Melbourne // The Finders Keepers Market

TGIF!! How is it Friday already?! I wanted to post this earlier in the week but any ho, here's what I did last Friday! 

At the Exhibition Building in Carlton Gardens last weekend The Finders Keepers Market was back. Over 200 stalls of local artists displaying their designs.

A group of us rocked up on their opening evening and the queue was crazy, snaking all round the gardens and the building. We decided on a glass of vino first before heading back once the crowds had dispersed (which they did just slightly!)

So many beautiful, clever, inspiring artists I could have wandered all night and spent WAY too much money but I was good and kept things in check! But saying that I thought I'd highlight a few of the designers that I am definitely going to invest in, one pay-day in the very near future!

Printspace - I want this Melbourne print so badly.

Myrtle & Moss - The Mandarin, Lemon Myrtle & Orange Moisturiser and Body Wash are my favourites.

Birds Nest for Hair - cute pots with cute sayings, a favourite with all our group.

Emily Green - her hanging lights are even more beautiful in real life.

Rowena Martinich & Geoffrey Carran - LOVED this stall, the colour on the plates just popped and this amazing bird, drawn so beautifully.

Sarah Makes These - great colours

Frankie Gusti - beautiful smelling Soy Candles

Gemma Patford - I follow Gemma on Instagram and loved seeing her products up close and personal! They are FAB, so much skill but still so playful.

Bridget Bodenham - the gold makes these feel so decadent, any drink would be a treat served in these.

32.4 Jewellery - so delicate, I'd want a few to stack.

All the images come from the designers websites, click on their names to explore further.

The next market is on the 17th & 18th of October.....

Happy Weekend and Happy Shopping!

Recipe // Blueberry & Lemon Shortbread with Vanilla Glaze

A close work colleague of Oli's has just had a baby so I thought it might be nice to bake her some shortbread biscuits. I can only imagine how many people she'll have popping in so I thought these might come in handy for her to offer alongside a cup of tea.

Oh and the weekend just gone was Christmas in July! An Aussie tradition while it's cold outside. 

With the vanilla glaze these really remind me of biscuits we'd make at home during the festive period. (Though the lemon adds a lovely lightness to these)

Blueberry & Lemon Shortbread 

250gm plain flour

90gm pure icing sugar

1 vanilla bean, use the scrapped seeds

1 lemon, rind finely grated 

125gm chilled butter, roughly chopped

30gm dried blueberries

2 egg yolks

Vanilla Glaze

55gm caster sugar

1 vanilla bean, again seeds scrapped

180gm icing sugar (ideally sieved, I forgot and my glaze was a bit cloudy)

10gm butter

In a food processor blend flour, sugar, vanilla seeds, rind and 1tsp salt until combined. Slowly add chopped butter, blueberries and continue to blend until crumbly. Next add the yolks, and blend till just combined (this should only take 2/3 spins) 

On a clean, dry surface bring the dough together with the heel of your hand, mould into a circular disk. Transfer to a floured piece of baking paper, roll out to about 1cm think and refrigerate for 30mins.

Preheat Oven to 180C. I used a 5.5cm cutter (but depending on what shape/how many biscuits you want, the shape and amount can be up to you - spot our random star we did with the leftover dough) Place on a tray lined with baking paper and bake, watching for golden corners. You might need to rotate your tray for consistency. The recipe said 10-15mins but mine needed about 25mins. 

Remove from oven and leave to stand on cooling trays.

For the glaze, use a small saucepan stirring together the sugar, vanilla seeds and 50ml water, over a meduim-high heat till sugar is dissolved, then bring to the boil and continue to stir for another 1-2mins. Remove from heat, add icing sugar, butter and 1-2tbsp of hot water. The glaze should be smooth.

Using your hand, dip one side of the biscuit into the glaze and place back on the cooling rack (be aware that the glaze will drip so I put a sheet of baking paper under the rack) 

Once you've glazed all your biscuits leave to stand until set.

Store in an airtight container and enjoy with a cup of tea.

The recipe was inspired by one in this month's Gourmet Traveller Magazine.

Happy Baking

Things I'm Lovin'

This delicious fennel and asparagus salad is going to be the perfect accompaniment to the slow-cooked lamb shoulder we're planning to make for lunch this weekend.

I'm obsessed with stripes, if I could wear them everyday I probably would. This is definitely my next purchase, a perfectly stripped staple!

Design your own bikini - YES PLEASE

Who doesn't need a bit of extra luck, I'm going to be wearing this bracelet to encourage mine.

Hampstead Theatre in London is pushing all boundary's by live streaming a performance of their sold-out show, Wonderland. What an amazing idea, catch it live this Saturday or on demand for 72 hours after.

The perfect dress to transition from Winter into Spring or if you're on the other side of the hemisphere then Summer into Autumn!

Have a wonderful weekend

A Day at the Beach // Barwon Heads

It was time for a day trip! We'd managed to get all our 'life admin' (ie washing, shopping etc) done on Saturday so Sunday we headed out of Melbourne. 

Just over an hour later we were in the beautiful Barwon Heads on the Bellarine Peninsular. 

We usually head to Queenscliff (the coastal town just before Barwon Heads) but wanted to visit somewhere new, and we weren't disappointed. 

Stopped to catch a local Footy game.

Wandered along Hitchcock Street, having a nose in the lovely local boutiques before lunch outside at Annie's.

We headed back down to the beach to walk off our lunch.

Barwon Heads is fab and we will most definitely be back this summer so we can have a swim in that sparkling sea.