this is as far as i got today in creating a post for you about my trip back home. as it turns out, i am suffering from a severe case of what i like to call the girl lacks time management skills. it seems i have developed a list as long as my left arm (it’s the longer of the two), and today i realised its all getting out of control. at the top of my list was ‘clean houseboat’. I’ve always found that when i am in ultra creative mode, the housework does not get done. do you find that? do you think being an artist and doing housework just don’t mix? i do, it’s like doing taxes and being creative – they cannot be done in the same breath. well, in my humble experience anyway. or perhaps i’m just no good at multi-tasking.

so, i’m afraid i totally neglected posting my promise today. but i’m hoping this photo might suffice. I took this on the plane going over australia – it is one of my favourite places to be – in a plane, heading over my homeland. it is one of the most beautiful scenes ever. and i’ll tell you more about it soon.

now i must dash for i have a date! with french boy. who is FINALLY taking me out for my birthday dinner, as promised. this is the only time we’ve had to do this since we’ve been back. We are going to a restaurant that i’ve been wanting to try for. like. ever. so, if it’s good i’ll tell you all about it tomorrow! if it’s not good, i shall not waste this precious blog space on it as i have so many wonderful things to share with you.

xx

oh and i totally got side-tracked! i was going to tell you that due to the list as long as my left arm, i think i will hold off on my sydney posts until next week. instead this week i have a whole bunch of posts i want to publish, one of them being the results of one of my latest shoots which i’m hoping you will like. until then!

It’s Friday afternoon. Time to escape for the weekend. But where? Follow me. I have JUST the place for us. It’s tranquil. It’s über stylish and filled with the most gorgeous vintage furniture. Like 1930’s club chairs. And clawfoot baths. And chandeliers from France. There are open fireplaces. And a private garden. And yes, there are hand-painted wallpapers by Deborah Bowness. Welcome mes chers amis, to The White House in Daylesford, Australia…

The White House is an 1850’s brick miners cottage, newly reburbished with interiors and design by none other than our favourite vintage collector whom I featured just the other day – Ms. Lyn Gardener...

Lyn has filled the house with all her favorite vintage pieces. Every room in this house screams sophistication but is loose and natural, making you feel welcome and rested. Yes, I can see myself lounging about in here and never wanting to leave…

My knees are weak and I feel giddy. Are you feeling the same? and then, as if those visuals weren’t enough, there is the garden studio…

Lyn’s White House is in walking distance from the convent gallery, sunday market, vincent street, botanical gardens and daylesford lake. and it’s only a short drive to Hepburn Springs and Spa. For those of you who don’t know this area, basically this means it’s in the centre of heaven.

and. and? yes, AND! the best news of all is that Lyn created this incredible space just. for. you. and me! And, well, who else would like to join us on a glorious weekend retreat? It would make the perfect blogging girls weekend away.

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For more information, please click here. (It’s a beautiful website so by sure to click away.)

Photographs courtesy of the talented Tim James.

Thank you Lyn for sharing your new project with me. I will certainly be visiting when I am back in Australia – so book me in sweet Lyn!! Hmm, at this rate it looks like I’ll be taking a little road trip from Sydney to Daylesford, then Melbourne, and onto Rodney and Severine’s Agrarian Kitchen in Tasmania. Wow, I can’t wait for this!

xx

PS Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Have a wonderful day, whatever you get up to. I’ll see you on Monday with some more visual treats. I’m thinking I should make time to go through my photos of my last trip to Sydney – my tan has faded but my memories have not. Shall we do that next week? Shall we see what I got up to in Sydney last month?

PPS I really don’t know what to make for dinner tonight. Any suggestions?

photo from Lauren Wilson’s report for The Australian

I don’t cope well with suffering. be it human or other. so I’ve been putting off reading the news about the victoria bush fires since mum told me about them late last week. But a moment ago I felt brave enough to do so. and now my eyes sting, my skin tingles, and my heart bleeds.

I don’t often isolate such incidents on my blog as there is always so much suffering going on all over the world at any given time, and I am acutely aware of this with every breath I take. So with that said, I take a deep breath… and I exhale all my love, all my courage, and all my strength to all those who need it. If you feel inclined, perhaps you’d like to take this moment to do the same.

xx

…is a perfectly renovated 19th century schoolhouse, surrounded by an expansive vegetable and herb garden, orchard, and berry patch. There are two Jersey cows, Wessex saddleback pigs, Barnevelder chickens and a flock of geese. Welcome to The Agrarian Kitchen in Lachlan, Tasmania…

Run by Rodney Dunn, former food editor of Gourmet Traveller and his wife Séverine, The Agrarian Kitchen is a very unique cooking school. Their aim is “to create a place where people can rediscover the simple pleasures of gathering and cooking with produce as close to its source as possible.” Sustainable farming practices are at the core of the Agrarian Kitchen philosophy…

So how did I come to know about this hidden gem? Well a few years ago, just before I moved to Paris, I used to work with Rodney as a regular contributor to Gourmet Traveller magazine. During one of our shoots he told me about he and his wife’s dream to create a sustainable farm and cooking school in Tasmania. I was intrigued and so inspired. Since this is a bit of a dream of mine, I had a hundred and one questions every time we worked together. Each time he would tell me about his new learning experiences in sustainability, and his friend and photographer Luke, would tell me about their latest adventures in Tasmania. How fabulous I thought. If Rodney and Séverine can do this, it would one of the most inspiring cooking experiences ever…

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(these are 2 of my favourite shoots with Rodney and his delish recipes at Gourmet Traveller. Featured on the left is Rodney’s chicken, fennel and tarragon soup with poached egg and on the right is his Baby Spice and Rhubarb Butter Cakes, click here for the recipe)

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Fast forward to today: Rodney and Séverine have successfully launched their cooking school. Among their first guests was Tetsuya Wakuda who enjoyed Rodney’s afternoon tea of freshly pulled French breakfast and plum purple radishes with aioli, chicken and wild fennel tramezzini and chocolate friands with dulce de leche.

The Agrarian cooking classes are now in full swing, with such seasonal masterclasses in artisanal subjects like making cheese and butter, preserving, baking bread, making pasta, charcuterie, ice-cream and confectionery. There are a maximum of 8 guests per class, and classes can be tailored to suit individual interests.

(how gorgeous is that wood-fired oven? It is designed by the late Alan Scott who was a world renowned oven designer and builder – his ovens are used by the world’s best artisan bakers)

A day at The Agrarian Kitchen sounds like heaven to me: first you pull on a pair of gumboots and begin foraging in the garden for the ripest fruit and vegetables. You return to the kitchen to prepare and cook a seasonal feast under Rodney’s guidance, then lunch with the other guests while enjoying premium Tasmanian wines and artisanal ales…

tea in the garden, anyone?

…pictured above is the tomato gluttony masterclass, and below is Rodney (centre) in action in the kitchen during one of the classes…

French Boy and I are super keen to participate in a class or two next time we are back in Australia. Having worked with Rodney I can attest to him being a very thorough and patient foodie (the perfect ingredients to be a teacher!), and his knowledge on food is immense. So congratulations Rod and Sev, enjoy your new life, and I look forward to seeing you both and enjoying all you have to share with us.

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All images are taken by the fabulous Luke Burgess and Amanda McLaughlin.

Thanks to Rodney and Séverine for sending the images.

For more info about the Agrarian Kitchen visit the website here. Be sure to browse it thoroughly as it is extensive and filled with great information about the surroundings and favourite Tassie places.

And to join the Agrarian Kitchen mailing list for regular updates on classes and events, please click here.

xx

xx

PS and just in case you are STILL not feeling the magic for tomorrow, check out this piece of musical finery and tell me you ain’t even just a little bit in the mood for celebrating.

PPS I have another reason why I love Australia Day so much, I’ll tell you about it tomorrow. For impatient readers, there is a hint here. Seriously, you don’t come much more aussie than me. even thought I live on a boat in amsterdam. hmm.