Blue Haze

Here's a bit of a retro cocktail recipe created by Nick Zongas (I'm guessing prior to 1972?)

Blue Haze

30ml Bicardi

15ml Martini Vermouth

15ml Rossi Vermouth

15ml Parfait Amour

15ml Cointreau

Blue Curacao

Stir everything except the Blue Curacao over ice then strain into cocktail glass.

Add 4 dashes of Blue Curacao and serve. Makes 1

The Parfait Amour creates a blue tinted haze and the Blue Curacao being heavier should sit neatly on the bottom.

An appropriate drink for our house guest to sip while she perused the catalogue of cruising....till everything became a bit of a blue haze....

Retro Table Setting

Want to know what was chic and what was not 50 years ago in table settings?

Genevieve Antoine Dariaux writes (1965) - 

Very Chic-

• Monochrome colour schemes or rather several shades of the same colour, such as pink to burgundy, ciel to dark blue, etc.
• A combination of fruit and flower, vegetables and flowers, or feathers and fruit in your centrepiece.
• An unusual flower container in the centre of the table, such as a hunting horn (where can I get one of those I wonder?) or a curious porcelain bibelot ( pronounced "bib-low" I checked because I had never heard of it before! I think she is referring to those little porcelain donkeys pulling carts and plaster cornucopia)
• Unpretentious rustic settings (with menu to match) (not entirely clear what she means by rustic 50 years ago)
• At least one set of plates that is different, such as dessert plates with a fruit or floral motif or marine motif plates for the seafood course.

Not Chic At All-

• A huge floral centrepiece that is overwhelming, pretentious and obviously prepared by a professional florist.
• Mustard, sauce etc in their original bottles as well as plastic gadgets for pouring honey etc, All of these are useful but they belong in the kitchen.
• To have absolutely everything match. (I remember Johnson Bros in the 90's going completely overboard and manufacturing patterns like "Eternal Beau" in every conceivable accessory including napkins, placemats, candlesticks...it was ghastly en masse.)
• Napkins folded in an elaborate fashion. (I'm sure I remember napkin folding becoming very grandiose and chic in the 70's and 80's. Now they are just in downright decline!) 

Taken from "Entertaining With Elegance"

What do you think of Genevieve's list?

Do you have any trend additions to make?

What's your hot and not list for today's table-scaping and do you have some favourite table-scaping links/bloggers?

Try this one

Workers Cottage Kitchen

Come inside 30 Smith St.

Grand historical homes are somewhat preserved but it's the ordinary cottage that is fast loosing a lot of their original fixtures. Many of them were cheaply built and time has worn them out.

Before being sold in 2011, it had been in the same family for 100 years and altered little.

Kitchens of this kind are becoming endangered as they are becoming renovated all over the city.

This cottage was probably built in about 1840 after George Smith's land holding was subdivided creating Smith St. 

Kitchens with recognisable built in cabinets similar to today became popular in the early 1920's. In modest homes these were often owner built and often from recycled and salvaged materials. By today's standards this kitchen is considered inferior, impractical and most definitely rustic...but let me show you some golden charming features.

The cupboard door slides open beautifully in its hand cut channels to reveal a below bench drawer. This slides out smoothly and easily on simply constructed runners.

Inside a perfectly cut square of 1940's linoleum to line the drawer.

Layers and layers of history.

The cabinetry on the other wall is constructed of strong timber frames, the shelves are like packing case off cuts. As the cupboard is built onto the rough hand made brick wall, the back and sides are lined with a metal gauze to keep them vermin proof.

It's tiny but modest kitchens had far less equipment and appliances than one finds nowadays.

Could I live and work in this kitchen? If it were my property would I rip it out?

Yes absolutely, but it's such a shame isn't it. So I had to take some photos and preserve some of it's glorious ordinariness for posterity because it and all it's fellows will be changed and we will lose those hand made gems.

A wonky old cottage with sloping ceilings and old tin roofs and up and down floors...

Beautiful ornate vents on lathe and plaster walls...

Heavy, sturdy internal doors with layers and layers of paint and keys long lost.

The houses have tiny or no front gardens and these golden pencil pines enrich the street scape and are considered historically significant. The council had them recently trimmed sensitively to ensure easier pedestrian access but maintain their profile.

There are plenty of glamorous mansions and significant properties of old preserved in time but it's the humble workers cottages and the homes of the ordinary that I also salute. On the face of things they stay relatively the same but within they are getting radical makeovers.

It's precisely the make do and mend of these plain cottages that is what Suburban Jubilee celebrates.

Education In The Home

My youngest daughter hosted afternoon tea for family and friends recently.

White damask and vintage doilies.

Cut crystal and silverware.

Old family bone china with delicate patterns.

Pretty vintage frocks that reminded me of my grandmother.

She was a big fan of Osti in the 70's.

The grooming and the up-do.

The multiple ear piercings are a modern give-away though.

The young ladies served,

cucumber sandwiches

cheese biscuits

mini quiches

zucchini slice squares 

scones with home made jumble berry jam

The circles keep turning and what was old is new again.

While we have been embracing the cafe culture, young girls have been missing the opportunity to practice their developing skills;

deportment, cooking, flower arranging, home making, grooming, conversation, manners and grace.

I have found myself pondering whether we have blurred some lines, confused some forms and given ground where we had not meant to in our fight for feminism.

Some play that took a domestic form is quite frowned upon now. Mothers I do hope you are encouraging your pre-schoolers to play with tea sets and wash dolly clothes. I hope you throw impromptu high teas for them on rainy days after school and I hope you are giving teens an opportunity to entertain guests in your homes too. We must keep encouraging our children to learn to be ladies and gentlemen. The home education is just as important as the school education.

(Disclaimer: Emma is a real person and in her spare time loves to hang out in daggy track pants, has a small tattoo and is older than she looks at 23 and can produce dimples on demand)

70's and 80's Fabric Week in the Shop

Summer fun with this one and it is ideal for a maxi-dress. 

I'll bet there are some out there who remember these prints.

Cool and fluid but definitely NOT in a corner!

The 70's/80's collection is available in the shop now.

Click on the shop tab above (below the banner)

Postage is calculated for Australia only but if you are overseas and would like a postal quote simply email me or request below in the comments.

You just don't see fabrics like this any more. 

They will give a genuine look to your retro pattern for sure.