Watch out wolves

Image credit: Steven Chee for Fashion Quarterly

I have been looking for a dress to wear to a certain local celebrity's 40th birthday bash next weekend, and came across this gorgeous cherry red Black Tie Dress by Liam, the little sister to Ruby. 


I love its deep cowl backline, which could double as a hood in the likely event of a rainy evening, and the saucy thigh splits would make for great stepping-out-of-limo paparazzi shots.


All in all, the perfect party dress. Will I? Won't I? That would be telling...


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It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

There are four things that make me feel really, truly Christmasy and turn me from knackered holiday grinch to femme festive.

The first is choosing the perfect Christmas tree and wrestling it into the car (which then also smells wonderful all month) spending an hour untangling the fairy lights then decorating the tree and sitting back to admire it, with a glass of bubbles and a box of Scorched Almonds.  

The second is making the trip to Franklin Road to wander in wonder at the twinkling villas. There is something about competitive fairy-lighting that makes my heart tingle.

Third, eating my first (then second, third and fourth) Christmas mince pie. Thank god these aren’t available all year around or I would be the size of a Franklin Road villa.

Last of all; the assembly and decoration of my gingerbread house. I adore the simple act of gluing walls and roof together with sugar cement, then going crazy with marshmallows, gummy sweets, candy canes and glitter. As my last ‘chore’ before Christmas, I can literally feel childhood returning to my bones with each wield of the piping bag.

What about you, Beaunz belles? What turns you into a femme festive?

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At last : a resolution to my resolution

On December 31st 2009 I made the (Champagne-fuelled) resolution that 2010 would be the year I mastered the Bombe Alaska. I didn't know at the time that I was 5 weeks pregnant, and the sight of raw eggs would send me running to the bathroom for months to come. That was followed by a newborn and a year of barely managing to boil an egg, let alone whip one.


I was at the supermarket this week buying (coincidentally) eggs to make my husband's birthday Pavlova, and spotted the prettiest foodie magazine cover ever, courtesy of FQ Entertaining. As we waited in line at the checkout I flicked through it, and instantly started folding over corners. 


I've already voiced my feelings about the macaron, which editor Fiona Hawtin tackles with ardor verging on OCD. I think I'll leave that one to the professionals, but here is a little sample of the recipes I have tagged to try...Popcorn Scampi with chili salt, Black Forest trifle, Snapper with lemon, fennel and green harissa, Trelise Cooper's gorgeous Violet ice cream (no machine required) and of course, the incredible Bombe Alaska from the front cover. Packed with edible delights from cover to cover, this is a keeper for the kitchen shelf. 


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