow in the Northern Rivers {which also happens to be my favourite region in Australia} this eatery formally known as ‘Ate/Satiate’ serves up delicious food, personal service and an interior that’s refreshing, inspiring and overflowing with a warm and fuzzy ambience. Here’s a little sneak peek below of the ‘Downtown’ Cafe, which is very aptly located downstairs within the old terrace building collectively called “Town” Cafe/Restaurant. I adore the fresh roses, scrabble letters spelling & oozing LOVE and the unique and ever so effective use of cask wine boxes on the facade of the counter.

What makes this little beauty even just that bit more irresistible is the fact that ‘Town’ is owned by two Australian culinary star chefs Karl & Katrina Kanetani, of Quay, Pier, Est and Tetsuya’s fame…oh what a shame I hear you say. Katrina {known as one of the country’s top pastry chefs} whips up dreamy treats baked-daily that are the perfect accompaniment to your hot and frothy fix. Mr B sampled a Belgian Chocolate Brownie and I have to say it left us both a little speechless in the best possible way, all we could manage was a big smile & one long satisfying sigh…and let me tell you, coming from Mr B who is a sweet tooth extraordinaire, that is really saying something! I can’t wait for our next road trip down to this beautiful part of the world so that I can savour this little place once again. Oh and yet another added extra is that come dusk the top floor of ‘Town’ is transformed into ‘Uptown’ a stylish and sophisticated restaurant by night. A 6 course degustation menu in Karl’s signature elegant style is served exclusively on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Mmm, I think that calls for yet another visit entirely don’t you? {www.townbangalow.com.au}

Picture frames make a simple, yet personal style statement & I seem to have a never ending fascination with them. I’m always finding something different & new that inspires me to pop another precious memory behind the glass. Nothing makes me oooh & aaah more than a carefully styled frame wall…here’s a beautiful little collection of the artistic kind, that I came across the other day at The Tweed River Art Gallery.

(as can be seen in the exhibition titled New Skin by Shayle Flesser http://www.tweed.nsw.gov.au/ArtGallery/ArtGalleryExhibitionsDetail.aspx?Doc=pdfs/CurrentExhibitions.pdf)

Mr B, Miss B & I were down at our local farmer’s market this morning and when we’d finished collecting our weekly fruit and vegetables, we plonked ourselves down in the dappled sun to listen to a lovely band made up of three lads.

During a break in their set, the front-man stole a candid moment to engage with his audience. He asked us, the crowd, to look around amongst us, say hello to people adjacent to us and he reminded us to acknowledge that this was ‘our community’. These people collectively, are our neighbours…we’re each a human being just like the other and we’re all on our individual life’s journey.

This is such a true and simple sentiment, yet it kind of caught me by surprise when I realised how easily it is forgotten these days midst busy and hectic lives, in a society seemingly obsessed with spending and getting. It was so beautifully expressed and received, a quiet hush sort of fell over the crowd and I found myself thinking, wow…here is a man who can rest easy tonight for he has delivered such a perfect and timely blessing to ‘his’ community today.

When I have a craving for a bit of fresh inspiration or find myself in need of a little gift for someone special, my first stop on the Gold Coast is always Suga Suga! This little gem of a shop is hidden down the backstreets of Surfers Paradise in the waterside enclave known as Budds Beach…it’s a bit of a secret spot, well I like to think so anyway. It’s got the charm of a chic boutique…classical and contemporary all rolled into one. Homewares, jewellery, gifts, baby, artwork, stationery, furniture, clothing…it’s all divine. The owner has a very good eye for buying and every little piece is carefully placed, styling throughout is spot on. It’s a small little shop, but you can literally find yourself in there for ages (Mr B normally has to drag me out), as your eyes dart from this side of the room to the other. Just when you think you’ve poured over everything, something new catches your eye. Every visit is intriguing as I wonder what new little treasure awaits me. Suga Suga is a special little spot, where retail therapy truly lives up to it’s name & what a joy that is!

Photo courtesy of http://www.sugasuga.com.au/

I believe travel is one of the greatest gifts one can give another…in my belief it is the best way to truly get to know yourself and your place in this world. It is something that Mr B and I cannot wait to share with Miss B as she grows.

My parents very generously surprised me with a round the world ticket for my 21st birthday and I promptly jetted off, not returning to Australian soil until five years later. Well, I guess they couldn’t have been too surprised, after all they did hand me the keys to the car so to speak!

Ironically, what I have come to realise in a strangely insightful way is that travel can often be interpreted as both a blessing and a curse…for once you’ve had that first taste you can be sure of one thing, you’ll never be the same person again. You’ll be forever looking at the world through a wider set of eyes, inspired by constant movement and curiosity, a different state of mind and awareness. One could say that from then on you’ll always be arriving… no longer belonging to one place, you become a citizen of the world in the truest sense. And what a magical blessing that is. So with all this in mind, I often find myself contemplating whether the grass is greener on the other side, I am always looking for the next adventure!

I have definitely become a sucker for it and I’m not talking about Bear’s Man vs Wild type of adventure, I’m talking about adventure within everyday life. I absolutely LOVE the thrill of the unknown. Extensive travel has taught me that I need not ever be afraid of change, in fact it soon teaches you to crave it. Travel has lit a flame inside of me and innately I know it will now always burn, for whenever it gets weak it reminds me to reach out and rekindle it once again…I make it my life choice to always keep the door to travel, new experience and adventure wide open! 

Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m a sucker for all things European…in fact, catch me in a particularly melancholic mood and I’d profess to tell you that Mr B, Miss B & I were moving back to live there for good. Having spent five beautiful years living in London and travelling extensively abroad, it wasn’t long before Europe got under my skin and made a beeline for my heart, I know in truth that it resides there still. Needless to say, France is a big favourite of mine…and so when I discovered Mme Grenouille in Broadbeach (on the GC, yep…even I still can’t believe it!!!) I was completely surprised and delighted all at the same time. The name, you may be asking…translates to Madame Frog, how cute is that!?! Well, even cuter when you see the logo of a little pink frog wearing a gold crown and the stylish black walls bearing a chic parisienne style poster girl…love it! Anyway, this little patisserie pumps out high quality pastries, chocolates and miniature desserts with a broad breakfast and lunch menu to boot. Traditional pain au chocolat and the oh so pretty and light macaron, all served up with a genuine french accent from the wait staff.

As I sat there, I closed my eyes and for a split second and I was back in France. Now that’s an experience and a little moment in time that makes my heart & my belly smile! Thank you Madame Frog. Check it out at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mme-Grenouille/141168739270218

Mr B & I are always on the lookout for new local hang outs on the Gold Coast, especially ones that surprise us…and the other day via a suggestion from a very dear friend of mine, I found a little beauty. This arty haunt is aptly named ‘Canvas’ and it’s home to good coffee, personal service (with a genuine smile), yummy homewares, unusual gifts and gorge furniture. It exudes a relaxed seaside ambience which is perfect considering it’s located a hop, skip and a jump from Nobby Beach (or Nobby’s as the locals say).

One of the real treats Canvas offers, is a story time session for children in the back corner of the shop! What a truly divine idea, I’ve been wanting to take Miss B to a reading for a while now and was just about to look into the local libraries for times, when I heard about Canvas. I thought to myself, I’d much rather meet a friend with her babes and hang out with mine, with a good cuppa in hand…so it’s become a weekly jaunt of ours now and it’s lots of fun. Stephanie Lawson (Canvas’s lovely & talented artistic owner) reads a bunch of stories to all the little munchkins during the half hour, it entertains them no end and us mummies get a bit of ! Check it out sometime, Wednesdays at 10am & visit Canvas for up to date news at http://www.facebook.com/canvasespresso 

One last thing on this little gem – I am in LOVE with the under bench artwork which greets you with a bright, creative smile as you enter…seriously going to take this idea and put my own personal stamp on it for a client or possibly even for Mr B & I when we finally get around to building our dream home one of these days!

Carrying a baby and bringing new life into this world has been a life-changing experience for me in more ways than I care to count…I consider the birth of Miss B to be my greatest achievement. It has given me new perspective in so many areas of my life – it has made me fully appreciate the simple things in life, or shall I say “life’s simple pleasures”. You’re probably thinking, blah blah blah, I’ve heard this before. But for me, it goes deeper than the familiar cliche, this is a thought process that delves right down to the heart of mother earth…it lives deep down in the origins of all things ‘pure’.

Feeling a new sense of ‘place’ in the world, it makes one appreciate everything more… the world we live in bears a heavier weight – the very ground that our children walk upon, the sky they look up at, the air that they breathe. I often stare in amazement as our daughter gazes with sheer wonder at nature, she loves to be outside in the fresh air. Watching her take in all the colours and the sounds is for me a perfectly pure moment in time. When we observe this behaviour in a baby we are watching true human behaviour, unaffected by man made paraphernalia. This is how we were designed to interact with our world – with sheer wonder and respect. Perhaps this is what we’ve slowly lost sight of along the way, something that’s been eroded with time, it’s still there in us but you have to look harder for it these days…it seems to carry less depth in meaning.

Yesterday this phrase popped into my head…”la vita verde”. It’s nothing special – it means “The Green Life” in Italian and Italy holds a special place in my heart – but it had a certain ring to it which I liked. More than ever now I have a renewed interest and passion for protecting this beautiful world of ours; for playing my part & standing up for what is right; for taking more time to admire all the beauty that surrounds us in nature (for this is true beauty like nothing else); for nurturing my child’s love of the outdoors so that she may play freely on the earth as a child should; for living in a place where I feel more in touch with the world; for implementing a greener way of life; moreover, I now have a greater sense of responsibility and in turn carry a heavier burden watching our world through my child’s eyes. We cannot afford to lose sight of what is at stake.

Firstly, I’d like to wish you & your loved ones, all the very best for 2011 – may it be a magical year!

So…you may have noticed that much time has passed since my last blog but rest assured there is good reason for it. Mr B and I welcomed our little girl into the world recently, so life has been rather busy ever since but is now all the more richer. Miss B is an absolute gem & we’re very proud parents, if you couldn’t already tell.

I wanted to give you all the update on the last Mater Prize Home I finished styling last year, before our little cherub arrived. Tickets are now up for grabs and close 23^rd Feb 2011 with the house being drawn 25^th Feb 2011 – so check it out.

Set in an upmarket beachside development called ‘The Boardwalk’ on the idyllic Sunshine Coast at Mt Coolum, this four bedroom home has been beautifully designed for family life and the temperate Queensland climate. It also has a jaw dropping view of Mt Coolum from the main living and large outdoor entertaining areas surrounding the pool and gazebo. Featuring lovely high ceilings and a unique floor plan which centres on an open-air atrium complete with water feature and lily plants. Bi-fold doors make this a stunning way to bring the outdoors in, all year round.

This home was a beautiful blank canvas for me to work with and I knew early on that I wanted to bring a grand ambience to the interiors in light of the layout and spectacular mountain views. I focused on classical elegance and incorporated a French perspective highlighted by large character-driven furnishings and Mediterranean inspired colours and statement pieces, which in turn compliment the seaside location. For the master bedroom I sourced antique white furnishings in the style of Louis XV and combined this with hues of steel blue + pewter, adding velvet and sheer fabrics for a look that exudes opulence. I gained immense enjoyment whilst working on this project and am thrilled to bits with the overall finish; the master bedroom however is definitely one of my favourites…it just came up so beautifully. I hope you like having a sneaky peek at the photos below.

For a closer look, you can take a virtual tour via this link on the Mater website – http://panedia.biz/vst/test-vstplayer.swf?map=nxwzvmdv&o=h&h=sm

Don’t forget, it pays to be in it if you’re keen to win it… plus you’ll be giving to a very worthy cause in the process! Click here to purchase your lucky ticket – materprizehome.com.au/buy-tickets/choose-your-tickets/

(Photography courtesy of joshuarablin.com – amazing work as always!)

I have just completed the next prize home for the Mater Foundation and I couldn’t be happier with the results! For this house we ran with a beach theme because let’s face it, when a house is located walking distance from the ocean and you can hear the sounds of the waves crashing on the sand, what could be more appropriate. So to add to the interiors appeal I chose a nautical flavour which conjures up an ambience in keeping with the stylish Hamptons and Nantucket regions of the States.

This house offers an architecturally designed property with clean white lines, a timber stairwell with stainless ballustrading, high ceilings and lots of natural light pouring into a floor plan which achieves a relaxed and seamless ’indoor/outdoor’ feel in keeping with our Australian way of life.

I had A LOT of fun sourcing all the interior furnishings for this property and then of course setting up ’house’ during the all important fit-out stage. Starting with just a concept board (or I like to say mood board – it’s about zoning in on the feel you want to create for a space) there is nothing more satisfying than seeing what you’ve visualised come to life, it’s like watching all the pieces of the jig-saw puzzle harmoniously fall into place.

I was at the photo shoot with the talented Josh Rablin www.joshuarablin.com yesterday so as soon as his images come through I’ll be sure to pop them up – but for now you can make do with this sneak peek courtesy of moi!

Onto the important stuff – the campaign for this house will be drawn just before Christmas and so won’t be up and running for a few more weeks. Keep checking www.materprizehome.com.au for all the up-to-date info and happy punting when the time rolls around! Wouldn’t this make for a fabulous Christmas present to top off a great year!?!