Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.............

 

It has been a really REALLY long time since I have done a garden related post, mainly because, in truth, over the last couple of years since my marriage ended I have not had the drive to put into my rental garden in the same way I did my very own patch of earth. However, as part of my employment I had the tremendous privilege of going to the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show this past March, and joy of joys, it rekindled the spark/love of gardening within me again. You may be seeing more posts about sustainable vegetable patches in the near future ! In the meantime, enjoy this wander through the gardens and displays of the recent MIFGS - and isnt it a delight to see the swing back to cottage garden plants in landscaping fashions again? I know as a designer I will be glad to see the end of yucca's in every new northern Victorian garden !!!! Happy virtual strolling everyone...............

 

 

Totally Not Vintage!

A thousand apologies all the vintage lovers who follow my humble blog, but this post is simply nothing to do with anything vintage. I just wanted to share a cause I am passionate about - rural revitalisation and a business opportunity going begging. Who wouldnt want free rent in a huge space in the darling little riverside community of Cohuna? It might not be a vintage post - but let your imaginations run wild and imagine all the wonderful vintage based ideas that you could put in a space like this - salon, antique shop, retro cafe, car museum, vintage market, or a vintage styled marketing/webdesign/advertising business.....honestly, the sky is the limit !!! Good luck with brainstorming all the enormous possibilities !! XOXO

 

 

And we have a winner.......

Thankyou to everyone who entered Alice Jean's sunglasses competition, and biggest congrats to Ms Rebekah Sherlock  - thanks for liking and sharing Alice Jeans Facebook page and competition....these lovely little sunglasses are making their way to you asap. Enjoy !!

 

 

Amazing Fruit Slice....mmmmmmmm

Been in a baking mood recently ( for the first time in a very long while ). Maybe its the cooler weather, maybe its a renewed interest in making my own and knowing whats in the food I eat, maybe its because the kids have gone back to school and I wanted interesting treats for arvo tea and the lunch box......whatever the case, I got my mojo on and made this divine Fruit Slice last week, took it to coffee with the girls and the response was very gratifying (as was the taste !!). So dig in lovely people - there is a new season upon us, and now is the time for getting handy in the kitchen again after a summer of fun ! (Here in Australia anyhow - in the Northern Hemisphere, enjoy your spring !!!)

 

Base:

1 packet malt biscuits crushed

1/4 cup milo (malted milk powder)

1/2 cup (1/2 tin) condensed milk

60gms butter

 

Top:

1 cup dried chopped apricots

1 cup sultanas

1.5 cups shredded coconut

1/2 cup (1/2 tin) condensed milk

 

Method:

Melt butter and condensed milk together, combine with rest of base ingredients. Press into lined slice tin. Combine topping ingredients and smooth onto base. Refrigerate. (Note - I find that a tad more butter in the base works best to hold it all together.)

 

 

Once it has set, all that's needed is to cut it up and serve to ravenous crowds or at a dignified high tea with friends - the choice is yours !

 

Last chance to enter....

 

Just a reminder beautiful peeps that today is your last chance to enter the Alice Jeans sunglasses competition......Click here for more details

Dont miss out !!!

Cohuna Rock N Roll Hall of Fame...........

 

When I was a little girl (how many good stories start that way?) I remember Mum and Dad were always going out to "meetings". These meetings seemed to take place usually on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, and Mum and Dad were always dressed up to the nines whenever they went to these "meetings". I had no idea what went on at a so called "meeting", but it sure as heck looked pretty flamboyant and glamorous......one day, when I was old enough, I wanted to go to "meetings" too......

 

Now that I am older, and maybe just a tad wiser, I have come to realise that Mum and Dad were usually on their way to a dance in Cohuna, leaving us in the wonderful care of Nanna and Pop or Ma and Pa (both of whom lived 5-10mins down the country road - lucky for my Mum and Dad !)

 

Cohuna Rock N Roll Montage

Now, to the ordinary observer, Cohuna was nothing more than a service center for the local agricultural industry, a cute little riverside town of maybe around 1300 people in the 60's and 70's. But every week it would miraculously come alive with a dance in the local town hall - part of a country Victorian circuit for up and coming names in the emerging rock and roll scene at the time. 700-800 people would flood into the hall to hear soon to be famous names such as John Farnham, The Bee Gees, Ian Turpie, Normie Rowe, Rob EG, and Denise Drysdale to name but a small few, all supported by local band The Lonely Ones (Click on the montage above to see the famous artists performing at Cohuna and the songs that were best known for).

 

 

I live in Cohuna today, and although the hey day of the Cohuna dance scene is a memory, it is a very vibrant one. Cohuna holds the prestigious honour of being the most well attended dance scene outside of Melbourne, at the time, and it has left a rich heritage of music lovers in the area. Special thanks should go to Geoff and Betty Thompson as part of the team that put these dances together way back when........

 

Having recently complete a thesis focused on the elements that create a thriving rural township, I can say that investment in celebration is one strong area Cohuna needs to latch onto - particularly in this realm where the history is so distinctive and unique. This wonderful Australian Rock n Roll history really does set Cohuna apart from other little agricultural service centres and cute villages. This is something that is completely their own.

 

 

As a stepping stone, some locals and I have launched a facebook page - do head over and check it out, and please 'like' if you are interested in this piece of popular cultural history. Who knows where it may just lead to.....maybe someday we will see vibrant dances happening for up and coming rockabilly/blues/roots music making the boards of the town hall floor shake again !

 

To find out more about these artists and their performance at Cohuna, Like the Facebook Page and keep updated ! 

Dont miss the Two Shots single launch !!!!

 

People - you know I am passionate about the music of my friends. My beautiful, creative and talented friends......so if you like edgy hillbilly style, there is no place for you to be other than with me on the 11th of May at Open Studio, 204 High Street, Northcote.

 

The Two Shots will be releasing their latest vinyl 45 single "Last Fast Blast" and you are going to want to be there and pick yourself up a copy !! Here are some fast facts about the Two Shots

 

When Carola and Hank met in ‘Bar Open’ in December 2007 in Melbourne Australia, little did they know that they would become - The Two Shots. They started writing their own songs pretty much straight away, inspired by their own personal and shared experiences. Carola has been Berlin based and played electric bass in the girl band Joymentals, and was double bass player and vocalist in Hot Eskimos. Hank’s played in rockabilly and western swing bands, such as the Rockin’ Bandits and the Starliners and Hank's Jalopy Demons, in Melbourne. After rockin' Berlin for a year, you can now expect to see the Two Shots playing up a storm in Melbourne in the near future.

 

Come along and check them out guys - you wont be sorry! And you'll experience all that is wonderful about the creative, unique music culture in the hip northern suburbs of the most happening city on the planet !

Another competition - for all you specs lovers !!!!

After the success of my last competition I fossiked around for another great item to host a giveaway for, and, as luck would have it, I was contacted by the Sunglasses Shop who were looking for someone to promote their clubmaster like women's sunglasses. Lucky for me, and lucky for you readers !

 

So, this is the knacky little item - they look very spiffy on, and sport total retro cool. So how do you win a pair? (Is pair the right word for one item in this case?????) Its really very simple.....

 

Simply share this post on your facebook page, AND like the Alice Jeans Facebook page and your in the draw......it couldnt be easier ! (If you are already an AJ's Facebook follower, simply leave a coment telling me that you have shared the post on your FB page) I will be drawing the winner on April the 21 so you have a little over two weeks to start sharing and liking......and in the meantime check out the sunglasses shop - they have both wayfarer and clubmaster style frames for men and women, so you can keep your retro appeal cracking !

 

 

So now that you know how easy it is to win, whats stopping you? Share the retro sunglasses love !XOXO